Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, was previously considered a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests. The syndrome is no longer recognised as a diagnosis in itself, having been merged with other disorders into autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It was considered to differ from other diagnoses that were merged into ASD by relatively unimpaired spoken language and intelligence.
The diagnostic category pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), as opposed to specific developmental disorders (SDD), was a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication. It was defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
Developmental disorders comprise a group of psychiatric conditions originating in childhood that involve serious impairment in different areas. There are several ways of using this term. The most narrow concept is used in the category "Specific Disorders of Psychological Development" in the ICD-10. These disorders comprise developmental language disorder, learning disorders, motor disorders, and autism spectrum disorders. In broader definitions ADHD is included, and the term used is neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet others include antisocial behavior and schizophrenia that begins in childhood and continues through life. However, these two latter conditions are not as stable as the other developmental disorders, and there is not the same evidence of a shared genetic liability.
The University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program creates and disseminates community-based services, training programs, and research for individuals of all ages and skill levels with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to enhance the quality of life for them and their families across the lifespan.
Potterspury Lodge School is a Cambian Group school in Northamptonshire, England. It is an Independent School which caters for children with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] alongside behavioural, SEMH, or barriers to learning. In February 2020 the school achieved a double "Good" from Ofsted for the educational and residential provisions. In August 2020 students achieved the best ever grades in the school's 64 year history. The grades achieved far exceeded the national averages for special schools with 25% of all passes in English and Maths achieved at Grades 9-5 against the national average for special schools of just 1%.
Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) or ARC(S) is a non-profit organisation based in Singapore and registered in year 2000. It was started by professional and parent volunteers dedicated to serving children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to help these individuals lead meaningful and independent lives in society.
Newcastle College is a large further education and higher education college in Newcastle upon Tyne, with more than 16,000 students enrolled each year on a variety of full time, part time, and distance learning. It is the largest further education college in the North East of England and one of the largest in the United Kingdom.
St Philip's Christian College is a multi-campus independent non-denominational Christian co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day school, located in the Central Coast and Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia.
Autism therapies include a wide variety of therapies that help people with autism, or their families. Such methods of therapy also seek the increase of functional independence in autistic people. Many therapies marketed towards autistic people and/or their parents claim outcomes that have not been supported by Level of Research (LOE) Level 1 Level 1 research includes evidence from a systematic review or meta-analysis of all relevant RCTs or evidence-based clinical practice guidelines based on systematic reviews of RCTs or three or more RCTs of good quality that have similar results.
Inclusion in education refers to all students being able to access and gain equal opportunities to education and learning. It arose in the context of special education with an individualized education program or 504 plan, and is built on the notion that it is more effective for students with special needs to have the said mixed experience for them to be more successful in social interactions leading to further success in life. The philosophy behind the implementation of the inclusion model does not prioritize, but still provides for the utilization of special classrooms and special schools for the education of students with disabilities. Inclusive education models are brought into force by educational administrators with the intention of moving away from seclusion models of special education to the fullest extent practical, the idea being that it is to the social benefit of general education students and special education students alike, with the more able students serving as peer models and those less able serving as motivation for general education students to learn empathy.
Social Stories were devised as a tool to help individuals with ASD better understand the nuances of interpersonal communication so that they could "interact in an effective and appropriate manner". Although the prescribed format was meant for high functioning people with basic communication skills, the format was adapted substantially to suit individuals with poor communication skills and low level functioning. The evidence shows that there has been minimal improvement in social interaction skills. However, it is difficult to assess whether the concept would have been successful if it had been carried out as designed.
The term twice exceptional, often abbreviated as 2e, entered educators' lexicons in the mid-1990s and refers to gifted students who have some form of learning or developmental disability. These students are considered exceptional both because of their giftedness and because they are disabled or neurodiverse. Ronksley-Pavia (2015) presents a useful conceptual model of the co-occurrence of disability and giftedness.
North East Autism Society (NEAS), previously Tyne and Wear Autistic Society (1980–2009), is an English public service organisation established by parents in 1980 to provide educational and residential programmes to children with an Autism spectrum Condition. The Society bought Thornhill Tower as its base on Thornhill Park, Sunderland creating a residential school. After which, The White House was purchased at South Shields that was subsequently sold to buy Thornholme House, a former hospital, establishing a comprehensive base within the Sunderland region. Thornhill Park became the location for the Society's main bases when in 1994, the Adult Services was established with the opening of a small specialist college at number 14 Thornhill Park. Community Services was then formed in 2009. As of the present day the Society has developed rapidly and is now one of the primary providers of specialist care and support for individuals with an ASC in the North East of England. The Society has recently opened the North East Centre for Autism in County Durham which has increased the operational area and range of the services it provides.
The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation (DJF) is a national all-volunteer-run 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that focuses exclusively on adults with autism-spectrum disorder. The DJF mission is to develop, advocate for and support programs through grant awards that enrich the lives of adolescents and adults with autism. The guiding principle of Foundation is to honor the individuality of each person with autism-spectrum disorder so that each may participate throughout their lifetime in vocational, recreational, educational and residential opportunities that are suitable, stimulating and sustainable and allow for maximum integration in the community.
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or sometimes autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and the presence of repetitive behavior and restricted interests. Other common signs include unusual responses to sensory stimuli, and an insistence on sameness or strict adherence to routine.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed as impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. In this article, the word autism is used for referring to the whole range of conditions on the autism spectrum, which is not uncommon.
Autism-friendly means being aware of social engagement and environmental factors affecting people on the autism spectrum, with modifications to communication methods and physical space to better suit individual's unique and special needs.
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an augmentative and alternative communication system developed and produced by Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. PECS was developed in 1985 at the Delaware Autism Program by Andy Bondy, PhD, and Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP. The developers of PECS noticed that traditional communication techniques, including speech imitation, sign language, and picture point systems, relied on the teacher to initiate social interactions and none focused on teaching students to initiate interactions. Based on these observations, Bondy and Frost created a functional means of communication for individuals with a variety of communication challenges. Although PECS was originally developed for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), its use has become much more widespread. Through the years, PECS has been successfully implemented with individuals with varying diagnoses across the aged span. PECS is an evidence-based practice that has been highly successful with regard to the development of functional communication skills.
A social narrative is an evidence-based learning tool designed for use with people with autism and other associated disabilities. Social narratives often use personalized stories to teach a skill, identify a situation, or tell a narrative; some examples of social narratives may cover topics such as getting along with others, interacting with others, or experiencing a new place or activity. It is referred to as a story or a written explanation that tells the learner not only what to do but also what the situation is, with the goal of addressing the challenge of learners finding social situations confusing. Social Narratives has been found effective for learners ages Preschool-High School. Social Narratives has been found to be effective in several areas such as Social, Communication, Joint Attention, Behavior, Adaptive, Play, Adaptive, and Academic.
Rita Ruth Jordan is an academic and researcher in the field of autism. She worked with children with special educational needs and started training programmes for their parents before moving into academia.
