Autism%20Team%20Training%20in%20South%20Dakota

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Autism Team Training in South Dakota

• Presented by Brittany Schmidt, MA-CCC/SLP
• Center for Disabilities
• Autism Spectrum Disorders Program
• www.usd.edu/cd/autism
• 1-800-658-3080
• cd_at_usd.edu

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Overview

• Team Training model started in SD in 1999
• 117 trained teams consisting of 541 members.
• Each team is made up of 3-5 members with the
  designed inclusion of a family member.
• Format Two, 2-day workshops over the course of
  4-5 months.
• Teams identify a focus student with an ASD
• Each team receives training and support to
  develop a comprehensive educational and
  vocational program

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Training Content

• Workshop 1
• Characteristics of ASD
• Principles of Structured Teaching in the home and
  community
• Behavioral Basics
• Informal Assessment of Skills and Academic
  Modifications
• Evaluating Interventions

• Workshop II
• Communication Assessment and Intervention
• Social and Play Assessment and Intervention
• Continuation of FBA/BIP
• South Dakota Resources and Supports

The teams received information as a large group
and also via breakout sessions which covered AS
versus A.
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Assignments

• Workshop 1
• Create an Introduction Booklet
• Set up physical structure
• Define/decide on environmental considerations
• visual schedule
• work system
• Do Informal Assessment of Skills
• visually clear task
• Collect ABC data

• Workshop II
• Refine behavioral hypothesis
• Assess communication functioning
• Create communication system or write and
  implement one pragmatic goal
• Conduct play/leisure assessment
• Produce 1 goal and visually clear play/leisure
  task

Work time for assignments was provided during the
workshop sessions.
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Assignments

• Assignments assigned after each workshop
• At Workshop 11 each team presented their Workshop
  1 assignment to the large group- verbal and
  written feedback was provided
• After Workshop 11 the assignments were mailed in
  to the CD ASD office and feedback was provided
  via mail.

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Survey

• Sent out a 12 question survey via email to past
  Team Training participants 22 return rate
• Questions asked referred to assignments and the
  impact on learning for the staff/family and
  outcome for the student as a result of completing
  the training
• Additional questions included
• Overall benefit of the Team Training in
  understanding ASD
• Perceived improvement in the educational and/or
  vocational program for the individual
• 5 point scale - 5 being Strongly Agree and 1
  being Strongly Disagree

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Outcomes for Students and Teams
Percentage of individuals who agreed or strongly
agreed that the content area was effective for
staff learning.
Content Area of Agree/Strongly Agree
Introduction Booklet 100
Assessment of Behavior 78
Informal Assessment 89
Communication Assessment 94
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Percentage of individuals who agreed or strongly
agreed that the content area was effective for
the focus individual.
Content Area of Agree/Strongly Agree
Physical Visual Structure 94
Assessment of Behavior 67
Informal Assessment 89
Assessment of Communication 67
Assessment of Play/Leisure 67
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Percentage of individuals who agreed or strongly
agreed that the content area was effective for
the focus individual.
10
Percentage of the impact Team Training had on the
focus individual's education/vocational
programming.
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Future Considerations

• Increased emphasis on the FBA/BIP process and
  choosing alternative communication means
• Play/leisure assessment and intervention
  information needs to be improved to demonstrate
  educational application/impact and incorporation
  ideas
• Teaching generalization of skills learned in Team
  Training to other students who may present
  differently
• Pairing teams with disparate focus students
• Planned follow-up with each team
• Establishing local teams of support in a more
  structured format
• Networking mechanism
• Posting of teams on CD ASD website