1. Family Training
By Meegan Winters

2. “Every person with Autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics” -Autism Society of America

3. Definition of Autism
According to the American Psychiatric Association, Autism is characterized by a triad of impairments in the areas of socialization, communication, and ritualistic behavior

4. Social Interactions

5. A person with Autism usually has problems interacting with people in the following ways:
May avoid or lack eye contact
May not imitate others
May not point or use other hand gestures
May prefer to be alone
May not understand social cues

6. Communication

7. A person with Autism will usually have problems communicating, such as:
May not speak at all
May be severely language delayed
May have unusual or odd speech patterns (repeat words or phrases heard by others, i.e. tv or videos)
May be unable to initiate or engage in a conversation
May be unable to use their imagination during play, i.e pretending a banana is a phone

8. Behaviors

9. An individual with Autism may show restricted, repetitive, or ritualistic behaviors, interests, and activities, for example:
May be preoccupied with a narrow range of interests (i.e dinosaurs, astronomy, trains, or roller coasters)
May insist on sameness (i.e prefer certain clothing or eat only certain foods)
May line up their toys or objects
May flap their hands, or make hand and body gestures
May rock themselves
May be self-injurious (i.e head banding)
May anger easily or show aggression
May be resistant to change
May become angry or upset if their daily routine changes in any way
May focus on only a small part of a toy or object

10. “Children do not outgrow Autism, but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives treatment”

11. Why the Lyle Torrant Center?
Small class sizes
Highly structured classrooms
On site therapies (OT, PT, Speech)
Teachers trained in ASD intervention techniques (PECS, TEACCH)
On site sensory integration rooms

12. Intervention Techniques
TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication handicapped Children)
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
Visual Supports

13. TEACCH

14. What is TEACCH?
The long-term goals of the TEACCH approach are both skill development and fulfillment of fundamental human needs such as dignity, engagement in productive and personally meaningful activities, and feelings of security, self-efficacy, and self-confidence.  To accomplish these goals, TEACCH developed the intervention approach called “Structured Teaching.”  

15. The principles of Structured Teaching include:
Understanding the culture of autism.
Developing an individualized person- and family-centered plan for each client or student, rather than using a standard curriculum.
Structuring the physical environment.
Using visual supports to make the sequence of daily activities predictable and understandable .
Using visual supports to make individual tasks understandable

16. How do we use TEACCH?
Structured classroom environment (separated areas within the class for specific purposes)
Individualized teaching at the Teacher Table (1 on 1 teaching)
Independent skills practiced in individual Work Stations.
Visual Supports used throughout the school and classrooms.

17. PECS

18. PECS Teaches functional communication that is immediately useful
Is appropriate for anyone having difficulty using speech
Is augmentative or alternative
Does not disregard speech

19. PECS Functions Requests: direct reinforcement
Comments: social reinforcement
Spontaneous vs. responsive

20. Phases of PECS
Phase 1-Teaaches Students to initiate communication by exchanging a single picture for a desired item
Phase 2-Teaches students to be persistent communicators-actively seek out pictures to make a request.
Phase 3-Teaches students to discriminate pictures and select the picture that represents the item.

21. Phases of PECS (cont’d)
Phase 4-Teaches students to use sentence structure to make a request in the form of “I want _____.”
Phase 5-Teaches students to respond to a question “What do you want?”
Phase 6-Teaches students to comment about things in their environment both spontaneously and in question form.

22. How do we use PECS?
PECS is a technique used during many Speech therapy sessions.
PECS is used during meal and play times within the classroom.
PECS can be sent home for parents to use with their child.
Each student has their own book and set of pictures to make requests and comments.

23. Visual Supports

24. Visual Supports
Visual Schedules

25. How we use Visual Supports
Daily Visual schedule
Visuals for communication (PECS)
Visuals for skill development
Visuals for reinforcements and behavior modification

26. For more Information (Sources)
Autism Spectrum Disorders by Amy M. Wetherby and Barry M. Prizant
Do-Watch-Listen-Say by Kathleen Ann Quill