Checklist (continued):

5. Please describe your child's voice:

Too loud ________

Too soft ________

Variable _________

Monotonous ________

Appropriate _______

First words (age)

Describe speech problems

Describe language problems

Do you have to repeat instructions?

Does your child pay little attention when spoken to?

Does your child have difficulty remembering what is said?

Does your child follow verbal directions?

Enjoy music?

Does your child loses his/her concentration?

Is your child easily distracted?

Has the teacher commented on his/her listening skills?

Have to increase the TV/Radio volume?

Have to lower the TV/Radio volume?

M movement differences in people with Autism

The people who have been looking at the role of Praxis in communication recently are the people involved in research on facilitated communication. Alan Kurtz has written on this and I found his page on the internet when I search M.P.

One of the criticisms of facilitated communication is, "Why does t he person need the facilitator's support in guiding their hand?" or "why can't the spell independently?"

It has been hypothesized that people with Autism can't communicate independently through pointing because they have motor planning problems. Anne M. Donnelan and Martha R. Leary in their book "Movement Differences and Diversity in Autism/Mental Retardation discuss the movement differences and symptoms of movement disturbance that affect a person's ability to act, to think, to imagine, to feel, and to speak" (p30)

They fell that symptoms of movement disturbance may contribute to what we think of as autism by making it impossible for the individual to demonstrate competence. (p42) The state that all communication requires movement (p42) and that the individual with autism may not be able to send the conventional signal that communicate, and be unable to inhibit certain signals that carry meaning that was not intended. (p42)

The movement differences they describe are as follows

  • Starting: Can't start without a cue. "first few bars of a song" this is where the physical prompt for F.C. plays a role.

  • Stopping: Can't stop - could this be involved in preservative movement.

  • Executing: This fits with the ability we discussed under Ayres definition of execution.

  • Switching: so absorbed in one thing that can't switch- transitions?

  • Combining: Not being able to do two things at once such as listening to the car radio and looking for a street address. Uni -sensory system processors vs. multi-sensory system processors. This can affect the following functions.

  • Postures
  • Actions
  • Speech
  • Thoughts
  • Perceptions
  • Emotions
  • Memories

    They discuss the accommodation that can be made to help the individual with Autism, and supporting their arm as is done in facilitated communication may be one such accommodation for the person using F C. to communicate.

    • M otor Development History

    At what age did your child reach the usual developmental milestones:

    Sitting?

    Crawling?

    Walking?

    Talking?

    Muscle Tone: Does your child?

    Have any diagnosed muscle pathology (i.e., spasticity, flaccidity, rigidity, hypotonicity etc.)?

    lack adequate protective reactions when falling

    Have a grasp of a crayon/pencil that is less mature than his peers?

    Have good balance?

    Drool?

    Seem weaker or stronger than normal?

    Frequently grasp objects too lightly/strongly?

    Tire easily?

    Coordination: Does your child:

    Manipulate small objects easily?

    Seem accident prone?

    Eat in a sloppy manner? Use utensils

    Have difficulty with pencil activities?

    Have difficulty with dressing and/or fastening clothes?

    Have a consistent hand dominance?

    Neglect one side of the body, or seem unaware of it?

    Have difficulty learning motor skills?

    Play with toys purposefully?

    Use toys for pretend play?

    Use gestures to communicate wants and wishes?

    Learn through watching (imitation)?

    Wave "bye-bye", play "peek a boo"

    Learn the gestures to simple songs?

    Play with other children and join in with the same thing that they are doing?