The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Writing skills impact student achievement and behavior. Many students, especially those with ASD and related disorders, struggle with the writing process due to the multiple challenges of language, organization, sensory, and motor skills required for writing. Writing challenges, as evidenced in assignment completion and testing, can seriously impact the ability of students to demonstrate proficiency with academic standards. Additionally, writing challenges often impact student behavior. Behavioral meltdowns in students with ASD are most frequently triggered by a request to do work, i.e., write something. To maximize student success, it is essential that programming include evidence based strategies uniquely designed to meet the writing needs of these students.

This session, presented by a Speech Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist, will address the unique difficulties individuals with ASD and related disorders face when they are asked to write. The presenters will review brain imaging research highlighting reasons why individuals with ASD struggle with the writing process. The presenters will share frustrations frequently expressed by teachers as they try to help students meet Common Core Academic Standards for Writing: "He has good ideas but he can't transfer them to paper", "He can't seem to stay on topic", "He shuts down every time he picks up a pencil". The presenters will share evidence based research encouraging use of strategies that meet the unique needs of reluctant writers with ASD. Using an interactive format, the presenters will demonstrate how language, organization, sensory, and motor strategies for writing can be incorporated into educational practices, RTI, Positive Behavior Supports, IEPs, and behavior plans to increase academic and behavioral success. The presenters will demonstrate ways in which technology and UDL can be utilized to enhance skill development with reluctant writers. Combining best practice skills of an SLP and an OT, the presenters will offer practical procedures for increasing student achievement throughout the school environment.

This presentation is based on the combined skills of an SLP and OT with more than 30 years experience working with students with ASD. The presenters will offer specific, easy to use, research based strategies to help teachers address writing challenges in the classroom. The strategies set forth in this presentation are based on Evidence Based Practices, as defined by the National Standards Project. The importance of writing skills as related to an individual's ability to graduate with a diploma is aligned with the Common Core Standards. The impact that writing challenges have on student behavior is documented by the presenters' experience in development and implementation of more than 100 Functional Behavior Analysis / Behavior Support Plan studies.

Learning Objective(s):

• Explain how language, organization, motor, and sensory processing challenges of ASD and related disorders affect a student’s ability to write and academic success.
• Identify at least five evidence and research based strategies to help reluctant writers in grades K – 12 meet the Common Core and state Academic Standards
• Identify at least five Proactive Instructional Strategies to encourage positive behavioral responses when students with ASD are presented with writing tasks.