Week 4 - Play & School for Children with ASD

Question 1

What is Social Communication Disorder?

Answer 1

Persistent difficulty in verbal & non-verbal communication that cannot be explained by low cognitive ability

• Affects effective communication, social relationship, academic achievements / occupational performance
• Symptoms must be present in EC even if they are not recognised until later

Question 2

What is Asperger’s Disorder?

Answer 2

Difficulties in interacting with others, along with abnormal behaviours and abnormal intense interest in topics

• Socially awkward in a manner that is not easily understood

Question 3

What is the difference between classic ASD & Aspergers/HFA?

Answer 3

Asperger / HFA: IQ that fall in the normal or even superior range

Question 4

What are the main features of HFA?

Answer 4

• Social ‘cluelessness’: cannot sense sarcasm, romantic interest, figure of speech
• Anxiety: when in social setting, new environment, changes, routine is disrupted
• Lack of executive planning skills: difficulty in household management
• Difficulty with transition & change
• Emotional dysregulation: being too emotional in the wrong situation (not able to cope with stress that is beyong their ability)
• Difficulty with following verbal communication: during complex activity
• Sensory issues: overwhelmed especially when routine is changed / situation is strange

Question 5

What are some co-occurance of ASD and other mental health diagnosis?

Answer 5

• Depression (lower perceived competence)
• Mood disorder
• OCD

Question 6

What are some challenges that ASD children faced during play?

Answer 6

• Difficulty with imagination (pretend play; take things literally)
• Struggle to play in groups due to poor social skills (turn-taking, sharing)
• Gets upset when they lose a game
• Special interest may limit common topics of interest with friends
• Poorer motor coordination affecting physical activity and sports
• Shorter and fewer interactions with peers

Question 7

What are some challenges that ASD children face in school?

Answer 7

• Shorter attention span in subjects that they are not interested in / they find harder
• Handwriting due to poor motor coordination
• Participating in discussions / working in projects
• Physical education that requires coordination
• Coping with overwhelming environments (i.e. recess, assembly hall, national anthem)

Question 8

What are some challenges that ASD children face during social participation?

Answer 8

• Other children not able to appreciate their interest in special topics
• Preadolescent becomes more aware of their limitations in communication and social skills -> avoiding interaction with others
• Anxiety & social stress due to bullying & ostracising

Question 9

How can parents observe the environment for their child with ASD?

Answer 9

By observing aspects of the environment that leads to their avoidance, distress / challenging behaviours

• who is present at that time
• features of the environment (sound, smell, time)
• any pattern related to such behaviours

Question 10

What are some ways to manage the environment for ASD child

Answer 10

• Avoiding certain places that may be overstimulating (i.e. during festivals)
• Preparing the child on what to expect when visiting the environment
• Developing a coping strategy or solution (e.g. headphone, bluetack)
• Use of sensory stories to develop sensory strategies
• Self-management strategies that may be required for the whole life

Question 11

Why are high functioning children at a greater risk of bullying?

Answer 11

Social awkwardness is more obvious as they interact with mainstream peers

Question 12

How can teachers cater to everyone in the classroom (ASD & normal children)?

Answer 12

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): products & environment that is usable by all people, to the greatest extent

Question 13

What can teachers incorporate in class to support children with ASD?

Answer 13

• Use of visual schedules: visualise class routine, prepare for transition, tap on visual strengths
• Movement breaks for the whole class: quiet vs noisier breaks
• Reducing sensory overload: scents, sounds, visual

Question 14

How can we promote social participation for children with ASD?

Answer 14

• Integration of strategies to help practice social skills in a natural environment
• Practicing skills with typical developing peers

Question 15

How can Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy help ASD children?

Answer 15

• Can be used to address anxiety, mood and stress
• Using cognitive restructuring, stress management, self-reflection and scheduling of activities to practice new cognitive skills

Question 16

How can Social Stories help ASD children?

Answer 16

Short scenarios written in clear & concise manner to teach them about appropriate social behaviours for a particular situation

• Includes: description of situation, visual & auditory cues to anticipate, steps to complete the task or handle the social dilemma

Question 17

How can Sensory Stories help ASD children?

Answer 17

Similar to social stories but serve to prepare them for challenging sensory situations

• When to use: child has a sensory processing challenge that affects activity & participation, when sensory features of the environment cannot be modified and child needs to learn how to cope, challenging behaviors that are associated with activity

Question 18

How can Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) benefit ASD children?

Answer 18

Focus on building social and emotional skills. Separates skills into:

• Instrumental skills: eye contact, smile, etc that is taught through direct instruction and behaviour shaping
• Relationship skills: creating emotional connection that is taught through referencing of social partners - to develop friendship

Question 19

How can Peer Support Programs support ASD children?

Answer 19

By helping them to participate better in environment & prevent social isolation and bullying

• Through having a buddy / circle of friends / lunchtime clubs

Question 20

What is the Ziggurat Model?

Answer 20

A structured framework, step by step approach to target characteristics of autism while tapping on the student’s strengths

Question 21

How can the Ziggurat Model help ASD children?

Answer 21

• Prevention of challenging behaviours
• Provide compensatory strategies to support them

Question 22

What are the 5 levels of the Ziggurat Model?

Answer 22

(Bottom to up)

• Level 1: Sensory & Biological (providing a sensory diet, monitoring & addressing environmental stressors)
• Level 2: Reinforcement (reinforce when expected behaviour is met, frequency, consistency + use a range of reinforcers)
• Level 3: Structure & Visual / Tactile Support (create predictability + use visual support to hold information still)
• Level 4: Task Demands (removing obstacles that affect performance - skills required)
• Level 5: Skills to Teach (address skills deficits)

Question 23

What is the Response to Intervention Model?

Answer 23

A tiered instructional process to target intervention to the right level, in relation to the student’s difficulties

Question 24

What are the 3 tiers and their approaches?

Answer 24

(Bottom to up)

• Tier 1: UDL (advocating all students)
• Tier 2: Supplemental intervention for students at SOME risk (increasingly intensive instruction for 3-4 students in the class)
• Tier 3: Supplemental intervention for students at HIGH risk (individualised intensive intervention; IEP)

Question 25

What re the different types of play?

Answer 25

1. Exploratory: using all senses
2. Functional (object play): sensorimotor, appropriate use of toy
3. Constructional play: building things
4. Pretend / Dramatic play
5. Symbolic play: representation / object substitution
6. Games with rules
7. Rough & tumble play: usually with dads

Question 26

What are the types of assessment tools to measure play?

Answer 26

• Symbolic and Imaginative Play Developmental Checklist (SIPDC)
• Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (CHIPPA)
• Symbolic Play Test (SPT)

Question 27

What are the components of SIPDC?

Answer 27

• Play themes: relating to self, things, events, personal experience, stories
• Sequence: number of actions and if it is logical / illogical, storyline
• Object substitution: objects taking on other function
• Social interaction: imitation, asking, parallel play, associative play, cooperating & negotiating
• Roles: performing previously seen actions, imitating, taking on different roles for short period of time
• Doll / teddy play: doll performing actions / doing things, characteristics of all, doll having a life, etc

Question 28

What is the difference between play level for 18-30 months and 3 years old?

Answer 28

• Emphasis on imitation vs extending sequence
• Few toys vs many toys
• Repeating actions 3x vs 2x

Question 29

What is the play level for 4-5 year old?

Answer 29

• Focus on expanding and extending play with problem solving skills
• Duration of a play session (1 activity for 1 hr)