Introduction to Autism Part 2 - League of Christian …...Introduction to Autism Part 2 By: Dr. Mercy Nyman Founder & Principal The Key to Learning with Dr. Nyman, Inc Recap: What

Introduction to Autism Part 2

By: Dr. Mercy NymanFounder & Principal The Key to Learning with Dr. Nyman, Inc

Recap: What is Autism?

▪ Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills (Allen, 2011)

▪ A variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate with others, and by repetitive behavior patterns (Merriam Webster, 2017)

▪ Autism, as defined by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), refers to “a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.”

Function of Behavior:

The four main functions that maintain behaviors are:

▪ Escape/Avoidance: The individual behaves in order to get out of doing something he/she does not want to do.

▪ Attention Seeking: The individual behaves to get focused attention from parents, teachers, siblings, peers, or other people that are around them.

▪ Seeking Access to Materials: The individual behaves in order to get a preferred item or participate in an enjoyable activity.

▪ Sensory Stimulation/Automatic: The individual behaves in a specific way because it feels good to them.

Characteristics of Autism:

▪ Concrete: difficulty thinking abstract; challenges with pretend play, the meaning of words, sarcasm, social cues

▪ Over-selectivity: cue in or attend to irrelevant details, oftentimes missing the main point

▪ Lack of generalization: learn in one place, cannot learn in another

▪ Same content, same context: learn skill in one environment/place, cannot transfer to another environment/place

• Distractibility: easily tuned into something else

• Visual spatial: learn by seeing and doing, rather than hearing, difficulty processing language

• Ritualistic: learn the pattern one way, hard to change

• Motivation: different from peers and what others would want

Classroom Strategies:

• Visual Schedule• Label Everything• Create Visual Patterns • Social Stories• 5-Point Scale• Data Collection• Behavioral Plans• Comic Strips/Role Playing• Power Cards

Visual Schedule

Providing a daily schedule in a visual format will make the day predictable, ease transitions, and reduce stress.

• full day, may break the day into sections, or display only a part of the day at a time.

• may use photos, line drawings, picture symbols or words

(Crissey, 2005, p. 3).

Visual Schedules

Setting Up your Classroom:

• Use visual supports• Remember students with autism have

communication deficits they cannot express themselves effectively.

• Language difficulties may make it difficult for these students to understand what is expected of them. They may be confused about what is happening.

• Visual supports can reduce problem behaviors and increase effective communication interactions for most students with autism.

• A schedule is a key component of a visual support system

• Visual schedules can be very powerful because they help an autistic student visualize their actions. It gives the student information about what will happen and when it will occur.

• Often students with autism have a difficult time understanding personal space.

• Define personal space by drawing masking tape outlines onthe floor. Make sure there is plenty of room between desks.

• Take time to set up your classroom and once it is set up avoid changes.

• If your classroom will have stations, use furniture to helpdefine these spaces.

• Provide a quiet area for your autistic student to go forbreaks

• Children with autism pay attention to details and can miss the big picture. Wall charts and posters can distract from your teaching. While teaching, try to teach in front of a blank background (i.e. a chalkboard with nothing extra written on it).

Setting up your Classroom

Social Stories:

• Choice boards: At times your student with autism will

need to make a choice provide a choice board with a list

of acceptable activities they can choose from.

• Social stories provide an individual with accurate

information about situations your student with autism

may find difficult or confusing. They can be written for a

specific situation for the individual child. The story should

be short and the focus should be limited to one or two

key points: the important social cues, the events and

reactions the individual might expect to occur in the

situation, the actions and reactions that might be

expected of him, and why.

Social Stories:

5-Point Scale:

The scale:

What it looks like:

Yelling(sirens, shouting, screaming, fire alarm)

Loud(announcements over the intercom)

Conversation(friends talking, easy to hear but not too loud)

Whisper(have to be really close to hear, talk into ear)

No sound(peaceful)

ExampleLooks

Like

Feels

Like

I Can

Try to

Kicking or hitting My head will

explode

Call my mom to go

home

Screaming or hitting Nervous Go see Mr.

Peterson

Quiet, rude talk Bad mood, grumpy Stay away from

kids

Regular kid Good Enjoy it

Playing A million bucks Stay that way

Calm in Crisis/How to Handle a Meltdown

Don’t:•Loud voices•Negative statements/threats (e.g. “You had your chance”, “You made your choice, now you need to leave class”)•Taking away preferred or comforting materials or activities•Physical redirection•Angry tone or body language•Punishments (e.g., “You just lost your sticker on your behavior chart)

Do:One of the most important skills a teacher can have is the ability to be clam and comforting in a crisis or “meltdown” situation. A comforting teacher may:•talk softly and share encouraging words•repeat a calming phrase•or simply keep one’s own body relaxed

(Kluth)

“The more you try to control the situation, the less control you will have!”

Sample Data Collection and Behavioral Plan

Strategies of Actions:

Power Cards:

▪ Power Cards are visual depictions of challenges, situations, tasks, or scenarios that will help the student see how the student hero navigates through each one.

▪ Usually a one card story

▪ Written in first person

▪ Used to teach appropriate behaviors and routines in any situation.

▪ Power Cards are effective ways to teach behavior expectations, routines, meaning and language, and hidden curriculum

Curriculum and Materials

▪ Super Skills: A Social Skills Group Program for Children with AspergersSyndrome, High Functioning Autism and Related Challenges By: Judith Coucouvanis (ISBN#: 1-931282-67-6)

▪ Navigating the Social World: A Curriculum for Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and Related Disorders By: Jeanette McAfee, M.D. (ISNB#: 1-885477-82-1)

▪ Power Cards: Using Special Interests to Motivate Children and Youth with Asperger Syndrome and Autism By: Elisa Gagnon (ISBN#:1-931282-01-3)

▪ The Incredible 5-Point Scale: Assisting students with autism spectrum disorders in understanding social interactions and controlling their emotional responses By Kari Dunn Buron and Mitzi Curtis (ISBN#:1-931282-52-8)

▪ The Hidden Curriculum: Practical Solutions for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations By: Brenda Smith Myles, Melissa L. Trautman, and Ronda L. Schelvan (ISBN#: 1-931282-60-9)

▪ Practical Solutions to Everyday Challenges for Children with Asperger Syndrome By: Haley Morgan Myles (ISBN#:1-931282-15-3)

Additional Resources

▪ www.scautism.org

▪ www.autismspeaks.org

▪ www.futurehorizons-autism.com

▪ www.teacch.com/welcome.html

▪ www.paulakluth.com

▪ www.tonyatwood.com.au

▪ www.thegraycenter.org/

Thank you

Dr. Mercy Nyman

[email protected]

www.thekeytolearning.org

The Key to Learning with Dr. Nyman

Clermont, Florida