1. Laura Aspinall-Disability Specialist, SRJC

2. Disability Resources Department…  DRD provides advising, services, academic accommodations and classes for students with any kind of disabilities.  We have daily drop in times for students who think they might benefit from our services or would like to learn more  We serve approximately 3000 students www.santarosa.edu/disability_resources Santa Rosa: 527-4278 Petaluma:778-2491

3. Tell me what you already know…  Write down two things you know about autism.

4. What’s in a Name?  autism  Asperger’s Sydrome  Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)  Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD)** Autism = Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

5. Here are some facts…  Around 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with ASD in the U.S.  Boys are 4 to 5 times more likely to have ASD  ASD is more prevalent than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer and pediatric AIDS combined  The average age of diagnosis is 2-5, however diagnosis can occur earlier.

6. Facts continued…  The origin of ASD is yet undetermined, however: Parents that have one child with ASD are more likely to have a second Children with other medical conditions such as, Fragile X, Down’s Syndrome, Tuberculosis and chromosomal disorders are more likely to have ASD Currently there is no research that proves a correlation between vaccinations and ASD Researchers believe there to be both environmental and genetic factors that could contribute to a child being more likely to have ASD

7. Vocabulary You need to Know….  Expressive language= language or communication going out  Receptive language=language or communication going in  Pragmatics= the rules for how language is used socially: Using language for different purposes (exs: greeting vs. informing vs. demanding) Changing language according to the needs of the listener or situation (ex: speaking to friends vs. teachers) Following the rules (ex: conversational turn taking, staying on topic, interrupting)

8. Vocabulary You need to Know….  Executive Function=The ability to link past experience to new/novel experiences and then make a decision or plan based on that past experience (ex: last semester I didn’t take any notes in my Math 155 class and I failed all the tests, this semester I think I’ll take notes)

9. Autism vs Asperger’s Syndrome… Autism  Delayed onset of language  Deficits in receptive and expressive language  Deficits in ability to interact socially/use or interpret pragmatics of language  Restricted range of interest/can be perseverative or obsessive  Issues with Executive Functioning  Self Stimulatory and/or repetitive behavior  Desire/demand for sameness of routine Asperger’s Syndrome  “Precocious” language development  Deficits in ability to interact socially/use or interpret pragmatics of language  Restricted range of interest/can be perseverative or obsessive  Issues with Executive Functioning  Average to above average intelligence

10. Other Common Symptoms  Fine motor difficulties  “Visual Thinking”  Hyper focus on details  Heightened senses Visual Tactile Olfactory Auditory

11. How do Autism and Asperger’s Differ?  How expressive language develops and is used  Desire for social connectedness/ understanding of “otherness”  Cognitive function

12. Other ways to think about ASD…  A disorder of the nonverbal  “One at a time” thinking, or an inability to split focus  “Sensory problem”  An executive functioning impairment (the ability to organize, plan, strategize, generalize or relate past experiences to present)

13. Think of ASD as a ballpark… It gives a name and context to have a conversation, but it’s a big place….

14. A Matter of Perspective… "What would happen if the autism gene was eliminated from the gene pool? You would have a bunch of people standing around in a cave, chatting and socializing and not getting anything done." -Dr. Temple Grandin

15. A Matter of Perspective…  With ASD can come great areas of strength and achievement  Disability varies by context and environment  Disability can simply mean difference  In college one must be a “jack of all trades”. This can be troublesome for students with ASD, but in other areas of their life be a strength.

16. Treating ASD…  Early intervention is critical, and been shown to dramatically improve outcomes  Dietary changes and some medications have have been helpful for some individuals in managing sympoms  The is no “cure”  Therapies for ASD include: ○ Speech Language ○ Sensory Integration ○ Physical ○ Occupational ○ Behavioral

17. Asperger’s… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0xgjUhEG 3U&p=C7B9AC4F9B090CFC&playnext=1&i ndex=2