Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder
Development of the Field of Autism Spectrum Disorder
An inability to relate typically to other people and situations
Delayed speech and language development, failure to use developed language for communication purposes, and other speech and language abnormalities, such as extreme literalness
Typical physical growth and development
An obsessive insistence on environmental sameness
An extreme fascination and preoccupation with objects
Stereotypic or repetitive behavior and other forms of self-stimulation
Refining Understanding
Autism was identified as a separate category of disability in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) beginning in 1990.
Definitions of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Federal Definition
Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
Autism does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance.
A child who manifests the characteristics of autism after age three could be diagnosed as having autism if the criteria in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section are satisfied.
Definition of the American Psychiatric Association
Although the previous version of the DSM included a broad category called pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and within that category included autism disorder, Asperger disorder, and other related conditions, the current manual eliminated the narrow diagnostic labels and adopted the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to encompass all of them.
Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder
0.7% of all students ages 6 to 21
approximately 455,000 students
Other Prevalence Considerations
a risk ratio of 1 means that students are represented in a disability category exactly in the proportion as they are represented in the population, students who are Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander have a risk ratio for autism of 1.25; Caucasian students have a risk ratio of 1.21. In contrast, Hispanic students have a risk ratio of 0.75, and those who are American Indian/Native Alaskan have a risk ratio of 0.88.
Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder
genetic differences or other malfunctions in the brain
Biological Factors
DNA
Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Brain
individuals with autism spectrum disorder have been found to have abnormalities in the cerebellum
Environmental Factors
In many cases, positive supports, unconditional family love, and similar factors probably have a positive effect on how the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder occur.
Autism and Immunizations
There is no connection between immunizations and autism.
Characteristics of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Cognitive and Academic Characteristics
most individuals with autism have a comorbid psychiatric disorder, often depression or ADHD, and these individuals generally have poorer outcomes that those who do not have comorbid diagnoses.
Rote Memory
the ability to easily remember things without necessarily knowing what they mean.
Theory of Mind
people with this disorder do not truly understand that others have their own thoughts and points of view and that people with autism face challenges in understanding others’ beliefs and emotions
Problem Solving
Many students with ASD have access to only one problem-solving strategy for a particular situation and use it consistently, regardless of whether it is successful and even if the situation changes.
Social and Emotional Characteristics
Language Disorders
Many students with autism spectrum disorder have extraordinary difficulties related to language
Students may have problems with proxemics—that is, knowing the socially acceptable distance to maintain between people during conversation.
Immaturity
Communicative Intent
students often do not communicate in order to obtain the attention of others, and they may not communicate for social purposes
Behavior Characteristics
Self-Stimulatory Behaviors
may involve rocking, hand flapping, and any other repetitive, stereotyped behavior patterns that appear to have no apparent function
Generalization Difficulties
difficulty in transferring information to new settings
Sensory Issues
difficulty with the (a) tactile, (b) vestibular, (c) proprioception, (d) visual, (e) auditory, (f) gustatory, and (g) olfactory senses
Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder
Assessment Related to Characteristics of Autism
Cognitive Ability, Academic Achievement, and Adaptive Skills
Developmental Measures
Behavior Assessment
Compliance: Does the student do as requested? With or without prompting? How many prompts?
Independence: Which steps of the skills being taught is the student able to complete without adult guidance?
Imitation: If given a direction, does the student comply with it? How much support is needed for the student to complete the direction (e.g., physical prompting, verbal prompting)?
Work behaviors: Does the student get out the assigned work? Begin it? Persist? Complete it?
Eligibility
Does a disability exist?
Does it have a negative impact on educational performance?
Is the student eligible for special education services?
Will the student benefit from those services?
How Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder Receive Their Education
Early Childhood
Intervention prior to age 3
Twenty to 45 hours of intervention per week
Active family involvement
Highly trained staff providing services to children with autism and their families
Ongoing assessment of children’s progress
A systematically implemented curriculum
A highly supportive teaching and learning environment
A focus on communication goals and other developmental areas
Plans to help students apply skills they learn in a variety of settings and to maintain their skills over time
Individualized interventions for each student
Plans to assist the young child and family transition from early childhood services to school-age programs
Elementary and Secondary School Services
approximately 43% of students with autism spectrum disorder are educated primarily in a setting away from the general education classroom
Inclusive Practices
Social isolation, often self-imposed
Repetitive behavior and obsessions with specific objects or topics
Focus on a narrow range of topics and inability to recognize that others may not share those interests
Difficulty in transitioning from one activity to another in a timely manner
Inability to recognize the feelings of classmates
Exploring the Autism Inclusion Collaboration Model
Environmental and curricular modifications and general education classroom support
Attitudinal and social support
Coordinated team commitment
Home–school collaboration
Transition and Adulthood
Self-help skills such as eating, dressing, personal hygiene, and grooming
Play, leisure, and recreation skills
Social skills
Sexuality
Home management skills such as bill paying, grocery shopping, and cleaning
Vocational skills
Skills for participating in postsecondary education, including living independently
Skills for making personal decisions (i.e., self-determination) and accessing community opportunities
Recommended Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Environmental Supports
changes in a student’s surroundings that are considered key to effective instructional programming. Some of the most common environmental supports include visual supports, a home base, and assistive technology
Visual Supports
Home Base
a place students can go to when they are beginning to feel anxious or upset and need to calm themselves
Assistive Technology
Instructional Practices
Priming
when a parent, paraprofessional, teacher, or trusted peer previews with a student actual materials that will be used in a lesson or activity the day, the evening, the morning, or, occasionally, moments before that lesson or activity occurs. This is done as a means of reducing stress and anxiety by increasing student familiarity with the materials
Discrete Trial Interventions
Prompting
a cue designed to get a student to perform a specific behavior, and it is effective in promoting student achievement
Social Skills Supports
Instruction
Social Stories
an individualized text or story that describes a specific social situation from the student’s perspective
SOCCSS
Situation: The first step is to have the student identify (or help the student identify) the who, what, where, and when components of the event that occurred.
Options: Next, the student brainstorms, with help as needed, options for responding to the situation. All student responses are recorded, whether they seem appropriate or not.
Consequences: For each option listed, the student identifies at least one consequence. This sometimes is the most difficult part of the process.
Choices: The student rates the option as positive or negative, based on the consequences of each.
Strategies: After choosing an option, the teacher assists the student to form a plan for using that option the next time the situation arises.
Simulation: This step is designed to provide practice for the student, who could draw the strategy being implemented, role play it, or imagine using it.
Perspectives of Parents and Families
Family Needs for Information and Support
Parents, including their emotional response to the diagnosis, challenges in raising a child with this disability, and the effect on their own careers, health, and leisure activities; however, some parents also reported joy and love for their children
The rest of the family, including both supportive and nonsupportive reactions from extended family members and a strengthening or weakening of the parents’ marriage
Social interactions, including the benefits of being able to access support groups but the frequent social stigma when out in public
Health and education services, including the benefits of specialized care for their children, the value of working with skilled and caring professionals, and the frustration of inconsistent care and therapies viewed as not providing benefit
The Roles of Siblings
Siblings often play important yet demanding roles in the lives of their brothers or sisters with autism spectrum disorder
Trends and Issues Affecting the Field of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Assessment, Diagnosis, and Prevalence
Evidence-Based Interventions
Training and Support