AUTISM: Methodologies and Recent research

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AUTISM Methodologies and Recent research

• Ilene S. Schwartz
• University of Washington
• ilene_at_u.washington.edu

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Autism is a collection of overlapping groups of
symptoms that vary from child to childSiegel,
1996, p.301
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There is no one right way to educate children
with autism
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Three important questions

• What are you going to teach?
• How are you going to teach those skills and
  behaviors?
• How will you know that your teaching has been
  effective?

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Structural Base to Effective Programs

• Functional objectives and meaningful activities
• Frequent reinforcement and effective motivational
  systems
• Functional communication systems
• Behavior intervention system

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Programs should include

• Curriculum content in
• attending
• imitation
• communication
• play
• social interaction
• Supportive teaching and generalization
  environments
• Predictability and routine
• Functional approach to problem behaviors
• Transition support
• Family involvement

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Critical Features, NRC 2001

• Entry to program asap
• Program 5 days a week, 25 hours a week, full year
• 11 and small group
• Family involvement
• Low student-teacher ratio
• On-going evaluation and assessment

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6 types of intervention should have priority

• Functional, spontaneous communication
• Embedded social instruction
• Play skills with peers
• Embedded cognitive instruction
• Positive behavior support
• Functional academics

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Appropriate Curriculum Content

• Age appropriate and developmentally appropriate
• Important to family
• Addresses strengths and weaknesses
• Considers general education curriculum
• Scope and sequence across domains

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Supportive teaching environments

• Uses evidence-based instructional practices
• Uses data-based decision making
• Staff have appropriate training
• Staff had adequate support and consultation
• Instruction is explicit
• Generalization is planned for facilitated

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Predictability and Routine

• Uses schedules to help students be more
  independent
• Teach students how to deal with changes to
  schedules and routine
• Be careful not to make students more rigid
• Use visual supports to teach and facilitate
  independence
• Use technology as appropriate

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Functional Approach to Behavior Problems

• PBS
• FBA
• Teach alternatives
• Prevention is the best solution
• Need to understand what is motivating and
  maintaining the inappropriate behavior
• Remember to consider context

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Transition Support

• Sending programs
• Receiving programs
• Family
• Student

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Family Involvement

• Information
• Communication
• Support
• Share the data

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How do we know if programs work?

• Are goals and objectives clearly stated?
• Are they important to you?
• Are the procedures clearly stated?
• Are they acceptable to you?
• What data are collected about this procedure in
  general? What data are collected in your
  classroom or on your child?
• Are they convincing to you?
• How does this procedure affect your family?
• Is this acceptable to you?

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What common elements exist?

• Individualization
• Sufficient intensity to result in meaningful
  outcomes toward important outcomes.
• Data-based decision making
• Emphasis on functional skills (including social
  skills, leisure, independence, and academics).
• Family involvement.

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Project DATA
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What does this look like in preschool?

• Begin intervention as early as possible
• 20-25 hours a week
• Most children are best served with blended
  approaches by multi-disciplinary teams
• Opportunities to interact successfully with
  typically developing children.

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What does this look like for older children?

• High quality models are not as well developed.
• Need to be embedded in a high quality general
  education program.
• Strengths, as well as deficits, must be
  addressed.
• Social skills must be taught systematically and
  intensively.

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Preventing Violent and Destructive Behavior in
SchoolsPrimary, Secondary and Tertiary Systems
of Intervention
Intervention Types

• Target Interventions
• Individual Student Services
• Wraparound Services
• (Family/Community)

Tertiary Prevention

• Selected Interventions
• Adult Mentors (frequent monitoring)
• Self-Management Support
• Scheduling Changes
• Additional Support

Secondary Prevention

• Universal Interventions
• Violence Prevention Skills Training
• Effective Academic Instructions
• Schoolwide Behavior Expectations

Primary Prevention
Walker, H. M., Horner, R. H., Sugai, G., Bullis,
M., Sprague, J. R., Bricker, D., Kaufman, M.J.
(1996). Integrated approaches to preventing
antisocial behavior patterns among school-age
children and youth. Journal of Emotional and
Behavioral Disorders, 4, 194-209.
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How can we help?

• Professional Development in Autism (PDA) Center
• Funded by OSEP
• Training, consultation, and follow-up for school
  districts
• Contact us at www.pdacenter.org

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Start up Menu

• Identify team members
• Establish priorities
• Identify needs and supports
• Develop measurable goals for every member of the
  team
• Evaluate progress
• Have fun