Transcript Document 7201843

AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDERS (ASD)
Lorena, Jenny, Sarah, Lydia, Tara
Living with Autism Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTDmdClWtkc (3:57)
History
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First Studied by Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger in 1934 and
1944
Both referred to the children they observed as Autistic
Kanner said there were 3 main ways to distinguish
Schizophrenics from Autistic children
Asperger’s Paper
1981 Lorna Wing quoted his paper and referred to the
disorder as Asperger’s Syndrome
Since 1990 disorders with similar symptoms are categorized
under a broader term called Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Definition
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Autism is a disorder and not a disease.
Autism, as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) is: a developmental disability affecting verbal and
nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally
evident before age 3, that affects a child’s 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.
The term does not apply if a child’s educational performance
is adversely affected primarily because the child has serious
emotional disturbance. (34 C.F.R., Part 300, 300.7[b][l])
Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act,
2004)(pg. 425 “Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders”
Exceptional Learners)
Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Types of Autism
High Functioning to Low Functioning
 Asperger
Syndrome
 P.D.D.-N.O.S.
 Austistic Disorder
 Rett’s Disorder
 Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Personal Experience
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Does anyone have an personal experiences they
would like to share with the class?
Prevalence
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1 of 166 people have Autism Spectrum Disorder
 HOWEVER, only 1 of 370 people 6-17 yrs old are
identified with Autism and receive special education.
 Many see this rate is increasing…
 Why the increase? Potential answers: harmful toxins in
environment, widespread use of vaccinations for babies
and toddlers.
 Some say there is no increase due to…
 1. Widening of criteria used to diagnose
 2. Greater awareness of Autism
 3. “Diagnostic Substitution”
Prevalence (cont)
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Males outnumber females 3:1 or 4:1in Autism Spectrum
Disorders
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Exception: Rett Syndrome – occurs primarily in females
Causes
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No known single cause
Could be a mixture between heredity, genetics and medical
problems
Genetic Vulnerability
 Autism tends to occur more frequently than expected among
individuals who have certain medical conditions
 Fragile X syndrome
 Tuberous sclerosis
 Congenital Rubella syndrome
 Untreated Phenylketonuria (PKU)
 Some harmful substances ingested during pregnancy also
have been associated with an increased risk of Autism
Causes (cont)
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Environmental Factors
 Environmental Toxins
 Heavy Metals such as mercury
 Which are more prevalent in our current environment
than in the past
Those with ASD (or who are at risk) may be especially
vulnerable, as their ability to metabolize and detoxify these
exposures can be compromised
Vaccine Misconceptions
Debate: Vaccinations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7h-DPr_x2w (4:37)
Methods of Identification
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There is no universally used diagnostic test for ASD.
For autism, the clinician uses criteria that focus on
communication skills, social interactions, and
repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior
Behavior symptoms are so severe that it is easy to
diagnose
Autistic Regression: Children appear to progress
normally until about 16 to 24 months of age and
then begin to show signs of being autistic and will
later be diagnosed as autistic
Psychological and Behavioral
Characteristics
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4 Core Characteristics Involve:
 Social
Development
 Communication
 Limited Interests
 Repetitive Behavior
Stephen Wiltshire
http://www.youtube.com/user/AutTV#p/u/2/mskqFK3mHwU (5:28)
Signs to Watch for
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Lacks interest in others
Avoids prolonged eye contact
Resists being touched
Seems oversensitive to sounds and bright lights
Has mastered few words by 16 months
Does not point to share interests
Repeats words or phrases
Has frequent tantrums
Shows little interest in pretend play
Has difficulty taking turns
Resists change
Signs to Watch for (cont)
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Spins objects
Has difficulty catching a ball, buttoning or tying shoes
Shows little fear of dangers
Flaps hands, flicks fingers, rocks body or hurts self
Speaks with a flat voice
Has one-sided conversations
Stands too close to others
Misunderstands jokes, slang or teasing
Tunes others out
Displays anxiety or rage
Has intense interests
Educational Considerations
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Direct Instruction Skills
Behavior Management
Instruction in Natural Settings
Children with Asperger’s
 Social
Interpreting
 Coaching
Diet
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Eliminate Gluten and Casein
Children with Autism could be gluten addicts
Solutions
 School
lunches could be changed
Assess the Progress of Students
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Progress in language Development
 MacArthur- Bates Communicative Development InventorySecond Edition (CDI-II)
 Assesses both “normal” children AND those with
disabilities
Assess the Progress of Students (cont)
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Progress in Social/Adaptive behavior
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PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI)
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Monitors progress of students 2-12 years
Detects changes in students
Parent and Teacher versions of the test
Assesses:
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Sensory/Perceptual Behaviors
Rituals, resistant to change
Social problems
Semantics (Meaning) Problems
Arousal Regulation Problems
Fears
Aggressiveness
Receptive Social Communication Abilities
Expressive Social Communication Abilities
Assess the Progress of Students (cont)
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Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS)
 Parent/Teacher scale monitoring progress of students 4-18
 Monitors
 Social Awareness
 Social Information Processing
 Reciprocal Social Communication
 Social Anxiety
 Avoidance
 Evaluates Severity of Social Impairment
Assess the Progress of Students (cont)
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Outcome Measuring
 These tests can also be used to evaluate effectiveness of
interventions
 Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP)- standardized outcome
measurer
 Examines social skills of children & adolescents with ASD
 Completed by teachers/parents
 Includes 3 subscales/parts
 Social reciprocity
 Social participation/avoidance
 Detrimental Social behaviors
Assess the Progress of Students (cont)
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Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS)
 Purposes:
Screen/test, diagnose, as well as measuring
effectiveness
 Focuses on behaviors that deviate from “normal”
development
 2 years of age and older
Assess the Progress of Students (cont)
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Testing Accommodations/Alternate Assessments
Test Accommodations
 Vary
based on severity of disability
 Include changes in setting, scheduling, presentation format,
and response format
 Strategies
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Environmental and Curricular Modifications
Attitudinal and Social Support
Coordinated Team Commitment
Recurrent Evaluation of Inclusion Practices
Home-School Collaboration
Assess the Progress of Students (cont)
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Students with ASD must receive a modified/alternative
curriculum
Alternative Assessment
 Portfolio: Collection of items providing evidence of growth
on specific goals
Early Intervention
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The most effective early intervention programs are intensive,
highly structured, and involve families
Early intervention programs often use natural interactions to
teach students in natural environments, including general
education classrooms to the extent possible.
Most early intervention programs focus on children with
severe degrees of ASD rather than milder degrees
If intervention is early and intensive it can produce
remarkable gains in many children
There is no intervention yet can claim universal success in
enabling children to completely overcoming their disabilities
Early Intervention (cont)
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Essential features of an effective program (according to the National
Research Council)
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Entry into intervention programs as soon as an ASD is seriously considered
Active engagement in intensive instructional programming for a minimum of the
equivalent of a full school day, 5 days (at least 25 hours) a week, with full year
programming varied according to the child’s chronological age and
development level
Repeated, planned teaching opportunities generally organized around
relatively brief periods of time for the youngest children (e.g. 15-20 minute
intervals), including sufficient amounts of adult attention in one-to-one and very
small group instruction to meet individualized goals
Inclusion of a family component, including parent training
Low student/teacher ratios (no more than two young children with ASD per adult
in the classroom)
Mechanisms for ongoing program evaluation and assessments of individual
children’s progress, with results translated into adjustments in programming
Transition to Adulthood
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Self-Determination
Community Adjustment
Employment
Simulation Video
http://simulations.magnify.net/video/Autism-Sensory-Overload-Simul (3:21)
Simulation Stations
Resources
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Autism Society of Minnesota. Supporting People Living with Autism in Your Community.
St. Paul, MN: n.d. Print.
Hallahan, Daniel P., James M. Kauffman & Paige C. Pullen. “Learners with Autism
Spectrum Disorders.” Exceptional Learners. Boston: Pearson, 2009. 420-455.
Hirsch M.D., David. “Autism Spectrum Disorders” Web MD. 3 September 2009.
Web. 1 April 2010. http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/autism-spectrumdisorders.
"KNOW. . .The Autism - Vaccine Connection" K.N.O.W. Web. Accessed 4 April
2010. http://www.know-vaccines.org/autism.html.
McGee, Susie. "Diet for Autistic Children." love to know. N.p., 2010. Web. 5 Apr
2010. http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Diet_for_Autistic_Children.
"Misconceptions about Immunizations" Quackwatch. Revised 17 November
2002. Accessed 4 April
2010. http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/immu/autism.html.
"What Causes Autism" Autism Society. Revised 25 January 2008. Accessed 4 April
2010. http://www.autismsociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatcauses.
Additional Web Sites
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Autism Speaks
 http://www.autismspeaks.org/
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Autism Society of America
 http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer
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Autism Society of Minnesota
 http://www.ausm.org/