How Autism/Asperger’s Impacts Instruction

He’s Smart But……

Social Characteristics

• Examples– Has difficulty joining an activity– Is naïve, easily taken advantage of, or

bullied– Tends to be less involved in group activities

than peers– Has difficulty understanding others’

nonverbal communication– Has difficulty understanding jokes

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Social Characteristics

• Examples– Desires to have friendships– Has difficulty recognizing feelings and

thoughts of others (mindblindness)– Uses poor eye contact– Has difficulty maintaining personal space– Lacks tact or appears rude– Has difficulty making or keeping friends

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Restricted Patterns of Behavior, Interests, and Activities

• Examples– Has strong need for routine or sameness– Desires repetition– Has eccentric or intense

preoccupation/absorption in own unique interests

– Asks repetitive questions

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Restricted Patterns of Behavior, Interests, and Activities

• Examples– Seems to be unmotivated by customary

rewards– Displays repetitive motor movements– Has problems handling transition and

change– Has strong need for closure or difficulty

stopping a task before it is completed

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Communication

• Examples– Makes sounds repeatedly or states words or

phrases repeatedly– Displays immediate or delayed echolalia– Interprets words or conversation literally– Has difficulty with rules of conversation– Fails to initiate or respond to social greetings– Has difficulty using gestures and facial

expressions©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Communication

• Examples– Has difficulty starting, joining, and ending

conversation– Has difficulty asking for help– Makes irrelevant comments– Uses advanced vocabulary– Uses “mechanical” voice– Has difficulty understanding language with

multiple meanings©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Small group activity

• Worked with the people and your table

• Choose one characteristic from each of the previous three categories

• Develop a brief scenario of how each characteristic might interfere with instruction

• Be prepared to share one scenario with the large group

Associated Features

• Sensory Differences– Responds in an unusual manner to sounds,

pain, taste, light, color, temperature and smells

– Seeks/avoids activities that provide touch, pressure, or movement

– Makes noises such as humming or singing constantly

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Associated Features

• Cognitive Differences– Weak central coherence – Unevenness in cognitive abilities– Higher rate of specific learning disabilities– Poor problem-solving skills– Poor organizational skills– Weakness in reading comprehension– Inconsistent recall of information

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Associated Features

• Motor Differences– Motor differences emerge during first 12

months– Catatonia – possibly 6-17% of individuals

with ASD– Poor balance– Poor handwriting– Awkward gait

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Associated Features

• Emotional Vulnerability– Is at greater risk for anxiety and depression– Is easily stressed– Appears depressed or sad– Appears anxious– Has difficulty tolerating mistakes– Has low frustration tolerance– Has difficulty managing stress/anxiety

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Theoretical Perspectives

• Theory of Executive Dysfunction– Executive functioning (EF) – A broad group

of mental processes, including working memory, behavioral inhibition, and self-regulation

– Relationship between EF and autism– Executive dysfunction and the brain

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Theoretical Perspectives

• Impaired Theory of Mind (ToM)– The ability to understand mental states,

including beliefs, thoughts, desires, perceptions, intentions, and feelings, and to apply this to predict the actions of others

– Development of ToM– Mindblindness

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Theoretical Perspectives

• Theory of Weak Central Coherence– Central coherence describes the tendency to

integrate information into a meaningful whole

– Advantages of weak central coherence?– Disadvantages of weak central coherence?

©2008, Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. & Barry Grossman, Ph.D.

Videos

Reinforcement-based Interventions

• Reinforcement plays a central role in some of the most successful interventions for individuals with ASD.

In the BeginningIn the Beginning

• Teach the rulesTeach the rules• Define vague or abstract termsDefine vague or abstract terms

– RespectRespect– ListeningListening– AppropriateAppropriate

• Practice understandingPractice understanding• Reinforce Reinforce

What Would I Rather Him/Her Do?

• Begin to think of a replacement behavior

• This becomes the skill you need to teach

The Final WordThe Final Word

It is not fair to expect anyone to exhibit a It is not fair to expect anyone to exhibit a behavior which has never been taught.behavior which has never been taught.

The key to changing inappropriate The key to changing inappropriate behaviors is replacing them with behaviors is replacing them with appropriate behaviors that serve the appropriate behaviors that serve the same function.same function.