The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

The Individualized Support Project is a holistic, child and family-centered model of early intervention designed to support the development of young children with ASD who present with communicative, social-emotional, and/or behavioral challenges. With an emphasis on measurable outcomes, the ISP Model is founded in the evidence-based practices of PBS, inclusion, and routine-based instruction. This presentation will provide an overview of the components, process, and values of this comprehensive model. Videotaped testimonials from professionals and parents in Pennsylvania will be shown. Young children (ages birth through four) with severe communication and behavioral challenges (e.g., autism and related disabilities) are at great risk for lives that are characterized by social isolation and segregated placements.  Such restrictive placements often occur when serious behavior problems like aggression, self-injury, and/or social withdrawal interfere with successful adaptation in community environments.  Often the presence of serious and chronic problem behavior interferes with preferred patterns at home and out in the community for the child with ASD and other family members.  The child and other family members may find it difficult to participate in extended family and community activities.  Parental stress often increases as excessive time is devoted to child care and behavior management.  In fact, families have provided vivid descriptions of the adverse impact of the child’s problem behavior on family life, daily routines and social participation.  From a longitudinal perspective, the presence of severe problem behavior can have dire consequences for the lifestyles and overall functioning of the child and family.

Although the problem behaviors exhibited by these young children may be stigmatizing and often dangerous to themselves and/or others, current research indicates that they are best conceptualized as attempts to interact/communicate with those in their environment.

It is essential that young children have the opportunity to acquire competencies, particularly in the areas of social-emotional development and more conventional functional communication skills.  This requires the appropriate educational context and the opportunity to interact with family members, other adults and peers who do not have identified disabilities in typical community settings.  Families of young children with ASD and/or challenging behaviors need information and support in several areas, particularly in how to best facilitate their child’s skill development (e.g., social-emotional, communication, play) and to advocate for their child.  In the vast majority of cases, if these broad-based and often complex needs can be met, the occurrence of serious problem behaviors can be eliminated or greatly reduced.  Most early intervention programs that encounter young children with serious problems in communication and behavior that are often present in ASD have difficulty in meeting the needs of the child and the family.  Many times, service providers are unaware of strategies or lack the tools that may be used to conduct a functional assessment of the child’s problem behavior(s), identify the social and/or communicative functions of the problem behavior and/or develop a comprehensive child/family focused plan.

With recent research suggesting a 1 in 166 incidence of ASD in some sections of the US, it is of paramount importance that birth-to-three agencies both public and private (non-profit and for profit) provide support and intervention for young children with ASD and their families that is both comprehensive and child/family centered.

The purpose of this presentation is to describe the Individualized Support Project, an evidenced-based program model of intervention for young children with ASD and/or serious problems in communication, social interaction, and behavior.  The model was developed and researched over the past 15 years with the goal of responding to the individualized needs of young children with persistent and serious problem behaviors and their families (e.g., Buschbacher, 2002; Dunlap & Fox, 1999a; Dunlap & Fox, 1999b; Fox, Dunlap, & Buschbacher, 2000; Fox, Dunlap, & Philbrick, 1997).  The model has been implemented in Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and other states to support diverse families and children in home and community contexts.  Data has shown the ISP Model to provide positive outcomes for children and families with a rapid reduction or elimination of serious and persistent problems behaviors and development of play, social-emotional, more acceptable functional communication skills.

The presenters will describe the Individualized Support Project (ISP), a comprehensive intervention model which promotes the child’s development of conventional communication, play and social-emotional development as it is currently being implemented to support young children with ASD and their families in Pennsylvania by Ken-Crest Birth-to-Three Services.

Ken-Crest Birth-to-Three service providers received training and consultative support in the ISP Model through a grant funded within the agency in 2005.  With increasing numbers of children being diagnosed with ASD, professionals within the agency sought a model which would address the unique needs of the “whole” child and the family.  Ken-Crest professionals embraced the ISP model as a comprehensive approach, well-founded in the evidence-based practices of functional assessment, positive behavior support, routine-based intervention, applied behavior analysis, visual supports, and Social Stories.  ISP has been described by some administrative staff at Ken-Crest Services as the overarching framework for providing a strength-based and comprehensive routine-based intervention for young children with ASD and/or severe challenging behaviors and their families. The presenters will provide an overview of the components of the model and positive outcomes documented for more than 50 children with ASD and their families supported with the ISP model over the past two years.  Particular data will be shared for two children who are currently being supported with the model, as well as, videotaped testimonials from parents and professionals. References

Buschbacher, P. (2002). Positive behavior support for a young child who has experienced neglect and abuse. Journal on Positive Behavior Interventions, 4, 242-246.

Buschbacher, P., & Fox, L. (2003). Understanding and intervening with the challenging behavior of young children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Language, Speech, Hearing in the Schools 34(3), 217-227.

Dunlap, G., & Fox, L.  (1999a). A demonstration of behavioral support for young children with autism.  Journal of Positive Behavioral Intervention, 1, 77-87.

Dunlap, G. & Fox, L. (1999b).   Supporting families of young children with autism. Infants and Young Children, 12(2), 48-54.

Fox, L., Dunlap, G., & Buschbacher, P. (2000). Understanding and intervening with children’s challenging behavior.  In A. Wetherby & Prizant, B. (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders: A transactional developmental perspective (pp.307-331). Baltimore: Brookes.           

Fox, L., Dunlap, G., & Philbrick, L.A.  (1997).  Providing individualized supports to young children with autism and their families.  Journal of Early Intervention, 21, 1-14.

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