The document provides a comprehensive overview of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) including its definition, characteristics, prevalence rates, and various types such as Asperger's syndrome and Rett syndrome. It discusses the rising prevalence of autism, contributing factors, and emphasizes the importance of environmental adaptations and teaching strategies to support individuals with autism. Additionally, it offers resources and guidelines for writing social stories tailored for individuals with ASD.

1. Autism Spectrum
Disorder
Presented by:
Steph Copeland
Jen Hobbs
Rosie Amstutz
Lanre Oriowo

2. Definition of Autism
 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA 300.7
©(1)(i)]
―A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and
non-verbal communication and social interaction, generally
evident before age three that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance.
Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement
in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to
environmental change, a change in daily routines and unusual
responses to sensory experiences.‖
 (i) Autism does not apply if a child's educational performance is
adversely affected primarily because the child has an
emotional disability.
 (ii) A child who manifests the characteristics of autism after age 3 could
be identified as having autism if the other criteria are satisfied.

3. Autism Spectrum
 Multiple levels of Autism, therefore now considered
as a spectrum

4. Similarities within the Spectrum

5. More similarities within the Spectrum
 Marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors
 eye-to- eye gaze,
 facial expression,
 body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction.
 A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or
achievements with other people,
 e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people).
 A lack of social or emotional reciprocity
 Delay in or total lack of, the development of spoken language
 not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication
such as gesture or mime
 Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and
restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus.
 Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or
rituals.
 Repetitive motor mannerisms
 Hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements).

6. Uniqueness within the spectrum
 Asperger’s Syndrome
 Higher IQ
 Reach milestones at the right time
 Do not have communicative impairments
 Rett Syndrome
 Usually only found in girls
 Normal development until 6 – 18 months
 Hypotonia - loss of muscle tone, no eye contact, decelerated head growth
 Rapid developmental regression – hand wringing, unsteady walking, breathing
irregularities, seizures.
 PDD – NOS
 Diagnosed when child displays some autistic behaviors and meets some but not all
criteria for PDDs.
 Example from the book(pg 363) – an individual with severe impairments in social
interactions and communication but no repetitive behavior
 CDD
 Normal development until a certain age (between 2 and 10) and then regress

7. Prevalence
 ASD Prevalence – 1 in 91 children is diagnosed
 1 in 58 boys is diagnosed with autism
 Boys 4 times more likely to have ASD
 In order of most to least
 PDD – NOS and Autism
 About 10 in 10000
 Asperger’s Syndrome
 About 2.5 in 10000
 Rett’s Syndrome & CDD
 Less than 1 in 10000

8. Autism on the RISE!
• Autism prevalence figures are growing
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than
with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.
• Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a
figure expected to significantly increase in the next
decade.
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of
many less prevalent childhood diseases.
 ASD - fastest growing disability category in the IDEA
 Greater awareness of Autism
 Improved methods of identification
 Increased awareness that autism can exist at different IQ
levels

9. Theoretical Causes
Genetic Disorders Vaccines
Exposure to Food Sensitivities
Environmental factors: o Yeast
o Toxic Chemicals o Gluten
o Heavy Metals o Casein

10. Is there a cure?
 Controversy with Jenny McCarthy
 Jenny McCarthy Story

11. Living with ASD

12. Teaching Strategies
 ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATIONS
 Visual cues & Picture Schedule
 To modify behavior
 Aide with transitions
 Assist with learning strategies
 Teacher Aide
 To support desired behavior
 DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONS
 Assignments broken down into smaller tasks
 ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY/ADAPTATIONS
 Communication
 Pictures
 Electronic devices
 Shortened writing utensils, weighted pens, grips
Highlighters
 Sensory Input: core disk, weighted vest, fidgets, oral devices
 STRATEGIES
 Prompts for transitions: verbal & visual cues, establish a social story
 Repetitive instruction, rephrasing questions, redirection to activities, modeling of task, reinforcement
 Look at antecedent behaviors to address behavior before it escalated to an undesirable behavior.
 Movement prior to tasks—helps attending
 Students need to know what is expected of him (beginning, middle, & end) and attach meaning to it

13. History of Social Stories
 Developed by Carol Gray for persons with autism in
early 1991
 Written for children and adults with autism spectrum
disorders by students at Jenison High School in
Jenison, MI.
 Autism Social Story Guidelines
 Write a social story from the perspective of the person
with autism. Create a word picture – what they would see
and experience
 Use a combination of different types of
sentences, following the recommended ratio:
Descriptive, Perspective, Directive
 May be supplemented with additional, optional types of
sentences: Affirmative, Control, Cooperative

14. Social Story

15. The Sky is the Limit!

16. Questions?

17. Resources
 http://www.aspergers.com/
 www.Autismspeaks.org
 http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/SD-Autism.asp
 http://www.specialed.us/autism/asper/asper11.html
 http://www.rettsyndrome.org
 http://www.barberinstitute.org/autismINsight/disorder_pe
rvasive.php
 http://www.barberinstitute.org/autismINsight/disorder_pe
rvasive.php
 www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/how-to-write-a-
social-story.html