Module created for EPLI Application Process

1. Autism 101 Module created for EPLI Application Process (Select 5-10 minutes to present for the application; you may expand information and use your own examples and pictures)

3. Latest CDC Report If 1 in 88 children have an autism spectrum disorder… • The average elementary building will have 3-5 children with ASD • The average middle school building will have 7-9 students • The average high school will have about 14-15 students

4. Autism is no longer a low incidence disorder • We need to change how we educate students

5. Foundations of ASD Autism identified in 1943 by Leo Kanner Asperger Syndrome identifed in 1944 by Hans Asperger

6. What Is Autism? 1. Autism is a spectrum disorder. 2. Autism is a developmental disorder. As with any other child, children with autism will change and mature as he/she grows older. 3. Autism is a neurobiological disorder. 4. Many infants with autism may appear to be different from birth (avoid physical contact, become limp, passive/overly agitated, rock, bang heads on crib, can develop normally then regress). Retrospective diagnosis.

7. Autism: What do we know? • Autism occurs 4 times as often in males than in females • Differences in girls

8. Autism: What do we know? • Historically 70-75% were thought to have some degree of intellectual impairment; recent estimates closer to 40-50% • Testing of cognitive abilities continues to be a challenge

9. Socialization Skills and Development

10. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria Deficits in social communication and social interaction • Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity • Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction • Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships

11. Social-Emotional Reciprocity • Reciprocity • Back and forth sharing • Joint attention • Child does not show, bring, or point to items of interest • Theory of Mind

12. Social Characteristics • Limited appropriate use of nonverbal behaviors in social situations (e.g., eye gaze, gestures, body language) • Difficulties recognizing and responding to subtle social nuances, cues, and unspoken messages • Identifying and responding to people’s tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, etc.

13. Nonverbal Communication • Students with ASD often have difficulties with the nonverbal communication in the classroom. • These students don’t understand “the look” that is given to them from a teacher.

14. Theory of Mind Deficits involve difficulty… • understanding and appreciating the thoughts and feelings of others • understanding that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own

15. Theory of Mind • What I see is what others see. • What I know is what others know. • What I feel is what others feel. • What I believe is what others believe.

16. Theory of Mind Sally Anne Test Video

17. Communication Skills

18. Communication Range of Communication challenges in students with ASD • Non-speaking (with or without the ability to speak) • Minimal speaking or echolalia • Highly verbal • Difficulty initiating and sustaining a conversation • Diffculty with pragamatics

19. Communication • Facial expression doesn’t augment communicative intent • Prosody tends to be flat or exaggerated and voice can be too loud or soft with rate of speech being too slow or too fast • Echolalia (processing the utterance as a whole “chunk”, not as individual words) • Language can be repetitive, overly formal, idiosyncratic

20. Communication Considerations In ASD expressive language and receptive language are not equal

21. Communication-Stress & Anxiety Understanding and communicative expression breaks down under stress- • Even if a student has verbal language, it may be difficult for him to communicate when upset • A student under stress needs more visual and less verbal input

22. “Children with delays in language development are at risk for using challenging behaviors as a way to communicate their needs and wants” Florida State University , 2005

23. Restricted and Repetitive Patterns of Behavior

24. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (at least 2) • Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech • Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior • Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus • Hyper- or hyporeactivityto sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment

25. Cognitive Inflexibility • Difficulty with change • Insistence on sameness • Rule-governed • Routines/rituals • Concrete thinking • Difficulty letting go of thought and ideas • Over-focus on details (weak central coherence)

26. Cognitive Strengths • Processing whole chunks of information quickly • Good rote memory • Good long-term memory • Process visual information meaningfully • Understand and use context-free information and rules

27. Other Characteristics

28. Sensitivity to bright light or the  flicker of fluorescent lights Being fascinated with light and reflection Intense perception of colors     The smell or taste of any food is too strong Intolerance of the texture of certain foods Painful reaction to loud and / or high noises Overreaction to hot/cold Intolerance of the feel of clothes or shoes Extreme touch sensitivity Hyposensitivity (minimally responsive) Seems not to feel pain or temperature. Prone to inadvertent self-injury Seeks deep pressure (e.g. crawls under heavy carpets) and tight clothes Appears not to hear certain sounds The person might wave his/her hands around or rock back and forth or make strange noises in order to stimulate the senses Hypersensitivity(too sensitive)

29. Signs of Sensory Difficulties • Putting hands over ears (sensitivity to noise), vocalizing to override the sound • Flicking fingers in front of eyes (visual sensitivity) • Having meltdowns at the cafeteria or at an assembly (sensory overload) • Not appearing to hear certain sounds or showing panic reactions to certain unexpected sounds (noise) • Rocking, pacing, fleeing

30. Autism Spectrum Disorders Sensory Characteristics When I was a child, large noisy gatherings of relatives were overwhelming, and I would just lose control and throw temper tantrums. • Temple Grandin

31. Autism Spectrum Disorders Signs of Anxiety • Pacing, motor over-activity • Self-injurious behavior • Perseveration –preferred topics or activities, questions asking • Increased self-talk • Increased self-stimulation (e.g. rocking, flapping)

32. Autism Spectrum Disorders Signs of Anxiety • Social withdrawal/avoidance • Decreased attention span • Temper outbursts

33. Autism Spectrum Disorders Signs of Anxiety • Many of these behaviors will look like problem behaviors

34. Autism Spectrum Disorders Sources of Anxiety • Sensory under- or over-stimulation • Changes in schedule, routine • New people, events, environments • Unfamiliar task demands • Immersion in social settings • Teasing and bullying

35. Ultimate Goals for Students with ASD • General or special education classes in the student’s home school district • Development of functional communication system(s) • Peer relationships • Highest level of independence possible • Employment

36. IDEA ‘04 “Almost 30 years of research and experience had demonstrated that the education of students with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible” The Universally Designed Classroom (2005)