The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Burnt out teachers, frustrated principals and students whose behaviors are being managed, but not modified. These scenarios can be avoided by providing teachers the professional development they need – a holistic solution for students, teachers and administrators. This session provides techniques to marry behavioral and academic supports for maximized outcomes. On a national level, a lack of qualified special education teachers is a threat to the quality of education students with Autism receive, with the attrition rate among special education teachers at a significantly higher level than that in general education. One positive trend that can keep teachers in their jobs and students with Autism learning is effective and engaging professional development, which will lead to improved teacher practice and most importantly, better student outcomes.

Oftentimes, schools are successful in either managing maladaptive behavior associated with Autism or nurturing their academic success, however many schools have a difficult time marrying these two principles. This session will explore specific professional development techniques to bridge this gap – providing the best outcomes for student success.

These evidence-based techniques are derived from the principals and theories of Applied Behavior Analysis, incorporating individualized education including any of the following: Discrete Trail Training, Direct Instruction, Natural Environment Teaching, Social Skills Integration, Visual and Auditory Supports, Sensory Integration, and Multi-Sensory Curriculums.

You often hear of people saying: “If you've met one child with Autism, you've met one child with Autism.” There is incredible truth behind that statement; consequently, this philosophy for professional development incorporates different approaches in Autism instruction based off of the individual student’s skill set.

At the core of this professional development approach is the belief that students with Autism need to have a foundation of language, motor capabilities and overall awareness in order to be successful in an academic setting; consequently, each student's IEP team thoroughly discusses the individuals student's skill set, investigating their language level, social capabilities, motor coordination, and the ability to learn in group setting.

In addition, as part of quality professional development, it is critical to look at the school in a holistic manner from the physical school environment, administration, teachers, support staff, and students. When working with students with Autism, this holistic approach allows schools to build customized plans to best meet each individual student’s needs.

To ensure that these programs are working – and students are succeeding – it is also important to develop mechanisms for assessment and evaluation, such as Assessment of Language and Learning Skills-Revised, Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program, Assessment of Functional Living Skills, Formal Functional Behavioral Assessments.

Attendees of this session will take away best practices in professional development and techniques that can be easily implemented in their own schools and classrooms.

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