Autism: You Hold the Key

2. Autism: You Hold the Key • Based on the published works of Dr. Cathy Pratt, Director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism And Gary Mesibov, Victoria Shea, and Eric Schopler, “The Teacch Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders Presented By: Brian Wilkins, Autism Consultant Sandi Sebastian, Autism Consultant Lori Copsey, Behavior Consultant Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative

3. To work with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), we must be flexible, creative, and willing to change. • The goal of interventions is not to make the child “normal” • Respect the differences autism creates & help them fit as comfortably as possible into our environments • Educational goals: increase their knowledge/skills & make the environment more comprehensible

4. What concerns do you have about working with kids who have an autism spectrum disorder?

5. What do you want to get from this training?

6. Parents cause autism Autism can be cured People with ASD do not like to be with people/prefer to be alone People with ASD are manipulative Parents could control the behavior of ASD children with stern discipline People with ASD choose their behavior Autism is a hopeless diagnosis Common myths about autism spectrum disorders

7. Pervasive Developmental Disorders • Autism • Asperger’s Disorder • Rett’s Disorder • Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

8. Pervasive Developmental Disorders • Children with these diagnoses MAY be eligible for services as students with an autism spectrum disorder

9. Impact • Everyone with ASD struggles with the impact of their ASD on a set of core characteristics. • The impact varies among the characteristics and in how it is manifested behaviorally; to what extent and to what intensity.

10. The Spectrum of Autism Measured IQ SevereGifted Social Interaction AloofPassiveActive/Odd Communication Non-verbalVerbal

11. The Spectrum of Autism GrossMotor Awkward Agile Fine Motor Uncoordinated Coordinated Sensory Hyposensitive Hypersensitive

12. Focus on Details • Often good at observing minute details • Difficulty assessing relative importance of all the details

13. Distractibility • Difficulty paying attention because they are focusing on sensations or visual distractions that are more interesting or seem more important • May hear sound, see movement in hall, rhyming, counting

14. Concrete vs. Abstract Thinking • More difficulty with symbolic or abstract language • Do better with facts • Words mean one thing – they do not understand additional connotations • Interpret rules and expectations in a concrete way

15. Difficulty combining ideas • It’s easier to understand individual facts or concepts than to put them together with related information

16. Maintaining attention Controlling/tuning out distractions Problem solving Transitioning from one event to another Self-monitoring Controlling impulses Mental planning Flexibility Difficulty with Executive Functioning

17. Difficulty with Organization & Sequencing • Organization skills are difficult because of the need to focus on the immediate situation and the desired outcome at the same time. • May become confused in the midst of a sequence or perform required steps out of order

18. Difficulty Generalizing • They have difficulty taking the skills they learned in one situation and using them in different situations

19. Difficulty with Time Concepts • May perform tasks too rapidly or very slowly • May not understand concepts of “beginning”, “middle”, and “end” • May have trouble waiting

20. Visual vs. Auditory Learners • People with ASD are visual learners • Best practice is to use visual supports 80% of the time (Barbara Bloomfield, MA CCC-SLP)

21. Strong Impulses • May be very intense and persistent in seeking out what they desire (favorite objects, experiences, repetition of behavioral pattern)

22. Excessive Anxiety • Frequently upset or on the verge of becoming upset • May result from frequent confrontation with unpredictable, overwhelming environments • Uncertain about what is expected of them & what is happening around them

23. Repetitive Motor Mannerisms • Rocking, hand-flapping, pacing, thumb sucking, spinning

24. Attachment to Routines • Need for sameness in environment • Changes or disruption in routine leads to distress • Routines & predictable environment lead to comfort

25. Verbal and/or Physical Aggression • May have temper tantrums, scream, destroy property, strike out at others, or attempt to hurt themselves • May result from change in routine/environment • May result from limited ability to communicate

26. Limited Social Skills • Social skills depend on ability to take multiple pieces of information from environment, interpret & prioritize them, then organize a language-based response based on understanding how it will be received by others • Making eye contact may increase anxiety/distractibility

27. Limited Play Skills • Easier to learn a work task because it can be structured and organized • Relaxation and creativity are more difficult

28. Difficulty with Initiation • May appear unmotivated or dependent on others to engage them in an activity • May have significant deficits in ability to organize their behavior • May not understand expectations or potential rewards • May have impaired sense of time • Reward may not have meaning

29. Noncompliance is rarely a useful concept in ASD (Teacch) May not understand words used, facial expression or body language, or social expectations May be driven by strong impulses May be overwhelmed by sensory stimulation in room Rules may be abstract or vague Avoidance/Withdrawal

30. Impact of Sensory Functioning on Students with ASD

31. We hold the key!!!!!

32. Get to know the student! • Strengths • Interests • Preferences • Fears and frustrations • Areas needing support

33. Build on Strengths and Interests • Encourages more positive interactions • Easier to teach when using things they are inclined to observe, think about, or perform • Fighting against strong interests puts teacher in adversarial position

34. We Are Sensory Beings Living In A Sensory World

35. Sensory Surroundings + Personal Level of Sensitivity equals ability to ATTEND LEARN RESPOND

36. Sensory Pyramid

37. Can you imagine how you would feel and function if………….

38. You can’t scratch You have an Itch

39. NONSTOP Your ears are ringing

40. on a ship in a storm You are sea sick

41. You feel someone touching you As an electric shock!!

42. A rotten banana You are forced to eat

43. in a room that smells like a toilet You are forced to listen to a lecture

44. Individuals with autism usually have difficulty with their sensory processing. They may be hypersensitive, hyposensitive or both.

45. They may respond withfight or flightresponses Shut Down Aggression Excessive Movement (fidgeting, rocking, circling room) Distractibility Running Away Turning to Inward Thoughts or Preoccupations Rituals

46. People with autism may experience sensory input differently in some or all sensory channels. You may hear this called sensory integration dysfunction (SID) sensory processing disorder (SPD) sensory modulation dysfunction (SMD)

47. SensoryChannels Vision -- light sensitive, attracted to light, decreased eye contact, using peripheral vision Hearing (auditory) – defensive hyperattentive may make blocking noise Smell -- disgust or distraction sniffing or smelling inappropriately

48. SensoryChannels cont… Taste -- strong, limited food preferences Touch (tactile) --may shut down or respond aggressively in a reflexive response Movement sense (kinesthesia) --dislike of imposed movement, poor balance Body sense (proprioception) --dislike of motor activities, decreased coordination, clumsiness

49. Poor sensory processing mayalso cause incoordination Uncertain Balance Poor Gross Motor skills Fear of Movement Fear of Heights Poor Handwriting Limited abilities with toys and tools Struggles with Clothing fasteners

50. How can we help our students with sensory processing? You Are KEY!!!!