unable to function in almost any setting. Multiple abilities can be affected, while others are not Ruble,2011. Every autistic child has different way of thinking
and different skill in each field. Sometimes, some of them are very good in math but aren’t good in writing, good in music but aren’t not good in math, etc.
Shortly, the skill and ability of them are various. But above all, teachers must be aware that all individuals with autism have difficulties with social interaction and
communication, although the extent and type of difficulty may vary.
2.2.3 Characteristics of Autistic Children
Autism appears in a child’s early infancy and early childhood, and parents usually are able to see the core symptoms, the symptoms when their child
displayed behavior deficits, such as the delayed of the developmental in communication, motoric, and social interaction. The disorder causes delays in
many basic development areas such as in talking, playing and interracting with others. Ross 1974:156 explained that in the early age of children, parents can
see signs of this autism syndrom when their child fails to anticipate being picked up and reacts as if other people do not exist. As the child gets older, this autistic
aloneness takes the form of an absence of interpersonal behavior. He does not emit the social smile, seems not to recognize members of his family, and does not
engage in such social games. One of the most frequently reported characteristics of autistic children is the failure to develop appropriate language, specially the
distortion of speech for purposes of communication. Despite these marked behavior deviations, medical examinations reveal no gross neurological
impairment, and the child’s physical development ususally proceeds normally.
From those characteristics above, it can be classified into three groups of general characteristics of children with autism:
1 Impairment in Social Interaction Significant difficulty with social relationships is an essential characteristic
of individuals with autism. Most of the students with autism resist human contact and social interactions from a very early age and have difficulty
learning the subtleties of social interaction. As the child develops, interaction with others continues to be abnormal. Affected behaviors can include eye
contact, facial expressions, and body postures. These students often do not make eye contact with others, and they seem not interested in developing
social relationships. Friend dan W.D. Bursuck, 2006 Children with autism also show less attention to social stimuli, smile and
look at others less often, and sometimes respond less to their own name. There is usually an inability to develop normal peer and sibling relationships
and the child often seems isolated. There may be little or no joy or interest in normal age-appropriate activities. Affected children or adults do not seek out
peers for play or other social interactions. In severe cases, they may not even be aware of the presence of other individuals.
2 Communication Communication is usually severely impaired in persons with autism.
Autistic children are less likely to make requests or share experiences, and are more likely to simply repeat others words. Autistic children also may have
difficulty with imaginative play and with developing symbols into language.
They are unable to understand simple directions, questions, or commands. Teens and adults with autism may continue to engage in playing with games
that are for young children. Individuals withautism are unable to initiate or participate in a two-way
conversation. Frequently the way in which a person with this disorder speaks is perceived as unusual. Their speech may seem to lack the normal emotion
and sound flat or monotonous. The sentences are often very immature: want water instead of I want some water please. They often repeat words or
phrases that are spoken to them without any knowledge of what was said.This repetition is known as echolalia.
3 Repetitive Behavior Children with autism often exhibit a variety of repetitive, abnormal
behaviors. They also hypersensitive to sensory input through vision, hearing, or touch tactile. As a result, there may be an extreme intolerance to loud
noises or crowds, visual stimulation, or things that are felt. On the other hand, there may be an underdeveloped hyposensitivity response to the same type
of stimulation. This individual may use abnormal means to experience visual, auditory, or tactile touch input. This person may head bang, scratch until
blood is drawn, scream instead of speaking in a normal tone, or bring everything into close visual range. He or she might also touch an object,
image or other people thoroughly just to experience the sensory input. Autistic children are also often tied to routine and many everyday tasks may
be ritualistic. Something as simple as a bath might only be accomplished after
the precise amount of water is in the tub, the temperature is exact, the same soap is in its assigned spot and even the same towel is in the same place. Any
break in the routine can provoke a severe reaction in the individual and place a tremendous strain on the adult trying to work with him or her.
From those characteristics above, it can be grouped to be four criteria that can be used as the sign of autism in the child
’s early infancy. They are early onset of autistic aloneness, absence or distortion of language, stereotyped
insistence on sameness, and the lack of demonstrable physical defect. But, it is rare for children to display those four autistic criteria. But, although
children with autism have some common features, but no two individuals are same because the pattern and extent of difficulties may change with
development. The common characteristics help us to understand the general needs of autism children, but there is a need to combine this information with
knowledge of the specific interests, abilities, and personality of each student.
2.2.4 Teaching Autistic Students
