# data[].attributes.body
Rami, a student in my fieldwork classroom, inspired the research topic of Autism. Rami is in 1st grade and is diagnosed with Autism. He is not an EL student, however, at home his parents speak Arabic and English at home. Additionally, this student has an IEP plan and needs academic and behavioral support for at least 4 hours each day. He has a very hard time concentrating in class and wanders around the room whenever he is uninterested. He is very advanced for his grade level and can read, write, and spell without hardly making any errors. He is highly interested in dinosaurs and can name and draw almost every dinosaur recorded. I am intrigued with his behavior and why he has a hard time focusing and completing work, yet he is very capable and smart when assessed.

# data[].attributes.body
"There is no one type of autism, but many"-Autism Speaks

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States today.

We know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, most influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently.

Several factors may influence the development of autism, and it is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and attention issues.

# data[].attributes.body
What are the signs?
The timing and severity of autism’s early signs vary widely. Some infants show hints in their first months. In others, symptoms become obvious as late as age 2 or 3.

Not all children with autism show all the signs. Many children who don’t have autism show a few. That’s why professional evaluation is crucial.

# data[].attributes.body
By 6 months

Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions.

Limited or no eye contact.

By 9 months

Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions

By 12 months

Little or no babbling

Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving

Little or no response to name.

By 16 months

Very few or no words.

By 24 months

Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)

At any age

Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills

Avoidance of eye contact

Persistent preference for solitude

Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings

Delayed language development

Persistent repetition of words or phrases (echolalia)

Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings

Restricted interests

Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.)

Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors

# data[].attributes.body
Educational/behavioral interventions: Early behavioral/educational interventions have been very successful in many children with ASD. In these interventions therapists use highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions to help children develop social and language skills, such as applied behavioral analysis, which encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative ones. In addition, family counseling for the parents and siblings of children with ASD often helps families cope with the particular challenges of living with a child with ASD.

Medications: While medication can’t cure ASD or even treat its main symptoms, there are some that can help with related symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Antipsychotic medications are used to treat severe behavioral problems. Seizures can be treated with one or more anticonvulsant drugs. Medication used to treat people with attention deficit disorder can be used effectively to help decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity in people with ASD. Parents, caregivers, and people with autism should use caution before adopting any unproven treatments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Prevalence

About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder. ( CDC, 2014)

Prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 59 births. ( CDC, 2018)

More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. ( Buescher et al., 2014)

Prevalence of autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 (1 in 150) to 2010 (1 in 68). ( CDC, 2014) Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. ( CDC, 2008)

Prevalence has increased by 6-15 percent each year from 2002 to 2010. (Based on biennial numbers from the CDC)

Financial Costs

Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236-262 billion annually. ( Buescher et al., 2014)

A majority of costs in the U.S. are in adult services - $175-196 billion, compared to $61-66 billion for children. ( Buescher et al., 2014)

Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention. (Autism. 2007 Sep;11(5):453-63; The economic consequences of autistic spectrum disorder among children in a Swedish municipality. Järbrink K1.)

1 percent of the adult population of the United Kingdom has autism spectrum disorder. ( Brugha T.S. et al., 2011)

The U.S. cost of autism over the lifespan is about $2.4 million for a person with an intellectual disability, or $1.4 million for a person without intellectual disability. ( Buescher et al., 2014)

Education

35 percent of young adults (ages 19-23) with autism have not had a job or received postgraduate education after leaving high school. ( Shattuck et al., 2012)

It costs more than $8,600 extra per year to educate a student with autism. ( Lavelle et al., 2014) (The average cost of educating a student is about $12,000 - NCES, 2014)

In June 2014, only 19.3 percent of people with disabilities in the U.S. were participating in the labor force - working or seeking work. Of those, 12.9 percent were unemployed, meaning only 16.8 percent of the population with disabilities was employed. (By contrast, 69.3 percent of people without disabilities were in the labor force, and 65 percent of the population without disabilities was employed.) ( Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014)
2003, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014 Copyright the Autism Society. All rights reserved.
Last updated: August 26, 2015

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Prevalence About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder. ( CDC, 2014) Prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 59 births. ( CDC, 2018) More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. ( Buescher et al., 2014) Prevalence of autism in U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Father’s Perspective: A Panel Discussion CDC’s 2016 Autism Awareness Month Event

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fact Sheets | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | NCBDDD | CDC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
CDC has free fact sheets and other educational materials on autism.

# data[].attributes.headline
Teachers: Strategies for Success- School Community Tool Kit

# data[].attributes.subject
Teachers: Strategies for Success- School Community Tool Kit

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/School%20Community%20Tool%20Kit.pdf

Be calm and positive. Model appropriate behavior for the student with autism, as well as for other students, by greeting him and engaging him in a respectful way.

Be aware of the characteristics of autism and general strategies

Use the “About Me” information sheet to get to know relevant facts about each particular student’s likes, fears, needs, etc. Ask specific questions regarding safety and impulsivity. If you haven’t received one, ask the school team whether there is an “About Me” information sheet available for each student with autism in your classroom.

Promote a welcoming environment, and provide opportunities for your student (and others!) to develop social interaction skills and extended learning

Teach understanding and acceptance

Pair the student with peers who are positive role models

Allow times for students to work in pairs and/or small groups

Be aware that students with autism can become isolated within the classroom (interaction only occurring between an aide and student) and be on the lookout to prevent it by working with the students and the paraprofessional to support social exchange among peers

# data[].attributes.body
Schedules of Reinforcement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Schedules of reinforcement, special systems of rewarding behavior, can help make your goals for training good behavior in your child a reality. I'll show you how this process can work.

For example, suppose you want your child to learn to take her shoes off when she comes into the house.

Most of the time, you may be able to get kids to do this just by telling them each time and hoping they'll establish a habit. And it often works well this way.

But there may be times that you just can't seem to get her to do what you want her to do. Some of our kids need a bit of extra help.

Schedules of reinforcement or operant conditioning can provide this help.

With this approach, you're rewarding your child according to a schedule and then fading out the rewards.

Continuous Schedule

With continuous reinforcement you are rewarding her every time she does what you want her to do.

Let's go back to our example of the shoes.

The first step I would take is to instruct her to take her shoes off. If she does this, I give her a small reward along with lots of praise.

I may have to keep telling her to take her shoes off, and fade this verbal prompt as soon as I can. But each time she takes them off, I give her a reward.

Once you think she is successfully doing this task with rewards, it's time to start getting her less dependent on reinforcers.

But if you discontinue the rewards at this point, she might stop this good behavior altogether. You don't want that to happen.

Instead, you can switch to fixed schedules.

Fixed Schedules

With a fixed schedule of reinforcement you are now rewarding her every fixed number of times that she takes her shoes off at the door. And you decide whether it will be every two, three or four times.

Once you see that she is successfully performing the behavior on a fixed schedule, you will want to switch to variable schedules of reinforcement.

Variable Schedules of Reinforcement

On this schedule you'll vary the number of times she has to take her shoes off before she gets a reward. This is an important step in this process because it's very difficult to unlearn a behavior on a variable schedule.

Gambling is a good example of a behavior that's difficult to extinguish or erase because it's reinforced on a variable schedule. Gamblers can see that once in a while someone wins big. So they never know if they'll be the next winner. And they also may win a bit of money once in a while.

In a similar way, a learner on a variable schedule never knows when her behavior will earn the reward. So she keeps trying, thinking this time she may get the reward.

Once she is used to getting a reward only once in a while, it would be fairly natural to fade out the rewards.

Praise Her for Her Efforts

Whether or not you need to use schedules of reinforcement, I highly recommend giving your child lots of praise when she has done well and even for trying. Praise gives her a boost of confidence, and it lets her know exactly what she has done so well and why she is being rewarded.

It's absolutely essential for success.

I also recommend fading from other rewards to praise only. Then you can fade out most of the praise as you see fit.

You may also choose to do as I do and skip the fixed schedule entirely. It depends on what your child needs. But I usually progress from a continuous schedule to a variable schedule with no problem.

Remember that you may not need schedules of reinforcement to teach every skill to your child, but they can be very effective when he needs more than simple reminders.

Please see my page on rewards for more information on choosing effective reinforcers.

Like This Page?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Schedules of Reinforcement: Changing Behavior Using Rewards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schedules of reinforcement, special systems of rewarding behavior, can help make your goals for training good behavior in your child a reality. I'll show you how this process can work. For example, suppose you want your child to learn to take her shoes off when she comes into the house.

# data[].attributes.body
Prompting and Fading
Fading Link
https://www.discover-autism-help.com/fading.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Prompting is a technique that makes learning much easier for children with autism. It works well for just about any subject or skill you are teaching to your child.

My son often needs this kind of help. Sometimes he needs a hint, cue, or reminder to action. For example, if he becomes distracted when I want him to tie his shoes, a little tap on his arm is often all he needs to get him going again.

How Will This Technique Help My Child Learn?

Here are a few ways...

When your child forgets the answer, he may need a reminder. This gives him more repetition, helping him learn the information or skill faster. This is important since some children with autism learn more slowly than other children do.

His greater success with learning will encourage him to keep trying.

These cues and reminders can keep him on task. Children with autism are sometimes easily distracted. If they are highly distractible, they may need a lot of these helps to stay with the lesson.

Types of Prompts

The following is a list of some types, but this is not a complete list.

Verbal

I think you'll recognize that we use spoken cues or reminders all the time. Here are some examples:

Simply telling the learner the answer. This also provides repetition.

Giving part of the answer to help her remember the rest of the answer.

Demonstrating how to articulate a word.

Giving the child a fill-in-the-blank cue to help him remember an answer. For example, if you are asking him what the boy in the picture is doing and he doesn't respond, you could say, "The boy is," and then see if he can give an answer.

Visual

This can involve showing an object or picture to help her remember the answer. For example, if the question is "What animal likes to bark," you could show her a picture of a dog.

Visual cuing could also involve highlighting words or pictures.

Gestural

Suppose you ask the question, "What do we do with an apple," and she doesn't know how to respond. You could make the sign for "eat" if she knows sign language. Or you could pretend to eat an imaginary apple.

Positional

Positional prompts cue the child of the next step in a procedure by placing a reminder close by.

Suppose you want to teach your teenage son how to prepare a simple snack. To remind him of what he will need to do next, such as getting a bowl, you might place the bowl close to him.

Modeling

Modeling is so effective for a lot of people that most of us are familiar with it. It involves performing the task in front of the learner so he can see how to do it.

Sometimes it will be easier for your child to see you perform a task than it will be for him to understand your spoken instructions.

Physical

These cues can range from very intensive to the least intensive. The degree that you use will depend on what your child needs.

The "hand-over-hand" technique is more intensive and is often needed when a child is starting to learn a new skill or needs a lot of help.

This method is effective in showing a child how to do something with his hands, such as writing. As the name suggests, you place your hand over your child's hand and help him perform a task, such as writing a letter or word.

As your child gets better at writing, you may graduate to less intensive help, such as holding his wrist down against the paper to keep him from holding his wrist up when he writes.

The least intensive physical prompt might be simply touching his hand to remind him to continue writing.

This process of reducing cues is known as fading.

Some Important Points to Remember

As a general rule, give the least amount and the least intensive help needed.

Before prompting, give your child a chance to answer or to do the task first if you think she may be able to respond correctly. Once you know she doesn't know the answer, then you can help her.

Cues that may work well for one child may not work as well for another. You can find out which ones will work best for him through trial and error. Also knowing your child's strengths and weaknesses will help you select the right approach for him.

Keep These Ideas in Mind For When You Need Them

You may even wish to print this page if you want to keep this list as a reminder for yourself. You could think of it as your own prompt. After all, don't we all need help from time to time?

Using these techniques will make it so much easier for him to master the information and skills required to reach his potential.

If you have questions or if you would like more information about prompting and how to use this technique, check out this article by Autism Classroom News & Resources.

Like This Page?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Prompting is a technique that makes learning much easier for children with autism. It works well for just about any subject or skill you are teaching to your child. My son often needs this kind of help. Sometimes he needs a hint, cue, or reminder to action.

# data[].attributes.body
Generalization

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Generalization, a vital step for children with autism, involves applying newly learned skills to different situations. Here is a quick guide that explains how to do this.

Imagine this scenario:

Susie goes to speech therapy. She's learning how to say her words very well. During her lessons, her speech is becoming easier to understand because she's pronouncing her consonants better than she did before.

Her mom and her therapist are very proud of her. And they should be. Susie has worked very hard and she's comes so far.

But at home, Susie's mom is a little concerned. Susie goes back to her old habits of speech after she leaves the therapy room. At home, all that she learned in speech therapy goes out the window.

Susie is not alone. This is a common problem among many children with autism. They may learn a skill in one setting and not know how to carry that over into other situations.

Generalization: Applying
New Skills to New Situations

As you probably know, once they have learned a new skill, most children who have no disabilities will need no further instruction. They automatically know how to take this new skill and use it in a variety of ways and in different situations.

But children with autism tend to need more help than that. They may learn an important skill during therapy or at school, but not know how to make it a habit that they practice everywhere, all the time.

Children like Susie might learn some new speech skills during therapy and then drop the new speech when they go home.

Using this technique would involve helping her learn to apply this new speech skill at home, on the playground, at the store, and in other settings. It turns what she has learned during therapy into a habit for everyday life.

Repeat the Lesson in New Situations

Now Susie's mom needs to reinforce her new speech skills at home and elsewhere. If necessary, Susie's mom could decide to repeat some of the same lessons at home that her therapist taught her.

She could even find different activities that will reinforce the speech in different ways.

Once she is improving during these lessons at home, her mom could simply move to gently correcting her in different settings.

Whether your child is learning speech, social skills, or other lessons, it's really important to repeat these instructions in different situations and in different ways.

Making generalization of skills part of your child's learning program puts essential finishing touches on all the training that will make him more independent.

Like This Page?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Generalization Leads to Permanently Learned Skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Generalization, a vital step for children with autism, involves applying newly learned skills to different situations. Here is a quick guide that explains how to do this. Imagine this scenario: Susie goes to speech therapy. She's learning how to say her words very well.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

https://www.autismspeaks.org/learn-signs

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-Fact-Sheet

http://www.autism-society.org/what-is/facts-and-statistics/

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html

https://www.autismspeaks.org/tool-kit-excerpt/teachers-strategies-success

https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/School%20Community%20Tool%20Kit.pdf

https://www.discover-autism-help.com/teaching-strategies-for-autism.html

# data[].attributes.body
CDC Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is committed to continuing to provide essential data on ASD, search for factors that put children at risk for ASD and possible causes, and develop resources that help identify children with ASD as early as possible.

Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move. CDC has checklists to help parents and others track a child's development.

More

The ADDM Network is the only collaborative network to track the number and characteristics of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities in multiple communities of the United States.

SEED is currently the largest study in the United States to help identify factors that may put children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities.

Explore the tool to see autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence estimates and demographic characteristics at the national, state, and community levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is working to find out how many children have ASD, discover the risk factors, and raise awareness of the signs.

# data[].attributes.body
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States today.

We know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, most influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently.

Several factors may influence the development of autism, and it is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and attention issues.

Signs of autism usually appear by age 2 or 3. Some associated development delays can appear even earlier, and often, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. Research shows that early intervention leads to positive outcomes later in life for people with autism.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is autism spectrum disorder (asd)? Click here to read the definition, learn about different types of autism and how to help autistic kids.

# data[].attributes.body
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.