What is Autism?
Download
Report
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……….
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
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?
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?
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:
Where am I to be?
What activity?
What sequence?
What’s next?
Benefits of a Schedule
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
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!!!