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ECSE 602 Instructional Programming for Infants and

Young Children with Disabilities

TransitionManipulating antecedent eventsManipulating consequent eventsAssistive technology

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Transitions in Early Childhood

Vertical Transitions: Describing a child and family’s participation in one service system after another SequentiallyAcross time

(e.g., from hospital neonatal intensive care unit to infant-toddler intervention to Head Start with special therapy services to kindergarten with special education and related services support)

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Transitions in Early Childhood

Horizontal Transitions: Involving the child and family in multiple activities simultaneously With the services under different

leadershipsIn different locations outside the home(E.g., breakfast at a grandparent’s house,

early childhood special education at one center, followed by childcare in another)

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Transitions in Early Childhood

Systems PlanningFederal legislation (IDEA, EI/ECSE)State guidelines

Individual PlanningFamily-focusedChild-focused

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Transitions in Early Childhood

Age-3 Transition: From EI (IDEA, Part C) to Preschool (Part B, Section 619) or out of special services

Transition from Section 619 to elementary school services

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Transitions in Early Childhood

Research on transitionChild-focused approach (survival skills)

(McCormick & Kawate, 1982; Vincent et al., 1980)

Ecological perspective (Hanline, 1993; Rosenkoetter et al., 1995; Rouse et al., 1999; Odom & Diamand, 1998)The family as a transition partner with professionals Multi-agency efforts to facilitate transition planningThe development of inclusionary practices related to

transition decisions

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Transitions under IFSP

To assure transition from infant/toddler program to preschool or other appropriate services.

To review the child’s options for services during the period from the child’s third birthday through the remainder of the current school year.

To establish a transition plan. [20 U.S.C. §1437 (a)(8)(A)(B)(C)]

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New provisions under IDEA 2004 for early childhood transition

The term “infant or toddler with a disability” may also include, at a state’s discretion … children with disabilities who are eligible for services under Section 619 and who previously received services under Part C until such children enter, or are eligible under state law to enter, kindergarten or elementary school, as appropriate.… [632(5)(B)(ii)]

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Birth to Five Service Systems Option

Provides provisions that allow states to offer parents the option of having their children remain in the early intervention system until they are eligible to enter kindergarten.

Early intervention services for 3 and 4 year olds must then include an educational component that promotes school readiness and incorporates preliteracy, language, and numeracy skills.

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Birth to Five Service Systems Option

Families of 3 and 4 year olds must receive annual written notification of their rights and responsibilities [Part C, section 635 (c) (2)B (ii) II], including:Family right to choose 619 or early intervention

services [Section 635 (c)(2)(A)(i)] andExplanation of the differences between the services

of part C and part B (ii), including:• Types of services• Locations at which the services will be provided• Applicable procedural safeguards• Possible fees to be charged to families

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Birth to Five Service Systems Option

Under this option, FAPE does not apply and all early intervention rules in the state related to share in the cost of services, according to their ability to pay, would then continue to apply to services provided under this option.

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Birth to Five Service Systems Option

Families must choose prior to the child’s third birthday.

IFSP remains in force until a determination of eligibility for special education services occurs.

States will be required to report annually to the Secretary of Education on the number and percentage of children with disabilities who are eligible for services under section 619 but whose parents choose for such children to continue to receive early intervention services.

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Manipulating antecedent events

General rules• Antecedents are powerful determiners of

performance.• A skill is not mastered until it is under

control of natural cues.• Antecedents should be arranged to

reduce the likelihood of errors.

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Manipulating antecedent events

Distal antecedentsReinforcement historyDevelopmental historyBoth 1 and 2 affect how the student interacts

with:a) Materials (novelty, complexity, responsivity,

difficulty)b) Peoplec)General aspects of the environment

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Manipulating antecedent eventsProximal antecedents

Events that immediately precede and set the occasion for a response

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Manipulating antecedent eventsProximal antecedents

Discriminative stimulusshould be stated in terms easily understood by the studentshould be provided only when the student is attendingShould be phrased as commands, not questionsshould be given only once at the beginning of the task rather

than repeated over and over should reflect the conditions stated in the instructional

objectivemay include the presentation of materials or may require the

student to locate themshould include the natural cues provided by realistic settings

and materials

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Manipulating consequent eventsAssumptions

All behaviors can be explained through the ABCs (antecedent, behavior, consequence)

Operant conditioningMany behaviors are emitted spontaneously and

are controlled primarily by their consequences.

TimingTo maximize the effect of reinforcement, a

reinforcer should be delivered immediately after the target response.

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Manipulating consequent eventsFour basic consequent strategiesPositive reinforcement

occurs when the effect of administering (giving) a consequence is to increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.Primary (unconditioned)Secondary (conditioned)

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Manipulating consequent events

Negative reinforcement occurs when the effect of removing or taking away an

event contingent upon the occurrence of a targeted behavior is to increase the probability of its occurrence in the future.

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Manipulating consequent eventsExtinction

occurs when the effect of removing or taking away an event which has been given contingent upon the occurrence of a target behavior is to decrease the probability of its occurrence in the future.Taking away a toy after it is thrown

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Manipulating consequent events

Punishment occurs when the effect of administering (giving) a

consequence contingent upon the occurrence of a targeted behavior is to decrease the probability of its occurrence in the future.E.g., putting bitter tasting liquid on tongue after

cursing

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Manipulating consequent events

Four-folded table of consequent strategies

What the teacher does

Effects

Positive rein.

Negative rein.

Punish. Extinct.

give remove

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Manipulating consequent events

Cautions regarding punishment1. Theoretical problems

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Manipulating consequent events

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Tendency to “hit”

Tendency to “inhibit”

Number of hits

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Manipulating consequent events

2. Generalized depression of other behaviors

3.Teacher loses “positive” value4. Over time satiation occurs -- more of

the punishment event is required5. The use of punishment often has a

stigmatizing effect

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Arranging “special case” consequencesSpecial cases of using punishment

Positive practiceOver correctionTime out

Special cases of using positive reinforcementDRL (Differential reinforcement of low rate

behavior)DRO (Differential reinforcement of other behaviors)

Assistive Technology

Devices and services that are now referred to as assistive technology (AT) have been included as part of a free appropriate public education since the initial enactment of federal special education legislation in 1975.

However, it wasn’t until the 1991 amendments to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that the terms "assistive technology device" and "assistive technology service" were first used in education law.

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Assistive Technology

According to IDEA of 2004 (P.L. 108-446) An assistive technology device

Is an object, piece of equipment, or product systemCan be purchased commercially, modified, or

customizedIs used to improve, increase, or maintain the skills of

a child with a disabilityDoes not include any surgically implanted medical

device or its replacement

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Assistive Technology

According to IDEA of 2004 (P.L. 108-446)Assistive technology services include the

provision of A functional evaluation of student needs in the school

settingThe assistive technology device for the childSupport for the use of the device (e.g., selection,

fitting, repair, replacement)Coordination of other necessary services and use of

the assistive technology deviceTraining on the device for the child, family members,

and education professionals, as appropriate

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Assistive Technology

Examples of assistive technologyInstructional areas

Communication Picture board (communication board)Voice output device

WritingPencils with a gripSpell checker software

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Assistive Technology

MathematicsCalculatorClocks with enlarged numbers

ReadingAudio versions of booksPrint-to-voice outputs via computers

Study skillsElectronic organizers Color-coded files

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Assistive Technology

Validated practices: The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)PECS is a method of providing communication support to

nonverbal individuals.PECS uses pictures to represent categories such as

clothing, toys, activities, feelings, special events, foods, body parts, etc.

The pictures are computer generated or cut out of old magazines.

Students begin by using single pictures and eventually form requests using complete sentences.

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Assistive Technology

Why PECS is beneficial?This communication act is initiated by the

student, not by the teacher.Students ask for and receive concrete objects

within real-life situations.Students are taught to use PECS to engage in

positive peer interactions. (supported by systematic research: e.g., Frost &

Bondy, 2002; Garfinkle & Scwhartz, 2001; Frost & Bondy, 1994; Schwartz, Garfinkle, & Buer, 1998)

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Assistive Technology

Implementing the PECSThe first four initial phases

Initiating communication Expanding the use of pictures Choosing the message within PECS Introducing sentence structure

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