Best Practices in Supporting Students with ASD: Guidance ... MSPA.pdf · Guidance for School Psychologists. Minnesota’s First Autism ResourceTM ... Mental health disorders Epilepsy/seizure

Minnesota’s First Autism ResourceTM

Best Practices in Supporting Students with ASD:

Guidance for School Psychologists


© 2012 Autism Society of Minnesota


Who is the Autism Society of Minnesota?

Our mission: as an agency of families, educators, caregivers, professionals, and individuals with ASD, we are committed to supporting individuals with ASD and their families. Our vision: to realize our mission through education, support, collaboration and advocacy. Established in 1971 as the local presence of the autism community in MN, we have provided over 40 years of services and programs that have enhanced the lives of individuals with ASD.




•  Social skills classes (kids, teens, adults)

•  Trainings •  Annual Minnesota Autism

Conference •  Summer camps

•  Meetings with legislators and policymakers •  Input on bills and policies

•  Support groups •  Information and referral •  Resource fairs •  Community events •  Assessment & diagnosis •  Mental health services

Autism Society – Established 1971

Education

Advocacy Outreach




Training and Certification

•  Skillshops –  Topic-specific, 2-hour trainings, variety of venues –  Many topics tailored for adults with ASD

•  Life with Autism/Autism 101 series –  Information and strategies for supporting individuals with ASD across the lifespan

•  Customized Training –  Hourly –  Flexible, individualized topics –  Hosted on- or off-site

•  Certification –  15-hour comprehensive course




Autism Counseling and Consultation Services

•  Mental Health Services –  Adult assessment or referral for child

assessment –  FBA (functional behavioral assessment) or

behavior consult –  Individual, marriage or family therapy –  Service provider training/consult –  Professionals in psychology, marriage and

family therapy, social work, behavior analysis

•  Support Group Facilitation –  Adults with ASD –  Women –  Family –  LGBTQIA+




Information and Resources

•  Bookstore and Library •  Online Resource Directory •  Information and Resource

– Electronic and interpersonal

•  Crisis Support




Events

•  Annual Minnesota Autism Conference

•  AuSM Gala

•  Steps for Autism

•  Workshops

•  Navigating MSP

•  Golf Classic

•  Awareness Month (April)




Education and Programs

•  Social Skills classes – Children, teens, and adults – Year-round programming

•  Opportunities for those: – Of all abilities – Of all ages –  In various geographical regions




Camp!

•  Three camp partnerships based on age, need and interest – Camp Hand in Hand – Camp Wahode – Camp Discovery


Autism Screening, Assessment, Evaluation




Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) – 2013

•  Published by American Psychiatric Association (APA)

•  Outlines diagnostic criteria for wide range of mental disorders

•  Informs treatment recommendations and payment by health care providers (billing codes)

•  DSM-5: changes to criteria for autism diagnosis




DSM-5 Criteria

A. Qualitative impairment in social communication and interaction

1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; 2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for

social interaction; 3. Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships,

appropriate to developmental level




DSM-5 Criteria - continued

B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities

1. Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects; 2. Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change;




DSM-5 Criteria - continued

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; 4. Hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment; adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, fascination with lights or spinning objects)




DSM-5 Criteria – continued

C. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities) D. Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning




Barriers to Timely and Accurate Screening and Assessment

•  DSM 5 has no single criteria to rule ASD in or out –  “He is too social.” –  “She shows good eye contact.” –  “He can’t have autism. He already has ADHD.”

•  “Splintered skills” are often misunderstood –  And, skills and traits can present differently in different environments.

•  Demographic misconceptions –  Barriers in recognition across genders –  Cultural barriers

•  Co-occurring conditions




High-Functioning vs. Low-Functioning Autism

And what about Asperger’s Syndrome?




Motor I.Q. Language Comprehension

Language Expressive

Social Memory

Typical Development Developmental Delay

Motor I.Q. Language Comprehension

Language Expressive

Social Memory

Typical Development Developmental Delay Autism

Patterns of Development




Prevalence of Autism in the U.S.

•  1 in 59 children (CDC, 2018)

•  Boys: ~4x more common* §  26.6 per 1,000 boys §  6.6 per 1,000 girls (CDC, 2018)

•  Affects all racial, ethnic & socio-economic groups

•  Income, lifestyle and education do not affect chances of having ASD

The latest data reflect an increase of approximately 13.2% in overall ASD prevalence.




ASD Prevalence in MN




MN Prevalence Rates

Prevalence by Ethnicity 2013 2018

Overall

1 in 48

1 in 42

Somali

1 in 32

1 in 26

White (non-Hispanic)

1 in 36

1 in 41

Black (non-Somali)

1 in 62

1 in 40

Hispanic

1 in 80

1 in 48

Asian/Pacific Islander (non-Hmong)

N/A

1 in 55

Hmong

N/A

1 in 54

Native American

N/A

N/A




Institute for Community Integration Research (2013)

•  Assessing prevalence across racial groups; children 7-9 in Minneapolis –  Overall, Somali, White, Black, Hispanic (Asian, Native American)

•  Used ADDM Methodology: records-based approach –  ADDM = Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring

•  Findings:

https://rtc.umn.edu/autism/doc/Autism_report.pdf




Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions

●  Mental health disorders ●  Epilepsy/seizure disorders ●  Gastrointestinal

complications ●  Intellectual disability ●  Sleep complications




Other Tips in Screening and Assessment

•  Screening tools should gather information across environments and social roles: in classroom, in home, amongst peers

•  Resisting urge to wait for student to “outgrow” certain traits

•  Consensus building amongst colleagues and family members


Supporting Students with Autism: Direct and Indirect Service Minutes




What does a child with ASD need in order to be successful in future settings?

•  Skills that promote independence and self-determination –  Self-recognition of emotions and regulation

strategies – Perspective taking – Assessing own strengths and needs for support

•  Asking for help •  Disclosure

http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/




What is a Social Story™?

Social Stories™ are most effective when written (visual)

•  Range from simple to complex

•  Long or short depending on the age and language skill of the person using it




Cartooning: Three Basic Elements 1.

2.

3. A way to indicate feelings. For example, RED might

indicate anxiety and GREEN might mean happiness.

Thought bubbles

Speaking bubbles




Video Modeling

•  Record a video showing a person doing a skill that you want to increase.

Ø Limit to 1 or 2 minutes per behavior •  People learn best from those like themselves, so use the

person themself if possible; if that isn’t possible, use someone resembling that person.

•  Use digital editing to create image of new behavior. You can assemble video of parts of the behavior to show the whole thing.




Tools: Visuals/ Timers

•  Provide visual tools to illustrate procedures – What comes first and what’s next

•  Provide a timer or some other device to show individual that it is time to stop or move on to the next activity

Time Timer™




Social Cognition

Relationship Circle







Summary

Teaching New Behavior: •  Use tools such as Social Stories™ and video

modeling to explain how to respond to new situations

•  Use tools such as cartooning to explain people’s thoughts and feelings




Summary Continued

•  Executive Function Supports –  Schedules, planners, lists, calendars, timers – Adjust language

•  Social Cognition Tools – Perspective taking, cartooning – Relationship Circle

•  Emotional Regulation Tools –  5 Point Scale


Complex Caseloads: Students with Autism and Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions




Mental Health: Autism Comorbidities

•  DSM-5 states that about 70% of people who have ASD have at least one co-existing mental disorder (typically anxiety or depression); 40% have two or more.

•  Our practical experience implies that the rate is even higher than that; anxiety is almost universal and depression very common.

•  Some people with ASD have other mental health conditions such as ADHD or bipolar disorder.




Common Anxiety Problems

•  Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

•  Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

•  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

•  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)




Depression

•  Major Depressive Disorder •  Persistent Depressive Disorder

(formerly Dysthymia)

•  Bipolar Disorder(s)




Formal Name: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Features: •  Persistent pattern of inattention and/or

hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed

ADHD: A Disorder of Attention




Informal Supports

•  Exercise •  Prayer/meditation (also yoga) •  Deep breathing/stopping •  Writing (journal, diary, blogging)

•  Enjoying favorite activities

•  Talking to friends/family/support staff

•  Sensory input (increase or decrease as needed)




Formal Supports

Seek help if symptoms are not manageable with informal supports.

•  Two types of support: medication or therapy




Online Resources

www.socialthinking.com www.5pointscale.com www.jillkuzma.wordpress.com www.jedbaker.com www.paulakluth.com www.barryprizant.com www.firstsigns.org www.teach2talk.com www.autisminternetmodules.org/ www.autismspeaks.org www.ausm.org www.arcmn.org www.pacer.org

Autistic Voices •  Amethyst Schaber: Ask an Autistic

(Youtube); neurowonderful.tumblr.com •  Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN):

autisticadvocacy.org •  Autism Women’s Network:

autismwomensnetwork.org •  Chris Bonnello: Autistic Not Weird on

Facebook; autisticnotweird.com •  Christa Holmes: neurodivergentrebel.com •  NOS Magazine: nosmagazine.org •  Stephen Shore: researchautism.org




Other Resources

More FREE resources:

•  AuSM support groups •  (

https://ausm.org/ausm-services/counseling-and-consulting-services/support-groups.html)

•  Facebook groups •  MN ASD Parents to Parents Support


Web site: www.ausm.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ausm.org

Twitter: @MNautism

Phone: 651.647.1083

E-mail: [email protected]

Address: 2380 Wycliff Street, Suite 102, St. Paul, MN 55114

Established in 1971, the Autism Society of Minnesota is committed to education, advocacy and support designed to enhance the lives of those

affected by autism from birth through retirement.

The Autism Society of Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) organization.

THANK YOU!

Documents

Best Practices in Supporting Students with ASD: Guidance ... MSPA.pdf · Guidance for School Psychologists. Minnesota’s First Autism ResourceTM ... Mental health disorders Epilepsy/seizure