High-Functioning Autism: Strategies to make Inclusion Successful

1. High-Functioning Autism: Strategies to make Inclusion Successful

2. Today’s Agenda Introduction and Overview The IEP Team Accommodations and Modifications Paras The “Big 3” (Social Skills, Behavior, Communication) General Information Wrap-Up: Questions, Answers, Comments

3. The IEP Team • Before the 1st day of school: prepare an IEP snapshot to share with staff members who will be working with the student. Make sure that ALL people who work with the student receive a copy of the IEP snapshot! This includes PE teachers, lunch attendants, bus drivers, etc… • Learn how to be a great team member. Visit the “Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education” website http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/index.cfm • On the right hand side of the homepage there is a link to “Materials from CADRE”s “National. Symposium on IEP Faciliation”. Scroll down to item 2.5: The IEP Team: Moving Beyond Mandated Collaboration.

4. The IEP Team • Teachers: Send out survey “Improving IEP Meetings”. • Parents: Complete the worksheet “Questions to Ask Parents”. • Please refer to the bibliography for information on obtaining additional copies of this document. • Set up weekly roundtable meetings with general education, administration, related service providers, etc…

5. The IEP Team Turn and Talk Turn to the people around you. Share at least 1 thing that you could do to improve the quality of your IEP team.

6. Accommodations and Modifications: Ideas • Comprehensive List of Modification Ideas: http://www.jimrodslz.com/sped.html Click “Making Modfications: Autism” (pdf document) • Asperger’s and Classroom Accommodations: An article with ideas for accommodations that are specific to children with Asperger’s Syndrome. http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Aspergers_and_Classroom_Accomodations

7. Accommodations and Modifications: Implementation • Make sure that all staff are familiar with the accommodations and modifications listed on the IEP. • Make sure your paras have a list of accommodations and they know how to properly implement them in the classroom. • Provide guidance to the classroom teachers if necessary.

8. Accommodations:Categories • Presentation • -visual cues and graphic organizers • -avoid slang or sarcasm • Response • -allow students to answer in writing OR verbal response • -allow picture responses • Timing/Scheduling • -visual schedule • -provide plenty of advanced warning before routine changes • Setting • -Provide an alternate setting for breaks • -headphones,studycarrels,preferenctial seating

9. Accommodations and Modifications Turn and Talk Turn to the people around you. What is a specific need that your student/child has that might require accommodations? What is an appropriate accommodation?

10. One Notebook System • Use ONE 3-ring binder per student to create a notebook system. Keep supplies in the notebook to help with organization: • Hole punch • Copy of Schedule(s) • Pencil pouch (put a supply list in the pencil pouch. e.g. “2 sharpened pencils, 1 red pen, 1 blue pen, 1 yellow highlighter”) • Create a section for each class • Once/week have the student sit down with the teacher or para and sort through the notebook. • Use this instead of 7 or 8 different folders/binders.

11. Training and Supporting Paras • Provide each para with a notebook • Document their roles and responsibilities. BE SPECIFIC. • Include a copy of behavior plan (Make sure to review this with them and discuss their role in the behavior plan.) • Make sure they have a copy of the accommodations and modifications and they know how to implement them in the classroom. • Include a copy of the IEP snapshot. • Extra copies of power cards / social stories / picture schedules. • Teach the paras about the autism spectrum. They will be able to provide better assistance to the student if they understand the disability. • Ask for their input. • Provide direction. Be specific. Give them the words to use. (“If Suzy starts to become agitated before the math quiz you should say/do ___________.”)

12. Training and Supporting Paras Turn and Talk: Teachers What are 2 things that I could do to help my paras provide better support in the classroom? Turn and Talk: Parents Has your child received para assistance in the classroom? Share your experiences.

13. Addressing the 3 “Big” Issues *Social Skills*Behavior*Communication

14. Social Skills: Educating Yourself • Students with autism are not able to learn social skills by watching others. • You will need to provide explicit instruction. • Project DATA (a program through the University of Washington) is accessible at http://depts.washington.edu/dataproj/ This website has a GREAT checklist of social skills that may need to be addressed.

15. Social Skills: Strategies • Scripting • Social Stories • Social Autopsies • Video Review • Role Playing • People Pages • Power Cards • Comic Book Conversations • http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-skills-intervention-autism-ASD/ • http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-scripts-stories-asperger-ASD/

16. Social Skills: Miscellaneous • The Hidden Curriculum • Brenda Smith Myles has written an excellent article explaining “The Hidden Curriculum”. These are the things that we think everyone should “just know.” Many examples are cited in her article. Her works cited section contains some excellent resources that you could check out. • http://www.education.com/reference/article/hidden-curriculum-school-asperger/?page=2 • Trevor Trevor by Diane Twachtman-Cullen • A heartwarming story designed to enable students to become more sensitive toward their classmates with differences. • Social Skills Training: For Children & Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome & Social Communication Problems • 70 lesson plans and activities for social skills training.

17. Social Skills: Website Resources • The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding (Lots of resources!) www.thegraycenter.org

18. Social Skills Turn and Talk: What social skills do you find most difficult to address? Based upon the information you have just been given what is one thing that you could try?

19. Behavior • Students with autism have behavior issues for different reasons than their peers. • Students with autism spectrum disorders and others who experience moderate to severe communication disorders frequently have behavior difficulties because they don’t understand their world very well and they are not effective in getting their wants and needs met. • When a student uses a behavior that works to accomplish his goal, he will use that behavior over again. If we want the behavior to change we might have to: • Change how we communicate • Alter how we respond • Modify the environment

20. Behavior: The First StepFunctional Behavior Analysis

21. FBA Resources • Functional Behavior Assessment for People With Autism: Making Sense of Seemingly Senseless Behavior by Beth A.Glasberg, Ph.D. • Wright’s Law (Informational Page)http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/discipl.fab.starin.htm • Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice Helpful information about FBA’s. http://cecp.air.org/fba/

22. Behavior: Intervention Strategies • Red and Green Choices • www.redandgreenchoices.com • The Incredible 5-Point Scale • www.5pointscale.com • First…Then • Visual Schedule • Priming

23. Behavior: Resources • Supporting Appropriate Behavior in Students with Asperger Syndromehttp://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Approp_Behav/ • KU Special Connections http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/index.php • Cycle of Rage • “The Rumbling” (The WARNING that something is about to happen.) • “The Rage Stage” (Acting impulsively, emotionally, and sometimes explosively.) • “The Recovery Stage” (After the storm has passed.) Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns by Brenda Smith Myles

24. Communication Communication is more than just speech: It is a complex process that requires the interconnection of many different skills. Even if students appear to be developing communication skills, it is important to remember that their communication systems may not work efficiently or effectively. • Stokes, Susan and Prizant, Barry “Unconventional Communication “Echolalia”” 31 July 2009 <http://www.austinschools.org/lifeskills/Student%20Communication.pdf>

25. Communication: Visual Supports • Visual Supports are an effective instructional tool… • Visual supports organize a sequence of events, enhancing the student’s ability to understand, anticipate and participate in those events. • Visual supports supplement verbal instruction, clarifying the information for the student and increasing comprehension. • Visual supports can be used to cue communication, providing reminders of what to do and say in a situation.” From: Teaching Children with Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialization by Kathleen Quill, New York: Delmar Publishers Inc., 1995

26. Communication: Academics • Modifications/Accommodations • Practice asking for help. • Allow additional time for processing!!! • Provide multiple means for expressing knowledge (kidspiration/inspiration, oral response, power point, 3D model, etc…) • Appoint an “Advance Agent”. (Classroom teacher or para.) “I’m going to ask you question #4.” • Graphic Organizers • Word Banks • Simplify verbal messages given to the student Christi Kasa-Hendrickson, Ph.D. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; http://www.taalliance.org/conferences/2009/materials/autism-inclusionnovideo.ppt#256,1,Successful Inclusion for Students with Autism

27. Visual Supports Power Point Incredible Power Point!! If you are looking for ideas on using visual supports you NEED to read this!!! www.cenmi.org/Portals/4/Documents/Tutorials/VisualSupports.pps

28. Communication Turn and Talk: What is one communication strategy that you would like to implement?

29. General Tips and Resources Susan Stokes (Cooperative Educational Service Agency #7, Wisconsin) www.specialed.us/autism/Autism.pdf www.specialconnections.ku.edu http://www.teacch.com/highfunction.html (More Ideas!) www.autismnetwork.org (Modules Section = Great Ideas!)

30. Website: Organization for Autism Researchwww.researchautism.org • www.researchautism.org • Click on “resources” • Click “LIFE JOURNEY THROUGH AUTISM” • Choose any or all books available. • Download for free. ($5.00 for a hardcopy) • Start a notebook specifically for “Autism Resources”.  THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE! It has sensible, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-implement strategies!!! DOWNLOAD THIS. READ IT.

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