Julie Ivey - Educational Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The word autism is derived from the Greek word autos meaning self. Although cases of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) had been documented in the 18th century, Dr. Leo Kanner (1943) and Dr. Hans Asperger (1944/1991), independently of one another, were the first to systematically study the disorder in the 1940s. Today, autism and Aspergers syndrome have been combined with other disorders to fall under the continuum of autism spectrum disorders. This spectrum includes Autistic Disorder, Aspergers syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Retts Disorder, and Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Individuals with ASD exhibit a continuum of severity, ranging from mild to severe. In accordance with Drs. Kanner and Asperger, the current definition of an Autistic Disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychological Association, 1994) is (1) a qualitative impairment in social interaction; (2) a qualitative impairment in communication; and (3) restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. These three impairments are often referred to as the triad or triangle of autistic disorders.

The impairment in social interactions can be seen by a lack of nonverbal behaviors such as eye contact, facial expressions, body postures, and typical social gestures. This impairment also is seen as an inability to form social relationships with peers and a seemingly lack of empathy. It is not that a child with autism does not care; it is that he or she has difficulty interpreting the perspectives of others. The impairment in communication skills can manifest itself from a total lack of verbal language to some simple word usage but with an inability to initiate or continue a conversation. A lack of imaginary or imitative play also is part of the communication impairment point of the autism triangle. Finally, the restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped behaviors appear as preoccupation of particular interests, inflexibility of transitioning to new activities or routines, and/or repetitive motor movements. Although not considered one of the points of the autism triangle, sensory or perceptual misrepresentations often accompany children with autism. This could include difficulties with certain sounds, tastes, touch, and the like.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2008), in 2007 approximately 1 in 150 eight-year-old children had an ASD. It also is estimated that up to 560,000 children ages 021 currently have an ASD diagnosis with a male to female ratio of approximately 3:1. Children with autism almost always need special services in their school setting. It is projected that the United States serves more than 200,000 children classified with an ASD diagnosis in special education programs (CDC, 2008). Because autism spectrum disorders are on a continuum, educational placements can range from specialized autism classrooms to full-time inclusion in a general education classroom. It is important for teachers and staff to understand the various educational strategies that are available. It is the goal of this volume to provide interventions and strategies to help teachers and staff best serve students on the autism spectrum.