Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, PhD START Early Childhood Training: Implementing High Quality Preschool Programming Amy Matthews, Ph.D., BCBA Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, PhD Grand Valley State University Linda Elenbaas, MA Muskegon ISD

Agenda Transition Data follow up Problem solving process Challenges with behavior and learning Review and Intervention supports Behavioral Skills Training (BST) Celebration and Future Planning

Review Review

Wow, that’s a good idea If you hear any good ideas you want to take back and try right away, put them on the Wow form

Get out your team action plan (green form) Complete your Target Student Data and share your Action Plan with us

Seamless Transitions during Early Childhood

Transition to Kindergarten Start at entry – day one! Focus on independent skills and skills needed for kindergarten: Dressing, toilet training, sitting, following directions, self-regulation, responding to group instructions, following a routine

Plan for Transitions Early Talk to your existing special education team about student movement

January – March Transition Portfolio Transition Program Options About My Child-Parent input Student Summary Pre-School Developmental Checklist Transition Accommodations Profile Routine Based Assessments IEP, Met, Work Samples

April - June Parent (child) and member of student’s current teaching team visit classroom and meet the receiving teacher Receiving teacher is invited to visit student’s current placement (if teacher can’t visit, take video to share

Preparations Give receiving teacher any supports that have been used or created for the student Schedule Visual supports Prompting procedures Differentiated output Behavior support summary Demonstrate strategies in the classroom at a visit, provide training, and/or a visit to the new classroom with the student.

Communication between Parents and Receiving Teacher Discuss classroom communication procedure in new classroom Discuss what programs and family activities are part of the new classroom and school community (e.g., PTA, volunteering) Discuss any food or health needs or restriction

Communication between Sending Teacher and Receiving Teacher Provide additional information on autism that is pertinent to the student Inform the receiving teacher that present staff is available for questions or concerns as the student transitions into the new class. If available staff can be placed in new classroom for up to 2 weeks during transition period. Staff is to work directly with the teacher as a classroom support giving the teacher strategies and assistance with the student should issues come up.

Preparing the Student Create a countdown calendar Create a transition book detailing as much as possible about the classroom and building Give the student the classroom rules in advance Prepare student for riding a new bus and having a new bus driver Have the child visit the classroom and playground

Preparing Peers Request parent consent to do sensitivity training when school starts Talking about the differences between each of us (e.g., hair color, eye color, glasses, tall , short) Read the book My Friend With Autism or play video Read 10 things my friend “Tobin” wants you to know about him Let the students ask questions and answer as honestly as possible while maintaining the student’s dignity

Models to Support Successful Transition Special education teacher is available to assist with transition Related services staff supports transition to new classroom Paraprofessional staff attends kindergarten (or new early childhood program) for first week In the fall, early childhood programs start a week later than K-12 to allow EC staff to support transition

Preparing for Transition Team Discussion

Information Needed Today Please complete today and turn in: EC Target Student Reporting Form – 1 per team/ 1 per target student Effective Practices Assessment and Planning Tool (EPAT) – 1 per team Post Training Questionnaire (blue) – 1 per person

Target Student Reporting Form IMPORTANT: Record follow up data for independence and classroom engagement and summarize on the Target Student Reporting form Target Student Reporting Form

Classroom Engagement

How is your classroom engagement for your targeted activity? Brainstorm ideas to improve engagement

Program and Student Data

How is your student’s independence? Brainstorm ideas to increase independence for your target student or for other students

Early Childhood Assessment Tool

Are you still encountering these? Interfering Behaviors 2. Learning Challenges

Educating Young Children with ASD

Early Childhood Training Concepts

Identifying Interventions: Some Possible Purposes of Problem Behavior Student doesn’t UNDERSTAND the task/ activity Student doesn’t LIKE the task/activity Student wants an item that’s not available Student is easily upset by mistakes or something that is not “right” Student has difficulty with transition from preferred to non-preferred Student has difficulty with change or unusual events Student desires interaction, but uses inappropriate strategies to gain attention from others Student avoids interaction with others Student’s behavior appears to be comforting or internally pleasing

Identifying Intervention

Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/toolkit/early-childcare-providers-guide-managing-challenging-behaviors

Use a Problem Solving Process for One Area of Challenge

Effective Teaming

Visual Organizer

Is this a problem worth working on? (photo) Flipchart…. If you have a genuine problem, you just might have an action plan when you leave here. Problem Identification: do we have a problem worth working on… can it be resolved… discussion continues. 5 minutes to talk about a problem….

Look at your data (photo) Specify what your problem is .. When how often what does the data says? This might be the place where we decide do we need to collect more data before moving forward.. But usually you have a situation where you may choose to collect more data, but you need a plan beginning tomorrow. 5 minutes - go

Look at your data Effective Practices Assessment Tool (EPAT) Classroom Engagement Independence Opportunities to Respond (OTR) Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) Student IEP progress

Brainstorming (photo) Talk about the adult behavior. Take a little more time with this.

Cluster and Prioritize (photo)

Implementation Variables This is the very first time that discussion about barriers can be addressed.

Action Plan development Who will do what… action plan…

Use a Problem Solving Process for One Area of Challenge

Early Childhood Training Concepts

Identifying Interventions

Visual Organizer

Action Plan

Future Planning: This Year and Next Year What are the key priorities for your team to address for the rest of this year and into next year?

Behavioral Skills Training (BST)

Examples of Using BST Expectations 3Rs Prompting Following a schedule Skills to Teach Staff Skills to Teach Students Expectations 3Rs Prompting Following a schedule Differential reinforcement Circle time rules Daily schedule Mini schedule Toileting Dramatic play sequence Peer training

Behavioral Skills Training (BST) INSTRUCTIONS Descriptive explanation, with clear written instructions MODELING Provide a live or video example of the procedure or behavior REHEARSAL Practice to ensure implementation fidelity FEEDBACK Confirm correct performance or provide coaching for correction Parsons, M. B., Rollyson, J. H., & Reid, D. H. (2012). Evidence-based staff training: A guide for practitioners. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 5(2), 2-11.

Preparation for BST Identify and define the skills you want to teach (usually easier skills first) Identify all the situations in which the skills must be used Establish a baseline by assessing the learner’s skills in real situations

Step One: Instructions Create specific instructions and describe expected behaviors Provide instructions in a visual format, either written or pictures Specify appropriate situations for the behavior

Examples - Instructions *Instructions may be adapted as needed, such as using pictures, videos, or simplified language

Step Two: Modeling The correct behavior is demonstrated Make sure the learner is attending Live modeling to demonstrate the appropriate behavior Symbolic modeling involves using video or audio as the model Provide various examples

Example - Modeling Peer Training for Making a Choice The teacher would say to the Jake, “I am going to show you how to offer a choice to a friend.” Next the teacher models the steps with a second student, Ben. The teacher would say “I am picking a car and a train since I know my friend Ben likes both of these.” Teacher says “I am going to hold them out” while modeling this behavior. The teacher asks “which one do you want” of Ben. When Ben reaches, the teacher gives the one item that was reached toward first. The teacher acknowledges Ben’s choice by saying “I like the train too.”

Step Three: Rehearsal Provide an opportunity to practice Correct behavior followed by immediate specific praise Partly correct or incorrect behavior are followed by corrective feedback Rehearse behavior until demonstrated correctly a few times

Example - Rehearsal Peer Training for Making a Choice The teacher would say to Jake, “Now it is your turn to show me how to offer a choice to a friend. I will help you if you need it.” Initially, the teacher might need to provide visual, verbal, or physical prompts to practice. The student may practice with the teacher or another child. Jake would follow all the steps in the instructions and those modeled by the teacher.

Step Four: Feedback For correct performance: Praise, acknowledge, or provide another reinforcer immediately Find something to acknowledge or praise Use descriptive praise Give feedback one behavior at a time Be positive For incorrect performance: Provide instructions on how to improve performance or prompt for correct performance.

Example - Feedback The teacher provides specific acknowledgement for the steps completed correctly, such as “you picked two things that Ben likes.” If mistakes are made, the teacher provides feedback such as “ remember to only give him one toy and you keep the other one” The teacher then asks Jake to practice it again Practice continues until it is correct, or the teacher decides to end of that BST session and practice more another day

Generalization of BST The goal of BST is for the student to acquire new skills and to use them in real situations outside of the training Therefore, the training should: Involve a variety of role plays that simulate actual situations, both examples and non-examples Incorporate real life material into training (e.g., lunch bags, toys, schedules, peers) Practice skills outside of BST sessions ( in real life situations in which the behavior should occur snack table, play area) When you see desired behaviors occur outside of the training, provide specific praise or another reinforcer If desired behaviors do not occur outside of training, provide additional training

Staff Training: Increasing Opportunities to Respond (OTR) Step one: Show PowerPoint slides - Trainer would define opportunities to respond (OTR), the importance of OTR, and describe when and how often staff should deliver OTR. Step two: Trainer would model or show video models of delivering OTR, at desired frequency, across as many relevant situations as possible. Step three: Trainer would create role-plays to simulate situations in which staff would deliver OTR and have the teachers practice delivering OTR until each teacher correctly delivers OTR at desired rate across various situations. Step four: During role-plays, trainer would provide feedback for correct and incorrect performance.

Example Assessment and Plan 3 Rs – video Instructions + fidelity tool Modeling Practice Feedback DR (see AFIRM)

Celebrate Your Success We did it! What have you accomplished this year?

Information Needed Today Please complete today and turn in: Post Training Questionnaire (blue) – 1 per person Effective Practices Assessment and Planning Tool (EPAT) – 1 per team EC Target Student Reporting Form – 1 per team/ 1 per target student Training evaluation (lavender) – 1 per person