Current through Register Vol. 18, September 20, 2024
(1) The student may be identified as having
autism if the results of a comprehensive evaluation document significant
difficulties in social communication and social interaction, and restricted and
repetitive behaviors and interests.
(2) The characteristics below are those which
most frequently occur with the student but may not occur in every situation.
(a) Significant difficulties in social
communication must be documented for at least six of the following
characteristics:
(i) does not initiate or
maintain eye contact while interacting with others;
(ii) does not use or has limited use of
facial expressions to communicate with others;
(iii) has difficulty identifying and/or
understanding the communicative intent of another person's facial
expressions;
(iv) does not use
gestures to direct attention to an object (for example, showing, bringing, or
pointing out objects of interest);
(v) does not use gestures for
communication;
(vi) does not
respond to or misinterprets other's use of gestures;
(vii) does not notice or misinterprets
other's use of body language;
(viii) does not use or has inconsistent use
of own body language;
(ix) does
not use verbal language for communication and social interaction;
(x) echolalia (immediate and/or delayed) is
present;
(xi) has verbal language
but has difficulties in expressive verbal communication;
(xii) has verbal language but has
difficulties in receptive verbal communication; or
(xiii) interpretation of other's verbal
communication is often concrete and literal (for example: does not understand
idioms or sarcasm).
(b)
Significant difficulties in social interaction must be documented for at least
five of the following characteristics:
(i)
does not seek to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with others;
(ii) does not initiate social
interaction unless seeking preferred items or help;
(iii) no or minimal response to social
interactions initiated by others;
(iv) has difficulty initiating a conversation
on non-preferred topics;
(v) has
difficulty sustaining a conversation on non-preferred topics;
(vi) has difficulty explaining another
person's perspective in verbal and/or non verbal communication. (e.g., what
other people are thinking or feeling);
(vii) does not join play activities of others
(solitary play preferred);
(viii)
play lacks elements of make-believe (e.g., using blocks as food);
(ix) has difficulty in participating in
make-believe play with others; or
(x) does not engage in social imitative play
(such as playacting, fantasy characters, animals, pretending adult
role).
(c) Significant
difficulties in restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests must be
documented for at least three of the following characteristics:
(i) makes repeated vocalizations or
verbalizations (e.g., repeats same word, phrase, or sound);
(ii) persistent preoccupation with specific
objects or parts of objects;
(iii)
engages in repeated, repetitive movements with objects such as sticks or
string, lining up toys, flipping objects, spinning objects;
(iv) preoccupation with particular interests
causes difficulties in social interaction and/or academic
performance;
(v) resists when asked
to discontinue preferred or special interest activity;
(vi) prefers consistency and resists expected
and/or unexpected changes (for example: changing activities, leaving activity
unfinished, changes in routine or daily schedule); or
(vii) engages in repetitive physical
behaviors such as body rocking, spinning self, finger flicking, and/or hand
flapping.
(3)
A student must have the minimum number of characteristics in all three areas
above to be identified as a student with autism.
(4) A student who has the minimum number of
required characteristics in social communication and social interaction, and
restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests, shall be identified as a
student with Autism Type 1. A student who has more than the minimum number of
required characteristics in social communication and social interaction, and
restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests, shall be identified as a
student with Autism Type 2.
AUTH:
20-7-402,
MCA; IMP:
20-7-401,
20-7-403,
20-7-414,
MCA
