Learners with Difficulty in Performing

Adaptive Skills
(Autism)
RICHEL S. BACALSO
Teacher III
Maranding Central Elementary School
Objectives:
After the session, the participants will be able
to:
•Identify the common characteristics of
learners with difficulty in performing
adaptive skills in terms of conceptual, social
and practical life skills.

• Apply appropriate accommodation based

on the needs of learners with difficulty in
performing adaptive skills.
LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ADAPT IVE SKILLSc
Objectives:
After the session, the participants will
be able to:

•Demonstrate instructional strategies in teaching

learners with difficulty in performing adaptive
skills.

LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ADAPT IVE SKILLSc

Session Guide
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability
that severely affects how a person
communicates with, and relates to, other
people. It also affects how they make sense
of the world around them. It is usually
evident before age 3.
Characteristics of Autism
Difficulty in mixing with
other children

Acts as deaf
Resists learning

No fear of real dangers

Resists change in routine

Indicates need by
gestures
Inappropriate laughing or
giggling

Not cuddly
Marked physical
overactivity

No eye contact
Inappropriate attachments to
objects

Likes to spin objects.

Sustained odd play

Standoffish Manner
Characteristics

Others:
Others
•High pain tolerance
•Lack of regard for quality of outputs/tasks done
•Delay in social maturation
•Possible academic underachievement
•Possible language-communication lags
•Possible learning disabilities

LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY

Session GuideIN PERFORMING ADAPT IVE SKILLS
 Characteristics
Conceptual Skills

 Seems forgetful, easily distracted or daydreaming

 Appears not to listen and has trouble following
directions
 Interrupts people, blurts things out inappropriately and
may struggle with nonverbal cues
 Acts without thinking and may not understand
the consequences of his actions
 Has obsessive interests and experiences perseveration
 Disobey rules and policies
 Does not seem to listen when spoken to
 Fails to finish school works
 Fall asleep easily in class
Session Guide
 Characteristics
Social Skills

 Has trouble with safety and danger awareness

 Has trouble showing understanding of other people’s
feelings and his own
 Uses excessive body movements to self-soothe (e.g.,
rocking, flapping hands)
 Struggles with social skills
 Plays roughly and takes physical risks
 Struggles to sit still during quiet activities, such as
mealtimes or during independent work - time at school
 Has trouble waiting his turn and being patient
 Constantly “on the go” or moving; fidgets and needs to
pick up and fiddle with everything

Session Guide
 Characteristics
Practical Life Skills

 Struggles with organization and completing tasks

 May overreact to sensory input, like the way things
sound, smell, taste, look or feel
 Gets upset by changes in routine
 Difficulty working independently in daily chores
 Uses eating utensils inappropriately
 Unable to put on shoes by himself
 Unable to fold clothes
 Difficulty in preparing simple meals

Session Guide
Absolute Indications for Immediate
Evaluation:
No babbling by 12 months
No gesturing by 12 months
No single word by 16 months
No 2-word phrases by 16 months
Any loss of any language or social skills at any age
Facts About Autism
Approximately 20 in 1000 children has autism.
(2012)
Autism is 4-5 times more prevalent in males than in
females.
Autism is the fastest-growing developmental
disability. More common than down syndrome.
Facts About Autism
Autism can often be detected as early as 18
months.
Parents who have a child with an ASD have a 2%-
8% chance of having a second child who is also
affected.
Children with autism are physically good looking.
When a person with autism
shows a markedly developed islet
of ability, he or she may be
referred to as an "autistic
savant".
Some special abilities of autistic savant
that have been reported includes:
exceptional drawing abilities
performing lengthy numerical
calculations, such as doing square
roots on huge numbers
identifying the days of the week on which
any date fell or will fall in a wide span of
years, commonly known as calendar
calculation
reading fluently at a very young age though
not necessarily comprehending the text well
high proficiency at playing a musical
instrument or even composing music
memorizing huge chunks of facts about
favorite subjects
dismantling and reassembling complex
machines, such as radios
working with computers
Assessment
 Refers to the gathering of relevant information
to help an individual make decisions.
 There are many purposes for assessment,
and with careful planning more than one purpose can
usually be addressed. Some of which are: Initial
identification. Determination and evaluation of
teaching programs and strategies. Determination of
current performance level and educational need.
Decisions about classification and program placement
and Development of individual education program.
A Scale for Detecting Autism
Directions
Interview the informant by asking him to evaluate
objectively the child suspected with autism based on his
observation of and interactions with the child.
Based on the interview, rate the child along each item by
checking under the column that best describes him.
Legend: HC = Highly characteristics of the child
SC = Slightly characteristic of the child
CC = Characteristic of the child
NC = Not characteristic of the child at all
The Child : HC CC SC NC POINTS

Exhibits normally consistent eye contact.

Plays with other children.
Relates positively with other people.
Exhibits appropriate emotional responses.
Behaves properly in varied places.
Imitates sounds/words taught to him/her and
appropriate for his/her skill level.
Imitates gestures/movements taught to him/her and
appropriate for his/her skill level.
The Child : HC CC SC NC POINTS

Exhibits non-repetitive hand/body movements or

“rituals” walking to and for, writing, jumping, etc.

Demonstrates impulse control/ non-hyperactive

behaviors.
Plays with varied objects.

Plays with toys appropriately.

Attends to sounds and voice especially when talked to.

The Child : HC CC SC NC POINTS

Behaves normally when hearing loud or faint sounds.

Attends to objects/materials/items and other visuals

seen/presented to him/her.
Focuses on given tasks with adequate attention span.

Adapts to changes in food/clothes/arrangement of

things/fixtures.
Adapts to changes in routine/routes.

Explores new objects in age-appropriate ways of

tasting, smelling and touching.
The Child : HC CC SC NC POINTS

Manifests normal fear or nervousness.

Discriminates and avoids dangers including seeking

attention when hurt or sick and localizing
internal/external pains.

Communicates meaningfully and normally considering

his/her age and given situations.
Performs age-appropriate/ grade expected language-
conceptual skills such as reasoning, inferential thinking,
deductive and inductive thinking or interpreting.
The Child : HC CC SC NC POINTS

Possesses age-appropriate maturity level.

Performs normally and consistently well in academics.

Total
Scoring and Interpretation
1. HC gets zero, CC 1 point, SC 2 points and NC 3 points.
2. The perfect score is 72 points.
3. After checking and completing the scale, get the sum of the
scores.
4. Determine the equivalent interpretation of the child’s total
score using the following:

Score Interpretation
15-33 Without Autism
34-39 Has Mild Autism
40-45 Has Moderate Autism
46-72 Has Severe Autism

Reference:
Teaching Filipino Children with Autism Revised Edition 2000
Edilberto I. Dizon, Ed. D.
University of the Philippines
 Common Modifications and
Accommodations
Presentation accommodations allow a student to:
Listen to audio recordings instead of reading text
Learn content from audiobooks, movies, videos and digital
media instead of reading print versions
Work with fewer items per page or line and/or materials in a
larger print size
Have a designated reader
Hear instructions orally
Record a lesson, instead of taking notes
Have another student share class notes with him
Be given an outline of a lesson
Use visual presentations of verbal material, such as word
webs and visual organizers
Be given a written list of instructions
 Common Modifications and
Accommodations
Response accommodations allow a student to:
Give responses in a form (oral or written) that’s
easier for him
Dictate answers to a scribe
Capture responses on an audio recorder
Use a spelling dictionary or electronic spell-
checker
Use a word processor to type notes or give
responses in class
Use a calculator or table of “math facts”
 Common Modifications and
Accommodations
Setting accommodations allow a student to:
Work or take a test in a different setting, such as a
quiet room with few distractions
Sit where he learns best (for example, near the
teacher)
Use special lighting or acoustics
Take a test in small group setting
Use sensory tools such as an exercise band that can
be looped around a chair’s legs (so fidgety kids can
kick it and quietly get their energy out)
 Common Modifications and
Accommodations
Timing accommodations allow a student to:
Take more time to complete a task or a test
Have extra time to process oral information and
directions
Take frequent breaks, such as after completing a task

Scheduling accommodations allow a student to:

Take more time to complete a project
Take a test in several timed sessions or over several days
Take sections of a test in a different order
Take a test at a specific time of day
 Common Modifications and
Accommodations
Organization skills accommodations allow a student
to:
Use an alarm to help with time management
Mark texts with a highlighter
Have help coordinating assignments in a book or planner
Receive study skills instruction
Assignment modifications allow a student to:
Complete fewer or different homework problems than peers
Write shorter papers
Answer fewer or different test questions
Create alternate projects or assignments
 Common Modifications and
Accommodations
Curriculum modifications allow a student to:
Learn different material
Get graded or assessed using a different standard than the
one for classmates
Be excused from particular projects
LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ADAPT IVE SKILLS
LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ADAPT IVE SKILLS
Session Guide
Sentence Starter

LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ADAPT IVE SKILLS

Session Guide
LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ADAPT IVE SKILLS
 Sample of a Physical Structure

Board
COMPUTER
Exit
AREA

B
S
O
N
O
T A
K FREE
A C
TIME/ K
S B
SOCIALI-
H L
ZATION A
E E
AREA R
L
E
F
A

Entrance
MIRROR FEMALE CR MALE CR
Sample of a Physical Structure
Exit B
White Board Media U
I
table L
TABLES T
For Group Activities
table I
N

table C
Table A
For 2 B
Table Table
I
N
Book Shelf Book Shelf
E
T
Holding Area
MIRROR
Entrance
FEMALE CR MALE CR
Sample Job Works with Visual Cues
Mainstreaming Checklist
1. The child has become familiar with the rules and routines of
the regular class in which he or she will be mainstreamed.
2. The student’s Individualized Education Plan objectives and
modifications have been discussed with the mainstreamed
teacher.
3. The child has indicated a positive desire to participate in a
regular class environment.
4. The child has been coached on how to deal with possible
reactions and situations presented by other students, both
positive and negative
5. The child is capable of remaining focused for appropriate
periods of time while in the regular classroom.
6. The mainstreamed classroom teacher has been educated on
the special needs of the child with disabilities.
Mainstreaming Checklist
7. The mainstreamed teacher has been given the proper
instruction on the use and purpose of any devices or
apparatus used by the student.
8. The mainstreamed teacher has been apprised of the
student’s skill levels.
9. The mainstreamed teacher has been apprised of the
child’s learning style.
10. The mainstreamed teacher has been apprised of the
child’s strength areas and limitations.
11. The mainstreamed teacher has been informed of the
supportive services provided to the student.
12. The mainstreamed teacher has prepared his or her
class for the incoming student.
Mainstreaming Checklist
 13. The mainstreamed teacher has been assigned a specific
special service staff member to contact in case of some difficulty.
 14. The mainstreamed teacher has been given the proper
management skills that might be required in dealing with the
child while in the mainstreamed class
 15. The students in the mainstreamed class have been educated
on handicapping conditions and the reasons for mainstreaming.
 16. The child’s parents have met the mainstreamed teacher
 17. The child’s parents have been involved in the planning of
their child’s mainstreaming experience.
 18. The child’s parents have been given assistance on parenting
techniques that will encourage the child’s progress and increase
the chances for the success of the mainstreaming experience.
Mainstreaming Checklist
19. A member of the mainstreaming teams has
presented the concept of the mainstreaming, its
purpose, and what is gained at a PTA meeting for
parents of non disabled children.
20. The administrator has been informed of the
mainstreaming procedure for this particular child.
Take the time to realize that all those small steps, both
forward and backward, do lead to growth.
 But if these steps, time and concentrated effort are
not producing results, outside help needs to be
tapped.

Just because we ask for help does not mean we (as

teachers or parents) are failures, it doesn’t mean our
children are failures, it doesn’t mean our programs
are failures.
We want the child to recognize what is happening and
how to make it better.
We also need to recognize our own limits and need
outside assistance to HELP the situation and try to
keep it positive.
How can we expect them to try to work on the issues if
we refuse to see we aren’t perfect?
 Where Do I Go
If this is not a place where tears are understood, where do I go
to cry?
If this is not a place where my spirits can take wing, where do I
go to fly?
If this is not a place where my questions can be asked, where
do I go to seek?
If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard, where do I
go to speak?
If this is not a place where you will accept me as I am, where do
I go to be?
If this is not a place where I can try to learn and grow, where
can I just be me?
If this is not a place where tears can be understood, where can I
go to cry?
 Sofía Jirau
becomes the first model
with Down Syndrome to
pose for Victoria's Secret.
Sofía Jirau, who is also a
designer, is the first model
with Down syndrome to
front a Victoria's Secret
campaign.
 Silenced
It is based on events that took place at
Gwangju Inhwa School for the Deaf,
where young Deaf students were the
victims of repeated sexual assaults by
faculty members over a period of five
years in the early 2000s.[3][4]
Depicting both the crimes and the court
proceedings that let the teachers off with
minimal punishment, the film sparked
public outrage upon its September 2011
release, which eventually resulted in a
reopening of the investigations into the
incidents. With over 4 million people in
Korea having watched the film, the
demand for legislative reform eventually
reached its way to the
National Assembly of South Korea, where
a revised bill, dubbed the Dogani Bill, was
passed in late October 2011 to abolish the
statute of limitations for sex crimes against
minors and the disabled.[5]
I Am Sam (stylized i am sam) is a 2001
American drama film starring Sean Penn as a
father with an intellectual disability,
Dakota Fanning as his bright and inquisitive