Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disorders that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. The group of disorders includes Asperger Syndrome and Childhood Autism with different degree of severity resulting in behavioral manifestation. Students with ASD show impairment in two main concerns from early childhood and limit or impair everyday functioning:
Persistent deficits in social communication and interaction: Difficulties in social-emotional reciprocity, problems in nonverbal communicative behaviors, as well as challenges in developing, maintaining and understanding relationships. The symptoms presented are persistent across multiple contexts and settings.
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities: Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, insistence on sameness and inflexible adherence to routines, highly restricted or fixated interests, as well hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory inputs.
Get to know more
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services
- Child Assessment Services, Department of Health, HKSAR
- How a student with learning disabilities is clearing hurdles in pursuit of a degree
ASD Leaflet (click the below to enlarge)
There are eight types of SEN: hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disability, intellectual disability, speech and language impairment, special learning difficulties, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder and autistic spectrum disorder.
