Sticks and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt you. Its not true; words hurt a lot.---Temple Grandin
History of Autism
In 1943, Leo Kanner described a group of children with seemingly unusual behaviors that differed from children with other disabilities. Kanner noted special needs including: inability to relate to other people, delayed speech and language, obsessive environmental sameness, etc. Coined the term autism from autos (Greek meaning self).
Autism Today
Today, autism is called autism spectrum disorders (ASD). As many as 1.5 million children and adults in the United States have autism. The average lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from 3.5 to 5.5 million dollars. One disorder included in the autism spectrum is Aspergers syndrome, whose main feature sis impaired social interaction skills.
Brief History
Sixty years ago, the Austrian psychiatrist Hans Asperger wrote about children who were smart, with above average vocabulary, but who exhibited a number of behaviors common to people with autism, such as pronounced deficiencies in social and communication skills. The condition was named Aspergers syndrome in 1981. In 1984, it was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by mental health professionals.
ASD
Teachers have to be careful not to cause sensory overload, but at the same time be somewhat intrusive into the childs world of silent withdrawal in order to engage the child in learning. When children get a little older, they need to be exposed to many different things to stimulate their continued learning in different areas of life.
ASD
The different thinking patterns of individuals with ASD require parents and educators to teach from a new frame of reference, one aligned with autistic ways of thinking. Expecting children with ASD to learn through the conventional curriculum and teaching methods that have always worked is setting them up for failure.
Behavior
There also needs to be expectations for proper social behavior. Bad Behaviors that Should Be Corrected (ASD is not an excuse):
Sloppy table manners Dressing like a slob Poor grooming Being rude to people Swearing Laughing inappropriately Inappropriate sexual behavior in public Manipulating adults by throwing fits Cheating at games Stealing and lying about it
Behavior
Behavior problems caused by ASD:
Screaming when a fire alarm rings because it hurts their ears Tantrums due to sensory overload Removing clothes/excessive scratching/itching. Cannot tolerate feel of certain fabrics Hyperactivity and agitation under fluorescent lighting Sloppy handwriting (often due to poor motor skills). Allow child to use a computer
Idioms and Clichs: Dont Say You are the apple of my eye. Im at the end of my rope. Bite your tongue! Instead Say I love you very much. Im about to get angry. Please dont speak to me like that.
Its time to stop for now. This doesnt seem right to me.
Nonspecific Instructions:
Dont Say
Instead Say
Quit kicking.
Inferences:
Dont Say
Instead Say
Phrasal Verbs:
Dont Say
Instead Say
We look up to him.
We admire him; he sets a good example. The car is not working right.
Jamie was sent to talk to the principal. Its time to stop playing trains.
The way I see it, a huge mistake many teachers and parents make is to try to make people with autism or Aspergers into something they are notturn the geeky nerd into an ungeek, for instance.---Temple Grandin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt _G7Zw5I8c