Autism Spectrum Disorder

Describes a range of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges.

Example of range of symptoms

Measured intelligence - Intellectual disability----------------------------Gifted Social Interaction -Not interested in others-------------------------A variety of friendships Communication - Nonverbal-------------------------------------------Verbal Behaviors - Intense-----------------------------------Mild Sensory - Not very sensitive----------------------------------very sensitive Motor - uncoordinated-----------------------------------------coordinated

Signs

No big smile or other warm, joyful expressions by 6 months or thereafter. No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by 9 months. No babbling by 12 months No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months. No meaningful 2 word phrases by 24 months. Any loss of speech , babbling or social skills at any age.

Test
For your child to be diagnosed with autism, he or she must meet the symptom criteria in the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder published by the American Psychiatric Association. To be diagnosed with autism your child has to be diagnosed with 6 or more of the following symptoms and 2 or more of these symptoms must fall under the social skill category.

Teaching Strategies
Visual schedules- students with autism perform best when their daily routine is predictable. Visual structure- The environment needs to be structured visually to help the students clearly see and understand what is expected of him. Alternatives to verbal communication- For those who are non-verbal, an augmentative communication system must be in place. Direct instruction of social skills- The majority of students with autism need direct instruction of social skills. Literacy Instruction- Literacy instruction should begin at a very early age and continue throughout the school years.

Family Resources
Autism Society of America- Howard County 10015 Old Columbia Rd Suite B 215 Columbia, MD 21046 410-290-6231 www.howard-autism.org Families for Intense Autism Treatment (FIAT) P.O. Box 341643 Bethesda, MD 20827 1643 301-419-8037 www.fiatmd.org Maryland Asperger Advocacy and Support Group www.aspergers.org

References
www.hcpss.org www.ninds.nih.gov www.autism-society.org