Autism Spectrum Disorders Mary Cantor and Carrie Powers

Pervasive Developmental Disorders Used to describe five related disabilities, including: –Autism –Rett Syndrome –Childhood Disintegrative Disorder –Asperger Syndrome –Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

Autism A combination of echolalia, robotic speech, gibberish or neologisms, impairments in social interactions, and impairments in communication Stereotypical behavior –Body rocking –Hand flapping –Finger movements –Fascination with objects and/or object parts Onset before age 3

Rett Syndrome Normal development for the first five months of life Loss of skills in the following areas between 5 and 48 months: –Hand skills (with the subsequent development of stereotypical movements) –Social engagement –Gait or trunk movements –Expressive and receptive communication Only occurs in females

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder Regression between the ages of 2 and 10 years in: –Language –Social skills –Adaptive skills –Bowel and/or bladder control –Play skills –Motor skills Delays in: –Social interaction –Communication –Stereotypical behaviors

Asperger Syndrome Impairment in social interaction Stereotypical behavior Impairment in social, occupational, or vocational areas No clinically significant delay in language No clinically significant delays in cognition, self-help, adaptive skills, or curiosity about the environment Must not meet criteria for schizophrenia

PDD-NOS Delays in social interaction or communication or the development of stereotypical behavior Diagnosed when delays are present but the criteria for another diagnosis is not met (basically labeled PDD-NOS when they don’t know what to call the specific PDD)

Unique Educational Needs Comprehension difficulty –Support is needed in the development of comprehension styles –Opportunities to practice are important Difficulty communicating intent –Help is necessary for learning communication skills –Encouragement to use expressive language is imperative

Augmentative Communication Up to 50% of students with autism do not develop functional speech High-tech devices: –Provide voice output Low-tech devices: –Board or sturdy paper –Involves pictures or drawings based on what words the student needs to communicate

Boardmaker (by Mayer- Johnson) Templates for the creation of communication boards Has a wide variety of symbols for communication Also used to create visual calendars and schedules

Picture Exchange Communication System Computer program that analyzes behavior to help a student learn to communicate Focuses on functional communication skills, the initiation of communication, and the design of effective educational environments

Accommodations Develop a picture and word schedule for daily activities. The teacher should learn to be comfortable using these schedules as well. Expect more and more from the student throughout the year. Be aware of the environment in the classroom, especially noise, lighting, and temperature, as these students may be hypersensitive to environmental conditions.