Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Nicole Mitchell, Alexis Lucin, Asheton McNabb, Cassie Bretagna, Kim Moggio, Desine Smith, and Jessica Herrera

Classification o Autism o Asperger Syndrome o Pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) o Rett Syndrome o Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

Definition o Disorders cause inabilities to: o Communicate o Understand Language o Play o Develop Social Skills o Relate to others o Why is it called autism? o IDEA Classification

Symptoms o DSM-IV definition of autism is a list of symptoms o A total of six items from three categories with at least two from the first category, and one from the second and third category. o Usually during the first three years of life o Fifteen out of every 10,000 births. o Four times more likely in boys

Autism Spectrum Disorders Asperger Syndrome o “High- Functioning Autism” o Autistic-like symptoms however have spoken language o Dependent on the degree of symptoms Rett Syndrome o Neurological disorder o Only in females o Develop normally early on and then deteriorate o Early death

Autism Spectrum Disorders Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) o Normal development first 2 to 4 years o Social skills then deteriorate, especially vocabulary Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Stated (PDD-NOS) o Symptoms appear after age three o Symptoms are not pronounced in some areas

Characteristics of Autism o Difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings and repetitive body movements. o Repetitive body movements or behavior patterns o People with autism develop language slowly and may reverse the you and I pronouns showing evidence of echolalia.

Characteristics Cont. o People with autism vary in intellectual functioning and the majority have a cognitive deficit below 70. o Pragmatics such as language use, idiomatic phrases, and multiple meanings of words may cause difficulties in language based assessments. o Students with ASD may overreact to noise, movement and number of people in a classroom.

Identification o Medical Exam o Intellectual tests o Questionnaires (CAST) o Parents to screen for ASD o Childhood Autism Rating Scale o Characteristics rated on a 7-point scale o Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale

Education/What Teachers Should Know o Emphasize development in language and social skills o Provide structured environment o Prepare students for transitions o Be specific and clear, and repeat instructions if necessary o COMMUNICATION