Last Updated31 October 2024

Each person is unique, and each disability affects each person differently. The information in this section is a very simple overview of some common disabilities. It is aimed to provide a starting point for more research. Use the assessment tools to learn as much as you can about the individual. The person with the disability and/or their caregiver will understand their abilities better than anyone else.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects around 1 in 70 people. People on the autistic spectrum typically have challenges with social communication and interaction, repetitive behaviour and routines, high or low sensory sensitivity, and highly focused interests.

These challenges are often exacerbated by the social and physical environment, and therefore being aware of and adapting to the environment in small ways can have a huge impact on difficulties a person may face. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning that there is a huge variety of ways in which these characteristics are present and every individual on the spectrum is unique. Some people on the spectrum may have an associated intellectual impairment, and alternatively around 10% have an extremely high intelligence.

Characteristics can be grouped into four different categories…

Social Communication & Interaction

People with ASD may or may not use language to communicate. Where language is not used by the person, they may still understand verbal communication or alternatively might effectively communicate using visual aids or sign language. Generally, functional exchanges of information are understood whereas informal small talk, facial expressions, and social gestures can be challenging. Communicating and participating in large groups may be more challenging due to all the informal social cues and interactions that exist.

Repetitive Behaviour & Routines

Autistic people generally have a need to follow routines and patterns of behaviour, including such things as greetings, clothing or food, and may have difficulty altering these. This may be a way of providing some certainty and structure to life. Individuals may also have repetitive physical behaviours such as hand flapping, rocking, or bouncing, sometimes referred to as “stimming”, which may help alleviate anxiety or assist with processing information.

Sensory Sensitivity

Sensitivity to the senses may be heightened, commonly hearing, but also including vision and touch. This may result in discomfort or even pain resulting from loud noises or certain tones, or from bright light, or the feeling of a pair of goggles. The senses of proprioception (awareness of where one is in space), thermoception (temperature), and nociception (pain) can also be affected resulting in apparent clumsiness, insensitivity to cold, not noticing hunger or being indifferent to pain from injury.

Highly Focused Interests

People with ASD may have an intense interest in or knowledge of a particular subject. For some, this leads to expertise in their area of interest.

The term Asperger’s was used to describe a form of autism where language delay was not observed.

Rett’s syndrome is another neurodevelopmental disorder that falls under the Autism Spectrum and is characterised by normal early development followed by loss of hand control, speech, decrease in muscle tone, intellectual impairment, and seizures.

Teaching Considerations

Establish or learn the student’s routine and adhere to it.
Incorporate visual tools into teaching.
Utilise the student’s interests as a foundation for the lesson.
Recognise that language is typically understood in a literal sense.
Stay vigilant of the student’s whereabouts during activities, in case of distractions.
Identify signs of anxiety and minimise them where possible (increased stimming may indicate anxiety).

Common Red Flags

Disorientation
Behavioural
Speech – Aphasia/Dysarthria