2. Autism Spectrum Disorders
People with autism can be a little
autistic or very autistic.
A disorder that includes such a broad
range of symptoms is often called a
spectrum disorder.
The most significant shared symptom
is difficulty with social
communication.
3. Autism is a developmental disability that
impacts the normal development of the
brain in the areas of social interaction and
communication skills. Autism is a difficult
thing to understand. One person with
autism may have very different symptoms
and behavioral characteristics than
another. Because of these vast
differences, doctors now think of autism
as a "spectrum" disorder, in other words
as a group of disorders with a range of
similar features. Because of this, autism is
now often called autism spectrum disorder
(ASD).
4. Autism occurs in 4.5 out of 10,000 live
births.
Autism has been estimated to effect
as high as 1/4% to 1/2% of the
population.
*These estimates include those with autism, Asperger syndrome, and PDD
5. May experience difficulty with:
• communication which is both verbal and nonverbal
• routines or repetitive behaviors like obsessively
repeating words or body movements or even arranging
belongings in a very specific way.
• self-help skills, such as toileting, feeding, dressing, and
teeth brushing
• making and maintaining consistent eye contact with other
people
• attention span
• social skills. Autistic people lean toward exclusive
activities.
Behavioral Characteristics
6. Asperger Syndrome (AS) is considered to
be a part of the autism spectrum. The
only significant difference between AS
and High Functioning Autism is that
people with AS usually develop speech
right on time while people with autism
usually have speech delays. People with
AS are generally very bright and
verbal, but have significant social
deficits (which is why AS has earned
the nickname "Geek Syndrome").
7. Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmenal
disorder that affects girls almost
exclusively. It is characterized by normal
early growth and development followed by
a slowing of development, loss of
purposeful use of the hands, distinctive
hand movements, slowed brain and head
growth, problems with walking, seizures,
and intellectual disability.
8. Childhood disintegrative disorder is a
condition occurring in 3- and 4-year-
olds who have developed normally to
age 2. Over several months, a child
with this disorder will deteriorate in
intellectual, social, and language
functioning from previously normal
behavior.
9. Pervasive Development Disorders refers to a
group of conditions that involve delays in
the development of many basic skills, most
notably the ability to socialize with others,
to communicate, and to use imagination.
Children with these conditions often are
confused in their thinking and generally
have problems understanding the world
around them.
10. Educational Needs
There are many specialized programs for
autism. While any given setting may be
perfect for any given child, every child
with autism has unique needs. Even in an
ideal world, "including" a child with autism
in a typical class may not be the best
choice. Decisions about autistic education
are generally made by a team made up of
parents, teachers, administrators and
therapists who know the child well.
12. Many people with autism are visual
thinkers. They think in pictures. They
do not think in language. Thoughts are
like videotapes running in my imagination.
Pictures are their first language, and
words are their second language. Nouns
are the easiest words to learn because
they can make a picture in their mind of
the word. To learn words like "up" or
"down," the teacher should demonstrate
them to the child.
13. Many children with autism are good
at drawing, art and computer
programming. These talent areas
should be encouraged. Talents can
be turned into skills that can be
used for future employment.
14. Some autistic children can sing
better than they can speak. They
may respond better if words and
sentences are sung to them. Some
children with extreme sound
sensitivity will respond better if
the teacher talks to them in a low
whisper.
15. Fussy eating is a common problem. In some cases
the child may be fixated on a detail that
identifies a certain food. Hilde de Clerq found
that one child only ate Chiquita bananas
because he fixated on the labels. Other fruit
such as apples and oranges were readily
accepted when Chiquita labels were put on
them. Try putting different but similar foods
in the cereal box or another package of a
favorite food. Another mother had success by
putting a homemade hamburger with a wheat
free bun in a McDonald’s package.
16. Resources
• Simple Strategies that Work – Helpful Hints For All Educators That Work
With Children With Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and
Related Disabilities
by Brenda Smith Myles, Diane Adreon and Dena Gitlitz
• 101 Games for Children With Autism, Asperger’s and Sensory Processing
Disorders
By Tara Delaney
http://www.autismweb.com/
http://www.autism-help.org/
17. Organizations
• Moms of Autism Spectrum Disorder Kids
2 p.m. the last Saturday of each month, Hillside Christian Church, Room 102, 6100
Soncy Road
• Autism Society - http://www.autism-society.org
• Autism Speaks - http://www.autismspeaks.org
18. Parent Resources
• Families for Early Autism Treatment -
http://www.feat.org/
• Lucas Works - http://www.lucasworks.org/autism-parent-
support.html
• Ten Things Ever Child With Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm
• A Parent’s Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism: How
To Meet The Challenges and Help Your Child Thrive By Sally Ozonoff
• Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism By Jenny
McCarthy
19. Bibliography
• Autism by Carrie Fredericks
• Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism,
Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Other ASD’s
by Chantal Sicile-Kira
http://www.autismweb.com/
http://www.autism-help.org/
