Introduction

     According to sciencedaily.com, the nations fasted growing developmental disorder is ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) and is estimated at 1 in 100 children.  Some say that a rise in the number of children being diagnosed with autism is due to changes in diagnosis.  Severe language disorders in the 80s are now being diagnosed as autism.  Others believe that environmental factors including numerous childhood vaccinations are to blame.  Either way it goes, we have many children who fall under the Autism Spectrum, and we need resources and ideas on how to work best with these children.  Our website is designed to give you background information and helpful hints and websites to reference when working with students with ASD.

www.sciencedaily.com

Behavioral Implications of Asperger's/Autism

One method of teaching on the autism spectrum is called Discrete Trial Training (DTT).  DTT addresses seven main areas children in the autism spectrum often struggle with when learning. 

First, attention is addressed because autistic children often have very short attention spans.  DTT starts with short simple interactions and slowly increases as the child attention span increases. 

Next motivation is explored.  DTT attempts to build motivation by rewarding desired behavior and completion of tasks with reinforcements.  Often food, toys, and free time play are used as rewards.  The reinforcement is paired with social praise in hopes the child will eventually be weaned from tangible reinforcements and be motivated by verbal praise instead.

Next, stimulus control is addressed.  Stimulus control takes into consideration the environmental factors such as school bells, alarms, and the weather that often bogs down children within the autism spectrum.  DTT rewards students for giving more attention to more beneficial stimuli.

Students in the autism spectrum also have difficulty with generalization.  They often have difficulty applying a behavior or skill across a number of environments.  DTT programs change over time the teacher giving instruction and the content of instruction.

It is also common for children in the autism spectrum to have difficulty pick up cues from their environment.  DTT explicitly teaches cause-effect learning.

Since communication is such a difficult area for many in the autism spectrum DTT instruction starts out simple with concrete examples.  As the child progresses and receptive language becomes stronger, instructions become more complex.

Finally DTT explicitly teaches perspectives of others and understanding social and behavioral expectations.

DTT is a structured method that addresses many of the behavioral deficits children in the autism spectrum face.  The web site www.polyxo.com has data collecting sheets, assessments, and many specific tools used for instruction using the DTT methods.

Academic Implications of Having Asperger's/Autism

      Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are affected in different ways including the academic area. Some may have higher than average academic functioning, while others may struggle with reading comprehension. Children with ASD have communication, both receptive and expressive, difficulties. Some may have fine and gross motor issues making it difficult to write or making them appear clumsy. Many students with ASD have poor organizational skills, get easily distracted, have repetitive behaviors, and have a preoccupation with one topic or one area of interest. These impairments can get in the way of academic progress, therefore interventions are necessary.
     The best intervention possible may be a combination of educational approaches. There are several that receive recognition, like Applied Bheavioral Analysis (ABA), TEACCH, Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS), Floor Time, Social Stories, and Sensory Integration. No matter what intervention or combination of interventions you use, early intervention is best.
     Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) uses positive reinforcement to decrease a child’s inappropriate behaviors and increase appropriate behaviors, communication, and learning. The basics of behavioral learning theory are that a behavior that is never rewarded is likely to cease, a behavior that results in something unpleasant is even less likely to be repeated, and a behavior that gets a positive response is going to be repeated. “Lovaas Therapy” or Discrete Trial Training is an example of the use of ABA. It has the most extensive research of any treatment for children with autism according to http:??www.lovaas.com. Many of the children who received early intervention have been able to achieve normal educational and intellectual functioning and have been mainstreamed into regular classrooms.
     TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and RElated Communication Handicapped Children) is a structured teaching approach that focuses on your child’s needs, skills, and interests. The concept of modifying the environment to meet the needs of students with autism is the foundation for structured teaching, according to Schopler, Mesibov, and Hearsey (1995). The four main components are physical organization, scheduling, work systems, and task organization. The goal is to strengthen independence and understanding while successfully interacting in the environment.
     Temple Grandin, the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism said, “I think in pictures. Words are like a second language to me. When somebody speaks to me, the words are instantly translated into pictures.” (http://www.grandin.com/inc/visual.thinking.html. Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) is used to facilitate spontaneous communication and is usually used in conjunction with other educational approaches. It is appropriate for those with no speech or limited effectiveness while speaking. It’s an augmentative communication system designed to help people get their needs met quickly. There are six phases of PECS, which should be taught sequentially even though they may be working on two or more phases at the same time. To see more on each phase, go to http://www.polyxo.com/visualsupport/pecs.html.
      Floor Time is used to increase appropriate social interactions. It’s a time for parents and the child to connect and interact based upon what the child wants to do, so that future interactions are encouraged. It can deepen a relationship with your child and allows them to feel important. As you play, deepen the meaning of his intentions by elaborating the details. If the child is pushing a play car around ask questions such as, “Where are you going?” “Did you get the keys?” “Do you have enough gas in the car?” “What are you going to buy when you get to the store?”. If there are problems during play time, use them to encourage language and problem solving. For example, if a doll has a mark on her leg, talk about going to the doctor or just getting a Band-aid.
     Social Stories help people with autism understand what to except and how to behave in new situations like when there is a fire drill, recess time, or going to the dentist. Although they are generally used in novel situations, they can be used for situations such as how to line up when recess is over, how to ask a friend to play, or how to get the teacher’s attention appropriately.
     Many people with autism have difficulty with sensory information. Therefore, Sensory Integration will help with processing incoming stimuli by desensitizing them to certain stimuli. The florescent lights buzzing may not bother most people, but to some with autism the sound is magnified and horrific. Raindrops may feel like they are cutting the skin of those people with sensory issues. It is important to know the child you are working with to know whether they are sensitive to sounds and light, if someone approaching him/her will scare or threaten them, or if he or she needs a lot of sensory input or is getting too much. Sometimes earplugs, noise reduction headphones, or sensory toys help a child get through a situation with little difficulty, however sometimes it is necessary to avoid over stimulating situations altogether. To prevent someone from becoming over stimulated or for someone who is already craving sensory input, you can give bear hugs, squeeze them between bean bags or cushions, roll them up like “hot dogs” in a blanket, or have them wear a weighted vest. According to Temple Grandin (sensory suggestions doc Week 3) some good ideas for sensory integration could be finger painting, digging for worms, kneading dough, playing with play-doh, developing a Feely Box, firm hugs, snuggling, using vibration stimulation, chewing on crunchy foods, squeezing stress balls, and exercise among many others.
     Many of the methods described above are used together to increase positive behavior and attention, which results in more learning. It is important to have the school system, teachers, parents, doctors, and outsdie therapists working togehter to improve the functioning of people with autism. When we give skills and appropriate outlets to children, they can function better in society and learn more from their environment.

Resources:

Schopler, E., Hearsy, K., and Mesibov, G.B. (1995). Structured Teaching in the TEACCH System, (pp.243-267). New York: Kluwer Academic.

http://www.autism.healingthresholds.com

http://www.autismconnectmd.org

http://www.lovaas.com

http://www.preschoolfun.com/pages/teacch%20work%20jobs.htm

http://www.polyxo.com/visualsupport/pecs.html.

How People with Aperger's/Autism View Themselves

The You Tube video “My life with Asperger’s syndrome” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAtC6jPW28U is a first hand account of what it’s like to have Asperger’s syndrome. A teenager explains the struggles, challenges and advantages to having Asperger’s syndrome.
The teenager says it’s like being normal sometimes and other times feeling autistic. When feeling autistic the teen will rock back and forth and flap her hands. She states going outside can be a big challenge because it feels like the whole world turns upside down. She also states if very confusing in public for several reasons. If someone comes up to talk to you it sets off a bomb in her brain. She shuts down and doesn’t talk at all sometimes. Also in public noises are amplified and it feels like lights are flashing in your brain.
She also says eye contact is very hard. It makes her panic and feels uncomfortable. She says she like many in the autism spectrum do not have non-verbal communication and don’t understand or use gestures. She says it’s very difficult to make new friends because she wants to play video games and do what she wants to do. She says the disconnection is like a chain that won’t go together. She also tends to obsess over things.
She states some in the autism spectrum lack empathy or have too much. She has too much empathy. If she sees something bad she gets very upset and takes it personally.
Overall she states having Asperger’s syndrome is up and down and she has good times and bad. The bad times are when she is over stimulated, overwhelmed, has meltdowns and says she feels like she is poked with needles. She also stated it’s really difficult to be punished for having a meltdown because it isn’t fun in the first place and then getting punished for something not fun makes very little sense to her. Finally she says the good part about Asperger’s syndrome is that she is focused and intelligent and has many interests. She also states Bill Gates is a great example of someone with Aspergers’ who has done very well for himself.
In the You Tube video by Temple Grandin, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEAhMEgGOQ she explains what it’s like to have autism and what is important to emphasis when instructing people in the autism spectrum. She stresses manners and turn taking skills as very important skills many in the autism spectrum lack. It is important to remember auditory details are very difficult for autistic students to pick up. It is important to use visuals when possible. When using visuals it is important to consider light and how it’s presented.
Temple has written several books giving more details about methods and strategies for teaching and understanding people in the autism spectrum.

How People with Aperger's/Autism Want to be Treated

According to the video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePIXOzUZktU) on YouTube, it is a relief for people with autism to know why they are different.  They also want others to know that they want to communicate and feel trapped.  It is important to understand why they have tantrums, don’t talk, don’t look people in the eye, or sometimes even offend people if they have communication skills.  

Social situations are very difficult, even though some people with autism want to interact with peers.  They feel left out and are sometimes teased.  The Fort Mill Times in South Carolina (http://www.fortmilltimes.com), reported on a presentation that Zach Schmitt did to earn his Eagle Scout ranking.  Zach has autism and has been made fun of, insulted, and left out of sports.  He had several stations where students were to experience hands on what someone with autism experiences.  He had things like reading glasses covered in Vaseline to show how it feels to be a slow reader, a jump rope made of yarn, and had them play catch with two tennis balls to show how difficult hand-eye coordination is.  Students reported that they had more respect for people with autism and now realize how difficult things can be.  These would be good activities to do at school, for students and teachers, to demonstrate the challenges faced when you have autism.                  

People with autism want others to have empathy and understanding.  Temple Grandin said that even normal people lack empathy.  They don’t have empathy for the kid having a meltdown because there is too much stimulation in the cafeteria, or the kid screaming at the baseball game because there is too much stimulation.  It’s difficult to know if certain people with autism know they are different or being teased.  However, it’s important to remember that you may be hurting that person and definitely are hurting those who love him.  Treat others how you want to be treated…with respect.

Resources:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyld=5488844

http://www.fortmilltimes.com

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePIXOzUZktU

Suggestions on How to Work With Children With Asperger's/Autism

*Think and Teach Visually-pictures and other visual aides, even real objects for transitioning 

*Focus on strengths or use area of special interest to increase attention, improve academic skills, or connect with the child

*Use technology-visual cues

*Use simple and clear expectations 

*Keep a routine

*Ignore negative behaviors and reinforce positive behaviors

*Use repetition and modeling

*Be patient and understanding

*Communicate with parents

*Modify expectations

*Develop a Sensory Diet to provide sensory input

*Enjoy successes no matter how small they seem

*Modify the environment-structure it according to needs

*Use more than one teaching method for instruction

*Offer choices

Resources:

 http://ezinearticles.com/?_Some-Ideas-For-Teaching-Autistic-Children&id=643363

 http://autism.lovetoknow.com

  http://pics.tech4learning.com/