Supporting Students with ASD

1. Supporting Students with ASD High School Autism Point Person Training #2 10/22/12 Sabrina Beaudry & Pam Leonard

2. Today we will… • Review points from last training and hear your thoughts. • Share homework assignments. • Apply our knowledge of characteristics by practicing observing & describing. • Introduce a process for deciding how to support a student. • Introduce a system for planning and teaching supports. • Apply to a student you know.

3. In Review… We discussed different ways to describe autism: • Based on DSM criteria/descriptions • Based on personal accounts • Based on Psychological/ Brain Based Theories

4. In Review We: • Described students based on their individual characteristics of autism. • Began to understand how students with ASD THINK DIFFERENTLY due to neurological differences. • Had an assignment to apply the knowledge of characteristics in hopes of changing how another staff member might think about someone on the spectrum.

5. Let’s Share Assignment Experience: • Did you find yourself describing a student a little differently than you would have in the past? • How was your experience comparing descriptions of a student with another staff member? • Do you feel you made an impact in how someone else thinks of student challenges?

6. Let’s begin to talk about Supports Where do we start?

7. We start with a process • Knowledge base of disability including strengths • Assess= observing/describing • Determine Needs • Decide how to support needs • Put supports in across the day

8. TEACCH- The Philosophy Behind our Process 1. Use your understanding of the characteristics of autism as a means of understanding the autistic student's behavior and learning style, 2. Build new skills by developing each student's strengths and interests, 3. And using visual information to help students understand their schedule, academic content, or behavioral expectations. Recommendations For Students with High Functioning Autism by Kerry Hogan

9. Before we check off the first step of the process, let’s be sure to talk STRENGTHS • Processing visual information • Attention to details or selected areas of interest • Sensory perception (touch, smell, sight, taste) • Simple memory • Rule learning • Formal language • Visuospatial processing • Visual perceptual skills • Routine learning

10. We’ve used our knowledge base to help us describe, now let’s use it to observe

11. Observe and Describe • Max comes home • Max with cousin • Max wants a dog

12. What Characteristics did you see?

13. Take your characteristics and define the needs (challenges)

14. We have now completed the first three steps • Knowledge base of disability including strengths • Assess= observing/describing • Determine Needs • Decide how to support needs • Put supports in across the day

15. Take a Break

16. What Next? Now let’s figure out how to support the students with the information about characteristics, strengths and needs in mind!

17. We all use supports Let’s begin by talking about how we (NT’S) think about our activities of the day, and the skills we have that let us deal with our daily activities. No one taught us to use these skills, we just innately use them!

18. An Overview of Today • Supporting ASD=Positive Behavior Supports

19. First…Where am I going?: As NT’s we: 1. Figure out where we are going • Old fashion paper/pencil planners • A calendars • I phones • Computer- outlook calendars

20. Next, when I get there, I like to know: • What I will have to do and how do I start • The amount I will have to do, or how long I will have to do something • When I will be done • What I will do next As NT’s, we intuitively figure this out

21. In Other Words… SADN Start Amount Done Next

22. Knowing SADN Allows All of Us: • To feel calm • To focus on what we should be focusing on • To act appropriately • To remain “regulated”

23. How do NT’s Know What “SADN” is?: For NT’s: 1. SADN information might be given to us • Course syllabus • Meeting agenda • Conference schedule • Workout plan • We use knowledge from past experiences

24. What SADN is cont… 3. We work to find out SADN on our own • Ask someone for the information • Look up/research the information we need 4. We use coping strategies • Zone out • Decide our own SADN • Become disengaged- think about other things

25. Now, let’s take a look at some other skills we (NT’s) innately use to deal with our day…

26. How will I communicate (expressive/receptive language) when I get there? As NT’s we: • Have reciprocal exchanges with others using age-appropriate language skills/vocabulary. • Have an understanding of advanced language and ability to use it.

27. How will I know how to act when I get there? As NT’s we: • Understand the hidden social rules of our society • Pull from past experiences with a variety of contexts/situations/interactions, etc. • Intuitively use skills from the cognitive processes related to theory of mind, executive functioning, & central coherence

28. What will I do if something goes wrong when I am there? As NT’s we: • Use problem solving skills • Use coping strategies • Use calming strategies

29. What if my body does not feel right, or I can’t focus? As NT’s we: • Use natural regulation strategies to maintain focus, etc. • Shake leg • Twirl hair • Excuse self for quick “break” • Doodle • Drink a lot of coffee, chew gum, etc.

30. So, the question is: How do we support students with ASD to do all of these things when it is not intuitive to them??!!

31. Let’s Take A Look at our Chart Again • Supporting ASD=Positive Behavior Supports

32. How do we help students with ASD know where to go? • Individual Schedules • Individual Planners • Individual Calendars We have to teach them to use independently

33. Examples: • DJ's schedule

34. How do we help students with ASD know what to do in a given place or context?(“SADN”) • Task Organizers • Countdowns • Timers We have to teach them to use independently

35. Examples: • General Classroom Task Organizer • Detailed Classroom Task Organizer • Grading your work • Outing organizer

36. LUNCH

37. How do we help students with ASD communicate? • Provide augmentative expressive language supports. • Low tech • High tech- voice output • Provide augmentative receptive language supports. • Visual supports for understanding of language We have to teach them to use independently

38. Examples I’ll be back

39. How will we support students with ASD in knowing how to act? • Social Communication & Social Thinking Supports • “Reminder” notebooks with social phrases and social rules for challenging contexts • Use of technology with an area for “reminders” • Itouch • iphone • Social Scripts • Social Stories • Social Behavior Maps • Video Modeling • Structured teaching built into day • MGW concepts/curriculum • Hidden Social Curriculum We have to teach them to use independently

40. Examples: • Social Behavior Map- Class Group • Social Behavior Map- Brown Cow • Circles Program- definitions • Social Behavior for Interviewing- ILAUGH model • Teaching to use support "Reminders"

41. How will we support a student with ASD in knowing what to do when things go wrong? • Provide calming routines • Provide relaxation techniques • Provide coping strategies • Provide strategies to improve awareness of emotions/behavior • Provide a problem solving process We have to teach them to use independently

42. Examples: • 3 Point Scale for Impulsivity • Zones of Regulation Example- General • Zones of Regualtion for Riding Public Transportation • Bookmark with calming routine • SOCCSS template

44. How will we support students with ASD in knowing how to regulate their bodies or focus? • Sensory “diets” • Regulation scales

45. Examples

46. SO in Summary! For our students with ASD….We want to: • Provide a way for them to know where to go/when to go • Provide SADN supports for when they get there • Provide a communication support system • Provide a social communication support system • Provide a social emotional support system • Provide a sensory support system

47. SummaryOne Last Look • Supporting ASD=Positive Behavior Supports

48. When Supports Are In Place SADN Supports Communication and Language Supports Social Thinking and Social Communication Supports Social Emotional Supports Sensory Regulation Supports It allows for expected behavior Which allows for instructional control

49. We have now completed the fourth step of the process! • Knowledge base of disability including strengths • Assess= observing/describing • Determine Needs • Decide how to support needs

50. Your assignment is to complete the fifth step for a student Today…Pick a student and describe what supports are in place: • Schedule • SADN • Communication • Social Thinking and Social Communication • Emotional Regulation • Sensory Regulation