Need-to-know guide: Autism

What is autism? Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates and relates to people around them. Children with autism have difficulties with everyday social interaction; their ability to develop friendships is generally limited, as is their capacity to understand other people's emotional expression. There are often accompanying learning disabilities, but everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world.

When somebody's described as 'on the autistic spectrum', what does this mean?

As autism occurs in differing degrees of severity and a variety of forms, the term 'autistic spectrum disorder' (ASD) is often used to describe the whole range.

And what's Asperger's syndrome?

Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism used to describe people who are usually at the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum. People with Asperger's typically have fewer language problems and can be of average or above-average intelligence.

What are the symptoms?

All children with an ASD have difficulty in three areas: Communication (verbal and non-verbal); social behaviour (particularly their ability to interact with other people); thinking and behaving flexibly — which may be shown in restricted, obsessional or repetitive activity.

Teachers can look out for "a tendency to switch off to areas of learning they don't see as relevant, an inability to cope with unexpected changes to routine, lack of social skills and difficulties in self-organisation," says Ann Shellard, SENCo at Claremont Community School in Blackpool.

How does the classroom environment affect these children?

Some children with an ASD have a different perception of sound, sight, smell, touch and taste, which affects their responses to these sensations. In the classroom, background noise, strip lighting or bright colours can cause stress or even physical pain, making it difficult for a child to concentrate — and behave. Blocking out background noise or visual information can be very difficult.

How does autism affect a child's ability?

Children of all levels of ability can have an ASD, and it can co-occur with other disorders (for example, with sensory loss or Down's syndrome).

How should a teacher provide for a child with an ASD?

According to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001), teachers are required by law to make 'reasonable adjustments' to their lessons to enable children with autism to learn and be included in school life. Ollie Woodcock, a SENCo at St Nicholas Primary School in Blackpool, explains what 'reasonable adjustments' may mean: "These include providing visual timetables [with symbols for different activities] planning the day's routine, preparing for change [for example in personnel or timetable] and avoiding trigger points," she says. "Ensure that a child is involved if it's an area of the curriculum they do not see as relevant — for example, by giving them a responsibility," adds Ann Shellard.

If you suspect a child in your class may have an ASD, what do you do?

Speak to your SENCo whose responsibility it is to co-ordinate the Special Educational Needs support in a school.

"I would ask for evidence; it is easy to jump on bandwagons. Ask the teacher, rest-of-year group and support staff to keep a log for a certain length of time," says Ann. "If there was already a good body of evidence, then I would alert the educational psychologist at my termly planning meetings, and the local authority team."

Tips for making school easier for children with autism

• Arrange for ASD children to start school separately in order to help ease them into the day ahead. Some schools arrange for children with an ASD to go to the SENCo's room to settle — they hang up their coats and bags, sit on the carpet and wait quietly to answer questions by putting up their hands. This way, they are more prepared when they consequently join their classes.
• "We make little transition books if children are moving to a new teacher or class. We take a photo of the empty classroom and the pupil visits it when it's empty, too, so that they can wander round quietly and ask questions," says Jenny Hill, SENCo and assistant head at John Ball Primary School, London.
  
• Time out cards, allowing the child to go to a quiet supervised place, can help children cope when class gets stressful.
• Although teachers aren't required by law to undertake training in autism or ASDs, schools that run training sessions for staff to raise awareness of ASD are usually positive about the outcome. "We have a staff meeting dedicated to passing on SEN information at the end of the summer where we give essential info about ASD children," says Ann.
  (For more ideas, see The National Autisic Society's recent report, Make School, Make Sense).

Words: Siân Phillips Illustration: Jenny Clarke

For more info

• Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Good Practice Guidance (DfES 2002) www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/asds
• The National Autistic Society (NAS)'s www.nas.org.uk
• Make School Make Sense can be found at www.nas.org.uk/msms
• Autism awareness pack for teachers are available from NAS. See www.autism.org.uk/teachers

Did you know?

• There are around 535,000 people with autism in the UK
• Boys are four times more likely to develop autism than girls
• Twenty-one per cent of children with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) have been excluded from school at least once
• Fifty-nine per cent of children with Asperger's syndrome have been bullied

(* Source: The National Autistic Society)

This content was published in July 2006 and may not reflect current policy