Autism Spectrum Syndrome Flashcards
Executive function
Higher order control process to guide behavior in changing environment: planning, mental flexibility, working memory, mental flexibility, response initiation, impulse control and monitoring of action
Autism spectrum syndrome
Executive dysfunction
Planning
Cognitive skill that requires constant monitoring, evaluation and updating of actions
Mental flexibility
Ability to shift to a different thought or action in response to situational changes
Response inhibition
Ability to suppress irrelevant or interfering information or impulses
Generativity
Ability to generate novel ideas and behaviors spontaneously
Self monitoring
Ability to monitor one’s own thoughts and actions
results of executive function study
Planning: ASD children used significantly more moves and made more errors
Mental flexibility: no significant difference in errors—> negative correlation between errors and age in both groups
Response inhibition: no significant difference between groups but ASD group inhibited significantly fewer incongruent items
Generativity and self-monitoring/ verbal fluency: no significant difference in groups —> in ASD children no correlation between age and correct answers
Inclusion of ASD children in school
Facilitate the presence, participation, acceptance and achievement of pupils with ASD in mainstream settings
Strategies for inclusion
Challenge stereotypes and raise expectations Create order from chaos Promote peer understanding Develop social skills Adapt academic subjects Modify conversational language
Difficulties of people with ASD
Difficulty in making sense of the world
Problems in communication and social development
Displaying ritualistic and stereotyped behavior and resistance to change
Challenge stereotypes and raise expectations
Look beyond the label —> pupils do not get defined by their diagnosis
Create order from chaos
Picking quiet, well-behaved classes for pupils with ASD
Create certain areas that are used as a refuge
Create schedule that allows them to know daily routine —> putting small photos of rooms and teachers etc. on schedule
Promote peer understanding
‘Circles of friends’ activities can be successful strategy—> works by building relationships around vulnerable children to establish support networks that then develop into natural friends
Students need to understand why students with ASD have such ‘quirky behaviors’
Develop social skills
ASD children have difficulties to learn a set of skills that are not taught directly but are taken for granted like body language
Social stories:
Descriptive sentences: define situation/ event and introduce characters and roles
Perspective sentences: information regarding the internal states of characters
Directive sentences: define what is expected in response to a particular cue or behavior
