The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

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7324 It’s Time to Teach: Where Do I Start and How Do I Show Meaningful Change


Thursday, July 24, 2014: 2:30 PM-3:45 PM
205 (Indiana Convention Center)

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This interactive session will focus on informal assessment as a planning tool and sub-component of ongoing data-driven decision making to inform programing. The use of everyday curricular materials and naturalistic opportunities will be highlighted as a means to determine emerging skills ready for intervention and learning styles that impact performance. Due to an increased emphasis on serving students with disabilities in inclusive, general education settings, nearly 30 times as many school-aged students with disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were included in general education settings for at least 40% of the school day in 2010-11 than in 1995-96 (Data Accountability Center, n.d.). There are obvious potential benefits to inclusion such as increased opportunities for peer interaction, academic achievement, and an opportunity for schools to cut costs by reducing specialized services. However, evidence exists that reinforce the premise that putting a child with a disability in a general education classroom or other general education settings (e.g., art, music) often does not result in desired outcomes due to inadequate training and support for school personnel. Such inadequacies may result in students with disabilities, especially those with significant language delays, spending most of the day disengaged from ongoing school routines or engaging in disruptive behavior thus precluding progression or success within academic or functional programming due to insufficient support from school personnel (Schietecatte, Roeyers, & Warreyn, 2012). Furthermore, the disengagement or disruption may lead to exclusionary practices such as suspensions or expulsions.

Even though training school personnel in inclusive settings is important for positive student outcomes, successful implementation of taught strategies requires the acquisition of practical hands-on experience. To support school personnel and the transfer of knowledge to their classroom, the HANDS in Autism® Center has developed a training curriculum that focuses on a range of topics important for educational settings to provide support not only on the major components of the school-personnel training, like evidence-based practices, but also showing specific and applicable examples of the use of strategies important to success within educational settings such as informal assessment, individualization of strategies, adaptation of materials, and ongoing data-driven decision making.

While adaptation of instructional materials is required by the Federal Law (e.g., IDEA), it is also important to ensure success given that “education, both directly of children, and of parents and teachers, is currently the primary form of treatment in autism” (Lord & McGee, 2001, p. 12). Students with developmental disabilities, such as ASD, display a range of challenges and skills across cognitive, academic, communication, and social skills among other areas of functioning that may be challenging in inclusive classrooms. Taking into account the strengths, interests, and existing skills for individual students creates the opportunity to build new knowledge and experiences. Moreover, the teacher or educational staff should approach the process and techniques systematically to ensure that the materials meet both the needs of the students and the intended instructional goals. To approach such a process systematically, a teacher must have an awareness and understanding of developmental disabilities and potential strategies and techniques. The portion of the HANDS in Autism® training curriculum that supports informal assessment, ongoing data-driven decision making, and directed tasks and adaptations allows such opportunities and has shown positive outcomes and data in supporting the successful progress and inclusion of students across ages and abilities.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will discover that assessment serves as a basis for programming from development through ongoing evaluation phases with recognition of the need for a blended assessment approach and the importance of team collaboration across staff and settings will be emphasized from data collection through representation and applications in planning.
  • Participants will gain practice in these strategies and walk through practical techniques for application of effective assessment and data strategies within educational and community settings. Interactive activities and real-life applications will illustrate the data schedules and systems that foster effective data-driven decision-making.
  • Participants will associate the process for determining when and how to adapt and modify supports, schedules, and work systems, based on assessment and ongoing data. Recognition that such tools should relate to individual motivators identified through the assessment and goal development process will facilitate application of the introduced techniques.

Content Area: Education

Presenters:

Tiffany Neal, Ph.D.
Assistant Director
HANDS in Autism Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center

As a school psychologist with academic, behavioral, and neuropsychological assessment and intervention experience across settings and ages, Tiffany serves as the Assistant Director at the HANDS in Autism® Center. She provides training, consultation, and publishes on these topics as well as those centered on collaboration, advocacy, and integration across systems.

Megan Stevenson, M.A.
Special Education Specialist
HANDS in Autism Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center

With experience as a secondary teacher for students with moderate-severe disabilities, transition coordinator, and an additional ABA degree, Megan is a special education specialist at the HANDS in Autism® Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center. In this role, she provides training and consultation statewide and for the HANDSmade supported employment program.

Anne Fletcher, M.S.
Special Education Specialist
HANDS in Autism Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center

As a teacher in the first HANDS in Autism® demonstration classroom within Indianapolis Public Schools and now a Special Education Specialist with HANDS, Anne has first-hand experience in the HANDS curriculum and providing training, mentoring, and consultation statewide across both roles as well as Preschool-6th grade general education experience.