Autism Spectrum Disorders Summary Cause/Prevalence The latest research suggests that 6 out of every 1000 children are

diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with every four males to one female being affected. The rate of diagnoses has seemed to increase since ASD was first described in the 1940s, but there is still a lot of speculation if that is actually the case. Researchers believe that currently ASD is more widely recognized by medical professionals and children are being diagnosed at an earlier age. The exact cause of ASD has still not been pinpointed by scientists; however, it is widely agreed upon that ASD is genetic as twin studies show that identical twins share 90% of autistic traits compared to fraternal twins. Many studies are looking at whether environmental factors combined with genetics play a role in determining if a child will be born with ASD. Physical Characteristics There are no prominent physical characteristics that are common to ASD children.

Educational Challenges The descriptions of the following characteristics can vary from each individual with ASD. One child may only present with mild impairments in a few of the following categories, while others may have significant impairments in all of the categories. It is very important that educators learn the specific issues that pertain to their own ASD student. Cognitive Development The psycho-educational report of ASD individuals usually show very uneven developmental patterns. It is common for ASD students to excel at visual-spatial tasks (e.g. putting together puzzles) and most learn information better if it is presented in visual format. Some ASD students have excellent knowledge of language mechanics such as being able to identify words and their meanings, applying phonetic skills, and using correct grammar; however, they will have difficulty carrying on a conversation. Similarly, some will be able to perform numerical computations with ease but have great difficulty with solving math problems. The uneven developmental patterns is most likely attributed to impairments with Executive Functioning (EF). This is the part of the brain that allows us to do all that it takes to attend to a task. When the EF is impaired, the following cognitive features will be affected: deficits in paying attention to relevant cues and attending to multiple cues, receptive and expressive language impairment, deficits in abstract reasoning, and inability to plan, organize, and solve problems.

Education of an ASD individual should be based upon the students strengths and weaknesses taking into consideration their level of social functioning. Instructional material should be visual, routines will need to be developed and practiced, information should be broken down into small chunks, directions should be clear and concise, and only the essential information emphasized. Language/Communication Development All ASD individuals have impairments with communication and language. Some students may be non-verbal while others may be very verbal without the skills to use language socially. When it comes to language, it is very difficult for ASD students to process and express non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, use of gestures, making eye contact, body postures, and shared focus of attention. ASD students also have difficulty with their expressive language skills. For example, tone of voice may be inappropriate for the setting, could have repetitive and idiosyncratic speech patterns, restricted vocabulary, perseverate on a topic, and problems with pragmatics such as: initiating communication, using unwritten rules, maintaining conversation, interrupting conversation, and inflexibility with style of conversation. ASD individuals will also have great difficulty with comprehending verbal information such as following long verbal sequences and remembering verbal information. Even individuals who appear to have high verbal output will have difficulty comprehending verbal information and comprehension must never be assumed in these cases. It is important for educators to assess the receptive and expressive communication abilities of the ASD student. Teachers should focus on teaching the functional use of language and communication in different settings and use various means of delivering information other than solely talking. Many ASD individuals are visual learners and will benefit from visual instructions along with verbal. Sensory Issues Many ASD individuals have problems with sensory processing and will vary with the level of hyper/hypo sensitivity for their tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems to environmental stimuli. For example, students with visual problems may have difficulties in P.E. classes where they have to judge distances and navigate fast moving balls. They may appear clumsy and awkward. Students with auditory impairments may become distracted by the smallest noise such as the ticking of a heater and the different voice tones of other students can be painful. For tactile sensitivities, some ASD individuals can find light touch very painful while some can have an under-sensitivity to pain and will take huge hits in PE class or outside on the playground and not even notice. The sensory system of proprioception involves the unconscious movement of muscles and joints and how much force to apply for a physical action. An example of proprioception problems could be holding a pencil as the student might not hold the pencil hard enough to make markings on a page. This sensory problem can also present problems in PE class if students are asked to participate in sports that require muscle

control. The vestibular system involves the inner ear and the bodys position in space. Many students with vestibular sensory issues either want to be seeking constant motion or will feel secure only if both feet are on the ground and stable (swings and other moving items may be off-putting). Educators will need to understand the specific sensory profile of their ASD student and make allowances in the environment for him/her to feel comfortable with the proper amount of sensory input needed for their body. It would be best to consult the occupational therapy reports for assessments and recommendations. Motor Impairment When there are difficulties with proprioceptive, vestibular, and tactile systems this will lead to motor planning issues. Both fine and gross motor skills will be affected and can present with all sorts of difficulties in the school environment from playing on the playground with friends, to hands-on projects in the classroom, to various sports activities in PE class. It is very important to note that a students lack of participation or refusal to engage in any physical activity is most likely related to the abnormal response to sensation than it is related to non-compliance or other behaviour problems. Social Emotional Development Most, if not all, individuals with ASD have difficulties with social interactions. Most social skills that are learned are through nonverbal communication which ASD individuals have trouble interpreting and, therefore, lack the skills for social reciprocity. Some may come across as very social and talk nonstop about topics that interest them without regard to their listener, while others may appear aloof and very uninterested in engaging with others. Also, ASD students may not play with others in the typical way of being imaginative with items and taking turns. They may use items and play alongside others or will stay away from these situations altogether. ASD students may also engage in laughing and outbursts at inappropriate times during social interactions.

Students with ASD often have great difficulty understanding the perspectives of others and grasping the idea that others may have a different perspective from their own. They also have trouble connecting mental states to actions. For example, if another child is sad and crying, the ASD child may not understand that the other child is sad because he is not feeling sad at that moment.

ASD children will most likely not learn social skills through observation and participation. Educators will need to identify specific skill deficits through as assessment and explicitly teach and reinforce the learned skill. ASD students have benefitted from being part of a small group that targets social skills along with being paired with responsible peers who can role model appropriate behaviour.

Behaviour With all the different challenges, ASD individuals can present with difficult behaviour in the classroom. What may appear as non-compliance and acting out behaviours may actually be the students way of trying to communicate something that they lack the skills to communicate in a socially appropriate way. Along with lacking the skills to communicate, the EF processing is impaired. This can be mistaken for lazy and willful problem behaviours when in reality the student is having difficulties comprehending their environment. When sensory issues are involved, students may have sudden behaviours that seem disruptive when they may in fact be trying to escape or seek a certain sensation. When dealing with challenging behaviours, it is imperative to have team input on the best way to go about reducing problem behaviours. The team can determine through a functional assessment the reasons why a student is acting a certain way. A positive behaviour support plan can then be put into place to help reduce disruptive behaviours. References Alberta Learning Special Learning Branch. (2003). Teaching students with autism spectrum disorders. Retrieved from www.learning.gov.ab.ca/k_12/specialneeds Kranowitz, C. (2006). The out-of-sync child has fun: Activities for kids with sensory processing disorder. New York: Penguin Group. Twachtman-Cullen, D. (2008). How to be a para-pro: A comprehensive training manual for paraprofessionals. Connecticut: Starfish Specialty Press.