Children with Autism Spectrum

Disorder (ASD)
Francis Nicolai Figuracion
Nino John Exequiel S. Galbines
 What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) 
 is a complex developmental condition involving
persistent challenges with social communication,
restricted interests, and repetitive behavior.
 People with ASD may
behave, communicate,
interact, and learn in ways
that are different from
most other people. There
is often nothing about
how they look that sets
them apart from other
people.  The abilities of
people with ASD can vary
significantly.
 As children with ASD become
adolescents and young adults, they
may have difficulties developing and
maintaining friendships,
communicating with peers and
adults, or understanding what
behaviors are expected in school or
on the job. They may come to the
attention of healthcare providers
because they also have conditions
such as anxiety, depression, or
attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder, which occur more often in
people with ASD than in people
without ASD.
 Characteristics of ASD

 Early signs of this disorder can be noticed by

parents/caregivers or pediatricians before a child
reaches one year of age. However, symptoms
typically become more consistently visible by
the time a child is 2 or 3 years old. In some
cases, the functional impairment related to
autism may be mild and not apparent until the
child starts school, after which their deficits may
be pronounced when amongst their peers.
 Social communication deficits may include:

 Decreased sharing of interests

with others
 Difficulty appreciating their own
& others' emotions
 Aversion to maintaining eye
contact
 Lack of proficiency with use of
non-verbal gestures
 Stilted or scripted speech
 Interpreting abstract ideas
literally
 Difficulty making friends or
keeping them
Restricted interests and repetitive
behaviors may include
 Inflexibility of behavior, extreme
difficulty coping with change
 Being overly focused on niche
subjects to the exclusion of others
 Expecting others to be equally
interested in those subjects
 Difficulty tolerating changes in
routine and new experiences
 Sensory hypersensitivity, e.g.,
aversion to loud noises
 Stereotypical movements such as
hand flapping, rocking, spinning
 Arranging things, often toys, in a very
particular manner
 Comorbordity and Prevalance
 85% of children with autism also have some form of comorbid psychiatric
diagnosis, and 35% are taking at least 1 psychotropic medication as treatment
(Bennett, 2022).
 Individuals with ASD have a high prevalence of multiple mental health disorders
such as:
 ADHD – 50-70% of the ASD population is affected.
 Depression – 26% of the ASD population is affected vs 10% of the general
population.
 Anxiety – 30% of the ASD population is affected vs 10% of the general population.
 Bipolar Disorder – 11% of the ASD population is affected vs 2% of the general
population.
 Schizophrenia – 7% of the ASD population is affected vs 0.5% of the general
population.
 ADHD, anxiety, and depression are the most diagnosed comorbidities.
Genetic Disorders

 Some of the genetic disorders that are

known to be associated with autism are
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), Down
Syndrome, and Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy. FXS occurs at a rate of 2%-
3% for all ASD cases have FXS, and
about 25%-33% of FXS patients have
ASD. Down Syndrome occurs at a typical
rate for those with ASD and in the general
population, 1/800. But the rate for those
with Down Syndrome also having
comorbid ASD is very high at 40%.
 Other disorders that have a genetic basis
occur at a higher rate as well such as
various mitochondrial and metabolic
disorders.
 Cure/Care (intervention, medication,
treatment, therapy, or remedy)
 Treatments can be given in education, health,
community, or home settings, or a combination
of settings. It is important that providers
communicate with each other and the person with
ASD and their family to ensure that treatment
goals and progress are meeting expectations.
 Types of Treatments

 There are many types of treatments available. These

treatments generally can be broken down into the following
categories, although some treatments involve more than one
approach:
 Behavioral
 Developmental
 Social-Relational
 Pharmacological
 Psychological
 Complementary and Alternative
 Behavioral Approaches

 Behavioral approaches focus

on changing behaviors by
understanding what happens
before and after the behavior.
Behavioral approaches have
the most evidence for
treating symptoms of ASD.
They have become widely
accepted among educators
and healthcare professionals
and are used in many schools
and treatment clinics.
Developmental Approaches

 Developmental approaches
focus on improving specific
developmental skills, such
as language skills or
physical skills, or a broader
range of interconnected
developmental abilities.
Developmental approaches
are often combined with
behavioral approaches.
 Occupational Therapy
 teaches skills that help the person
live as independently as possible.
Skills may include dressing, eating,
bathing, and relating to people.
Occupational therapy can also
include:
 Sensory Integration Therapy to
help improve responses to sensory
input that may be restrictive or
overwhelming.
 Physical Therapy can help improve
physical skills, such as fine
movements of the fingers or larger
movements of the trunk and body.
Pharmacological Approaches

 There are no medications that treat

the core symptoms of ASD. Some
medications treat co-occurring
symptoms that can help people with
ASD function better. For example,
medication might help manage high
energy levels, inability to focus, or
self-harming behavior, such as head
banging or hand biting. Medication
can also help manage co-occurring
psychological conditions, such as
anxiety or depression, in addition to
medical conditions such as seizures,
sleep problems, or stomach or other
gastrointestinal problems.
 Psychological Approaches

 Psychological approaches
can help people with ASD
cope with anxiety,
depression, and other mental
health issues. Cognitive-
Behavior Therapy (CBT) is
one psychological approach
that focuses on learning the
connections between
thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors.
Complementary and Alternative Treatments

 Complementary and
alternative treatments are
often used to supplement
more traditional
approaches. They might
include special
diets, herbal supplements,
chiropractic care, animal
therapy, arts therapy,
mindfulness, or relaxation
therapies. 
Role of Special Inclusive Education
in their education and well-being
 Role of Special Education Teachers in Inclusive
Classrooms

 Special education and

general education teachers
must have mutual respect
and open minds toward
the philosophy of
inclusion, as well as
strong administrative
support and knowledge of
how to meet the needs of
students with disabilities.
 Teachers may work
together to develop a
curriculum that is
accessible to all
students, or the special
education teacher
might make
modifications to the
general education
teacher’s lesson plans.
 While discussing the
importance of special
education for your child, It
is important to remember
that being diagnosed with
ASD doesn’t mean that your
child is any less capable,
and with the right help they
can reach their potential and
go on to achieve great
things later in life.
 Also, a special
education teacher will
decide whenever one
lessons would be
required and provide
extra learning materials
for certain pupils,
including visual,
manipulative, text, and
technological resources.
 References
 https://autismspectrumnews.org/the-prevalence-of-comorbidit
ies-in-autism-consideration-of-comorbidity-in-intervention-a
nd-treatment-response
/
 https://
www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/autism/what-is-autism-s
pectrum-disorder
 https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
 https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html
 References

 https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/promotin
g-an-inclusive-special-education-classroom/#:
~:text=Special%20education%20teachers%20
serve%20as,inclusion%20in%20all%20campu
s%20activities
.
 https://www.nu.edu/blog/4-teaching-strategies
-for-students-with-autism/
 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080
/20473869.2022.2070418
 References

 https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/autism.ht
m#:~:text=What%20causes%20autism%20spectr
um%20disorder,the%20risk%20for%20having%
20ASD
.
 https://www.momsbelief.com/blog/how-can-special-
education-benefit-your-child-with-asd#:~:text=Most
%20special%20needs%20children%20with,be%20b
eneficial%20for%20your%20child
 https://
www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/autism/conditio
ninfo/treatments/medication-treatment
End!