Slide 1

Autism 101:Top 10 Pieces to the Puzzle

Core Training in Autism Module 12008Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism1Script:Welcome to Autism 101: Top 10 Pieces to the Puzzle. This training has been developed and brought to you through the Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism.

Autism 101Goal: Provide training on basic components of autism spectrum disorders. 2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism2Script: The goal of this training is to provide information on basic components of autism spectrum disorders.

This is the first part of a series that will eventually include Asperger 101, Classroom Organization, Behavioral Issues, Socialization Issues and Communication Issues. These 6 modules will be on line training and will be offered as a face to face training at your local ESC. In addition, your ESC will be able to provide a module on Futures Planning for Students with Disabilities. These modules are the result of a project funded by the Texas Education Agency in collaboration with the 20 Education Service Centers that are geographically distributed across Texas.

Notes: May refer to Goal/Outcome handout in participant packet.

Learner OutcomesAutism 101Define the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Identify research-based strategies to address the behavioral, social and communication needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Core Training in Autism Module 12008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism3Script:The Learner Outcomes for this training are: Participants will be able to define the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders and identify research-based strategies to address the behavioral, social and communication needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Notes: May refer to Goal/Outcome handout in participant packet.

3

Welcome & Overview

The Autism Spectrum

Behavior Connections

Sensory Processing

Keys to Socialization

The Power of Communication

The Ongoing JourneyAutism 101 Agenda2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism4Script:You will find an individualized agenda [or schedule] in your packet. As we progress through each part of the agenda, you may check it off in the identified column to indicate that we are finished. There is also a schedule posted for your reference to help organize our day and your thinking. A visual schedule is a powerful strategy for use with students with autism, I will model throughout our day.

We have started with our welcome and will continue with an overview of the key concepts of this training. We will then delve into a greater understanding of autism and the characteristics associated with the disorder. Research based strategies will be included in each of the major categories of behavior, sensory, socialization and communication. The end of the day will establish that this is really only the beginning. Through the development of an action plan, each of you will create a path for future learning.

In addition to the agenda, we will use a mnemonic/puzzle to reinforce 10 important concepts during the training AND we will touch upon Commissioners Rules 89.1055 (e)(1-11) as they apply to the training.

Notes: May ask the participants how it makes them feel when they are able to check things off. This can be done now and throughout the training to make personal connections to the concepts of organization and motivation.

Refer to the posted schedule throughout the day. As you finish each section, remove the picture, turn it around or put it in a finished location [e.g. pocket, box, etc.]. Use the change of schedule or surprise cards if you need to adjust the schedule to model this strategy. Always emphasize that these and other strategies must be taught explicitly and implemented consistently in order to be effective.4Welcome

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism5Script:Please attend to this very special welcome.

Notes:To play video click on the picture. Once the video clip is completed, double click on the current slide to advance to the next one.

5Who is here today?Parents & FamilyEducatorsChild Care ProvidersRelated Service ProvidersEvaluation PersonnelAdministrators

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism6Script:A part of any good welcome involves getting to know each other a bit better. So lets see who is here today. Please _____________ [raise your hand/stand up/other] if you are an educator, a child care provider, related service provider, a parent or family member of a child with autism, evaluation personnel, and administrators. Anyone that we have missed?

Wonderful, Im so glad that you are all here. You will have many opportunities to get to know each other even more throughout the day and to learn together.

Notes: Pause after each category of participant and ask for other roles that were not already identified to share.

Before leaving this slide, you may want to ask for a break down of age level as well [e.g. early childhood, elementary, middle school, high school, and beyond].6Pretest: What I already know!Please take a few moments to complete the pre-test.

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism7Script:Please take a few moments to independently complete the pre-test in your packet. We will return to this at the end of the day to see how much we have learned as a result of this experience.

Notes:Plan for 2-3 minutes to be able to complete the pre-test.

You may want to play soft music in the background to indicate that participants are to complete the pre-test quietly and independently. 7Introductions You are going to introduce yourself to a partner using a Social Script

Script:Hello , my name is __________ . I am from __________. My relationship to a student with autism is as a _________ (role). One question I have about autism is ________________. And how about you? [Now, listen to your partner.]

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism8Script: We are going to get to know a partner by using a strategy that might be effective with students with autism a social script. Your script is in your packet.

Please find this page in your packet and lets read it together. Hello , my name is __________ . I am from __________________. My relationship to a person with autism is as a _________ (role). One question I have about autism is ________________. And how about you? [Now, listen to your partner.]

Personalize your script and introduce yourself to one other person, preferably someone you do not already know.

Notes: After 2-3 minutes request that 4-5 people share the question that they have about the presentation. Note that we expect to cover all or at least most of the questions.

Approximate time: 5 minutes 8Scripts are . . . Research on scripts and script fading documented procedures that enable children to participate in interaction so that, like other youngsters, they are regularly exposed to others talk and can make use of other peoples language models in later conversation.Scripts and script-fading procedures are useful to students who are more and less-severely disabled, and to readers and nonreaders. -Lynn McClannahan & Patricia KrantzTeaching Conversation to Children with Autism2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism9Script:You have just experienced a strategy [scripts] that can be helpful to students with autism spectrum disorders. A script, as defined by Lynn McClannahan and Patricia Krantz is an audiotaped or written, word, phrase , or sentence that enables young people with autism to start or continue conversation.

Now that we have looked at our schedule and introduced ourselves, using two visual strategies we could employ with students with autism, lets delve into the content of the day.

9

Commissioners Rules2007 89.1055 (e.) (1-11)2004 IDEA2006 USDE/OSEPhttp://www.txautism.net/rules.html7 Points

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism10Script:Another part of our time together will be used to review the Commissioners Rules 89.1055 (e)(1-11) that went into effect in November, 2007.

In 1987, the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency published rules describing 7 points that must be discussed in meetings called to review the needs of students with autism.

The Federal Legislature created the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act of 2004. This update to a previous law mandated changes that were detailed by regulations published in 2006 by the United States Department of Education/Office of Special Education Programs. At this point, states were expected to create updates that reflected the changes in IDEA 2004 and explained by the OSEP regulations.

The Texas Education Agency created a focus group that made recommendations to the Commissioner of Education clarifying the rules created years before and adding 4 additional expectations.

In Texas, these rules are found in Chapter 89 of the Texas Administrative Code. Section 1055 e. items 1-11. For more information, contact your local ESC or view the rules and guidance side by side at http://www.txautism.net/rules.html.

Notes:Refer to Commissioners Rules handout.10(e) (6) parent/family training...(e) (10) professional educator/staff support...(e) (11) Teaching strategies based on peer reviewed, research based practices...

Commissioners Rules 89.10552008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism11Script:This training in Autism 101 is an example of a resource that could address three of the Commissioners Rules 89.1055. (e) (6) addresses parent and family training. (e) (10) addresses the need for support and training of educators and (e) (11) details the need for peer reviewed, research based practices.

We fully expect districts and families in Texas to utilize this module for training purposes and you will see that the information provided will address some of the strategies that are peer reviewed and research based.

Puzzle Piece #5: V is for VisualVisuospatial processing is intact or enhanced in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

Nancy Minshew, MD University of Pittsburgh

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism12Script:Puzzle pieces are often used as a motif in autism awareness campaigns. The puzzle represents efforts to understand the mysteries and complexities of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We will use that representation as an organizational structure for the most important concepts of the day.

Our first puzzle piece is #5: V is for visual. Take a moment and jot down this information as it will be one of our ten most essential concepts.

Notes: You may wish to introduce the graphic organizer at this time (Top Ten Pieces of the Puzzle).

12Oh My Gosh!You started with #5! That is out of order! How will I survive this training?

I need a strategy to help how about a social story?

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism13Script:How many of you feel like this? or Who can relate?

In your packet there is a social story to help cope with this unexpected development. Lets read it together.

Notes:Read the story.Social StoriesStay tuned for more on social stories later in the training.

Stay Tuned

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism14Script:We will go into more depth later on, but what quick statements might you make about social stories at this point?

Notes:Allow approximately 4 minutes for this discussion.

Facilitate responses from the participants that will set the stage for later.

Key points:Deals with a problematic or stressful situationProvides strategies for dealing with the problemIncludes positive or affirming statements [This is O.K.]Reduces anxiety

14I THINK IN PICTURES. Words are like a second language to me. I translate both spoken and written words into full-color movies, complete with sound, which run like a VCR tape in my head.

When somebody speaks to me, his words are instantly translated into pictures.-Temple Grandin, PhD

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism15Temple Grandin is an adult with autism who has enjoyed a successful career as a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She has written several books about autism and is a frequent speaker at autism conferences. In this slide, she describes how her thinking processes are very different from most people. She thinks in pictures. Her life is very visual.

Notes:If you choose to use the clip, add another 5 minutes to the presentation. To play the video click on the picture on the slide.

If you would like to show a brief clip of Temple Grandin, there are several available through You Tube. The following is only 5 minutes and includes some key points relevant to understanding autism. It is titled Reinventing Autism and can be found at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAu6_Llfh2A&feature=related. A hyperlink to this video is embedded in Temples photo. Should you decide to play this clip, you can click on her photo and you will go directly to this You Tube video. 15Dont we already know this?

Why the visual?2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism16Script:This picture was taken at a high school campus as you cross from the main parking lot to the campus. Dont High School students already know to look both ways before crossing? Then why do you think someone went through the trouble to put this visual support in place?

Notes:Script and activity should take about 2:30

As the participants respond to the question, guide them to the following points:The need may come from the following sources:Adolescents [teenage brain] in a hurry make for a dangerous combinationMorning and afternoon traffic add to the confusion

Critical Concept: Even though individuals have knowledge of what to do, under certain conditions [e.g. teenage brain, heavy traffic, time constraints] visual supports are helpful and perhaps even necessary to PREVENT accidents.16Did you know?According to research, 65% -75% of the general population is considered to be primarily visual learners.

Visual strategies may be the strongest link between individuals with neuro-typical brains and individuals with autistic brains.

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism17Script:Review the text on the slide.

Lets do our own research. How many of you prefer to have slides that accompany the presentation? How many of you refer to your handouts from time to time? And how many of you appreciate having video clips as part of the training experience? Keep this in mind as we learn more about the individual with autism spectrum disorders.

Notes:Refer to the handouts for a list of Issues for the Visual Learner in the Classroom. While these issues may be relevant for the student with autism, they are derived from information about the visual learner in general [not from information related to autism]. 17The Autism Spectrum

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism18Script:Its time to check our schedule. We have finished the Welcome & Overview and will now take a much closer look at Autism Spectrum Disorders. [Remove the picture or turn it over or place it in a pocket/basket].

Notes:You might mention that the use of graphic organizers can be an effective instructional tool for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and has a strong research basis with neuro-typical learners. [Marzano and Pickering, 2001].

18IncidenceNearly 1 of every 150 children are identified as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Four times as many boys as girls are affected.

-Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 2007

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism19Script:How many of you have seen or heard of these statistics?

According to the CDC, Autism Spectrum Disorders occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and are four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls. CDCs Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network released data in 2007 that found about 1 in 150 8-year-old children in multiple areas of the United States had an ASD.

In 2006, 224,594 children ages 6-21 and 35,111 children ages 3-5 were served under the autism classification for special education services. Not all children with an ASD receive special education services under the classification of autism, so the education data underestimate the actual prevalence of ASDs.

19PrevalenceBefore 1990s a rate of 4 to 5 per 10,000 children1990s 1 in 1000 incidence rate2007 1 in 150

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism20Script:Many more people are now classified as having an autism spectrum disorder than in previous decades. There is ongoing controversy as to how much of this increase is due to improved diagnostic methods and to the broader category of autism spectrum disorders and pervasive developmental disorders, and how much of the rise is an actual increase in the number of people affected.

20A Bit of History

Hans Asperger

Leo Kanner

Ivar Lovaas

Bernard Rimland

Eric Schopler

Bruno Bettelheim2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism21Script: Leo Kanner: Before Kanner, a physician at Johns Hopkins noticed and recorded a pattern of symptoms, children we now identify with ASD would be classified as emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded. In a 1943 article he defined a new category, which he called Early Infantile Autism.

Hans Asperger: In 1944 in Vienna Hans Asperger, working independently of Kanner, described 4 patients with social difficulties, intense special interests and physically clumsiness. All of his patients had speech and he referred to as little professors because of their ability to discourse at length on their special interest

Bruno Bettelheim: It was Bettelheims now thoroughly discredited theory that children became autistic because of cold and emotionally distant mothers, women he referred to as refrigerator mothers. Rather than seeing autism as the neurological condition it is, Bettelheim blamed emotionally distant mothers as the cause of autism, a stigma that hasnt totally disappeared.

Bernard Rimland: A psychologist and parent of a child with autism did not agree with Bettelheim that the cause of his sons autism was due to either his or his wifes parenting skills and took serious aim at the refrigerator mother theory. In 1964, Bernard Rimland published, Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior. The publication of Rimlands book marks a turn toward our present understanding that autism as a neurological disorderthat is, it is biologically based.

Lovaas: Dr. Ole Ivar Lovaas, a clinical psychologist, applied the experimental behavior analysis developed by B.F. Skinner to people with autism. Lovaas was among the first to provide evidence that the behavior of children with autism can be modified through teaching.

Eric Schopler: In 1966 Schopler, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina, co-founded a program which recognized that people living with autism were capable of learning, especially with customized interventions from therapists, family and teachers. Those insights led to the development of Division TEACCH - Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children - a network of nine state-funded clinics. Schopler not only rejected Bettelheims theory but demonstrated that parents of children with autism are effective collaborators in the treatment and education of their children.

These men were only the pioneers in autism. Today published experts in the field number in the hundreds if not thousands.

What is Autism?Autism is a developmental disorder of neurobiologic origin that is defined on the basis of behavioral and developmental features. (National Research Council, Educating Children with Autism)

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism22Script:In summary, autism is a developmental disorder of neurobiologic origin that is defined on the basis of behavioral and developmental features.

22Pervasive Developmental Disorders - a diagnosis

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism23Script: The term Pervasive Developmental Disorders was first used in the 1980s to describe a class of disorders with similar symptoms or characteristics. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition, Text Revision, referred to as the DSM IV-TR provides criteria for each of the 5 types of PDD.

The term PDD occasionally causes some confusion, because one of the disorders underneath the umbrella has a very similar name---PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). As a result, PDD and PDDNOS are sometimes used interchangeably. A doctor, for example, may tell a parent that his or her child has PDD. This may stir up confusion further down the diagnostic and treatment road, because PDD actually refers to the overall category of disorders. It's not a diagnostic label. Some doctors, however, are hesitant to diagnose very young children with a specific type of PDD, such as Autistic Disorder or Asperger's Syndrome, and therefore only use the general category label of PDD. In other cases, the doctor may say PDD as a shorter way of talking about PDDNOS [from http://www.nichcy.org/resources/autism.asp].

Further confusing the conversation, Autism, PDD-NOS, and Aspergers Syndrome may be collectively referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Using your graphic organizer, capture the most important points as you review the criteria for each of the 5 categories on the cards provided at your table. Feel free to discuss as you work through the activity.

Notes:Materials: PDD Activity Cards

Distribute a packet of the PDD Activity Cards per table. Facilitate group work by rotating from table to table and supporting the discussion.

Activity Time: 10 minutes23What causes autism?It has become more and more apparent that the etiology is multifactorial with a variety of genetic and, to a lesser extent, environmental factors playing a role.Chris Johnson, Scott Myers and the Council on Children with Disabilities, 20072008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism24Script:Every month we learn more about the possible causes of autism through research on genetics, environmental factors, and brain research. Some people with ASDs have an identifiable syndrome or medical disorder, such as Fragile X or Rett syndrome, 90% of children with ASDs do not have a syndrome or medical condition known to be associated with ASDs. (Johnson, Myers, and the Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007).

The American Academy of Pediatrics study estimates the risk of ASD recurring in a family at 5 to 6% when an older sibling has an ASD and higher if two older children have ASD.

Brain ResearchNeuropathology and neuroimaging have shown that there are fundamental differences in brain growth and organization in people with ASDs that have their origin in the prenatal period but extend through early childhood and into adulthood.Chris Johnson, Scott Meyers, and the Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism25Script:The research on the neurobiological basis of ASD have detected differences in parts of the brain, including the cerebellum; forebrain limbic system; frontal and temporal lobe cortical minicolumns; band of Broca; and brainstem.

There have been studies indicating differences in the volume of the entire brain and of the frontal, limbic, basal ganglia, and cerebellar regions.

Finally, MRI studies during cognitive tasks or in response to visual or auditory stimuli suggest that individuals with ASDs use different cognitive strategies and, in some cases, different brain areas to process certain types of information. -Chris Johnson, Scott Meyers, and the Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007Autism an IDEA eligibility categoryDefinition of autism in IDEA: a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, usually evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences."

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism26Script:A medical diagnosis of PDD or ASD does not necessarily result in eligibility for special education services in the public schools. The criteria requires that the school evaluation team determine that the disability have an educational impact.

Refer to the table in your packet for a comparison of diagnosis and eligibility.

According to the Autism Society of America:There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observation of the individual's communication, behavior and developmental levels. A brief observation in a single setting cannot present a true picture of an individual's abilities and behaviors. Parental (and other caregivers' and/or teachers) input and developmental history are important components of making an accurate diagnosis. -From http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_diag

School evaluations are conducted by a multidisciplinary team with information gathered from many sources.

Educational Need may includeAcademic performanceCommunication functioningPragmatic languageSocial functioningOrganizational SkillsProblems solving skills

Emotional regulationDaily living skillsAdaptive behaviorHygieneGroup work skillsBehaviorGeneralizing learned skills to different people/environments2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism27Script:Federal law, IDEA, gives the purpose of special education asto ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique need and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004).

The emphasis on the needs of the individual children and the variability among children with ASD mean that we must consider many areas beyond the state curriculum, our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, to prepare our students for life after graduation.

Puzzle Piece #2: E is for EachEach child is an individual.

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism28Script:As we have explored the autism spectrum and discussed the characteristics in depth, it is extremely important to focus on the concept behind Puzzle Piece #2. That is, each child is an individual. So while each individual with autism spectrum disorders may find socializing a challenge, they each may do so in a different way, to a different degree with a different personal touch.28

If you put 100 people with autism in a room, the first thing that would strike you is how different they are.

The next thing that would strike you is the similarity.

Fred VolkmarYale University2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism29Script:Take a moment to read this slide.

How many of you can relate to this statement?

Could we not say the same about ourselves today?

Notes:Pause between scripted lines.Consider a couple of responses from the audienceAllow 2:00 for discussion29Behavior Connections

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism30Script:Its time to check our schedule. We have completed looking at Autism Spectrum Disorders and will focus on Behavior Connections.

Notes:Allow a brief time to change the schedule.Go to the posted schedule and indicate finished in any of the following ways: [Remove the picture or turn it over or place it in a pocket/basket]30Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism31Script:As we have been discussing the behaviors that are characteristic of ASD, which of these have you seen in your students/children?OrThese behaviors are characteristic of individuals on the spectrum to varying degrees. How many of you have seen unusual, repetitive motions? Can you describe a few?

How many of you have seen a need for consistency or sameness? Difficulty with change . . . Does anyone in here today have difficulty with change? How many have seen individuals having difficulty with transitions? What are some of the intense preoccupations that you have seen in your students/children?

Notes:Consider 2-3 minutes to allow participants to respond. Provide a timer to allow participants to monitor their responses. Another visual strategy!

May review the slide and then ask the participants to add to the list based on their experiences.31Texas Behavior Support Initiative Education Service Center Region 4Goal of Positive Behavior, Positive Support, Positive Students

Addressing Behavioral Challenges- Proactive Programming2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism32Script:While each of these behaviors can be challenging in and of themselves, they can be overwhelming when presented as a cluster within an individual. Having a need for sameness, difficulty with change and difficulty with transitions has the potential for behavioral outbursts during daily activities such as going to P.E. or getting off the bus or turning the computer off.

In Texas the statewide leadership for Positive Behavioral Supports is provided by Education Service Center Region 4 in Houston. The concepts and methodologies for this component are consistent with the online training provided through the Texas Behavior Support Initiative available at the website listed in your Resources handout. Please be aware that these concepts and methodologies have strong Applied Behavior Analysis connections.

Notes:http://www.txbsi.org/training/html/index.html32Key Concepts of TBSI Individual Interventions ModelAll behavior is learnedBehavior serves a functionEnvironment impacts behaviorSkills deficits impact problem behaviorTeam approach is criticalThe student-teacher relationship matters.2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism33Script:Within the Texas Behavior Support Initiative Training, module 3 addresses Individual Interventions. These six concepts underlie the process of documenting, analyzing, and intervening with problem behaviors.Addressing Problem BehaviorsStep 1: Begin the process by defining the behavior. TBSI asks 4 questions:What does the behavior look like?Can I see or hear it?Can I measure it?Would someone else identify the exact behavior from this description?2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism34Script:The first step in designing an intervention is to be sure there is a clear understanding of the behavior. The TBSI questions are designed to avoid descriptions such as stubborn or lazy and provide an objective, measurable description of the behavior.

Addressing Problem BehaviorsStep 2: Data CollectionGathering information about the behavior gives the team a baseline from which to design an intervention.2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism35Script:As with any instructional cycle, whether academic or behavioral, we first determine where the student is by gathering data. Your resource handout contains the TBSI definitions of 4 ways to measure behaviors:FrequencyDurationLatency, and Intensity.

The Importance of Data Collection

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism36Script:Lets hear from a team of teacher and teaching assistant the valuable role that data collection has played in their decision-making process.

As you watch the video, take 3 sticky notes and write down at least 3 key comments to use during discussion at your table after the video. [Say this after watching the video]As we just heard from the teaching team at La Vernia ISD, data collection is a powerful process necessary to adjust environmental controls systematically in order to prevent behavioral problems. There are a variety of formats to select from depending on the situation and your resource handout includes several websites with examples of data collection instruments.

Note:Video clip is 15:06. You may want to only show a portion of the video to your group. If you only show a portion of the video, you will need to press the Esc button twice to stop the video. You will then need to use the power point navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen to advance to the next slide.

Allow 3-5 minutes for table discussion after the video.

36Commissioners Rules89.1055(e) (1) extended educational program

(e) (3) in-home and community based training

(e) positive behavior support

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism37ScriptData collection is a very important piece of the educational program and must be utilized to verify the effectiveness of all programs. Data are especially important in determining the need for extended educational programming, in-home and community based training and the effectiveness of positive behavior support strategies.

While positive behavior support strategies relate to the behavior issues noted in some students with autism, extended educational program may be considered if present services are not providing enough opportunities to meet the IEP goals and In-home training is designed to provide generalization in school, home and community environments.

37ABC Chain

A - AntecedentB - Behavior C - Consequence2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism38Script:The ABC Chain comes from the third foundation concept of TBSI environment impacts behavior. Analyzing the A and the C after we have defined and gathered data about the B will help us determine the purpose of the behavior and to then design an intervention.

Behavior occurs in a context and the internal (hunger, for example) or external (work demand or transition, as examples) events that come first may increase the probability that the behavior will occur.

Addressing Problem BehaviorsStep 3: Determining the Function of the BehaviorTalk to people who know the student Observe the student, antecedent, and consequences in the environmentInterview the studentStep 4: Create a hypothesis about the function of the behavior

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism39Script:When trying to support individuals with ASD and create more adaptive, positive behaviors, we need to know the function of that behavior. We gain understanding through various forms of assessment . . . from observation and videotaping to formal data collection.

When we know the function of a behavior, we know where to focus our intervention efforts. If we are able to prevent the behavior from taking place by addressing its function, then there is no need [or less need] for an intervention.

Functions of BehaviorTo obtain something, either internal or external, that is desirableTo escape or avoid something, either internal or external, that is unpleasant2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism40Script:TBSI classifies function in two ways:

First to obtain something, such as the attention of another person, a favored toy or food, or a preferred activity, such as rocking or spinning.The second function is to avoid or escape something, such as a person, a task, or a noise.

Whether something is pleasurable or to be avoided is entirely individual and must be determined on a case by case basis.

Puzzle Piece #8: U is for UnderlyingUnderlying causes contribute to behaviors.

- The iceberg effect -

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism41Script:This brings us to our next Puzzle Piece which is #8: U is for Underlying. Underlying causes contribute to behaviors. And much like an iceberg, it may be difficult to see what is underneath.

41Designing InterventionsStep 5: Design an Intervention giving consideration toReplacement behaviorsStudent involvementUse of reinforcersSkill deficitsABC Strategies2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism42Script:The team uses the hypothesis to design an intervention giving consideration to the elements identified in TBSI.

Replacement behavior: what do we want the student to do instead of the problem behavior? The replacement behavior will need to address the function of the problem behavior.

Student involvement: to the extent possible, information should be gathered from the student and student involvement and cooperation in the intervention plan should be enlisted.

Use of reinforcers: to insure replacement behavior occurs in the future, providing a desirable reinforcement to the student in the C portion of the ABC chain.

Skill deficits: we always need to ask if the student knows how to do what we are asking? Just as we dont expect a student to perform an academic task without instruction, there may be a need for teaching the student the desired behavior.

ABC Strategies: TBSI provides for each element of the ABC chain. When an antecedent is identified as a setting event or a trigger for a particular behavior, modifying the antecedent may be an especially effective strategy.

FBA + TeachingThe combination of functional assessment and functional communication training [i.e. teaching a more appropriate behavior to replace a challenging behavior] is a powerful intervention package that can be used in any classroom for children with and without disabilities.

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism43Script:Take a moment to read this slide. What do you interpret from this statement?

Notes:Allow 2-3 minutes for this activity

Facilitate key ideas: The term functional communication training is defined as teaching a more appropriate behavior to replace a challenging behavior. It is the combination of functional assessment & functional communication training that makes a powerful intervention package. The strategies can be used in any classroom for children with and without disabilities.

43Addressing Problem BehaviorsStep 6: Implement the intervention and gather data.Step 7: Compare the post-intervention data with the baseline data to determine effectiveness.2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism44Script:When the intervention is put into place, it is important to continue to gather data to determine if the hypothesis about the function was correct and whether the intervention is reducing the behavior.

It may be necessary for the team to meet from time to time to analyze and refine the intervention.

Addressing problem behaviors is an ongoing team process.

Addressing Behavioral Challenges - Proactive ProgrammingAssume the problem behavior serves a purpose for the student Modify the antecedents and environmental controlsAttempt to teach alternative and replacement skills that serve the same function

-Lori Ernsperger, Ph.D.

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism45Script:Whenever possible we seek to address challenging behavior through proactive programming. We determine the function of the behavior and explore ways to modify the antecedents and environmental controls through schedules, mini-schedules and a variety of labeling strategies. And we teach alternative and replacement skills that serve the same function as the behavior.

Notes:May share an example that is relevant to most adults:Have you ever tried to go on a diet? It is best to replace the unhealthy food choices with more healthy food choices that you still will enjoy. It is not recommended that you stop eating the unhealthy food choices completely [parties, vacations, etc], but rather that you try to replace with alternative better choices while you eat the unhealthy choices less frequently.

Similarly, we try to replace the current undesirable behavior with an alternate behavior that is likely to provide some of the same input for the student. Also we start with the expectation that he/she still might engage in their less desirable behavior, but perhaps we can limit it to certain locations and times.45When behavior escalatesTexas Behavior Support Initiative:Module 4 on time-outModule 5 on Prevention and De-escalation Techniques with Severe BehaviorFace-to-face training in non-violent crisis intervention required of identified school personnel2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism46Script:Training on responses to escalating behavior is beyond the scope of this first training module. Our Texas Behavior Support Initiative addresses adult response to escalating behavior in two online modules: Module 4 on Time-out and Module 5 on Prevention and De-escalation Techniques. There is an additional requirement for some school personnel to attend face-to-face non-violent crisis intervention training.

Remember . . . When behavior starts to escalate, it may be best to talk less and show more.

Visual processing is a strength!

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism47Script:Despite best efforts to provide positive behavioral supports, there may be times when student behavior escalates.

With all the visual strategies that you might use, this is a critical point to understand. As the behavior may escalate, adults usually have a tendency to talk more and sometimes even more loudly. Without intending to do so, this may actually exacerbate the behavior even further. Remember that all of us start to think less rationally when under stress and this is when it is the most difficult to process verbal directions, comments or questions. For an individual with autism, they typically start at a greater disadvantage in terms of processing auditory information. However, visual processing is a strength and we must remember this in times of crisis.

Think of a motto or saying that could help you remember this concept.

Note:This is the end of AM Part 1 of this presentation. Please insert AM Part 2 to continue. You may wish to schedule a short break here.47