Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Karen Truitt Behavior Consultant/Autism Team Leader

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. Autism for some individuals is not a disability, it is just a different way of seeing the world.

Communication People with ASD have learning strengths and weaknesses. Many find auditory input, such as speech, to be one of the most challenging modalities, while they absorb information through sight much more easily. Although not all individuals with ASD are stronger visual learners that auditory learners, many are.

Communication problems associated with ASD Limited inclination to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people. Primary purposes for communication tend to be: Requests (get someone to do something) Protest (get someone/something to stop)

Communication We need to think about how to help students use multiple tools to communicate and participate. Communication is more than just what we say. Communication is part of daily life and cannot be considered separately from other activities.

“I know what it’s like to be fed potatoes all my life…I hate potatoes “I know what it’s like to be fed potatoes all my life…I hate potatoes! But then, who knew that but me? I know what it like to be dressed in red and blue when my favorite colors are mint greens, lemon yellow and pinks. I mean really, can you imagine?” ~Sara Brother (individual with ASD)

Supportive Communication Everyone communicates Communicate with students Expect them to respond Focus on positive aspects of what the student can do. Encourage communication with peers Let the other kids experiment with a variety of ways to communicate Create communication opportunities

Supportive Communication Be a supportive communication partner Eye contact Your volume and tone of voice Listening & watching Other avenues Be an interpreter Provide multiple tools for communication ASL Objects Pictures High-tech devises (if available)

Visual Supports What are visual supports? -Simply put, visual supports are a way of making auditory information visual.

Visual Supports are an effective instructional tool…visual supports help children: Follow rules Understand what they are supposed to do Know what is happening in their day Understand how to complete work or play activities and tell someone they are finished Move from one activity to another Make choices about what they want to do Help children better understand their world

Who needs visual supports? WE ALL DO! Think about the visual supports we use everyday…cookbooks, maps, day planners, calendars, cell phones, grocery lists, emails, memos, notes, to-do lists, etc. Almost all students benefit from using visual supports.

When do we use visual supports? Throughout the day. Visual supports need to be portable so they can go wherever the student goes. Throughout our lives. Once the student is successful we may be tempted to remove visual supports, but experience has shown us that as students enter new environments and face new challenges it is much easier to modify existing visual supports than to reintroduce supports which had been taken away.

Visual supports come in many forms. Written words Pictures: photos, color pictures, black/white pictures, picture-symbols, etc. Gestures Objects in the environment: i.e., supplies that are needed for the next activity sitting on the table, object representing the activity, etc. Arrangement of the environment: i.e., independent work area, small group, break area, etc.

Why use visual supports? Visual supports consider the preference and strength of individuals with autism to process non-transient and visual-spatial information. When we present information verbally, the words are available for a brief moment. When we present information visually it can be there for as long as the student needs it.

Points to Remember It is only by using visuals that students will attach meaning to them. Sometime you will see immediate results. Sometimes it takes days, weeks, or months before you see results. STICK WITH IT but be thinking about the possibility of making modifications. Sometime one little change can make a big difference. Some visual supports may be used less over time but it’s a good idea to keep them handy for those times when the student needs extra support because they might be having an “off day”. If the supports are kept in place they can be easily changed when the student transitions to a new, more challenging environment.

Make visual supports age appropriate Make visual supports age appropriate. Consider the size and portability of the visual as well as the kind of visual symbols you use (i.e., objects, pictures, line drawings, words, etc.) Be sure they “fit the environment”. Take all school settings into consideration. Don’t forget recess, lunch, fieldtrips, etc. You can make visual supports portable and easy to access by keeping them in and envelope or binder kept by the door. Teach students to retrieve the visual support they’ll need to take with them to activities around the school. When using visual supports pair them with spoken language so students begin to attach meaning. But use the words sparingly and match key words and phrases to the objects, pictures or actions.

The higher the stress level the more need for visuals The higher the stress level the more need for visuals. Using spoken language usually serves to increase rather than decrease stress levels. Using pictures allows us to communicate effectively with the student without adding to their stress. Independence is our goal! Visual support promote independence by providing visual cues which can eventually be used by the student for self-prompting. Verbal cues alone can create dependence on other people.

Examples of Visual Supports

Websites www.dotolearn.com www.usevisualstrategies.com www.mayerjohnson.com www.images.google.com www.tinsnips.org

Books Visual Strategies for Improving Communication by Linda Hodgson Visual Supports for People with Autism by Marlene Cohen & Peter Gerhardt Making Visual Supports Work in the Home and Community: Strategies for Individuals with Autism and Asperger Syndrome by Jennifer Savner & Brenda Smith Myles Visual Support for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Vera Bernard-Opitz & Anne Haubler Task Galore (series) by Laurie Eckenrode, Pat Fennell & Kathy Hearsey