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Fact Sheet #14, February 1995 (Updated 2007)           ideas that work!

About Autism

 

Autism is...                                                                             Autism is not...

      - a developmental disability                                              - a mental or emotional illness

      - a neurophysiological disorder                                        - curable

      - behaviorally defined                                                        - diagnosable by any type of

      - a communication, sensory and                                      medical procedure

        interactional disability                                                     - simply a behavior disorder

      - a life-long disability                                                         - the same set of behaviors

      - treated through good educational programs                     in all individuals

      - variable in its severity across individuals

 

According to the Autism Society of America autism occurs in approximately 1 out of 150 live births.  Savants like Rainman (played by Dustin Hoffman) make up about 1-3% of persons with autism.  Four males have autism for every one female with autism.

 

About 40%-50% of individuals with autism are also retarded (IQ of less than 70).  That means that approximately 50%-60% of individuals with autism have normal IQ's (70 and above).

 

Approximately 50% of persons with autism are functionally nonverbal.  This means that even if the person has speech, the speech is not used in a meaningful way.

 

The main goals of education for persons with autism are EMPLOYABILITY and INDEPENDENCE.  These goals can best be met through heterogeneous educational settings, i.e., significant integration of persons with autism into settings with normal peers.

 

Instruction centers around four life domains:

      - Domestic                                                                         - Vocational/Academic

      - Recreation/Leisure                                                        - Community Integration

 

The following skills are embedded within the four life domains:

      - social interaction skills                                                   - generalization skills

      - communication skills                                                      - domestic skills

      - work behaviors                                                                 - social/leisure activity skills

      - problem-solving/critical thinking skills                         - nontraditional academics

      - self-monitoring/self-management coping skills          (functional life skills)           

                                                                                                  

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