Autism

Autism was first defined in the 1940s by Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist, and was considered a disorder caused by an emotionally unavailable mother. This theory was the prevalent thought throughout the 1970s, with a gradual shift to understanding that autism is a brain-based disorder of undetermined origin. Educational implications and theories of how to help children with autism learn have been a part of this shift in thinking, with continued controversies on treatment and methods. This entry provides a definition of autism and information on models of instruction and therapeutic treatments, which remain a point of dissension within the educational community.

Autism is one of a group of neurobiological disorders identified as pervasive developmental disorders by the American Psychiatric Association. Autism is defined as a condition that includes impairments in social interaction and communication with repetitive, stereotypical, or restricted patterns of behavior that interfere with interactions and learning. Identification of this disorder usually occurs before age 3, often as a result of the child not developing language or losing communication skills previously evident. For children identified [Page 81]later in life, symptoms are found to have been evident before age 3, even if a diagnosis was not made during the early years.

Prior to the 1990 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with autism were given labels of mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or even “other health impaired” when identified by schools as needing special education services. However, these labels did not truly identify the needs of a child with autism, and in the 1990 reauthorization of IDEA, autism was added as a diagnostic category for school systems. Four years earlier, the passage of Public Law 99–457 required school systems to provide services to children with special needs ages 3 to 5 and encouraged the provision of services to children under the age of 3. This included children identified with autism and a documented developmental delay. However, the intensity and type of services were not defined in these laws, and this has led to continued controversy regarding appropriate programming.

But what type of intervention is the best? Can children with autism be cured if given the proper treatment, despite the disorder being brain based? These questions are controversial for school systems as they are faced with parents and advocates armed with the latest information of how one family “cured” their child or with the latest theory of treatment that will make a significant difference in their child's abilities. Many models of instruction and therapeutic intervention contradict each other and have not been proven by replicated research studies. School systems are left to attempt to provide a program that is best for the child, based on an analysis of the needs of the child and approved services in their district.

Perhaps the most requested treatment plan for children with autism is applied behavior analysis (ABA), made famous though the work of Ivar Lovass in the 1960s to early 1980s. Lovass utilized a behavioral approach to teaching clearly defined skills in a developmental sequence. His landmark research study included 20 children who received 40 hours of individualized ABA instruction a week for 2 years. Results indicated 50% of the children improved significantly in their ability to communicate and engage in less ritualistic behavior compared to the control group, who received only 10 hours of intervention a week. This research is frequently cited by parents who want an intensive one-on-one behavioral program, based on the principles of ABA, for their children starting at an early age.

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