Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education

April is Autism Month

The Center Assessment Team works with all children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing no matter how unique of a profile they may have either medically or educationally, including children with autism.

One child with autism may present with different characteristics or symptoms which is why we use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Identifying ASD has important diagnostic and treatment implications. There are numerous websites, journals, blogs, and books that address behaviors, strategies, and interventions for autism. However, one thing in common is the focus on early identification and the provision of supports to address any of the needs observed or expressed by the families. Families are encouraged to share their observations with their child’s doctor, First Steps providers, and educational team so as not to delay supports at crucial times of development.

There is a shortage of professionals who have experience working with deaf and hard of hearing individuals who have ASD, which can lead to possible misdiagnosis (both over and under-diagnosis). This makes the expertise of the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Assessment Team so critical in determining the variables that impact a student’s progress. Accurate identification of ASD can be difficult if there is a lack of language development that could mimic or be misconstrued as possible ASD. Variance in linguistic input could lead to differences in the rate and order of language acquisition impacting social, emotional, and academic progress.

It is imperative to recognize additional diagnoses such as the high co-occurrence of ASD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which also means a higher likelihood of some executive functioning skills weakness. Children with the combined presence of ASD and ADHD may need different treatment methods to achieve better outcomes. Assessments can be done that further exam the neuropsychological characteristics and profiles of children with ASD and/or ADHD to help facilitate the identification of additional areas of need as well as inform intervention and treatment. Targeting specific skill weaknesses or behaviors will be more successful than using an overgeneralized approach to teaching a student who qualifies for special education services under ASD or Other Health Impairment (OHI) due to attention and impulsivity.

Did you know…

· Autism now affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys

· Autism prevalence figures are growing

· Autism is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U.S.

· Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average

· Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have autism

There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Statistics from www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/facts-about-autism

The Language and Literacy Connection

Jacqueline D. Hall-Katter, M.S. CCC/SLP

Whether you are a parent or an educator, it is important to note the significant link between a student’s language ability and their reading ability.

In my work with a students, sometimes a teacher states that a student’s language is fine; they are simply struggling to read. In some cases, that may be true; however, in other instances, a student who has reading struggles also presents with language difficulties.

A student’s reading level cannot surpass the student’s language level. Students who have partially developed cognitive academic language proficiency often plateau at 2^nd grade reading level and struggle to continue to gain ground in literacy.

For our deaf and hard of hearing students, many times the child’s language skills are impacted by the access to information. Only 10-20% of language is directly taught and the rest is overheard or acquired through incidental learning. If our students do not have full access to language, then they will not continue to grow and thus their reading levels will not continue to improve. To graduate from Indiana with a diploma, a student currently needs to show 10^th grade reading proficiency. This means student’s language and literacy skills need to be monitored very closely to ensure they are not falling behind their hearing peers.

Here are some ways parents and schools can help to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students do not fall behind their peers in literacy development:

· Closely monitor a child’s language growth and ability to use language for thinking.

· Consult with professionals versed in DHH education early and often, before the student shows any signs of struggle.

· Develop an interest in books early and read to your child every day in the child’s accessible language.

· Use books without words sometimes and encourage the student to tell creative stories.

· Engage the student in stories through predicting what may happen.

· Keep books and print in the child’s environment beginning at a young age.

· Experience the world: go to the zoo, taste new foods, talk about new things- help your student to expand their world knowledge through hands-on experience,

· Purposefully expand your own vocabulary to describe the environment around you; engage the child in experiencing and talking about things.

· If you are at all concerned, obtain a speech language evaluation that includes an investigation into the student’s cognitive academic language proficiency.