Understanding Students on the Autism Spectrum

Transcription

1 Understanding Students on the Autism Spectrum Gavin Steiger, M.Ed.; Director of Disability Services UH Clear Lake Meritza Tamez, Ph.D.; Director of Disability Services UH Downtown Cheryl Worley, M.S.; manager, Disability Services & At Risk Programs UH Victoria

2 Learning Outcomes Identify three (3) characteristics of students on the Autism Spectrum Identify three (3) techniques to use when interacting with a student on the Spectrum Identify three (3) campus partners who can help assist students on the Spectrum

3 General Facts ASD is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges 1 in 50 children are diagnosed with ASD, which is rapidly increasing ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic populations, but is about 4.5 times more common among boys than girls Diagnosis of ASD generally occurs at age 4, but can be diagnosed as early as age 2 Children born to older parents are at a higher risk for having ASD Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2016

4 General Facts (con t) Children who have a sibling with ASD are at a higher risk of also having ASD Most scientists agree that genes are one of the risk factors for ASD ASD tends to occur more often in people who have certain genetics or chromosomal conditions, such as fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis The prescription drugs valproic acid and thalidomide have been linked to a higher risk of ASD when taken during pregnancy Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2016

5 Educational Facts 50% of youth with ASD do not participate in postsecondary education within 2 years after leaving high school (Shattuck et al., 2012) Postsecondary students with ASD have the 3 rd lowest enrollment rate that students with other disabilities (Wei et al., 2012) Students with ASD at postsecondary institutions are at risk for decreased retention and graduation rates (Schlabach, 2008) Postsecondary community college students with ASD and a STEM major are twice as likely to transfer to a 4-year university compared to peers with ASD in non-stem majors (Wei et al., 2013)

6 Theory of Mind Difficulty explaining ones behaviors Difficulty understanding emotions Difficulty predicting the behavior or emotional state of others Problems understanding the perspective of others Problems inferring the intentions of others Lack of understanding that behavior impacts how others think and/or feel Problems with joint attention and other social conventions Problems differentiating fiction from fact Source: Myles & Southwick, 2005

7 Common Characteristics of ASD Although ASD affects everyone differently, common characteristics include: Very little or no eye contact Often use short, incomplete sentences, but may have a high vocabulary Obsessions with objects, ideas, or desires Tends to get too close when speaking to someone (lack of personal space) Generally does not initiate social interactions Differences in conversational language styles, different interpretations of cultural social cues, including non-verbal cues Sources: Organization for Autism Research, 2015; Rocky Point Academy Autism Solutions Center, 2016

8 Common Characteristics of ASD (con t) Although ASD affects everyone differently, common characteristics include: Average to above average IQs Sensory and auditory processing differences May exhibit ritualistic or compulsive behavioral patterns, communication difficulties, and/or emotional sensitivity difficulties May exhibit difficulties with reading comprehension, fine motor activities, ability to follow directions, and attention span Seizure activity Hand writing difficulties Sources: Organization for Autism Research, 2015; Rocky Point Academy Autism Solutions Center, 2016

9 Behaviors You May Notice In Class Interruptions or calling out Correcting instructors Meltdowns or outbursts Sensory integration Anxiety driven behavior (fidgeting, pacing, clicking pens, mumbling, appears to be flight or fight mode at all times) Asks frequent questions but does not appear to listen to the answers Not wanting to do homework or misunderstood assignments/expectations Source: Wolf et al., 2008

10 Techniques for Faculty Maintain a structured teaching style with clearly defined expectations Allow students to record lectures and give access to your notes Give progress reports midway through the semester Source: DeOrnellas, 2015

11 When working with students with ASD, remember. If you ve met one person with ASD, you ve only met one person with ASD - it effects everyone differently Be clear and direct with your communication say what you mean and mean what you say Be specific and concrete Provide as many visuals as possible Provide the big picture with details what are we doing and why we are doing it If changes are made to assignments, exams, or the syllabus, put it in writing Don t assume that what is obvious to you is obvious to the student with ASD Be consistent, structured, and predicable Sources: Autism Spectrum Navigators, 2015; Lucci, 2005

12 Students with Autism at UH Campuses UHCL = 22 (10%) UHD = UHV = Stories

13 Contact Info Gavin Steiger, UHCL, Meritza Tamez, UHD, Cheryl Worley, UHV,