005.18.35-A. Autism.
AR ADC 005.18.35-AArkansas Administrative Code
Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.35-A
005.18.35-A. Autism.
“Autism” means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotypic movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term autism does not apply if a child's educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance, as defined in § 6.08.3 of these regulations. A child who manifests the characteristics of “autism” after age 3 could be diagnosed as having “autism” if the criteria in this definition are satisfied.
Individuals with autism (AUT) exhibit characteristics such as the following over a long period of time and to a marked degree.
Autism is characterized by impaired ability to participate in social relationships that can result in an inability to establish relationships.
A number of behavioral problems are associated with autism. These problems could include tantrums, aggression, self-injury and property destruction. Serious behavioral problems can occur when established routines or rituals are disrupted.
Observation should cover personal-social behaviors, toy play, conversational speech, emotional expression, amount of time spent in idiosyncratic repetitive behaviors and eating behavior. Information can be obtained in a variety of settings including observing the child in the home environment, classroom and play situations. The observed behaviors should be viewed in terms of developmental age so that formal assessment data and observational data can be compared. Observational data must be considered part of the educational evaluation due to the impact of behavior upon skill acquisition.
Accurate diagnosis of autism may be difficult because the characteristics of this disorder may resemble those of mental retardation, severe reactive disturbances or deafness. The determination of autism is also made difficult by the variety of symptoms and the rarity of the conditions exhibited by children with autism, as well as the overlap of autistic behaviors with other cognitive and behavioral disorders. Therefore, it is important to collect data from all areas specified in the evaluation section. Observational data and an account of the child's pattern of behavior from infancy to childhood will provide some of the most useful data for programming. Some common misconceptions regarding individuals with autism are as follows: autism is an emotional disorder; persons with autism do not talk; persons with autism do not communicate; persons with autism require one-to-one instruction; all persons with autism are withdrawn and most persons with autism are self-injurious.
A promising treatment for autism involves intensive educational programming designed to meet the student's individual needs in the areas of language, social skills, and self-control.
A developmental framework provides a means to describe and understand the characteristics of an uneven learning pattern manifested by students with autism. However, appropriate programming, based on individual functioning levels and needs, is of prime importance. Research has established that the most beneficial treatment for students with autism is a highly structured and purposeful educational program.
The following are possible programming considerations:
Current with amendments received through February 15, 2024. Some sections may be more current, see credit for details.
Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.35-A, AR ADC 005.18.35-A
End of Document |