Loch Primary School

Learning Disabilities & Difficulties

Autism Spectrum Disorder

What is Autism?

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. It is characterised by differences in behaviour, social interaction, communication, special interests and sensory processing. These differences can present people on the autism spectrum with challenges in how they interact with their environment. To receive a diagnosis of autism, these symptoms need to be evident from childhood and impair the person’s daily functioning.1

Some characteristics of autism are common to a greater or lesser extent among many people on the autism spectrum; other characteristics are typical but not necessarily experienced by all people on the autism spectrum. Thus, the word ‘spectrum’ is used to reflect the wide scope of differences in how individual people experience autism and their environment.

While some people on the autism spectrum also have an intellectual impairment or disability, many others have average intelligence, while others have above-average intelligence.

 

Behaviour

People on the autism spectrum may exhibit non-typical skills and focus. This can include:

• unusually intense or focused interests, including savant skills

• excellent memory skills

• high level of attention to details, plans, patterns and codes

• either difficulties, or exceptional skills in planning and self-organisation.

Some people on the autism spectrum may behave in non-typical ways, often in response to the different ways in which they experience their environment. Such behaviours are generally a way to communicate their feelings or to adapt to a situation, or may result from their heightened sensitivity to a sound or something they have seen or felt.

Some people on the autism spectrum may use these behaviours as a way to reduce uncertainty and maintain the predictability of their environment. This can include:

• strict adherence to rules and routines

• repetitive body movements

• repetitive use of objects, such as repeatedly switching lights on and off, or placing objects in a strict order or pattern.

 

Social Interaction

People on the autism spectrum may to a greater or lesser extent be unable to understand and express their needs and emotions, or unable to interpret and understand the needs and emotions of others. This can affect their ability to share interests and activities with other people. Their non-typical communication styles and skills can lead to their avoidance of any social interaction and withdrawal into repetitive play and behaviour. For these reasons, people on the autism spectrum may sometimes appear distant and aloof and may have challenges in establishing and maintaining relationships. People on the autism spectrum may also show strong loyalty and commitment to honesty.

 

Communication

People on the autism spectrum may face communication challenges in one form or another. Many people on the autism spectrum are highly articulate and speak fluently, others may have speech impairments of varying degrees and others are unable to speak at all (non-verbal). Of those who can speak, they can often use language in a limited or non-typical way. People on the autism spectrum may tend to speak their mind and to present and interpret information in ‘black and white’ concepts. Conversations may involve repeating phrases, asking the same questions over and over, or focussing only on topics that are of interest to them. People on the autism spectrum may either miss or misinterpret non-verbal forms of communication such as facial expressions, hand gestures and other body language.

 

Sensory processing

People on the autism spectrum may experience non-typical sensory sensitivities and may seek to avoid everyday sounds and textures such as hair dryers, vacuum cleaners and sand. Some people on the autism spectrum may have unusual sensory interests, such as sniffing objects or staring intently at moving objects. These sensitivities and interests can lead to non-typical behaviours, often as means of adapting to and coping with the sensitivity.

 

What causes Autism?

Currently, there is no single known cause of autism, however, recent research has identified strong genetic links. Autism is not caused by an individual’s upbringing or their social or economic circumstances.

 

How common is Autism?

It is estimated that worldwide there are 52 million people on the autism spectrum and research suggests that there is little variation from one region to another in the proportion of the population who are on the autism spectrum.

Estimates of the number of people on the autism spectrum rely largely on the reported the number of people who have received a diagnosis. Diagnosis is now more common in childhood, and this means that the reported number of children with an autism diagnosis is higher than for adults. In Australia, up to 2.5%, or 1 in 40 parents with children born in 2004-2005 reported that their child had received an autism diagnosis by the age of 7 years, whereas 1 in 67 parents with children born in 1999-2000 reported that their child had received n autism diagnosis by the age of 7 years. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that about 1 in 68 children in the United States are identified as being on the autism spectrum. Consistent with the understanding that autism is a lifelong condition, researchers from the United Kingdom have shown that the prevalence of autism in the adult population is similar to that identified in children. The rate of diagnosis in children is higher for males than for females.

Over the last two decades the reported prevalence of autism has increased dramatically from its 1995 count of around 1 in 500.7 Current research suggests that the increased rate of autism diagnosis is due to changes in reporting practices  and changes in the diagnostic criteria, which now includes a broader range of diagnostic features.

 

Symptoms

No single indicator necessarily signals autism – usually, a child will present with several indicators from some of the following categories:

Behaviour

• Has inexplicable tantrums

• Has unusual interests or attachments

• Has unusual motor movements such as flapping hands or spinning

• Has extreme difficulty coping with change

Sensory

• Afraid of some everyday sounds

• Uses peripheral vision to look at objects

• Fascination with moving objects

• High tolerance of temperature and pain

Communication

• Not responding to his/her name by 12 months

• Not pointing or waving by 12 months

• Loss of words previously used

• Speech absent at 18 months

• No spontaneous phrases by 24 months

• Selective hearing – responding to certain sounds but ignoring the human voice

• Unusual language patterns (e.g. repetitive speech)

Social skills

• Looks away when you speak to him/her

• Does not return your smile

• Lack of interest in other children

• Often seems to be in his/her own world

• Does not seek to share interests with others

Play

• Prefers to play alone

• Very limited social play (e.g. “Peek-a-boo”)

• Play is limited to certain toys

• Plays with objects in unusual ways such as repetitive spinning or lining up

• Shows very strong interest in or attachment to a limited number of games or toys

 

For further information visit

https://www.autismspectrum.org.au

Learning Disabilities / Difficulties / Differences

Apart from the typical learners, typically around 75% - 80% of students, there are three broad groups  of students  in classrooms:

 

1) Learning Difficulty

Learning Difficulty is an umbrella term that describes the 15 - 20% of students who experience difficulty with learning for a variety of reasons. these can include (not an exhaustive list):

  • long absences from school
  • differences in early language and literacy experiences due to environmental opportunity
  • can be but not always linked to social gradient
  • chronic middle ear infections
  • uncorrected vision impairment and or unaided hearing impairment
  • instructional casualties (poor teaching)

2) Learning Disability

Students with learning disabilities are neuro - atypical. Their problem with learning have an intrinsic, neuro - biological basis.  These students typically respond less well or more slowly to instructional supports and may need specialist educational / clinical support. these students may receive a diagnosis such as Specific Learning Disorder, Language Disorder, Dyslexia, ADHD, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia etc

 

3) Intellectual impairment

These are students present with IQ below 70th percentile. This includes approximately 2 - 3% of all students.

 

There are many learning disabilities and difficulties that teachers are required to be knowledgeable about.  Students can present with one or many of these difficulties:

  • Auditory Processing Disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Dyslexia
  • Dysgraphia
  • Dyscalculia
  • Dyspraxia
  • Language Disorder
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Tourettes Syndrome
  • Severe Behaviour Disorder
  • Oppositional Defiance Disorder

Schools and their communities must treat students with disability and their families with respect.    Schools must follow the Disability Standards for Education.

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

In Australia we have law that protect us. Laws are the rules that everyone must follow. Law are made by

  • Governments
  • Legal systems including the courts

The laws are there so that we can all:

  • Be treated fairly
  • Feel safe
  • Take part in the community
  • Respect each other

In Australia, DDA is a law that says people with disability must be treat fairly. People also have to treat you fairly if you:

  • look after someone with a disability
  • use equipment or an aide to help you
  • have a dog or other animal who helps you to get around

What is a disability?

  • Your body is not working in the right way
  • your body has something that will stop it working the way in the future
  • You find it hard to learn no matter how hard you try
  • Your thoughts and feelings make life difficult for you sometimes or all the time

If you are a student with a disability you have the right to take part in education just like all other students.  Students have the right to:

  • Go to the school they choose
  • Do the same sorts of things at school that others do
  • Be taught in the way that works best for them
  • Get the support they need to be at school, to learn and be assessed
  • Be treated with respect