Autism 101 Presented by: Mario Robledo Benito Bondoc

1. Autism 101Presented by:Mario RobledoBenito Bondoc

2. Team Members • Frances Montemayor, Sp.Ed. Supervisor • Darlene Baker, Occupational Therapist • Benito Bondoc, Behavior Specialist • Barbara Charles, Speech Pathologist • Laura Hernandez, L.S.S.P. • Gabbi Ramirez, Autism Teacher • Sandra Rincon, Diagnostician/Team Leader • Mario Robledo, Behavior Specialist • Rosanna Venecia, Speech Pathologist

3. Objectives • Define what the SPECTRUM is • Familiarize yourself with the different disabilities under the SPECTRUM • Know the areas that are affected under the SPECTRUM • Understand their characteristics • Q & A

4. Autism Spectrum Disorder • ASD is a complex developmental disability that typically occurs early in life (usually by 3 years of age) • ASD is a neurological disorder • It appears to occur in as many as 1 per 150 individuals (2007) • ASD is 4 times more common in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. • Family income, lifestyle and educational levels do not affect the chance of ASD occurrence • Severe problems in the areas of communication skills, behavior skills, and social skills

5. Added to ASD • Mental retardation • Communication impairments • Seizures • ADHD • Obsessive compulsive disorders • Mood disorders and depression • Anxiety disorders • Explosive disorders • Stereotypes and self-injurious behaviors

6. Who falls under the SPECTRUM? • Rett’s Disorder -found in girls only -Loss of purposeful hand movements • Childhood Disintegrative Disorder • Normal development followed by loss of skills • Relatively rare • Asperger’s Disorder -highly verbal -above normal intelligence -social and communicative impairments -tend to perseverate on certain things

7. Autism -Severe impairments -communication -behavior -social skills • Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) -Impairment in reciprocal social, verbal or nonverbal interactions -Perseverate behaviors/interests -Does NOT meet criteria for Autism

8. High Functioning ASD • Obsessive/compulsive • Perfectionist • Rigid in thinking • Perseverates on things of interest • Resists change in routine • Poor social skills • Good academic skills • Good verbal language, but impaired

9. Classic ASD • Resists normal teaching methods • Inappropriate laughing and giggling • Speech Difficulties • Echolalia • Acts as deaf • Spins objects • Apparent insensitivity to pain • No fear of real danger • Sustained odd play • Uneven gross and fine motor skills • Not cuddly • Standoffish manner • No eye contact • Unusual perceptual stimuli “Looking thru people” • Difficulty in mixing with other children • Resists change in routine • Extreme distress for no discernable reason (crying/ tantrums) • Hyperactive/passive • Inappropriate attachment to objects

10. Low Functioning ASD • Self-abusive • Frequent tantrums • No verbal language • Poor social skills • Resists changes in routine • Engage in self-stim behaviors • Can have other medical problems such as deaf, blind, seizures

11. The three areas that affect individuals with ASD • Social Interaction • Speech/Language Deficits • Behavior

12. Social Interaction • Eye to eye gaze/ avoids eye contact • Behaves as if other people do not exist • Fails to respond when called • Appears not to listen when spoken to • One sided conversations • Gestures to regulate social interaction • Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level • Tendency to spend inordinate amounts of time doing nothing or pursuing ritualistic behaviors • Difficulty with changes in environment and routine • A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest, or achievements with other people • A lack of social or emotional reciprocity

13. Speech and Language Deficits • Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken • Individual with adequate speech marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others • Stereotyped and repetitive use of language • Failure to respond to the communication of others • Poor receptive and expressive skills; poor comprehension skills • Have difficulty with abstract words-take words very literally • Unaware of subtle non-verbal cues • May use screaming, crying, tantrums, aggression or self-abuse as ways to communicate • Lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

14. Restricted, Repetitive, and Stereotyped Patterns of Behavior • Unreasonable insistence on following routines in precise detail • Restricted range of interest and preoccupations with narrow interest • Marked distress over changes in seemingly trivial aspects of the environment • Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements) • Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects(wheels, light, switches, string), sounds, colors, textures

15. ALL CHILDREN WITH ASD ARE INDIVIDUALS. NO ONE CHILD WILL BE THE SAME AS ANOTHER.

16. Sensory Issues • Auditory-------------hearing sensitivity • Visual----------------light, intensity, patterns, colors • Gustatory-----------taste discrimination • Olfactory------------smell intensity • Tactile---------------touch sensitivity • Proprioceptive-----position in space • Vestibular-----------movement

17. What can you expect of children diagnosed with ASD? • Have the ability to learn • Do not learn as others do • Have more sensory interference than others • Do not generalize well • Like structure and routines • Are often fearful and anxious

18. For Maximum Learning Potential -Reduce Anxiety -Playing to their strengths -Learning style -Structure -Consistency

19. Asperger Syndrome • AS is applied to the mildest and highest functioning end of what is known as “autism spectrum disorder” • Are verbal • High cognitive ability- normal IQ to very superior range • Viewed as unusual, just different, ADHD, emotional disturbance • More common in boys • Intense and limited interests • Characterized by severe problems in 3 areas: • Social skills and social learning • Use of language for communicative purposes • Restricted and unusual patterns of interest and behavior

20. What They Look Like…. Preschool • No single uniform picture of ASD in first 3-4 years • Early language delays with rapid “catch-up” between ages 3-5 • Some may have no evidence of early developmental delay • Seem to relate normally at home within family setting.

21. Elementary • Frequently enter Kinder without having been adequately diagnosed • Behavioral concerns of hyperactivity, inattentiveness, aggression, outbursts • Immature social skills • May already be viewed as “unusual” • Academic progress keeps them in mainstreamed settings • Have obsessive interests

22. Problems in School • A tendency to avoid spontaneous social interaction • Problem sustaining simple conversations • Odd verbal responses • Preference for a set routine • Difficulty with transitions • Hyperactivity • Appears “in their own world” • A tendency to over-focus on particular objects or subjects

23. It’s either black or white; there is NO gray Children with Asperger are VERY literal. You can NOT say…. • Chill out • Walk on ahead.. • Keep your eye on the ball • Change your mind? • You’re pulling my leg! • Cat got your tongue? • Just Drop it! • When pigs fly • Get out of town • Take a sit. • You are going to be grounded

24. Keep this in mind • Don’t tease • Don’t surprise • Don’t use nicknames • Don’t joke Unless you are able to explain what you are doing step by step, and they understand what you say.

25. CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

26. Resists normal teaching methods © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

27. Inappropriate laughing and giggling © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

28. Speech Difficulties Impaired Lack of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx xxxxxxx © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

29. Echolalia HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

30. Acts as deaf © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

31. Spins objects © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

32. Apparent insensitivity to pain © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

33. No fear of real danger © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

34. SUSTAINED ODD PLAY © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

35. Uneven gross and fine motor skills © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

36. Not cuddly © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

37. Standoffish manner © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

38. No eye contact © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

39. Unusual perceptual stimuli "Looking thru people" © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

40. Difficulty in mixing with other children © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

41. Resists change in routine © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

42. Extreme distress for no discernable reason crying-tantrums © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

43. hyperactive passive © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

44. Inappropriate attachment to objects © 2006. McGinnis, T. Region One Education Service Center

45. Questions?