Transcript The Essentials of working with Autism

Why We Do What We Do!
2009-2010
Pervasive
Developmental
Disorder
Autism
Spectrum Disorder
According
to the American
Psychiatric Association (APA):
 Severe
qualitative impairment in:
 Reciprocal interaction (i.e., doesn’t
have intuitive ability to socialize)
 Verbal and nonverbal communication
 Restricted range of activities and
interests
Sleep
and feeding problems
Difficult to comfort
Not interested in people
Fascination with sensory experiences
Doesn’t imitate parents or seek their
reassurance/approval
Poor eye contact
 Communication
delays (speech and
gestures)
 Delays in self-care skills (e.g., toilet
training)
 Unusual reactions to sensory experiences
 Problems with play, learning, emotion
management, and/or behavior
 General developmental delay or other
medical problems
 Most
children with autism show signs in
first 18 months
 20%-40% have “regressive” or “late-onset”
autism

develop normally for first year or two, then
lose speech, become self-absorbed
 By
age 3, the two types are
indistinguishable
5
characteristics or dimensions of
autism
 Social
 Communication
 Cognitive
 Interests
 Sensory
Each
has a range, or “spectrum,” of
expression
Classic autism
Aloof, avoids
social
interaction
Asperger’s
Passive,
tolerates
social
interaction
“Active
but odd”
“Active but
odd”,
expresses
interest in
social
interaction
(especially
with adults) in
idiosyncratic or
immature ways
Classic autism
No spoken
language
Asperger’s
Limited
speech
(may
require
prompts);
echolalia
Significant
pragmatic
difficulties
Remarkable
verbal fluency,
but unable to
recognize
others’ lack of
interest
Classic autism
Profound
learning
problems;
focused on
sensory
qualities of
objects
Asperger’s
Unusual learning
style w/
relatively
advanced skills in
engineering-type
areas (e.g.,
jigsaw puzzles or
technical
drawing)
Average to
precocious
academic
abilities; may
have poor
organizational
skills
10% of children with autism
develop specific “splinter
skills” far beyond their
overall level of development
Asperger’s
Classic autism
Preoccupation
with parts of
objects;
spinning
wheels;
flipping
switches
Focus on
collecting/hoarding
objects.
Focus on
acquiring and
remembering
facts about a
specific topic
Preoccupation
with sensory
experiences
Lack of visible
response to
some sensory
experiences,
including pain
or cold
Extreme
sensitivity to
smells,
noises, bright
lights, etc.
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Relative strength/preference for
processing visual information (as
compared to auditory)
Heightened attention to detail, but
difficulty understanding big picture
(“deficit in central coherence)
Difficulty combining or integrating ideas
Difficulty with attention (very
distractible or difficulty shifting
attention)
Communication problems



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Social use of language (pragmatics)
Correct word usage (semantics)
Nonverbal communication
Abstract or nuanced language
Development of vocabulary and grammar
(except in Asperger Syndrome/HFA)
 Difficulty
with concepts of time
 Tendency to be attached to routines
 Very strong interests and impulses to
engage in favored activities
 Marked sensory preferences and aversions
Core
Materials
Instructional Strategies
Visual & Physical Structure
Individual & Classroom Schedules
Individual Communication Systems
Classroom Management
Required Record Keeping
 Select
three characteristics of autism
 How are each of those characteristics
addressed by at least two of the following
standards?
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Instructional Strategies
Visual & Physical Structure
Individual & Classroom Schedules
Individual Communication Systems
 Students
with autism Spectrum disorders
(ASDs) tend to be disorganized or otherwise
ineffective in their approach to many
materials and activities
 Therefore, they need external organizational
support in order to be meaningfully engaged
in learning
 Teacher

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

or caregiver decides
What the learning activities will be
Where they will take place
How long they will last
What visual information to use
 These
decisions are based on individual the
student’s needs

Not based on convenience or preferences
1.
2.
Teach the student with ASDs as many
skills as possible, given his
developmental level
Provide an environment that is as
comprehensible as possible, so the
student can understand the
expectations and opportunities around
him
 All
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settings, including
Home
Schools
Work sites
Therapy sessions
Recreational activities
Community settings
 For
every new activity, there should be
individualized visual information and
physical organization of the environment
that answer 5 questions for the learner:
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Where should I be?
What work or activity will I do?
How much work will I do?/How long will it last?
How will I know that I am making progress and
when I have finished?
What will I do next?
 Use

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
schedules of activities that are
Visual
Accurate
Individualized
Flexible (need to be able to change them as
circumstances change)
 At
earliest level, hand student objects indicating
“what’s next”


Cup means snack time
Roll of toilet paper means bathroom time
 At
later levels, direct student to check his
schedule
 Have
a designated spot for student to sit or
stand (chair, carpet square, etc.)
 For students who wander or pace, define
space with screens, large pieces of furniture,
etc.
 For more advanced learners, use assigned
seats, daily schedules with room numbers,
map of school w/routes
 Student
should be able to see what he is
supposed to do, and for how long
 Always supplement spoken directions with
visual or physical cues
 Keep
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materials organized with
Baskets
File folders
Clear containers
Velcro and tape
Clips
 If
answer is based on “how much” or
“how many” student gets done, the
materials should be organized in way that
makes it obvious


Block-sorting task is done when all the supplied
blocks have been put through the holes
Written assignment is done when the work
sheet is completed and put in the “finished”
pocket of the file folder
 If
answer is based on “how long,” have visual
system to countdown time



Hour glass
Timer
Visual symbol system (e.g., teacher takes away
one clothes pin every minute)
 Teach
students to engage in an acceptable
activity in a designated spot until it’s time
for next activity

If student doesn’t pick up on this routine quickly,
you may have to put an object or symbol at the
physical end of each set of work materials to
show him what to do next
Structured
Teaching and
environmental supports facilitate
understanding, learning, and
adaptive functioning at all
developmental levels
 Not
optional
 Must be collected weekly
 IEP objectives updated each six weeks


Base updates on actual data
What is meant by 2CY?
 Can
be viewed by parent
 Keep it simple

Choice: Review 360 entered weekly and
completely, or Review 360 + IPD form
 In
your group make a list of five reasons that
data is important
 Then
list three reasons why teachers may be
resistant to collecting data
 It
is fast once you have registered all of your
students
 Graphs
can be used to report progress or lack
of progress to parents
 When
we start to nag about
Regression/Recoupment data, you don’t have
to send us anything!
 Teaching
a communication system
 Maintaining
accurate data & documentation
 Communicating
with the parents/guardians
 In


your groups
Make a list of your challenges as a teacher
Choose at least two challenges and suggest
possible, reasonable solutions
 Group


discussion
What are your strengths as a special education
teacher?
How do your strengths help your students make
progress?
 Behavior
vs. Personal Social Development –
what should be the goal area?
 Regression/Recoupment
Objectives
data vs. ESY