A Case Study of Autism Brant Dirks Concordia University – St. Paul 10/21/09

What is Autism? Developmental disability that causes problems with: – Social skills – Communication – Restrictive movements or repetitive behaviors. Autism Spectrum contains five specific disorders: – Autism – Asperger Syndrome – Rett Syndrome – Childhood Disintegrative Disorder – Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Lacking Social Skills Poor eye contact Problems naturally interacting and playing Obsessed with a topic or object Changes in the daily routine present problems

Problems with Communication May not start speaking until they are a few years old Difficulty expressing their basic wants and needs Repeat what is said to them Difficulty answering questions Speech may sound different – Almost robotic-like or at a high pitch

Restrictive Movements and Repetitive Behaviors May have problems learning how to crawl, walk, or run. Have difficulty controlling their arms, legs, or mouth muscles. Rocking, hand flapping, or other repetitive movements. Poor handwriting

Identifying Students with Autism at Salk Middle School Administered a number of formal & informal tests School psychologist, special education teacher, speech and language pathologist, social worker, and occupational therapist may be involved Teachers fill out a student checklist Case managed by either a special education teacher or the speech and language pathologist

Observation Small group homeroom that has twelve boys who disorders on the autism spectrum Meet every morning for fifteen minutes Curriculum focuses on teaching appropriate social skills and social language Topics they cover: – Expected or unexpected behavior – Boundaries – Body Language – Navigating the hallways – Accepting graciously – Bullying – Small Talk

Homeroom Strategies Follow a daily routine – Schedules are posted Music cues to help with transitions Use movie clips to provide examples of certain social situations

Student Observation Worked with a case manager since elementary school Study skills class Immature and will share whatever is on his mind Needs reminders of Private versus Public information When sharing information he can go on and on Needs reminders to raise his hand Gets ‘A’ grades in most of his classes Good work ethic

Annotated Research Mind Reading Software Technology use for developmental disabilities Assistive Technology & Communication Virtual Environments & Emotional Response Ribosomal Protein L10 Gene in Autism