The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Homework challenges are particularly common for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) who demonstrate difficulty maintaining attention and motivation and struggle to develop effective study skills. This presentation will describe a study aimed at determining the effectiveness of an intervention that incorporates technology (iPads), parent training and self-management strategies. Homework challenges are particularly common for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) who demonstrate difficulty maintaining attention and motivation and struggle to develop effective study skills. These challenges are often exacerbated for students with ASD who face typical challenges during the middle school years in addition to the difficulties associated with their disability. In order to improve outcomes for individuals with autism and their families, educational programming should promote the development of self-management and independent skills. Programming must evolve from a life span perspective.  From this perspective the skills that we teach students in the K-12 years provide a foundation for living and working in the community. By helping students with autism to develop skills that increase their ability to be independent in their daily lives we have the potential to positively impact long-term quality of life.

For students with autism who face a lifetime of challenges, helping family members effectively support their child is an essential aspect of a lifespan perspective. Therapists and teachers come and go in most cases, while families represent the constant in the lives of students with disabilities. When parents play an active role in intervention, they are provided with invaluable information about their child’s education and they also acquire skills that may serve to help them support their children in other aspects of their lives. In particular, research has suggested that targeting the parents of students with ASD for training can be highly beneficial for both the student and the parent (Ingersoll & Dvortesak, 2006). As new interventions are developed, the role of the family must be considered as key to long-term success.

This presentation will describe the results of a mixed-method study that included single-subject and qualitative methods to test the effectiveness of an intervention that incorporated technology (iPads), parent training and self-management strategies. Through the use of two Apps, students learned to monitor their homework routines while receiving consistent feedback from both parents and teachers. The iPad also provided a venue for teachers and families to establish and maintain a consistent format for collaboration.

Central to this intervention is the process for developing a Homework Intervention Plan (Hampshire & Butera, 2013). A case study example will be used to highlight the key steps in developing and implementing this plan with an individual student. Apps utilized in the study will be shared and additional ideas for incorporating technology into the home and classroom will be discussed.

 

 

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