Ilene Schwartz University of Washington

Autism is a collection of overlapping groups of symptoms that vary from child to child Siegel, 1996, p.301

“No treatment method completely ameliorates the symptoms of ASD and no specific treatment has emerged as the established standard of care for all children with ASD.” Stahmer, Scheibman, & Cunningham (2011, p. 230)

Three take home messages: Early intervention, including participation in inclusive programming, can result in remarkable developmental changes Support participation through environmental arrangement Improve outcomes through explicit instruction

What is inclusion? Inclusion is not a set of strategies or a placement issue. Inclusion is about belonging to a community – a group of friends, a school community, or a neighborhood.

“Inclusion is a right, not a privilege for a select few” (Oberti v. Board of Education in Clementon School District, 1993).

Inclusion means providing all students within the mainstream appropriate educational programs that are challenging yet geared to their capabilities and needs as well as any support and assistance they and/or their teachers may need to be successful in the mainstream. But an inclusive school also goes beyond this. An inclusive school is a place where everyone belongs, is accepted, supports, and is supported by her or her peers and other members of the school community in the course of having his or her educational needs met

Skills Membership Relationships Community of Practice Participation in valued routines, rituals and activities

NO ONE WAY TO EDUCATE CHILDREN WITH AUTISM!!!

There are no instructional strategies that are autism- specific

Children with ASD require Instruction to be more explicit Reinforcement to be more explicit and perhaps extrinsic to start More opportunities to practice with feedback Planned instruction to facilitate generalization

Preschool students with autism: Are children first Have diverse strengths and needs Most often need explicit instruction across curricular domains May be gifted academically or have intellectual disabilities Will need specialized instruction in social skills and communication

Components of an Effective Program (Dawson & Osterling, 1997) Appropriate curriculum including attending, imitation, communication, play, and social interaction. Highly supportive teaching environment and generalization strategies. Predictability and routine. Functional approach to challenging behavior. Transition support Family involvement

Educating Children with Autism National Research Council, 2001 Report was developed at OSEP’s request

Characteristics of Effective Programs Entry into program as soon as ASD is seriously considered Active programming 25 hours a week, year round Small group and 1:1 programming Family component Low student/teacher ratios (no more than 2 children with ASD per adult in classroom Program evaluation and assessment

Content of Programs should include Social skills Expressive, receptive, and non verbal communication skills Functional communication system Engagement and flexibility in developmentally appropriate activities Fine and gross motor skills

Content (continued) Cognitive skills, including play Replacement of problem behaviors with socially acceptable alternatives Independent organizational skills and other behaviors that support participation in general education settings

DATA Project Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism We are in our 16th continuous year of operation Currently funded by local school district and fund raising

The goal of DATA Project originally was and continues to be to provide a school based program for young children with ASD and related disorders that is effective, meets the needs of its consumers (e.g., families and school personnel), is acceptable to consumers, and is sustainable.

Historical Context 10 years after the Lovaas article 4 years after Let Me Hear Your Voice The trickle down of information is beginning Parents are beginning to ask (demand) 40 hour + programs from school districts

We have an ongoing partnership with our public school We were running a high quality integrated preschool that ran for 12 hours a week We really believed that 40 hours a week of segregated discrete trial training was not in the best interest of young children with ASD

What to do?? We wanted to develop a program that insured that students with ASD had opportunities to interact with typically developing kids everyday We wanted to develop a model that reflected current best practices in applied behavior analysis

We wanted a program that was replicable and sustainable We wanted to insure that this was a program that could be implemented by public school programs We kept the idea that “Children with ASD are children first” at the center of the model

Project DATA was born Initially funded by an OSEP model demonstration grant The goal was and continues to be “blending approaches to meet individual needs” The blended approaches were ABA, ECSE, and ECE

Project DATA Integrated Early Childhood Experience Collaboration and Coordination Technical and Social Support for Families Quality of Life Influenced Curriculum Extended, Intensive Instruction

High Quality Early Childhood Program Inclusive Intentional teaching Supportive child teacher relationship Class membership

Using a Variety of Instructional Strategies Peers Explicit instruction Embedded instruction Other teachers or building staff Areas around school outside the classroom

Extended instructional day Inclusion + intensive instruction The goal of the extended instructional day is to help children access and succeed in “general education” Behaviorally based Data-based decision making

Highly Supported Instructional Time 1:1 or 2:1 Student:Teacher ratio

Switch it up Do a variety of activities each day Science, art, blocks, imaginative play, etc. Move around the classroom We are not restricted to the table! Outside Book area Swings

Example Activity Matrix ActivityNathanMatt Play with toys at table 12:45 – 1:00 Gaining a peer’s attention by saying his/her name Responding to peers Following Directions Responding to peers Book 1:00 – 1:10 Answering WH Questions- Answering WH Questions - Pronouns Board Game 1:10 – 1:20 Asking for a turn Gaining a peer’s attention - Commenting to peers Gaining a peer’s attention Bathroom & wash hands 1:20 – 1:30 Following Directions Snack 1:30 – 1:45 - Responding to peers - Greetings - Gaining a peer’s attention by saying his/her name - Responding to peers Group Activity 1:45 – 2:00 - Following Directions - Respond to peers - Following Directions Table Work 2:00 – 2:30 - Feature, Function, ClassFeature, Function, Class - Pronouns - 1:1 Correspondence Circle 2:30 – 2:50Following Directions Answering WH Questions Following Directions Answering WH Questions

Technical and Social Support for Families Home Visits Transition Support

“In promoting a partnership between parents and teachers, home visits provide the means for effective team problem solving, observing children in their home environment, and encouraging parent involvement,” (Beardmore et. al., 1999)

Home Visits Monthly, two hour home visits At home, at school, in the community, at day care, play dates, collaboration with private consultant, etc. At homeat school Family/Caregiver driven: parents own the agenda Support the family in working on high priority skills at home

Example: Will’s Trying New Foods Plan at school High priority for family at home: trying new “super foods” (fruits and vegetables) At school, we are working on Will taking a bite of a “super food” before eating the rest of his snack W.B. bite of orange

Transition Support Accompany family on school tours Communication with child’s new teachers in the next educational setting at the beginning of the school year Supplemental transition report to accompany the preschool report School visits if necessary

Quality of Life Influenced Curriculum Goal of DATA Project is for children to participate in a meaningful way in their family and community Our assessment process includes family input We are heavily focused on social, communication, and independence skills We embed explicit instruction into every activity and fade supports as soon as children are independent Generalization and maintenance are key

DTT (Discrete Trial Training) – What is it? Breaks a skill into very small parts Teaches each sub-skill to mastery before moving on Provides concentrated teaching Response is initiated by teacher A response by child is required

A Discrete Trial Instruction Prompt (if necessary) Child’s Response Consequences Inter-trial Interval

A Discrete Trial (Teaching Loop) Instruction or Discrimitive Stimulus (SD) Child’s Response Consequence Prompt if necessary Inter-trial Interval Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Questions?