11 /28 /12ELEMENTARY POINT PERSON TRAINING

S A B R I N A B E A U D R Y & PA M L E O N A R D

Describing Autism(Once Again…)

Today we will be Describing ASD…

We will review some DSM V information

We will take a look at personal accounts as a way to describe autism

We will examine the 3 cognitive processes that impact individuals with ASD

We will talk about the challenges due to differences in these 3 cognitive processes

Get into groups to discuss “Action Plan” implementation (from Walk Throughs)

Describing Autism

We know much more now than we did 10 years ago.

It is not as helpful to think of our students with ASD as high functioning or low functioning but rather how they think.

As we broaden our knowledge about ASD, it helps us understand the incredible variability of how our students’ autism is manifested.

Different Ways To Describe Autism:

1. Traditional Medical Model-DSMIV-TR

2. Information from people on the spectrum themselves

3. Psychological Model/ Brain Based Theories (Cognitive Processes)

Traditional Diagnostic Model

DSM-IV-TR – soon to be DSM-V ( May of 2013)

Most introductions to autism cite the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria as a description of autism, but that is misleading because it is a diagnostic tool and not a descriptive tool. That means it doesn't really tell us what autism is, just how to decide if a person has autism or not.

(OCALI module Employee with Autism).

Presently to receive a medical diagnosis of Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, one must meet certain criteria in the following three areas:

AUTISM

Communication

Social Interaction

Restricted Interest/Repetiti

ve Behaviors

This will be changing in 2013

The DSM V has changed the diagnostic criteria and it will be called Autism Spectrum Disorders

The original three domains will become twoSocial/Communication DisorderFixated Interests and Repetitive Behaviors

There will be three levels of severity

Why Change?

To have more consistency and clarity of diagnosis

Autism is defined by a common set of behaviors and so it makes sense to have a single diagnostic category

It is better to look at Autism as a spectrum rather than as an umbrella term related to several distinct diagnosis

What does this change mean?

Catherine Lord, Ph.D. looks at the change in the following manner during an interview with CBS:

“ The intention of changing the DSM …is not to exclude those that already have been diagnosed, but to better define the condition.”

More Info on DSMV:

http://www.socialthinking.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=559:dsm-5-my-thoughts&catid=76:michelles-blog&Itemid=121&utm_source=april+-+providers&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email

Power point Presentation from Little Friends

More Info on DSMV:

http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx

http://www.autismspeaks.org/site-wide/dsm-v

https://www.aucd.org/docs/SIG%20Docs/autismsig/Dr.Lord_3_18_11_webinar.pdf

Another way to Describe ASD…Personal Accounts

Ask individuals with Autism:

How they feel about their autism

How autism impacts them individually

What helps them

What they wish other people understood

What People with Autism Told Olney in 2000

Primary Areas of Challenge:

Sensation

Attention

Emotion

Time and Place

Coping

(Adult Autism & Employment, Scott Standifer Ph.D)

Some Quotes:

“I loved repetition. Every time I turned on a light I knew what would happen. When I flipped the switch, the light went on. It gave me a wonderful feeling of security because it was exactly the same each time.” –Sean Barron

“I learned to talk at 4. I didn’t learn to communicate until 11 or 12.”-Bill Donovan

“I wanted to understand emotions. I had dictionary definitions for most of them and cartoon caricatures of others…I also had trouble reading what other people felt.”-Donna Williams

“I was never quite sure how to handle certain situations. It is very difficult…to know exactly when to say something when to ask for help, or when to remain quiet…Life is a game in which the rules are constantly changing without rhyme or reason.”-Anne Carpenter

What Would Your Student Say?

How does autism impact you in the following ways?

Sensation

Attention

Emotion

Time and Place

Coping

A Third Way to Describe ASD…

Cognitive processes

Theory of Mind

Executive Functioning

Central Coherence

Theory of Mind:

Refers to a person’s ability to think about people’s thinking

This typically is developed by the age of four

This is the ability that allows us to take the perspective of others and adjust our behavior according to that perspective

Challenges related to Theory of Mind:

Social communicationLanguage comprehensionPerspective takingLiteral interpretation of languageIntensive interests in topicEngaging in shared experiencesPredicting difficultiesUnderstanding how/why a character behavesAffects listening comprehension

Resources

..\Psychological Model Info\Autism and Theory of Mind.docx

..\Psychological Model Info\TOM-in-TD-and-ASD.pdf

..\Psychological Model Info\423-tager-flusbg07.pdf

..\Psychological Model Info\2011-Convention-Presentation-ToM-Assessment-ASD.pdf

Executive Functioning:

This is the ability to use problem solving skills for:

Planning/organization

Self monitoring

Controlling our impulses

Being flexible thinkers

Organizing our thoughts

Challenges related to Executive Function

Repetitive behaviorsRestricted patterns & interestsAttention issuesMemory for detailsOrganization challengesPlanningDifficulty inhibiting responses/impulsesDifficulty applying relevant knowledge across textsMonitoring and self-correcting comprehension is

difficult

Resource

http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2010/101221/Executive-Functions-and-Communication-in-Adolescents.htm

Central Coherence:

This allows us to take various pieces of information and put it together to create the “whole picture”

It is the skill that allows us make sense of information from the context

Challenges related to Central Coherence:

Focus on specific details vs. big pictureStudents with ASD may prefer their perspective over

othersMakes students like to keep things the sameResults in trouble making connections and generalizingDifficulty making meaning from text using important

detailsDifficulty making connections (between words,

concepts, experiences)As text becomes longer, becomes more difficult to

make meaning

Resources

..\Psychological Model Info\core_deficits.pdf

Big Picture Thinking-Using Central Coherence Theory to Support Social Skills by Aileen Zeitz Collucci

http://www.aapcpublishing.net/book/view/677/big-picture-thinking-using-central-coherence-theory-to-support-social-skills

The Weak Coherence Account: Detail-focused Cognitive Style

in Autism Spectrum Disorders:http://www.ucp.pt/site/resources/documents/ICS/GNC/ArtigosGNC/AnaMariaAbreu/D_HaFr06.pdf

In the Past……

We observed and described ASD based on the DSM-IV descriptors.

Now let’s describe our students in relation to deficits in the three cognitive processes areas.

Theory of MindExecutive FunctionCentral Coherence

Using the handout that outlines challenges…

We will pick a student and: list four of his/her challenges describe these challenges when we observe

(what does it look like?)determine which cognitive process/processes

each challenge stems from

Challenges that are impacting your student

What does the student do that shows you the challenges

Cognitive Process?

Social Communication Student always interrupts others when they are talking/ Takes over any conversation with focus on their topic of interest

Trouble making connections and generalizing/Difficulty applying relevant knowledge across texts

When reading a novel, can’t make connection between something they learned in social studies and what is happening in the novel

Poor perspective taking/Prefer their perspective over others

Gets upset when someone doesn’t agree with him

Repetitive behaviors Always has to clap three times before starting an assignment

EXAMPLE

Challenges that are impacting your student

What does the student do that shows you the challenges

Cognitive Process?

Social communication Converses primarily with adults.

Enjoys talking about Dell computers/ info from manuals or about Hyundi cars

Theory of Mind

Student_________:

Why did we do this?

There is a lot of brain based research going on right now.

We presented this to high school & middle school groups and didn’t want you to be left out

Important in terms of how we think of assessment

Important in terms of how we provide supports across all domain areas.

So in February

We will continue by discussing ways to support students using their input.

We will discuss ways to support the 3 areas of cognitive differences.

We will discuss how to directly instruct students in using strategies that help them think differently.