7/30/2019 TEACCH Research Summary

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Courtney Raia

Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children

(TEACCH) is a program and instructional method designed to teach students with autism of any

age or skill level with the ultimate goal of them becoming successful and independent members

of the community. This program utilizes a structured teaching method, where the students

follow a very controlled process in both their learning and independent work. TEACCH is based

upon the behavioral idea that through following a set schedule in a very systematic setting, the

students will best be able to learn. This method is also based on the ideology that individuals

with autism have different perception needs, and learn better through visual rather than verbal

instruction.

A classroom that implements the TEACCH method is set up in a very distinct way. Each

area of the room has a distinct purpose, so the students understand what they are to do in each

area of the room. There should be a different area for play, for one-on-one instruction, for

independent workstations, and any other areas that a teacher may need in their classroom.

Additionally, another important part of a TEACCH classroom is that it uses visual supports

throughout the entire room. The areas should all be labeled visually, as well as expectations and

classroom schedules.

In order to start the TEACCH program with a student, the teacher must start by assessing

the student’s curre nt and emerging abilities and by looking at their goals. Tasks are to be

developed to target these goals specifically. In the TEACCH program, tasks are hands-on and

designed to be physically manipulated rather than the typical paper-oriented tasks. However, the

tasks all are to move from left to right, as one would do when they are writing. TEACCH tasks

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are designed to provide visual information to the students, where they should eventually be able

to make use of the visual cues of the task in order to complete it independently. These tasks

should also be compact, or combined onto one platform or box, so that they are easily

transported.

Once the tasks are made, they are taught to the students in a structured one-on-one

setting. The student is given a visual “list” of the tasks that they are to complete, in this situation

on a strip on the table of color-labeled items. Each card is matched to the task, and the student

needs to find the task to their left and bring it to the desk. The instructor then teaches the student

to complete the task using a systematic least-to-most prompting system. The key to TEACCH is,because individuals with autism are primarily visual learners, that the instructor is silent through

the entire session. Once the first task is complete, it is put into a basket on the right, as they are

always to move from left to right in the teaching area, and they then begin the next task on the

schedule.

The overall goal of teaching the students these tasks is to eventually move the tasks over

to the independent work station upon mastery, where the students can sit down on their own and

complete all of their tasks without prompting or help. This is important because it gives the

students opportunities to work independently and follow a schedule to complete their tasks.