Autism
Did You Know:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurologically based developmental disability that affects about 1 in 59 children (according to the April 2018 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control) . It affects more boys than girls and appears in all social classes, racial and ethnic groups.
Individuals with ASD tend to have social communication deficits, such as responding inappropriately in conversations, misreading nonverbal interactions, and/or having difficulty building friendships appropriate to their age. In addition, individuals with ASD may be overly dependent on routines, highly sensitive to changes in their environment, and/or intensely focused on items, people, or activities. These "symptoms" vary in severity depending on the individual. Each person with Autism Spectrum Disorder is unique with his or her own set of strengths and abilities.
ARIN's TaC team can assist school districts and their personnel with their needs when planning and implementing strategies to appropriately support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We offer:
- individual and IEP team consultation
- modeling, guided practice and/or coaching of effective strategies to support students with ASD
- instruction and interventions to meet student needs
- workshops and trainings (on-site and/or at the ARIN office) on topics related to ASD
In addition, ARIN operates an Autism Lending Library. For more information and/or assistance exploring resources in the library, please use the contact information below.
ARIN's Autism Contact:
Sharon Arbuckle
ext. 1226
Nicole Cornman
ext. 1212
Amanda Anderson
ext. 1106
Useful Links:
http://www.pattan.net (select Autism under the Educational Initiatives tab)
http://www.pattan.net/category/Resources/PaTTAN%20Publications/Browse/Single/?id=4dc09560cd69f9ac7f090000 (Using Applied Behavior Analysis to Educate Students with Autism in Inclusive Environments publication)
http://paautism.org (a website for Pennsylvanians with autism, their families, communities, and the providers who support them)
Evidence-Based Practices
The increased prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder has intensified the demand for effective educational and therapeutic services, and intervention science is now providing evidence about which practices are most effective. The following links provide two resources that indicate "best practices" when providing support for students with ASD. They are designed to give educators, parents, and organizations reliable information so they can make well-informed decisions about effective interventions that will offer children and adults on the spectrum the greatest hope for their future. In both reports, a variety of behavioral interventions such as those used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) were found to be established or effective interventions. For more information on ABA, please contact the TaC Autism Consultant (contact information listed above).
National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder
National Autism Center's Standards Project Report (2009 and 2015 reports are free to download)