The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

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.

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