What is Autism or the Autistic Spectrum?

- Autism is a sensory
disorder and a developmental disability significantly affecting
verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction,
generally evident before age 3 that adversely affects educational
performance.
Autism is a childhood disorder with onset prior to 36 months
of age. It is characterized by extreme withdrawal, selfstimulation, intellectual deficits, and language disorders.
Asperger Syndrome is a condition that shares certain
unusual social interactions and behaviors with autism but
typically includes no general language delay.
Compared to other conditions, Autism is relatively rare.
Ranging from 5 per 10,000 to 116 per 10,000 in some
reports as to 1 in 150 variations in prevalence may be due
to definition changes or to a genuine increase in incidence
remains unclear
Males range from 4 to 8 as compared to 1 female
Females are more difficult to identify
Characteristics of Autism
No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six
months or thereafter
No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial
expressions by nine months or thereafter
No babbling by 12 months
No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing,
reaching, or waving by 12 months
No words by 16 months
No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or
repeating) by 24 months

 Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

Unresponsive
Extreme difficulty relating to others and understanding or
expressing emotion
Lowered ability to regulate affect
Prefer to interact with inanimate objects
Form attachments to objects rather than to people
Appear to be insensitive to the feelings of others
Have difficult making sense of the world around them
Rely on peripheral vision, rather than direct, face-to-face
visual contact
not cuddly
Avoid eye contact
50% of autistic children do NOT develop speech
Engage in strange language and speaking behavior like
repeating what has been said to them
Speak in a very mechanical fashion with no attached
meaning to what was said
Do not use pronouns in speech
Tone quality is flat and unusual and usually meant for selfstimulation
Do not understand the abstract language
Repetitive behavior involving repetitive movements such as
rocking, hand flicking, or object manipulation
Usually provides sensory input or sense of organization
Lower intellectual functioning; 75% have an IQ that would
label them as having an intellectual disability

 There are some cases with high-functioning individuals who

have rather substantial vocabularies, use language quite
well, and have a high IQ
Usually have splinter skills perform exceptionally high in
one area
Do not understand social cues
Difficult time interacting with others
Do not generalize skills already learned
Impulsive and inconsistent responses
Difficulty with abstract ideas
Focus on one stimuli instead of understanding the general
concept
Require routine
Strong specific long term memory for factual information
Communication limitations
Resistant to change

Educational Interventions
Characteristics of autism disorders and the severity of
specific problem areas vary significantly from individual to
individual
Ultimate goal is to help prepare children with autism
spectrum disorder to live on their own
The IEP should include academic skills, social skills, self-help
skills, communications skills, and functional skills
Keeping a Safe place and a Safe person to seek out

Tips for the General Ed Teacher

Help with collaborative organizational strategies
Avoid abstract ideas as much as possible
Communicate with specific directions or questions, not
vague or open-ended statements
Create a place that is safe for a short period of time
Use schedules and rules that are written with accompanying
pictures so that students understand what is truly expected
of them
Teach adaptation to changes in routine. Involve the child in
the planning for changes
Avoid depending on the child certain surfaces or materials as
well as florescent lights because of the high sensitivity by
their senses.
Technology
IPads with ITaalk apps and software. These apps and software
help students with autism to be able to express themselves as
well as focus learn and play games.