AUTISM

Autism is a spectrum disorder. It is a life- long disability most common to boys.

“Autism” comes from the Greek word “autos”. The word “autistic” meaning to escape from the
reality used by Leo Kanner in 1943 when he identified the symptoms characterized by autism.
Studies from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA ) define autism as
1. A pervasive developmental disorder significantly affecting verbal and non verbal
communication and social interactions.
2. The onset is before 3 years old.
3. Adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
4. Characterized by repetitive activities, stereotype movements, resisting to environmental
change or routines and unusual responses to sensory experience.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV,2000) has the
following descriptions for autism:
1. Impairments in Social Interaction
 Prefers to play or to spend time alone
 Shows little interests in making friends
 Has difficulty keeping friends
 Lacks eye contact, facial expression or gestures
 May not respond when name is called
 Dislikes being touched and resists cuddling
 Does not seek or accept comfort when hurt
 Unaware or disinterested in what is going on around them
 Struggles imitation or social imitative play

2. Impairments in Communication
 Delay in or total lack of spoken language
 Children or indviduals with adequate speech, inability to initiate or sustain a
conversation.
 Repeats the same word or phrases over and over
 Repeats exactly what was said to him ( echolalic )
 Repeats words, phrases or sentences heard in the past
 Cannot express clearly what he wants
 Has difficulty to initiate and sustain conversation
 Makes verbal sounds while listening
 Rarely asks questions and has difficulty in answering questions.
 Appears Deaf

3. Impairments in Behavior
 Preoccupation and attachment with a particular object
 Repetitive movements such as arm flapping, head banging, twirling, spinning, running
around circles and twisting of fingers
 Likes monotomy or routine activities
 Feels the need to fix or rearrange ways
 Extreme fear with no apparent reason
 Causes injury to self or others
 Difficulty waiting for their turn
 Displays frequent temper tantrums
 Hyperactive or lethargic

4. Impairments in Sensory Processing

 Oversensitivity to touch
 No reaction to pain, sight, hearing, touch, smell or taste
 Excessive focus on details
 Very good in observing minute details

CAUSES OF AUTISM
Theories on Autism

✘ Gargiulo (2009) discussed several of these theories. One of the most popular is the “bad
mothering”.This is known a psychogenic theories of autism.
Genetic Factor

✘ At present, scientists and researchers still are not sure on the cause’s of autism but based
on studies it says that genetics and environment are the reason of this condition.
Environmental Factor

✘ National Autism Association believed that parental age can cause autism. They
explained that when a women reaches the age of 40, she has a bigger chance of
conceiving a baby with this condition compared to her younger counterpart.
SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS
TEACHC
✘ Susan Strokes, an autism consultant, mentioned in her website the Structured Teaching
Intervention as one of the teaching techniques in this model. It was introduced by Eric
Scholper in the late 1970s from the University of North Carolina TEACCH Division
( Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped
Children).
1. Physical Organization
2. Work System
3. Task Organization
4. Alternative and Augmentative Communication
5. Behavioral Interventions