2. +
Goal of Presentation
The goal of this presentation is to
provide teachers and Ed Techs with an
educational system designed to use
with children with low functioning
autism.
3. +
“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a
range of complex neurodevelopment
disorders, characterized by social
impairments, communication
difficulties, and restricted, repetitive,
and stereotyped patterns of behavior.”
(NINDS, 2012)
4. +
Characteristics of Autism
The three constant deficits of Autism
1. Communication
2. Social Interaction
3. Maladaptive Behavior
These three deficits can be improved by developing skills in the
following areas:
a) Social Communication
b) Social Initiation
c) Social Reciprocity
d) Social Cognition
5. +
Social Skills and Autism
By developing skills in the areas of social communication, social
initiation, social reciprocity, and social cognition, children learn the
coping skills they need to behave appropriately.
These skills help children make good choices, feel comfortable in
community situations.
These skill help a student communicate their needs.
.
("Nasp Resources: Social Skills: Promoting Positive Behavior,
Academic Success, And School Safety” )
7. +
The Importance of being able to
Communicate
Some children with autism have difficulties with verbal communication as
well as non-verbal.
Without an appropriate method of communication, students will turn to
negative behaviors to demonstrate:
a) Sensory needs
b) Task avoidance
c) Attention seeking behaviors
d) Access a wanted or needed object
("Autism Community: Communication And Behavior", n.d.).
The video on the following page demonstrates a child who is unable to
communicate his wants, needs or frustrations appropriately.
8. + Methods of Communicating with Low functioning
Verbal or Non Verbal Students
Naturalistic—A naturalistic approach is teaching in loosely
structured or natural settings. In order to teach with a naturalistic
approach, the child needs to be able to generalize. Generalizing is
the ability to take a concept and apply it to different situations
(Cowen & Allen, 2007). (High Functioning Autism)
Analog--An analog approach is produced in an artificial setting.
This approach takes the child out of the natural environment and
places them into a controlled situation. Autistic children have
deficits in the areas of language, socialization, and behaviors.
Because of this, a highly structured analog setting will allow the
child to progress at his or her own rate. Training is arranged in a
way that is understandable, predictable, scripted, and non
threatening (Cowen & Allen, 2007).(Lower Functioning Autism
9. +
TEACCH
The Analog Approach
TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related
Communications--Handicapped Children)
a) Scheduling
1. Daily Activity
2. Within Activity/Picture Activity
b) Work Stations
1. Work Session—New Material
2. Wall work--Maintenance
3. White Board—Maintenance
11. +
Schedules
Photographic/Within Activity Schedules
A. Can be used for communication starters
B. Can be used for Social Stories
C. Routine and self Monitoring strategies
D. Used as a step by step prompt for an Activity such as
Laundry (Banda & et al, (2009).
12. + Here is an example of a Photographic/Within Activity
Schedule for the bathroom routine
13. +
Communicating Work Stations
Work Stations
A. Work Session—New Materials
B. White Board—Maintenance Materials
C. Work Wall-Maintenance Materials
Work materials should be self explanatory and visually communicate
expectations, they should be:
A. Short
B. Closed ended
C. Accompanied with minimum communication
D. Consistent
E. Textured
F. Encouraging independence
14. +
Work Sessions
Work Session—Done with learning materials
Here is an example of six buckets filled with working materials.
Student will match the picture on the front of the bucket--
example, Pizza Hut will match to the picture--and place the
buckets on the top of bucket holder in order to complete.
15. +
White Board
White Board--Maintenance materials are used for white board.
In this case, color swatch is matched to the word. This is a way
of getting the student up and changing the area of instruction.
16. +
Work Wall
Work Wall--Maintenance materials are used for wall. In this
case, the student is matching the front to the back of
motorcycles--parts-to-whole category.
17. +
Social Initiation
Problems
Students with autism tend to be grouped
into one of two categories when it comes
to social initiation.
1. Barely ever initiates
2. The inappropriate initiator
( Boutot, Myles, 2011)
19. + Inappropriate Social Initiation
( Boutot, Myles, 2011)
Inappropriate
Initiation
Repeats
questions
over and
over
Only talks
about
own
interests
Talks
when
silence is
required
Talks over
others
Interrupts
20. +
Social Initiation Scripts
An effective strategy for initiating a social situation is
“Photographic Activity Schedules”. Photographic Activity
Schedules are:
A. Sequenced events shown in picture form.
B. Activities that are broken down into each individual step.
C. A method of teaching socialization with minimum staff interaction.
D. Is a social script that promotes independence. (Hall, 2013)
21. + Example of a Photographic Activity Schedule (This gives
students’ examples of conversation starters)
22. + Social Scripting
Here is an
example of social
scripting.
This is used to
promote
independence
and routine.
23. +
Social Reciprocity
According to “Boutot&, Myles”, (2011) social
reciprocity refers to “the give-and-take of social
interactions.
Students with autism may have difficulties with social
reciprocity.
25. +
Strategy for Social Reciprocity
An effective strategy for social reciprocity is a Social Skills
Curriculum.
Social Skills Curriculum (Social Skills Group):
A. Is specifically for high functioning students but can be used for all
levels of functioning
B. Teaches awareness of non-verbal communication
C. Teaches awareness of other peoples perspectives
D. Promotes joint attention
E. Teaches Emotional control
F. Promotes pro-social behaviors (Hall, 2013)
G. Should help generalize skills
H. Students with similar needs and levels of cognition
26. +
Social Skills Groups
This is a video that describes the components and structure of
an effective social skills group.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qogksh7gxEo
Keefer (2011)
27. +
Social Stories
A social skill acquisition tool that can be used to help
students develop non-verbal skills is a social story. A social
story:
a) Should promote social understanding
b) Can be written in the first or third person perspective
c) Should be positive
d) Should be reinforced right before the skill is practiced
e) A social story can be faded out as the student learns the
sequence of the routine. (Hall, 2013)
28. +
The Personalized Story Book
This is an example of a social story that deals with deficits for
non-verbal communication; it is in the form of a story book
created for a little girl named Kealy (Houghton, 2013).
http://www.kerpoof.com/#view?s=2gs11dD98Mo5cjs4c000-d-
8c48b7-x
29. +
Social Cognition
Social cognition is the ability to predict where a conversation
may be going and the ability to alter your behavior and
responses to fit the situation. In order to do this, a student
needs:
a) Social awareness
b) Knowledge of social norms
1) Procedural—Learned behaviors
2) Declarative—The ability to decipher idioms and
knowledge of unspoken rules.
c) Perspective taking (Boutot, Myles, (2011)
30. +
Promoting Social Cognition
Using self-monitoring techniques with students who
have ASD helps them develop independence,
generalizations, self and social-awareness. Students
really need an understanding of what is expected of
them, and with self monitoring techniques, the
student will have the expectations—in word or
picture form--of what they need to do right in front of
him.
31. + Daily Initiation and Response Self Monitoring
Checklist
I walked up and said hello to people on the playground
Yes No
I asked someone on the playground if I could join an activity.
Yes No
I asked someone what they were eating in the cafeteria.
Yes No
I said “hello, how are you?” when someone said hello to me.
Yes No
I asked someone to play with me on the playground
Yes No
During a quiet time in a conversation, I asked a question from my social scripts
Yes No
32. +
Social Cognition--Integrated Play
Groups:
Integrated play groups:
A. Are intended to promote socialization and play as well as introduce
peer culture
B. Promotes acquisition of cultural skills and expectations
C. Combines both neuro-typical and typical students
D. Should have a larger number of typical peers than neuro-typical
E. Use scaffolds to promote independent play
F. Requires joint engagement
33. +
Integrated Play Group Model
Here is a video that explains the Integrated Play Group Model
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u867ilizx8M
("United Way Vancuver: Integrated Play Group Model
Program", 2009).
34. +
Social Skills Acquisition
In order for a student with autism to acquire a social skill, there
must be a plan or method put into action.
Methods
A. Social Scripting—demonstrates step by step conversations or
activity procedures
B. Video Modeling—watching and imitating videos for social training.
C. Problem Solving Strategies—a strategy that replaces a problem
behavior with a replacement behavior that is appropriate.
35. +
Video Modeling
Here is an example of video modeling. This video
demonstrated the process and expectations of going to the
dentist.
Look at Me Now (2012, June 7)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_n1aZy1NV8
36. +
Reinforcements
When working with students who have autism, some are
reinforced intrinsically and others need a little push.
Students who are reinforced extrinsically need to have the
reinforcements often in the beginning, but as they learn the
skill, reinforcements need to be faded.
37. +
Reinforcement Hierarchy
Positive Reinforcement--Positive reinforcement for each stage that is
completed correctly. When that stage is mastered, the next stage will be
the one to be reinforced.
Behavior Charts-- behavior chart can be used to show how much
progress the student has made in their social shaping procedure. They
will get a star for every stage they have successfully mastered.
Fading Strategy--When the stage is mastered, the student no longer
earns a reinforcement for that stage—they will only earn on the stage they
are working on at the time.
Extinction--Decreasing a behavior in steps. E.g. a student who will sit
down in the middle of the road during the mail run because she wants to
see the other students walk by. Have a student peer walk with her until
she sits down. When she sits down, the peer is to walk to the next
destination and wait for the the student. This will happen for all three
stops of the mail run.
38. +
Behavior Charts
Here is an example of a sticker chart reinforcement schedule
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQYywH73u2A(Goalforit2010)
39. +
Social Skill Assessments
In order to determine a students progress with social skill
development, teachers need to use measurement tools. Some
examples are:
A. TOPL (Test of Pragmatic Language)—This is a method of
evaluating conversational skills and group therapy.
B. Celf (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals)—Evaluates
pragmatic language in students
C. CASS (Contextual assessment of social skills.)--This measures
conversation skills and social behavior in students with the use of
role plays.
40. +
The road to Social Success
There are many strategies that can be used to promote social
success in students with autism. There is no way to show all of
them.
The key to success is being consistent.
Students with autism do not tend to like socialization. If we
don’t train them to socialize, they will be alone. The more they
are left alone, the more they want to be left alone. We owe to
these students to add a quality of life through socialization.
(Bonnie Houghton)
41. +
References:
Autism and university. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://autismandu.weebly.com/autism-the-
specifics.html
Banda, D., Grimmett, E., & Hart S.(2009).Activity Schedules.Teaching Exceptional
Children.Vol.41. Issue 4, p16-21.
Boutot, E. A., & Smith, Myles, B. (2011) Autism spectrum disorders: Foundations,
characteristics, and effective strategies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Goalforit.com (2010, September 9). The behavior charts kids love [Video file]. Retrieved
from Youtube.comwebsite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQYywH73u2A
Houghton, B. A. (2013). Kerpoof: Princess Kealy learns about personal space. Retrieved
from http://www.kerpoof.com/#view?s=2gs11dD98Mo5cjs4c000-d-8c48b7-x
http://www.educateautism.com/applied-behaviour-analysis/discrete-trial-training.html
Jacobs, J. (2012). Social Skill Builder:Development of social skills in children with Autism
Spectrum Disorder . Retrieved from
http://www.socialskillbuilder.com/articles/socialskillsASDchildren.html
Keefer, A. (2011). Health Central:How to find the right social skills group for your child with
autism. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qogksh7gxEo
42. +
References cont.:
Koegel, L. K. (n.d). Education.com: Pivotal Response Treatment: Identifying and targeting areas of need in children
with ASK. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article
NASP Resources: Social Skills: Promoting positive behavior, academic success, and school safety. (). Retrieved
from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/socialskills_fs.aspx
National Institude of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Autism fact sheet. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
Naturally Autistic (Y2010ar, November 2). How to teach social skills to autistic childen [Video file]. Retrieved from
Youtube website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=E1PeC4jvLvs
Non-Comm: Non verbal communication. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.google.com/search?q=nonverbal+communication&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&
ei=yEB9UfGKJ4PB4APauYGIAw&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1045&bih=614#imgrc=Ls2u3Y5E6_7kqM%3A%3Bb
Mp5csHqSsmfmM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-
wN9q_evuLPQ%252FTV1pOZPNUqI%252FAAAAAAAAAAM%252F-
IerC4KSDks%252Fs1600%252Feffective_teaching_016.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F
http://speechtimefun.blogspot.com/
Look at Me Now (2012, June 7). Autism video model--Going to the dentist [Video file]. Retrieved from
Youtubewebsite:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_n1aZy1NV8
252Fverbalandnoncomm.blogspot.com%252F2011%252F02%252Fnon-verbal-communication-is-it-
really.html%3B647%3B464
