best practice strategies for developing programs and teaching students with autism spectrum...

Best Practice Strategies for Developing Programs and

Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Dennis Feddersen and Deb Larson

SOCIAL STORIES

• A social story describes a social situation in terms of relevant social cues, and often defines appropriate responses. They provide social information to individuals with autism.

• Written by parents or professionals• The higher functioning the more likely to be

effective• Perspective---Yours and the student’s. The

student’s perspective will be the focus for the story.

SOCIAL STORIES

Contents of social stories1. Descriptive statements---define where a situation occurs, who is involved, what they are doing, and why. 2. Directive statements---they often follow descriptive statements. They are statements of desired responses.3. Perspective statements---describe the reactions and feelings of others in a given situation.4. Control statements---provide analogies with related actions and responses. Usually written by the student.

SOCIAL STORIES

Formula to Writing Social Stories

1 directive statement

+ 2-5 descriptive, perspective, and control statements

Social Story

• Refrain from using “I will, always, etc in descriptive and perspective statements. “I can or I will” can be used in directive statements.

SOCIAL STORIES

Things to remember:

1. Pay attention to vocabulary level and reading level

2. Use first person and present tense or future tense to describe upcoming events

3. Use “waffling” terms like “usually” and “sometimes” instead of absolute terms such as “always”. There are exceptions to most rules and they will call you on it.

SOCIAL STORIES

Things to remember:

4. Social stories are an antecedent intervention and a teaching tool.

5. Use ahead of the problem or deficit behavior situation, not after. They are never to be used as a punishment tool to teach after the event has happened.

SOCIAL STORIES

Things to remember:

6. Make a plan as to who and when the stories will be read.

7. Frequency of reading the social story depends upon the behavior to change.

8. Fade use of them away once the student consistently does the behavior taught by the social story. Keep them handy though in case of a regression.

Changes in My Schedule• I like for my schedule to not be changed• But sometimes something is added to my day and

my teacher has to leave something out• Or sometimes she has had to add something to my

schedule• When she has to add or take something out of my

schedule Mrs. Teacher can put an “oops” card in my schedule

• This means the schedule has been changed• That is OK as I can handle this because it happens

to other kids too• You just tell yourself “this change is OK”• They only make changes in schedules when they

have a good reason• So I won’t get upset with a change, I will just do

what the new schedule says I need to do

Indoor Recess • Sometimes we have “Indoor Recess” at school• This is when we don’t go outside for recess• We stay indoors for many reasons like if it is raining,

too muddy, or even if it is too cold• These are good reasons to stay indoors for recess• “Indoor recess” means we watch a movie in the library• I have to watch the movie that is on the TV even if I

don’t like it that much• I need to watch it also because I will get in trouble if I

keep saying out loud “I don’t want to watch a movie”• If I keep saying “I don’t want to watch it” other kids

won’t be able to hear the movie• If I am quiet other kids will like me for being quiet• I am going to say quietly to myself in a whisper “maybe

recess will be outside tomorrow” • Maybe we will have recess outdoors and that will be fun

too

Legend for Key

d – Descriptive statements

p – Perspective statements

D – Directive statements

C – Control statements

Key – Changes in My Schedule• I like for my schedule to not be changed• But sometimes something is added to my day and my

teacher has to leave something out• Or sometimes she has had to add something to my

schedule• When she has to add or take something out of my

schedule Mrs. Teacher can put an “oops” card in my schedule

• This means the schedule has been changed• That is OK as I can handle this because it happens to

other kids too• You just tell yourself “this change is OK”• They only make changes in schedules when they have a

good reason• So I won’t get upset with a change, I will just do what the

new schedule says I need to do

dd

d

d

dp

Dp

D

Key – Indoor Recess• Sometimes we have “Indoor Recess” at school• This is when we don’t go outside for recess• We stay indoors for many reasons like if it is raining, too

muddy, or even if it is too cold• These are good reasons to stay indoors for recess• “Indoor recess” means we watch a movie in the library• I have to watch the movie that is on the TV even if I don’t like it

that much• I need to watch it also because I will get in trouble if I keep

saying out loud “I don’t want to watch a movie”• If I keep saying “I don’t want to watch it” other kids won’t be

able to hear the movie• If I am quiet other kids will like me for being quiet• I am going to say quietly to myself in a whisper “maybe recess

will be outside tomorrow” • Maybe we will have recess outdoors and that will be fun too

ddd

d

D

p

p

D

p

D

p

Social Stories With Pictures Topics 1. Getting What I Want2. Sharing Toys3. Will You Play With Me?4. Circle/Carpet Time5. Walking in Line6. Time to Listen7. Sharp Objects8. Shopping9. Running Away (Darting)10. Climbing on Furniture11. How to Ask for Help12. When I Feel Angry13. What should I do when the teacher is talking?

Social Story Instructions

1. Read the story to your students(s).

2. Have the student(s) find the pictures that are related to key words (highlighted) in the story.

3. Practice the story by using role playing, puppets, dolls, toys, etc.

Instructions for Using Consequence Training Sheets

1. The adult goes through these consequences sheets a couple of times per day as a way of training the child as to what consequences may happen to them for the behavior. If there are times of day that are particularly problematic do this training sheet immediately prior to the activity.

2. He/she is encouraged to decide if each illustration is a good or bad thing. The child does it by marking each illustration with a happy or sad face. At the end of the session you can talk briefly about these and then make a statement concerning a positive alternative that might be used.

3. The purpose of this format is to discuss the problematic situation using picture cues and real life situations.

Autism Social Skills Profileby Scott Bellini

Five Basic Tenets of Social Skills Programming

• ASD students want social relationships• We have to teach the skills to be successful• Successful behaviors are not always

appropriate• Social success is dependent upon abilities

to adapt to our environment• Social intervention skills are not the

equivalent of academic skills

Bellini’s Social Skills Thoughts

• Imagine every social interaction providing as much stress as standing in front of a large group

• Utilizing good social skills is like a quarterback reading the defense and throwing a pass

• Aspergers Syndrome and High Functioning Autistic students are self-appointed revealers of the truth

• Bellini’s “Autism Social Skills Profile” is to be used for children ages 6-17

• Excellent instrument to generate rubrics for IEP goals

Applied Behavior Analysis

What is it?

Applied Behavior Analysis

The process of applying sometimes tentative principles of behavior to the improvement of specific behaviors and simultaneously evaluating whether or not any changes noted are indeed attributed to the process of application. Baer, Wolf & Risley 1968

Emphasis of ABA:

Proactive effective strategies for intervening after a behavior has occurred. This involves an ongoing and comprehensive analysis of an individual’s environment, which encompasses adaptive meaningful curriculum, appropriate instructional activities, appropriate stimulus control, and positive classroom structure to increase a student’s desired behaviors.

Principles and techniques Associated with ABA methods

1. Instruction in functional skills that match a student’s strengths and weaknesses

a. What a teacher and associate do every day

b. Knowing what strengths and weaknesses are

c. Will be different for young versus older

d. Will be different for mild versus severe


2. Initial and ongoing skill and behavioral assessment and evaluationa. Deciding what to teachb. Developing a plan – When will you know when skill is achieved?– How is target behavior defined?– Where and when training?– What materials?– Reinforcers needed to motivate?– How will you measure?– What are the steps for teaching?– How to know when to move to next step?– How will instruction and materials be presented?– What to do when child responds incorrectly vs. correctly?


3. Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) ----A trial is considered to be a single teaching unit that begins with the presentation of a discriminative stimulus, a child’s response, and consequence


4. Behavior is controlled by environmental factors (antecedent conditions) and consequences

Principles and techniques Associated with ABA methodsAntecedents and Consequences Affect Behavior

a. ANTECEDENTS:demands physical contactloss of privilege playrequest attention to otherfeedback removal of attentiondenial reprimandtask difficulty no contact

Principles and techniques Associated with ABA methodsAntecedents and Consequences Affect Behavior

b. CONSEQUENCES:attention restraintphysical contact ignoredresponse cost distractionreprimand relaxationverbal interaction time outsoothing redirectedovercorrection


5. Prompting---an added stimulus that increases the probability that a desired response will occur

When can you give prompts?

Same time as instruction (modeling)During the child’s response to minimize errorsAfter the child’s incorrect responseTypes of prompts:

verbalmodelingphysicalgesturalposition cues


Prompting

Prompt dependency---always worry about this

How big of prompt should you use?

You use a prompt---you remove it before the next teacher

Principles and techniques Associated with ABA methods6. Fading---systematically withdrawing prompts to facilitate independent responding

Four methods of fading:

– Graduated guidance---reduce amount of physical effort

– Most to least ---full physical to partial to verbal only

– Least to most--- verbal to partial physical to full physical Not to be used for teaching brand new response.

(child can make too many errors)

– Time delay---do by gradually inserting longer time intervals of time between the instruction and the prompt


7. Shaping---reinforcement of successive approximations of a desired behavior

Use when a child does not have the desired skill or behavior so you can reinforce it

•Principles and techniques Associated with ABA methods

8. Errorless learning---presenting a discriminative stimulus in a manner that maximizes the possibility of a correct response

Discrete trial training is an example

Why is it important with ASD children?


9. Extinction---weakening an undesired behavior by withholding the consequences for previously reinforced behavior

Examples: Child or Adult

– The behavior gets worse before it gets better– Then the behavior gradually goes away– Everyone in his environment must ignore the

behavior


10. Punishment---weakening a behavior by presenting an unwanted

consequence contingent upon a specified response


11. Reliance on data –based decision making

How else can you know if something is working?

Change only one variable at a time if possible

Other ABA Terms to Think AboutReinforcers

EdibleSensorySocialVerbal

Schedules of ReinforcementContinuousIntermittentRatio—fixed and variableInterval—fixed and variable

Modeling and imitation

Other ABA Terms to Think About

Task Analysis Model and Stimulus-Response Chains

Hand washing as example—must task analyze in order to do forward or backward chaining

Baseline MeasurementWhy is it important?

Generalization—is a procedure for transferring control over behavior in one situation to other situations. How can we do it in the classroom?


TimeoutWhy doesn’t it usually work with ASD children?

PunishmentTwo types – Type 1 is application of an aversive event

following a misbehavior– Type 2 is withdrawal of a positive reinforcer for a

specified amount of time following misbehavior


Overcorrection—practicing the correct response which can become aversive. If used for a specific skill it can help to learn the task.

Physical Restraint

Satiation and negative practice—only use negative practice on severely aggressive behavior, self abuse and potentially hazardous behaviors

Behavioral Assessment

Why do we need to do it?

Is it necessary to do?

What is involved in the process?

Behavioral AssessmentSeven steps to determine motivation and

sequence of events--

1. Define and quantifyb. Humans not always objective. Intent is good. Choose our method by rate, intensity, latency, duration, inter-response time etc.

2. Observe—setting, time, activity, antecedent & consequence. impinging stimuli (sensory) ABC Form

3. Record—choose a form that matches quantifying4. Analyze---crunch the numbers and trends5. Evaluate

Behavioral AssessmentSeven steps to determine motivation and sequence of events--

6. Hypothesize and challenge---determine what might be causing the behavior. Look for the motivation (function) of the behavior. Three main functions or “why” of the behavior are approach, escape, and avoidance– Approach ---- to gain contact or attention– Escape---- to try to make the adult demand go away– Avoidance---- more complex. Example might be that a transition is

imminent and the student is reacting in advance to an upcoming event. This is a close cousin to escape but doesn’t require a teacher verbal demand.

– Sensory----with children on the autism spectrum this can also be another function of the behavior

7. Conceptualize---Look at the overall big picture and make adjustments accordingly.

Assessment Forms

Functional Analysis Assessment

Identify a problem behavior that you have functionally analyzed with a past or present student or your own children

What was the behavior?

What was the activity?

What was the antecedent? (What happened before the behavior?)

What was the function?

What were the consequences either good or bad?

How did you change the context, setting, consequence or reinforcers to make a difference?

Hypothesis developed? When__________ (antecedent) happens student does (problem behavior)____________ in order to_______________ (perceived function).

Functional Analysis of Moses

Descriptors and ILI/BIP

Discrete Trial Training

• My history, experience and training in discrete trial.

• What is DTT?


MYTHS ABOUT DISCRETE TRIAL TRAINING

• DTT can be learned by simply reading about it

• DTT bribes kids

• DTT turns kids into robots and they don’t learn

• DTT can solve any problem


• When to use?

• Who to use DTT with?

• It is a “change the child” technique. Other techniques change the environment.

• DTT approach has been defined as a strategy to teach new skills to children.


• A trial is considered to be a “single teaching unit” Lovass 1981

• Technique can be described as a bridge to learn information and eventually thoughts actions and ideas.

• Only a programming option that breaks the process into small steps


• Long term goal----student will perform tasks under naturally occurring reinforcers and schedules of reinforcement

• Factors that contribute to outcome----how early, intensity, quality of treatment, IQ

• SD___________________R_________________SRInstruction student’s response feedback

• SD is the discriminative stimulus, instruction, demand etc.

• R is the student’s response either correct or incorrect

• SR is the stimulus response and is either the prompt given when the correct response is not given or the reinforcer given for a correct response


• Must work with student’s challenging behavior first, (physical/verbal aggression, screaming, passive, not attending, self-stimulation)

• Behavioral Attending Program or 5 Step Program?

• Use Behavioral Attending if student is unable to pay attention on command. They learn to sit still, have hands in their laps, not make noises, and look at the staff person.

• Go directly to 5 Step Program if student can already do the above behavioral attending.


• Behavioral attending uses shaping, prompting, prompt fading, and specific consequences

• Eventual goal of Behavioral Attending is for the child to get “ready” in response to hearing his name.

• When through this program he should be able to sit quietly, with hands and feet down and maintain eye contact for three consecutive seconds within 6 seconds of a verbal cue with a percentage greater than or equal to 80% correct trials over two sessions with two different adults in two different settings.

Discrete Trial DVD


• Prompting---during instruction, student’s response, and after students’ incorrect response

• Prompts can be modeling, verbal, and physical

• Use the least intrusive prompt necessary• Discrete Trial Components• Student’s Response----Correct, Incorrect or

No Response• Must correct all errors. Need to say “NO”

followed up with a prompt

Discrete Trial Training• Don’t reinforce prompted successes unless at the

beginning and need to shape the correct response.• Use a variety of reinforcers. Stay away from food if

sensory and access to toys work. Easier to fade from nonedibles.

Seven principles of reinforcement1. Reinforce immediately2. Reinforce frequently3. Be enthusiastic4. Make eye contact5. Describe the behavior6. Vary reinforcers to prevent reinforcer “jags”7. Can interact with child when they receive the reinforcer

Discrete Trial Training• Always offer two reinforcers after each of the

10 discrete trials. • Correct responses are student’s response

within 6 seconds and maintains for 3 seconds. "Hands down" example.

• Incorrect responses either no response within 6 seconds or student responds incorrectly.

• Positive Practice---Practices the skill five times in succession. Only use if student is receiving mostly minuses on the recording form.

• Inter Trial Interval or Between Trial Interval—at least 6 seconds

Discrete Trial Training• Pass Criterion----Need 80% correct over three

successive trials.• Fail Criterion---Student receives less than or

equal to 60% correct trials over two sessions. Look for new reinforcers.

• Back stepping. If you get three incorrect responses in a row should return to previous step in program for one correct trial. Then return to finish with present step.

• Always end on a successful discrete trial even if you have to do more than 10 trials.

Discrete Trial Training• Success on Behavioral Attending

means you go to 5 Step program. Don’t have to wait until all done with Behavioral Attending. Can start at the B4 level to add imitation and compliance activities.

• Autism Reinforcer handout.• Get assistance from an AEA Austim

Resource Team Member if you are going to start using Discrete Trial Training.

First Birthday Indicators of Autism

Experts are saying that you can actually predict with 90% accuracy the diagnosis of autism with the following four behaviors at the time of their first birthday video

1. Eye contact *2. Pointing3. Shows objects4. Turns to name *

Most predictive ones *

Turning to their name was the strongest predictor and is actually well developed at 8 months of age for “non-autistic” children

YouTube Asperger Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAfWfsop1e0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAfWfsop1e0&feature=related

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