1. 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 All rights reserved.

2. 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 All rights reserved.

3. 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 All rights reserved.

4. 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 All rights reserved.

5. 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 All rights reserved.

6. 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 All rights reserved.

7. Prevalence and Causes Prevalence
Recent estimates - Autism occurs in as many as 1 in 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 All rights reserved.

8. 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 All rights reserved.

9. 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 All rights reserved.

10. 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 All rights reserved.