Our textbook defines Section 504 as:  As a person with a disability as anyone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

 Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.  Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”

 It appears around the first 3 years of life  Language and social development are significantly delayed  Everyday situations become very difficult without some guidance or teaching.  It’s a Developmental Disability  It is a lifelong disability

 The characteristic behaviors of autism spectrum disorders may or may not be apparent in infancy (18 to 24 months), but usually become obvious during early childhood (24 months to 6 years).  Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months  Does not say single words by 16 months  Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months  Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age  Having any of these five "red flags" does not mean your child has autism. But because the characteristics of the disorder vary so much, a child showing these behaviors should have further evaluations by a multidisciplinary team. This team may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant, or other professionals knowledgeable about autism.

 1 in 150 births  1 to 1.5 million Americans  Fastest-growing developmental disability  % annual growth  $90 billion annual cost  90% of costs are in adult services  Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention  In 10 years, the annual cost will be $ billion

Type of Assessments used

Types of Assessments Cont

 Cognitive: Impairment in social interactions Impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication, and in imaginative activity Vary with change in age and IQ Repeats words of phrases (scripting) Unresponsive to normal teaching methods

Either love to participate or choose not to participate Fine and Gross motor skills are limited Like to spin or spins objects Plays by a set of their own rules Psychomotor Domain

Affective Domain Has difficulty expressing needs Mood changes not seen by others (laughing or crying) Hard time developing regular peer relationships

 The face of Autism  gauhg gauhg Short Video

 Some physical prompting (hand over hand)  Directions should be clear and to the point  Talk slow so the students can understand you  Guide the students through what they have to do  Take advantage of interests  Use incentives or rewards

 Use techniques that work at home  Structure the activities  Social Stories with any assembly  Routines, structure and consistency  Use forward and backward chaining  Use Visuals

What a behavior plan may look like

 Establish a set of routines  Can use a token economy  Contingencies – work then play  Clear boundaries or exact places to sit  Each student should have a behavior plan or an IEP  Reinforcers

 Jason McElwain-student with Autism  ml ml

 Cohen, Marlene J. (2007). Visual Supports for People with Autism. Bethesda, Maryland, Woodbine House.  Anderson, Stephen R. (2007). Self-Help Skills for People with Autism. Bethesda, Maryland. Woodbine House.  Autism Society of America. What is Autism: Characteristics of Autism. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_characteristicshttp:// society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_characteristics  Winnick, Joseph P. (2005). Adapted Physical Education and Sport Fourth Edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics.  Retrieved March 13, 2009 from devices.htmhttp:// devices.htm  Retrieved March 13, 2009 from  Retrieved March 13, 2009 from