What Is Autism?

Don’t forget – match the

strategy to the individual

needs of student

Autism Spectrum Disorder Strategy and Intervention considerations

These are areas to be considered by parents, educators and professionals when planning an individualized, comprehensive intervention program.

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ASA’s Definition Autism is a complex developmental disability

that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

PDD

Autism is one of five disorders coming under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development,” including social interaction and communications skills. Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria as outlined by the American Psychiatric Association.

PPD Disorders

Autistic Disorder Asperger’s Disorder Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) Rett’s Disorder PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

Team Members

Social

CommunicationFamily Support

Collaboration

Motor Sensory Processing

Behavior

Team Members•Child

•Family

•Peers

•Paraprofessionals

•Educators

•Community Liaisons

•Social Worker

•Physical Therapist

•Speech Language Pathologist

•Occupational Therapist

•Psychologist

•Psychiatrist

•Pediatrician

•Pediatric Neurologist

Social

•Teach structured play skills

•Develop understanding of perspective

•Use social stories

•Teach stages of relating

•Teach coping skills

•Educate peers

•Teach leisure skills

•Use comic strip conversations

•Address bullying and teasing

•Use role playing

•Support relationships

Communication

•Support and enhance effective modes of communications

•Use augmentative/alternative methods and picture exchange

•Teach and shape gestures

•Shape expressive communication (i.e. echolalia)

•Teach verbal scripts

•Develop receptive language

•Assess and teach pragmatics of communication

•Teach social conventions

•Sign language

•Choice cards and boards

•Teach functional communication (i.e. phone skills, safety works, etc.)

Behavior•Use process of functional analysis

•Identify communicative intent of behavior

•Identify what individual seeks and avoids

•Identify environmental and internal factors

•Use positive programming interventions

•Develop reactive plan

•Create functional alternative for restrictive and repetitive behaviors

•Increase coping and relaxation skills

•Teach waiting and turn taking

•Identify meaningful motivators

•Reduce verbal prompts and add visual supports

•Teach functionally equivalent skills

Sensory Processing

•Understand the importance of sensory processing

•Assess sensory needs and sensitivities (oral, olfactory, visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular)

•Assess registration, Orientation

•Determined area of breakdown in the sensory processing chain (registration, orientation, interpretation, organization of response, execution of response)

•Develop choices of sensory regulation activities

•Develop a sensory diet to establish sensory regulation

•Assess sensory impact on diet, sleep and behavior

Motor

•Assess fine and gross motor components (postural stability, range of motion, strength, endurance and flexibility, balance, coordination, grasp, dominance, and motor planning

•Develop motor abilities

•Shape fine and gross motor skills

•Adapt for motor challenges

•Provide acceptable alternatives for sensory based behaviors

•Teach imitation skills

•Increase practice and repetition of motor skills

•Provide repeated physical prompts to improve motor initiation

•Provide adaptations for handwriting

Collaboration

•Build a team and meet frequently

•Provide opportunities to communicate with other team members

•Provide ongoing training

•Facilitate opportunities for team problem solving

•Make data-based decisions

•Develop goals, set priorities, and review regularly

•Plan for transition across environments

Family Support

•Family sensitivity

•Respite opportunities

•Sibling support

•Counseling

•Support groups

•Network with other families and professionals

•Early intervention

•Home-school communication

•Visual supports for daily routines

•Behavioral support

•Guardianship

•Legal advice

•Estate planning

Assistive Technology

Teaching Strategies

Visual Supports

Curricular Adaptations

Self-Help

Vocational Complimentary Elements

Work Systems

Assistive Technology

•Consider low to high tech options

•Implement across environments

•Alternative /augmentative communication

•Computer based instruction

•Adapted books

•Alternatives for handwriting

•Adapted worksheets

•Writing templates

Teaching Strategies

•Use liked activities as motivators

•Discrete trial format

•Task analysis

•Prompting, shaping and chaining

•Forward, backward and global chaining

•Visual cues

•Within stimulus cues

•Time delay

•Direct instruction

•Age appropriate materials

•Planned generalization

Visual Supports

•Individual and group schedules

•Mini schedules

•Appropriate visual labels (words, picture, icon, object)

•Visual timers

•Definite start and finish

•Choice boards

•Defined personal boundaries and space

•Written scripts and directions

•Organizers

•Color coding

Work Systems

•Teach independence

•Develop structure to define work environment tasks

•Use individualized work system

•Teach system and vary content

•Teach top to bottom, left to right

•Use containers/organizers (i.e. folders, boxes_

Complimentary Elements

•Consider proper nutrition especially if diet is limited

•Supplement imbalances with vitamins and minerals

•Consider medication to reduce symptoms

•Identify food sensitivities

•Exercise regularly

•Common ailments (allergies, constipation, colitis)

Vocational

•Assess and develop vocational skills early

•Develop transition team

•Develop transition plan and review on regular basis

•Use special interest for job development

•Provide information for community awareness

•Supported employment

•Assistive technology

•Teach functional life skills

•Teach social skills

•Teach communication skills

•Conduct ecological assessment of work environments

•Develop natural supports

Self-Help

•Develop independence in:

Dressing

Grooming

Toileting

Meal preparation

Safety

Daily living skills (i.e. chores & routines)

•Address health and sexuality

Curricular Adaptation

•Environmental manipulation

•Inclusive education

•Preferred activities as motivators

•Systematic instruction

•Direct instruction

•Discrete trial format

•Planned generalization

•Visual supports

•Adapted instruction

•Countdowns or work completion

•Individual and small group instruction

Autism Spectrum Disorder Resources

Don’t forget – match the

strategy to the individual

needs of student

Autism Spectrum Disorder Strategy and Intervention considerations

These are areas to be considered by parents, educators and professionals when planning an individualized, comprehensive intervention program.

Consid

er – T

here

are man

y

other

strate

gies a

nd

interv

entio

ns. T

his lis

t is ju

st a

startin

g poin

t.

This document was developed and reviewed by:

The Health Research Institute/Pfeiffer Treatment Center

Niles Township District of Special Education 807

Niles Township High School District 219

Northwestern Illinois Association

Resources

Autism Society of Americawww.autism-society.org provides additional resources;

books; internet sites; local school districts; and support groups.

Celebrate National Autism Awareness Month in April!