About Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorders are categorised by the following characteristics:
1. Social & Emotional Difficulties
2. Language & Communication Difficulties
3. Poor Flexibility of Thought (Imagination)
4. Repetitive and Stereotyped Patterns of Behaviour
There have been changes to the Diagnostic Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
These changes include:
1.There will now be one single diagnostic term:
Autism Spectrum Disorder
As distinct from the older terms, and separate disorders such as Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder.
2 The individual’s current level of symptom severity will form part of the diagnosis. There will be 3 levels:
Level 1 – Requiring Support
Level 2 – Requiring Substantial Support
Level 3 – Requiring very Substantial Support
3. The “Triad of Impairments have been reduced to 2 domains:
1. Social Communication
2. Restricted interests and repetitive behaviours.
(Social and communication deficits have been merged into a single category to reflect their inter- relatedness.)
Challenging Behaviours
Many children with ASD display repetitive or stereotypical behaviours.
These can often include; hand flapping, rocking, twirling and flicking.
Changes to routines can cause children to become anxious or to display these repetitive behaviours.
Children and adults can appear compulsive or obsessive in daily activities or routines.
Children with ASD have difficulty with emotions and often can’t express emotions in typically acceptable ways.
Some children may express anger of frustration through tantrums or “meltdowns” or aggressive behaviours.
Tips in Positive Behaviour Management
Reward the positive
Use Reinforcements – They are best when they are: Immediate, Specific, Motivating
Prepare the individual for upcoming change
Allow Downtime
Be Calm
Provide Structure and organisation
Keep Consequences Simple
Be Consistent
DON’T GIVE IN!!!!!
Language and communication Difficulties :
Can take the form of:
Difficulty with written and oral expression
Written and oral comprehension
Pragmatic ( E.G, Code – switching, body language, eye contact)
High level language ( Ambiguous and figurative)
Unusual prosody – Voice profiles
Individuals with ASD process information differently and therefore may have difficulties talking and /or communicating.
Individuals can have particular difficulty with understanding non-verbal cues such as gestures, facial expressions, as well as using eye contact.
Complex instructions, jokes, satire and emotional situations can be almost impossible for them to understand.
Some children display Echolalia, which is a speech pattern characterized by the tendency to repeat words or phrases.
Tips for Communicating
Use clear and simple language
Pause – Give time to process what is being said
Give one idea at a time: Break up ideas between sentences
List Events in order: Sequential ordering allows information to be processed easier
Give individuals adequate time to respond to a request, question, direction or instruction
Avoid giving instructions as questions: This can cause confusion, as it can be taken literally
Give specific Choices: Do you want the milk or juice?
Limit Options
Avoid Open Ended Questions
Visual Aides are often useful
The Senses
People with ASD may be over-responsive, under- responsive, or have difficulty discriminating sensory information.
Many Children with ASD display a characteristic referred to as “Sensory Overload”
This is where sounds, smells, tastes, and lights seem more overwhelming to them
This may cause them to become startled at situations that seem normal to us.
This can include events such as being hugged, or not hearing a very loud noise
