Sandra Hess Robbins, M.Ed. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Ph.D. Carrie Pfeiffer-Fiala, M.Ed. Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Research and Training Kent State University

 So much to learn and so little time  Concepts and skills from developmental domains and content areas  State standards  Federal outcomes  Assessment items  Diversity, Diversity, Diversity

Universal need for all young children Predictor of later academic and behavioral success Focus of Ohio’s Early Learning Content Standards Defining characteristic/need of children with ASD

Hey, I thought we were focusing on autism?? With the exception of a few isolated instructional units, most children with autism are now being included in blended programs Children with autism have exceptional needs, but we need to support ALL children with limited time and resources

Purpose is to guide instruction for diverse learners, some with known disabilities and concerns

Bridge between assessment and instruction All children could have tier 3 needs All children’s needs fall across all three tiers IFSP outcomes/IEP goals are tier 2 and 3 only

What common concepts and skills are to be covered/taught/addressed?  Concepts and skills from developmental domains and content areas  State standards  Federal outcomes

Concepts and skills that are emerging Concepts and skills that are critical to a child’s ability to demonstrate what they know and can do Components or portions of the larger concept or skill Examples  Non verbal expressions (e.g., writing)  Participating within a variety of group settings (e.g., initiating cooperative play)

Concepts and skills that are keeping the child from accessing, participating, and making progress in the general curriculum/daily activities Examples  Underlying issues or concerns (e.g., challenging behavior, quality of movement, intensity of action)  Foundational or prerequisite behaviors (e.g., joint attention, imitation, vocalizations, manipulation of objects, functional use of objects)

Frequency and intensity of instruction increases

For all learners Incidental Preventative Broad/Generic/Constant No systematic planning of antecedents or consequences Emphasis is on exposure, generalization, and use

For select groups/individuals Systematic Scaffold learning Targeted/Temporary Some systematic planning of antecedents and consequences, often from the environment or peer Emphasis is on supported practice, fluency, increased independence, and latency

For specific individuals Intentional Intensive Specific Systematic planning of antecedents and consequences Emphasis is on acquisition

Progress monitoring practices vary in frequency, intensity, and intent

Develop a present level of performance and description of current performance for each child Developmental assessments Family reports Information about interests and preferences Language samples Medical summaries Observations across settings

Adam is a child diagnosed with autism. He prefers to engage in activities that require little or no social interaction such as arranging small puzzles, stacking blocks, or browsing books. Adam communicates with familiar adults when he is prompted. When he responds to an adult, he typically uses gestures or a single words/vocalization (e.g., When asked what he wants for lunch, he will usually reach or point for the item he prefers; when his mom asks “Do you love me?” Adam smiles and says “Yeah”). Adam’s family would like to see him initiate greetings, describe, and answer questions with verbalization when interacting with familiar adults. Adam’s family would also like to see him remain engaged in interactions for more than one turn. Lastly, his family would also like to see him respond to peer initiations more frequently with gestures or words.

Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Common Outcomes: All children working on participation Component skill: Some children working on interacting with other Pre-requisite skill: A few children working on turn taking (Adam) Case example Scope and Sequence Participation Defined: 1.Remains with group 2.Looks at person/object 3.Follows directions given 4.Interacts with objects/people

Use universal design to arrange the classroom activities to support the overall outcome of participation Use peer mediated instruction to provide additional support for targeted group of children working on interacting with others Use milieu teaching to increase conversational turn taking for children with individualized needs (Adam)

The teacher arranges the classroom environment to provide natural opportunities to practice participation skills Multiple means of representation Multiple means of engagement Multiple means of expression UDL

The teacher trains peers to prompt, model, and assist target children in order to practice interacting with others Facilitation strategies  Look at your friend  Say your friend’s name  Talk to your friend  Listen to your friend  Take another turn

The teacher uses direct antecedents and consequences within and across the daily routines to promote conversational turn taking (i.e. initiating and responding) Incidental teaching Mand model Time delay

Re-administer common assessment on all children 3 times per year and summarize performance on participation Every Friday do a probe during free play and mark who does and who does not interact with others (i.e., peers) during a 15 minute scan. At the beginning of snack, circle, and transition to the bathroom record Adam’s response to mand to take an object (picture icon, materials related to the activity) from a peer.

Resources Allen, K.D., & Cowan, R.J. (2008). Naturalistic teaching procedures. In J.K. Luiselli, D.C. Russo, W.P Christian, & S.M. Wilczynski (Eds). Effective practices for children with autism. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. CAST (2008). Universal design for learning guidelines version 1.0. Wakefield, MA: Author. Retrieved on March 15, 2009 from Copple, C. & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs: 3 rd edition. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Jackson, Pretti-Frontczak, & Schuck. (2005). Universal design for Learning Examples. Kent State University Prizant, B.M., Wetherby, A.M., Rubin, E., Laurent, A.C., & Rydell, P.J. (2006. The SCERTS model: A comprehensive approach for children with autism spectrum disorders. Baltimore, MD: Brooke’s Publishing. Sandall, S., Hemmeter, M.L., Smith, B.J., & McLean, M.E. (2005). DEC recommended practices: A comprehensive guide for practical application. Missoula, MT: Division for Early Childhood.