1. Rebecca Feathers, University of Tennessee
  A Comparison of Universal versus Classroom-Specific Visual Activity Supports to Improve Transitional Behaviors for Preschool Children with Autism
Rebecca Feathers, University of Tennessee

2. Review of the Literature
Preschool transitioning
Autism
Transitioning with autism
Using visual supports for students with autism
Research questions

3. Pre-K Transitioning Why is transition important?
Reduced transition time = more instructional time
More instructional time = more time to be actively engaged in learning activities
How do we improve transitions?
Structure/classroom management
Scheduling
(Bryan & Gast, 2000)

4. How do we improve transitions?
Structure/Classroom management
Should be well planned and explicitly taught
Children should know what is expected of them
Structured routine=decrease in # of inappropriate behaviors and less transition time
Scheduling
Visual supports can ultimately promote more independent transitions
(Ostrosky & Colleagues, 2003)

5. Visual Supports Who do they benefit? A variety of students
Information processing
How are they implemented?
Classroom Schedules
Individual schedules
PECS
Picture cues
Who were they used for in this study?
Preschoolers with autism

6. Autism
Defined
A neurological disorder of development that causes information processing differences affecting children’s ability to understand and use language to interact and communicate with people, relate to those around them in typical ways, respond to sensory stimuli, and learn in the same ways as normally developing peers
Students do not automatically discriminate cues in their environment that are needed to function independently (Quill, 1997)

7. Autism Communication/Language barriers
Behavioral patterns are combined with severe receptive and expressive language impairments
Deficits in recall memory
Frustration, confusion
May engage in inappropriate behaviors if they cannot communicate their wants and needs effectively
Teachers need to find alternative ways to relay information
(Quill, 1997)

8. Autism The need for routine
Research suggests that children with autism benefit from the use of visual prompts
Implementation of picture systems within preschool classrooms
Teachers can aid in the increase of on-task behaviors during most all activities performed during the school day
(Banda & colleagues, 2009)

9. Transitioning with Autism
Strategies for reducing transition difficulties
Choice making, preferred activities, and reinforcing appropriate behaviors
The need for visual supports
Most often used
Information processing difficulties
Picture cues/activity schedules may help reduce or eliminate the need for students to rely on adults to provide assistance and clarification during scheduled and unscheduled changes

10. Using Visual Supports for Students with Autism
How can we make this effective?
Consistency
Students will more likely be able to progress through their day with minimal behavioral problems
Teachers should follow the same highly structured schedule every day
Students with autism like to engage in the same tasks throughout the week; therefore, it is crucial that teachers implement such practices

11. Using Visual Supports for Students with Autism
Organization of time
Students can organize their time in a way that helps support their daily routines
Understanding expectations in the classroom
Eliminates confusion (ex. What are we doing next?)
Promoting independence
Main goal
Several strategies that support smooth transitions between activities
verbal cues and reminders before transitions
nonverbal cues/prompts
positive feedback after transitions
(Dettmer & colleagues, 2000)

12. Building and Implementing Activity Schedules
12 Steps from Banda and colleagues, 2009
1. Identify and define target transition behaviors
2. Collect baseline data on problem behavior
3. Choose a between-activity or within-activity schedule (see next slide)
4. Chose a mode of presentation
5. Choose a medium for the activity schedule
6. Chose a location for the schedule

13. Schedule Types
Between-Activity Schedule
Within-Activity Schedule

14. Cont’d 7. Train the student to use the schedule
8. Collect intervention data
9. Add new pictures or words
10. Fade prompts
11. Fade the prominence of the activity schedule
12. Promote generalization across settings

15. Benefits Transition behaviors Communication skills
Progressing successfully between steps in an activity
Progressing successfully between activities
Communication skills
Scripted and unscripted verbal interactions

16. Benefits cont’d Daily living skills Academics Inappropriate Behaviors
Vocational training
Independent dressing
Meal preparation
Academics
Increased on-task behavior
Inappropriate Behaviors
Reducing tantrum behaviors
Reducing noncompliance
(Banda & colleagues, 2009)

17. Research Questions
How do visual supports promote more independent transitions in preschool children with autism?
Which visual supports work best?
Does it matter which types of visuals are used as long as a system is taught?
What is the social acceptability of using a universal picture schedule compared to a classroom-specific visual schedule to increase independent transitioning for children with autism in a preschool classroom?

18. Methods Participants Materials Settings Variables Data collection
Research design
Procedures

19. Participants 2 males, 5 years of age (Michael & Ryan)
Both students were identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder
Both nonverbal
Both had been observed having difficulty during transitional times
Had previously used visual supports in different preschool programs, as well as in the home
The goal of implementing a visual support system with these students was to promote more independent transition behaviors

20. Materials
A variety of materials were used to provide the participants with differing options of visual supports to aid them in the transitioning process
Universal visuals
Boardmaker ™ program, laminator, Velcro
In color
Classroom-specific visuals
Digital camera, laminator, Velcro

21. Visuals
Universal
Classroom-specific

22. Variables Dependent Duration between activities
How long it took to get from one activity to another (circle to blue table, circle to red table, circle to kitchen, etc.)
# of inappropriate behaviors
Counted when a student did not respond to the first verbal and visual support within 10 seconds of it being given.
Counted when another prompt was given if student still was not responding
Counted when student transitioned to incorrect area
Counted when the student did not match visual to larger visual and immediately sit in seat

23. Variables Independent Variation of schedules
Providing students with two different types of visual supports in order to determine which work more efficiently
Universal pictures and classroom-specific pictures

24. Setting Urban public elementary school Midsize city
grades K-5, around 700 students attending
23% free and reduced lunch

25. Setting Preschool special education classroom
1 special education teacher, 1 teaching assistant, 1 interning teacher
4 and 5 years of age
7 students:
5 students with autism, 2 students with Down Syndrome
Self contained
Mostly non-verbal

26. Data Collection Data sheets # of inappropriate behaviors
Included student name, type of visual, specific transition, duration, # of inappropriate behaviors
# of inappropriate behaviors
Frequency count
Duration between transitions
Stop watch

27. # of inappropriate behaviors
Data Collection
Student:____________________
Visual Type:_________________
Transition
Duration
# of inappropriate behaviors
Circle-Blue-Circle
Circle-Red-Circle
Circle-Kitchen-Circle

28. Research Design Alternating Treatments Design
Used when a person wants to determine which strategy or intervention is more effective and/or more efficient. Treatments were sufficiently different from each other and the students discriminated between them. (Alberto & Troutman, 2006)
For 5 days, both students were given universal visuals during certain transition times
For another 5 days, both students were given classroom-specific visuals during certain transition times

29. Procedures
Baseline
Collected by noting the amount of time it took students to transition between activities
Began with only 1 verbal prompt, informing the student where to go exactly, then adding more verbal/nonverbal/physical prompts as needed
Collected by calculating the number of inappropriate behaviors during transition times
No visual supports provided

30. Procedures Visual Intervention
Providing a variation of visual supports to the participants
To decrease inappropriate behaviors and duration during activity-to-activity transition times
2 types of visuals:
Universal Boardmaker™
Classroom-specific

31. Visuals
Universal
Classroom-specific

32. Procedures Maintenance
Period of 3 days to assure that one type of visual was continuing to be effective
Problematic behavior and transition times were decreasing
Universal pictures were continued to be used
Why?

33. Social Validity Which visuals did the students prefer?
Which visuals did the teachers prefer?
Which visuals were easier to access/easier to construct?

34. Results
Michael
Ryan
Overview

35. Total Duration in Seconds
Baseline Universal Classroom-Specific Maintenance (Universal)
Average:
2 min 26 sec
Average:
8 min 13 sec
Days
Figure 1. Michael-Universal vs. Classroom Specific-Duration

36. Total # of Inappropriate Behaviors
Baseline Universal Classroom-Specific Maintenance (Universal)
Total # of Inappropriate Behaviors
Average: 9
Average: 8
Average: 9
Days
Figure 2. Michael-Universal vs. Classroom Specific-Duration

37. Total Duration in Seconds
Baseline Universal Classroom-Specific Maintenance (Universal)
Total Duration in Seconds
Average:
2 min 43 sec
Average:
2 min 41 sec
Average:
8 min 41 sec
Days
Figure 3. Ryan-Universal vs. Classroom Specific- Duration

38. Total # of Inappropriate Behaviors
Baseline Universal Classroom-Specific Maintenance (Universal)
Total # of Inappropriate Behaviors
Average: 7
Average: 6
Average: 8
Average: 17
Days
Figure 4. Ryan-Universal vs. Classroom Specific-Inappropriate Behaviors

39. Results Both interventions were successful
Problematic behavior and transition times decreased
Students had no preference in the specific visual presented to them
Universal Boardmaker™ visuals:
Transition time as well as inappropriate behavior decreased compared to the baseline phase
Classroom-specific visuals:
Transition time and inappropriate behaviors decreased compared to baseline phase

40. Discussion Did the interventions meet the ultimate goal?
How was the study unique?
Implications for special/general educators
Limitations
Further research

41. Discussion Did the interventions meet the ultimate goal?
Visuals improve transitioning within preschool classrooms for children with autism
Both were effective in meeting the ultimate goal
Reducing transition time and the # of inappropriate behaviors between activities

42. Discussion How was the study unique?
Supported previous picture prompt within-activity schedule studies
Most other research did not go into depth of which visuals (e.g., pictures, photos, line-drawings) were more effective

43. Discussion Implications for special/general educators:
Should consider the use of visuals and/or visual schedules
Not only for children with autism
Become familiar with each child and their learning style
Tailor to their wants and needs by the use of visuals if such children are unable to respond both expressively and receptively

44. Discussion Limitations: # of participants
Only consisted of two participants
Difficult to analyze the results for a comparison of other students on the autism spectrum
More participants may yield different results

45. Discussion Further Research:
Could be used similarly with other populations of students with disabilities
Could be conducted in other settings, such as the home, to see if one could acquire differing results

46. Conclusion Overall, this study proved to be beneficial in many ways:
Met the ultimate goal of increasing transition independence
Results yielded positive outcomes
Not restricted to just one type of visual
Both proved to be efficient
Could be used in further research

47. Thank you
Questions ?