Autism is a neurological disorder that disrupts a child’s learning and socialization. Deriving its name from the Greek word for “self,”autism is often associated with children who seem self-absorbed and exhibit unusual behaviors. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning that any two people diagnosed with autism may have very different
symptoms and/or characteristics.
Children with the disorder range from very high-functioning (nearly indistinguishable from children who do not have autism) to profoundly impaired. Some students diagnosed with autism may have other diagnoses, such as Asperger’s Disorder or Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
More information about these diagnoses can be found on the web site of the Autism Society of America
at http://www.autism-society.org.
Autism is the third most common developmental disability, following mental retardation and cerebral palsy; it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates that one
in every 175 children born in the U.S. today will fall somewhere on the autism spectrum. It is estimated that 1,500,000 people in the U.S. today have autism.
Autism is usually diagnosed during the first three years of a child’s life. There is no medical test for autism; a diagnosis is determined by a team of professionals through observation and testing of the child, coupled with interviews with parents or guardians. This diagnostic team may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language pathologist, and/or other professionals knowledgeable about autism. The team’s findings are then compared to the definitive protocol for assigning a diagnosis of autism as set forth in the DSMIV-
TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition Text Revision), published by the American Psychiatric Association. For a diagnosis to be made, a child must exhibit some symptoms in all of the three following categories, although the level of severity can vary greatly:
- Qualitative impairments in social interaction. Students with autism may have great difficulty developing peer
relationships appropriate to their developmental level. Many may have difficulties understanding social cues or rules, participating in community or leisure activities, or relating to others.
- Qualitative impairments in communication. Students with autism may have difficulty understanding spoken language or reading “nonverbal” communications, such as facial expressions or gestures. Some speak in
odd or unconventional ways.
- Restrictive, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Students with autism may have unusual preoccupations, odd or repetitive motor mannerisms, and/or restricted patterns of interest that
are abnormal in either intensity or focus. Difficulty in processing sensory input may cause some of
these children to have unusual reactions to sounds, sights, touch, or smells.
Frequently, children with ASDs exhibit uneven development in cognitive, communications, social, adaptive, and motor skills. Sometimes significant strengths in isolated skills are coupled with significant deficits in others. Like
other children, they respond to their environment in positive and negative ways. Although autism may affect their range of responses and may make it more difficult to control how their body and mind react to everyday situations, people with ASD live normal life spans and certain associated behaviors may change or disappear over time.
Other disorders can coexist with autism, such as seizure disorders, mental retardation, or obsessive-compulsive
disorder.
Scientists and researchers are exploring a number of theories regarding the causes of autism. Unfortunately, to date, no single cause or cure has been identified.
Autism Checklist
- Insistence on sameness; resists changes in routine
- Severe language deficits
- Difficulty in expressing needs; uses gestures or pointing instead of words
- Echolalia (repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language)
- Laughing, crying, or showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
- Prefers to be alone; aloof in manner
- Tantrums; displays extreme distress for no apparent reason
- Difficulty in mixing with others
- May not want to be touched or may not be physically affectionate
- Little or no eye contact
- Unresponsive to standard teaching methods
- Sustained odd play
- Spins objects
- Inappropriate attachment to objects
- Apparent oversensitivity or undersensitivity to pain
- No real fear of dangers
- Noticeable physical overactivity or extreme underactivity
- Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf even though hearing tests in normal range
- Uneven gross/fine motor skills (may not kick a ball, but can stack blocks)
Please note this symptom list is not a substitute for a full-scale diagnostic assessment.
What Autism is Not
Contrary to popular belief, some children and adults with autism do express affection, smile and laugh, and show a variety of other emotions, but in varying degrees. Although children with ASD are often described as being “aloof’
or “self-absorbed,” many of them would like to have friends. However, the very nature of their disability makes it difficult for them to establish or maintain the basic peer relationships that ultimately develop into friendships.
Autism is not the result of poor parenting
Children with autism are not unruly or spoiled kids with just a behavior problem
The vast majority of persons with autism are not savants, like the character portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rain Man
Children with autism are not without feelings and emotions
Although children with autism are often described as being “aloof” or “self-absorbed,” many of them would like to have friends
Differences Among Children with Autism
The most notable differences among children with ASD involve their use of language to communicate. Higher functioning individuals, including those diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder, are able to communicate quite well verbally (although sometimes they may speak or use language in odd orpeculiar ways). Others talk very sparingly, and some never speak. Those without spoken language will often use a picture-based communication system or some other augmentative communication device to help in expressing themselves. The inability to communicate effectively or to understand conventional communication can become a significant barrier to a child’s ability to learn and to adapt to community settings.
Some students with ASD are quiet and passive, while others may be hyperactive and/or insistent. Most will require strict adherence to schedules and routines, although a few will accept changes without incident.
The interpretation of sensory input can vary greatly among children with autism. They may be hypersensitive to sounds or touch, have an unusually high threshold for pain, or perhaps crave constant, deep pressure. Most will exhibit unusual behaviors, but these will differ from individual to individual. For instance, one child may do odd things with her eyes, while another child may rock his body or repeat the same words or phrases over and over.
Autism and Intelligence
Tests of adaptability and intelligence indicate that many children with autism have some level of mental retardation. Despite this, some people with autism have average to above average intelligence. A few have superior IQs.
It is vital to note that a child’s ability to communicate verbally is not a sole indicator of intelligence.
References
Goldstein, H., & Ferrell, D. (1987). Augmenting communicative interaction between handicapped and non-handicapped preschool children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 52, 200-122.
Goldstein, H., & Wiskstrom, S. (1986). Peer intervention effects on communicative interaction among handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 19(2), 209-214.
Grandin, T. (1988). Teaching tips from a recovered autistic. Focus on Autistic Behavior; 1, 1-8.
Gray, C. (1995). Teaching Children with Autism to “Read” Social Situations. In K.A. Quill (Ed.), Teaching Children with Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialization (pp. 219-241). Albany, NY:Delmar Publishers.
Gray, C., & Garand, J. (1993). Social stories: Improving responses of students with autism with accurate social information. Focus on Autistic Behavior; 8, 1-10.
Gresham, F. (1982). Misguided mainstreaming: The case for social skills training with handicapped children [abstract]. Exceptional Children, 48.
Harris, S.l. (1994). Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.
Hodgdon, L.A. (1995). Visual Strategies for Improving J Communication. Troy, MI: QuirkRoberts Publishing.
Siegel, B. (1996). The World of the Autistic Child: Understanding and Treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Wagner, S. (1998). Inclusive Programming for Elementary Students with Autism. Atlanta: Emory Autism Resource Center.
Resources for More Information
There are many resources for professionals to utilize for additional information on educating children with autism. Listed below are several of the books, videos, and websites available on this topic.
Helpful Responses to Some of the Behaviors of Individuals with Autism, by Nancy J. Dalrymple, 1992, Indiana
Resource Center for Autism.
Adapting Curriculum & Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms: A Teacher’s Desk Reference, y C. Deschenes, D.G.
Ebeling, & J. Sprague, 1994, ISDD-CSCI.
Thinking in Pictures: And Other Reports from My Life with Autism, by Temple Grandin, 1996, Vintage Books.
The Original Social Story Book, by Carol Gray, 1993, Future Education.
The New Social Stories, by Carol Gray, 1994, Future Education.
Inclusion: 450 Strategies for Success: A Practical Guide for All Educators Who Teach Students with Disabilities, by
Peggy A. Hammeken, 1997, Peytral Publications.
Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families, by Sandra L. Harris, 1994, Woodbine House. (1995 Literary Achievement Award, Autism Society of America)
Visual Strategies for Improving Communication, by Linda A. Hodgdon, 1995, QuirkRoberts Publishing.
Autism Through the Lifespan: The Eden Model, by David L. Holmes, 1998, Woodbine House. (1998 Literary
Achievement Award, Autism Society of America)
Teaching Children with Autism: Strategies for Initiating Positive Interactions and Improving Learning
Opportunities, edited by Robert L. Koegel and Lynn Kern Koegel, 1996, Paul H Brookes Publishing Co.
The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction, by Carol Stock Kranowitz, 1998, Perigee Books.
Behavioral Interventions for Young Children with Autism: A Manual for Parents and Educating Students with Autism
Professionals, edited by Catherine Maurice, Gina Green, and Stephen C. Luce, 1996, Pro Ed.
Children with Autism: A Parents’Guide, edited by Michael D. Powers, 1989, Woodbine House. (1990 Literary Achievement Award, Autism Society of America)
Teaching Children with Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialization, edited by Kathleen Ann Quinn, 1995, Delmar Publishers.
How to Reach and Teach All Students in the Inclusive Classroom: Ready-to-Use Strategies, Lessons and Activities for Teaching Students with Diverse Learning Needs, by Sandra F. Rief & Julie A. Heimburge, 1996, The Center for Applied Research in Education.
Social Behavior in Autism (Current Issues in Autism), edited by Eric Schopler & Gary B. Mesibov, 1986, Plenum Publishing Corp.
Learning and Cognition in Autism (Current Issues in Autism), edited by Eric Schopler & Gary B. Mesibov, 1995, Plenum Publishing Corp.
Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism? (Current Issues in Autism), edited by Eric Schopler, Gary B. Mesibov, & Linda J. Kunce, 1998, Plenum Publishing Corp.
The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child, by Lawrence M. Siegel, 1999, Nolo Press.
Inclusive Programming for Elementary Students with Autism, by Sheila Wagner, 1998, Emory Autism Resource
Center.
A Sense of Belonging: Including Students with Autism in Their School Community (20 minute video), 1997,
Indiana Resource Center for Autism.
Autism: Being Friends (8 minute video), 1991, Indiana Resource Center for Autism.
Breakthroughs: How to Reach Students with Autism (25 minute video), featuring Karen Sewell, awarded “1998 Teacher of the Year,” Autism Society of America, Attainment Productions, 1998, Verona, WI
Acknowledgements:
The Autism Society of America wishes to thank the following professionals for their contributions
to the content of this booklet:
- Margaret Creedon, Ph.D., Easter Seal Therapeutic Day School
- Andrew Egel, Ph.D., Professor of Education, University of Maryland
- David L. Holmes, Ph.D., President/Executive Director, Eden Family of Services
- Gary B. Mesibov, Ph.D., Director/Professor, Division TEACCH, University of North Carolina
- Cathy L. Pratt, Ph.D., Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism
- Frank Robbins, Ph.D., Director, Quabbin Valley Educational Consultants
- Eric Schopler, Ph.D., Founder/Professor, Division TEACCH, University of North Carolina
Autism Society of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814-3067
1-800-3-AUTISM
www.autism-society.org
The Autism Society of America. ASA is very grateful to the American Contract Bridge League for
underwriting the original publication of this document in booklet form and other publications
associated with our “Public Awareness of Autism in the Schools” Campaign, 2000-2001. This document
can be found on the web site of the Autism Society of America free for download and duplication.
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