Strategies for Teaching Students with Autism in the Classroom or at Home Riverside Unified School...

Strategies for Teaching Students with Autism in the Classroom or at Home

Riverside Unified School District

Special Education Services

Presented by

Andy Stetkevich, Staff Development Specialist

Adapted from Sarah Lanzo

Tara Herlihy and Jenette Leonard

Types of Accommodations and Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for Students with ASD within the

Classroom

Evidence-Based Practices for Students with Autism (ASD)

• Antecedent-Based Interventions (ABI)

• Computer-Aided Instruction• Differential Reinforcement• Discrete Trial Training• Extinction• Functional Behavior Assessme

nt• Functional Communication Trai

ning• Naturalistic Intervention• Parent-Implemented Interventio

n• Peer-Mediated Instruction and I

ntervention

• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

• Pivotal Response Training• Prompting• Reinforcement• Response Interruption/Redirection• Self-Management• Social Narratives• Social Skills Groups• Speech Generating Devices/VOCA• Structured Work Systems• Task Analysis• Time Delay• Video Modeling• Visual Supports

How can I learn how to implement an Evidence Based Practice for a student with Autism?: Check out link below.

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders

Free Registration and Access http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/

Accommodations and Strategies with Examples

Best Practices for Students with Autism (ASD) in the Classroom

Academic Accommodations:

A structured environment Visual Schedule (classroom or individual) Give transition warnings (5 minutes until…)

*timer can be used on the Smartboard for class to see

Visual Aides/manipulatives to support instruction*you are already doing this with Smartboard lessons

Increased time for processing and responding Break down directions/tasks into smaller steps or

chunks

Visual supports are a way to solve problems…

What do you hear yourself saying over and over?

What do you hear students asking over and over?

Where are student performances breaking down?

“If you’ve told a child a thousand times and he still does not understand, then it is not the child who is the slow learner.”

Attributed to Walter Barbee

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Academic Accommodations:

Extra time to complete assignments Organizational strategies such as graphic

organizers, charts, check lists, etc. A scribe when the assignment is subject

based not writing OR a printed copy of notes.

Academic Accommodations:

Most of our students on the Autism Spectrum have far better decoding skills than comprehension skills. Just because students can decode the text does not mean they are comprehending what they read.

Comprehension Checks should:-limit open ended questions-give choices for answers to questions asked (ex.

Did the character feel excited or annoyed?)-realize that they are getting the black and white, but they need to be taught the grey. -assist students in understanding what is implied by the author

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Executive Functioning Supports –Planning , Problem-Solving, Organization, Self- monitoring your own

behaviors. Strategies for inhibiting responses

– Use “Reminder” cards

Turn in assignments when finished

Don’t say thoughts out loud

Raise hand to

ask questions

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Executive Functioning Supports Strategies for self-monitoring

– Posted rules– Visual timer– MotivAider– Invisible Clock– Watchminder

7/2009 17

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Academic Accommodations

First, Then board

Make Your Own Visual Support

How can I make my own visual templates with minimal time?

Free Website with Photographs and Clip Art. Click on link below. http://connectability.ca/visuals-engine/

Visual Strategies Support Academics

Subject:

Description of Subject:

Big Idea: Big Idea: Big Idea:

Detail: Detail: Detail:

Detail: Detail: Detail:

Detail: Detail: Detail:

What's Important?

Essay Map: 3

Knowing When to Stop . . .

STARTPage_________

STOPPage_________

Visual Strategies Support Academics

www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/sped/autism/05/visualexamples.htm

Social/Emotional Accommodations:

Errands to be done with a partner to provide a social opportunity

Insert breaks during natural transition times OR at designated times throughout the day. (This will be what works best for the child and the classroom he or she is a part of.)

Pacing in the back of class may allow a child an easy sensory break.

Social/Emotional Accommodations:

At Recess:– Have a class Recess Bucket OR students can

bring in a recess bag. In order to use a toy from the recess bag, you must play with the student the bag belongs to.

– The recess rule: “First you must play____ with a friend, then you may use the swing.”

– Provide printed sheets of easy to follow directions for recess games.

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The Incredible 5-Point Scale Assists students

with an ASD in understanding social interactions and controlling responses

Kari Dunn Buron

www.asperger.net

Voice Scale

5 Screaming/Emergency Only

4 Recess/outside voice

3 Classroom voice/talking

2 Soft voice/whisper

1 No talking at all

Today at recess…

I will play with ________________.

We will play _________________.

First I need to play with my friend for 5 minutes, then I can use the swing.

Social/Emotional Accommodations:

Use of social stories or scripts during social situations, transitions, changes in routine, field trips, assemblies, fire drills, asking for help, etc.

Positive peer models: use buddies for recess Frequent and Specific Positive reinforcement

Social Story ExamplesCheck out Carol Gray’s Website on Social Stories: http://www.thegraycenter.org/social-stories/carol-gray

Asking for Help Sometimes I do not know what I need to do. This is ok. No one knows what to do all the time. When this happens I should ask my teacher or

another adult for help. That is the right thing to do. My teacher will be

so happy to help me. It will help me understand what I need to do. I am so happy that I know how to ask for help.

This will make me a very successful student.

Social Story Examples

Our Field Trip On Friday my third grade class is going on a field trip. It will be fun. When I get to school in the morning I will not do morning work. I will get on a bus with my friends and teachers and ride to Plymouth

Plantation. I will do a scavenger hunt at Plymouth Plantation. Ms. Ash will help me. I will eat my lunch at Plymouth Plantation. Ms. Ash will bring me a

meatball sub for lunch I will have a quiet voice and a quiet body. When the field trip is over, I will get back on the bus with my friends and

teachers and ride back to school. My teachers will be proud of me if I have a quiet voice and quiet body on

the field trip. On Friday my third grade class is going on a field trip. It will be fun.

Social Story Examples

Fire Drills Sometimes we have fire drills at school. They help us

practice. It is just practice, there is NO fire. I am okay. I am safe. I will stay in class with my friends until I hear the fire alarm

ring. When I hear the fire alarm I will go outside with my class. I will walk slowly. I will not talk. I will be okay. It is just practice.

Social Story Examples

Time to Go Home The end of the day is fun. I am happy that it is time

to go home! There are 9 children that take the bus. We all really love to be the line leader, but it is not

possible for all of us to be the line leader each day.

We are going to have a new RULE in the DLC. The teacher will decide each day who will be line

leader.

Punch Cards

www.vistaprint.com

Social/Emotional Accommodations

Behavioral Intervention Plan (i.e. Token Systems) Start off with quick reinforcement. As they become

successful and understand the plan, begin to spread it out.

If possible, have the student own it. Be sure to be explicit about why they earned the

token. For example, “nice job having a quiet voice. Give yourself one token.”

Social/Emotion Accommodations

Social/Emotional Accommodations

Strategies for Behavior Prevention and Management

Structure is Essential– Predictability, consistency, and reliability are important

Identify HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS, over-stimulating, situations in advance (these may include class parties, assemblies, field trips or any change in routine) and plan ahead for them

TRANSITIONS can be tough for students with autism spectrum disorders. Possible strategies for transitioning include:– Give advanced warning– Use a timer– Rehearse the transition

Strategies for Behavior Prevention and Management:

Use CLEAR, CONCISE language Be aware of TONE OF VOICE:

– Kids react negatively to preachy, angry, whiny, pleading, infantilizing, moralistic, over-dramatic, loud, pushy, sarcastic tone of voice.

– Kids react positively to bright, friendly, gentle, firm, humorous, simple, neutral, sing-song tone of voice.

Represent things VISUALLY whenever possible.– Provide visual cues for behavioral expectations

References:

Kluth, Paula Ph.D. “Your going to Love This Kid,” Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom. Baltimore, 2003.

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders

http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/ National Autism Center Diagnostic Center, Northern California

Open Sources of Visual Support-Pictures & Icons

http://www.setbc.org/pictureset/SubCategory.aspx?id=60 http://connectability.ca/visuals-engine/

http://www.ehow.com/video_12213920_activities-teach-visual-perception-math-adolescents.html

http://mathcomm.org/general-principles-of-communicating-math/using-visuals/

www.instagrok.com