In-home and Parent Training September 18, 2003 Marilyn D. Wright, Ph.D.

July, 1996 State Board of Education Rules for Special Education Services Chapter 89, Subchapter G (e) Content of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Definitions: In-home training: This training component is primarily intended to promote the generalization of desirable skills and behaviors into the home setting. The focus of in-home training is the needs of the child.

Parent training: This training component is designed to “train parents as trainers”. The focus of parent training is on the needs of the parent.

Through participation in a variety of training activities, parents can acquire teaching and management skills to assist their child in the development and mastery of specific skills and behaviors.

In-home training

Rationale for In-home training: - People with autism spectrum disorder have extreme difficulty generalizing skills - Generalizing skills may require additional training services

Problems in generalizing a skill or behavior may occur when there is a change in: * who is working with the child * the environment * materials or prompts

Example: If a child can use the bathroom at school – but not at home – and we want him/her to be able to use the bathroom at home, the goal of his/her in-home training is: “To transfer bathroom skills across environments”.

Typically, in-home training focuses on behavior, self-care, social skills and/or communication.

Utilizing in-home trainers, target skills/behaviors mastered in the educational setting to be generalized to the home setting and/or community settings. Initially, the home trainer will be primarily responsible for implementation of the generalization activities.

As generalization occurs, training should shift from the trainer to the parent (via parent training) to facilitate long term maintenance of the target skills/behaviors.

Parent Training

Rationale for Parent training: - Parents are an integral part of their child’s educational success - There may be significant discrepancies between school and home functioning levels

- Children with autism frequently engage in difficult to manage behaviors that interfere with all aspects of their lives - With training, parents can learn to effectively teach and maintain skills necessary for progressing toward independence

Parent Training services can be provided in both group and individual training formats and should incorporate a variety of training strategies based upon individual needs. Parent training is only necessary when required for the student to make IEP progress.

How to qualify

In-home and parent training goals and objectives must be based on evaluation data.

If in-home or parent training services are deemed necessary, goals and objectives are developed.

Goals and objectives: - Accurately describe the target skill/behavior - Are realistic based on the child’s current level of functioning as determined by evaluation data

- Follow a logical sequence in skill development - - Include clearly stated criterion levels

- Are measurable in terms of criterion levels - Specify frequency and duration of training services.

If mastery of the goals and objectives has occurred, the ARD committee can develop new goals and objectives, upgrade levels of criterion, or discontinue the service.

Change of Services for In-home or Parent Training

Parents have the right to decline In-home and Parent training.

Discontinuation, decrease or increase of either in-home or parent training can only be enacted by an ARD committee.

Discontinuation usually occurs once mastery of the in-home and/or parent training goals has occurred, or when the service is deemed no longer appropriate or desired for any number of reasons that the ARD committee must consider.

If the service is deemed no longer appropriate or desired, the reasons/circumstances for this decision should be reviewed and documented in the IEP.

Just a reminder……. In-home and Parent training are efforts by the school to expand the partnership between parents and the school. However, they are only a part of a student’s overall educational program.

It is important to understand that in- home and parent training will not mean that all problems will be conclusively resolved within a certain period of time.

Progress with children with autism spectrum disorders tends to be slow, inconsistent, incremental and at best facilitated with solid comprehensive programs across all learning environments.

Collaboration and cooperation between the home and school environments can enhance learning for students who qualify for these individualized services.