Transcript What is Autism?

Action For Autism
What is Autism?
 Autism is a brain disorder that
typically affects a person’s ability
to communicate, form
relationships with others, and
respond appropriately to the
environment
What is Autism?
Cont.
 Some people with autism are relatively high
functioning with speech and intelligence intact
 Some people are developmentally delayed
non-verbal, or have serious language delays
 Some people seem closed off and shut down,
while other seem locked into repetitive
behaviors and rigid patters of thinking
What is Autism?
Cont
Although people with autism do not
have exactly the same symptoms and deficits,
they tend to share certain social,
communication, motor, and sensory problems
that affect their behavior in predictable ways.
Who Are The Kids With
Autism Spectrum Disorders ?
 Three core areas of concern or
cardinal features for ASD
 Social impairment
 Communication impairment
 Restricted, repetitive behaviors and
interests
Autism is a Spectrum
Disorder
Severe
Areas of concern
Communication /
Language
Social /
Emotional
Rigidity / Inflexibility
Perception /
Sensory Regulation
Response to Stress
Cognitive /
Intellectual ability
Other domains...
Mild
Look Again an Inside View of
Autism Spectrum Disorder
 We experience things holistically:
The
sight, sound, smell, feel and emotional tone of a
situation hit us all at once. It’s hard to filter anything
out. Sometimes one sensation seems to trigger all our
other senses, making it difficult to tell where the real
signal came from. We may be alert to information
others miss, but the task of processing and dealing
with it can be overwhelming.
Look Again Cont.
 We are visual learners with good
memories. We tend to notice and remember
visual details. Often this is very useful, but we
may need help to separate what’s important
from what is not. While others see larger
patterns emerge from details, for us these are
like hidden pictures that stay hidden. The
unseen future is difficult to grasp.
Look Again Cont.
 We are straightforward and honest.
We expect
people’s words and behavior to mean exactly what they seem, and not to
have multiple or covert meanings. The language of emotions can prove
especially tricky.
 We have specialized interests.
We avidly pursue and
thoroughly enjoy what appeals to US, not just the latest style or fad.
 We prefer routines.
Sudden changes are too unnerving. You
might say we’re traditionalists
 Our friends are very important to us.
Being a friend
takes a lot of effort and energy. Some people think we don’t care about
having a social life, but we do.
Theory of Mind
 Refers to the notion that persons with ASD do
not understand that others have their own
plans, thoughts and points of view
 People with ASD have difficulty
comprehending when others don’t know
something.
 People with ASD appear to be self centered,
eccentric, or uncaring
Theory of Mind Cont.
 Implications of lacking a theory of mind
 Social skills are one of the most debilitating
parts of the ASD
 People have preferences for the known
 People have difficulty choosing and
prioritizing
 People have a lack of compliance
 People have difficulty with the hidden
curriculum
Hidden Curriculum
 The things that……….
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We shouldn’t have to be told
Are obvious to everyone
Repeatedly get persons with autism in trouble
Consists almost entirely of unwritten rules whose
violations can make the child an outcast
 Examples:
 Getting into another person’s personal space
 Swearing at the Principal
 Talking about bathroom hygiene publicly
Strategies for Those Who
Lack a Theory of Mind
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Social Stories
Comic Strip Conversations
Relaxation techniques
Visual Cues
 Listing social rules
 Cue Cards
Strategies for Those Who
Lack a Theory of Mind Cont.
Break Cards
• Teach Social Conventions
-appropriate conversations
-appropriate topics
-appropriate sexual behaviors
Note:
 Do not expect “shaming, reasoning, or
retributions” strategies to work
 The person will/may not understand the
consequences of their actions prior to the
action so they must learn through other ways
 “Theory of Mind” issues should be priority.
Without this basic understanding, the person is
likely to continue to fail in social , community,
and family.
How Does Autism Impact
Learning?
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Limited social skills
Sensory over stimulation
Deficit in deciding what is relevant information
Struggle with transitions
Inflexible
Poor organizational skills
How Does Autism Impact
Learning? (cont.)
 Poor sequencing skills
 Poor generalization skills
 Deficits in communication
How Do We Help?
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Arranging the Physical Environment
Providing Visual Structure
Utilizing Schedules
Developing Personal Work Systems
Recognizing Personalized
Communication Needs
Visuals are nice for
all children.
For the person with ASD
they are essential!
What are Visual Supports?
 Those things that we see that enhance
the communication process
 Visual supports capitalize on a person’s
ability to gain information from their
sense of sight
 Visuals are critical part of communication
Visual Supports
 Provide an opportunity for the child to
engage his attention before the message
disappears
 Build on the student’s strengths rather
than place demands on weakness
 Increase comprehension significantly
Benefits of Visual Supports
 Create an orderliness to the environment which
gives a sense of stability
 Provide greater structure and predictability
 Increase Independence
 Cue behavior control
 Increase student reliability
 Make it easier for everyone to find or
remember what they need
Why Use Visual Supports?
 Students with ASD may
 Hear information in bits, therefore not receiving the
whole message
 May have a delayed response for processing
information
 May have difficulty filtering out extraneous noise
and therefore have difficulty attending
 Visual information can exist for any length of time
 It is easier to focus when there is something at which to
look.
“….my response to what people said to me would
often be delayed as my mind had to take time to
sort out what they had said.
The more stress I was under, the worse it became.”
Donna Williams
Nobody Nowhere
Individual
Schedule
Individual Schedules
 The individual’s schedule visually tells
the student:
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Where am I to be?
What activity?
What sequence?
What’s next?
Benefits of a Schedule
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To provide a sequence of events
To provide predictability
To support student understanding
To build flexibility
To promote independence
To ease transitions
To prepare for change
Schedules Can
 Give information about their day
 Help students see logic and order in their
environment
 Serve as a tool to discuss and share daily
events
 Help develop time concepts
 Teach sequences; first, then
 Reduce or eliminate anxiety or stress related to
transition or change
 Teach flexibility
Types of Schedules
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Transition object
Object Sequence
Single Picture/Photo
Picture Cards with Written Words
Written
Creating Daily Schedules
 Identify and name each segment of the day
(lunch, seatwork, library, etc…)
 Determine the level of communication (objects,
photos, line drawings, written word)
 Define what the schedule need to convey, how
much information, details (does it need to tell
time, place, staff, materials?)
 Determine the format
 Stationary (wall chart, mounted)
 Portable (folder, wallet, paper, clipboard)
Remember in the World
of Autism Spectrum
Disorders: “If I didn’t
see it, you didn’t say it.”
Thank You
Have a great rest of the year!!!