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Autism: Studying the Script

If you are a teacher, you probably already know something about autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By now, pretty much everyone has heard of autism, and a lot of us think we know something about it.

People may picture Rain Man, or Temple Grandin, or they may imagine a quirky billionaire computer genius, or a silent child rocking in a corner, flapping his hands and staring at the wall. Some may think of a nephew or niece, a neighbor, a student, a stranger seen in a supermarket, or a son or daughter. But how much do we really understand about the autism spectrum, and the wide range of people whose lives it touches? Let's pick up the script and get started, so we can set the stage for our students' success.

What Autism Isn't, and What It Is

Autism is not a disease. It cannot be diagnosed with a blood test or brain scan. It cannot be "caught" like a cold, and it cannot be prevented. (This doesn't mean we can't work with a child to learn the skills needed to cope and succeed in a neurotypical world. We can, and we do.)

Autism is not a parenting problem. It is not learned, it is no one's fault, and there is no one to blame.

It's not true that all children with autism avoid eye contact, or that anyone who makes eye contact must not have autism. There is no one single behavior whose presence or absence confirms or rules out autism.

As a teacher, don't dismiss ASD behaviors as being somehow a product of the home environment. Autism is not caused by poor parenting skills. It's not caused by poor teaching skills, either, but there are skills that both parents and teachers can practice to help students with autism learn and achieve.

Autism is not a discipline or behavior problem. Taking away his recess, sending him to the office, or suspending him from school will not cure autism, either. This does not mean that challenging behaviors cannot be changed. Many strategies and interventions based on the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) are effective in making important behavior changes; but not withholding recess.

There are a lot of things that autism isn't, but what exactly is autism?

Autism is a neurobiological developmental condition. It is a combination of characteristics or behaviors. It's called autism spectrum disorder because of the wide range, or spectrum of characteristics, levels of severity, and manifestations.

Each person on the autism spectrum is unique. There are many traits or characteristics associated with the spectrum, and your student may have any number of them, in many different combinations, at varying levels of intensity.

Symptoms may significantly interfere with learning one day, but not at all the next day. This doesn't mean the student was faking the symptoms, only that symptom severity, and ability to cope, can change from day to day.

Some students are only minimally affected by autism. These students may require some level of support at times in their lives, but they may have the potential for complete independence. This includes those who, in the past, have been identified with Asperger's disorder, also called Asperger's syndrome, which is no longer a separate diagnosis in the USA.

Other students are more significantly affected or exhibit a greater number of autism behaviors and characteristics, often combined with intellectual disability (ID). They may need substantial lifelong support.

There is a lot we don't know yet about autism. We don't know enough about the causes, but we do know it is not caused by vaccines or immunizations. Unfortunately, this rumor lives on despite many, many research studies that show zero correlation. The fact that some children with autism do not show symptoms until they are toddlers, around the time they receive vaccinations, helps fuel the fire, but there is no evidence supporting a link between autism and immunizations.

We know there is no cure.

But scientists are studying, doing research, and learning more and more every day about this complex and fascinating condition called autism.

We know our students did not choose to have autism, and they cannot choose to become neurotypical (or NT — not on the spectrum). While they may learn to control unwanted behaviors associated with autism (and we hope they do, with our help), they will not "grow out of it." Autism is, and will continue to be, a big part of their lives. It's a big part of the lives of the people who love them, care for them, and teach them, too.

But autism is not the only thing that makes them who they are. As Stephen Shore has said (and many have quoted), "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism."

Our students on the spectrum deserve the same educational opportunities that their neurotypical peers have, but sometimes their behaviors get in the way of their own success. We can help them master their own behaviors so they can perform at their best in our classrooms. Then we can help them take their show on the road: into their homes, other classrooms, communities, and the world after school.

But first, we need to learn more about autism.

Characteristics of Autism

The presence or absence of a number of symptoms of autism give us the diagnosis. There are two ways of identifying autism. A child may have a clinical or medical diagnosis from a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist, or other qualified, licensed professional. In the USA, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is used to help professionals identify or rule out a range of disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Within the school...