Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

By U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provided this guide on autism spectrum disorder as part of a series of briefs that offer basic information about common disabilities and tips for educators as they support children with disabilities.

Overview

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that leads to distinctive social, communication, and behavioral strengths and challenges. A diagnosis of ASD now includes what used to be a few separate autism diagnoses: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome. ASD is a spectrum disorder, which means that each person with autism has a unique set of strengths and challenges.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a guide created by the American Psychiatric Association for diagnosing psychological disorders, people with ASD show:

• Difficulty communicating and interacting with other people
• Highly specific interests and repetitive behaviors
• Symptoms that affect the person’s ability to function in school, at home, and in other areas of life

Symptoms for ASD generally appear by age 2 or 3, and it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. While research shows that early intervention can lead to positive outcomes later in life, many children are diagnosed at a much later age. The first step to supporting a child showing signs of ASD is identification. Some early signs of ASD can include little to no babbling or noise-making, delayed language development, little to no response to name, or avoiding interactions like eye contact, back-and-forth exchanges, and gesturing.

Support Strategies

Educators can implement a variety of strategies to support a positive experience for children with ASD in their learning environment.

• If the child already has an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP), coordinate with the intervention team.
• Provide structured routines, transitions, and environments.

• • Display a daily schedule with pictures of routines and activities.

• • Use visual cue cards during transitions and routines to help the child predict next steps.

• • Let the child know ahead of time that a transition is coming.

• • Gradually increase the time the child is expected to remain on task during learning activities.

• Create, read, and discuss personalized “social stories” or “teaching stories” with the child to help them prepare for or cope with various situations.
• Create verbal and nonverbal communication opportunities.

• • Create and use picture cards to cue transitions and routines.

• • Create a communication book — with pictures of items or activities the child enjoys or may need to communicate about — that the child can use to communicate with others.

• • Offer wait time for the child to verbalize ideas or requests.

• • Read familiar, repetitive books and provide opportunities for the child to fill in the blanks.

• • Limit the time spent with desired items and activities so that the child is motivated to request them again.

• Support positive social interactions.

• • Use first-ten boards and cue cards to support the child while engaging in turn-taking activities.

• • Model, prompt, and reinforce appropriate responses to common greetings and interactions.

• • Create and repeatedly read social stories with the child. Include pictures along with descriptions of activities, others’ feelings, and directives about how the child can respond in the situation.