2. Autism is one of a group of neurodevelopmental disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDD)  Characterized by:  Impaired communication  Impaired reciprocal social interaction; and  Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors or interests.

3. There are 5 PDD as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM(4 th Ed) and the International Classification of Diseases (10 th Ed.) AAutistic Disorder (Classic Autism) AAsperger Syndrome RRett disorder CChildhood disintegrative disorder PPervasive developmental disorder- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) New inclusion: SSocial Communication Disorder (http://www.autismspectrumcenter.org/Frequent_Questions.h tml)

4. Causes Research suggests that ASD could be genetic and environmental. ASDs are lifelong chronic disabilities with no cure for the core symptoms. Characteristics – General  Be overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste  Be very distressed when routines are changed  Perform repeated body movements  Show unusual attachments to objects  Communication problems may include:  Cannot start or maintain a social conversation  Communicates with gestures instead of words  Develops language slowly or not at all  Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that others are looking at  Does not refer to self correctly  Does not point to direct others' attention to objects  Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials

5. Characteristics – Social Interaction  Does not make friends  Does not play interactive games  Is withdrawn  May not respond to eye contact or smiles, or may avoid eye contact  May treat others as if they are objects  Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others  Shows a lack of empathy Characteristics – Response to sensory information :  Does not startle at loud noises  Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste  May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears  May withdraw from physical contact because it is over-stimulating or overwhelming  Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects  Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain

6. Characteristics – Play  Does not imitate the actions of others  Prefers solitary or ritualistic play  Shows little pretend or imaginative play Characteristics – Behaviors:  Acts up with intense tantrums  Gets stuck on a single topic or task  Has a short attention span  Has very narrow interests  Is overactive or very passive  Shows aggression to others or self  Shows a strong need for sameness  Uses repetitive body movements Autistic Disorder http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001526.htm

7. Asperger Syndrome When autistic symptoms are present with no significant general delay in language or cognitive development Characteristics – General  May be over-focused or obsessed on a single object or topic, ignoring all others  Will present many facts about their subject of interest, but there will seem to be no point or conclusion  Do not recognize that the other person has lost interest in the topic  Areas of interest may be quite narrow  Do not withdraw from the world and will often approach other people  Have problems with speech and language in a social setting often lead to isolation

8. Asperger Syndrome Characteristics – Communication  may speak in a monotone  may not respond to other people's comments or emotions  may not understand sarcasm or humor, or take a figure of speech literally  do not recognize the need to change the volume of their voice in different settings  have problems with eye contact, facial expressions, body postures, or gestures (nonverbal communication)

9. Asperger Syndrome Characteristics – Social Interaction  may be singled out by other children as "weird" or "strange."  have trouble forming relationships with children their own age or other adults, because they:  Are unable to respond emotionally in normal social interactions  Are not flexible about routines or rituals  Have difficulty showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people  Do not express pleasure at other people's happiness

10. Asperger Syndrome Characteristics – Motor Development  may show delays in motor development, and unusual physical behaviors, such as:  Delays in being able to ride a bicycle, catch a ball, or climb play equipment  Clumsiness when walking or doing other activities  Repetitive finger flapping, twisting, or whole body movements Asperger Syndrome http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001549.htm

11. Pervasive developmental disorder- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) A child may be diagnosed with PDD-NOS if he or she shows some behavioural features of autistic disorder but does not meet the full criteria. For Example: A child may begin with a diagnosis of PDD-NOS, develop more autistic features with age, and be re-diagnosed with autism or another pervasive development disorder; conversely, a child with autism may improve and be re- diagnosed with PDD-NOS PDD-NOS is a distinct developmental disorder and is a term used to describe individuals who exhibit differences with personality, language and social behaviour at a higher than average level but lower than that required to meet the diagnostic criteria for PDD. PDD-NOS http://www.autism.org.uk/About-autism/Related-conditions/Pervasive-developmental- disorder/PDD-NOS-whats-in-a-name.aspx

12. Sleep Problems  Problem falling asleep, staying asleep or others  Leads to:  Attention issues;  Reduced ability to function  Poor behavior  Poor health  Family stress Seizures  Caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain  Can result in:  Short-term loss of consciousness  Convulsions  Staring spells

13. Tuberous Sclerosis  Rare genetic disorder causing growth of noncancerous tumors in the brain (1 in 4)  Linked to:  Epilepsy  Physical and mental health problems Fragile X Syndrome  Defective gene that makes a protein for brain development (1 in 3; 1 in 25)  Results in:  Intelligence problems, ranging from learning disabilities to severe intellectual disabilities  Social and emotional problems, e.g. aggression in boys  Speech and language problems, especially in boys Fragile X Syndrome http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fragilexsyndrome.html

14. Gastrointestinal Problems Children with ASD seem to have more GI symptoms, but these findings may not apply to all children with ASD. Children with ASD may not have underlying GI problems, but that their behavior may create GI symptoms. Co-occurring Mental Disorders  People with ASD are at a higher risk of having:  Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  Anxiety disorders  Obsessive-compulsive disorder  Tic disorder such as Tourette syndrome What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml

15.  Provide focused and challenging learning activities at the proper developmental level for the child for at least 25 hours per week and 12 months per year  Have small classes to allow each child to have one-on-one time with the therapist or teacher and small group learning activities  Having special training for teachers, parents and family  Encourage activities that include typically developing children, as long as such activities help meet a specific learning goal  Measure and record each child's progress and adjust the intervention program as needed  Provide a high degree of structure, routine, and visual cues, such as posted activity schedules and clearly defined boundaries, to reduce distractions  Guide the child in adapting learned skills to new situations and settings and maintaining learned skills

16.  Use a curriculum that focuses on:  Language and communication  Social skills, such as joint attention (looking at other people to draw attention to something interesting and share in experiencing it)  Self-help and daily living skills, such as dressing and grooming  Research-based methods to reduce challenging behaviors, such as aggression and tantrums  Cognitive skills, such as pretend play or seeing someone else's point of view  Typical school-readiness skills, such as letter recognition and counting.

17. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA):  Intensive 1 on 1 up to 40 hours per week  Goals are to shape and reinforce new behaviors Verbal Behavior:  Focus on teaching language in a sequenced curriculum from simple to functional communication Pivotal Response Training  Aimed at pivotal skills such as initiation and self-management so that children can function in inclusive settings Interpersonal Synchrony:  targets social development and imitation skills  focuses on teaching children how to establish and maintain engagement with others.

18. Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship- based(DIR)/Floortime Model:  aims to build healthy and meaningful relationships and abilities by following the natural emotions and interests of the child  Uses developmental and relationship-based approaches in natural settings TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children):  emphasizes adapting the child's physical environment and using visual cues  Uses individualized plans for each student

19.  Pick one of the types of ASD given below:  Autistic Disorder  Asperger Syndrome  Discuss how you may provide a lesson on dribbling in Soccer for a group of 6 students with your selected type.  Share at least 2 strategies you would use

20.  Nature of group:  Range of disorders related to the core disorder  Not just a grouping of difficulties  Strong genetic base but requires psychological level of understanding  Pedagogy:  Approaches may benefit wider group but not necessarily all students  Group-specific needs and individual needs to consider  Curriculum  Goes beyond the Universal Curriculum Design Model with special adaptations  Teachers’ knowledge, skills and attitudes important  Education as therapy rather than curricular adaptations or programs

21. Lewis, A. & Norwich, B. (2005). Special Teaching For Special Children?: A Pedagogies for Inclusion. Berkshire, England: McGraw-Hill Education National Institute of Mental Health. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Retrieved from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders- asd/index.shtmlhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders- asd/index.shtml Faras, H., Al Ateeqi, N. & Tidmarsh, L. (2010). Autism Spectrum Disorders. Annals of Saudi Medicine. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931781/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931781/ Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/autism/Pages/default.aspx http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/autism/Pages/default.aspx