Notes On Autism Spectrum Disorder - 1656 Words

Lydia Chludil Personal Special Education Teaching Philosophy Paper TE 434: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder David Rose 4/15/2016 What are the historical theories, who are the major contributors, and what are the relevant federal laws underlying the field of ASD? The historical theories that are in the field of ASD all originated with Leo Kanner. His work was started in 1943 where he identified â€Å"autism† using common descriptions. The descriptions lead to a certain criterion that was then used to identify those with ASD. The criteria included, but is not limited to, rare communication behaviors, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors. Kanner worked to portray autism instead of define it.†¦show more content†¦The federal laws underlying the field of ASD are the Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; both were created to protect the rights of individual with disabilities. Individual Disabilities Act is focused on the implementation of educational needs and services to students up to 21 years of age. It also entitles every student t o a free public education. Section 504 provides a free public education and each student receives services in the same manner as those who do not have a disability. Both of these federal laws were created to contribute to the education and development of every individual that would need an IEP. How do these theories interact with the dynamic development of the ASD definitions over time? According to dictionary.com â€Å"Autism spectrum disorder is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child s ability to communicate and interact with others. It also includes restricted repetitive behaviors, interests and activities. These issues cause significant impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning.† When ASD is googled, there are many possible definitions as a result, and not a single one is 100% comprehensive. There have been various theories to the development and definitions of ASD. These theories are dynamic to the development of the definition of ASD over time because the theories began targeting simple behaviors and labelling