Understanding Your Classmates

with Autism

Definition
Autism is a developmental disability that affects

children prior to the age of three in three areas:

Verbal and nonverbal communication

Social interaction
Academic performance

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (also used)

Spectrum disorder : runs the continuum of mild to

severe

Rett syndrome
Childhood disintegrative disorder
Asperger syndrome
Pervasive developmental disorder

Asperger syndrome
Significant challenges in social and emotional

functioning
Do not have delays in language development or
intellectual functioning
Boys are identified 4 to 1

Facts About Autism

Autism now affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys

Autism prevalence figures are growing

Autism is the fastest-growing serious

developmental disability in the U.S.

Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average
Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to
have autism
There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Communication Characteristics
Focus attention on one topic only
Limit a communication topic to fewer than a

couple of interactions
Use limited gestures to supplement verbal skills
Reverse Pronouns (you want to have a snack now
vs I want to
Look away from the speaker - lacks eye contact

Other Characteristics
Echolalia
Atypical social development

Repetitive behavior
Self-injurious behavior
Aggression

Need for environmental predictability

Sensory and Movement Disorders

Under or overresponsiveness to sensory stimuli
Movement is associated to abnormal posture,

abnormal movements and eye movements

Intellectual functioning
Individuals with Asperger syndrome tend to have

higher IQs than others with autism

Savant syndrome: extraordinary abilities in calendar
calculating, musical ability, mathematical skills,
memorization

Historical Causes
1940s - refrigerator mothers
1970s - biochemical dysfunction

Current: possible biomedical - abnormalities in brain

development, neurochemistry, and genetic factors

Issues in the Classroom

Carefully structured environment
Predictable routines

Visual cuing
Implementing a communication system
Emphasizing communication, socialization, and

functional academics in the curriculum

Understanding the Behaviors

Conduct a Functional Behavioral Analysis
Determine the cause of the behavior
What are they trying to get out of the behavior
In what contexts does the behavior occur
What are the antecedents and consequences
What are the communicative functions of the behavior

Promoting Friendships
Include students in all areas
Use peer buddy programs

Use person-centered planning models that involve

peers
Ensure peers learn about the goals of inclusion