Introduction to Autism Online Tutorial
	Module 1: What is Autism? Characteristics of Autism, Continued Stereotyped behaviors (such as hand-flapping, spinning, or rocking). These behaviors, also referred to as stimming or self-stimulatory behaviors, are common among children with autism. Restricted and repetitive interests. This may include a strong desire to follow specific routines/rituals, such as touching all of the door knobs each time the person walks down the hallway, wanting to do things in the same sequence every day, or insistence on driving the exact same route to school each day. A child may also be interested in playing with a narrow (restricted) range of items (such as repeatedly spinning the wheels of a toy truck turned upside down or lining up toys and becoming upset if they are moved. Differences in sensory processing. Students with autism may experience sensory input (sights, smells, touch, sounds, and tastes) differently from their peers. Many students with autism experience an increased sensitivity to these sensory experiences, and some of them may be quite painful for the student. Some common problem areas for students with autism are fluorescent lighting (some students can see the “flickering” of these lights and it can be distracting), school announcements over the loudspeaker, fire alarms, the smell of food cooking in the cafeteria or another student’s lunch, etc. One of my sensory problems was hearing sensitivity, where certain loud noises, such as a school bell, hurt my ears. It sounded like a dentist drill going through my ears. - Dr. Temple Grandin References: Brainy Quote CDC Autism Diagnostic Criteria Next --> What Autism Is Not