Understanding the Autism

Spectrum & the Implications for

Education

Prof Rita Jordan PhD OBE

Romanian Conference on Autism
Bucharest 5-6 July 2010
 Roots in Biology
MMR link finally discredited

mirror neurons
difficulty with motor intuition & agency

atypical amygdala functioning re emotions

difficulty with emotional attunement & awareness
fear from faces - social anxiety
 Roots in Biology (2)
social signals not salient
attentional differences
categorisation problems
hard to detect relevance
no social referencing for danger

frontal lobe differences & connectivity

Casanova 2003 - mini-columns
bottom-up processing
memory differences
 Roots in Biology (3)
premature brain development (Courchesne)
less modulation from learning
strengths in pure perception

excess fetal testosterone?

extreme male brain
systemisers vs empathisers
linked to characteristic style - not disorder
 Sensory Issues
evidence that at extremes
both over- and under-responsive to different senses
over-responsive: sensory avoiding; under-responsive: sensory seeking
sensory profiles e.g. Bogdashina (2003)
shield from sensitivities and/or desensitise
attach meaning to perception - reduce bombardment of meaningless
stimulation
aware of variability - use proximal blocks
give environmental control to individual if possible
reduce overall stress
teach to monitor and manage levels of arousal
 Medical & Social Models
medical model for research but not services
pathology versus difference
dimensions versus categories
ASD versus ASC
services based on needs
diagnosis should not be gatekeeper to services
remember heterogeneity and need to individualise
 A Developmental Disorder
compensation
secondary 'handicaps'
transactional process
 SEN arise from:
difficulties related to the condition,
strengths and compensations
interests and motivation
characteristics of the situation

Issues of entitlement and access but also a therapeutic

environment
 Psychological Functioning in
ASD
perception/ sensation
chicken & egg
no socially meaningful patterns
idiosyncratic
backgrounding difficult
attention
mono attention
joint attention & monitoring
social signals
Psychological Functioning
in ASD (2)
sense of self
intersubjectivity fails to develop
experiencing self & consciousness
socialisation
social brain dysfunctional
sensory cues dominate
memory
paradoxical - rote vs meaningful
slow & accurate - not reconstructed
needs cues
Psychological Functioning
in ASD (3)
concept development
abstract as verb not adjective - fuzzy concepts
feelings & emotions
understanding then symbols
external cueing of own feelings
flexibility & self control
comes from understanding
plan do reflect sequences & consequences
 Whats Special about ASD?
need to learn explicitly what others acquire intuitively or
through social tutoring
identity of self/ other
saliency of social signals
agency and intention
relevance and priority
social/cultural meaning
nature of communication
emotional consciousness
 Role of Education in ASD
education as therapy
explicit teaching of what others acquire
developing compensatory strategies
using strengths to work around weaknesses
education as entitlement
a right to the culturally valued skills, knowledge and
understandings available to others
to be enabled to develop in the way that is best for
them, making the most of their talents and aptitudes
 Strengths
sustained attention to interests
no social distractions
usually visual information
careful attention to detail
no social heirarchy - no deceit - get job done
accurate detailed memories
fresh idiosyncratic art - visual/ poetry/ music
vulnerability brings out the best in others (often!)
 Learning Style
visual or procedural rather than verbal
memory
cued
rote
social a dimension of difficulty
emotions & cognition
use interests for engagement
at sensory stage of meaning
presentation --> reference
repetition & consolidation
explicit strategies for problem solving
need to learn explicitly what others acquire intuitively
Educational Language

model of conversation
contributions, topic maintenance
assumption of joint attention
holding up, eye/finger pointing
sarcasm & metaphor
literal understanding
jokes, idioms, pragmatic context,
model of questions
display, probe
 The ASD lens
individual needs determine learning and should
determine teaching
individuality is even more the case in ASD
yet a lack of mutual empathy means
teachers have to use non-intuitive routes in teaching
those with ASD
just as those with ASD have to use non intuitive routes
in their learning
 Teaching for Purpose

different approach needed to suit

individual characteristics
sociability
language
cognitive level
sensory issues
age
goal
practitioner comfort/ ability/ knowledge
 Child factors: Sociability
Wings classification
withdrawn/ solitary -> passive/ responds -> active but odd -> eccentric
& sensitive
varies with conditions & with teaching
level suggests optimum form of approach
withdrawn - 1:1 directive & desensitisation
passive - interest & structured play experience
active but odd - social rules & experience (context)
eccentric - social skills in context e.g. buddy
 Conclusion
normal intuitive learning requires cognitive effort
normal levels of stimulation cause stress
lack of control from
poor self understanding
poor social understanding
poor communication
understanding & individualisation is key to effective
support & education
treating students equally does not mean treating them the
same but differently, to ensure equal access