Understanding Autism
To give you a formal definition, autism is a disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, impaired communication, and a restricted, repetitive pattern of behaviors, interests and activities. If you want to read more, you can do so here, but that's the last you'll be hearing of the official definition of autism on this site. Why? Because autism is a spectrum (which also includes Asperger's Disorder, PDD-NOS, Rett's, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder), and from the non-verbal person who flaps their arms, to the person that simply seems socially awkward, both of them and the whole array in between are on the same spectrum.
In short, words or definitions can't do this diversity justice - which is why we'll be using easier to understand (and more entertaining!) video clips from more-or-less accurate depictions of autistic traits in the media, including scenes from popular TV shows like Community and The Big Bang Theory.
After watching the videos, I guarantee you'll have a more fleshed out understanding of autism than if you'd spent that same amount of time trying to understand the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM), the official take on autism, and you'll have enjoyed yourself much more in the process!
The first half is about giving you a general idea about what autism is, while the second half covers specific problems (understanding tone, sensory problems, hygiene issues, and unspoken rules). It is important to note that these videos focus on the type of student more likely to end up in college - namely someone with high-functioning autism/Asperger's Syndrome - and as a result, should not be taken as being representative of the entire autism spectrum.
In short, words or definitions can't do this diversity justice - which is why we'll be using easier to understand (and more entertaining!) video clips from more-or-less accurate depictions of autistic traits in the media, including scenes from popular TV shows like Community and The Big Bang Theory.
After watching the videos, I guarantee you'll have a more fleshed out understanding of autism than if you'd spent that same amount of time trying to understand the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM), the official take on autism, and you'll have enjoyed yourself much more in the process!
The first half is about giving you a general idea about what autism is, while the second half covers specific problems (understanding tone, sensory problems, hygiene issues, and unspoken rules). It is important to note that these videos focus on the type of student more likely to end up in college - namely someone with high-functioning autism/Asperger's Syndrome - and as a result, should not be taken as being representative of the entire autism spectrum.
The General Idea
Temple Grandin - Thinking in Pictures
Here, Temple Grandin (played by Claire Danes) explains how her autism affects her. Note that Temple is a woman, which breaks many false stereotypes about autism.
What to look for: Sensitivity to sounds, trouble controlling her own volume/pitch, and an explanation of stemming (rocking, twirling, etc). Note that there are up-sides to autism, such as seeing patterns and details other people may not. The added bonus is an introduction to one of the most influential speakers in the autism world, Temple Grandin, who is a very successful woman in her own right.
Here, Temple Grandin (played by Claire Danes) explains how her autism affects her. Note that Temple is a woman, which breaks many false stereotypes about autism.
What to look for: Sensitivity to sounds, trouble controlling her own volume/pitch, and an explanation of stemming (rocking, twirling, etc). Note that there are up-sides to autism, such as seeing patterns and details other people may not. The added bonus is an introduction to one of the most influential speakers in the autism world, Temple Grandin, who is a very successful woman in her own right.
Adam - Adam (the movie)
What to look for: Adam is very literal and very open - even blunt. He doesn't mean it in a bad way, but sometimes he may say inappropriate things ("Were you excited sexually? I was.") without realizing that they are inappropriate. But you'll also notice he definitely has feelings and is interested in a relationship, which goes against the common myth that all people with autism are asexual.
What to look for: Adam is very literal and very open - even blunt. He doesn't mean it in a bad way, but sometimes he may say inappropriate things ("Were you excited sexually? I was.") without realizing that they are inappropriate. But you'll also notice he definitely has feelings and is interested in a relationship, which goes against the common myth that all people with autism are asexual.
Abed Nadir - Community*
What to look for: Abed is very literal and accidentally offensive. Many times, people with autism may do something that is offensive without intending to; they may even be following what they think is appropriate in that situation. Note that this is a comedy, so in this particular scene Abed is portrayed as being a robot, which is an exaggeration, to say the least, and a common myth about autism.
Warning: There is profanity. (They say the word b**** quite a bit.) There's a brief ad, and then the clip starts.
What to look for: Abed is very literal and accidentally offensive. Many times, people with autism may do something that is offensive without intending to; they may even be following what they think is appropriate in that situation. Note that this is a comedy, so in this particular scene Abed is portrayed as being a robot, which is an exaggeration, to say the least, and a common myth about autism.
Warning: There is profanity. (They say the word b**** quite a bit.) There's a brief ad, and then the clip starts.
The Point:
Breaking down what you just saw, in the clip, when Abed perceives the group of girls as meeting the criteria for being bad, then he is mean to them, as one of the women previously told him it was okay to be mean to bad girls. In doing so, he ends up offending all of his friends without intending to, something which happens frequently to people on the autism spectrum. This is important to note because I have viewed incidents of this nature several times in a college setting, in which the person with ASD accidentally offends others. Each incident involved with different people with ASD and different bystanders, but each time, the person with ASD has been seen as being "mean" or a "bully" as a result of these unintentional incidents, which is then used to justify retaliatory action against them (ie gossip, real bullying, etc). While these incidents generally took place in dorm rooms, there's nothing to say that they can't happen in your classroom. Be careful to avoid falling into this trap yourself when dealing with your student, and be on the alert for any bullying.
Breaking down what you just saw, in the clip, when Abed perceives the group of girls as meeting the criteria for being bad, then he is mean to them, as one of the women previously told him it was okay to be mean to bad girls. In doing so, he ends up offending all of his friends without intending to, something which happens frequently to people on the autism spectrum. This is important to note because I have viewed incidents of this nature several times in a college setting, in which the person with ASD accidentally offends others. Each incident involved with different people with ASD and different bystanders, but each time, the person with ASD has been seen as being "mean" or a "bully" as a result of these unintentional incidents, which is then used to justify retaliatory action against them (ie gossip, real bullying, etc). While these incidents generally took place in dorm rooms, there's nothing to say that they can't happen in your classroom. Be careful to avoid falling into this trap yourself when dealing with your student, and be on the alert for any bullying.
Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory*
What to Watch For: Disliking change (homeostasis), trouble with subtlety ("Why Leonard is such an attractive and desirable boyfriend"), random facts that others aren't interested in (but not reading that lack of interest), and bluntness. He also doesn't seem to realize, given the examples set by previous men, that being in Penny's bedroom is unacceptable. You can watch the clip after a brief ad.
What to Watch For: Disliking change (homeostasis), trouble with subtlety ("Why Leonard is such an attractive and desirable boyfriend"), random facts that others aren't interested in (but not reading that lack of interest), and bluntness. He also doesn't seem to realize, given the examples set by previous men, that being in Penny's bedroom is unacceptable. You can watch the clip after a brief ad.
An added note:
Taking up watching these shows, or, better yet, the movies may help you better understand your student now that you have a better idea of what you're looking for.
Taking up watching these shows, or, better yet, the movies may help you better understand your student now that you have a better idea of what you're looking for.
Specific Issues
Problems with Inflection/Tone
This clip, while it doesn't feature anyone with autism, is helpful for understanding how people with autism see the world. Not only can people on the spectrum not always use inflection in their speech/tone of voice, but they also don't understand it well. The following clip from Despicable Me is entertaining for most of us, in part because the characters only use one word for the majority of the clip - the word "banana." Most of us can understand what's going on in the clip simply by listening, but because people with autism have trouble with inflection, they would like have trouble following what's happening in the clip without watching, which most of us can do with relative ease.
The point: When you're talking to a student with autism, you need to remember to use clear words and actions to demonstrate. They're not necessarily going to pick up on nuances in tone and inflection. For example, when my sister was in high school she had a teacher that, when angry, would continue to smile. Of course, my sister, seeing her smile, thought she was happy. The other students, however, read the teacher's tone of voice and warned my sister she was actually quite angry. My point is that with people with autism you have to be more clear and cautious of sending mixed messages - they're not going to pick up on the tone of your voice or other non-verbal cues.
Sensory Problems
People with autism very frequently have sensory difficulties (which may lead them to request certain accommodations). This clip just shows what the average trip to Walmart might be perceived for someone with autism. As you'll notice, while it might not be very loud to us, it's quite loud and overwhelming to people with ASD. And that's only exposing you to one sense - bright fluorescent lights come with their own challenges. The spots that appear on the screen happen to some people with ASD's vision when they're in situations like this.
The point:
Your student with autism may be very sensitive to sounds and lights, even things that we find run of the mill. It's important to be understanding and respectful of such sensory problems. Understand that if a situation gets to be too overwhelming, the student may have to leave or experience extreme discomfort (or may even have a meltdown).
Your student with autism may be very sensitive to sounds and lights, even things that we find run of the mill. It's important to be understanding and respectful of such sensory problems. Understand that if a situation gets to be too overwhelming, the student may have to leave or experience extreme discomfort (or may even have a meltdown).
Hygiene Issues
I couldn't find a good video clip to convey this problem, but suffice it to say that due to sensory issues and just not plain understanding the rationale behind society's unwritten rule of "you must be neat and clean at all times."
Since I can't find a video, I'm referring you to the next best thing - a forum for people on the autism spectrum. The specific link I'm giving you will lead you to a conversation on hygiene, which may lead you to better understand people with ASD's perspective on the matter. However, I highly recommend the forum as a whole, and have found the members to be very welcoming and helpful.
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt200257.html
Since I can't find a video, I'm referring you to the next best thing - a forum for people on the autism spectrum. The specific link I'm giving you will lead you to a conversation on hygiene, which may lead you to better understand people with ASD's perspective on the matter. However, I highly recommend the forum as a whole, and have found the members to be very welcoming and helpful.
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt200257.html
Navigating Unspoken Rules
The unwritten rules of society that I referenced before are a great deal of what people with autism have trouble navigating. There are a lot of rules that are rarely, if ever, voiced that operate behind the scenes of social situations in our day to day interaction. We 'neurotypical' people just learn them naturally, but people with ASD don't know them, can't read them, and have a great deal of trouble learning them or divining the patterns behind these rules, since rules that apply to one situation frequently do not transfer to another. Simple rules like the three subjects you have to be careful discussing (sex, politics and religion) or that conversations with strangers should open with small talk or even that "you cannot tell other people they are stupid, even if they are really stupid; especially your boss"** are all examples of rules people with autism may not be aware of. I hope you use this knowledge to perhaps be more open and flexible when your student with ASD inevitably breaks a social norm.
*These video clips have advertisements. The website does not support these advertisements in any way - they're just a hazard of being able to watch the clip.
**All three examples come from The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, a book by Temple Grandin and Sean Barron (page 295 and 204, respectively) which I highly recommend reading. It's great for better understanding people with autism and how they view the world.
**All three examples come from The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, a book by Temple Grandin and Sean Barron (page 295 and 204, respectively) which I highly recommend reading. It's great for better understanding people with autism and how they view the world.