Autism Spectrum Disorder
“If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”
Dr. Stephen Shore
Theresa V. Ferrara GED 606
NJAC Chapter 14: Special Education 6A14-3.5
6A14-3.5 “Autistic” means a pervasive developmental disability which significantly impacts verbal and nonverbal communication and
social interaction that adversely affects a student’s educational performance. An assessment by a certified speech-language specialist
and an assessment by a physician trained in neurodevelopmental assessment are required.
6A14-4.2 Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment
A1. To the maximum extent appropriate, a student with a disability is educated with children who are not disabled;
2. Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of a student with a disability from the student’s general education class occurs
only when the nature or severity of the educational disability is such that education in the student’s general education class with the
use of appropriate supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily;
3. A full continuum of alternative placements according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-4.3 is available to meet the needs of students with disabilities
for special education and related services;
9. A student with a disability is not removed from the age-appropriate general education classroom solely based on needed
modifications to the general education curriculum;
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Types Vary in severity and expression of symptoms
This disability is usually identified by the age of three
SOCIAL INTERACTION
COMMUNICATION
STEREOTYPES
COGNITION
Lack of eye contact
Unawareness of social
situations
Little to no verbal
communication
Repetitive, echolalic, or
robotic speech
Inflexible routines
Motor repetitions (finger
flapping, body rocking
May have intellectual
disability
May have savant
characteristics
Loss of social skills and
environment (first few years)
Severely impaired expressive
and receptive language
Develops hand movements
between ages 5-10 months
Often associated with
severe or profound
intellectual disability
Childhood Disintegrative
Disorder
Level 3 (rare)
Loss of interest in
environment starting
between 2-10 yrs.
Lack of social reciprocity
Loss of language skills around
2-10 yrs.
Repetitive use of language
Lack of make believe play
Develops repetitive motor
movements such as hand
flapping
Restricted activities and
interests
Usually associated with
intellectual disability,
The loss of skills is
progressive
Asperger Syndrome
(Levels 1-3)
Now called ASD
Lacks ability to read social
cues
Awkward eye contact
*Interested in
soc.environment
No clinically significant delay
of language
May be delayed
Restricted areas of interest
(e.g. preoccupation with a topic)
Inflexible adherence to routines
Repetitive motor movements
No clinically significant
delay in cognition
Autism ASD
Levels 1-3
Rett Syndrome, ASD
Level 3 (rare)
Journal Article:
Reading Comprehension and Autism in the Primary General Education Classroom
Neal Nghia Nguyen, Patrick Leytham, Peggy Schaefer Whitby, Jeffrey I. Gelfer, The Reading Teacher, Vol. 69, Issue 1
Cognitive Deficits of students with ASD affect their ability to comprehend text:
Theory of Mind (ToM): the ability to interpret one’s own and other people’s mental and emotional states
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGSj2zY2OEM
Weak central coherence: a limited ability to understand context or to “see the big picture”
Executive functioning: the process of organizing, planning, and monitoring progress in situations
*Around age 8, students with ASD begin to fall behind in assessments of comprehension.
Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension
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Access and Build Background Knowledge - use visual supports, preteach key vocabulary
Create Mental Images - do a picture walk, tapping into their visual strengths
Make Connections - GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS - story elements: characters, setting, sequence, etc)
Engage in Consistent Discussions - reciprocal questioning modeling ‘Why did the character do ___?”
Stop frequently to ask what is happening and identify character actions and feelings.
Make it multisensory - Act out actions and feelings of characters (or in SS/historical figures)
Summarize Understanding - Use “think aloud” to create causal connections (What led __ to do __?)
Linking Text to Self:
Reading Informative
Text on Birds
I sleep
in a
bed.
Same:
We sleep on
something
Both things
are soft.
Birds
sleep in a
nest.
More Strategies for Building Reading Comprehension
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Role play story events
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Summarize with drawings
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Use Cloze sentence and paragraph summaries
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Make predictions with cueing
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Story Characters - Emotional thermometers,
What is the
character
thinking
about ___?
color coding feelings
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Teach “Shades of meanings” - related words
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Create speech or thought bubbles for
characters or events
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Explicit teaching of figurative language
What
would the
character
say about
___?
Social Emotional Learning: Direct Teaching
The University of Pittsburgh, together with The Fred Rogers Company, created this DVD entitled
“Friends and Feelings: Helping Children with Autism in Social and Emotional Learning.”
4 episodes, modeling social-emotional skills:
● Waiting
● Helping
● Asking for help
● Being flexible
● Managing frustration and anger
● Thinking about the feelings of others
Classroom Structure Considerations
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Provide a predictable environment
Seat in a position of least distraction and proximity to visual schedules
Foster independence as much as possible
Give concrete instructions
Find ways to connect new learning to past experiences
Chunk assignments, plan a completion schedule
Directly teach procedures for completing a task (such as taking a
multiple choice test or giving an opinion with reasons)
Classroom Instructional Strategies
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Establish collaborative relationships with families
Observe and develop a list of key social deficits and the social situations in which they
occur
Choose a few functional and age-appropriate target skills to address with a
problem-solving intervention
Involve paraprofessionals with education, clear communication, and tools
Social Stories: https://www.pbisworld.com/tier-2/social-stories/ book: Skillstreaming
the Elementary School Child by Ellen McGinnis and Arnold P. Goldstein
Use picture and word schedules (ipad can be discreet)
Establish and stick to predictable ROUTINES
Look for environmental sensory sensitivities and try to reduce or eliminate them
Don’t confuse lack of tact with rudeness
Explicitly teach how to have productive conversations (scripting)
Protect from teasing and bullying
Conduct a
Preference
Assessment
For both objects and
activities:
Effective reinforcers
Increase likelihood of
successful
interventions
Generalization of Behaviors
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Occurs if behavior occurs
under different, untrained
conditions
Try out behavior in different
settings
Try with different aides,
teachers, peers
Try using different materials
Make it as natural as possible
More Activities for
Social-Emotional
Learning
Sharing Time practice speaking and
active listening
Emotion Cards identify emotion
and context
Board Games teach sportsmanship
etiquette
What Would You Do? Scenarios
SENSORY CENTER: Can strengthen self-regulations and help students
cope with reactions to toucH, sound, scent, sight and movement
The 2013 revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) lists
hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the
environment as one of four types of restricted, repetitive patterns constituting diagnostic criteria
for ASD.
Sensory Strategies are designed to address the student’s level of arousal, helping students reach
a more optimal learning state.
Determine the sensory needs of your student through trials (or an occupational therapist) and
prepare a learning station based on the specific sensory needs of the student.
Options for Sensory Centers
*be cognizant of allergies*
Movement /Vestibular Center: Swing, rocking chair, dance, yoga poses, exercises, tunnel crawl, trampoline
Tactile Center - bumpy balls, squishy balls, tape, rocks
WET activities Center - shaving cream, water, slime, bubbles, ice cubes
Pouring Center - Sand, rice, beans, funnels, measuring cups, trucks, diggers, dump trucks
Balloon Center - blowing, stretching, bouncing, popping
Soft Center - pompoms, cotton balls, soft fabrics, carpet squares play dough
Smell Center - coffee, smelly coloring markers, perfume
Noise Center - squeaking toys, instruments, tubes for listening to your own voice, music, bells, chimes
Assistive Technology Supports (AT)
https://www.verywellhealth.com/assistive-technology-for-autism-5076159
Low Tech
Weighted vests
Sensory balls
Picture boards
PECS
Color-coded planner
Cuisenaire rods
Theraputty
Mid Tech
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Noise-cancelling headphones
Battery-operated sensory toys
Visual timers
Calm app -visual and verbal meditations and breathing
exercises to lower anxiety..
Model Me Kids: Social Skills videos that teach polite
conversation skills and other verbal interaction skills.
Proloquo2Go - Users touch images and the app “speaks”
for them, customizable, and available in several languages.
Features about 10,000 words. Costs about $250.
High Tech
Speech-to-Text
software:
Using the built-in
microphone on an ipad,
laptop, or cell phone,
STT converts what the
user says into text
without the use of a
keyboard. With
increased use, the
device errors are
minimal.
Resource:
Parents of Autistic Children
www.POAC.net
POAC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides events for the autism
community, including training for parents and educators, recreational and support
services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families, and training
for police and first responders in New Jersey. Events include story time,
gymnastics, pool parties, swim lessons, a barbeque bash and more.
The Mantra of POAC is “Making Lives Better Every Day”
1989 NJ-88, Brick Township, NJ 08724
Phone: (732) 785-1099
Temple Grandin, PhD: University Professor and animal behavior scientist with
autism. Researcher and advocate for those with autism. Templegrandin.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWePrOuSeSY
Temple Grandin (1 hour)”The Autistic Mind”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqntS1YRRO4
Temple Grandin: Educating Different Kinds of Minds (20 minutes, school focused)
MOVIE: The Temple Grandin Story HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
This resource Guide
Can be used by parents, teachers, CST members, advocates or administrators
to assist with understanding and dealing with the needs of students diagnosed
with ASD.
Some ideas listed in this presentation may not be available in every school
district or environment.