WHAT IS AUTISM?

Definition

Autism is a developmental disability that

typically appears during the first three
years of life.
Epidemiology

^ Occurs in 1/1000 children

^ Occurs more often in males
^ 70% have some form of mental retardation
^ 50% acquire spoken language
Characteristics of Autism

 Social relating and reciprocity

 Verbal and nonverbal communication
 Restricted/repetitive activities and interests
Social Relating and Reciprocity

 Does not respond

positively to social
advances from others
 Fails to initiate
interactions with others
 Lack of eye contact
 Poor play skills
 Not motivated by social
reinforcers
Verbal/Nonverbal
Communication
 May not understand
verbal instructions
 Needs more time to
process language
 Excessive language is
confusing
 May not have functional
way to express his/her
needs
Verbal/nonverbal Communication

 May display unusual

speech/language
characteristics
 May resort to socially
inappropriate means of
communicating
needs/wants
Restricted/repetitive
Activities and Interests
 Excessive need for sameness
 Need events to be predictable
 Fails to engage in imaginative play
 Unusual fascination with certain activity, toy,
topic, or activity
 Repetitive movements--hands flapping,
rocking, spinning
Sensory Issues
*Self-stimulatory reactions
-rocking
-spinning
-hands flapping

*Unusual sensory responses=under or

over sensitive o stimuli (sounds, tastes,
textures, sight,etc.)
Cognitive/attentional Problems

 Uneven profile of skills

 Exceptional rote
memory skills
 Poor comprehension
skills
 May respond to
irrelevant cues of a task
Cognitive/attentional Problems

 Easily distracted
 Difficulty with
unstructured time
 May not understand the
concept of “wait”
 Poor generalization
skills
 Inability to complete a
sequence of steps
Summary

 These were
characteristics common
to people with autism.
They vary in degree,
amount and intensity.
They may change over
time.
Ten Top Priorities

1. Pursue early behavioral and

educational intervention, including
and timely and accurate diagnosis.
2. Take a tough love approach,
stressing both firmness and affection.
In this context, establish an absolute
consistency of expectations.
Priorities continued

3. Extend the instructional domain to everywhere

the student goes: cafeteria, bathroom,
playground, music room, classroom, etc.
(Because of chronic deficits, learning
generalizes better when it’s location-specific.)
4. Make sure the student attends to task in all
areas, if only for short periods at first. It’s the
basis for all future instruction.
 Priorities continued
5. Speak clearly and concisely at all times to
guarantee comprehension. Monitor and
adjust your verbal presentation if you’re not
connecting.
6. Ignore counterproductive attention-getting
behaviors, but reward compliance with simple
praise.
7. Be firm but fair in making sure the student
carries out directives, even if it requires, at
first, providing assistance. Don’t begin a task
you can’t complete.
Priorities continued

8. Delegate authority to more than one

caregiver, all of whom must be clear on
designated behavioral interventions.
9. Constantly challenge the student to learn
new skills, while continuing to address
lingering deficits.
10. Exercise at all times the three P’s:
planning, patience, and perseverance.
Historical Perspective
Historical Perspective
Historical Perspective
A Measure of the Signs of
Autism

In young children
A Measure of the Signs of
Autism
A Measure of the Signs of
Autism
A Measure of the Signs of
Autism
Asperger’s Syndrome

Historical Perspective
 Current Perspective
Dr. A. J. Attwood (1998)

Five Areas of Screening:

Research on Autism is
Focusing on:
AUTISM IS NOT CAUSED BY
POOR OR INDIFFERENT
PARENTING