The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

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Autism Society records most keynote and concurrent sessions at their annual conferences. You can see and hear those recordings by purchasing full online access, or individual recordings.

6858 I Hate to Write! Implementing Evidence Based Practices to Increase Academic Achievement of Reluctant Writers


Friday, July 25, 2014: 1:00 PM-2:15 PM
201 (Indiana Convention Center)
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Writing challenges impact student achievement and behavior. Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle with writing due to multiple challenges in language, organization, sensory, and motor skills. This session will provide strategies to incorporate evidence based practices, technology, and PBIS into programming designed to enhance skill development with reluctant writers. 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 address DSM-5 eligibility criteria and how it may impact support services for students who have written expression challenges.  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 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 Objectives:

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

Content Area: Education

Presenters:

Kathy Oehler, M.S., CCC-SLP
Autism Consultant
Kathy Oehler - Autism Consultant

Kathy Oehler is co-author of the book I Hate to Write. She frequently presents workshops designed to help teachers meet educational needs of students with ASD. She is on the Advisory Board of Autism/Asperger Digest and is the author of the article “Please Don’t Make Me Write!”

Cheryl Boucher, M.S., OTR
Occupational Therapist

Cheryl Boucher is an Occupational Therapist with 30 years of experience. She earned a Master's degree in special education. She is a Member of the Central Indiana Autism Academy/School Autism Team and has presented at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, IRCA Indianapolis Parent Workshop, and ARC Conference.