Session 1
What do I know about ASDs?
Pervasive
Developmental Disorders
Autism Spectrum
Disorders
Rett Syndrome
Autistic
Disorder
PDD-NOS
Asperger
Syndrome
Childhood
Disintegrative
Disorder
The term Autism Spectrum
Disorders is used synonymously with
the term autism
The Diversity of Autism
Communication
COMMUNICATION
SocialSOCIAL
Interaction
INTERACTION
aloof
Repetitive behaviour
Restricted interest
mild
Sensory
SENSORY
I.Q Style
Learning
Intellectual Ability
Learning styles
(IQ)
verbal
non-verbal
passive
active/odd
marked
hyposensitive
hypersensitive
strong visual spatial skills; visual learner; kinaesthetic;
gestalt learner; poor executive functioning; detail-focused
severe
moderate
mild
average
gifted
What do you know about
ASDs?
What do you see in your
students?
• communication
• social
• repetitive behaviours and restricted
interests
• sensory
• information processing
What are the implications of ASDs
on learning and participation?
Planning matrix
Communication
Characteristics
Implications
Strategies
Social
RI/RB
Sensory
Information
processing
What are the key issues for students with an
ASD?
Development of communication skills
and systems
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communication impacts on most areas of development.
Impairments in receptive language.
Literal/concrete understanding in AS/HFA
echolalia (immediate, delayed, mitigated)
difficulties initiating and sustaining communicative interaction
differences between use of comments and requests (use
of language)
differences in eye gaze, body language and use of gesture to
communicate
unusual vocal quality and prosodic patterns
What are the key issues for students with
an ASD?
Development of social connections
•
Social deficit the core feature of ASDs.
•
Students typically have fewer friends and may prefer the
company of older or younger students
•
Some students may isolate themselves by choice.
•
Others may be aware of friendships and want friends but be
perceived as irritating or intrusive.
•
May have very different interests and priorities to other
students, causing further isolation.
•
Social skills issues – greeting, turn-taking, appropriate use
of language, empathy.
(Attwood, 2007)
What are the key issues for students with
an ASD?
Repetitive behaviour & restricted interests
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
adherence to routines
difficulty with change
anxiety in unfamiliar situations
interests or obsessions
need to maintain a particular interest or routine
behaviour
relationships
need for sameness
chunk learning style
What are the key issues for students
with ASDs?
Sensory-processing issues
•
two broad categories of sensory-processing issues –
over-sensitivity and under-sensitivity and each sense has a
different threshold
•
sensory-processing issues may impact significantly
on behaviour
•
may contribute to the development or maintenance of
anxiety disorders
•
may impact on the development of some communication skills
•
sensory-processing disorders may play a role in social
interaction difficulties
What are the key issues for students
with ASDs?
Information processing
•
attention to detail – failure to see the ‘big picture’
•
generalising
•
recognising relevant detail
•
organisation and sequencing
•
social relationships
•
attention
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Planning matrix
Communication
Characteristics
Implications
Strategies
Social
RI/RB
Sensory
Information
processing
What do we know works for
students with ASDs?
Communication
• providing opportunities for
communication
• encouraging and teaching initiation
• providing communication supports
AND teaching how to use
• supporting receptive language
visually
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Communication supports for
expressive communication
• known as Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC)
• the use of other forms of communication (e.g. pictures,
gestures, signing or voice output) to support speech
• may be high tech or low tech, aided or unaided
• where available, can be supported by a
speech pathologist
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Supporting language visually
Visual supports can be used to help a
student:
• understand an instruction
• understand routines and structure
• cope with transitions
• learn how to play
• cope with change
• learn new skills
• manage their behaviour and understand
what is expected of them
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)
Proactive strategies
•
an ‘A-B-C’ approach – finding out the function of
the behaviour
•
environmental changes – managing antecedents
•
teaching replacement behaviours
•
positive reinforcement
Reactive strategies
PBS will be covered in detail in module 3
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Sensory Processing Issues
•
•
•
•
sensory profiling
adapting the environment
addressing seeking behaviours
addressing avoidance behaviours
NB: addressing sensory processing issues is not
the same as ‘sensory integration’
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Friendships/making social connections
• social skills training is not the only answer
• not all students will desire social interaction
• need to accommodate all students
• consider the hidden curriculum
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Bullying
• limited research on effective strategies for students with
ASDs
• team approach needed to define bullying and
determine consequences
• broad definition of bullying needed – more than just
physical injury
• whole school strategies include buddy systems and codes
of conduct
• Attwood (2004) suggests students learn to avoid
vulnerable situations
• students can learn and practise responses
• consider Social Stories™ and cartoon conversations using
speech bubbles
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
Dealing with anxiety/mental health issues
• limited research on treatment options,
mostly on medication and psycho-analysis
• cognitive behavioural therapy shown to be
effective
• environmental management and positive
behaviour supports may assist
What do we know works for students
with ASDs?
What can be done at school?
•
•
•
•
utilise strengths and interests
modify tasks if they are too difficult
be aware of sensory stimuli and modify environment
use visuals in the classroom to:
- help student prepare for changes
- help student learn the classroom routines
- help student understand classroom social skills (e.g. how to
ask a question, how to join a group)
• education to help student recognise their
‘emotion warning signs’ and their ‘body clues’
Three types of adjustments
Adjustments
Curriculum
Adapt what is
taught
Preference/
Interest
Meaningful/
Functional
Difficulty
Instructional
Adapt how it is
taught and how
learning is
demonstrated
Environmental
Adapt the setting –
where, when, and
with whom
Where
Student
Response
Instructional
Presentation
Alternation
Modality
Format/Materials
Task Division
Choice
Modality
Format/Material
When
Who
Florida’s PBS Project at USF website: http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu
Adjustment matrix for the
individual learner
Comm
Curricula
Instructional
Environmental
Social
RI/RB
Sensory
Info
proc
Three types of adjustments
Adjustments
Curriculum
Instructional
Environmental
Adapt what is
taught
Adapt how it is
taught and how
learning is
demonstrated
Adapt the setting –
where, when, and
with whom
Florida’s PBS Project at USF website: http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu
Curriculum and instruction
• curriculum provides a blueprint for
learning which teachers can follow
when designing instruction
• curriculum helps an educator meet
community, parental, and student
expectations for quality
in education
Curriculum and instruction
Helpful teaching questions:
• What do I want my students to learn?
• Do i need to make any adjustments at all?
• Would technology help at all?
• Do some students need material presented
differently?
• Should some students present their work differently?
• Will all students be assessed in the same way?
• Will some students need additional or different goals?
Adapted from Shaddock et al. (2007).
Lesson Guide
Idea for staff organisation: use highlighters to colour-code areas that each member of class staff will be focusing on
Which learning outcomes
are you working
towards?
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What are the indicators?
Environmental supports
What does it look like?
Break down sequence of
events.
Communication Supports
(Level of prompting?)
Receptive





Expressive






Sensory supports
What do you want your students
to learn?
Some
*
*
*
*
Most
*
*
*
*
All
*
*
*
*
Behaviour & Social supports
Three types of adjustments
Adjustments
Curriculum
Instructional
Environmental
Adapt what is
taught
Adapt how it is
taught and how
learning is
demonstrated
Adapt the setting –
where, when, and
with whom
Florida’s PBS Project at USF website: http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu
Instructional strategies
Examples – refer to Manitoba Educational handout, Chapter 4 Teaching the student with ASD
• errorless learning
• concrete examples/hands-on activities
• generalisation training
• peer tutoring/guidance
• teacher assistants
Social Scripts
Am I in Control ?
At school everybody has the right to feel safe.
Teachers have the right to feel safe every day they come to school. Teachers prefer to work with students
that respect themselves and each other and show that everyone has the right to feel safe.
I have the right to come to school everyday and feel safe, and that people are going to respect me.
Sometimes there are students that try to take away my right to be safe.
These students tend to tease and bully other students.
Some of these students are trying to tease and bully me into fighting with them.
I have two choices; I can fight them or use my self control.
If I fight them they will win, because I will get into trouble, and I will still be angry.
Self control is when I make the choices that keep me safe.
Self control means telling myself that I am a stronger person.
Stronger people can ignore bullying and teasing, leaving the other student standing looking silly.
Self control means reacting calmly or not at all.
These students try to push my buttons and get me into trouble.
If I can keep my self control and ignore them, I should avoid trouble.
Taking deep breaths and keeping my ears closed, is a strong way to ignore others.
Avoiding trouble, remaining calm and being able to get back to work, shows the teachers and other
students at school that I respect myself and others right to feel safe.
Language & communication supports
Literal interpretation of language
Raining cats and dogs
Cats and dogs coming
down from the sky
Lots of rain
Maths
Year 8 - Mr. Waters
8 x (3+2) = _____
4 – (6 + 5) = ____
2 x (8 – 5) = _____
9 ÷ (7 - 4) = _____
(2 + 4) x 8 = _____
(6 + 7) x 2 = _____
(6 – 3) x 4 = _____
42 ÷ (9 – 3) = ____
56 ÷ (11 – 4) = ____
25 x (5 – 2) = ____
(4 + 5) ÷ 3 = _____
25 ÷ (7 – 2) = ____
Maths
Year 8 - Mr. Waters
7 x (25 – 13) = ____
9 + 8 x 6 = ______
8 x (3+2) = _____
4 – (6 + 5) = ____
2 x (8 – 5) = _____
9 ÷ (7 - 4) = _____
(2 + 4) x 8 = _____
(2 + 4) x 8 = _____
(6 + 7) x 2 = _____
(6 + 7) x 2 = _____
(6 – 3) x 4 = _____
42 ÷ (9 – 3) = ____
56 ÷ (11 – 4) = ____
25 x (5 – 2) = ____
(4 + 5) ÷ 3 = _____
25 ÷ (7 – 2) = ____
7 x (25 – 13) = ____
9 + 8 x 6 = ______
Activity: Instructional Strategies
Errorless
Learning
Regular
(Mainstream)
Classroom
Special
Education
Classroom
Concrete
examples/hand
s-on activities
Generalisation
Training
Peer Tutoring/
Guidance
Teacher
Assistants
Three types of adjustments
Adjustments
Curriculum
Adapt what is
taught
Instructional
Adapt how it is
taught and how
learning is
demonstrated
Environmental
Adapt the setting –
where, when, and
with whom
Florida’s PBS Project at USF website: http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu
Environmental audit
Some key points to consider:
1. the student’s expectations
2. the expectations of others in the setting
3. nature of the teaching materials, the activity, the type
of instruction
4. length of task or activity, the nature of the activity just
completed, the nature of the activity to follow
5. instructional style
6. opportunities for interaction with others
7. opportunities to engage in functional, chronologicallyage-appropriate activities
Environmental audit (continued)
8.
person’s physiological status
9.
number of persons, students, adults in the learning
environment
10. environmental constraints including the number of staff,
time available, number of tasks
11. behaviour of others, for example the modelling behaviour
they engage in and the behaviour directed toward student
12. recent changes in environment, sudden changes in
activity, schedule, etc
13. distribution of interactions and relative distribution of
positive vs. negative interactions
Structuring the physical environment
• organise areas according to the activity/curriculum to
be delivered
• a place for everything and everything in a place
• mark out physical boundaries e.g. teacher’s area
• communicate behavioural expectations (class rules)
• review classroom stimuli that may have a distracting
effect (refer to profile)
• review classroom set up; proximity of desks, visual
stimuli (posters, charts etc), pathways, mess and clutter
factor
To conclude - key adjustments
include:
• structured, routine & predictable environments
• visual supports, scripts, written directions,
social stories
• task adaptation & modification of curriculum
where possible
• adjust adult expectations
• use specific explanations; leave nothing unsaid
or assumed
• positive reinforcement
• build on special interests, skills and abilities
• environmental adjustments; reduce
environmental & social stressors, especially
and sensory
What do you know about the
Disability Standards for
Education (2005)?
• Disability Standards for Education came into
effect in August 2005
• set out the rights of students with a disability in
the area of education
• set out the obligations for adult and
community education providers that develop
and accredit curricula and courses
Students with HFA/AS are likely
to:
• have difficulty relating appropriately to
others, forming and maintaining social
relationships
• be verbal but present with a wide range
of language and communication
disorders and peculiarities
• have difficulty in successfully following
and mastering interpersonal interaction
and specific aspects of an unmodified
curriculum
• be good at attending to detail and have
difficulty understanding the “big picture”
Students with HFA/AS: (cont’d)
• have difficulty generalising
information (consider across subjects)
• have difficulty organising and
sequencing information
• have powerful interests in particular
topics and desire for sameness
• have irregular educational and cognitive
deficits which can include splinter
skills
• be subject to bullying and mental
health issues
Assets of AS/HFA
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
memory
factual learning strengths
attention to detail
skills in maths, science, computing
areas
specialised interests
indifference to peer pressure
rules-based
refreshingly frank and logical
Students with ASDs + ID may
• be nonverbal or have little functional speech
• have very limited social communication skills (difficulty relating
to others)
• have an obsessive interest in environmental sameness
• demonstrate atypical and difficult to understand behaviour
including stereotypic, repetitive and self stimulatory behaviour
• have irregular educational and cognitive deficits which can include
splinter skills
• have difficulty generalising information (consider across contexts)
• have difficulty organising, sequencing of information,
understanding concepts
• have significant sensory issues
What do you know about the Disability
Standards for Education (2005)?
Focus points
• enrolment
• participation
• curriculum development,
accreditation and delivery
• student support services
• harassment and victimisation
What do you know about the Disability
Standards for Education (2005)?
What are these obligations?
• obligation to consult
• obligation to make reasonable
adjustments
• obligation to eliminate harassment
and victimisation
What do you know about the Disability
Standards for Education (2005)?
• ‘on the same basis’ means treating the student with a
disability on the same basis as the student without a
disability
• moderated by principle of ‘unjustifiable hardship’
• some students may require adjustments and
accommodations
What do you know about the Disability
Standards for Education (2005)?
Implications for educators and
support staff
All staff need to have the skills,
knowledge and understanding to
implement curriculum in a way that will
be accessible to all students, including
students with a disability
What does ‘evidence-based’
practice mean?
What does ‘evidence-based practice’ mean?
• Evidence-based practice involves the
conscientious and explicit use of
current best evidence in making
decisions about the care, education
and medical treatment of an individual.
‘Am I doing the right thing in the right way
with the right person at the right time in the
right place for the right result – and am I
the right person to be doing it? …and, is it
at the right cost?’ (Cusick 2001, p103).
What does ‘evidence-based practice’ mean?
Levels of evidence
Strongest
• systematic review of all relevant randomised control trials
• randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
• cohort study
• multiple-case study
• single-case study
• expert opinion
• anecdotal/testimonial evidence
Weakest
What does ‘evidence-based practice’ mean?
Be cautious if:
– the research was done by the people who
have designed the treatment approach
– the research is by people that stand to
profit from its success
– researchers claim they can cure autism
– the evidence relies heavily on anecdotal
information or testimonials
What does ‘evidence-based practice’ mean?
Some tips:
• be mindful of the quality of the facts and figures
• check what any statistics mean and if any changes
would be meaningful to a child with an ASD
• popularity of an approach does not indicate an
evidence base
• check who participated in the research and if your
child/student fits into this group (e.g. research into
Autistic Disorder may not be applicable to children with
Asperger syndrome)
What works? Empirical
evidence
Recommended good practice in educational pedagogy for
students with an ASD includes:
• an individualised approach – developing a Learner Profile
• the provision of an autism-specific curriculum* (targets
characteristics of autism within the final curriculum)
• a highly supportive teaching environment and uses a range of
systematic teaching strategies
• using a functional communication and positive behavioural
approach to challenging behaviours
• collaborative team approach that involves families and other
professionals
Roberts & Prior (2006) Ivanhoe, Dunlap, Huber & Kincaid (2003), Howlin (1998).
What makes for a successful
school placement?
A positive school climate:
• shared responsibility by general and
special educators
• school community ownership of the
included student(s) with autism
• access to collaborative problem-solving
relationships, multidisciplinary teams
• availability of appropriately trained
support personnel
• low staff-student ratios
And …
• home-school collaboration
• the development of social skills for the
student with autism in inclusive settings
• availability of specialist training for all staff
• adequate teacher planning time
• recurrent evaluation of inclusion practices
(Simpson et al., 2003)
ASPERGER SYNDROME WEB SITES
What is the biology of Asperger’s Disorder?
http://www.unmed-edu/publo/ozbayrak/asperger.html
On-line Asperger’s Syndrome Information and Support – O.A.S.I.S.
http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/
ASPEN of America
http://www.asperger.org/
University Students with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk./-cns/
Asperger’s Teenagers and Young Adults
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/1864
Yale University
http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism/page10.html
Asperger’s Syndrome Information Package
http://www.autism-society.org/packages/aspergers.html
Asperger’s Syndrome – educational management issues
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~prussia/asperger/teach.htrn