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2740 Collaborating to Provide Services for Students with Autism in Rural Public Schools*


Saturday, July 14, 2007: 8:15 AM-9:30 AM
Tribal A & B (The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa)
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This session will detail the collaborative efforts of Commonwealth Autism Service and the Shenandoah Valley Regional Program to assist six rural school divisions in planning and implementing staff development for school personnel serving students with autism. The session will describe the strategic planning process and outcomes to build local capacity in the area of teaching strategies based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. The presenters will describe the barriers in rural areas and the positive outcomes resulting from the collaboration. This session will describe an on-going collaborative effort among Commonwealth Autism Service and the Shenandoah Valley Regional Program for Special Education. The Shenandoah Valley Regional Program is a regional non-center based program serving six rural school divisions. The program's emphasis is facilitating staff development and developing appropriate educational programs for students with significant disabilities to complement the services offered by the school divisions. Shared services, regional staff development and collaborative efforts to build local capacity to meet the needs of students with autism spectrum disorder resulted in a long-term, on-going working relationship with Commonwealth Autism Service. Commonwealth Autism Service is a statewide nonprofit organization that provides a wide range of autism specific services including technical assistance, training, conferences and workshops, information and referral, consultation on best practices and policy development.

As evidenced in the literature, the six local school divisions saw a significant increase in the number of students identified with autism spectrum disorder. Like most rural areas, they faced not only a shortage of special education teachers, but also beginning and experienced teachers lacked the skill to implement teaching strategies based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. The school divisions lacked qualified staff to train teachers and instructional assistants. During this time period, parents whose children were not successful in traditional special education programs were suing school divisions across the country. Administrators from Shenandoah Valley Regional Program and the six school divisions entered into an agreement with Commonwealth Autism Service to work collaboratively in order to identify the needs of the six school divisions and to supervise staff pursuing board certification in behavior analysis. During the 2005-06 school year, the regional program contracted with Commonwealth Autism Service to provide a board certified behavior analyst for four days per week. During that year, the following activities took place: 1. Quarterly planning meetings with administrators from the regional program, six school divisions and Commonwealth Autism Service. 2. Teacher needs assessments were completed. 3. Teacher networking opportunities were provided. 4. Classroom observations 5. Consultative services for specific students. 6. Staff training in the areas of data collection, teaching strategies, educational and behavioral assessment

As a result of these activities, a position paper was developed. An interdisciplinary team was convened to review the draft document and an action plan was developed and endorsed by the school division superintendents. Recognizing the unique needs of students with autism the plan focuses on the following:

Assessment: Students with autism present different challenges with regard to assessment. In order to develop appropriate intervention goals, members of an interdisciplinary team will select and administer criterion-referenced assessments. Assessments will focus on academic skills, activities of daily living, communication, social skills, motor skills and sensory needs. The teacher (with input from interdisciplinary team members) will interpret the assessment data to develop appropriate intervention goals, will implement teaching strategies to meet the goals, and will collect data to document student progress.

Instruction: The goal for all students with autism is access to the general education curriculum. The intervention goals for students with autism vary greatly depending on the individual. These goals address academic skills, activities of daily living, communication, social skills, motor skills and sensory needs as determined by the assessment data. Instructional strategies are based on peer-reviewed research and are modified as needed based on student performance data.

Behavioral intervention: The unique behavioral characteristics of students with ASD interfere with learning and are often misinterpreted and/or misunderstood. Behavioral intervention is a critical component of their educational program. Teachers and instructional assistants will implement basic behavior management intervention and positive behavior supports, which may reduce the need for more in-depth functional behavior assessments. Behavioral interventions are based on peer-reviewed research and are modified as needed based on student performance data.

Transition: The characteristics of students with autism pose a variety of challenges when addressing their transitional needs. Appropriate transition goals will enable the students to function appropriately in their school and community environments as independently as possible.

In partnership with Commonwealth Autism Service, comprehensive staff development based on the principles of behavior analysis is required of teachers, instructional assistants and interdisciplinary team members to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate instructional services. Comprehensive staff development based on best practice also facilitates consistency among programs across the region.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe a collaborative model for local school divisions to meet the needs of students with autism spectrum disorder.
  • Describe a long-term proactive staff development plan to train and monitor school personnel in the effective utilization of teaching strategies based on the principles of applied behavior analysis.

Content Area: Education

Presenters:

Jessica G. Philips, M.A., BCBA
Program Director
Commonwealth Autism Servie

Jessica Philips is the program director of Commonwealth Autism Service, a statewide nonprofit organization in Virginia. A BCBA, she has worked with individuals with autism since 1995. As program director, Jessica is responsible for developing and overseeing the provision of a wide range of autism specific services for public and private schools, parents, human service agencies and persons with autism. Services include technical assistance, training, conferences and workshops, information and referral, consultation on evidence-based practices and policy development. She is currently working on several projects to effect systems change for best practice in the field of autism in Virginia.

Judy Sorrell, M.Ed.
Director
Shenandoah Valley Regional Program for Special Education

Judy Sorrell is the director of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Program for Special Education, which she established in 1980. The regional program serves six rural school divisions that work collaboratively to provide services to students with significant disabilities. Mrs. Sorrell has been involved in numerous task forces and committees at the state and local levels and has provided leadership for many collaborative efforts to plan and implement staff development in the areas of autism and severe disabilities. She has taught students with disabilities at the elementary, middle and secondary levels as well as having taught at the collegiate level.

John Toscano, MSW, MBA
President and CEO
Commonwealth Autism Servie

John Toscano has been the President and CEO of Commonwealth Autism Service since January 2002. John started his experience in autism in 1981 and developed a large residential and day service for adults in New York. Concurrent with his work in autism, John also was a full-time faculty member in social work for 18 years in New York. John has traveled extensively observing and consulting with autism services both in the US and across Europe, and has spoken at numerous local, state, national and international conferences.