Education for the Handicapped Act EHA P'L' 94142

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Education for the Handicapped Act (EHA) (P.L.
94-142)

• Focus on Autism

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Three federal laws and their periodic amendments

• P.L. 93-112--the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• P.L. 94-142--the Education of All Handicapped
  Children Act of 1975
• P.L. 98-524--the Carl Perkins Vocational
  Education Act of 1984.
• Core of current protection against
  discrimination and current guarantees of equal
  educational opportunity

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P.L. 94-142--the Education of All Handicapped
Children Act of 1975

• Went into effect 1977
• Free appropriate education
• Ensure that parents or guardians are protected
• To financially assist the efforts of state and
  local governments in providing full educational
  opportunities to all children and youth with
  disabilities through the use of federal funds.

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Since 1977

• In 1983 expanded for preschool special education
  programs
• In 1986 the age of eligibility was lowered to
  three
• In 1990 was changed to the Individuals with
  Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and major
  changes took place

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Autism

• is a developmental disability that typically
  involves delays and impairment in social skills,
  language, and behavior
• Autism is a spectrum disorder which means it
  affects everyone differently

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Autism

• It results in deviance from normal patterns of
  three areas of behavior
• Social relationships and interactions
• Language and communication
• Activities and interests

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Autism

• Relationships, communication and activities are
  immature in all young babies. It is only when
  they become more sophisticated that delays and
  deviations from the usual may be evident.

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Actions of a Child with Autism

• Spectrum from mild to severe.
• Mildest form may resemble a learning disability
• Severe form is harsh behavior difficulties

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Characteristics of Children with Autism

• Impairment in Socialization
• Lack of awareness of others
• Social aloofness
• Lack of cooperative and imaginative play
• Does not imitate
• Does not seek comfort or cuddle as an infant

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.

• Language/Communication Deficits
• Language is not used in a communicative function
• Preservation (i.e., the repeating of phrases of
  speech over and over) pronominal reversal (i.e.,
  The pronouns "I" and "you" are reversed, so that
  the child may say, "You want a cookie," when s/he
  desires a cookie)
• Abnormal pitch, rate, rhythm, and/or intonation
• Lack of appropriate nonverbal communication
  (e.g., eye contact, gestures, pointing, postures)
  

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.

• Abnormal Responses to the Environment
• Stereotypes or self-stimulatory behaviors (e.g.,
  rocking)
• Resistance to change
• Preoccupation with parts of objects, or an
  attachment to unusual objects

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.

• Behavioral Concerns
• Self-injurious behavior (e.g., head banging,
  biting)
• Aggression
• Tantrums

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.

• Inconsistent Sensory Responses
• May appear as if s/he is deaf (e.g. no reaction
  to very loud noises)
• Stimulus over selectivity (e.g., very sensitive
  to very soft noises)
• Apparent insensitivity to pain

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Program Considerations

• Provider Training
• Trained in therapeutic and educational services.
• Trained in applied behavior analysis.
• communication
• behavior management
• developmentally appropriate instructional
  strategies
• social skills.

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Child Care Provision

• Care providers should meet with each family
  before beginning the provision of child care to
  discuss the child's routines and established
  patterns.
• Ensures consistency
• Develops trust between the family, child, and
  provider

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For behavioral intervention

• Use redirection when children with autism are
  engaging in inappropriate behavior, redirecting
  the child to another, more appropriate activity
  may be effective.
• Use rewards that are meaningful to the child. The
  rewards must be individualized, and may require
  some creativity. For example, some children with
  autism become attached to specific objects, such
  as a familiar piece of clothing. Extra time with
  that object could be a reward.

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Incorporating educational components

• Use clear and simple instructions
• Use prompts and teach in small steps
• Three prompts that are often used in working with
  children with autism
• verbal instructions
• gestures
• physical assistance are.