The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Health-care concerns are found to be commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders. Consequences of these issues can manifest as behavioral problems in the classroom. The goals of this presentation are to present information about these common medical issues and to offer a problem-solving approach to deal with these medical issues as well as their behavioral consequences. This information can equip parents and school professionals to maximize the child’s potential for academic success in the school setting. Since the DSM criteria for Pervasive Developmental Disorders were originally written, there has been a significant increase in the knowledge base about ASD.  There is now a consensus that individuals with ASD often present with other health-related issues that seem to be related to their ASD diagnosis, such as: genetic conditions, seizures, GI disturbances, feeding and oral problems, hyperkinesis, aggressive behaviors, anxiety, disruptive behaviors and sleep problems.   

Each of these medical conditions can present as behavioral problems in the child with ASD.  These behavioral manifestations can negatively impact the child’s potential to learn and their daily functioning in the school.  If adults are not aware of these possible medical issues, their treatment plans for dealing with behavioral concerns will be ineffective since they are not addressing the etiology of the problem.               The first goal of this workshop is to present common co-morbid medical conditions that are          associated with autism spectrum disorders.  The presenters will discuss established        medical/therapeutic/educational treatments as well as alternative and complementary                 approaches.  The second goal of the workshop is to discuss the impact of each of these medical    conditions on the child’s behavior in the school setting and how it may disrupt the           learning process. 

The third goal of this presentation is to present a step wise template for developing treatment plans to address behavioral concerns in the academic setting.  This problem solving model takes into account the different variables that can contribute to problems for the child with ASD in school (i.e. medical, developmental, psychological, behavioral, and academic).  This integrative approach can help school professionals develop tailored behavioral and medical plans that meet the individual needs of the child with ASD in the school setting.Objectives:
 1)          Present the common medical conditions/symptoms associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the treatment strategies for these conditions. 2)       Describe how these medical conditions can negatively impact behavior and learning.

3)       Briefly review the pharmacologic treatments used in the treatment of common behavioral conditions associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

4)     Discuss an integrative problem solving approach for developing effective behavioral plans in the school setting.   This includes quantifying the behavioral problem, determining if there is a medical, psychological, or developmental aspect to this problem, and formulating an individualized behavioral plan for that child.                 The child with ASD present with many barriers to success in the classroom.  Not only are there learning and behavioral issues to consider, but medical conditions and their treatments that can  also exacerbate educational difficulties.   To help schools provide the best services for these students, school professionals and parents need to be aware of the growing body of knowledge regarding medical conditions associated with ASD.   By integrating these medical variables with   other possible negative variables (such as developmental and psychological variables) into a single framework, school professionals and parents are able to develop treatment plans that are more comprehensive and effective for the child with ASD. By applying this integrative problem solving approach, parents and educator can collaborate in developing a comprehensive educational plan that encompasses more than just the educational  needs of the student with  ASD.

Learning Objectives: