Autistic Spectrum Disabilities (ASD), also known as Pervasive Developmental Disabilities (PDD), are among the most challenging of disabilities that teachers encounter. The table below answers some frequently asked questions on identifying and assessing individuals with ASD and describes possible outcomes of the condition.
| Who are they? | • Individuals with ASD have pervasive, lifelong difficulties in social interaction skills and deficiencies in communication skills as well as extreme and rigid interests and behaviors. |
| What are typical characteristics? | • Low rates of eye contact, or gaze, to others |
| • Lack of attention to multiple dimensions of a task (joint attention) | |
| • Restricted range of interests | |
| • Stereotypical and repetitive movements and behaviors | |
| • Social isolation | |
| • Limited receptive and expressive language skills | |
| • Difficulties in understanding their own and others' behaviors and emotions | |
| What are the demographics? | • Estimates range from a low of 2 cases per 10,000 persons to a high of 3.4 per 1,000 children. |
| • Approximately 120,000 children in schools were diagnosed with autism (in 2002). | |
| • There has been a 500% increase in children with ASD served under IDEA in the past 10 years. | |
| • Four times as many boys as girls are identified. | |
| Where are students educated? | • General education classrooms |
| • Specialized programs in public or private schools | |
| • Residential programs | |
| How are students identified and assessed for intervention? | • Common methods for screening and identification include rating scales, observation protocols, and semi-structured interviews. |
| • Transdisciplinary functional behavioral assessments provide information for instructional and behavioral planning. | |
| What are the outcomes? | • The course of the disability is lifelong and chronic, and most people have ongoing problems with social aspects of life, jobs, and independence. |
| • Success depends upon early intervention, the quality and stability of the network of supports, the person's cognitive ability, and symptom severity. |
Excerpt from Special Education for Today's Teachers: An Introduction, by M.S. Rosenberg, D.L. Westling, J. McLeskey, 2008 edition, p. 263.
© ______ 2008, Merrill, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The reproduction, duplication, or distribution of this material by any means including but not limited to email and blogs is strictly prohibited without the explicit permission of the publisher.
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