The National Professional De elopment Center on A tismDevelopment Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders: Promoting g

Early Identification of ASDHatton, D.D. (January 8, 2009). The National Professional Development Center

on ASD. Nashville, TN: Act Early Summit.

Cooperative Agreement H 35G 070004U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs

What is the National Professional Development Center on ASD and how can it help promote optimalhow can it help promote optimal outcomes for children and adolescents with ASD and their families?families?

National Professional Development pCenter on Autism Spectrum Disorders

A multi-university center to promote use of evidence-use of evidencebased practice for children and adolescents withadolescents with autism spectrum disorders

Cooperative Agreement H 35G 070004U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Special Education Programs

National Professional Development Center National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders: Sites• FPG Child Development Institute, University

of North Carolina at Chapel Hill• Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin at

Madison• M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California at

Davis Medical School

Goals of the CenterGoals of the Center• Promote optimal development, learning,

and achievement for infants preschoolersand achievement for infants, preschoolers, elementary, and secondary students with ASD and support for their families through guse of evidence-based practices (EBP) and earlier identification of ASD

• Increase state capacity to implement EBPsIncrease state capacity to implement EBPs in early identification, intervention, and educationI th b f hi hl lifi d• Increase the number of highly qualified personnel serving children with ASD through sustainable technical assistance gand professional development

Why evidence-based practices?Why evidence based practices?• Because using evidence-based practices to

t th ti l d l t l ipromote the optimal development, learning, achievement, employment, and well being of individuals with ASD is defensibleindividuals with ASD is defensible

• Because IDEIA (2004) requires the use of scientific, evidence-based practices for children and youth with disabilities

• Because teachers are accountable for their i t ti l/i t ti tiinstructional/intervention practices

• Because instructional/intervention decisions should be data drivenbe data driven

State InvolvementState Involvement

• Year 1, Cohort 1: Master content and process in collaboration with NPDC staff (IN, NM, WI)

• Years 2-4: States complete competitive application Year 2, Cohort 2: KY, MN, MI Year 3 Cohort 3: ??? Year 3, Cohort 3: ??? Year 4, Cohort 4: ???

• Total number of states served: 12Total number of states served: 12

Access State Application FormsAccess State Application Forms and Instructions

atatProject Web site

www.fpg.unc.edu/~autismpdc

State Applications

Conference Call for Interested Applicants

on January 15, 2009on January 15, 2009

Applications due June 1 2009Applications due June 1, 2009Contact Evelyn Shaw to participate—instructions in application packageinstructions in application package

www fpg unc edu/ autismpdcwww.fpg.unc.edu/~autismpdc

What can NPDC provide?What can NPDC provide?

ProfessionalDevelopment

TechnicalAssistance Evaluation

p

Content D l tDevelopment

Content DevelopmentProducts

Content Development

•Project Website•Assessment Instruments•Assessment InstrumentsAutism Program Environment Rating Scale (APERS)Autism Evidence-Based Practices InventoryFidelity Implementation Checklists

•Web-based Modules on EBP•User friendly Resources for Implementing EBP•User-friendly Resources for Implementing EBP•Online Course•National Network for Information DisseminationNational Network for Information Dissemination

Collaboration with OCALI and Partners for Module DevelopmentPartners for Module Development

http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/

What responsibilities do earlyWhat responsibilities do early interventionists and early childhood special educators have regarding children who have orregarding children who have, or who might have, ASD?

Child OutcomesChild OutcomesOverall goal is to enable children to be activegand successful participants in their earlychildhood years and in the future.

Three outcomes that reflect achievement of thisgoal are:1 Children have positive social relationships1. Children have positive social relationships.2. Children acquire and use knowledge and

skills.3. Children take appropriate action to meet

their needs. ECO Center, 2005

Family OutcomesFamily Outcomes1. Families understand their children’s1. Families understand their children s

strengths, abilities, and special needs.2. Families know their rights and advocate

effectivelyeffectively.3. Families help their children develop and

learn.4. Families have support systems.5. Families access desired services, programs,

and activities in their communitiesand activities in their communities.

ECO Center, 2005

Content DevelopmentContent Development

Evidence-based Practices

What is an EBP?What is an EBP?To be considered an evidence-based practice (EBP) by The National

Professional Development Center on ASD efficacy must be establishedProfessional Development Center on ASD, efficacy must be established through peer-reviewed research in scientific journals using:

• randomized or quasi-experimental design studies. T hi h lit i t l i i t lTwo high quality experimental or quasi-experimental studies,

• single-subject design studies. Three different h t h d t d fi hi h litresearchers must have conducted five high quality

single subject design studies, or • combination of evidence. One high quality randomized

i i t l d i t d d thor quasi-experimental group design study and three high quality single subject design studies conducted by at least three different investigators or research groupsgroups.

What is an EBP?

• High quality randomized or quasi experimental design studies do not have critical design flaws that g gcreate confounds to the studies and have design features that readers/consumers can use to rule out

ti h th f t d fi dicompeting hypotheses for study findings. • High quality single subject design studies have no

iti l d i fl th t t f d dcritical design flaws that create confounds and demonstrate experimental control at least three timestimes.

Review of LiteratureReview of Literature• Began by looking at outcomes that related to the

f t f ticore features of autism Social Communication Communication Repetitive and problem behavior Adaptive behaviorp Academic /cognitive skills

• Identified and grouped interventions that addressed these skills

• Looked for similar interventions across skill domains and age levelsdomains and age levels

Focused-Interventions IdentifiedFocused Interventions Identified• Behavioral intervention practicesBehavioral intervention practices Prompting Reinforcement Reinforcement Task analysis Time delay Time delay

Behavioral Interventions to D I f i B h iDecrease Interfering Behaviors

• Positive behavior support Functional behavior assessment Stimulus control/environmental modification Response interruption/redirection Functional communication training Extinction Differential reinforcement of other behavior

Focused InterventionsFocused Interventions • Discrete trial trainingDiscrete trial training• Naturalistic intervention• Pivotal response trainingPivotal response training• Self-management

Focused InterventionsFocused Interventions• Visual supportsVisual supports• Structured work systems• Video modelingVideo modeling• Computer-assisted instruction• VOCA/Speech generating devices• VOCA/Speech generating devices

Focused InterventionsFocused Interventions• Social skills trainingSocial skills training• Peer mediated intervention• Social narratives/Social storiesTM Social narratives/Social stories• Picture exchange communication system

(PECS)(PECS)

Some Defensible Practices For E l I iEarly Intervention

• Parent-implemented interventions• Naturalistic interventions employed in the home• Current work on joint attention and prelinguistic

communication• Discrete trial training for older 2s

Evidence-based Practices: Bi h TBirth-Two

• Little literature to document efficacy of focusedLittle literature to document efficacy of focused intervention with this age group

• Emerging scienceg g• Remember Sackett’s words:

What motivates the search?What motivates the search?• Mean age of autism

di i 34 61 th Mandell et al 2005diagnosis = 34 – 61 months • Mean age of first parental

concern = 18 – 19 months8

Mandell et al., 2005

concern 18 19 months• Gap means 1-2 years

before treatment begins 4

6

earsg

• Intensive early intervention = better o tcomes

2

Yeoutcomes

• Earlier identification = earlier intervention

0First

concernsAutism

DxPDDNOS

DxAsperger

Dxn = 965intervention n = 965

NPDC on ASD: Key FeaturesNPDC on ASD: Key Features• Takes systems change perspective• Promotes use of data to drive instructional

planning, implementation, continuous progress it imonitoring

• Promotes development of measurable, observable IEP/IFSP goals and objectivesobservable IEP/IFSP goals and objectives

• Provides flexible resources that can be used for ongoing trainingongoing training

• advance early screening and diagnosis of ASD• Links use of EBP to IEP/IFSP goals• Links use of EBP to IEP/IFSP goals