AUTISM SPECTRUM

DISORDERS: Implications,

Resources, and Supports for

General Education

Staff Presentation

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/

autism/facts.html

What are Autism Spectrum

Disorders?Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. 

People with ASD handle information in their brain differently than other people. taken from Centers for Disease Control Website

What are Autism Spectrum

Disorders? (cont.)●ASD is a spectrum of disorders.  That means

ASD affects each person in different ways, and can range from very mild to severe. 

●People with ASD share some similar symptoms, such as problems with social interaction, but there are differences in when the symptoms start, how severe they are, and the exact nature of the symptoms. 

Who is affected by ASD?●As many as 1 in 99 children today are being

diagnosed with ASDs

●Boys are 4 times more likely to be affected than girls

●Children can be diagnosed as young as 18 months and typically are diagnosed by age 3

Signs of Autism

●Lack of or delay in spoken language ●Repetitive use of language and/or motor

mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)

●Little or no eye contact ●Lack of interest in peer relationships ●Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play ●Persistent fixation on parts of objects

Causes of Autism ●There is no known single cause for

autism●Researchers are investigating a

number of theoriesothe possibility that under certain

conditions, a cluster of unstable genes may interfere with brain development, resulting in autism.

oproblems during pregnancy or delivery as well as environmental factors

The Law●Ed. Code Article 3 Sec 56040.1

In accordance with Section 1412(a)(5) of Title 20 of the United States Code and Section 300.114 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, each public agency shall ensure the following to address the least restrictive environment for individuals with exceptional needs:(a) To the maximum extent appropriate, individuals with exceptional needs, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are non disabled. (b) Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of individuals with exceptional needs from the regular environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Key Points●What the law implies is that we will very likely

have more students with disabilities in the general education classrooms

●We need to understand these disabilities and the implications it can have

●More knowledge = More skills to work with students effectively = reduced frustration

●Teamwork is key. Special ed and general ed staff need to work hand in hand to ensure success of all students in the school.

Please pay attention to the

use of “may”, “might” or “often”

when defining these

characteristicsAll children with Autism are different and

may not be affected in the same way.

How does ASD affect

a student in school?●Communication/Language

Development

●Social Interactions

●Repetitive or Stereotypical behaviors

Areas of Difficulty:

Language/Communication●Students who are non-vocal or have

limited vocal skillsomay require alternative communication

technologies

ooften engage in inappropriate behaviors to get

their wants and needs met

●The first priority in teaching language to

these students is to teach them how to get

their wants and needs met

Areas of Difficulty:

Language/Communication Cont’d

●Students who are non-vocal or have limited vocal skills omay also have impaired cognitive skillsomay not follow directions not due to willful non-

compliance but because they do not understand the words

omay be mainstreamed usually with adult support

Areas of Difficulty:

Language/Communication2●Students with mild speech delays/difficultiesotypically be mainstreamed in the general ed

classroom partially or fully oneed to learn to speak just like ELD students

who are learning Englishomay be able to speak clearly but use

echolalia. Some students may speak a lot but may not use all the language functionally

ooften view the world very literally, they don’t always understand sarcasm, jokes, idioms.

Areas of Difficulty:

Language/Communication Cont’d

●Students with mild speech delays/difficultiesomay use ‘scripted’ language. Sometimes students use

scripting functionally within contextomay have difficulty understanding abstract language.

For e.g., statements like, “You need to behave.” This is far too abstract and the student needs specific examples of what he/she is required to do. For e.g., you could instead say, “You need to sit in your seat and complete page 3.”

Areas of Difficulty: 

Social InteractionsStudents with ASD:

●have a desire to interact with others but may not

know all the social rules so may have difficulty

understanding them and tend to misinterpret social

cues

●tend to watch others instead of interacting with them

●may respond more than initiate

●often have difficulty understanding the feelings/

perspectives of others

Areas of Difficulty:

Social Interaction Cont’d●may interact with adults appropriately but not with

students.

●are often left out of social activities or are bullied

The environment during unstructured times may be too stimulating for the students increasing anxiety

Areas of Difficulty: Behavior●Students with Autism often have stereotypical or

repetitive behaviors omay make the children appear odd (i.e. hand

flapping, toe walking, rocking, spinning in circles)omay keep or maintain their attention more

intensely than other activities (i.e. talking about bathrooms, looking at the wheels of a train, etc).

omay be very difficult for them to transition away from these activities whether their stereotypical behaviors are verbal or physical

Areas of Difficulty: Behavior Cont’d

 Remember ASD students have:

●difficulties in communication, sensory processing or

lack of understanding of the rules

●difficulty making eye contact

●difficulty understanding the consequences of

punishments

●difficulty with abstract language

Areas of Difficulty:

Sensory IntegrationSensory Integration - involves taking in this info,

organizing our behavior, & interacting successfully in the

world.

●may have difficulty – can be mild or severe and varies

from student to student

●may increase when sensory systems are not

functioning appropriately.

Areas of Difficulty: Sensory

Integration Cont’d (Sensory Systems)●Tactile (Touch) – info about the environment and object qualities (touch, pressure, texture, hard, soft, sharp, dull, heat, cold, pain)

●Vestibular (Balance) – where our body is in space and whether or not we or our surroundings are moving. Involves speed and direction of movement.

●Proprioception (body awareness) – where a certain body part is and how it is moving

●Visual (sight) – info about objects and persons, helps define boundaries as we move through time & space

●Auditory (hearing) – sounds in the environment●Gustatory (taste) – different types of taste●Olfactory (smell) – different types of smell

But what do I do in my classroom for

ASD students?●Maintain a routine when possible and notify if there is a

change

●Use visuals and graphic organizers as supports

●Enforce consistent class rules

●Allow alternative activities for unstructured times to avoid sensory overload

●Simplify communication, pausing between multi-step directions

●Modify homework if needed

●Explain consequences of ASD student’s behaviors to them

Where do I get help for my

classroom for ASD students?●Work with school special education staff and

administration regarding supports and resources

●Know what is in the student’s IEP regarding goals/objectives as well as accommodations/modifications

●Implement UDL (Universal Design for Learning) http://cast.org/ and Teaching Every Student http://cast.org/teachingeverystudent/

But what do I do in my

classroom for other students?●Maintain a routine when possible

●Use visuals for supports

●Enforce consistent class rules

●Explain the need for alternative activities

●Explain ASD student’s behaviors for students’

understanding, to get support, and to reduce

bullying

Resources (just some)●For additional information on ASDs, here are some

websites:oAutism Society of America

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer oAutism Speaks http://www.autismspeaks.org/oAutism Collaboration http://www.autism.org/ ohttp://www.marthalakecov.org/~building/spneeds/autis

m/daily.htmohttp://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=A

utism_Asperger_s_Syndrome&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&ContentID=5598