Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

1. Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD)

2. What is Autism? • Lifelong condition defined by certain behaviour patterns, lack of social interaction and problems with language and communication • Varying degrees of intensity in every child and adult • Prevalance is 1 in 150-160 Canadians • Occurs 4x more in boys than in girls

3. Cases have increased 600% in the last 10 years • Increase attributed to broader definition of autism, increased awareness and better assessments

4. Diagnosing Autism • Diagnosed behaviourally and by communication skills using DSM IV • Done via an interview with a professional • Not diagnosed by physical tests • Example of behaviour cards

5. Types of ASD • Aspergers – function well academically but not socially • Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) - on the spectrum but doesn’t meet criteria for Aspergers or Autism • Autism – behaviour and social skill problems • Range from mild to severe on the spectrum • Students with any of the 3 types will end up in the school system

6. Triad of Features Behaviour Social Language / Communication

7. Features of Autism • Behaviour – may fixate on behaviour or be repetitive • Social – verbal communication and social cues can be a problem • Communication – expressive and receptive communication may not match • Children affected can have higher level of anxiety • Need to be taught coping strategies • Sense may also be heightened (too loud, bright etc.)

8. Important to teach to strengths • Very visual learners • Motivated by interests • Operate by routine Challenges • Transitions • Demands/expectations • Understanding instructions • Understanding “hidden meaning” • Communicating needs, wants, feelings • Social norms and relationships No Cure, Only Strategies!

9. Communication“Not being able to speak is not the same thing as not having anything to say” • Delays or lack of development of spoken language is a typical characteristic • Impairment in initiating or sustaining conversations with others • Can also experience repetitive language (fixation on certain words or phrases)

10. Communication“Not being able to speak is not the same thing as not having anything to say” • We communicate to: request, protest, comment, express feelings, greet others, and get attention • Ways to communicate include: words, sign language, body language, pictures, writing and behaviour • May need to have augmentation communication to help support which may be low or high tech • Low tech – PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) • High tech – voice output devices

11. Social Skills • Often have difficulties using and understanding non-verbal behaviours, developing peer relationships, sharing enjoyment, and lack social or emotional reciprocity • Facial expressions may not match what they are saying • Often have difficulties making friends • Don’t understand “hidden curriculum” (things assumed to be unknown) e.g. Physical layout of school, schedules • Peers can help to teach and reinforce social skills – “Sunshine Friend”

12. Social Skills – How to Teach • Skills you may need to teach: smile/laugh, greeting, invitations, conversing, compliments • These are normally skills children learn/pick up at a young age • To teach social skills you need to establish and start with what they now and determine deficits (can’t do or won’t do) to set a goal • Often this is done through interviews, questionnaires or observation

13. Social Skills – How to Teach • Goal needs to maximize social and communicative competence, for example: • Children should be able to mirror social skills of peers • Increase spontaneity • Lead to generalization of skills across context • Keep conversations short & minimal • They definitely understand what you are saying but it may take longer to process

14. Tools for Greetings • Scripts – teach what a person should say or do in a social situation • Target social problems that need to be decreased • E.g. “Hi, my name is ____. What’s your name?” Listen to the answer and say: “Hi, ____, it’s nice to meet you.” • As a question about what they are doing i.e. “What are you eating?”, “Where are you going?” • Can also be presented in visual/pictorial format (Social Skills Training page 84)

15. Option Cards • Give choices when you start to see something is going wrong behaviourally (preventative) • Acts as a coping strategy for students • Visually gives them choices for how they feel and what they need • At my school, we have developed a visual “think page” • Option cards can be used with all students whether it’s pictorial or written since it creates a visual representation and gives choices

16. Contingency Map • provides information about “current” (problem) behaviour and “desired” behaviour • lists the outcomes associated with each Ben asks for help Ben gets help Ben is doing math Ben cries, yells & throws pencil Ben still has to do math

17. Behaviour • Defined as the way someone acts in a particular situation • Measurable and observable • Can be positive or negative based on how it affects others • Functions of behaviour: • Self stimulatory e.g. Banging head • Escape e.g. Tantrum when asked to come in after recess • Attention e.g. Child throws pencil when parent and teacher are meeting and won’t respond • Tangible e.g. Child screams because he wants a toy

18. Behaviour • Important to collect data of behaviour to create baseline, look for patterns and get information to establish intervention plan • ABC Data – Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence • Reinforcement is something that occurs after a behaviour which increases the probability that the behaviour will occur again • Can be tangible, social or activity

19. Replacement Behaviour • Behaviour that will serve the same function as the challenging behaviour • Think of what you want the student to be doing instead • When teaching replacement behaviours: • Identify the skill to be taught • Build on existing skills • Break the skill down into small steps • Model the skill • Prompt and reinforce each step • Teach skills when both you and the student are calm

20. Teaching Strategies • Information is better understood when presented visually because the message is present long enough to take in and process e.g. Printed materials or objects • Used to express teacher’s expectations, promote independence, comprehension, organization, structure, predictability, reduce anxiety e.g. Visual schedule, clip art, photographs • Organizational aids: daily schedule, calendars, activity sequences, checklists, timers

21. Teaching Strategies • Social development aids: scripts, visual cue cards and prompts, computer programs • Behaviour management: posted rules, alternate or replacement behaviours, relaxation cues, self-monitoring

22. Prompting • Prompting – assist student in understanding and increases the probability of a student being correct • Prompts should be used with caution as they can be difficult to fade • Gestures – pointing, touching objects • Modelling – perform the action to show the desire response • Verbal – full and partial verbal sounds • Positional – the item is positioned closer to the student • Physical – hand over hand, a gentle nudge **need to beware of sensitivities • Visual – picture cues, written cues

23. How and When to Prompt • Subtle, non-intrusive and minimal • SHOW more than SAY • Do not hover – “In and Out” – promote independence • Prompt when teaching a new skill • 15 second rule for general classroom directions • Overprompting = Dependency • Prompt Fading = Independence • Fading can be done 3 ways: • Force – gradually reduce help being given • Timing – lengthen time between prompts • Distance – move further away from student

24. Thank you! • "Difficulties exist in order to be overcome. Overcoming difficulties leads to courage, self-respect, and knowing yourself." -- Alfred Adler • "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible"- Frank Zappa • "I do not suffer from Autism, but I do suffer from the way you treat me." -Tyler Durdin

25. Resources • Kinark School Support Program. ASD Level 1 • Ministry of Education. Effective Educational Practices for Students with ASD. Queen’s Printer, 2007. • Baker, Jed E. Social Skills Training For Children and Adolescents with Aspergers Syndrome and Social- Communication Problems.2003