Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
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What is <strong>Autism</strong>? Chapter One<br />
one day pinpoint the exact genes and other conditions that combine<br />
to cause ASD.<br />
In some cases, children <strong>with</strong> ASD also have other associated<br />
medical conditions or genetic syndromes that are not part of autism,<br />
but are seen more frequently in children <strong>with</strong> autism than in the<br />
general population. Such conditions include things such as seizures,<br />
muscular dystrophy and other neurological conditions.<br />
Diagnosis of <strong>Autism</strong> <strong>Spectrum</strong> <strong>Disorders</strong><br />
Assessment and diagnosis of ASD often involves a multidisciplinary<br />
team that includes a child psychologist, a speechlanguage<br />
pathologist, occupational therapist, a pediatrician and/or<br />
psychiatrist. In New Brunswick, the tertiary team of the Stan<br />
Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation are often involved, as they have<br />
expertise in the area of ASD. The psychologist often assesses to<br />
gather information about the developmental level and behaviour.<br />
The speech-language pathologist assesses speech, language, and<br />
communicative behaviours. A medical assessment is conducted<br />
to rule out other possible causes for the symptoms, as many<br />
characteristics associated <strong>with</strong> ASD are present in other disorders.<br />
A medical and developmental history is taken through discussion<br />
<strong>with</strong> the family. All information is considered to provide the overall<br />
picture and to rule out other contributing factors. An occupational<br />
therapist may provide assessment and/or intervention regarding<br />
issues of sensory integration and motor skills.<br />
Those seeking additional information regarding assessment<br />
and diagnosis should contact health professionals (i.e., family<br />
physician or community health nurse) in their community. Please<br />
see the resources section for additional support services.<br />
Autistic Disorder<br />
ASD is diagnosed by the presence or absence of certain<br />
behaviours, characteristic symptoms and developmental delays.<br />
The diagnosis of Autistic Disorder is characterized in the DSM-IV<br />
by:<br />
• impairments in communication and social interaction, and<br />
• restricted, repetitive, and stereotypic patterns of behaviour,<br />
interests, and activities.<br />
<strong>Teaching</strong> <strong>Students</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Autism</strong> <strong>Spectrum</strong> <strong>Disorders</strong> 5