Autism (Part 1): An Overview for Educators

Transcript: Challenge

Autism (Part 1): An Overview for Educators

Every child or student with autism has their own unique profile consisting of different interests, strengths, needs, and challenges. Let’s briefly meet four autistic students.

Noah is a curious and caring three-year-old. He loves rainbows and playing with his toy cars and magnets. Although he primarily communicates what he wants and needs verbally, his speech varies in pitch, volume, and speed, which sometimes makes it difficult for others to understand him. This can lead to frustration for both Noah and those around him. Noah is very social, but he occasionally struggles to tell whether his peers want to play with him. As a result, he often ends up playing alone. He is also sensitive to certain textures, particularly with his food and toys, as well as loud noises. To self-regulate, Noah sings familiar songs when upset and flaps his arms when excited.

Rogan is an extraverted and animated elementary school student. He loves carousels, telling jokes, dancing, and playing tennis. Rogan enjoys school, especially math. His spelling skills and reading fluency are on grade level, but he experiences some challenges with reading comprehension and word problems. Rogan is very social and loves attention. Because of this, he sometimes blurts out in class and demands his parents’ attention when they focus on his siblings. He occasionally engages in challenging behaviors, such as refusing to comply with tasks or arguing, particularly when he feels frustrated.

Evelyn is a creative, quirky, and caring middle school student. She loves sharks, playing the trumpet, and writing poetry. She becomes overwhelmed when routines change, and the anxiety she experiences sometimes results in her yelling, throwing items, or engaging in self-injurious behaviors, such as pulling her hair, picking her skin, and hitting her head. Although Evelyn communicates verbally, she finds it helpful to type on a tablet or to text when she experiences intense emotions. Evelyn is often in constant motion, displaying repetitive body movements such as hand flapping and leg bouncing. Although she enjoys her mom’s hugs, she dislikes being touched by others. She also becomes easily overstimulated and anxious in loud environments, crowded spaces, places with bright lights, and when around certain smells. Evelyn has difficulty building new friendships and benefits from support in social situations.

Finally, Joseph is a quiet and kind high school student. He loves cartoons and movies and has an exceptional memory that allows him to categorize movies by release year or production studio. Joseph is independent with daily living tasks—such as dressing, bathing, and completing household chores—and takes public transportation to school on his own each day. He benefits from communication supports, sometimes needing his mom to clarify what he says or using technology to express himself. His communication challenges often affect his level of interaction with peers, which is an area of concern for his mom. When excited, Joseph repeats certain phrases or rocks back and forth, and he is sensitive to loud noises and certain tones.

All of these children have been identified as having autism. Although you might have noticed some similarities in their needs and behaviors, you probably noticed a number of differences as well.

Here’s your Challenge:

1. What is autism and what are the characteristics associated with it?
2. What should educators consider when working with students with autism?