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TED Talk: What We Know (and don't know yet)

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TED Talk: What We Know (and don't know yet)

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Interesting video if you're curious about the causes of Autism (15 minutes)

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Autism — what we know (and what we don't know yet) | Wendy Chung

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Autism Spectrum Disorder: An overview for educators

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Autism Spectrum Disorder: An overview for educators

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View the movie below and then proceed to the Initial Thoughts section (time: 4:42).

Transcript: Challenge

Every child or student with autism spectrum disorder-or ASD-has his or her own strengths, classroom needs, and challenges. Let's briefly meet four students with ASD.

This is Drew, an energetic four-year-old. Drew only communicates with others when he initiates the interaction, most often when someone has something that he wants. Drew spends his free time lining up toy cars in the classroom. The teacher has a hard time redirecting him to any other activity. He seems content to be by himself and often tantrums when asked to comply with teachers' instructions or to participate in non-preferred activities. As a result, he does not participate in most age-appropriate activities at his school, such as story time and dramatic play, and shows no interest in his peers. His parents are worried about what will happen when Drew enters kindergarten. They are not sure what his educational program should look like or where to turn for help.

This is Jaquese, a ten-year-old student in an inclusive fourth-grade classroom. Jaquese loves mathematics and science and is above grade level in both subjects. Because of this, his teachers have a hard time keeping him engaged during mathematics and science instruction. On the other hand, Jaquese has difficulty with reading comprehension, both when a story is read to him and when he reads it independently. He is obsessed with superheroes and will frequently act out scenes from their films and comic book adventures. This is often frustrating for the teacher, because no matter how she tries to distract him from his imaginary super-heroics, he always comes back to them. In fact, he often cannot begin his work until he has finished acting out an entire scene. Further, most students do not share his obsession, and they find Jaquese annoying and do their best to avoid him.

This is David, a 2½-year-old with autism spectrum disorder. He is not interested in other children, and he does not play with toys as they were designed to be played with. For example, instead of pushing toy cars around on the floor, he flips them over and spins their wheels. On the other hand, David loves to play in the water and listen to music. At night, he remains awake for extended periods, something that is exhausting for his parents. Mealtimes are a struggle as well. David eats only a few specific foods and avoids others with textures or consistencies he doesn't like. He is non-verbal and lacks a systematic way to let his teachers and parents know what he wants. Often, when he is not successful at communicating what he wants, David throws himself on the floor, hits his parents, and throws objects. He has recently been introduced to the Picture Exchange Communication System, often referred to as PECS, but has not yet learned enough to communicate his needs.

Finally, this is Michelle, a fifteen-year-old tenth grader diagnosed with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Michelle is bright and funny and often outspoken with adults and her peers. She has a good memory and the ability to recall details about all things related to outer space. Although this can lead to interesting conversation, Michelle has a hard time taking cues from her audience when they are tired of a particular subject. She perseverates when the other kids would prefer her to stop. Michelle also displays behaviors that the other students consider strange, such as rocking back and forth in her chair and violating others' personal space by standing too close when talking to them. All these behaviors present challenges when Michelle is trying to make friends at school. Even so, she loves to be around her peers and would like to participate in a school club or team. However, because she lacks organizational skills, she often misses the deadlines for signing up or trying out.

All of these children have been identified as having autism spectrum disorder. Although you might have noticed some similarities in their needs and their behaviors, you probably noticed a number of differences as well.

Here's your Challenge:

1. What is autism spectrum disorder and what are the characteristics associated with it?

2. What should teachers consider when working with students with autism spectrum disorder?

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View the movie below and then proceed to the Initial Thoughts section (time: 4:42). Transcript: Challenge Every child or student with autism spectrum disorder-or ASD-has his or her own strengths, classroom needs, and challenges. Let's briefly meet four students with ASD. This is Drew, an energetic four-year-old.

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Assistive technology is used to support and enhance communication for people with autism. Autism Speaks has the latest information and resources.

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The Sensory Room: Helping students with Autism focus

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The Sensory Room: Helping students with Autism focus

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The Sensory Room: Helping Students With Autism Focus and Learn

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Autism Therapies: Applied Behavioral Analysis

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Autism Therapies: Applied Behavioral Analysis

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ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is, by any measure, the most popular and widely used autism therapy. ABA can be used to teach appropriate behaviors or skills, and it's often provided to autistic children through no-cost early intervention and school programs. While it's not a terribly complex process, it can seem that way because ABA therapists often use special terms to describe what they're doing. Once you know the terms, you'll find it easy to understand what they're doing and how they're doing it.

How Does ABA Work?

ABA is built around traditional behaviorism. Behaviorism assumes that both animals and people learn to behave appropriately because they are responding to potential rewards or consequences.

On the simplest level, dogs do tricks because they are expecting a treat, and they avoid pulling on a leash because they don't like the feeling of a collar choking them. On a much more sophisticated level, employees work harder when they expect a bonus for their extra effort, and they avoid stealing from their employer because they don't like the idea of going to jail.

ABA is a therapy which uses behavioral theory to teach people with autism how to respond appropriately, make requests, and behave as typically as possible. Over the years, ABA researchers have discovered that consequences for non-compliance are not only ethically questionable but are also unnecessary. Thus, in the vast majority of situations, ABA therapists do not use consequences or punishment; instead, if a child fails to comply, he or she does not receive a reward.

The most basic form of ABA therapy is actually quite simple:

1. You start by determining, through conversation or experimentation, what reward is most interesting to the child. While some children respond best to a smile and praise, others are more likely to respond to a treat such as a favorite food or an opportunity to do something they enjoy.

2. Next, you ask the child for the desired behavior. That behavior can be something as simple as "pick up the spoon", "repeat this word", "name this object," or as complex as "have an appropriate conversation with a classmate."

3. If the child responds as desired, he or she receives a reward. If not, there is no reward. In some cases, the request is repeated until the child complies.

It's important to know that the very simple form of ABA described above, called "discrete trials," is by no mean the only available form of ABA. In fact, there is a wide range of newer ABA techniques with names like "pivotal response" and "natural environment teaching" which are much less regimented. All ABA techniques, however, are based in behaviorism and use rewards to reinforce positive behaviors.

What Are the Terms Used By ABA Therapists to Describe the Therapy?

ABA itself is not terribly complicated. But as in many technical fields, behavioral therapists use special terms (jargon) to describe what they're doing. Here are just a few of the terms you're likely to hear from your child's ABA therapist:

Positive reinforcer: the treat or reward offered for a job well done

Negative reinforcer: removing a negative event or stimulus for a job well done (for example helping a learner to unzip his heavy jacket only when he asks for help)

Mand: the request for a desired behavior

Echo: an imitated sound or word (the therapist says "say spoon" and the child says "spoon")

Tact: a verbal label (the therapist says "what is this?" and the child responds "spoon")

Intraverbal: a correct conversational response (the therapist says "what do you want?" and the child replies "a cookie")

Deprivation: withholding a reinforcer prior to giving a mand or because the learner does not comply with a mand

Extinction: the point at which the learner is able to comply with a mand without a reinforcer

Consequence: usually refers to a natural negative consequence rather than a punishment; for example, the natural consequence of refusing to stand in line for the slide is that the child doesn't get a turn on the slide

Generalize: helping the learner to use new skills in multiple settings and situations

In practice, then, the therapist shows the learner a reinforcer, then gives a mand requesting a tact or intraverbal. If the learner is able and willing to comply, he or she receives their reinforcer and they move on to the next mand. If not, they may experience a consequence and the mand is repeated. Once the learner has learned the new skill and no longer needs a reinforcer, extinction has been achieved and the skill can be generalized.

Or, in layman's terms, the therapist offers a child a cookie as a reward for correctly labeling a spoon. The child says "this is a spoon" and receives the cookie. If the child doesn't say "this is a spoon," she doesn't receive the cookie. The therapist then tries again until the child gives the requested response. After a while, the child is able to label the spoon without getting a cookie, and it's time to practice labeling spoons of different kinds in different locations so the child understands that there are many kinds of spoons.

How Different Is ABA From Ordinary Parenting or Teaching?

So what's the difference between a mand and a request, or a reinforcer and a prize? For example, if you say "Janey, if you say spoon I'll give you a cookie," are you doing exactly the same thing as an ABA therapist would do?

The difference, according to Amanda Reed, BAppSc, MA, is fairly small. "A mand is essentially a request, but it's all about what comes before and after the request. Prior to the mand comes some kind of deprivation or aversive."

For example, a therapist, knowing that a child particularly likes Oreo cookies, might hold an Oreo in her hand and show it to the client. This is the deprivation or aversive. While it isn't a consequence, it's a way of communicating the idea that "you'll lose something you want if you don't comply."

When the client correctly uses a mand by requesting the cookie using words, picture cards, signs, etc., the therapist responds by handing over the cookie. If the client simply grabs, the therapist withholds the cookie and instructs the client to use the appropriate mand.

Thanks for your feedback!

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Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand

Article Sources

Sources:

Hagopian, Louis et al. Applied behavior analysis. Kennedy Krieger. Web. 2017.

Interview with Amanda Reed, BAppSc, MA, Director of Development at Pyramid Group Management Services Corporation. September, 2010.

Slocum, Timothy A. et al. The evidence-based practice of applied behavior analysis." The Behavior Analyst 37.1 (2014): 41-56. PMC. Web. 24 Aug. 2017.

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Get to Know the Language of ABA Autism Therapy

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ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is, by any measure, the most popular and widely used autism therapy. ABA can be used to teach appropriate behaviors or skills, and it's often provided to autistic children through no-cost early intervention and school programs. While it's not a terribly complex process, it can seem that way because ABA therapists often use special terms to describe what they're doing.