Embedded Files
Click below for some videos regarding Autism:
This video from the 'Amazing Things Project' is a useful introduction to autism to build awareness and understanding.
This video from Australia's Telethon Kids Institute explains 10 things you need to know about autism and also addresses some common misconceptions.
This video from Nugget: STEM for Kids shows what it can be like to experience autism.
Downloadable PDF - What is autism?
Information adapted from Understood.org and Beacon
Autism
Autism is a complex condition. Autism exists on a spectrum. ‘Spectrum’ means autism affects different people in different ways.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people communicate and interact with others and the world around them. It’s lifelong — you don’t grow out of it. Autism often co-occurs with other conditions, like ADHD and learning differences.
Autism can present as challenges with social skills and communication, including:
Trouble reading nonverbal cues or picking up “unwritten” social rules
Difficulty participating in conversation
Not always being able to modulate (control how loud you speak, or in what tone)
Taking language literally and not always understanding puns, riddles, or figures of speech
Difficulty with processing language or giving information to others, either in written and verbal form.
Another common sign is what’s known as stereotyped behavior.
This may look like having a “special interest” around a certain topic or object.
Or it can refer to repetitive behaviors and movements like:
Arm flapping or rocking (sometimes called stimming)
Repeating certain sounds or phrases (sometimes called echolalia)
People with autism may also have challenges with:
Sensory input – a student may be over- or under-sensitive to certain senses. This can cause discomfort and anxiety throughout the day, raising stress levels.
Coping with change – students might find changes of routine, task or location a source of anxiety.
Eye contact – many students with autism describe making eye contact as physically painful, and will go to great lengths to avoid it
Ability to abstract or generalise – students with autism may find it hard to apply knowledge from one area of their life to another. This may result in them having to re-learn the same skill over-and-over in different contexts (eg. how to give a compliment in class, how to give a compliment on the playground, how to give a compliment at home, how to give a compliment at the shops…)
'When you meet one person with Autism, you’ve met one person with Autism'
Dr. Stepen Shore (Autistic professor of Special Education at Adelphi University)
There’s a lot of variation in how autism presents from person to person. Some people communicate by speaking. Others use nonverbal communication. There’s also a wide range in intellectual and self-care abilities.
People talk about autism in different ways. Doctors and schools often use the term autism spectrum disorder (or ASD) and person-first language (“a person with autism”). Some people with the diagnosis prefer identity-first language and may call themselves autistic.
Rather than calling autism a disorder, some in the autism community embrace neurodiversity. This concept says conditions like autism are neurological variations that are simply part of human difference.Which is why increasingly, autism is now referred to as autism spectrum condition (ASC).
3 myths about autism
Myth #1: People with autism don’t feel empathy or emotions. In fact, they feel deep empathy and have strong feelings, but they may have a hard time showing it.
Myth #2: People with autism can’t handle change. Predictable routines and structure help all people feel safe and comfortable. Change can cause anxiety. You may see perseveration (or “getting stuck”) when something unexpected happens.
Myth #3: People with autism don’t like to be touched. Autism and sensory processing issues commonly co-occur. Some avoid certain sensations and have a heightened sensitivity to touch and other senses. But others may seek out these sensations.
Autism Strengths
Autism Tasmania Strengths.pdfThis poster from Autism Tasmania outlines some of the strengths that autistic people have. Click on the top right corner to download a PDF version.
Acto Autistic Strengths.pdfThis poster from ACTO outlines some of the strengths that autistic people have and is written by autistic people. Click on the top right corner to download a PDF version.
Terminology
Terminology
So… what’s ASD?
ASD stands for ‘autistic spectrum disorder‘.
It’s the label given by medical professionals to someone with autism.
So, to all intents and purposes, the terms ‘autism’ and ‘ASD’ mean the same thing.
Medical professionals will always use the term ASD when referring to the condition.
And ASC?
ASC stands for ‘autistic spectrum condition‘.
This term is sometimes used by those outside the medical profession to describe someone with autism.
Education and social care professionals are questioning whether autism should be viewed as a disability, as indicated by the word ‘disorder’. They also want to move away from the negative images associated with the term.
For instance, some students with autism may be gifted in some areas and function successfully in school and society.
The abbreviation ASC is becoming more widespread in use, especially in schools.
What is Aspergers Syndrome?
Aspergers Syndrome is a very specific form of autism.
Aspergers is a high-functioning form of autism. Students with the condition will often be of average or above average intelligence.
However, students may still have some specific learning needs – and these may often go unnoticed until later in the pupil’s school career.
Students with Aspergers may also need support with their ability to integrate socially, and how to relate to their classmates.
Pupils may also suffer from very high anxiety levels.
Why does it have a different name?
The short story is:
Aspergers Syndrome is a condition that was discovered in the 1940s.
Over time, scientists realised Aspergers had elements in common with other conditions
Autism was the name given to the ‘spectrum’ that encompassed these conditions
Which means Aspergers is a specific type of autism
Summary
As far as everyday classroom practice is concerned:
autism, ASD, and ASC mean the same thing
autism exists on a spectrum – it affects people to differing degrees
Aspergers is a specific point on that spectrum and the term is not used as much anymore
Scroll down on the screen below to read a piece about autism written by autistic people. You can also click on ASAN to go their website.
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