1. The Basics of Autism
Spectrum Disorders
Training Series
Regional Autism Advisory Council of
Southwest Ohio (RAAC-SWO)
Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Task Force

2. Adult Training S i s M d l s
Ad lt T i i Series Modules
Module One: Autism Defined, Autism Prevalence
and Primary Characteristics
Module Two: Physical Characteristics of Autism
Module Three: Cognition and Learning in Autism
g g
Module Four: Autism and Sensory Differences
Module Five: C
M d l Fi Communication and A ti
i ti d Autism

3. Adult Training S i s M d l s
Ad lt T i i Series Modules
Module Six: B h i Ch ll
M d l Si Behavior Challenges and A ti
d Autism
Module Seven: Understanding Behavior in Persons
with A ti
ith Autism
Module Eight: Functional Behavior Assessment
Module Nine: Autism and Leisure Skills to Teach
Module Ten: Special Issues of Adolescence and
Adulthood
Module Eleven: Safety and Autism

4. Autism Spectrum Disorder Defined
d f d
An Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is
a brain-based or neurobiological
disorder of development
development.
ASD causes differences in the way the
brain
b i processes
ASD affects understanding and use of
g
language to interact and communicate
with people.

5. Big Idea
ASD is a brain-based disorder
brain based
that results in differences in the
way individuals understand and
interact with their world.

6. Effects f
Eff t of ASD on Individuals
I di id l
ASD affects:
• the way a person relates to people, events, and
people events
objects in the environment.
• the way a person responds to sensory stimuli
such as pain, hearing, taste, smell, etc.
• the way a person learns and thinks
thinks.

7. Different Types of
D ff f
ASD

9. Autistic Disorder
Biggest Challenges:
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• Difficulties with social interaction.
• Difficulties with communication.
• Restricted interests and activities
that they like to do over and over
y
again.
• Repetitive behaviors, such as
p ,
rocking or arm flapping.

10. Autistic Disorder Continued
Other Characteristics:
• Usually behaviors can be seen by
three years of age.
• Some children develop regularly the
first years, then begin to lose their
learned skills
skills.

11. Asperger Syndrome
Biggest Challenges:
• Difficulty with social interactions.
• Individuals appear to understand directions
pp
even when they don’t. For example, we may
think they are being uncooperative.
• Individuals like to talk a lot about things that
really interest them.

12. Asperger Syndrome C ti
A S d Continued
d
Other Characteristics:
Oth Ch t i ti :
Intelligence ranges from average to well
I t lli f t ll
above average, so they may appear really
smart, but cannot do everyday things
independently.

13. PDD-NOS
(Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not
Otherwise Specified)
Diagnosis often made when a person
does not meet the criteria for a
specific di
ifi diagnosis (i A i
i (i.e. Autism,
Asperger).
• There is generally an overall
impairment in communication, social
interactions,
interactions and individuals may have
restricted interests.

14. Who Gets ASD?
All races, nationalities and socioeconomic
groups
Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with
ASD
More common within families

15. Prevalence of ASD
Leukemia 1 in 25,000
Muscular Dystrophy 1 in 20 000
20,000
Pediatric Aids 1 in 8,000
Childhood Cancer 1 in 7,000
Polio (1952 peak rate) 1 in 4,000
Hearing Impairment 1 in 900
Visual Impairment
l 1 in 800
Down Syndrome 1 in 800
Juvenile Diabetes 1 in 500
Cerebral Palsy 1 in 400
Autism (per Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 1 in 110
March
M h 2011)

16. Why
Wh are more people diagnosed today?
l di d t d ?
Better rules f di
B l for diagnosis
i
Asperger Syndrome added to ASD in 1994
p g y
Increased awareness of ASD
People believe there are more services for
an individual if the person has a diagnosis
of ASD
f ASD.
Wrong diagnosis
g g

17. There are no two persons with
autism exactly alike
“If you’ve met one person with
If you ve
autism, you’ve met one person
with autism ”
autism.
Stephen Shore, Adult with Autism

18. Quick F t b t Autism
Q i k Facts about A ti
Autism is the most common developmental disability,
affecting 1 in 110 births … most recent March 2011
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study.
( ) y
A decade ago the rate was thought to be 4-5 in 10,000.
4 children with autism are born in the USA every hour …
35,000 per year.
Autism is 4 times more common in boys than in girls.
m m m mm y g .
Autism is often under-diagnosed in children – typically
diagnosed by age 3-7.

19. Autism Facts Continued
Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental
disability in the US growing 10-17% per year
US, 10 17% year.
Cost of autism is estimated at $35-$90 billion –
90% of that is spent on adult services
services.
Recent estimate (by Harvard) is that cost is
$3.2M/person
$3 2M/person over their lifetime
lifetime.
The costs are expected to more than double in the
next decade
decade.
For more information, see: www.autism-society.org
or www autismspeaks org
www.autismspeaks.org.
“The greatest underserved disability group”