Ilene SchwartzUniversity of Washington

ilene@uw.edu

Autism is a collection ofoverlapping groups of symptomsthat vary from child to child

Siegel, 1996, p.301

Three take home messages:

Early intervention, including participation in inclusive programming, can result in remarkable developmental changes

Support participation through environmental arrangement

Improve outcomes through explicit instruction

What is inclusion?Inclusion is not a set of strategies or

a placement issue. Inclusion is about belonging to a community – a group of friends, a school community, or a neighborhood.

“Inclusion is a right, not a privilege for a select few”

(Oberti v. Board of Education in Clementon School District, 1993).

Inclusion means providing all students within the mainstream appropriate educational programs that are challenging yet geared to their capabilities and needs as well as any support and assistance they and/or their teachers may need to be successful in the mainstream. But an inclusive school also goes beyond this. An inclusive school is a place where everyone belongs, is accepted, supports, and is supported by her or her peers and other members of the school community in the course of having his or her educational needs met

Skills

Membership Relationships

Community of PracticeParticipation in valued routines, rituals and activities

NO ONE WAY TO EDUCATE CHILDREN WITH AUTISM!!!

There are no instructional strategies that are autism-

specific

Children with ASD requireInstruction to be more explicitReinforcement to be more explicit and perhaps

extrinsic to startMore opportunities to practice with feedbackPlanned instruction to facilitate generalization

Preschool students with autism:Are children firstHave diverse strengths and needsMost often need explicit instruction across curricular

domainsMay be gifted academically or have intellectual

disabilities Will need specialized instruction in social skills and

communication

Components of an Effective Program(Dawson & Osterling, 1997)

Appropriate curriculum including attending, imitation, communication, play, and social interaction.

Highly supportive teaching environment and generalization strategies.

Predictability and routine.Functional approach to challenging behavior.Transition supportFamily involvement

Educating Children with AutismNational Research Council, 2001Report was developed at OSEP’s request

Characteristics of Effective ProgramsEntry into program as soon as ASD is seriously

consideredActive programming 25 hours a week, year

roundSmall group and 1:1 programmingFamily componentLow student/teacher ratios (no more than 2

children with ASD per adult in classroomProgram evaluation and assessment

Content of Programs should includeSocial skillsExpressive, receptive, and non verbal

communication skillsFunctional communication systemEngagement and flexibility in developmentally

appropriate activitiesFine and gross motor skills

Content (continued)Cognitive skills, including playReplacement of problem behaviors with socially

acceptable alternativesIndependent organizational skills and other

behaviors that support participation in general education settings

DATA ProjectDevelopmentally Appropriate Treatment for AutismWe are in our 16th continuous year of operationCurrently funded by local school district and fund

raising

The goal of DATA Project originally was and continues to be to provide a school based program for young children with ASD and related disorders that is effective, meets the needs of its consumers (e.g., families and school personnel), is acceptable to consumers, and is sustainable.

Historical Context10 years after the Lovaas article4 years after Let Me Hear Your VoiceThe trickle down of information is beginningParents are beginning to ask (demand) 40 hour +

programs from school districts

We have an ongoing partnership with our public school

We were running a high quality integrated preschool that ran for 12 hours a week

We really believed that 40 hours a week of segregated discrete trial training was not in the best interest of young children with ASD

What to do??We wanted to develop a program that insured that

students with ASD had opportunities to interact with typically developing kids everyday

We wanted to develop a model that reflected current best practices in applied behavior analysis

We wanted a program that was replicable and sustainable

We wanted to insure that this was a program that could be implemented by public school programs

We kept the idea that “Children with ASD are children first” at the center of the model

Project DATA was bornInitially funded by an OSEP model demonstration

grantThe goal was and continues to be “blending

approaches to meet individual needs”The blended approaches were ABA, ECSE, and

ECE

Project DATA

Integrated Early Childhood Experience

Collaboration and

Coordination

Technical and Social Support

for Families

Quality of Life Influenced Curriculum

Extended, Intensive Instruction

High Quality Early Childhood ProgramInclusiveIntentional teachingSupportive child teacher relationshipClass membership

Using a Variety of Instructional StrategiesPeersExplicit instructionEmbedded

instructionOther teachers or

building staffAreas around school

outside the classroom

Extended instructional dayInclusion + intensive instructionThe goal of the extended instructional day is to help

children access and succeed in “general education”Behaviorally basedData-based decision making

Highly Supported Instructional Time 1:1 or 2:1 Student:Teacher ratio

Switch it upDo a variety of

activities each dayScience, art, blocks,

imaginative play, etc.Move around the

classroomWe are not restricted

to the table! Outside Book area Swings

Example Activity MatrixActivity Nathan Matt

Play with toys at table12:45 – 1:00

Gaining a peer’s attention by saying his/her nameResponding to peers

Following DirectionsResponding to peers

Book1:00 – 1:10

Answering WH Questions - Answering WH Questions- Pronouns

Board Game1:10 – 1:20

Asking for a turnGaining a peer’s attention

- Commenting to peersGaining a peer’s attention

Bathroom & wash hands1:20 – 1:30

Following Directions Following Directions

Snack1:30 – 1:45

- Responding to peers- Greetings

- Gaining a peer’s attention by saying his/her name- Responding to peers

Group Activity1:45 – 2:00

- Following Directions- Respond to peers

- Respond to peers- Following Directions

Table Work2:00 – 2:30

- Feature, Function, Class Feature, Function, Class- Pronouns- 1:1 Correspondence

Circle 2:30 – 2:50 Following DirectionsAnswering WH Questions

Following DirectionsAnswering WH Questions

Technical and Social Support for FamiliesHome VisitsTransition Support

“In promoting a partnership between parents and teachers, home visits provide the means for effective team problem solving, observing children in their home environment, and encouraging parent involvement,” (Beardmore et. al., 1999)

Home VisitsMonthly, two hour home

visitsAt home, at school, in the

community, at day care, play dates, collaboration with private consultant, etc.

Family/Caregiver driven: parents own the agenda

Support the family in working on high priority skills at home

Example: Will’s Trying New Foods Plan at school

High priority for family at home: trying new “super foods” (fruits and vegetables)

At school, we are working on Will taking a bite of a “super food” before eating the rest of his snack

W.B. bite of orange

Transition SupportAccompany family on school tours Communication with child’s new teachers in the next

educational setting at the beginning of the school year

Supplemental transition report to accompany the preschool report

School visits if necessary

Quality of Life Influenced CurriculumGoal of DATA Project is for children to participate in

a meaningful way in their family and communityOur assessment process includes family inputWe are heavily focused on social, communication,

and independence skillsWe embed explicit instruction into every activity and

fade supports as soon as children are independentGeneralization and maintenance are key

DTT (Discrete Trial Training) – What is it?Breaks a skill into very small partsTeaches each sub-skill to mastery before moving onProvides concentrated teachingResponse is initiated by teacherA response by child is required

A Discrete Trial

Instruction Prompt (if necessary)

Child’s Response Consequences

Inter-trial Interval

A Discrete Trial(Teaching Loop)

Instruction or Discrimitive Stimulus (SD)

Child’s Response

Consequence

Prompt if

necessary

Inter-trial Interval

Antecedent

Behavior

Consequence

Questions?