UofL_Stripe Laura Ferguson, M.Ed., BCBA . What is Autism? What is Autism? ) Autism is a complex developmental disability that has a neurological basis that causes impairments in social interactions, communication, and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests. Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Demographics •Knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries •Four times more prevalent in boys than girls •Usually affects sensory and motor processing systems of the brain •Varying degrees of severity in different individuals Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Autism in NOT!!! •The result of bad parenting •Unruly individuals who choose not to behave •Always associated with behavioral challenges •The same in every child Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Prevalence of Autism 1 in 88 children are affected by autism 1 out of 54 boys 1 in 252 girls More children are diagnosed with autism than juvenile diabetes, AIDS, and cancer combined December 2009, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Precention(CDC) Report IDEA Partnership (2010) Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) Autistic Disorder Childhood Disintegrated Disorder Rett’sDisorder Asperger’s PDD-NOS DSM-IV Criteria Schwartz ppt., 2008 UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Autism: Diagnostic Criteria for Eligibility DSM-IV •Qualitative impairment in SOCIAL INTERACTION •Qualitative impairments in COMMUNICATION •RESTRICTED and STEREOTYPED behaviors, interests and activities Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside •Impairment in nonverbal communication (gestures, eye gaze, etc.) •Failure in developing peer relationships •Lack of spontaneous sharing of enjoyment, interests, etc. •Lack of social or emotional reciprocity Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside “Qualitative impairment in SOCIAL INTERACTION, as manifested by at least twoof the following”: Difficulty in SOCIAL INTERACTION in the classroom and other settings Schwartz ppt., 2008 UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center •Turn taking •Interrupting adult and peer non-verbal cues •Using symbolic play skills to pretend •Partner work; cooperative group work •Effectively navigating social situations (discussed later) •Delay in or total lack of spoken language. •Impairment in ability to initiate or sustain conversation. •Stereotyped use of language. •Lack of make-believe play Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside “Qualitative impairment inCOMMUNICATION, manifested by at least one of the following”: Difficulty in COMMUNICATION in the classroom and other settings Schwartz ppt., 2008 UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center •Staying on-topic •Interrupting, blurting out, and always telling the truth •Partner work; cooperative group work •Engaging beyond the surface during non- individual activities Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside “Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at leastoneof the following”: .Abnormally obsessive interests .Rigid adherence to routines .Stereotyped motor movements .Preoccupation with parts of objects Schwartz ppt., 2008 Difficulty in RRS BEHAVIORS in the classroom and other settings Schwartz ppt., 2008 UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center •Staying on-task •Seeing the big picture during academic activities •Turning peers off by “odd” behaviors •Meltdowns with schedule changes •Listening without dominating the conversation with own interest “If you know one child with autism, you know one child with autism” Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside •Each individual with an ASD brings his/her own unique way of interacting with the environment •Each individual brings his/her own reinforcement history •Each individual with an ASD is more like his/her peers than different Child 1Child 2Child 3Child 4Degree AffectedCommunicationSocialRitualistic Behaviors Schwartz ppt., 2008 UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center Being able to attribute mental states such as as desires, beliefs, emotions, and intentions to self and others in order to better understand their own behavior, or the behavior of others. Theory of Mind UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center •The ability to make inferences about what other people believe to be true –Perspective taking –Difficulty anticipating what others will say or do in various situations Theory of Mind UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center •Consider how an impairment in theory of mind might impact daily functioning –Appearance of being blunt or rude –Ability to lie –Understanding sarcasm –Negotiating –Compromising –Relationship development –Perspective Taking Theory of Mind UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center Example: The false-belief tasks A child places a piece of candy in a drawer while they are playing. A parent then enters the room and without the child witnessing the switch places the candy in a different cabinet. When an child observing this is asked where they think the child will look for the candy, they respond in the drawer. Individuals will autism respond that the child will look in the cabinet. Theory of Mind UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center Deals with a set of processes that helps connect past experiences with present experiences. People use these to perform in the area of planning, organizing, managing time and space, and remembering skills. Executive Functioning UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center •Difficulty in … –Perceiving emotions –Imitating others –Planning –Starting and stopping –Organizing (time, self, space) Executive Functioning HOPE?? YES!!! •National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/ –Evidence-based Practices!!! •AIM (Autism Internet Modules) http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/ –Free, helpful, research-based information on topics surrounding ASDs UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center Evidence-Based Practices •Prompting •Reinforcement •Response interruption/redirection •Self-management •Social narratives •Social skills training groups •Speech generating devices •Structured work systems •Task analysis •Time delay •Video modeling •Visual supports •Antecedent Based Intervention •Computer-aided instruction •Differential reinforcement •Discrete trial training •Extinction •Functional behavior assessment •Functional communication training •Naturalistic interventions •Parent-implemented intervention •Peer-mediated instruction/intervention •Picture Exchange Communication System. •Pivotal response training UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Questions? Contact info: Laura Ferguson Laura.ferguson@louisville.edu C:\Documents and Settings\djvitt01\Desktop\Space Camp.jpg Center contact info: Telephone: (502) 852-4631 Fax: (502) 852-7148E-mail: katc@louisville.edu https://louisville.edu/education/kyautismtraining UofL_Logo_Curtain_Inside Kentucky Autism Training Center