Autism

Courtney Hallam
Definition
o Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is
a developmental disorder that
affects communication and
behavior. Although autism can
be diagnosed at any age, it is
said to be a “developmental
disorder” because symptoms
generally appear in the first two
years of life.
Identification
o Doctors observe a person’s behavior and
development

o Developmental Screening
o Test that will reveal if one is reaching their
milestones on time, or if they are delayed

o Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation

o Interview with the person thought to have
autism and their parents

o Other Tests
o Hearing and vision screening
o Genetic testing
o Neurological testing
Prevalence
o 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with
an autism spectrum disorder

o 1 in 37 are boys and 1 in 151 are

girls

o Boys are 4 times more likely than

girls to be diagnosed with an ASD

o All ethnic and socioeconomic

groups are affected by autism
o Although, people from minority
groups tend to be diagnosed
later and less often
Symptoms
o Not point at objects to express interest
o Not look when one points at something
o Trouble relating to others or show no interest in
others
o Understanding others’ feelings and expressing their
own
o Expressing their needs using typical motions or
words
o Adapting to altered routines
o Avoid eye contact and prefer to be alone
o Prefer not to be held, unless they ask for it
o Appear to be unaware when being spoken to, but
will focus on other sounds
o Be interested in people, but not know how to
approach them
o Repeat or echo phrases said to them, sometimes in
place of typical language
o Not play “pretend” games; repeat actions over
and over
o Have unusual reactions to the way things smell,
taste, look, feel, or sound
o Lose skills that they once had
o Experience problems with sleeping and irritability
o Strengths
o Being able to learn things in detail and
remember information for long periods of time
o Strong auditory and visual learners
o Excellent in math, science, music, or art.
Treatment
o Medication
o Alleviate symptoms of irritability, aggression, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and others

o Therapy
o Behavioral, Psychological, and Educational
o Highly structured and intensive
o May require family participation
o With the programs, they discover how to navigate through the world around them
o Learn life skills that will teach them to live independently
o Reduce challenging behaviors
o Increase or build upon strengths
o Learn social, communication, and language skills

o Other Resources
o Attending meetings with an advocacy group
o Attending meetings with a support group
o Working with specialists/teachers to make decisions that will benefit the individual the most
Three General Facts
o Approximately 40% of children
with autism are non-verbal.
o Autism is the fastest growing
developmental disability, yet it
is the most underfunded.
o The mortality rate among
individuals with autism is
almost twice that of the
general population.
 Three Teaching Strategies
o Create a classroom routine
o Students with an ASD like having a routine and a
predictable day

o Use appropriate technology

o Students with an ASD will be able to use assistive
technologies, especially if they are nonverbal so that
they can communicate with me and their classmates

o Treat them the same as their classmates

o Students with autism will benefit greatly when they are
treated the same as their classmates without an ASD
Sources
o https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/screening.html
o https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-
asd/index.shtml
o https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-facts-and-figures
o https://nationalautismassociation.org/resources/autism-fact-sheet/
o https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/autism-awareness-month-6-
strategies-for-teaching-students-with-autism/