Chapter 7 Autism Spectrum Disorders William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

DSM-IV Definitions Autistic Disorder - marked by three defining features, with onset before age: 1) impaired social interaction, 2) impaired communication, and 3) restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities Asperger Syndrome - impairments in all social areas, particularly an inability to understand how to interact socially Rhett’s Syndrome - a distinct neurological condition that begins between 5 and 30 months of age, marked by a slowing of head growth, stereotypic hand movements, and severe impairments in language and coognitive abilities Childhood disintegrative disorder - shares characteristics with autistic disorder, but doesn’t begin until after the age of 2 and sometimes not until age 10 Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) - diagnosis given to children who meet some, but not all, of the criteria for autistic disorder. William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

IDEA Definition Autism is a developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally before age 3, that adversely affects a child’s performance. William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Characteristics Impaired social relationships Many children with autism do not speak. Echolalia is common among those who do talk Varying levels of intellectual functioning, uneven skill development Unusual responsiveness to sensory stimuli Insistence on sameness Ritualistic and stereotypic behavior Aggressive or self-injurious behavior William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Screening Early diagnosis is highly correlated with dramatically better outcomes Autism can be reliably diagnosed at 18 months of age Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Diagnosis Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) Autism Diagnostic Interview—Revised Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS) William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Prevalence and Causes Prevalence Recent estimates - Autism occurs in as many as 1 in 500 people Boys are affected about 4 times more often than girls Autism is the fastest-growing category in special education Causes The cause of autism is unknown There is a clear biological origin of autism in the form of abnormal brain development, structure, and/or neurochemistry No evidence of childhood vaccinations causing autism William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Educational Approaches Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Discrete Trial Training Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Peer-mediated interventions Errorless discrimination learning Generalization Functional assessment of challenging behavior Pivotal response intervention Naturalistic language strategies William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Educational Approaches (continued) Social stories Picture activity schedules Educational Placement Alternatives Regular Classroom Resource Room William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Current Issues and Future Trends Although some children with autism have progressed so significantly that they no longer carry the diagnostic label, the opinions of experts differ greatly on the issue of recovery from autism A serious problem in the field of autism is the popularity of unproven educational interventions and therapies Parents and professionals should select autism treatments on the basis of careful and systematic evaluations of the scientific evidence of their effects and benefits William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.