Autism Spectrum Disorders 101

Annette Wragge Author

10/19/2016 Added

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An introduction to autism spectrum disorders.

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[00:00:00.675]Hello, my name is Annette Wragge
[00:00:02.877]and I'm the state coordinator for
[00:00:04.305]the Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network.
[00:00:07.819]In this webinar, we're going to do an overview
[00:00:10.960]of autism spectrum disorders
[00:00:13.084]or what we like to call our 101 presentation.
[00:00:17.612]It's my hope that, by the end of this webinar,
[00:00:20.220]you will have a better understanding
[00:00:21.695]of some of the specific characteristics
[00:00:23.773]and differences that impact individuals
[00:00:27.000]on the autism spectrum, as well as a better understanding
[00:00:30.925]of effective educational practices.
[00:00:34.636]And some information about resources
[00:00:37.858]that are available within the state.
[00:00:40.060]And then, also, some national resources
[00:00:42.589]that can be useful tools, as well.
[00:00:48.512]Let's start with the definition of autism.
[00:00:51.121]Autism is a complex, developmental disability.
[00:00:54.714]And we know that it's evident very early on.
[00:00:57.777]So, often family members, parents,
[00:01:03.455]start to notice in the first few years of life
[00:01:05.941]that there is a difference
[00:01:08.144]and that there are some of the characteristics of autism.
[00:01:12.062]What makes it tricky to determine if it's autism or not
[00:01:15.207]is that it's a behaviorally defined syndrome.
[00:01:17.981]So, it's recognized by an individual struggling
[00:01:22.390]in the areas of communication,
[00:01:25.158]social interaction, and perceptional organization,
[00:01:30.210]which could include repetitive kinds of things
[00:01:33.170]or the ways that an individual
[00:01:36.226]interacts with his or her environment.
[00:01:40.144]Symptoms really vary in degree
[00:01:42.265]of severity from mild to severe.
[00:01:47.084]And can even vary in the same individual
[00:01:50.317]in terms of how well they function in communication,
[00:01:53.496]that might be on the higher end,
[00:01:55.371]but social functioning might be more impaired.
[00:01:58.922]And so, definitely a spectrum disorder.
[00:02:01.656]And that's why, many years ago,
[00:02:03.940]it was referred to as autism.
[00:02:07.493]And then, in 1994, Asperger's syndrome for individuals
[00:02:12.674]that are on the higher end of the spectrum.
[00:02:15.489]But, now, really, you hear the term
[00:02:17.201]autism spectrum disorders, because what we know
[00:02:20.096]is there's incredible variability for each individual
[00:02:24.053]on the autism spectrum as to how they're impacted by autism.
[00:02:33.571]Okay, in Nebraska, in the school setting,
[00:02:37.478]we follow Rule 51, which is our state special education rule
[00:02:44.050]to determine if a child is eligible
[00:02:46.174]for special education services.
[00:02:48.674]So, the definition for autism in Rule 51 is that
[00:02:53.241]to qualify for special education services
[00:02:55.976]the child must have a developmental disability
[00:02:58.754]which significantly affects verbal and non-verbal
[00:03:01.733]communication, social interaction,
[00:03:04.387]and is generally evident before age three
[00:03:07.486]and it affects a child's educational performance.
[00:03:10.998]So, that's kind of the general definition
[00:03:12.918]that is included in Rule 51.
[00:03:15.003]And much of that terminology is from the federal
[00:03:18.713]Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
[00:03:30.263]The bottom line is that autism is a developmental disability
[00:03:34.450]and it affects children's communication,
[00:03:37.342]social interaction skills, and their
[00:03:40.395]restricted interests or patterns of behavior.
[00:03:43.745]And we'll talk about those things
[00:03:45.828]a little bit more in depthly.
[00:03:51.906]As I said earlier, autism is really a spectrum disorder.
[00:03:56.312]And what that means is there's just variance
[00:03:58.718]for individuals on the autism spectrum
[00:04:01.449]in characteristics and their levels of functioning.
[00:04:05.200]So, on one end of that spectrum,
[00:04:07.239]we would have individuals who would be considered
[00:04:10.217]to have more classic autism
[00:04:12.420]and they might have greater impairments
[00:04:14.581]in cognitive functioning, in social functioning,
[00:04:18.706]and their ability to communicate,
[00:04:21.237]or communicate receptively and expressively.
[00:04:25.605]And then, on the other end of the spectrum,
[00:04:27.645]we have what we would consider
[00:04:30.132]individuals who are more on the higher functioning end
[00:04:33.352]or you might also have heard the term Asperger's syndrome,
[00:04:37.225]which would be considered on the high functioning
[00:04:39.755]end of the autism spectrum.
[00:04:44.041]In Nebraska, a medical diagnosis that you might receive
[00:04:48.198]at a doctor's office, a clinical psychiatrist,
[00:04:52.644]clinical psychologist, a medical office, is different than
[00:04:57.251]the educational verification procedure
[00:05:00.716]that is done in school settings.
[00:05:03.129]So, just to kind of differentiate
[00:05:05.168]and explain that a little bit, a medical diagnosis is,
[00:05:08.310]again, something that a doctor
[00:05:09.899]or person in the medical field might use.
[00:05:14.467]And they are, for their criteria,
[00:05:16.832]they are using the diagnostic and statistical manual,
[00:05:20.386]currently version four revised,
[00:05:23.319]but will soon be the DSM five version.
[00:05:27.606]And so, they're using the criteria from that manual
[00:05:30.588]to determine if the child meets the criteria
[00:05:34.180]for a medical diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder.
[00:05:38.958]It's a different process than what is used in schools.
[00:05:41.689]Because, in the school setting,
[00:05:43.361]a team of school district personnel
[00:05:45.812]that includes a psychologist, a speech pathologist,
[00:05:50.296]if appropriate, early childhood special educator,
[00:05:54.216]resource teacher, those people conduct an evaluation
[00:06:00.508]to determine if the child meets the criteria of Rule 51
[00:06:04.801]and, thus, is eligible for special education services
[00:06:08.435]under the disability category of autism.
[00:06:11.736]And they really are a different process,
[00:06:13.654]because one is giving a diagnosis of autism
[00:06:16.799]from the medical community
[00:06:18.879]and, in the school setting, a verification
[00:06:20.919]is simply to determine if a child
[00:06:22.962]is eligible for school services.
[00:06:25.980]It's not a diagnosis of autism.
[00:06:28.508]Now, in both cases, we want
[00:06:32.755]those agencies to be working together.
[00:06:35.248]So, the best case scenario is,
[00:06:36.715]if that family would go to a medical facility
[00:06:39.613]to seek a diagnosis of autism,
[00:06:43.286]if they had information from the school
[00:06:45.084]that they would share that with the doctor,
[00:06:47.292]the doctor or the psychologist or whomever.
[00:06:50.068]And then, the same case,
[00:06:52.396]if there's a medical diagnosis of autism,
[00:06:55.051]that information should be shared with the school district
[00:06:58.768]so that they can take a look at that
[00:07:00.852]and use that information in their process
[00:07:05.014]where they're determining verification and eligibility.
[00:07:08.645]It doesn't mean that that information always looks the same.
[00:07:13.706]And so, if a child has a diagnosis of autism,
[00:07:16.315]it doesn't mean they will be eligible, per Rule 51,
[00:07:21.047]to receive special education services
[00:07:23.285]under the autism verification category.
[00:07:27.283]It may be that the team determines that
[00:07:29.037]they better fit under another category
[00:07:34.385]or there might be some additional ideas
[00:07:38.585]that are shared by the team.
[00:07:40.138]But it is a team decision.
[00:07:41.770]Parents are a part of that team.
[00:07:43.731]And we definitely want to have organizations
[00:07:45.975]that are working together to share information
[00:07:48.792]so we make the best possible determinations
[00:07:52.232]about services and ways that we
[00:07:56.188]verify children for those services.
[00:08:02.804]Okay, we just listed what, I guess, in general,
[00:08:08.353]would be considered very comprehensive
[00:08:10.921]educational assessment information.
[00:08:15.658]A comprehensive evaluation or assessment
[00:08:18.308]in the school setting might include
[00:08:20.024]a health history, cognitive testing.
[00:08:23.534]There might be a psychological report.
[00:08:26.512]We included a few things that we do receive in schools,
[00:08:29.528]but they're not all, necessarily, done by the school.
[00:08:32.227]So, there might be a psychological report that,
[00:08:34.143]if the child is seeing a clinical psychologist,
[00:08:38.720]that they have shared.
[00:08:40.804]Oftentimes, the educational speech language pathologist
[00:08:43.824]will do testing of expressive language,
[00:08:46.932]receptive language, and pragmatic language
[00:08:50.523]to determine if there are any needs
[00:08:53.542]that the child needs addressed in those areas.
[00:08:57.332]Educational academic achievements
[00:09:00.313]are determining how the child's
[00:09:02.474]functioning in the classroom setting.
[00:09:05.490]Tests are often done to take a look at that.
[00:09:07.489]Also, adaptive behavior in
[00:09:09.977]functional life skills kinds of things,
[00:09:12.669]getting dressed, feeding, toileting.
[00:09:17.323]Those kinds of things.
[00:09:20.443]An occupational therapist might do a sensory profile
[00:09:23.261]to determine if there are some sensory needs
[00:09:27.136]that need to be addressed.
[00:09:28.424]And then, kind of in the last couple of years,
[00:09:33.759]schools have been provided with some genetic testing
[00:09:36.577]that parents may bring in from a clinic that they were at.
[00:09:41.800]And that's just something that, again,
[00:09:44.208]the multidisciplinary team can include in their assessment,
[00:09:48.655]but the school would not be doing,
[00:09:50.981]obviously, the genetic testing.
[00:09:52.783]Some commonly used diagnostic tools.
[00:09:55.554]In Nebraska, many of our school professionals
[00:09:58.083]have been trained in the
[00:09:58.940]Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, the ADOS.
[00:10:03.755]And it's been a very valuable tool for us
[00:10:08.614]in increasing our expertise in assessing kids
[00:10:14.084]to determine if there are
[00:10:15.400]autism characteristics present or not.
[00:10:18.953]But there's not one tool that really should be done solely.
[00:10:23.483]As the only measure that's used to determine
[00:10:26.745]if a child meets this criteria or not.
[00:10:29.318]So, these are some that are used.
[00:10:32.221]But, the bottom line is we should be
[00:10:34.549]taking a look at the child in various settings
[00:10:39.529]and their interactions with a variety of people
[00:10:42.429]in their life, interviewing families about
[00:10:45.083]developmental history, and then doing some
[00:10:47.738]direct assessment kinds of things like the ADOS.
[00:10:51.123]And really combining that information
[00:10:53.160]to determine if the child meets the criteria or not
[00:10:57.604]and completing a good assessment using those components.
[00:11:05.931]Some facts about autism.
[00:11:07.848]One fact that has really stood the test of time
[00:11:11.924]in, for sure, the last 10 to 15 years is that
[00:11:15.141]we are verifying or, in the medical community diagnosing,
[00:11:19.419]more individuals that are males
[00:11:21.496]than females on the autism spectrum.
[00:11:24.887]We do know that autism is kind of moved out of that
[00:11:28.273]low incidence disability category in terms of the numbers.
[00:11:33.487]And it's more common than things like Down syndrome,
[00:11:36.340]childhood cancer, Fragile X syndrome.
[00:11:40.624]It is a condition that can co-occur with other things,
[00:11:43.154]like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,
[00:11:46.095]obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression,
[00:11:51.447]even things like schizophrenia.
[00:11:54.097]And, also I should mention,
[00:11:57.691]it can co-occur with Down syndrome.
[00:11:59.977]I was doing some research the other day
[00:12:01.933]and I saw on the National Down Syndrome website
[00:12:07.560]that 18% of kids that have Down syndrome also have autism.
[00:12:13.430]And so, we do need to be aware that it is a condition
[00:12:16.565]that can co-occur with other things.
[00:12:23.545]Some additional facts.
[00:12:26.339]Autism is a lifelong disability.
[00:12:29.753]And we can certainly do things to improve,
[00:12:33.347]but it is something that individual's with autism
[00:12:37.344]wake up with every day and have to overcome.
[00:12:41.256]Some of the issues that creates in living in a world
[00:12:45.092]that isn't created for, necessarily,
[00:12:47.541]individuals with autism.
[00:12:49.625]Autism really doesn't discriminate.
[00:12:53.626]It is across boundaries of
[00:12:55.352]racial or socioeconomic differences.
[00:13:00.254]We know that there's autism in all countries in the world.
[00:13:07.684]It doesn't discriminate based on those kinds of things.
[00:13:14.175]And it is a developmental disability
[00:13:16.255]that can be improved and, certainly, we need intervention
[00:13:19.760]and should be putting practices into place
[00:13:24.170]to get the best possible outcomes
[00:13:26.331]for individuals on the autism spectrum.
[00:13:28.656]But there is not a cure.
[00:13:30.906]So, that's important to keep in mind, also.
[00:13:36.132]Some things that autism is not.
[00:13:38.054]It's not a mental illness.
[00:13:40.301]It's not just kids choosing not to behave.
[00:13:43.320]Even in all the education and awareness that has been done
[00:13:47.664]in the field of autism in the last 10 to 15 years,
[00:13:50.616]we still get comments about that by parents who said that...
[00:13:56.452]You know, family members will say,
[00:13:57.877]"You just need to put that kiddo in time out."
[00:14:00.849]Or "They just need some discipline."
[00:14:03.828]What we do know about autism is,
[00:14:05.339]certainly, there are some behavioral characteristics
[00:14:10.273]or issues for kiddos on the spectrum,
[00:14:14.315]but it is not just simply an unruly child
[00:14:16.998]choosing not to behave or a parent
[00:14:18.874]that is not parenting well or doesn't have
[00:14:22.753]a good discipline plan in place.
[00:14:25.569]Autism isn't always associated with a mental impairment.
[00:14:29.607]Not always associated with behavioral challenges.
[00:14:32.500]We have some kiddos on the spectrum
[00:14:34.213]who are pretty easygoing
[00:14:36.129]and don't have a lot of behavioral challenges.
[00:14:38.868]And it's not diagnosed by a single medical test,
[00:14:41.681]a brief observation, or a phone call.
[00:14:45.435]So, it is something that needs a comprehensive evaluation
[00:14:50.659]to determine if those characteristics are present or not.
[00:14:58.453]The prevalence of ASD recently went up.
[00:15:04.332]In March of 2012, the Center for
[00:15:06.945]Disease Control and Prevention
[00:15:08.576]released new prevalence numbers.
[00:15:11.067]And, based on a very large study
[00:15:12.945]that they did across several states,
[00:15:16.003]the new numbers that autism is estimated to be
[00:15:20.937]prevalent in one in 88 births.
[00:15:24.160]And at least one in 54 boys.
[00:15:27.675]Because, again, we know that number is higher.
[00:15:29.429]We are across the board, nationally and in Nebraska,
[00:15:34.812]we are seeing more boys identified with autism than girls.
[00:15:41.593]1%...
[00:15:42.930]I keep skipping my slides.
[00:15:44.480]Of children ages three to seven in the US currently
[00:15:47.499]have an autism spectrum disorder.
[00:15:55.338]And ASD is now considered the fastest growing
[00:15:58.235]developmental disability.
[00:16:04.518]The incidence of autism is increasing nationally.
[00:16:08.644]And Nebraska is no exception.
[00:16:11.258]Educational verifications of autism
[00:16:13.380]have continued to rise from the late 90s, '97-'98,
[00:16:19.998]to having 240 individuals who had
[00:16:22.686]a primary verification of autism
[00:16:25.295]to 2009-2010 where we had 2146
[00:16:31.866]individuals who have primary verification of autism.
[00:16:38.764]The cost associated for care for Americans with ASD
[00:16:44.067]is $60 billion annually.
[00:16:46.927]This was from an Autism Society estimate
[00:16:51.779]based on a study in the UK.
[00:16:54.108]And it's actually an old reference.
[00:16:58.306]What we do know is that the cost,
[00:17:01.036]especially as children are aging out of school services
[00:17:04.551]and families are faced with taking care of adults
[00:17:08.353]on the autism spectrum, is that the cost is very high.
[00:17:12.148]So, we have to do absolutely all that we can to
[00:17:15.007]equip our individuals with autism
[00:17:17.778]to be ready to function independently.
[00:17:21.897]To be meaningful, contributing members of society.
[00:17:25.490]So, it's incredibly important.
[00:17:33.277]One of the questions we get pretty frequently is
[00:17:36.415]why is the prevalence of
[00:17:38.249]autism spectrum disorders increasing?
[00:17:40.863]And, when I'm asked that, I'm always glad that
[00:17:42.497]I'm not in the research field
[00:17:44.496]because these are tough questions
[00:17:48.175]that families and educators wanna know
[00:17:51.600]and have a right to ask.
[00:17:52.909]And there don't seem to be any clear-cut answers,
[00:17:56.624]but I will say that we have more information now
[00:17:58.909]than we did in the past.
[00:18:02.417]So, it does seem like we're gaining
[00:18:04.371]a little bit more information in the field.
[00:18:07.675]So, basically, to summarize what researchers are telling us,
[00:18:12.895]is that, for ASD, there's no single factor
[00:18:15.343]that they have identified that explains it.
[00:18:18.198]That says this is why there is an increase.
[00:18:21.132]But some of the increase is likely due
[00:18:23.376]to changes in diagnosis
[00:18:25.822]and broadening that diagnosis to include
[00:18:30.397]high functioning individuals on the autism spectrum
[00:18:33.159]certainly has increased our awareness
[00:18:35.971]and identification of those individuals.
[00:18:39.274]Also, greater awareness.
[00:18:42.043]I get a lot of texts and emails
[00:18:44.079]about shows that have featured an individual with autism.
[00:18:48.977]Many radio shows and just references in mainstream media
[00:18:54.083]about autism that wasn't there in the past.
[00:18:57.143]So, there is greater awareness.
[00:19:00.165]Better record keeping.
[00:19:01.387]So, clinics are following up with families
[00:19:04.771]who had concerns earlier
[00:19:06.932]or might have a sibling with autism.
[00:19:09.922]We do know that some of these factors
[00:19:13.071]have increased the prevalence numbers.
[00:19:16.014]But exactly how much is due to those factors is not known.
[00:19:22.012]What do we know about the causes and the risk factors?
[00:19:25.641]This is from the Center for Disease Control.
[00:19:29.921]The research started in 2008,
[00:19:32.001]but this is from their latest handout.
[00:19:34.287]It's a community information flier
[00:19:37.632]that came out with the March 2012 release
[00:19:40.935]of the increased prevalence numbers.
[00:19:43.658]And, basically, what they shared with us
[00:19:45.292]is that most scientists believe,
[00:19:47.374]again, there's no single cause.
[00:19:49.495]But research has shown that both genetic and non-genetic
[00:19:53.866]factors play a role in whether someone has ASD or not.
[00:20:00.639]So, they're still looking at genetics,
[00:20:02.801]but they're also saying that, sometimes,
[00:20:05.372]it doesn't seem to have played a role.
[00:20:08.384]So, it's kind of interesting.
[00:20:10.300]But what we do know genetically
[00:20:11.725]is that children who have a sibling or parent with an ASD
[00:20:14.133]are at a higher risk of being on the autism spectrum.
[00:20:19.357]They also released in that report
[00:20:20.869]that children born to older parents
[00:20:22.582]are at a higher risk of having an ASD.
[00:20:26.093]ASDs tend to occur more often among people
[00:20:28.417]who have certain genetic or chromosomal conditions.
[00:20:31.493]So, this report said 10% of children with ASDs
[00:20:34.637]are also identified as having Down syndrome.
[00:20:38.026]I think I said earlier 18% is what
[00:20:39.986]I saw in the Down syndrome website.
[00:20:42.395]But, also, things like fragile X, tuberous sclerosis,
[00:20:48.353]other genetic chromosomal disorders.
[00:20:50.434]They're seeing some of that co-morbidity.
[00:20:52.969]So, autism, in addition to some of those other conditions.
[00:20:57.333]They also identified some prescription drugs being linked
[00:21:01.045]with higher risk of ASD if a mother
[00:21:03.985]took those things during pregnancy.
[00:21:06.473]And also low birth weight or premature babies.
[00:21:09.944]It appears a small percentage of children
[00:21:12.432]that are in that category are at a greater risk
[00:21:15.449]for having an ASD.
[00:21:18.672]Okay, now let's talk about the underlying characteristics
[00:21:21.772]of autism spectrum disorders.
[00:21:24.358]Because sometimes what we see is only
[00:21:26.237]behaviors or communication problems on the top.
[00:21:29.755]What we need to understand is that
[00:21:31.754]the characteristics of autism, the brain differences,
[00:21:35.347]the way a child views the world,
[00:21:37.467]all of that underneath is really important, too.
[00:21:40.893]And that what we may be addressing or reacting to
[00:21:43.828]is only the tip of the iceberg.
[00:21:45.867]We wanna make sure we have supports in place
[00:21:47.906]so that we understand all of the characteristics.
[00:21:51.171]So we aren't just looking at a piece of that puzzle.
[00:21:59.878]Some of the main characteristics
[00:22:01.497]of autism spectrum disorders
[00:22:03.335]that we really need to understand
[00:22:05.987]if we're providing programming
[00:22:07.537]or if we have a child on the autism spectrum
[00:22:10.111]are the following things on your screen.
[00:22:12.844]Impairments in communication,
[00:22:15.251]difficulties in social interaction,
[00:22:18.231]differences in interests, special interests
[00:22:21.372]or topics or themes that really peak their interest,
[00:22:26.712]and patterns of behavior, and sensory differences.
[00:22:30.424]So those are the main ones.
[00:22:32.504]But certainly not all there is to autism.
[00:22:34.587]But that's what we're going to talk about today,
[00:22:36.871]because they are the most common
[00:22:39.528]and defining characteristics of autism spectrum disorder.
[00:22:44.221]So, in the area of communication,
[00:22:46.629]you, again, have great variability on the autism spectrum.
[00:22:50.338]We have some individuals who show
[00:22:52.666]delay, complete absence of spoken language,
[00:22:58.099]delay of non-verbal communication,
[00:23:00.051]and that can look really different
[00:23:02.107]depending on functioning level,
[00:23:04.022]but, typically, reduced eye contact, reduced gesturing,
[00:23:11.525]that kind of thing, not using their body
[00:23:13.770]to communicate very effectively.
[00:23:16.668]Repetitive or non-functional use of language.
[00:23:19.486]That's referred to as echolalia.
[00:23:21.363]So, saying words over and over
[00:23:23.201]or repeating scripts from a movie, that kind of thing.
[00:23:26.503]But difficulty communicating outside of those areas.
[00:23:31.237]Difficulty initiating or sustaining conversations.
[00:23:35.196]For some of our individuals who have a lot of words,
[00:23:38.382]have a lot of expressive language,
[00:23:41.569]they may have difficulty, though,
[00:23:44.221]with those higher level skills of initiating,
[00:23:47.825]having a conversation that has several exchanges,
[00:23:50.760]those kinds of skills.
[00:23:52.516]And then, lack of varied play skills.
[00:23:57.700]Or, for older adults or older individuals,
[00:24:00.068]we would call them leisure skills.
[00:24:01.904]But knowing what to do with items
[00:24:04.479]that most individuals their age would play with functionally
[00:24:09.336]and then also knowing what to do in downtime,
[00:24:11.702]in unstructured time seems to be an area
[00:24:15.131]that's very difficult without
[00:24:17.741]good instruction and skill acquisition.
[00:24:22.435]In the social area, we have individuals who
[00:24:27.452]may have some non-verbal behavior but inconsistent use of.
[00:24:31.280]And, socially, we often see that,
[00:24:36.260]not only are they not using their body
[00:24:38.057]to communicate non-verbally very effectively,
[00:24:40.730]but that they don't understand the non-verbal
[00:24:42.606]communication of others.
[00:24:44.443]So, this is a major area that we see in schools
[00:24:49.302]that can be a problem.
[00:24:51.630]The individual with autism doesn't always pick up
[00:24:54.162]on non-verbal communication of peers,
[00:24:56.983]like "I'm done listening to you"
[00:24:59.183]or "What you're saying, I don't like it."
[00:25:03.636]Also, non-verbal behavior of teachers
[00:25:05.838]if teachers are trying to communicate to students
[00:25:08.778]to be quiet or stop talking
[00:25:11.591]and the individual with ASD
[00:25:14.693]most likely misses that non-verbal communication.
[00:25:18.732]So, that's an area of difficulty.
[00:25:20.893]Understanding social rules
[00:25:22.896]and relationships is very difficult.
[00:25:26.527]Spontaneously sharing.
[00:25:28.733]For little kids we call it a show.
[00:25:30.735]That they will come show their caregiver
[00:25:33.958]something that's cool or something they made.
[00:25:36.773]And, as kids get older,
[00:25:37.711]just sharing experiences can be difficult.
[00:25:41.261]Lack of social reciprocity.
[00:25:43.912]Caring about what somebody else thinks,
[00:25:46.198]taking somebody else's perspective,
[00:25:48.767]or asking somebody else about their feelings and thoughts.
[00:25:53.377]Those things are quite difficult for individuals with ASD.
[00:25:56.929]And then, often, there's just some unconventional
[00:25:59.375]or inappropriate methods of interaction.
[00:26:02.517]Some of our kids really like to be social,
[00:26:04.846]but struggle with how to do it appropriately.
[00:26:11.175]Differences in interests and patterns of behavior.
[00:26:15.786]This really refers to those restricted interests
[00:26:19.666]or repetitive kinds of things.
[00:26:22.159]So, use of objects.
[00:26:24.445]Knowing how to use objects
[00:26:26.036]or oftentimes it's just a preference
[00:26:28.813]to use certain objects in a stereotypic way.
[00:26:33.868]May include unusual intensity or focus.
[00:26:36.971]So, we might have a young child who like to play with a car.
[00:26:41.464]Where most kids would drive it, crash it, race it,
[00:26:45.869]a kiddo on the autism spectrum might really be focused on
[00:26:48.077]the wheels, watching the wheels turn, that kind of thing.
[00:26:53.338]Or maybe it's just an on/off switch.
[00:26:55.379]Or flushing the toilet.
[00:26:56.768]Or watching a fan move.
[00:26:58.360]Something that is just pervasive
[00:27:00.773]and it really takes a lot of their time and focus
[00:27:04.526]because they're focusing on a part of an item,
[00:27:07.544]not necessarily the object as a whole
[00:27:10.237]or in a functional way.
[00:27:13.669]And then, that can also include special interests in topics
[00:27:17.833]and wanting to spend a lot of their time talking about
[00:27:20.941]or researching special interests.
[00:27:24.320]That would also be included in that area.
[00:27:26.935]Awareness of a need for sequence of events.
[00:27:29.795]So, having a difficult time with change.
[00:27:32.657]That's another characteristic of individuals with autism.
[00:27:37.104]And inflexible adherence to routines or rituals.
[00:27:42.410]Basically, it's wanting to do something
[00:27:45.305]the way they learned it or the same way
[00:27:47.172]and getting upset if things are changed
[00:27:49.332]and not done in that same way.
[00:27:51.903]And sometimes it can be completely non-functional.
[00:27:53.983]Like there's a component in there
[00:27:55.621]that doesn't even need to be there to complete the routine,
[00:27:59.050]but it might have been there the first time they did it.
[00:28:01.416]And so, they want it to be done that way.
[00:28:07.415]Also, this includes self-injurious behaviors.
[00:28:12.397]Stereotypic repetitive movements, hand flapping,
[00:28:15.826]toe walking, head banging, those kinds of things.
[00:28:20.779]Preoccupation with certain
[00:28:21.788]sounds, words, phrases, ideas, or items.
[00:28:25.249]So, difficulty switching the focus of their attention
[00:28:28.226]if they're kind of stuck on one of those things.
[00:28:32.714]All of that's included in that
[00:28:34.305]differences in interests and patterns of behavior area.
[00:28:39.411]And then sensory differences.
[00:28:41.124]Individuals on the autism spectrum really,
[00:28:45.082]again cause it's such a spectrum disorder,
[00:28:48.351]have a variety of responses to sensory input.
[00:28:50.841]So, just to summarize, it can just be an atypical response.
[00:28:55.600]So, they might either really like to smell things
[00:28:58.294]or not like certain smells at all.
[00:29:02.903]Same thing with touch.
[00:29:03.964]Might be very seeking, touch-seeking, hug-seeking,
[00:29:07.511]that kind of thing or may not want that at all.
[00:29:12.124]So, in all the sensory areas, you can see,
[00:29:14.939]just sometimes an atypical response.
[00:29:17.515]And it might be very extreme in one area
[00:29:21.677]or may be very under-responsive in another area.
[00:29:24.976]And so, an unusually high to unusually low levels
[00:29:28.202]of intensity in their response
[00:29:29.994]to sensory things in the environment can be the case.
[00:29:33.373]And that's why we talked about an OT
[00:29:35.653]or someone with a sensory background doing an assessment
[00:29:39.529]to determine if there are supports
[00:29:41.288]that need to be in place for that.
[00:29:44.463]Other characteristics of ASD.
[00:29:46.912]Definitely we have individuals who struggle
[00:29:49.200]with managing anxiety and stress.
[00:29:52.300]Because things, to them, can be much bigger problems
[00:29:56.988]than maybe somebody without autism would perceive that.
[00:30:01.968]Some problematic behavior is also
[00:30:05.636]just an inherent part of autism for some individuals.
[00:30:10.360]Impulsivity can be a problem.
[00:30:14.235]Not understanding social rules.
[00:30:15.989]It just, it affects everything,
[00:30:18.267]because we are a society that is
[00:30:20.107]so rigid with our social behavior.
[00:30:24.882]And then, acting without fear.
[00:30:26.671]Not realizing, oh, this is a dangerous situation
[00:30:29.443]to run into the street or whatever.
[00:30:31.891]So, those are some things.
[00:30:33.114]Just, again, it's not a comprehensive list,
[00:30:35.434]but some additional characteristics that we can see in ASD.
[00:30:40.402]Certainly all of those things don't impact every child.
[00:30:43.502]So, that's important to know as well.
[00:30:45.837]Things that we see in the classroom
[00:30:47.512]that will impact learning, whether it's
[00:30:49.716]preschool classroom or high school or whatever.
[00:30:52.941]Attention difficulties can be a problem for learning,
[00:30:56.369]so should have a conversation about those.
[00:31:00.449]Communication impairments.
[00:31:02.289]Super important.
[00:31:03.635]And we will talk about that a little bit later,
[00:31:05.550]but we wanna make sure that the child
[00:31:07.671]has a way to communicate wants, needs, questions.
[00:31:12.772]On the higher end of the spectrum, requests for help,
[00:31:17.551]conversation skills with friends,
[00:31:19.226]and all of those communication things that are so important.
[00:31:23.107]Lack of social skills understanding affects learning,
[00:31:26.080]so we need to be addressing that.
[00:31:28.245]Auditory processing impairments
[00:31:30.404]if you have a teacher who gives all the directions verbally,
[00:31:35.061]that can be very difficult for the child with autism.
[00:31:39.184]Generalization of skills.
[00:31:41.348]Very, very difficult for many kids with autism.
[00:31:46.371]And so, skills cannot just be taught
[00:31:50.085]in one setting with one person in one opportunity.
[00:31:54.858]We have to make sure that kids are,
[00:31:57.259]whatever skills we're working with them on,
[00:31:59.279]they have multiple opportunities to learn that skill
[00:32:01.849]and apply it across settings and people.
[00:32:05.029]Difficulties imitating behavior.
[00:32:07.477]This is really a core, another core area
[00:32:11.317]for individuals with autism and definitely needs
[00:32:14.828]to be addressed in the curriculum.
[00:32:16.827]And, again, whether it's on the more classic autism end,
[00:32:20.421]where we have a non-verbal individual
[00:32:22.751]who has a hard time with motor or vocal imitation,
[00:32:28.053]all the way up to the high school student
[00:32:30.296]with high functioning autism who doesn't know
[00:32:32.466]how to imitate peers and, therefore,
[00:32:34.956]socially does some things that are inappropriate.
[00:32:37.605]Imitation is really a critical skill.
[00:32:42.298]And so, we want to teach our kids to be able to imitate.
[00:32:45.486]Behavior issues.
[00:32:47.856]We talked about that before.
[00:32:48.711]Definitely can affect learning.
[00:32:50.751]Trouble with task or event sequencing, transitions,
[00:32:53.812]time concepts, some of those things impacts learning.
[00:32:57.976]It's not something that's insurmountable.
[00:33:00.346]But things that we need to address
[00:33:02.347]in the educational setting.
[00:33:05.654]Oh, I'm so glad we're through with the deficit area.
[00:33:08.556]Because I wanted to move on to strengths
[00:33:11.699]and some more what do we do kinds of content.
[00:33:16.372]Because we had to spend a little bit of time
[00:33:19.400]talking about the deficits to really give
[00:33:21.773]a good understanding of characteristics of autism.
[00:33:24.720]But now let's talk about strengths.
[00:33:26.859]Individuals with autism often have
[00:33:29.318]really strong visual performance skills,
[00:33:31.980]visual memory, just the ability to do puzzles
[00:33:38.037]and memorize facts and content that others
[00:33:41.026]aren't able to do quite as well.
[00:33:43.034]So that's kind of fun.
[00:33:45.121]Ability to learn and follow routines.
[00:33:47.250]Definitely a strength.
[00:33:49.498]Focused attention related to special interests can also...
[00:33:54.294]And I would hope that,
[00:33:55.645]whether it's your child or your student,
[00:33:58.429]you could get to a place where you can view
[00:34:00.352]those special interests as a strength.
[00:34:03.745]Rote memory, again, kinda tied to that visual performance.
[00:34:07.801]And honesty.
[00:34:10.207]Love, love, love my students with autism who've been
[00:34:13.098]just brutally honest over the years.
[00:34:16.942]This is the short list of strengths.
[00:34:18.539]There are many more strengths to individuals with autism.
[00:34:22.355]But, always important to keep in mind,
[00:34:24.360]is we're talking about students
[00:34:26.282]who need these strategies because of the skill deficits.
[00:34:29.272]But, also, what are the strengths?
[00:34:31.604]And how can we use strengths to impact learning
[00:34:36.070]and the supports that we put in place?
[00:34:40.205]This is kind of a cool form that I found
[00:34:45.280]that just talks about individuals on the autism spectrum.
[00:34:48.722]We can look at things as a deficit base, if we have to.
[00:34:51.796]But we can also look at it as
[00:34:53.841]individuals with autism specialize
[00:34:56.053]in these things on the left.
[00:34:58.103]And they're challenged by the things on the right.
[00:35:01.051]So, I just thought that was kind of a cool thing.
[00:35:04.903]Individuals with autism specialize in working alone
[00:35:09.125]and, at times, are challenged in working with others.
[00:35:12.406]They might specialize in the concrete
[00:35:14.577]and challenged by the abstract.
[00:35:18.504]And you can take a minute to read through this list.
[00:35:22.027]I just thought it was a cool way of putting things.
[00:35:25.716]Just a little different spin on this.
[00:35:43.525]Okay, now we're going to just take a minute
[00:35:46.024]to hear from some real experts.
[00:35:48.722]I'm hoping that this...
[00:35:50.362]We won't have any technical difficulties.
[00:35:53.967]Going to share my screen with you.
[00:35:56.551]And we will look at a couple of interviews
[00:35:59.130]that are posted on the New York Times website
[00:36:01.714]by individuals with autism.
[00:36:07.485]Take a look at this.
[00:36:10.679]People have a certain perception of autism
[00:36:14.398]and the picture that seems to pop into peoples' minds
[00:36:17.336]most frequently is a child locked away, rocking,
[00:36:23.721]and not communicating with people.
[00:36:26.834]And, to me, that's like a picture of hopelessness.
[00:36:33.919]When I was growing up, I had a lot of differences
[00:36:39.148]and I was institutionalized.
[00:36:42.603]And I was diagnosed with all sorts of different things.
[00:36:46.904]But then, when my son was diagnosed with autism,
[00:36:52.171]on the same day, the doctor then turned to me and said,
[00:36:55.890]"Now let's talk about your autism, Judy."
[00:36:59.381]It actually made my life a lot better.
[00:37:02.857]Because it explained a lot of the things I had trouble with.
[00:37:07.489]It explained my way of thinking.
[00:37:10.462]It explained my sensory differences.
[00:37:14.334]And pretty much explained all the challenges that,
[00:37:18.302]that I had in my life.
[00:37:21.783]My thoughts are all in pictures
[00:37:24.689]and, like, I understand other people actually have words.
[00:37:29.681]Their thoughts are in words.
[00:37:31.440]I'm really not sure how they would.
[00:37:35.412]In my brain, my thoughts are all...
[00:37:37.949]They're either pictures of things that you
[00:37:40.529]could actually see or else it's swirls of different colors.
[00:37:45.445]And so, what I do when I create pottery
[00:37:48.444]is I can make my thoughts come into
[00:37:50.942]the piece of clay that I'm working on.
[00:37:56.179]The piece of pottery holds my thoughts.
[00:37:58.550]It's the picture of my thoughts.
[00:38:00.761]And, when I can get my thoughts outside of myself,
[00:38:03.382]then I can put words to it.
[00:38:07.219]Hi, this is Ann Hart.
[00:38:08.488]And my son John is 24 and he does
[00:38:11.686]a lot of his communication by typing.
[00:38:14.344]So I sat down with him
[00:38:15.776]and asked him some questions at the computer.
[00:38:18.148]But I'll tell you what he had to say.
[00:38:21.132]The first question was how do you
[00:38:22.065]explain to others what autism is?
[00:38:24.762]And he said...
[00:38:26.441]He has a fairly eccentric way of typing.
[00:38:30.620]"Boy very hard in talking.
[00:38:32.216]Mighty bad for making friends where you can't do talking.
[00:38:36.645]Hitted sometimes when feel frustrated."
[00:38:39.022]So, I would agree.
[00:38:40.537]Those are his two biggest things
[00:38:41.890]is communication and anger control.
[00:38:44.469]Second question was what do you like to do for fun?
[00:38:48.567]He put, "Love television and sports and movies.
[00:38:51.845]Playing lovely computer games.
[00:38:54.017]Boy loves to skate and bike and food.
[00:38:56.677]Can't think of anything else right now."
[00:38:59.956]Three was what do you think others
[00:39:01.512]don't understand about autism?
[00:39:04.087]This was kind of cute.
[00:39:05.230]He says, "Love to meet pretty girls.
[00:39:06.661]Love friends.
[00:39:08.012]Love doing things to please people."
[00:39:10.265]And then, I asked him to clarify.
[00:39:12.561]"Do you mean you like to help other people?"
[00:39:15.184]He said, "Yes, love wanting to hope for."
[00:39:18.748]Then mommy said that that didn't make sense at the end.
[00:39:21.081]But I think it means he does enjoy helping people.
[00:39:26.113]What's the hardest part about living with autism?
[00:39:28.851]"Hard to play with friends."
[00:39:30.114]Which he had referenced earlier.
[00:39:32.288]What is good about having autism?
[00:39:34.090]He says, "I don't have to work all the time."
[00:39:37.323]Which I thought was pretty funny since he's right.
[00:39:40.150]Most 24 year olds work full time.
[00:39:42.074]He knows he doesn't have to work full time.
[00:39:45.066]Sixth, do you have any advice
[00:39:46.261]for parents of kids who have
[00:39:47.777]just been diagnosed with autism?
[00:39:50.861]He said, "Love him, teach good him,
[00:39:53.686]help him meet people for friends."
[00:39:56.641]I asked him if there was anything else he wanted to add.
[00:39:58.484]He says, "Love, John Hart.
[00:39:59.998]Now watch some TV, done."
[00:40:01.633]And he always closes any written communication
[00:40:04.416]with "Love, John Hart."
[00:40:05.894]All type with no spaces.
[00:40:07.983]That's always his little signature.
[00:40:14.124]Okay.
[00:40:24.022]Go back to the PowerPoint.
[00:40:29.555]Just a minute.
[00:40:36.310]Alright, if there was a technical difficulty
[00:40:39.545]and you didn't get to see,
[00:40:41.183]there are some pictures that go along with that audio
[00:40:44.623]from the New York Times .com website.
[00:40:46.551]And here is the link to that.
[00:41:12.321]Okay, let's talk about effective educational practices.
[00:41:16.378]And, for time purposes today,
[00:41:18.753]we won't have time to go through everything,
[00:41:20.883]but we can, at least, talk about some basic concepts.
[00:41:24.363]And the bottom line is children with a different style
[00:41:27.188]require a different approach
[00:41:29.025]and we need to be open to that in the educational setting.
[00:41:35.198]What else do the experts say?
[00:41:36.925]Now these experts are people who study autism
[00:41:39.547]and what effective interventions are
[00:41:44.015]for individuals with autism and, also,
[00:41:46.347]what components should be included
[00:41:49.011]in a good educational program.
[00:41:51.466]And so, what they would tell us is that
[00:41:53.270]it's very important to have individualized supports.
[00:41:57.655]That a one-size-fits-all program
[00:42:00.451]for an individual with autism would not be appropriate.
[00:42:03.476]Because we know, as we've talked about already,
[00:42:06.589]autism is a big spectrum.
[00:42:08.596]And all of our individuals just look a little bit different
[00:42:11.704]and so our programs need to look different, as well.
[00:42:16.169]Programs should also be based on systematic instruction.
[00:42:21.494]So, very clear, concise, sequential instruction
[00:42:26.367]for our kiddos with autism.
[00:42:28.905]We talked just briefly about generalization of skills.
[00:42:32.507]And we know that that's a difficult thing
[00:42:34.142]for individuals with autism.
[00:42:36.436]And so, we have to make sure that our instruction
[00:42:39.055]builds many opportunities for learning,
[00:42:42.283]but then also scaffolds on each other.
[00:42:44.539]So that we're able to cover all of the skills that need
[00:42:48.555]to be taught in a very systematic way.
[00:42:52.242]Systematic instruction also refers to how we teach
[00:42:55.272]individuals new skills.
[00:42:59.686]Some things like the components of implied behavior
[00:43:02.479]and also good behavioral instructional strategies
[00:43:08.383]that are also included in that.
[00:43:11.913]The third thing is a structured environment
[00:43:14.339]and the use of visual strategies.
[00:43:16.724]So, taking what we know about autism
[00:43:18.851]and that need for sameness and routine
[00:43:25.610]and building our environments to support that.
[00:43:28.559]The use of structured environment and using visual schedules
[00:43:33.070]is really critical in enabling our kids with autism
[00:43:36.763]to become more independent, so that they
[00:43:39.093]can start to utilize those and function in their environment
[00:43:42.498]without adult prompting.
[00:43:45.199]So it's incredibly important.
[00:43:47.125]Also, we need to have specialized curriculum areas,
[00:43:51.259]certainly in the area of communication.
[00:43:54.674]Also, in the area of social skills.
[00:43:57.610]Those are two areas that just
[00:43:59.165]absolutely have to be addressed and may not,
[00:44:01.871]because, in the general setting,
[00:44:04.412]others may not need specific
[00:44:06.208]curriculum content in those areas.
[00:44:09.923]They may not be addressed just by the general ed curriculum.
[00:44:16.109]We need to have communication and social skills
[00:44:19.267]for individualized curriculums in place
[00:44:21.680]for our kids on the autism spectrum.
[00:44:24.340]We would also want to be using a functional approach
[00:44:26.182]to problem behavior, not just reacting to behavior,
[00:44:29.778]but putting good, positive behavior supports in place,
[00:44:33.168]meeting as a team, if needed, coming up with a behavior plan
[00:44:38.818]and all of the components that are included
[00:44:40.742]in a functional approach to problem behavior.
[00:44:44.390]And then, we absolutely need to involve family members.
[00:44:48.358]And consider the entire group of the school team,
[00:44:53.149]family members, any other people that work with the child
[00:44:57.575]part of that team, so that we can have
[00:45:01.878]consistent communication and all be using
[00:45:05.312]these kinds of components in our programming
[00:45:08.021]and interacting with the child with autism.
[00:45:25.183]There we go.
[00:45:26.335]Okay, evidence-based practice.
[00:45:28.301]And evidence-based practice is basically
[00:45:30.636]an instructional strategy that has high quality research.
[00:45:34.929]It's been demonstrated over a range of different students
[00:45:38.764]and places and over a range of behavior.
[00:45:41.993]And it's been shown to result in measurable
[00:45:45.142]educational, social, or behavioral benefit.
[00:45:48.450]Those are all really good things.
[00:45:49.963]And so, it's important that we take a look at
[00:45:53.812]evidence-based practices when we're determining
[00:45:56.181]what interventions to use.
[00:45:58.594]So, when selecting interventions,
[00:46:00.390]we want to use a process approach.
[00:46:02.348]We want to think about the individual
[00:46:03.896]strengths and needs of the student, for sure.
[00:46:06.468]We want to know the facts.
[00:46:07.895]What interventions have a good evidence base
[00:46:10.999]or would be a really good match for this skill deficit?
[00:46:14.956]And then, we want to select our interventions
[00:46:18.343]based on those facts and the individual strengths and needs.
[00:46:22.388]We want to utilize team members' knowledge and skills
[00:46:25.654]to integrate those components in interventions.
[00:46:29.121]We want to make sure there's training
[00:46:30.714]if it's something new or unfamiliar to team members.
[00:46:34.513]And then we want to make sure that we're evaluating.
[00:46:37.132]So we know is the child making progress
[00:46:39.134]and, if not, then what do we need to do to change that?
[00:46:43.132]The bottom line, there's no secret recipe.
[00:46:46.069]There's just no quick fix or band-aid.
[00:46:48.599]This is what we do to make it all better.
[00:46:51.906]We just have to continue to work as a team.
[00:46:56.520]There certainly are ways to teach
[00:46:59.309]and advance the skills of individuals with autism.
[00:47:05.185]But it's not usually a quick fix.
[00:47:09.591]We need to individualize, as I've already said.
[00:47:12.200]Some of the strategies that may be brought up by the team
[00:47:15.997]are great for one student but not with another student.
[00:47:19.501]Keep that in mind.
[00:47:22.478]That was just a very brief overview
[00:47:24.964]of some of the important educational components.
[00:47:29.086]Now I want to give you just a quick overview
[00:47:31.617]of a couple of online resources.
[00:47:34.065]And leave you with some options for collecting
[00:47:38.836]more information or gathering more information
[00:47:41.080]about autism spectrum disorders.
[00:47:43.529]The first website I wanna share with you
[00:47:46.179]is the Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network website.
[00:47:50.585]And some things that are available on that website
[00:47:53.524]is, first, upcoming trainings that are
[00:47:56.462]sponsored by the network.
[00:47:58.299]We do have an annual state conference.
[00:48:00.631]And then, in each of our five ASD regions,
[00:48:03.284]we offer ongoing training.
[00:48:05.442]So, on our state website, we try to always list
[00:48:07.769]our upcoming training.
[00:48:11.034]We open those trainings to pretty much
[00:48:13.725]to anyone who wants to attend.
[00:48:16.791]So, school professionals, community providers,
[00:48:21.358]parents, grandparents, siblings.
[00:48:25.790]Our trainings are open to anyone.
[00:48:29.349]Most of the time, they are at no or very low charge,
[00:48:34.039]if we have a food fee or something like that.
[00:48:36.485]Our state conference, there is a fee for
[00:48:38.840]because of the cost of that event,
[00:48:41.413]but we do have a reduced fee schedule
[00:48:44.018]for parents and family members.
[00:48:45.693]So, yes, check out our upcoming trainings.
[00:48:48.222]We also have a new video.
[00:48:50.342]It's called the First Signs.
[00:48:51.973]And it's about a 15 minute overview
[00:48:53.723]of autism spectrum disorders.
[00:48:55.926]It was filmed here in Nebraska.
[00:48:58.089]So, it's kind of a nice introduction to autism video.
[00:49:03.558]If you're looking for that information.
[00:49:07.722]There are links to our regional websites
[00:49:10.047]and more information about the ASD Network.
[00:49:13.316]There is a link on our education and training page
[00:49:16.418]to an evidence-based practices guide.
[00:49:20.131]It can be a really useful tool.
[00:49:22.170]As well as many, many, many online training links.
[00:49:26.576]On our website, we have online training links
[00:49:30.696]for local resources, so there's links to
[00:49:33.839]the Autism Society of Nebraska, Autism Action Partnership,
[00:49:39.463]all the local organizations that we know of
[00:49:42.183]that have supports for autism.
[00:49:45.122]And then there are links to national organizations
[00:49:48.348]and, again, we put what we think are the best ones up there.
[00:49:52.758]And then there are links specifically for parents.
[00:49:55.454]And links specifically for teachers.
[00:49:57.579]And then, we also have resources in Spanish.
[00:49:59.942]Links to resources in Spanish.
[00:50:02.226]So, please go to our website.
[00:50:03.940]It's the unl.edu/asdnetwork website.
[00:50:08.423]And check out our additional supports.
[00:50:13.408]And then, one other website that I really
[00:50:15.568]wanted to tell you about and you can
[00:50:17.199]link to this website from the state ASD Network website
[00:50:23.885]or you can just go there.
[00:50:25.150]It is www.autisminternetmodules.org.
[00:50:30.006]And, on the Autism Internet Modules website,
[00:50:34.653]there are training modules on a variety
[00:50:39.707]of autism interventions and content areas.
[00:50:44.847]And their focus has been on developing modules
[00:50:48.640]that are typically 60 minutes in length.
[00:50:51.250]Some shorter, some a little bit longer.
[00:50:53.575]The training modules on the interventions
[00:50:57.087]that have been determined to have an evidence base
[00:51:00.309]in the field of autism and, so, they're basically...
[00:51:05.081]It's an overview of what that
[00:51:06.957]strategy or intervention might be.
[00:51:09.728]There's often video clips of
[00:51:11.402]somebody using that intervention,
[00:51:13.728]steps on how to implement or put that strategy into place.
[00:51:22.168]There's an evaluation tool.
[00:51:23.960]There's frequently asked questions.
[00:51:26.039]Just a variety of really good content
[00:51:29.060]on evidence-based practices in the field of autism.
[00:51:33.023]So, definitely check that out.
[00:51:34.576]It's a great...
[00:51:35.718]I really recommend that teams take a look at
[00:51:40.901]the Autism Internet Modules together.
[00:51:43.804]And attend training, like if they want
[00:51:47.479]to learn more about the picture exchange
[00:51:49.600]communication system or something like that that,
[00:51:52.494]during a team meeting, they go through
[00:51:54.821]an autism internet module together.
[00:51:57.476]So, really good resource.
[00:52:00.088]Also, I just wanted to tell you,
[00:52:02.046]briefly, about the ASD Network.
[00:52:04.968]We are funded by IDEA Part B Set Aside Funds.
[00:52:09.817]Basically, federal dollars,
[00:52:11.325]federal special education dollars
[00:52:14.329]that go to the Nebraska Department of Ed.
[00:52:16.771]And they have chosen to fund the ASD Network.
[00:52:21.419]We have five ASD regions across the state.
[00:52:25.055]Basically, we have a coordinator in each of those areas
[00:52:28.317]who provides support to their region.
[00:52:31.373]And then, my position, the state coordinator position,
[00:52:33.947]that's housed at the University of Nebraska.
[00:52:37.539]And some of the training and support that we provide.
[00:52:40.600]We do provide consultative services
[00:52:43.869]upon request to school teams.
[00:52:46.359]And we can support teams with assessment, verification,
[00:52:51.623]IFSP and IEP development,
[00:52:54.641]program planning, selection of intervention,
[00:52:59.049]and just some ongoing consultation regarding students.
[00:53:03.555]It is a joint referral process.
[00:53:05.389]We ask that parents and the school district
[00:53:08.409]sign our referral form and request support.
[00:53:12.651]We also, in addition to consultative services,
[00:53:15.140]we have regional libraries that are
[00:53:17.955]really pretty comprehensive.
[00:53:19.884]If there's a resource in the field
[00:53:24.332]of autism spectrum disorders and we try
[00:53:26.334]to have a good sampling of those in our library.
[00:53:30.299]And we're willing to get additional resources
[00:53:32.544]if there's something that we don't have.
[00:53:36.305]The materials from the library are available
[00:53:38.511]for check out at no cost to anyone's who's
[00:53:41.279]looking for that information.
[00:53:43.490]We also have DVDs.
[00:53:44.838]We have games.
[00:53:51.841]CD instruction kinds of things
[00:53:54.011]that could be used one-on-one with a student.
[00:53:57.438]So, please check out our regional libraries.
[00:53:59.848]And then, as I said before, each of our regions
[00:54:02.015]also has workshops on an ongoing basis
[00:54:05.440]on ASD related topics.
[00:54:08.458]So, you can check out the state or the regional website
[00:54:12.230]to find out more about regional workshops in your area.
[00:54:15.696]We also have our state conference.
[00:54:18.840]And, on the state website, have more
[00:54:21.250]global resources and online training links.
[00:54:24.182]So definitely check that out.
[00:54:27.034]To access ASD Network services,
[00:54:29.972]schools can contact the regional coordinator
[00:54:32.787]and request a referral form.
[00:54:35.725]And we ask that parents contact their local school district
[00:54:38.747]and discuss whether or not, as a team,
[00:54:42.987]there is a need to request support
[00:54:46.992]from the ASD regional coordinator.
[00:54:50.301]Again, we just want that to be a conversation
[00:54:53.034]that's had between the school district and the parent
[00:54:55.528]and that everybody's onboard with the request about support.
[00:54:59.400]We are more than happy to come out
[00:55:00.868]and provide some on-site consultation.
[00:55:05.241]These are our five regional coordinators.
[00:55:17.041]And I just put some websites up here
[00:55:18.958]that we think are some of the best ones that are available.
[00:55:23.157]Ours, of course, is first.
[00:55:24.789]But then, Autism Speaks is a great resource
[00:55:29.354]for families and for schools.
[00:55:31.079]They have lots of downloadable kits,
[00:55:34.097]kits on high functioning autism,
[00:55:36.342]kits on training school staff on ASD.
[00:55:39.818]One of their kits is called the First Hundred Days Kit
[00:55:43.980]and it's for families to help with getting through
[00:55:47.613]the first hundred days after you find out
[00:55:50.185]that your child is on the autism spectrum.
[00:55:53.488]They have amazing resources,
[00:55:55.652]so we really like that link, as well.
[00:55:59.812]The Autism Internet Modules link is on here.
[00:56:03.643]And then, a few other ones.
[00:56:05.276]Firstsigns.org has some really nice screening tools,
[00:56:09.402]if you need information about how to screen for autism.
[00:56:13.481]Teacch.com has information on structured teaching.
[00:56:17.395]The do2learn website has lots of free
[00:56:20.254]downloadable activities for home or school.
[00:56:22.700]And usevisualstrategies has lots of information
[00:56:25.555]about visual supports.
[00:56:32.651]Well, that is the conclusion.
[00:56:35.708]That's our final slide.
[00:56:37.097]And everything that I wanted to cover
[00:56:38.971]in this initial autism 101 webinar.
[00:56:42.897]Hope it was beneficial for you.
[00:56:45.017]If you have any questions or comments,
[00:56:47.221]you can always email me.
[00:56:49.263]My email was on the first slide.
[00:56:52.080]It is awragge.
[00:56:53.508]A, W, R, A, G, G, E, 2 at unl.edu.
[00:57:01.101]Thank you.

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Autism Spectrum Disorders 101

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