The Young Child with Autism

The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:

• Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder must be understood within wider frameworks including a personal, family, cultural and community perspective.
• Intervention strategies should be deployed within the context of family-centered practice and collaborative working relationships.
• Approaches to understanding the interrelated aspects of development in young children includes:
  • Cognitive Development
    • Developmental models
    • Transitions and Routines
    • Activities and strategies that promote cognitive development skills
  • Language Acquisition and Communication
    • Joint attention, cultural learning and language acquisition
    • Social pragmatic approach to language acquisition
    • Communicative functions, expressive and receptive skills
    • Behaviour as a form of communication
    • Activities and strategies that facilitate and promote language/communication skill development
  • Social Development
    • Self-esteem and self awareness
    • Developing a sense of the other
    • Social/affective signalling
    • Friendship and play
    • Affection and holistic well-being
    • Activities that facilitate and promote social skill development 
  • Motor Development
    • Developmental sequences
    • Self care (dressing, toileting, eating, etc)
    • Safety
    • Adaptations
    • Activities and strategies that facilitate and promote motor skill development
• Support approaches should include behavioural, developmental and environmental perspectives.
• An awareness of the range of service options for the young child with Autism and their families is needed for practitioners.
• It is important to understand play-based environments in learning and the problems children with Autism Spectrum Disorder experience in play.
• Practitioners should be familiar with a range of observation strategies.