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5 Things Every Teacher Should Know About…Autism
1. “There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observation of the individual's communication, behavior and developmental levels” ( Autism Society of America, n.d.)
A doctor cannot just do a test and diagnose a child with autism. It takes time, observation, and patience. According to the Autism Society of America, kids with autism can be mistaken for those who have mental retardation, hearing problems, behavior disorders, or even may be just considered a little odd or eccentric. It is important that other disorders are ruled out before autism is diagnosed.
2. Autism is a spectrum disorder, and while there is a certain set of behaviors identified with autism, no two persons with autism will behave in the exactly the same way.
Autism deals with brain function. Some people may have sensory issues. Some may have social issues. Teachers cannot have the view “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all” because it is simply not true in the context of autism. The Autism Society of America states that “people with autism process and respond to information in unique ways…Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits:” (Autism Society of America, n.d.)
3. There are many misconceptions associated with autism, and teachers need to be aware of these traps.
Many people have false ideas or make generalizations about people with autism. Many beliefs are actually myths rather than fact. Some people believe that people with autism do not make eye contact, that they do not speak, that they do not smile, and that they do not or cannot show affection. According to the Autism Society of America, these are ideas are just not true. Do some people with autism exhibit these concerns? Yes. But to assume or generalize in this way about all those who live with autism is simply unprofessional. I have worked with several students on the spectrum, and I have found that each child is unique. Aren’t we all?
4. Asperger’s Disorder is diagnosed on the autism spectrum, but “what distinguishes Asperger's Disorder from Autism Disorder is the severity of the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Children with Asperger's Disorder may be only mildly affected and frequently have good language and cognitive skills” (Autism Society of America, n.d.)
Asperger’s may go undetected because students do not have speech concerns with this disorder. They may have motor skill delays, however, and may be considered clumsy. They usually want to fit in and have friends, but may not be sure how to make that happen. People with Asperger’s tend to have average to above average cognitive abilities and will be able to roll with the group and to the untrained eye, these children may just appear a little different or awkward in comparison to the rest of the children in a classroom.
5. A child’s autism affects everyone in a family structure…and everyone in that family structure’s way of dealing with this is different.
When a child is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the entire family is forced to make changes in order to better meet that child’s needs. Parents may not yet know how to advocate for what their child needs. Marriages and relationships can become strained. Other children in the family may begin to feel left out or resentful and certainly stressed. Teachers not only need to be aware of autism in students they currently have in class, they also need to be aware of students who have siblings on the spectrum. It is important to offer support to those kids who have family struggles with autism.
References
Autism Society of America is a site that details information about autism spectrum Disorders (http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer).
Beegle, D. (n.d.) Educating students from generational poverty: Building blocks from A to Z. Retrieved from http://www.region10.org/migranteducation/documents /EducatingChildrenofPoverty.pdf
Hollingworth, L. S. (1942). Children above 180 IQ (Stanford-Binet): Origin and development. Yonkers-on-Hudson, NY: World Book Company.
Kearney, K. (1996). Highly gifted children in full inclusion classrooms. Highly Gifted Children, 12 (4). Retrieved from http://www.hollingworth.org/fullincl.html
Payne, R. (1996). Understanding and working with students and adults from poverty. Instructional Leader, 9 (2). Retrieved from http://homepages.wmich.edu/~ljohnson/Payne.pdf
1. “There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observation of the individual's communication, behavior and developmental levels” ( Autism Society of America, n.d.)
A doctor cannot just do a test and diagnose a child with autism. It takes time, observation, and patience. According to the Autism Society of America, kids with autism can be mistaken for those who have mental retardation, hearing problems, behavior disorders, or even may be just considered a little odd or eccentric. It is important that other disorders are ruled out before autism is diagnosed.
2. Autism is a spectrum disorder, and while there is a certain set of behaviors identified with autism, no two persons with autism will behave in the exactly the same way.
Autism deals with brain function. Some people may have sensory issues. Some may have social issues. Teachers cannot have the view “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all” because it is simply not true in the context of autism. The Autism Society of America states that “people with autism process and respond to information in unique ways…Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits:” (Autism Society of America, n.d.)
- Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
- Difficulty in expressing needs; using gestures or pointing instead of words
- Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
- Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
- Preference to being alone; aloof manner
- Tantrums
- Difficulty in mixing with others
- Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled
- Little or no eye contact
- Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
- Sustained odd play
- Spinning objects
- Obsessive attachment to objects
- Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain
- No real fears of danger
- Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
- Uneven gross/fine motor skills
- Non-responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests are in normal range
3. There are many misconceptions associated with autism, and teachers need to be aware of these traps.
Many people have false ideas or make generalizations about people with autism. Many beliefs are actually myths rather than fact. Some people believe that people with autism do not make eye contact, that they do not speak, that they do not smile, and that they do not or cannot show affection. According to the Autism Society of America, these are ideas are just not true. Do some people with autism exhibit these concerns? Yes. But to assume or generalize in this way about all those who live with autism is simply unprofessional. I have worked with several students on the spectrum, and I have found that each child is unique. Aren’t we all?
4. Asperger’s Disorder is diagnosed on the autism spectrum, but “what distinguishes Asperger's Disorder from Autism Disorder is the severity of the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Children with Asperger's Disorder may be only mildly affected and frequently have good language and cognitive skills” (Autism Society of America, n.d.)
Asperger’s may go undetected because students do not have speech concerns with this disorder. They may have motor skill delays, however, and may be considered clumsy. They usually want to fit in and have friends, but may not be sure how to make that happen. People with Asperger’s tend to have average to above average cognitive abilities and will be able to roll with the group and to the untrained eye, these children may just appear a little different or awkward in comparison to the rest of the children in a classroom.
5. A child’s autism affects everyone in a family structure…and everyone in that family structure’s way of dealing with this is different.
When a child is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the entire family is forced to make changes in order to better meet that child’s needs. Parents may not yet know how to advocate for what their child needs. Marriages and relationships can become strained. Other children in the family may begin to feel left out or resentful and certainly stressed. Teachers not only need to be aware of autism in students they currently have in class, they also need to be aware of students who have siblings on the spectrum. It is important to offer support to those kids who have family struggles with autism.
References
Autism Society of America is a site that details information about autism spectrum Disorders (http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer).
Beegle, D. (n.d.) Educating students from generational poverty: Building blocks from A to Z. Retrieved from http://www.region10.org/migranteducation/documents /EducatingChildrenofPoverty.pdf
Hollingworth, L. S. (1942). Children above 180 IQ (Stanford-Binet): Origin and development. Yonkers-on-Hudson, NY: World Book Company.
Kearney, K. (1996). Highly gifted children in full inclusion classrooms. Highly Gifted Children, 12 (4). Retrieved from http://www.hollingworth.org/fullincl.html
Payne, R. (1996). Understanding and working with students and adults from poverty. Instructional Leader, 9 (2). Retrieved from http://homepages.wmich.edu/~ljohnson/Payne.pdf