Autism & Learning Disabilities Workshop Mariam Al Rashdi - Anzima – Workshop Organizer Liz Price - Scientific Learning Karl Smith - Accelerations Educational

Autism & Learning Disabilities Workshop

Mariam Al Rashdi - Anzima – Workshop Organizer

Liz Price - Scientific Learning

Karl Smith - Accelerations Educational Software

Autism Overview

Karl Smith

Accelerations Educational Software

Mariam Al Rashdi

Anzima - Middle East Representative


Autism

• Neurological – Environmental Disorder• Current Frequency

• US Center on Disease Control (CDC)• 1/150 children born today

• up from ~1/2500 10 years ago• 1/96 boys• 3 boys to 1 girl


Autism

• Impairments• Speech• Communication• Social• Learning• Sensory• Present range of disabilities at once


Autism

• Usually a dramatic developmental regression• Seem to be typically developing• Starting 1 to 3 years old “Falls off the cliff” • Looses Skills

• Teaching• Extremely hard to teach• Normal parenting and teaching methods do not work – makes them worse!


Autism

• Poor at• Observational Learning• Mimicking• Eye Contact• Understanding Language• Expressing Language• Understanding our world• Developing Relationships• Generalization• Retention of Skills & Knowledge


Autism

• Atypical experiences results in atypical and limited (usually) world knowledge and abilities•Symptoms

• Vary Widely between individuals• 6 or more of 12 general criteria

• from the DSM IV(Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

• Diagnosis from Specialist


Autism• Spectrum

• Low, Moderate, and High Functioning• Aspergers Syndrome • PDDNOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified)

•Information Sources• Start with

• Autism Society of America• Autism Speaks• Mariam Al Rashdi


Autism

• Impacts Children Worldwide regardless of parents

• Race• Social Economic Status• Occupation• Religion• Country

• This common problem unites parents worldwide


Autism

• Strong Advocacy and other Autism Related Groups

• Autism Society of America• Autism Speaks• Organization for Autism Research• Dan Marino Foundation• Dough Flutie Foundation• Many others in the US and elsewhere


Autism

• Behaviors:• Tantrums• Self Stimulation

• Sensitive to:• Light• Sound• Touch• Taste• Smell


Autism

• Biomedical Issues:• Large head size• Constipation• Irritable Bowel• Illnesses / Immune System• Reflux• Digestion• Sleeping Problems• Sensory


Autism

• Causes• Genetics + Environmental Trigger• Probably not just one disorder but several• Substantial Research into causes

• US: National Institute of Health, Autism Speaks, Organization for Autism Research, …• Solutions will prevent new cases & may help inflicted individuals some, but will not automatically give inflicted individuals missing world knowledge & skills.


Autism

• Family Stress• Emotional• Economic• High rate of divorce

• Treatments• Biomedical• Educational


Autism

• Current Biomedical Treatments• Diets• Enzymes• Hyperbaric Chambers• Squeeze Machines• …


Autism

• Intensive Education• Good News: Individuals usually makes dramatic improvements with proper intervention• Brain is very adaptive with intensity and duration of treatment• “Rewiring Brain”• Without Intensive Intervention

~80% of moderately to severely impaired individuals would never toilet train or speak


Autism

• Behavioral Teaching• Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)• Recommended by US Surgeon General & National Academy of Sciences• B.F. Skinner

• Father of Behavioral Psychology (ABA)• Ivar Lovaas

• Applied ABA Methods to intensive teaching of children with autism


Autism

•Ivar Lovaas•Showed intensive behavioral intervention drastically improves most individuals with autism

•IQ•Basic Learning Skills•Receptive & Expressive Language•Social Interactions & Skills•Self Care•Independence


Autism

•Ivar Lovaas• In his famous autism study

• ~50% made huge improvements• ~40% made substantial improvements• ~10% made little to no improvements


Autism

•Behavioral Teaching Involves• Motivation (reinforcement)• Not Reinforcing incorrect answers or behaviors• Task Analysis (breaking down tasks)• Finding a level of success and building from there• Prompts & prompt fading• Systematic Teaching• Intensive• Individualized (typically 1-on-1)• Data driven


Autism

•“Our kids can learn when we figure out how to teach them”.

Documents

Autism & Learning Disabilities Workshop Mariam Al Rashdi - Anzima – Workshop Organizer Liz Price - Scientific Learning Karl Smith - Accelerations Educational