AUTISM SAFETY AND AWARENESS

 

Gerald Hasselbrink

St. Cloud, Minnesota

 


 

Autism Awareness

 

 

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

based upon the work of, and with greatest appreciation to, a wonderful man, Donald R. Louis, Ph.D, to

his colleagues at the University of North Texas, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

 

DEFINITIONS RELATED

TO DISABILITY

Impairment:  A loss of physical or mental functioning at the organ level.
Disability:  When the effect of the impairment is severe enough to inhibit functioning.
Handicap:  Obstructions imposed by society that inhibit the pursuit of independence.


A WAY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY IS:

A Condition that an individual may have had since birth or childhood,
Which during adulthood has prevented him or her from being fully socially or vocationally Independent,
and which continues on into old age.
 

FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF SKILLS MASTERED DURING THE DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD

Gross Motor - such as walking, running, sitting
Fine Motor - such as picking up small objects
Communication - capacities needed to understand others and to express oneself
Social - necessary for interacting with others


DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ENCOMPASS A VARIETY

OF CONDITIONS

Mental Retardation
Autism
Cerebral Palsy
Epilepsy
Blindness
Deafness
Orthopedic Impairments
Learning Disabilities
Other Neurological/Sensory Impairments


IDENTIFICATION OF A

PERSON WITH AUTISM

General things to keep in mind as persons with autism exhibit some or all of these symptoms:

Uneven patterns of intellectual functioning
May engage in repetitive behavior
Marked restriction of activity and interests
Touch may be painful (persons with autism generally do not like to be touched)
Persons with autism like a fixed routine


In criminal justice situations the person with autism:
May not understand his/her rights
May have difficulty remembering facts or details of offenses
May become anxious in new situations
May not understand consequences of their actions

CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM

Impaired social relations
Abnormal language & communication development
Restricted set of behavioral skills
 

SOCIAL BEHAVIORS THAT MAY

OCCUR WITH AUTISM

Lack of awareness of social rules
Lack of awareness of others (stand-offish)
Poor, unusual or lack of eye contact
Inappropriate laughing or crying
Flat facial response (does not match situation)
Trouble with transitions and interruptions
Resists change in schedule or environment
Ritualistic behaviors
Slow to predict consequences
Limited appreciation of real dangers
Extreme distress for no discernable reason, (e.g., crying tantrums)
Difficulty mixing with others
Inappropriate attachments to objects
Deliberate soiling
Uneven gross/fine motor skills
Marked physical over-activity or passivity


AUTISM AND

REPETITIVE ACTIVITIES

Persons with autism may have a preoccupation with:
Matching, pairing and ordering objects
Blinking compulsively
Switching lights on and off
Dropping things repetitively
Jumping, rocking, rocking from one foot to another
Hand-shaking
Flicking objects
Chin-tapping
Head-banging
Clapping
Tearing paper
Breaking glass
Spinning things or spinning oneself
Fascination for colored and shiny objects 

 

COMMUNICATION

AND LANGUAGE

Non-verbal or have very limited verbal abilities

When spoken to, not aware that a reply is expected

Others may misinterpret lack of response as defiance or psychotic mental illness, for example
May appear deaf; may not respond to verbal cues
May repeat words or phrases
May have difficulty expressing needs
Inability to understand
Impaired pitch, stress, rate, volume, rhythm of speech
Difficulty with abstract concepts and rational terms
Indicate needs by gesture
Generally do not initiate requests
Pronoun reversals
Parrots responses
Quality and quantity of receptive/expressive language is poor


PERSONS WITH AUTISM

AND SENSORY MODES

May appear as deaf
May have fear of sound
May stare at lights
May be insensitive to pain
May dislike contact with textures and people
May lick and/or smell things
 

COMMUNICATING WITH

PERSONS WITH AUTISM

Use caution with physical contact
May have a limited awareness of others
May be unable to make eye contact
Persons with autism may parrot responses
Use simple language, speak slowly and clearly
Use concrete terms and ideas
Repeat simple questions
Proceed slowly
Do not attempt to physically stop self-stimulating behavior
They may talk indirectly or look away, and act indifferent
Use symbols or objects when talking