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Procedures for the ARD/IEP Supplement for Students with Autism or Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders

I. Forms and Instructions There are eleven services that must be addressed at every annual ARD. The supplement is revised if changes are made in any of the eleven areas. It is stated in the federal guidelines that due to the intensity of this disorder, it is the obligation of the school district to address, consider, and justify why each of these services is or is not needed. This section will explain the purpose of each service and what should be considered in the ARD decision making process. The consideration of these strategies in no way implies a requirement to implement any particular strategy. It is the responsibility of the ARDC to determine which of the strategies, if any, should be included in a student’s IEP. Each item should be considered based on the individual needs of the student. Extended Educational Programming: Extended educational programming is a continuation of school programming based on an assessment of behavior, social skills, communication, academics, and self-help skills. Based on the assessment, the ARD/IEP committee must consider the need for an extended day or extended school year and the duration of programs/settings. Extended day could include, but is not limited to, before or after school tutoring, support such as training for day care or after school care staff, teaching during traditionally non-instructional times such as recess, lunch, and before or after school. The ARDC should consider that many students with autism might require instructional support during breakfast, lunch, hygiene, etc. Transition times to and from these areas also might require instruction and support. A student may not be able to complete (master) all the goals and objectives that have been agreed upon and adopted during the ARD/IEP meeting. Although the goals and objectives do not necessarily occur on a daily basis, the goals and objectives do drive the instruction and programming. The ARDC should consider a student’s functional communication system that may require instruction and intervention beyond the normal school day. Extended educational programming includes both an extended educational day as well as extended school year services that consider the duration of programs/settings based on assessment of behavior, social skills, communication, academics, and self-help skills. Both components must be considered by the ARDC. Services could be provided for students who show regression, lack of adequate progress, or significant behavior that must be addressed across a variety of settings. Extended educational programming is available to all eligible students and not to be determined by district availability of funds/staff.

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Consider the following: Extended educational programming should be based on assessment of the student’s

individual needs in the following areas: behavior, social skills, communication, academics and self-help.

Support services for students outside the school setting such as day care, after school care, etc. could include: handouts, training, supplying visuals, allowing visits to the classroom for demonstrations and observations, workshop opportunities, etc.

Is the student making adequate yearly progress on goals and objectives? When developing goals and objectives:

o Consider task analysis when drafting goals and objectives. o Be specific about skills and the time needed for mastery of each skill. o Be careful not to readopt objectives over and over again.

Are any of the goals and objectives taught solely in a different environment outside of the traditional school services i.e. job coaching, school day, day care, after school programs, etc.?

What data or evidence does the ARD/IEP committee have to support its decision regarding the need for extended educational programming? Is there evidence of a lack of progress?

What data or evidence does the ARD/IEP committee have to support that the student requires extended school year services to maintain skills? What data is available to justify there is no need for an extended school year? Is there evidence of significant regression after major breaks in service?

o Data collection must be collected on an on-going basis: • Long weekends – one week prior and one week after • Holidays – two weeks prior and two weeks after • Summer – two weeks prior and two weeks after

Consider the duration of programs/settings based on assessment of behavior, social skills, communications, academics, and self-help skills.

Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC: The ARDC has considered information about regression/recoupment, lack of adequate progress and significant behavior that must be addressed across settings and determined the need for extended educational programming. Based on current assessment, the ARDC has determined extended day or extended year services are needed and are as follows: duration of services (one week, two weeks, etc.) and length of day (2 hours, ½ day, full-day, etc.) There are (give number) objectives in (curriculum area) which are not showing adequate progress and additional instruction beyond the school day is needed in this area. Service is not recommended by ARDC:

At this time ____________is making adequate progress in all critical areas. Data does not demonstrate significant regression after breaks from school in any of the designated critical areas.

As per current assessment, ___________ has made adequate yearly progress and continues to make adequate yearly progress with the supports currently in place. ____________ will demonstrate mastery of the goals and objectives adopted by the ARDC.

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Daily Schedule: Minimal Unstructured Time and Active Engagement: Students with autism or pervasive developmental disorder will typically have difficulty with times of the day that are unstructured. The cliché, “work is play and play is work” applies to most students with this disability. Routines and predictability are understood and welcomed by these students. Environments that have these two components of structure in place are more likely to be a successful instructional setting for a student with autism. Minimal unstructured time now includes a focus on acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization. Acquisition refers to the initial teaching of a skill which can also be referred to as the beginning of the learning process. Significant assistance is required along with a high rate of reinforcement. Fluency is defined as the ease, efficiency, and independence with which the student is able to demonstrate the skill. A student is considered to be at his fluency level when he/she can demonstrate all components of the skill with minimal prompting (less than two prompts). Reinforcement of the skill is only provided when the student demonstrates the skills with minimal prompting. Maintenance refers to amount of practice required to maintain a high level of proficiency with the skill. The student is able to demonstrate the skills with no teaching involved. This step is crucial for achieving independence. Reinforcement is no longer required for the student to demonstrate the skill. For generalization a student must be able to perform the skill with different materials, a variety of staff, and across different instructional settings, using different directions. A daily schedule which lists activities in which the student is an active participant throughout the day as well as alternate schedules for exceptions to the regular routine provides important information to the student with autism and those who work with him/her. Students must be meaningfully engaged throughout the instructional day (interest, focus, educational component, clear start and finish of activities, developmental needs, etc.) A schedule of the daily events is required. The schedule should be in small time increments. It should also be student specific vs. teacher or classroom specific. This schedule is to document the unstructured events and to ensure the amount of unstructured time and activities are kept to a minimum. Attach the student’s individualized schedule to the supplement which reflects minimal unstructured time. Consider the following: Determine the elements that impede progress and address them within the ARD

deliberations. What type of structure is necessary, i.e. physical structure, routine, visual structure to

activities? To determine how much structure is necessary for the student, data collection is critical. Consider the use of district prescribed forms, tables, charts, or graphs.

What supports (visual, social, communication, etc.) does the student need to have maximum engagement during learning activities?

What structure (physical, visual, etc.) is needed during times such as lunch, snack, play, recess, field trips, assemblies, etc.?

What supports does the student need to increase his/her flexibility within routines? What does the student require to increase adaptive skills for changes in routines such as

substitute teachers, pep rallies, etc.?

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Schedules should include, but are not limited to: academic components, vocational programming, self-help skills programming, structured lunch, structured snack, transition support, play or recreational skills programming, social skills programming, sensory time, communication training, etc.

o The student’s schedule should provide the time of the activity, the activity, the IEP objective being addressed, the staff to student ratio, and the levels of learning.

Schedule Example for Student (Derrick)

A = acquisition F = fluency M = maintenance G = generalization

Time

Activity

IEP Objective/Location Staff to

Student Ratio/ Levels of Learning

7:55-8:15

Arrival/Daily Domestic/Breakfast/ Daily Prep

• Follow classroom routine - classroom • Follow visual schedule - classroom • Use social greetings - classroom • Demonstrate appropriate table manners -

classroom • Follow cafeteria routines - cafeteria • Make request using augmented communication

system – classroom or cafeteria

1 to 6 (whole group) Maintenance Generalization

8:15-8:30

Personal Hygiene Oral Hygiene Self-help Skills Toileting Skills

• Brush teeth with assistance –classroom or restroom

• Demonstrate age appropriate bathroom skills - restroom

• Use visual routine board to wash hands – classroom or restroom

• Comb hair independently - restroom • Apply deodorant with assistance - restroom

1 to 3 (small group) Fluency Maintenance

8:30-8:45

Functional Language Functional Math Calendar Time

• Identification of days of the week - classroom • Identification of months - classroom • Identify weather conditions - classroom • Today I … - classroom • Counting skills - classroom • Current events - classroom

1 to 6 (whole group) Maintenance Generalization

8:30-8:50

Work with Teacher

• Demonstrate waiting skills - classroom • Matching colors to colored pictures - classroom • Matching shapes to corresponding picture -

classroom • Receptive identification of school items -

classroom • Follow visual directions (colored line drawings)

- classroom • Communication training – making requests

(mands) using augmented communication system - classroom

1 to 1 (one to one) Acquisition Fluency

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Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC: Based on data collection, _________ displays ___________ (name behavior) and has difficulty with __________________ (transition), and ______________ (task initiation). A daily schedule reflecting minimal unstructured time is needed and is attached. Service is not recommended by ARDC: A daily schedule reflecting minimal unstructured time is not needed. __________ can follow the regular schedule of the day with natural environmental cues. Based on data, ____________ does not exhibit behavioral difficulty in unstructured settings. He/she is able to effectively transition throughout the instructional day and is able to initiate tasks independently or with minimal prompts.

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In-Home and Community-Based Training or Viable Alternatives: In-home and community based training is a service provided to a child with an autism spectrum disorder to assist in the acquisition of social/behavioral skills through strategies that facilitate the maintenance and generalization of such skills from home to school, school to home, home to community and school to community. The need for in-home and community-based training is based on the results of the in-home/community-based and parent/family training assessment completed prior to or during the ARD/IEP. A Notice of Consent for Full and Individual Evaluation is not required. The assessment is based on both teacher and parent information. All students with an eligibility of autism, including non-categorical autism should have an in-home/community-based and parent/family training assessment to determine the need for this service. Therefore, the in-home/community-based and parent/family training assessment must take place before this section can be filled out. The results of the assessment will assist the ARD/IEP committee to determine if this service is needed. Parents may refuse the in-home and community-based training services. If this occurs, the ARDC should set up the services just as if they were going to be provided to include the number of sessions, the amount of time, and goals and objectives. The parents’ denial of services should be noted in the minutes of the ARD/IEP. The Notice of Refusal to Provide Services form should be completed and provided to the parent with a copy placed in the student’s eligibility folder. The need for in-home and community-based training services is documented in the In-Home and Community-Based Training or Viable Alternatives section. The parent has the opportunity at any time to accept the services as proposed by the ARD/IEP committee. For additional information about in-home and community-based training, please refer to In-Home/Community-Based Training and Parent/Family Training Procedures, Section I, Definition of Terms and Purpose. Consider the following: What are the behavioral objectives that interfere with the educational day and need to be

addressed? What replacement behaviors will be taught? How will those behaviors be taught? How many hours should be projected for implementation? What materials are necessary to support in-home training services? What strategies need to be implemented to facilitate acquisition, maintenance and

generalization of social/behavioral skills from home to school, school to home, home to community, and school to community?

Consider communication training as a strategy for assisting the student with behavioral challenges.

Provide goals and objectives to address the needs identified through the assessment. o Goals and objectives must be written in observable and measurable terms.

Parent or guardian must be present during the in-home training sessions.

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Examples: Service is recommended by the ARDC: Based on data, ___________ uses a visual routine board for toileting at school and does not demonstrate this skill at home. The ARDC is recommending In-home training services to address the following areas: _________________________________, ______________________, _______________________ (list the objectives). Based on assessment of progress, ____________________ did not meet the criterion on _________________________, ________________________ (list the objectives) and therefore In-home training services are needed to address these deficits. Based on the In-home/Community-based Assessment, the ARDC is recommending the services to address the following areas of need: _____________________, ________________, _________________ (list the areas of need). Services not recommended by the ARDC: Based on data collection and current assessment, ________________ is making adequate progress on IEP goals and objectives and progress is consistent across settings. The ARDC is not recommending IHT services at this time. Based on the In-home Training assessment, the student is making progress and sustaining progress across curriculum areas. The ARDC does not recommend In-home Training services at this time.

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Positive Behavior Support Strategies: Some students with autism may exhibit excessive passivity while others display patterns of disruptive or even destructive behaviors. Positive behavior strategies must be based on relevant information such as antecedent manipulation, replacement behaviors, reinforcement strategies, and data-based decision making. PBS involves the assessment and re-structuring of the environments so that individual with maladaptive behaviors can: experience reduction in these behaviors, increase functional communicative behaviors, and improve social, personal, and professional quality of lives. It is the responsibility of the ARD/IEP committee to make decisions regarding appropriateness of interventions based on the unique needs of an individual student. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to providing services to students with autism. In many situations several intervention strategies may be implemented at the same time to address behavioral challenges. PBS focuses on identifying the function of the behavior and teaching replacement behaviors. If the behavior impedes learning, then the ARDC should consider adopting a BIP. There must be a Behavior Intervention Plan developed from a Functional Behavioral Assessment that uses current data related to target behaviors and addresses behavioral programming across home, school and community-based settings. The BIP should identify strategies to increase desired behaviors (replacement behaviors) and decrease undesirable behaviors (maladaptive behaviors). Consider the following: What is the function of the behavior to be addressed? What are some possible antecedents for the challenging behavior? What visual supports does the student require to address behavioral challenges? What visual supports does the student require to learn the replacement behavior? What is the severity of the behavior and is it the same across settings? What are some additional strategies that might address the challenging behavior? What communication training is necessary to address the behavioral challenges? What instructional/curricular accommodations or modifications are necessary to address the

challenging behavior? Consider reinforcement banks, sensory maps, token systems, visual work systems, visual

individual schedules, adding physical structure, adding visual structure to the academic work to address frustration, etc.

Strategies that address behavior include, but are not limited to, the following: o Errorless teaching procedures o Established routines – visual reference boards, routine boards, work systems o Support transitions – visual schedules, visual timers, consistent routines o Opportunities to make choices – with boards, visuals, etc. “Choice is power!” o Teach students to “wait”. o First/Then boards o “Here” cards o Token economy systems – visual token boards o Reinforcement menus o Count and Mand procedures o Count Down/Cool Down procedures

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o Self-monitoring boards o Teach students to ask for “Help” o Teach students to ask for a “Break” o Solidify the concept of “Finished” in students. o “International NO” o Be willing to compromise! Make it a “win-win” situation. o Sensory diets to address sensory needs o Implement strategies recommended by Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Program Training

Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC: PBS strategies are recommended for this student and are as follows: ________________, ______________, ______________ (list strategies). The student has a BIP based on a current FBA in place. The ARDC is recommending this service. Class-wide and school-wide systems are in place for this student but do not meet his needs. The student has a BIP in place. The following services are recommended ______________, ________________, _____________ (list the supports recommended). Refer to the behavioral goals and objectives. Service is not recommended by ARDC: Data indicates that behaviors do not impede educational progress at this time. The student currently follows the student code of conduct, the school-wide and classroom PBS. The student does not demonstrate need for this service as per current assessment. The school-wide and classroom behavioral supports are sufficient for the student to make progress. The student does well following the school-wide and classroom codes of conduct.

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Futures Planning for Integrated Living, Work, Community, and Educational Environments: Beginning at any age, the ARD/IEP committee must consider the need for futures planning for integrated living, work, community, and educational environments. Futures planning must take into consideration the skills necessary to function in current and post-secondary environments. The ARD/IEP committee must consider the skills necessary for the student to be successful in their current school and home environments and what skills will need to be acquired for success in future school, home, and community environments. As the student ages futures planning may focus more heavily on pre-vocational and vocational skills. Futures planning is a way to help parent and students begin thinking about futures environments for integrated living, work, community, and postsecondary education by examining the student’s strengths, needs, preferences and interests. By age 12, planning should consist of evaluating the prevocational or vocational needs of the student and developing IEP goals and objectives designed to meet those needs. Prevocational skills include those skills that are the building blocks to job success such as being able to write one’s name, good hygiene, attention to task, follow directions, ask questions for clarification of tasks, and skills for greeting and departing. Prevocational skills might also include job readiness skills such as sorting, matching, folding, and alphabetizing. Vocational skills include the skills necessary to exhibit successful job behavior such as punctuality, following directions, attention to task, acquiring and filling out an application, managing and using money, keeping a checkbook, and social skills for introductions, arrivals or departures, or initiating and terminating conversations. Vocational skills may also include specific job skills training or job coaching. Community-based instruction can be a component to meet prevocational and vocational needs. Consider the following: What are the student’s interests? What vocational skills does the student have? What vocational skills does the student need? What supports does the student require for a post-secondary environment? What other skills does the student have?

o Consider self-help skills, independent living skills, etc. What other skills does the student need? Consider self-help skills, independent living skills,

etc. o For younger students, the focus will be on social/emotional, communication,

behavior and academic skills, and vocational assessments (VOICES Assessments) o For older students, this may incorporate pre-vocational and vocational skills and

review of vocational assessments as well as agency connections (VOICES Assessments)

What agencies is the student connected with? o How can we facilitate those connections? o Consider collaboration with the VAC assigned to the campus

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Examples: Services are recommended by ARDC: IEP goals and objectives have been identified in the following areas: ____________, ________________ to facilitate transition and futures planning. Based on current assessment, the ARDC recommends futures planning supports. They are as follows: ________________________, _____________________, _________________. Based on assessment, the student demonstrates deficits in the following areas: ______________, _____________, _______________. The ARDC recommends the following supports: ___________________, _______________ (list supports) Services are not recommended by ARDC: The ARDC does not recommend this service based on current assessment. The student demonstrates appropriate skills at this time to address futures planning. The ARDC does not recommend this service based on current assessment. Parents were provided with agency information to consider. The district offers regular parent meetings and transition fairs to disseminate information regarding agency and transition services. The information provided during those meetings is sufficient to meet the student’s future planning needs.

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Parent/Family Training and Support: Information on the disability is necessary for parents to be partners in the student’s educational program. Qualified personnel (experience with ASD) will provide the parent/family with the skills necessary for a child to succeed in the home/community setting. This service also includes providing information for parents/family regarding resources such as parent support groups, workshops, videos, conferences, and materials designed to increase parent knowledge of specific teaching/management techniques related to the child’s curriculum can also be provided for the parents/family. Another purpose for this service is to facilitate parental carryover of in-home training strategies for behavior management and developing structured home environments and/or communication training so that parents are active participants in promoting the continuity of interventions across all settings. Common Components of Parent Training Include but are not limited to:

• Collaboration and communication skills in order to work with the wide array of professionals working with their child

• Understanding the characteristics and behavior associated with the disability • Behavior strategies to address their child’s needs • Common autism research-based or peer reviewed intervention programs • Understanding the medical management of their child as it relates to the disability • Learning to support the functional communication training program for their child • Learning to organize their child's life-records for lifelong use • Learning to address sibling issues within the home setting • Learning how to support specific skills (behavioral, communication, social, academic, etc.) • Learning the importance of quality of life for their child with autism and it's impact on the

entire family

Consider the following: How much information on the disability does the parent know? How much information is the parent requesting? What type of information is the parent

requesting? What are some avenues that a parent will be open to in learning more about the disability or

program? What community resources are available for the parent to seek information about the

disability? What workshops/trainings will be provided by the local educational service center that the

parent might be able to attend? What school/district resources are available for parents to review/read/study, etc. about the

disability? What is the school already doing to provide the parent information regarding the disability

or strategies for their child? o classroom observations o articles provided for parents about autism o parent support groups o video tapes with information on autism, communication, behavior strategies, etc. o workshops or training provided through Region 20 or other sources

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o books checked out by the parents on autism o parent observing the in-home training sessions

The following are some agencies that provide information on autism for parents but not limited to:

o Any Baby Can – Reaching Families Facing Autism – (210-227-0170) – Tisha Gonzalez - (Clinical Director of RFFA Program – Reaching Families Facing Autism)

• Newly diagnosed counseling group • Sibling support group • Autism support group • Asperger’s support group • Parent education • Parent resource room • Spanish speaking support group • Agency referrals • Counseling

o Educational Service Center – Region 20- (210-370-5200) – Dr. Linda Davidson- (Autism Specialist)

• Workshops on autism and characteristics • Workshops on autism and educational strategies • Workshops on communication strategies for students with autism • Annual TAPPESTRY conference • Scholarships for Texas Autism Conference

o ARC – Association for Retarded Citizens-(210-490-4300) • Agency referrals • Transition support • Respite services • Mental retardation services

o Center for Health Care Services – (210-299-8139) • Early childhood intervention • Agency referrals • Mental retardation services • Child/adolescent behavior health services

o Autism Service Center of San Antonio – (210-435-1000) • Diagnostic services for children 0-5 years of age • Agency referrals • Assistance with transition into school districts

o Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital – (210-70-2011) • Educational resources • Medical personnel that specialize in students with autism • Medical services for students with disabilities

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Examples: Service is recommended by the ARDC: The ARDC has determined that parent/family training and support is needed in the area of _________________ based on the evaluation and analysis of the IEP. The ARDC has determined a need for parent/family training and support based on the in-home/community-based training and parent/family training assessment. The services will as follows: ______________, _______________, _______________ (list the supports) The ARDC has determined that parent/family training will be provided for the parents by: ________________, ______________, _______________ (list the services and supports) Service is not recommended by the ARDC: Based on the parent/family training assessment, the ARDC has determined that the service is not needed at this time. The ARDC has determined that parent/family training is not needed at this time. The parent and family possess the necessary skills and knowledge to assist in the student’s educational programming.

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Suitable: Staff-to-Student Ratio: There is not a ratio that is set by federal guidelines. Staff-to-student ratios are determined by the ARD/IEP committee on an individual basis. It is important staff-to-student ratio be addressed so that the goal to move a student from dependence on a district employee to independence on visual strategies and other tools, i.e. communication can be gained. Suitable staff-to-student ratio as appropriate for identified activities and as needed to achieve social/behavioral progress based on the student’s development and learning level must be identified. This ratio must be designed to encourage work toward the individual’s independence. The ARD/IEP meeting may determine ratios based on the phases of learning such as acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization. For acquisition of skills the ratio will usually be 1:1. For fluency and maintenance of skills the ratio can be 1:1, 1:2 or 1:3. Small group instruction of between one to three students can address skills at the fluency and maintenance level. For generalization of skills, the ratio could include individual instruction, small group instruction of up to 1:5, or the largest such as or whole group instruction. Typically, a student in the acquisition phase of development may need more direct intensive instruction relative to later phases. As a student moves through the phases, there should be less adult supervision, more self-monitoring and therefore, a higher staff-to-student ratio. Consider the following: Currently, what is the ratio the student is accustomed to? What ratio is the student most successful with? What ratio is the student least successful with? Consider the setting (environment) Consider the student’s communication abilities Consider the student’s present level of competence in each area of instruction What are some possible tools and strategies that the student can rely on for independence? What are the results of the adaptive behavior evaluation? What behavioral accommodations does the student need to gain independence across

settings and how will the staff-to-student ratio promote that? What supports does the student require for more independent transitions throughout the

instructional day? Consider different parts of the day, describe different times of the day the student may need

more supervision or intensive instruction. What is the plan to move this activity to more of an independent activity?

IEP goals and objectives should be based on emerging skills for progress. A few goals and objectives should also address acquisition of skills.

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Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC:

Given __________’s levels of learning, the following ratios are suggested for the implementation of the IEP: _____________ (ratio) for IEP objectives at the acquisition level; _________ for IEP objectives at the fluency level; _________ for IEP objectives at the maintenance level; and ___________ for IEP objectives at the generalization level. The range of staff-to-student ration will be from 1:1 to ______ (ratio). As per current assessment, the ARDC recommends the student receive 1:1 instruction for new skills (acquisition), 1:2 or 1:3 for skills at the fluency level, 1:3 or 1:4 for skills at the maintenance level, and large group or whole group instruction for skills at the generalization level.

Service is not recommended by ARDC: Based on current student assessment, progress on goals and objectives, and parent

and teacher input, the student does not demonstrate a need for staff-to-student ratio. The student is making adequate progress across educational settings with the level of support provided to students in the general education curriculum.

Given _______’s level of learning and adequate progress in the IEP and in the general school setting no specified staff-to-student ratio is required at this time.

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Communication Interventions: Communication is an area of deficit for students with autism. Children with autism may experience many difficulties throughout their school experience due to their lack of language and communication development. A student with limited or no functional communication system should have that area addressed as a priority. ARD/IEP committee members may wish to consider strategies such as augmentative, incidental and naturalistic communication interventions. This should include language forms (how) and functions (why/purpose) that enhance effective communication across settings. Communication refers to both receptive and expressive skills. The ARDC must plan for and support both. The ARDC should also consider a student’s style of learning and the portability of a communication strategy. Consider the following: What does the student understand? Does the student understand “Wait”, “No”, etc.? What preferred mode of communication does the student currently use? What visual or other supports does the student require to facilitate communication? Has collaboration taken place between the teacher and the speech/language therapist? How can the student’s communication deficits be addressed through out the instructional

day? How are learning activities structured so as to promote communication training? Does the student have opportunities for communication training across learning

environments? How can this be provided if it is not already being done? Form: What does the student’s communication look like? (How?)

o (Verbal, pictures, gestural, motoric, behavioral, written, etc.) Function: What is the purpose for the communication? (Why?)

o (Request, negate, comment, label, get attention, give information, etc.) Context/Content: Where does communication happen? What does student communicate

for? (Where? /What?) o (snack, play, classroom, playground, home, community, inclusion classroom,

etc.) o (food, toy of preference, materials to finish a task, a break, help, etc.)

Consider that low/non-verbal students require intensive communication training across settings throughout the instructional day

Consider that high functioning students need support with social communication skills across settings

Does the student demonstrate appropriate social routines? o Initiating, stopping, reciprocity, maintaining topic, choosing a topic, understanding

non-verbal language (body language) The following are some communication strategies that address communication but are not

limited to: o PECS – exchanging a picture/photo/object/etc. for the item requested o Conversation starters – some short phrases written to support a student with

communication, a list of appropriate ways to begin a conversation

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o Scripts – phrases that might include directions for a student to participate in a conversation, initiate communication, problem solve, etc.

o Prompts for questions – “How are you today?” are ok to ask. “How much do you weigh?” is not ok to ask.

o Written prompts for social courtesies – remember to say, “Thank you, Please, etc.”, wait your turn to talk, etc.

o Written prompts for conversational skills – look at people when you talk to them, stand approximately two feet away from the person you are addressing, etc.

o Written prompts for what NOT to say to people during a conversation o List of words NOT to use when speaking to adults, teachers, etc. o List of words that is specific to the audience – peers, teachers,

administrators, parents, etc. Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC: The student requires communication supports. They are as follows: _____________, _______________, ______________________ (list the supports). Communication goals and objectives in the areas of _____________ are needed and are addressed in the IEP. The ARDC recommends the following communication interventions: ______________, ________________, _________________ (list interventions) Service is not recommended by ARDC: The student is able to effectively understand and use language both expressively and receptively across settings and for multiple purposes. The ARDC recommends communication supports as per current assessment. Social communication skills are addressed under social skills strategies and supports. The student has appropriate communication skills based on current assessment. (Describe or define the student’s preferred mode of communication.)

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Social Skills Supports and Strategies: Students with autism typically have social skills deficits that impact their ability to interact easily and effectively with others. Many times students with autism do not care to interact or have limited skills on how to interact. For that purpose, social skills supports and strategies are needed across settings. The social skills that are being targeted for programming by the ARD/IEP committee should be based on a social skills assessment/curriculum. The use of trained facilitators (i.e. circle of friends), video modeling, social stories, role playing, etc. are some examples of strategies that might be used to promote social skills in students with autism. Consider the following: What level of social skills does the student have? What level of supports does the student

need? What level of communication skills does the student have? How can social skills be

supported by the communication training? What visual supports/visual strategies does the student require to promote social skills? Consider the developmental level of each student The following are some social skills strategies that address social skills but are not limited

to: o Teach turn taking skills o Video modeling o Role playing o Written prompts for conversation starters and conversational skills o Written prompts for social courtesies o Conversation strips o Visual routine boards as references o Social narratives to address any specific skills o Power cards – Cards with a celebrity that has the same problem/concern as the

student and how that person resolved the problem o Teach self-advocacy skills o Teach play/leisure skills o PRT – Pivotal Response Teaching o Address manners and listening skills

Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC: Social skills supports include the following: ________________, _________________, ___________________ (list the supports) The following social skills have been identified as areas of need: ___________, __________, ______________ (list the areas). The following strategies will support those skills ____________, ___________, __________ (list the strategies and supports). Service is not recommended by ARDC:

The student has appropriate social skills as per current social skills assessment and the social skills supports or strategies provided are sufficient for the student to demonstrate appropriate social skills across settings, situations, and people. Natural supports across settings are adequate to facilitate social skills at this time. The student will continue to be monitored.

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Professional Educator/Staff Support and Training: The ARD/IEP committee must determine what additional training the teacher requires to effectively implement the techniques and strategies described in the IEP. The ARD/IEP committee should consider if the teacher has all of the required training and knowledge to implement the IEP. If the teacher requires additional training the areas of need should be documented in this section. It is critical that training be provided for staff who works with students with autism. Training will assure the correct implementation of techniques and strategies descried in the students’ IEPs. Schools are responsible for training teachers and paraprofessionals to effectively implement programs for students with autism. Training may include a foundation of scientifically-based research interventions and strategies. Consider the following: What methodologies are teachers well versed in, familiar with, have little information

about? (specific to autism, behavioral strategies, communication strategies, curriculum support, etc.)

What training does the staff already have? What training does the staff need? What level of implementation does the teacher have? What trainings does the district offer for teachers/SSPs that work with students with autism? What trainings does the local educational service center offer for teachers/SSPs? What trainings are offered locally that teachers might attend?

Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC: The teacher and SSPs will document training activities and supports. The teacher and SSPs will have access to support personnel and will document support activities. Service is not recommended by ARDC: The teacher and SSPs have adequate training and knowledge to provide supports necessary for the student to make adequate yearly progress on IEP.

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Teaching Strategies Based on Peer Reviewed and/or Research-Based Practices: Teaching strategies based on peer reviewed, research-based practices should be employed when working with students with autism. Those include but are not limited to practices associated with discrete-trial training, visual supports, applied behavior analysis, structured learning, augmented communication, or social skills training. These strategies are among the many available instructional options an ARD/IEP committee may wish to consider when developing and IEP. It is the responsibility of the ARD/IEP committee to make decision regarding appropriateness of strategies based on the unique needs of an individual student, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to providing services to students with autism. Consider the following: What practices does the student require to make progress? Is the student making progress? If not, what changes need to be made? Will the student master the goals on his/her IEP goals and objectives? If not, what supports

need to be put in place to promote acquisition, mastery and generalization of skills? What phase (acquisition, fluency, maintenance, generalization) of learning is the student in?

What practice best meets/facilitates the acquisition of those skills? What combinations of practices best meet the needs of the student? The following are researched based methods for students with autism but not limited to:

o TEACCH- (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children) - Four components: physical structure, visual structure, visual work systems, visual schedules (Eric Schopler and associates 1970s) - Structured teaching is based upon an understanding of the unique features and characteristics associated with the nature of autism. Structured teaching describes the conditions under which a person should be taught rather than "where" or "what" (i.e., "learning how to learn"). Structured teaching is a system for organizing their environments, developing appropriate activities, and helping people with autism understand what is expected of them. The focus is on emerging skills when developing structured activities. Structured teaching utilizes visual cues which help children with autism focus on the relevant information which can, at times, be difficult for the person with autism to distinguish from the non-relevant information. Structured teaching addresses challenging behaviors in a proactive manner by creating appropriate and meaningful environments that reduce the stress, anxiety and frustration which may be experienced by children with autism. www.teacch.com http://www.autism-pdd.net http://www.autism.com

o ABA – (Applied Behavior Analysis) - Applied behavior analysis is the extension of operant conditioning with the focus on observable behavior in individuals. ABA is a natural science approach to studying and treating socially relevant behavior. Based on the work of (B. F. Skinner, and continued through the work of Nathan Azrin, Don Baer, Ivar Lovaas, Stephen Hayes), and others, ABA examines the ways that environments select behavior. Applied Behavior Analysis is the design, implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications to produce socially

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significant improvement in human behavior. ABA includes the use of direct observation, measurement, and functional analysis of the relations between environment and behavior. This method uses antecedent stimuli and consequences, based on the findings of descriptive and functional analysis, to produce practical change. ABA is based on the belief that an individual’s behavior is determined by past and current environmental events in conjunction with organic variables such as genetics. - discrete trial training, task analysis, reinforcement schedules, shaping of behavior, prompting and prompt fading, etc. http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu http://www.polyxo.com http://rsaffran.tripod.com

o PBS – (Positive Behavior Supports) – PBS – (Positive Behavior Support) - PBS is a proactive, constructive educational approach for resolving behavior problems. PBS involves a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and the subsequent development and implementation of an individualized behavior support plan (BIP). The FBA process gathers information about the purpose or "function" of the behavior and the circumstances associated with its occurrences and nonoccurrence. The results of the FBA contribute to the individualized behavior support plan, which usually includes procedures for teaching alternatives to the behavior problems, and alterations to the environmental and instructional circumstances most associated with the problems. (i.e. replacement behavior, visual supports, etc.) http://www.pbis.org http://www.albany.edu/psy/autism http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/modules/module3a/handout9.pdf

o PECS – (Picture Exchange Communication System) - (PECS) is an augmentative communication system developed to help individuals quickly acquire a functional means of communication (Bondy and Frost, 1994). PECS is appropriate for individuals who do not use speech or who may speak with limited effectiveness: those who have articulation or motor planning difficulties, limited communicative partners, lack of initiative in communication, etc. PECS can be used in several ways to aid communication. The primary purpose of PECS is to focus on the initiation component of communication to enhance individuals’ independence and use of successful, initiated communication. PECS are typically introduced using pictures of desired objects (such as food or toys). When the child wants one of these items, he gives the picture to a communication partner such as a parent, therapist, caregiver or another child. The communication partner then hands the child the food or toy, thus reinforcing communication. http://www.pecs.com http://www.answers.com/topic/picture-exchange-communication-system http://www.msu.edu/~saarioam/PECS.html

o Social Stories - Social Stories are a tool for teaching social skills to children with

autism and related disabilities developed by (Carol Grey in 1991). Social stories provide an individual with accurate information about those situations that he may

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find difficult or confusing. The situation is described in detail and focus is given to a few key points: the important social cues, the events and reactions the individual might expect to occur in the situation, the actions and reactions that might be expected of him, and why. The goal of the story is to increase the individual’s understanding of, make him more comfortable in, and possibly suggest some appropriate responses for the situation in question. http://www.thegraycenter.org http://www.bbbautism.com/pdf/article_27_Social_Stories.pdf

o Discrete Trial Training – Discrete trial training is an intensive treatment designed

to assist individuals with developmental disabilities, such as autism. It involves directly training a variety of skills that individuals with disabilities may not pick up naturally. Programs often start by training pre-learning skills (sitting, attending, looking at trainer), social skills (looking at people, talking and interacting with them appropriately), safety skills (ability to state name, address, and phone number) and basic concepts (colors, letters, numbers). Children who are non-verbal may be trained to speak, use sign language, or use other communication devices. After these basics are mastered, higher-level skills are trained. Discrete trial training is conducted using intensive drills of selected materials. A specific behavior is prompted or guided, and children receive reinforcement for proper responses. Shaping procedures are used to teach children to respond to other types of reinforcement, such as praise or breaks. Discrete trial training (DTT) is a method of providing intervention. According to Anderson et al. (1996), the discrete trial method has four distinct parts: (1) the trainer's presentation, (2) the child's response, (3) the consequence, and (4) a short pause between the consequence and the next instruction (between interval trials). http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/behavior/discretetrl.html http://www.polyxo.com/discretetrial/ http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/articles/2002/jaba-35-02-0187.pdf

o Pivotal Response Training - Pivotal response training (PRT) is a behavioral treatment intervention based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and derived from the work of Koegel, Schreibman, Dunlap, Horner, and other researchers. It is a composite of the research on task interspersal, direct reinforcement, and role of choice. Key pivotal behaviors have been identified for children with autism: motivation and responsivity to multiple cues (Koegel & Koegel). PRT has demonstrated positive changes in these "pivotal behaviors" exhibiting widespread effects on many other behaviors associated with language and social interaction. Pivotal Response Training (PRT) provides a guideline for teaching skills and has been most successful for language, play and social interaction skills in children with autism. http://psy.ucsd.edu/~vcestone/PRT2.html http://www.users.qwest.net/~tbharris/prt.htm http://www.bbbautism.com/ther_prt.htm http://www.spectrumcenter.org/autismplanning.html

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Examples: Service is recommended by ARDC: The following teaching strategies will be used to implement the IEP: ____________, _____________, _____________ (list the strategies). Service is not recommended by ARDC: The ARDC does not recommend this service because the student is served in the general education class and making adequate progress on the IEP. The instructional strategies, and accommodations used in the student’s current setting are sufficient for the student to make progress at this time.