Autism
Definition & Research
Autism spectrum disorders are lifelong developmental disabilities that can impact how people understand what they see, hear, and otherwise sense. This can result in difficulties with social relationships, communication and behavior. It is characterized by qualitative impairment in social interaction, qualitative impairment in communication, and restricted, repetitive and stereotypic patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. (Teaching students with Autism pg1)
Distinguishable by:
A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history:
D. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
E. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability(intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.
Autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed four times more often in males than in females. In clinic samples, females tend to be more likely to show accompanying intellectual disability, suggesting that girls without accompanying intellectual impairments or language delays may go unrecognized, perhaps because of subtler manifestation of social and communication difficulties. (DSM-5 pg 57)
Autism spectrum disorder is frequently associated with intellectual impairment and structural language disorder (i.e., an inability to comprehend and construct sentences with proper grammar), which should be noted under the relevant specifiers when applicable. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder have psychiatric symptoms that do not form part of the diagnostic criteria for the disorder (about 70% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder may have one comorbid mental disorder, and 40% may have two or more comorbid mental disorders). When criteria for both ADHD and autism spectrum disorder are met, both diagnoses should be given. (DSM-5 pg58)
Distinguishable by:
A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history:
- Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
- Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures: to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
- Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for ex ample, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.
- Specify current severity: Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior
- Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).
- Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day).
- Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).
- Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).
- Specify current severity: Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.
D. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
E. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability(intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.
Autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed four times more often in males than in females. In clinic samples, females tend to be more likely to show accompanying intellectual disability, suggesting that girls without accompanying intellectual impairments or language delays may go unrecognized, perhaps because of subtler manifestation of social and communication difficulties. (DSM-5 pg 57)
Autism spectrum disorder is frequently associated with intellectual impairment and structural language disorder (i.e., an inability to comprehend and construct sentences with proper grammar), which should be noted under the relevant specifiers when applicable. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder have psychiatric symptoms that do not form part of the diagnostic criteria for the disorder (about 70% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder may have one comorbid mental disorder, and 40% may have two or more comorbid mental disorders). When criteria for both ADHD and autism spectrum disorder are met, both diagnoses should be given. (DSM-5 pg58)
Behaviour
Behaviour:
All people with autism spectrum disorders display difficulties with social interaction and behavior, but the extent and type of difficulty varies. Some individuals may be withdrawn, while others may be overly active and approach people in socially awkward ways. They may demonstrate selective attention, resistance to change, limited interests or obsessive behaviours. They often respond to sensory stimuli in an atypical manner and may exhibit unusual physical behaviours, such as hand flapping, spinning, or rocking. They may also use objects in unconventional ways and demonstrate an unusual attachment towards specific objects. (Teaching students with Autism – what are autism spectrum disorders? pg1)
Although every person with autism spectrum disorders in unique, some categorized characteristics are often present:
All people with autism spectrum disorders display difficulties with social interaction and behavior, but the extent and type of difficulty varies. Some individuals may be withdrawn, while others may be overly active and approach people in socially awkward ways. They may demonstrate selective attention, resistance to change, limited interests or obsessive behaviours. They often respond to sensory stimuli in an atypical manner and may exhibit unusual physical behaviours, such as hand flapping, spinning, or rocking. They may also use objects in unconventional ways and demonstrate an unusual attachment towards specific objects. (Teaching students with Autism – what are autism spectrum disorders? pg1)
Although every person with autism spectrum disorders in unique, some categorized characteristics are often present:
- 1) Communication characteristics:
- Difficulties with nonverbal communication
- Delay in or lack of expressive language skills
- Significant differences in oral language
- A tendency to use language to have needs met, rather than for social purposes
- Repetitive and idiosyncratic speech patterns
- Echolalic speech, immediate or delayed literal repetition of the speech of others
- Restricted vocabulary
- Tendency to perseverate on a topic (to continually discuss one topic and have difficulty changing topics
- Difficulty with the pragmatics of conversation
- 2) Social interaction characteristics:
- Aloof – those who show no observable interest or concern in interacting with other people except for when necessary to satisfy basic personal needs; they may become agitated when in close proximity to others and may reject unsolicited physical or social contact.
- Passive – those who do not initiate social approaches but will accept initiations from others.
- Active – those who will approach for social interaction but do so in an unusual and often inappropriate fashion.
- 3) Unusual/challenging behavioral characteristics:
- Restricted range of interests and preoccupation with one specific interest or object.
- Inflexible adherence to a nonfunctional routine.
- Stereotypic and repetitive motor mannerisms, such as hand flapping, finger flicking, rocking, spinning, walking on tiptoes, spinning objects.
- Preoccupation with parts of objects.
- Fascination with movement, such as the spinning of a fan or turning wheels on toys.
- Insistence on sameness and resistance to change.
- Unusual responses to sensory stimuli
- 4) Learning Characteristics:
- Deficits in paying attention to relevant cues and information, and attending to multiple cues.
- Receptive and expressive language impairments, particularly the use of language to express abstract concepts.
- Deficits in concept formation and abstract reasoning.
- Impairment in social cognition, including deficits in the capacity to share attention and emotion with others, and understand the feelings of others.
- Inability to plan, organize, and solve problems.
- 5) Other Characterics Include:
- Unusual patterns of anxiety
- Unusual responses to sensory stimuli
- Anxiety
Severity Levels For Autism Spectrum Disorder (taken from the DSM-5) |
Severity Level |
Social Communication |
Restricted, Repetitive Behaviour |
Level 3 “requiring very substantial support” |
Severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills cause severe impairments in functioning, very limited initiation of social interactions, and minimal response to social overtures from others. (for example, a person with few words of intelligible speech who rarely initiates interaction and, when he or she does, makes unusual approaches to meet needs only and responds to only very direct social approaches). |
Inflexibility of behavior, extreme difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviours markedly interfere with functioning in all spheres. Great distress/difficulty changing focus or action. |
Level 2 “requiring substantial support” |
Marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills; social impairments apparent even with supports in place; limited initiation of social interactions; and reduced or abnormal responses to social overtures from others. (for example, a person who speaks simple sentences, whose interaction is limited to narrow special interests, and who has markedly odd nonverbal communication). |
Inflexibility of behavior, difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviours appear frequently enough to be obvious to the casual observer and interfere with functioning in a variety of contexts. Distress and/or difficulty changing focus or action. |
Level 1 “Requiring support” |
Without supports in place, deficits in social communication cause noticeable impairments. Difficulty initiating social interactions, and clear examples of atypical or unsuccessful responses to social overtures of others. May appear to have decreased interest in social interactions. For example, a person who is able to speak in full sentences and engages in communication but whose to-and-fro conversation with others fails, and whose attempts to make friends are odd and typically unsuccessful. |
Inflexibility of behavior causes significant interference with functioning in one or more contexts. Difficulty switching between activities. Problems of organization and planning hamper independence. |
Strategies
Instructors should emphasize: paying attention, imitating, comprehension of common words and instructions, using language for social reasons and not just to have basic needs met, and functional communication
The following social skills are generally considered to be critical to social success and should be explicitly taught:
The instructional plan needs to incorporate strategies for: expanding students’ interests, developing skills across a variety of functional areas, helping students monitor their level of arousal or anxiety, preparing students for planned changes; facilitating ways to calm down and reduce anxiety.
Information and instructional activities presented to students should be provided in a format that: is clear and concise, is consistent with students’ comprehension levels, focuses their attention, and emphasizes the most relevant information.
There are a few general instructional approaches that can be used in classroom instruction, they include:
The following social skills are generally considered to be critical to social success and should be explicitly taught:
- tolerating others in one’s work and play space
- imitating the actions and vocalizations of others
- engaging in parallel activities with others
- sharing materials
- taking turns within the context of a familiar activity
- using eye contact to initiate and maintain interactions
The instructional plan needs to incorporate strategies for: expanding students’ interests, developing skills across a variety of functional areas, helping students monitor their level of arousal or anxiety, preparing students for planned changes; facilitating ways to calm down and reduce anxiety.
Information and instructional activities presented to students should be provided in a format that: is clear and concise, is consistent with students’ comprehension levels, focuses their attention, and emphasizes the most relevant information.
There are a few general instructional approaches that can be used in classroom instruction, they include:
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Resources
Teacher Resources
Educational Resources and Teaching Materials
This website was created with the intention of helping teachers, and parents. It provides downloadable materials to use in education programs, tutorials or how to make teaching aids, and articles, graphics and videos about interventions and behavioural principles.
Teaching students with Autism: A Resource Guide for Schools
The resource, provided by BC’s Ministry of Education defines autism, and breaks down strategies and supports, as well as training that teachers can utilize.
10 education resources and games for autistic students
This resource provides teachers with resources that they can use with their students with autism, it provides differentiation aimed for student with autism.
Autism Society
This website provides additional information about autism itself. It also has links to lots of resources and information.
Supporting Learning in the Student with Autism
This resource provides information for supporting communication, improving social interaction and development, ideas preventing behaviour, positive behaviour support, supporting organizational skills, and supporting sensory needs.
Educating children about autism in an inclusive classroom
This resource contains lesson plans to teach students about autism (planned for grade 4-6). It is composed on 9 lesson plans and a class project.
This website was created with the intention of helping teachers, and parents. It provides downloadable materials to use in education programs, tutorials or how to make teaching aids, and articles, graphics and videos about interventions and behavioural principles.
Teaching students with Autism: A Resource Guide for Schools
The resource, provided by BC’s Ministry of Education defines autism, and breaks down strategies and supports, as well as training that teachers can utilize.
10 education resources and games for autistic students
This resource provides teachers with resources that they can use with their students with autism, it provides differentiation aimed for student with autism.
Autism Society
This website provides additional information about autism itself. It also has links to lots of resources and information.
Supporting Learning in the Student with Autism
This resource provides information for supporting communication, improving social interaction and development, ideas preventing behaviour, positive behaviour support, supporting organizational skills, and supporting sensory needs.
Educating children about autism in an inclusive classroom
This resource contains lesson plans to teach students about autism (planned for grade 4-6). It is composed on 9 lesson plans and a class project.
Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger's Syndrome, is now encompassed under the umbrella term of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Asperger’s syndrome shares many of the features of autism spectrum disorders. People with Asperger’s syndrome demonstrate significant difficulties with respect to social interaction. They also tend to display stereotypical behaviour patterns. The main difference between people with autism spectrum disorders and those with Asperger’s syndrome is that individuals with Asperger’s syndrome do not have clinically significant delays in early language development or significant delays in cognitive development. They usually do not have the same degree of difficulty as those with autism spectrum disorders in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behaviour and curiosity about the environment in childhood. (Teaching students with Autism P5)
Individuals with Asperger’s syndrome constitute a diverse group, so treatment and educational approaches must be individualized. It is important to know that individuals with Asperger’s syndrome are at risk for developing other psychiatric conditions. Historically, approximately 30-35% of students with Asperger’s syndrome develop secondary psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety disorders or obsessive compulsive disorders. Pushing students too hard to be “normal” can exacerbate existing anxieties and social difficulties. (Teaching students with autism page 133)
Asperger’s syndrome shares many of the features of autism spectrum disorders. People with Asperger’s syndrome demonstrate significant difficulties with respect to social interaction. They also tend to display stereotypical behaviour patterns. The main difference between people with autism spectrum disorders and those with Asperger’s syndrome is that individuals with Asperger’s syndrome do not have clinically significant delays in early language development or significant delays in cognitive development. They usually do not have the same degree of difficulty as those with autism spectrum disorders in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behaviour and curiosity about the environment in childhood. (Teaching students with Autism P5)
Individuals with Asperger’s syndrome constitute a diverse group, so treatment and educational approaches must be individualized. It is important to know that individuals with Asperger’s syndrome are at risk for developing other psychiatric conditions. Historically, approximately 30-35% of students with Asperger’s syndrome develop secondary psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety disorders or obsessive compulsive disorders. Pushing students too hard to be “normal” can exacerbate existing anxieties and social difficulties. (Teaching students with autism page 133)