Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects children of all races, ethnicities and income levels; yet, African American children receive an autism diagnosis later in life than white children. Additionally, when African American children are diagnosed with a disability, they are more often diagnosed with behavioral disabilities, such as conduct disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, or ADHD. There are negative attributes associated with these disabilities, which subsequently affect how the children are viewed by teachers when they are behaving consistent with their disability (even if it is a wrongly-diagnosed disability). A misdiagnosis or late diagnosis combined with a diagnosis of a behavioral disability substantially increases the likelihood of a black autistic child being introduced inappropriately to the juvenile justice system.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Affects on African Americans and the Preschool to Prison Pipeline
1. Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Its Affects on African Americans
and the Preschool to Prison
Pipeline
Jennifer O. Price, Esquire
Jamie Upshaw, M.S.
2. Let’s Talk About Autism
We Learn As They Grow
Presented by Ms. Jamie Upshaw
Founder/Executive Director
3. Who We Are
We are the first and only African American,
minority, family focused Autism 501(c)(3)
Nonprofit Organization in the Commonwealth
of PA. We provide a variety of support
services, available resources, and a safe space
for families to meet, while building healthy
relationships.
4.
5. What is Autism
Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
refers to a group of complex
neurodevelopment disorders
characterized by repetitive and
characteristic patterns of
behavior and difficulties with
social communication and
interaction. The symptoms are
present from early childhood and
affect daily functioning.
6. Autism Spectrum Disorder
The abilities of people
with Autism can range
from gifted to severely
challenged, either
requiring a lot of help in
their daily lives or very
little. So, the signs and
symptoms of Autism
range from person to
person as well.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
7. Symptoms/Behaviors of
Autism
Social Skills
Avoids eye-contact
Prefers to play alone
Does not share interests with others
Only interacts to achieve a desired goal
Has flat or inappropriate facial expressions
Does not understand personal space boundaries
Avoids or resists physical contact
Is not comforted by others during distress
Has trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking
about own feelings
8. Symptoms/Behaviors of Autism
Communication
Delayed
speech and
language skills
Repeats words or phrases
over and over (echolalia)
Reverses pronouns (e.g.,
says “you” instead of “I”
Gives unrelated answers
to questions
Does not point or respond
to pointing
Uses few or no gestures
(e.g., does not wave
goodbye)
Talks in a flat, robot-like,
or sing-song voice
Does not pretend in play
(e.g., does not pretend to
“feed” a doll)
Does not understand
jokes, sarcasm, or teasing
NOTE: About 40% of children
with ASD do not talk at all. About
25%-30% of children with ASD
have some words at 12-18
months of age and lose them.
Others might speak, but not until
later in childhood
9. Symptoms/Behaviors of Autism
Unusual Interest & Behaviors
• Lines up toys or other
objects
• Plays with toys the same
way every time
• Likes parts of objects (e.g.,
wheels)
• Is very organized
• Gets upset by minor
changes
• Has obsessive interests
• Has to follow certain
routines
• Flaps hands, rocks body, or
spins self in circles, also
know as self-stimulation or
“stimming”
10. Symptoms/Behaviors of
Autism
Other
Symptoms/Behaviors
Hyperactivity (very active)
Impulsivity (acting without thinking)
Short attention span
Aggression
Causing self injury or injuries to others
Meltdowns
Unusual eating and sleeping habits
Unusual mood or emotional reactions
Lack of fear or more fear than expected
11. Autism
Spectrum
Disorder
Those with Autism does not have a look
that sets them apart from other people,
however many autistic people do
communicate, learn, and conduct
themselves as well as interact in ways that
are different from most other people.
13. Conduct Disorder
According to the American Academy of
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2018),
Conduct disorder refers to a group of
repetitive and persistent behavioral and
emotional problems in children and
adolescents, in which they have great
difficulty following rules, respecting the
rights of others, showing empathy, and
behaving in a socially acceptable way.
Signs and symptoms of conduct disorder
are aggression to people and animals,
destruction of property, deceitfulness,
lying, stealing, and serious violation of
rules.
15. Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
According to the American Academy of
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2018),
A disorder that impairs an individual’s ability
to control impulsive behaviors and difficulty
focusing, as well as it may make the person
overactive. Some signs and symptoms are
trouble paying attention, inattention to
details and makes careless mistakes, easily
distracted, loses things, and impatient.
17. Oppositional Defiance
Disorder (ODD)
According to the American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry (2019),
In children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder
(ODD), there is an ongoing patter of
uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior
toward authority figures that seriously
interferes with the child’s day to day
functioning. Symptoms include frequent temper
tantrums, excessive arguing with adults, often
questioning rules, active defiance and refusal to
comply with adult requests and rules, just to
name a few.
18. School-to-Prison Pipeline
• Trifecta: black, male, disabled
• Statistics:12% of the high school population, but
75% of the students restrained, and 58% of the
students isolated
• U.S. v. City of Meridien
19. • juveniles who are arrested and entered into the
juvenile justice system are more likely to be adult
offenders in the criminal justice system
• African American youth comprise more than 70%
of school-related arrests or law enforcement
referrals
• AA youth comprise more than 60% of juveniles
detained by the juvenile justice system in the
United States
20. Autism and Criminal Conduct
• No direct between autism spectrum disorder and
criminal behavior
• Indirect Linkage:
• Poor school achievement
• Truancy
• Aggressive behavior
26. Competency
• Does not understand the
legal proceedings to fully
participate in his defense
27. Solutions
• The symptoms of autism and how they may be
differentiated from those of other disorders
• Greater sensitivity regarding ethnic differences in
language used to describe child behavior
• Education and values clarification regarding their
own beliefs about the prevalence of autism and
its presentation by ethnicity
28. Resources
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
https://www.nihds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-
Sheet
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Signs and Symptom
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html
• National Autistic Society https;//www.autism.org.uk/about/behavior/sensory-world.aspx
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, (2018). Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-
Guide/Children-Who-Cant-Pay-Attention-Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder-006.aspx
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, (2018). Conduct Disorder
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Conduct-
Disorder-033.aspx
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, (2019). Oppositional Defiant Disorder
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-
With-Oppositional-Defiant-Disorder-072.aspx
29. Thank you for your participation!!!
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aucofpgh@yahoo.com
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30. Jennifer O. Price, Esquire
www.jenniferpricelaw.com
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