Autism Project “Getting to Know Chase”

1. Autism Project“Getting to Know Chase” By: Kayla Serur, Clarissa Smith, Colleen Yancy, Kadie Genard Laura Espinosa, Lacy Wells

2. Getting to Know Chase Summary • Chase is a 5th grader at a center program for students with emotional disabilities and behavioral disorders, along with 24 other students. He is a large, heavyset boy with glasses and has been diagnosed as having autism, however, he is higher functioning than most children with autism. Chase read and performed math operations at grade level and was very strong academically, but had difficulty with comprehension, writing, and word problems. When Chase was in second grade, he started of the year in a non-categorical classroom in his neighborhood, and spent a good portion of his day in a general education classroom. His behavior began to deteriorate, however, and he began throwing materials, stomping out of his classrooms, yelling at the other students, and screaming threats at his teachers and peers. These behaviors only increased as the school year went on and at an IEP meeting, including the school team and Chase’s parents, they agreed that Chase should be put in a ED/BD center program to meet his educational needs. Certain words, phrases, and sounds could trigger Chase’s negative behavior, such as the word “problem,” the sound of someone clearing their throat, the word “uh-huh,” and “don’t do that.” Some of the kids in Chase’s class would whisper one of these “trigger” words deliberately to set him off. Chase loved rap songs. When he heard a car horn in the street, he would always say, “Pink Panther is squishing an egg.” He was also fascinated by broken glass in the streets and would always scan the ground when walking out to the bus stop.

3. Getting to Know Chase Summary Cont. • One day, David, another student in Chase’s class, set Chase off with a “trigger” word causing Chase to overturn his desk and throw his papers everywhere. Chase’s parents were very sweet people and tried their best with Chase. However, they spend most of their time tiptoeing around Chase’s problem in order to avoid another episode. The teachers tried to encourage Chase to ignore all the “trigger” words his classmates would say, however, he continued to have outbursts several times a week. The teachers decided to have a meeting to determine what to do about Chase. They knew that his episodes always ended with Chase being taken out of the classroom, and that they made every effort to sidestep certain words in order to steer clear of his outbursts, however, these things were not helping Chase in the long run. They came to the conclusion that Chase needed to learn to deal with these things that upset him by learning to remove himself from the situation. Whenever Chase would get upset, he had a red pass that he would hold up as he left. They also set up a reward system to acknowledge his successful use of the new strategy. For each week he went without an episode, his teacher would record one of his favorite rap songs onto a blank tape. For his first monthly reward, Chase could take a teacher’s shark poster home. The first week, Chase had no outbursts and left the room only one time. The overarching theme of this plan for Chase was that he would have to learn to deal with the realities of the classroom. Chase went the first month without any outbursts, even though there were a few close calls. After that first month, Chase did have a few more outbursts, however, they were less intense and happened less frequently. They were all proud of Chase’s progress and how much better he did in the classroom.

4. Autism Facts • Autism is a developmental disability, which usually begins before 3 years of age and is a life-long disability. • The incidence of autism is approximately 1 out of every 150 births. • People with autism have a normal life span. • Autism is 4-5 times more prevalent in males than in females. • Presently, there is no cure for autism. However, there are various treatment options to ameliorate symptoms. • About 20 to 30% of children with autism develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood.

5. Common Signs of Autism • Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication. • Impaired social interaction. • As early as infancy, a baby with autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item for a long period of time. • A child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement. • May fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people. • Many children with autism engage in repetitive movement such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging.

6. Teaching Tips • Structured Teaching • This approach allows students with autism to learn a process of focusing and following visual cues in different situations and environments, in order to increase his overall independent functioning. • Components of Structured Teaching: • Physical structure • Close attention to physical structure is essential for a number of reasons: • Physical structure provides environmental organization for people with autism. • Clear physical and visual boundaries help the person to understand here each area begins and ends. • The physical structure minimizes visual and auditory distractions. • Components of physical structure:Location,Clear visual and physical boundaries, Develop appropriate instructional, independent, recreation and leisure areas in each physically structured environment, Organization

7. Teaching Tips Cont. • Visual SchedulesIn general, schedules should be arranged from a "top-to-bottom" or "left-to-right" format, including a method for the student to manipulate the schedule to indicate that an activity is finished or "all done“

8. Teaching Tips Cont. • Work Systems • Left to right sequence - finished box/basket/folder to the far right. This is the most concrete level of "work systems" and involves placing items to be completed to the left of the person's workspace (e.g., a shelf, folder, basket/tub, etc.). The student is taught to take the items from the left, complete them at his work space in front of him, and then place the completed work to the right in an "all done" box, folder, basket, etc. • Matching - color, shape, alphabet, number. This would be a higher level skill in that the person must complete his "work jobs" in a sequential order by matching color, shape, alphabet letter or number coding system.

9. Teaching Tips Cont. • Visual Structure • Visual Instructions Visual instructions will help the student to combine and organize a series of steps to obtain a desired outcome • Visual Organization: Use containers to organize materials and Limit the area • Visual Clarity: The purpose of visual clarity is to highlight the important information, concepts, specific parts of the instruction and key materials • Color coding and Labeling

10. Teaching Tips Cont. • Visual Clarity: The purpose of visual clarity is to highlight the important information, concepts, specific parts of the instruction and key materials • Color coding and Labeling

11. Assistive Technology • Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs). Any type of visual representation system can be placed on simple voice output devices for children to access by a simple push of a button. • "Big Mack": A single switch/button device that allows for 20 seconds of record time. Approximately $89 available from AbleNet.

12. Assistive Technology Cont. • “Talk Pad”: A 4-message/button battery operated device that allows for 15 seconds of record time per button. Approximately $99 available from Frame Technologies.

13. Assistive Technology Cont. • “Voice In The Box”: Multi-message battery operated communication device available in 16, 24, or 40 messages/buttons. Approximately $195.00 from Frame Technologies. • “Cheap Talk 4”: A 4 message/button device that allows for 5 seconds of record time per button. Approximately $69 available from Enabling Devices. • “Step-by-Step Communicator”: A battery operated device that allows for prerecording a series of unlimited sequenced messages up to a total of 75 seconds of record time. Approximately $129 available from AbleNet. • Adaptive Hardware: A variety of devices that can assist a child in accessing the computer: • Touch Window: The purpose of the touch window is to allow the child to navigate and interact with the computer by touching the actual screen, rather than operating the mouse. Touch window/screen can be easily mounted on the computer monitor with the user simply touching the screen to replace mouse actions. The Touch Window is available for Macintosh or Windows platforms from Edmark for approximately $335.

14. Assistive Technology Cont. • Big Keys and Big Keys Plus: This is an alternative alphabet keyboard that has been specifically designed for young children. The keys are large ( 1 inch square), with the various alphabet letters color coded to help children more readily find specific keys ( i.e. vowels in one color, consonants in a different color). The keyboard is also arranged in ABC order for easy access for younger children. This keyboard is available from Greystone Digital for approximately $150. • Trackballs: Trackballs come in various sizes and shapes, and allow the child to move the mouse around the screen by rolling a stationary “ball” around with either their fingertips or hand. Some children with autism can master the mouse operations with a trackball, and eventually transfer to use of a standard mouse. Trackballs can be purchased from many retailers for approximately $40-$100. • 1. AbleNet, Inc., 1081 Tenth Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414-1312. 1-800-322-0956 • 2. Edmark, Redmond, Washington. 1-800-426-0856 • 3. Enabling Devices, Toys for Special Children, 385 Warburton Avenue, Hasting-on-Hudson, NY 10706. 1-800-832-8697 • 4. Frame Technologies, W681 Pearl Street, Oneida, WI 54155. (920) 869-2979 • 5. Greystone Digital. 1-800-249-5397.

15. Local Organizations • DFW Center for Autism: • Grapevine, TX • Non-profit organization • Our purpose at the DFW Center for Autism is to improve the lives of children with autism through Applied Behavior Analysis, allowing them to reach their full potential and to gain the skills needed to build relationships with family, friends, and peers, and to experience all that life has to offer them. • http://www.dfwcenterforautism.com/index.asp • Autism Society of Collin County (ASCC) • Plano, TX • www.autism-ascc.org • The Autism Society of America promotes the active and informed involvement of family members and the individual with autism in the planning of individualized, appropriate services and supports.

16. State Organizations • Autism Society of America- Texas Gulf Coast Chapter • Houston, TX • http://www.asa-tgcc.org/ • The Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of the Autism Society of America is committed to sharing resources regarding Autism/Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD), and to provide support for families who deal with these conditions. • Texas Autism Advocacy • www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org • Contact Information: MichelleMGuppy@yahoo.com • "Autism is not the end of the world - it's the beginning of a new one - just open your eyes and see...."

17. National Organizations • National Autism Association • Nixa, MO • http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/?gclid=CKqi_ffso5ICFSCCkwoduG8ANQ • The mission of the National Autism Association is to educate and empower families affected by autism and other neurological disorders, while advocating on behalf of those who cannot fight for their own rights. • Contact Information: 877-622-2884 • The Autism National Committee (AUTCOM) • http://www.autcom.org/ • Our organization was founded in 1990 to protect and advance the human rights and civil rights of all persons with autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and related differences of communication and behavior.

18. Sources • http://www.autcom.org/ • http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/?gclid=CKqi_ffso5ICFSCCkwoduG8ANQ • www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org • http://www.asa-tgcc.org/ • www.autism-ascc.org • http://www.dfwcenterforautism.com/index.asp • www.specialed.us/autism/structure/str10.htm