Autism 101 Chapter 2013

1. Autism 101Chapter 2013 Tell me about this student Please !!!! Sue Holmberg, Sherry Kocher and Jodie Wyatt Corvallis School District Autism Services

2. Special Education/Autism If a doctor, lawyer or dentist had 40 people in this office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to be there or know why they were there. If they were causing trouble and the doctor, lawyer or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he/she might have some conception of the educators job. If their nurses or assistants had to drop everything, whenever and wherever needed; had to wipe up messes; create tasks; deal with behaviors; have one more responsibility added to their and still do some worthwhile support teaching, they would get a taste of an assistants job. Video - ASD

3. Some Background

4. Worldwide numbers

5. History of ASD

6. Why the change in numbers? • Different criteria, but world wide all the same • Environmental Issues • Higher % in certain industries • Medical • First studies only looked at 8 year olds • ?????? • Numbers video

7. Tony Atwood states:If ASD is a 100 piece puzzle and you have 75 of those pieces and you marry someone with 85 of those pieces, your chances of having a child with at least 80 pieces is good.

8. Corvallis Numbers The numbers rose steadily for many years • 85 • 135 • 165 • 130 2013 145 Video

9. What is may not be what is…… • The trick to working with students on the spectrum is to understand what is going on and what is not going on…often we assume things that make sense to us, but not to them…. • We know that students on the spectrum have difficulty in 4 areas – not just the typical eligibility areas, but day to day areas • Social Interaction • Communication • Imagination • Sensory Sensitivity • Video

10. Tip of the Iceberg

11. Tip of the Iceberg • What we see is not always what is going on • What we hear is not always what is going on

12. I have heard it all before …. • Others list problems such as • lack of empathy • Naïve, inappropriate, one sided • No ability to form friendships • Pedantic, repetitive speech • Poor nonverbal communication • Intense absorption in certain subjects • Clumsy and ill coordinated movements

13. This is what I am ….. • Lets look at it differently – for example in a positive way!! Who would not want these students in your classrooms who are • Honest • Reliable • Dedicated • Determined • Attentive to detail • Hard Workers • Not concerned about the drama/trauma of social relationships

14. Honesty • doesn’t understand why people lie and when asked to lie is very unconvincing • Says exactly what he/she thinks • Will stick loyally to people – which can be a good thing or not …

15. Creative • Often approaches things in different ways – in a way that makes sense to them, not necessarily to others • Often devises methods that they get stuck on, that work for them and give the required result, just does not fit with the “prescribed way” • Can find it hard to distinguish fiction from reality • Is often musical, artistic or dramatic, no matter what the cognitive level is

16. Special Interests • May have a topic of special interest that means the world to him/her – these interests may change from time to time • Has to find out all he can about his interest • May use his interests to facilitate conversation • May know far more than he needs to about a topic, and yet can’t do simple topics • May get in the way of what is supposed to be done

17. Will try to hold hands or touch others in inappropriate ways while he is saying he should not Will follow others, while he is saying he should not Will blurt out statements as a way of telling us what he needs Severely impaired thinker – in a social world he does not understand

18. Routine, routine, routine • Responds well to routine – sometime why elementary school is harder than middle school and high school • Does not like last minute changes • Does not like routine to be changed • May create routine of own to help – do not change this unless you have to • Don’t assume they do not need a routine because they are doing well

19. Attentive to Detail • This can be a blessing and a curse. Often can not get past this attention to detail • This can also mean not being able to look at things any way but the way they see it. If you show them a finished product, that is what will stick with them and they will want it to look like this. • The detail may also go beyond what you want. Be very clear and ask for clarification. Sometimes when we think we are clear, it is not the least bit clear to these students.

20. Hard Working • May not be the hard work we want them to do, but once they get it and buy into it, it is hard to get the student to stop doing the work • If given a daily task most will take it seriously and not want to miss the task, any day, ever! • The student may be hard working in one area and not the least bit interested in another…this can be misleading and feels like they don’t care…..in some ways you are right, they don’t care, about your needs, just theirs.

21. Social Interaction • Social skills look different • Does not get the right and wrong of situations • Acts without regard for how they impact others • Wants to fit in but does not get how to

22. Communication • Video Third rock ( actually Big Bang Theory)

23. Academic • Bright in the area of interest • Can have difficulty in those areas that are not their strength – is that different than other students? • Written work is usually very difficult for these students and can make or break a class. The student may develop a bad attitude before they even get to class and then be totally unproductive • The ideas and thoughts are there, but the ability to put this on paper is not

24. Physical/Senses • Fine motor tasks for day to day work difficult yet can be very creative and artistic • Impacted by sensory issues we know nothing about – these are real and do impact them….it is not an excuse. There are cases when the student may not be feeling the sensory issue, but is concerned about it. This can be as bad as experiencing the sensory issue. • This group of students tends to be low tone which can manifest in needing to be all over the desk, sitting in awkward positions and getting fatigued easily.

25. Behavior is Communication • If the student is upset, limit verbal cues to specific, short and concrete cues. Do not attempt to engage in conversation with the student until he/she is calm. Limit eye contact when student is upset and don’t require it of them. • Use their interests to teach them skills that seem difficult • Allow a limited number of questions for a particular topic – stay consistent with this • Change can be a deal breaker – it is very difficult for most of these students.

26. “Echos” what he hears or sees, but does not process the language or the action well Has difficulty using words to express needs – often uses actions instead Read at a 4th grade level at 3 years of age, before he talked, but had little comprehension of what he read, could only echo it back – this has not changed

27. Perseverations Will get stuck on his thought(s) and can not let go of it(them) – he can not shut the file/image in his head and will go out of his ways to get what he feels he needs Will echo what it is that he thinks we want to hear – because he can not process the real meaning

28. Lets look at these details • To understand how to work with these students it is helpful to understand from their point of view. • “Aspergers Syndrome – What Teachers Need to Know • Temple Grandin “During my career I have met many brillant….. From “The Gifts of Aspergers”, pg 114 • Page 110 – “Gifts of Aspergers”

29. Break

30. Behavior and communicationBehavior is communication! For individuals with ASD, behavior may be the only means by which they have to communicate a need or frustration. Mirenda (2005) stated the individuals with autism will communicate using the “ most effective and efficient means possible” • http://youtu.be/-nXG7MGl_RY

31. When challenging behaviors occur they are used to control one’s environment and serve four purposes • To fulfill a sensory need • To escape the demands of an undesired situation or event • To gain attention • To obtain tangible object

32. These students have a preference for routines, narrow interests and difficulty with transition. These characteristics should not be confused with behavior. The challenging behaviors occur when the individual is trying to cope with the changes. It is then the individuals lack of communication skills, to tell you what is wrong, that leads to the behavior

33. What can we do • Look at what we are doing and correct your actions first -

34. Things to think about • Are your instructions clear? • Are your sentences short? • Are you using sarcasm or idioms? • Am I using supplemental visual materials? • Am I being as consistent as the rest of the team that works with the student? • Do I allow enough time for processing? • Am I asking too much information? Are my expectations too low or high • Does the student have friends in class?

35. A negative behavior in school is something that interferes with educational and social processes: • not attending in class • refusing to work • being perceived as rude • anything that affects your ability to function in school environment • anything that separates you and makes others have weird thoughts about you Michelle Garcia Winner

36. Behavior can be modified in two ways: • EXTERNALLY: From others giving feedback (as in reward systems) • INTERNALLY: • From teaching the student how to change his behavior • Self-awareness • Self –monitoring • Self-control M. G. Winner

37. COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY: • Learn the ‘why’s and the ‘how’s • Internal regulation • Learn that behavior is remembered over time • Behavior change is slow M. G. Winner

39. Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Social Stories (Gray) Comic Strip Conversations (Gray) Incredible 5 Point Scale (Curtis Buron) Social Behavior Mapping (Winner) M. G. Winner

40. SOCIAL BEHAVIOR MAPPING: EXPECTED BEHAVIORS VS. UNEXPECTED BEHAVIORS M. G. Winner

41. SOCIAL BEHAVIOR MAPPING BECAUSE: • The rules change with age • Social rules are sensitive to the context more than the environment • Behavior has an impact on how others feel • How one is treated is in large part based on how they make others feel • Each person has an emotional reaction to how they are treated M. G. Winner

42. Ideas ……. Five Point Scale exercise Individual Five point scales

43. The Five Point Scale

44. Supports • Visual supports • Low and High tech communication options • Calendars • Social Stories • Visual rules • Token reward system • Schedules

45. DVD • Our present to you

46. In summary • Students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder are truly wonderful, enchanting and a gift to teachers. They can learn, progress and be strong contributors to our society and it is hoped that you will thoroughly enjoy these students, learn from them and assist their learning throughout the educational years. It may not be easy but that is where we come in…..please call or send in the referral to us and we will come have a look and see where we can help. • Video