Helping Families, Schools and Communities Understand Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Teresa Boggs, M. S. CCC-SLP Director of Clinical Services for SLP Nave Language Center: A Program for Children with ASD and related Communication Disorders (423)

Agenda  Impact of ASD on a Child’s Communication  Impact of ASD on the Family  Best Practice and Meaningful Outcomes  Understanding the Child with ASD and strategies for interaction  The Need for a Team  A Local Resource

Impact of ASD on Communication  Differences in Learning the Meaning of Words  Differences in the Use of Language  Difficulties in Determining the Level of Understanding  Differences in Early Interaction and Communication Skills  Differences in Advanced Social and Communication Skills

Best Practices Committee on Educational Interventions for Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorders-birth to 8 Years (NRC, 2009) Characteristics of Effective Intervention 1. Entry into intervention services as early as possible 2. Active engagement in instruction 3. Repeated, planned teaching opportunities with sufficient individualized attention daily 4. Planned developmentally appropriate activities aimed toward identified objectives

5. Inclusion of a family component 6. Low student/teacher ratio 7. Mechanisms for ongoing program evaluation of a child’s progress, with adjustments in programming 8. Children should receive specialized instruction in settings in which ongoing interactions occur with typically developing children.

9. Six kinds of instruction should have priority: a. Functional, spontaneous communication b. Social instruction in various settings c. Teaching of play skills focusing on appropriate use of toys and play with peers. d. Instruction leading to generalization and maintenance of cognitive skills in natural context e. Positive approaches to address problem behaviors f. Functional academic skills when appropriate

Understand the Child with ASD and the Impact on Learning

Strengths and Weaknesses in ASD and Impact on Academic Learning  Strengths Visual processing Gestalt processing Rote memory Non-social object knowledge Learning by doing (Active engagement)  Weaknesses Language processing Analytic processing Semantic memory Social knowledge* Learning through language or passive observation

Sensory Preferences  Movement  Tactile  Visual  Auditory  Taste and Smell Shift of Attention The ability to disengage and shift attention may be a key characteristic and early indicator of ASD.

Understand the Child’s Family

Families of children with ASD grieve Families of children with ASD have high levels of stress Families have challenges relating to extend family members, friends and communities Families have difficulty understanding their child’s needs Families have difficulty securing resources ASD affects the WHOLE family However, families of children with ASD are resilient

How to support families  Strive to understand the entire family  Remove burden of judgment from the families you support  Familiarize yourself with the services in your community  Help families identify sources of stress, and possible options  Help families prioritize goals and activities  Preserve the role of parents as parents

Understand the Child’s Communication and Interaction Strategies

Communication depends upon…  A communication partner with a desire for interaction  Understanding of communication intention (a reason to communicate)  A variety of communication means (a way to communicate)  Contextual and non contextual comprehension

Interaction Precedes Communication  The first step in achieving an interaction is paying attention to another person  The second step is to initiate towards another person and  Needs to respond to another person

Child-initiated interactions  Children with ASD have difficulty shifting his or her attention.  Children with ASD have difficultly with joint attention  Children with ASD have difficulty with interaction.  Limited demands to shift attention  Shared focus  More sociable resulting in more initiations

A Directive Style of Intervention Alone may results in….  Fewer initiations by the child  A child who communicates primarily to respond  Less desire for social engagement

Purpose of Routines  Supports child’s need for predictability  Helps the child know what to expect  Repeat the routine often  Arrange the environment to increase the likelihood that the child will initiate within the routine  Functionality  Flexibility

Use Cues  Initially, model and prompt to establish routines. Use explicit than natural cues.  Use questions judiciously. Avoid too many questions, avoid yes/no questions.  Break the routine down into small steps.

Use Activities  Motivating  Meaningful  Natural  Organized  Developmentally-appropriate

Understand the need for a Team

Team Members  Child  Family and friends  Physicians  Psychologist  Pharmacist  Psychiatrics  Nurses  Teachers  Speech Language Pathologist  Occupational Therapist  Nutritionist  Community Leaders (churches, sports, family activities)

Local Resource: The Nave Language Center A Program for Children with Autism and Related Communication Disorders

Art Studio

Individual Therapy Suites

Music and Story Area

Living Area

Movement Room

Kitchen Area

Parent Resource Areas