Language and Children with Autism

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Language and Children with Autism

• Chapter 7

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What is Autism?

• Complex developmental disability
• Autism first described by Kanner (1943)
• Typically appears during the first three years of
  life
• Triad of impairments
• Social interaction
• Communication
• Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns
  of behavior, interests, and activities
• See DSM criteria table 7.2

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Prevalence of Autism

• 2-6 cases per 1,000
• growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year
• PDD boygirl 21to 51, autism 41
• Usually identified before 30 months
• Cuts across racial and socioeconomic lines

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Autistic Spectrum Disorders

• Autism is one of five disorders coming under the
  umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders
  (PDD)
• Autistic Disorder
• Asperger's Disorder
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
• Rett's Disorder
• PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

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Characteristics of Autism

• Lack of social reciprocity
• Impairment in nonverbal behaviors
• Failure in development of peer relationships
• Lack of sharing enjoyment with others
• Lack of social/emotional reciprocity

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• Deficits in Communication
• Delay or lack of spoken language
• Impairment in initiation and sustaining
  conversation with others
• Stereotyped and repetitive use of language
• or idiosyncratic language
• -- Deficits in dramatic play and social imitative
  play

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• Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns
  of behavior, interests and activities
• Abnormal preoccupation with patterns of interest
• Inflexible routines or rituals
• Repetitive motor mannerisms
• Preoccupation with parts of objects

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Communication

• Skills range from nonverbal to adequate phonology
  and grammar
• Semantic and pragmatic irregularities
• Preserved abilities
• Segmental phonology and syntax
• Echolalia

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Intellectual development

• poor on verbal ability
• may perform above average on memory or spatial
  tasks
• may be talented in music or drawing
• 1/4 - 1/3 function as if IQgt70

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Diagnosing Autism

• no medical tests for diagnosing autism
• Early Diagnosis important
• The NICHD lists these five behaviors that signal
  further evaluation is warranted
• Does not babble or coo by 12 months
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12
  months
• Does not say single words by 16 months
• Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own
  by 24 months
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at
  any age.

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Diagnosing Autism

• several tests have been used in diagnosing autism
• CARS rating system (Childhood Autism Rating
  Scale)
• The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT)
• The Autism Screening Questionnaire
• The Screening Test for Autism in Two-Year Olds
• Communication Acts Information from Communication
  and Symbolic Behavioral Scale

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Theories

• Some current psychological theories of autism
• the theory-of-mind deficit theory
• the executive function deficit theory
• the central coherence theory

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Evidence Based Interventions

• Positive Behavioral Support
• Increasing joint attention
• Picture Exchange System (PECS) (Bondy Frost,
  1994, 2001)
• Visual Strategies and Support
• Priming
• Social Stories (Gray, 1994)
• Video Modeling