The Complex Well-Being
of Gifted Children with
AutismTalent Stimuleren
October 12, 2017
Dr. Claire E. Hughes
Introductions
Who are you?
Who am I?
Objectives
Identify practical strategies
that can be used when working
with children with autism
(ASD) in a G/T environment
Reinforce those strategies you
are already using
Have fun while learning!
Parents and professionals
Overlap
Focus on growth
Frustrations
Behaviors
Systems
Differences
Commitment
Length
Knowledge Levels
Systems
Grief Cycle
Research v. Hope
Research
Data says
Numbers
“False hope”
Hopers = Crackpots
Reflect the past
Hope
I think- intuition
I know a kid who… I
heard of a mom who…
I don’t care what the
research says
Researchers = theorists
or biased
Reflect the future
2eTwice Exceptional
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2e CoP National Definition
Twice exceptional (2e) individuals evidence exceptional ability and disability, which results in a unique set of circumstances. Their exceptional ability may dominate, hiding their disability; their disability may dominate, hiding their exceptional ability; each may mask the other so that neither is recognized or addressed.
2e students, who may perform below, at or above grade level, require the following:
Specialized methods of identification that consider the possible interaction of the exceptionalities
Enriched/advanced educational opportunities that develop the child's interests, gifts and talents while also meeting the child's learning needs
Simultaneous supports that ensure the child's academic success and social-emotional well-being, such as accommodations, therapeutic interventions, and specialized instruction.
Working successfully with this unique population requires specialized academic training and ongoing professional development.
Recognition and
Identification
Recognition of characteristics/behaviors
Strengths
Challenges
Interaction of the dual characteristics/behaviors
Goal
Develop the Gift/ Ability
Mediate the
disability
Administrative Concerns-
Teacher Training
Gifted Education
General Education
Special Education
ASD/ ASCAutism Spectrum Disorder/ Autism Spectrum
Condition
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Autism
Umbrella term
Spectrum Disorder- DSM-V
5 types- ASD DSM-IV
Aspergers
PDD-NOS
Rett’s syndrome
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Classic autism
Spectrum
Mild = Many or all with little cognitive impairment
HFA
Asperger Syndrome
PDD-NOS
Moderate =All with mild or possible cognitive delay
Severe = Autistic Disorder + comorbid disorder
Overlapping Labels
Febrile seizures
Digestive issues
Tourette’s Syndrome
Anxiety Disorders
Sleep Disorders
Mental Retardation
Learning Disabilities
Giftedness
OCD
ADHD
Diagnosis
Mild HFA or Asperger- around age 8-12- 50%
Severe- by age 3
500% increase in diagnosis since 1990.
1 in 68
“Epidemic”
1 in 68 children
10,000 x in 15 years
What happened?
From Wikipedia: Autism Cases 1996-2007.
Changes over time…
Expanded criteria
Category shifting
“Problem” vs. “Normal” shift
World-wide
Something else…
Causation
Refrigerator mothers (Old)
Brain dysfunction- Pruning
Genetic component
Mirror neurons
Mercury link?
Vaccinations myth
Air/soil
Lightbulbs
Causes?
What does NOT cause autism?
Mercury?
Vaccines?
Toxins in vaccines?
Genetic/Environmental Interaction
Allergies? Casein and Gluten? Leaky Gut…
Criteria for AutismPresent since early childhood
1. Language
Deficits, reciprocity, verbal and nonverbal
2. Social relationships
3. Repetitive Behaviors
Sensory, Routines, Fixations
#1 Language
Pedantic
Pronouns
Sensory words
Motor issues- Articulation/ Dyspraxia/ Apraxia
Global v. specific terms
Finding words
Imagination
Hyperlexia
#2 Social Issues
Flat affect
Eye contact
Face-blindness
Theory of Mind
Aliens
#3- Repetitive Behaviors
Unusual or narrow interests
Sameness of routine
Repetitive motor functions- banging, spinning, etc. “Stimming”
Preoccupation with parts of objects
Overlapping Issues
Sensory Disorders
Physical Issues
Visual Learning Styles
Discrepant Academic Abilities…
If you’ve met one child with autism
You’ve met one child with autism
Sensory Integration Issues
Five extero-senses
Proprioceptive
Vestibular
Unusual Physical
Characteristics
Uneven gait
Digestive issues
Physical Delays
Oughtism/ Autism
Theory of Mind
“The Ghost in the Machine”- Stephen Pinker
Ability to take another’s perspective
What others might see
What others might feel
What others might know
Mindblindness
Typical Development of TOM
2-3 mos. Stares at eyes
3-6 mos. Responds to adults
6 mos- coos and initiates interaction
12 mos- cries when hears other crying
18-24 mos expresses affection
24-36 articulate internal emotions
3 yrs- “know, think, remember”
4 yrs- False belief tasks
6 yrs- criticizes others
7 yrs- cares about other’s opinions
8 yrs- creates own story
9 yrs- self-criticizes
Emotional Regulation
Development- Typical
Behavioral- Ages 2-5
Blankie
Tantrums
Language- Ages 5-8
Negotiation
Pouts
Metacognitive- Ages 8+
Internalizing dialogue
Emotional Regulation
Developmental
Behavioral
Language
Metacognitive
Self-regulations
Prevent
Control
Respond
Layers of the Brain
Brain Stem: reacts and takes care of vital functions (LIZARD)
Limbic System: adds capacity for emotions and for coordination of movement
(LEOPARD)
Cerebral Cortex: adds problem-solving, language, numbers, memory, creativity
(LEARNING BRAIN)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Reticular Activating System
Like a toggle switch that turns off
and on the leopard or the learning
brain
When emotionally charged, the
leopard takes over
When relaxed, the learning brain
takes over
Brain Development
Pruning Periods
Organized
Increasingly specialized
Plasticity
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Brain Research
Brain Imaging
Amygdala
Cerebellum
Brain stem
Frontal lobe
Sleep Regulation
Mirror Neurons
Link with schizophrenia/ ADHD
and OCD
Talking Back to OCD- Rewiring
Particular Brain Dysfunctions
Brocha’s area-
Language Processing
area
Visual spatial
deficits
Cerebellum- Fight
or Flight
Caution
Shoshanna Moser, “Glossary”
This is what we know, when you tell us of your fondest hopes and dreams for us: that your greatest wish is that one day we will cease to be, and strangers you can love will move in behind our faces.
http://www.harborside.com/~equinox/glossary.htm
“Gifts” of Autism
Focus
New perspectives
Passion
Detail-oriented
In the moment
“Cures”
TACA- Jenny McCarthy
Antiviral/ Antifungal: Leaky gut- Ethan
Chelation Toxins
GFCF Diet
Goal
Develop the Gift/ Ability
Mediate the
disability
“Typical” InterventionsNot all research-based
Applied Behavioral Analysis
Speech Therapy
Sensory Diet
Sensory binges
GFCF Food Diet
Calming/Organizing Strategies
Alerting/Organizing Strategies
Visual Presentations
ABA
Doesn’t take into consideration cognitive and non-
cognitive aspects
Executive functioning and information processing issues
Language issue
Paradox Characteristics
of 2e GT/ASD
Strengths
Insightful
Focus on details
Memory
Specific strengths-
odd areas
Hyper-attention
Sensory-aware
Challenges
Inappropriate humor
“Whole picture”
Lacks cause and effect
Specific challenges- Global areas
Lack of attention
Sensory integration
Similarities and Differences-
Gifted and ASD
Aspect Gifted (Often, but
not in all cases)
ASD (Often, but
not in all cases)
Language Advanced beyond
age peers
Delayed (in areas
other than interest
area) or not socially
appropriate
Social behavior Often prefers to play
alone- introverted;
Can often do well
socially, but may
need “down time”
Plays alone,
repetitive play,
parallel play
Similarities and Differences-
Gifted and ASD
Aspect Gifted (Often, but
not in all cases)
ASD (Often, but
not in all cases)
Concepts Understands
concepts beyond age
peers, figurative
language
Literal concepts,
except in areas of
interest
Similarities and Differences-
Gifted and ASD
Aspect Gifted (Often, but
not in all cases)
ASD (Often, but
not in all cases)
Attention Span Long if engaged in
something of
interest; can appear
ADHD if not
Long if engaged in
something of
interest; can appear
ADHD if not
Sensory stimuli Very aware of
environment; easily
responsive
Overly aware of
environment to the
point that there's a
significant problem
Similarities and Differences-
Gifted and ASD
Aspect Gifted (Often, but
not in all cases)
Twice-Exceptional
(Often, but not in
all cases)
Interests Can appear
obsessive
Can appear
obsessive
Physical issues None common-
often have above
average health
High level of
allergies, digestive
issues
Similarities and Differences-
Gifted and ASD
Aspect Gifted (Often, but
not in all cases)
ASD (Often, but
not in all cases)
Repetitive activities Organizing by
specific
characteristic,
pleasure in the
patterns
No immediate
discernible
characteristic; often
just repetitive
Causation Genetics and
environmental
interaction
Genetics and
environmental
interaction
Goal
Develop the Gift/ Ability
Mediate the
disability
Coordinated Programming
Gifted Education
Teacher MUST be at the IEP meeting
Student should attend gifted classes- peer interaction
Enrichment AND acceleration
Challenge, humor and concepts
Special Education
Share strategies
Graphic organizers
Use of Learning
Strategies
Mnemonics
Inclusion in gifted
education setting
Anxiety
Epidemic
Core characteristic of Autism/ Asperger
Repetitive behaviors
OCD
Tourette’s
Metacognitive issues
Elements of successful interventions National Standards Project, 2009
Effective
Naturalistic instruction
Schedules
Self-management
Story-based
Emerging
Cognitive behavioral treatment
Scripting
PDQ Strategy Foundation
CBT
•Preparation
•Encounter
•Self-Reward
Visual Supports
• Scripted
• Biologically based
Strategic Instruction
• Mnemonics
• Sequential
• Scripted
Picture- BRAINS
• Brain- My brain has a lot of parts to it.
• Racing- I can feel my brain beginning to race
• Anxious- - I have chemicals in the middle of my brain that
are taking over and stopping all of it from working. They
operate like a fire does.
• Identify- I am feeling anxious right now.
• Need- I need to take action.
• Strategies- I have strategies that can help the chemicals
deflate like a balloon.
Do: BODIES
• Breathe- 15
• Organize- Organize your breathing.
• Drink- Drink some water.
• Identify a place to go. But you don’t have to
• Explore the other parts of your brain as they start
to work- I can breathe away the anxiety. I can feel
the rest of my brain working. I have control.
• Sense the chemicals going out. Things will be ok,
now. I can do this.
Question: HANDS
• How am I doing now?
• Ask- What is the teacher asking me to do?
• Next- What do I need to do next?
• Do- I can do this, or I can ask for help
• Strategies- I have strategies for dealing with this and
I can use them again. The chemicals will not win.
Gifted-
Output
Expectations
General Output Principles
Make it complex
Make it challenging
Make it connected
Feeling Different
Study of other Gifted/ASD individuals
Bett’s Autonomous Learner
Bibliotherapy
Step 1
Find the obsession
Rename it “passion”
Jaime Casap-
Global Education Evangelist
Don’t ask children what they want
to be when they grow up. Ask them
what problem they want to solve.
What knowledge and skills do they
need to solve that problem and
where can they learn them?
63
Use the area of strength to:(Kluth, 2008)
Develop relationships
Expand social opportunities
Minimize anxiety
Boost literacy
Make sense of a confusing world
Make life worth living
Goal Setting
I want to _______
I will need to_______
It will take me… amount of time
I will check at_____ point to see if I am on track.
If I am not on track, I will need to______
If I accomplish this, ____________ this will happen
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Advantages of being Twice-exceptional
Thinking and being
“different”
Working hard
Focusing on skill
Having high levels
of focus, empathy
Closing Thought…
Two stonecutters were working on the reconstruction of St. Paul Cathedral in London when Sir Christopher Wren asked each what he was doing. The first replied, “I am cutting stone.” The second answered, “I am building a cathedral.”
Robert Topor
For more information:
• Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D.
• Faculty Director- Special Education Needs and Inclusion (SENI)
• Canterbury Christ Church University
References
Buron, K. D. (2004). The incredible 5-point scale: Assisting students with autism spectrum disorders in understanding social interactions and controlling their emotional responses. Overton Park, KS : Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.
Esquith, R. 92007). Teach like your hair’s on fire. New York: Penguin Classics.
Gagnon, E. (2001). Power cards: Using special interests to motivate children and youth with Asperger Syndrome and autism. Overton Park, KS : Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Gray, C. (2010). The new Social Story book. Lawrence, KS: Future Horizons.
LaVoie, R. (2007)/ Motivation breakthrough: 6 secrets for turning on the tuned-out child.Woodland Park, CO: Touchstone Publications.
Murawski, W.W. (2010). Collaborative teaching in secondary schools: Making the co-teaching marriage work! Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Myles, B. S. (2004). The hidden curriculum: Practical solutions for understanding unstated rules in social situations. Overton Park, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company
Swanson, L., Harris. K. R., & Graham, S. (2005). Handbook of learning disabilities. London, Guilford Publishing
Tomlinson, C.A. & Imbeau, M. (2010). Leading and managing a differentiated classroom.Washington, DC: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
University of Kansas Strategic Intervention Model (2011). http://www.kucrl.org/sim/
Winner, M. G. (2010). You are a social detective: Explaining social thinking to kids. Great Barrington, MA: North River Press Publishing Corporation.
References
ADDitude Magazine http://www.additudemag.com/
Barkely, R. (2010). The important role of executive funcitoning and self-rgulation in ADHD. In Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D. The Official Site. Retrieved August 8, 2010, from russellbarkley.org.
Cooper-Kahn, J. & Dietzel, L. (2008). Late, lost, and unprepared. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House
Cox, A.J. (2007). No Mind Left Behind: Understanding and Fostering Executive Control–The Eight Essential Brain Skills Every Child Needs to Thrive. New York : A Perigee Book/Penguin Group
Diamond, A. (2010, May). What Do We Know About Child Development and the Brain That Can Help Promote Resilience and Help More Children Be Strong and Joyful? Paper Presented at the Annual International Trauma Conference, Boston, MA.
Kluth, P. & Danaher, S. (2010) From tutor scripts to talking sticks. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing
Zelazo, P.P. (2010, May) Executive Function and Emotion Regulation: A Developmental Perspective Ph.D. Paper Presented at the Annual International Trauma Conference, Boston, MA.
Ford, J.D. (May 2010) Developmental Trauma-informed Treatment for Children and Adults: The Next Pardigm Shift in Psychotherapy. Paper Presented at the Annual International Trauma Conference, Boston, MA.
References
• Mastropieri, M. & Scruggs, T. (2010). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective differentiated instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
• Piacentini, J.C., March, J.S., & Franklin, M.E. (2006). Cognitive behavioral intervention for youths with obsessive-compulsive disorders. In P.C. Kendall (Ed.) Child and adolescent disorders. pp.297-321. New York: Guilford Press.
• Reaven, J. A., Blakeley-Smith, A., Nichols, S., Dasari, M., Flanigan, E., Hepburn, S. (2009).Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment for Anxiety Symptoms in Children With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 24(1), 27-37
• Solomon, M., Ozonoff, S., Carter, C., & Caplan, R. (2008). Formal thought disorder and the autism spectrum: Relationship with symptoms, executive control, and anxiety. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(8), 1474-84
• Wilczynski, S., Green, G., Ricciardi, J., Boyd, B., Hume, A., Ladd, M., Ladd, M., Odom, S., and Rue, H., (2009). National Standards Report: The national standards project— addressing the need for evidence- based practice guidelines for autism spectrum disorders
• Wood, J. J. & Gadow, J.D. (2010). Exploring the nature and function of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17(4), 281-292.