AUTISM SOUTH AFRICA
ANNOUNCES AN ADDITIONAL AND NEW 2 DAY WORKSHOP ON THE TEACCH Approach.
(Training and Education of Autistic and Communicatively Handicapped Children)
Pretoria and Cape Town February 2004.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE SECOND SECTION OF THE “BASICS” COURSE
THAT WAS HELD IN SEPTEMBER 2003. BUT NEW DELEGATES WILL ALSO FIND THIS AN
EXCEPTIONALLY BENEFICIAL WORKSHOP TO ATTEND.
After you have read the information pertaining to the Symposia, please continue
reading as we have included some information on autism for your general interest
and personal knowledge.
Thank you.
TEACCH SYMPOSIA
PRETORIA
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WHERE
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Three Oaks Conference Centre, 85 South Street, Centurion
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WHEN
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9th & 10th February 2004
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COST
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R 250.00 per delegate for the 2 days.
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CAPE TOWN
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WHERE
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To be advised upon registration
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WHEN
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12 and 13th February 2004
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COST
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R 250.00 per delegate for the 2 days.
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International
Speakers:
Dr. Theo Peters
Neurolinguist/ Director,
Autism Training Centre, Belgium
Mrs Hilde de Clercq
Parent/Professional
Autism Training Centre, Belgium
All registration forms to be received 1 week prior to the date of selected
symposium.
50% refund will be provided for any cancellations made prior to 1st February
2004. After this date, no refund will be available, but a substitute delegate
may be sent.
FOR ALL BOOKINGS / TO REQUEST A REGISTRATION FORM AND / OR FURTHER INFORMATION
ON AUTISM:
AUTISM SOUTH AFRICA
P.O. BOX 84209
GREENSIDE. 2034
TEL: (011) 486 3696 / 0122
FAX: (011) 486 2619
E-MAIL: autismsa@iafrica.com
The TEACCH
approach focuses on the development of a program for skills, interests and
needs for a person with Autism.
It involves the organisation of the physical environment, developing schedules,
work systems, and visual materials which play a large role in allowing for
independence.
The program cultivates strengths, and interests rather than drilling solely
on deficits.
An important part of any TEACCH curriculum is the development of communication
skills, pursuing social and leisure interests and to encourage people with
Autism to pursue more of these opportunities.
The subject material that will be covered is follows:-
Evolution of the concept of autism since Leo Kanner (1943.
The ‘ice-berg’ approach in autism.
Seeing the difference between symptoms and causes.
Dimensions of training in autism, prevention of problem behaviour.
Autism from theoretical understanding to educational intervention.
Pervasive developmental disorder.
The different treatment of information.
The "Triad of Impairments" in autism.
o Communication.
o Social understanding.
o Imagination.
Adapting the environment.
Making life predictable.
Visual help in Autism.
Collaboration between parents and professionals.
50% refund will be provided for any cancellations made prior to 1st February
2004. After this date, no refund will be available, but a substitute delegate
may be sent.
WHAT IS AUTISM?
Autism is a lifelong and extremely complex disability that stems from a genetic
origin and results in biochemical dysfunction of the brain. Autism occurs
in 4 times as many boys as girls. The incidence of autism is radically on
the increase worldwide and is now considered to affect 1 per 158 children
under the age of 6 years.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
AUTISM
Sadly, the severity of autism is greatly under-estimated. The presentation
of autism can range from a person who is severely mentally impaired and severely
autistic, on to those who present with lower to middle functioning, with mild
to moderate autistic traits. Then there are also people who are affected by
Asperger Syndrome, who display a good intellectual ability, but still have
most definite prevalent and often debilitating autistic traits.
Regardless of the manifestation of autism, all people on this spectrum, are
affected, in different degrees, by the “Triad of Impairments”, which
causes a disturbance in quality of development in the following areas:-
1. Language and Communication. 40% of people with autism never speak nor understand
the verbal word. Even those who do have speech, often still have severe problems
understanding the normal process of reciprocal communication;
2. Social Interaction. People with autism, due to the altered chemistry and
functioning within the brain, literally cannot fully understand other people’s
emotions, reactions and the complexity of social relationships. This can result
in people with autism often being rejected by society, which then results
in these people sometimes becoming aloof, confused and isolated from those
around them;
3. Imagination. Again, due to brain dysfunction, a person with autism becomes
trapped by rigid thought patterns and behaviours, a limited range of imaginative
activities, as well as a poor understanding of day to day concepts, jargon
and the abstract.
On the Autistic Spectrum, they refer to “Kanner” autism and those
people usually have mental impairment as well as autism. Then there is “Asperger
Syndrome” where the people are really only affected by autism and their
intellectual abilities are normal or above normal. Then there is the “Savant”
form of autism, like was portrayed in the film “The Rainman”, where
this person has one area that they have a “superhuman” ability,
such as looking at a building for literally a couple of minutes and then being
able to draw that building exactly. The Savant form of autism is found in
approximately 7% of all autistic people.
The more common signs of autism are as follows:
Little awareness of others, their feelings and their communication.
Development of speech and language may be deviant, delayed or at worst, absent
for life.
Changes in routine or the environment, may cause extreme distress.
Inappropriate attachment to objects.
Difficulty in interacting with others.
Little or no eye contact.
Indifference to, or dislike of being touched, held or cuddled.
Uneven gross / fine motor skills.
Preferring to play alone.
Imaginative play may be poor. E.g cannot play with a wooden block as if it
is a car, rather just an item to constantly line up or stack.
Minimal reaction to verbal input and sometimes acts as though deaf.
Pursues activities repetively and cannot be influenced by suggestions of change.
Displays extreme distress and or tantrums when sensory bombardment becomes
too much.
No real fear of dangers.
Sense of touch, taste, sight, hearing and or smell may be heightened to a
point that makes even the inane situation become close to unbearable.
Unusual habits such as rocking, hand flapping, spinning of objects etc.
Abnormal sleep patterns.
Self-injurious behaviour e.g head banging, scratching or biting with the intent
of creating a foci as a means of blocking out the sensory bombardment they
can experience.
Thank you for your time and interest.
Kind regards,
Pauline Shelver and Jill Stacey
Autism South Africa