“Behavior analysis is a natural science of behavior that was originally described by B.F. Skinner in the 1930’s. The principles and methods of behavior analysis have been applied effectively in many arenas. For example, methods that use the principle of positive reinforcement to strengthen a behavior by arranging for it to be followed by something of value have been used to develop a wide range of skills in learners with and without disabilities.

Since the early 1960’s, hundreds of behavior analysts have used positive reinforcement and other principles to build communication, play, social, academic, self-care, work, and community living skills and to reduce problem behaviors in learners with autism of all ages.

Some ABA techniques involve instruction that is directed by adults in highly structured fashion, while others make use of the learner’s natural interests and follow his or her initiations. Still others teach skills in the context of ongoing activities.

All skills are broken down into small steps or components, and learners are provided many repeated opportunities to learn and practice skills in a variety of settings, with abundant positive reinforcement. The goals of intervention as well as the specific types of instructions and reinforcers used are customized to the strengths and needs of the individual learner.

Performance is measured continuously by direct observation, and intervention is modified if the data show that the learner is not making satisfactory progress.

Regardless of the age of the learner with autism, the goal of ABA intervention is to enable him or her to function as independently and successfully as possible in a variety of environments.”

For more information see also:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_behavior_analysis

Defined (or not so much)

BIP Requirements

Example Behaviors

When Must A BIP Be Developed?

Standard of Appropriateness

Content Requirement

Intervention

Acceptable Responses

Evaluation of Effectiveness

Modifications without IEP

Contingency Plans

Emergency Interventions

Prohibitions

Discipline

Manifestation Determination

What is the difference between DIR® and Floortime^TM and how are they related?

Central to the DIR®/Floortime^TM Model is the role of the child’s natural emotions and interests which has been shown to be essential for learning interactions that enable the different parts of the mind and brain to work together and to build successively higher levels of social, emotional, and intellectual capacities. Floortime^TM is a specific technique to both follow the child’s natural emotional interests (lead) and at the same time challenge the child towards greater and greater mastery of the social, emotional and intellectual capacities. With young children these playful interactions may occur on the “floor”, but go on to include conversations and interactions in other places. The DIR®/Floortime^TM Model, however, is a comprehensive framework which enables clinicians, parents and educators to construct a program tailored to the child’s unique challenges and strengths. It often includes, in addition to Floortime^TM, various problem-solving exercises and typically involves a team approach with speech therapy, occupational therapy, educational programs, mental health (developmental-psychological) intervention and, where appropriate, augmentative and biomedical intervention. The DIR®/Floortime^TM Model emphasizes the critical role of parents and other family members because of the importance of their emotional relationships with the child.”

For more information see also:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php#aba

 The related services specified in 34 C.F.R. 300.34 are considered developmental, corrective, and other supportive services that are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. They may not be offered separately from special education unless State standards consider the service to be special education

[34 C.F.R. 300.8(a)(2)(i) and (ii)]:

Speech-language pathology and audiology services.

Interpreting services.

Psychological services.

Physical and occupational therapy.

Recreation, including therapeutic recreation.

Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children.

Counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling.

Orientation and mobility services.

Medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes.

School health services and school nurse services.

Social work services in schools.

Parent counseling and training.

Transportation.

[20 U.S.C. 1401(26) and 34 C.F.R. 300.34]

In California, designated instruction and services are also considered to be developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist an individual with exceptional needs (also defined as a “child with a disability”) to benefit from special education, and are not offered separately from special education unless State standards consider the service as special education. [34 C.F.R. 300.8(a)(2)(i) and (ii)]

Pursuant to Section 56363 of the Education Code, “designated instruction and services” means “related services” as that term is defined in paragraph (26) of Section 1401 of Title 20 of the United States Code and Section 300.34 (formerly 300.24) of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

Language and speech development and remediation.

Audiological services.

Orientation and mobility services.

Instruction in the home and hospital.

Adapted physical education.

Physical and occupational therapy.

Vision services.

Specialized driver training instruction.

Counseling and guidance services, including rehabilitation counseling.

Psychological services other than assessment and development of the individualized education program.

Parent counseling and training.

Health and nursing services, including school nurse services designed to enable an individual with exceptional needs to receive a free appropriate public education as described in the individualized education program.

Social worker services.

Specially designed vocational education and career development.

Recreation services.

Specialized services for low-incidence disabilities, such as readers, transcribers, and vision and hearing services.

Interpreting services.
[EC 56363(b)(1)-(17)]

Like related services, as specified in federal law, designated instruction and services, in California, do not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of that device. [34 C.F.R. 300.34(b) and EC 56363(c)]

Information reproduced here from: http://www.autismtreatment.info/what+is+a+discrete+trial.aspx

“DTT is a specific method of teaching used to maximize learning. It is a teaching technique or process used to develop many skills, including cognitve, communication, play, social and self help skills. It is just good teaching.

The teaching strategy involves:

Breaking skills into the smallest steps

Teaching each step of the skill intensively until mastered

Providing lots of repetition

Prompting the correct response and fading the prompts as soon as possible and

Using positive reinforcement procedures.(this does not need to be in box-it is cut and paste from their website like this)

A therapy session uses repeated trials (or presentations) with each trial having a DISTINCTLY identifiable beginning, middle and end. So the trial is “Discrete” in that it is distinct and it has clearly identifiable steps and a conclusion. Each step of a skill is mastered before new concepts are presented.

In Discrete trial teaching, a very small amount of information is given and the student’s response is immediately reinforced or not reinforced. This is different compared with more traditional teaching methods which present large amounts of information with no clearly targeted interactive response on the student’s part.”

 FAA personnel shall gather information from 3 sources:

direct observation

interviews with significant others

review of available data such as assessment reports prepared by other professionals and other individual records

An FAA must be conducted by or under the supervision of a person who has documented training in behavior analysis with an emphasis on positive behavioral interventions. An FAA shall occur after the IEP team finds that the instructional/behavioral approaches specified in the students’ IEP have been ineffective.

The FAA procedure must contain ALL of the following:

Systemic observation of the occurrence of the targeted behavior for an accurate definition and description of the frequency, duration, and intensity

Systemic observation of the immediate antecedent events associated with each instance of the display of the targeted inappropriate behavior

Systemic observation and analysis of the consequences following the display of the behavior to determine the function the behavior serves for the individual (i.e. to identify the specific environmental or physiological outcomes produced by the behavior). The communicative intent of the behavior is identified in terms that the individual is either requesting or protesting through the display of the behavior.

Ecological analysis of the settings in which the behavior occurs most frequently. (Consider factors such as physical setting, social setting, activities and nature of instruction, scheduling, quality of communication between the individual and staff and other students, the degree of choice, the degree of independence, the degree of participation, the amount and quality of social interaction, and the variety of activities).

Review of records for health and medical factors which may influence behaviors (medication levels, sleep cycles, health, diet)

Review of the history of behavior to include the effectiveness of previously used behavioral interventions

What the FAA report MUST include:

Describe the nature and severity of the targeted behavior in objective and measurable terms

Describe the rate of alternative behaviors, their antecedents and consequences

Recommendations for consideration by the IEP team which may include a proposed BIP

A functional analysis of the targeted behavior across all appropriate settings in which it occurs

Upon completion of an FAA, an IEP team meeting shall be held to review results and, if necessary, to develop a BIP.

The FAA becomes part of IEP and must be written with sufficient detail so as to direct the implementation of the plan.

If a student has a 504 plan and not an IEP it is a BMP (behavioral management plan): Whenever it determines that disability related behavior problems interfere with the students ability to benefit from special education or related services, a BMP is a related service under 504 regulations; BMP decisions seem to be used synonymously with BIP decisions.

IDEA is a federal law that requires school districts to provide a FAPE to eligible children with disabilities. A free appropriate public education means that special education and related services are to be provided as described in an individualized education program (IEP) and under public supervision to your child at no cost to you. The IEP is supposed to be designed to meet your child’s unique needs and from which your child receives educational benefit. The goal of the IEP is to prepare the student for further education, employment, and independent living.

 Information reproduced here from: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/discipl.fab.starin.htm

“The term “Functional Behavioral Assessment” comes from what is called a “Functional Assessment” or “Functional Analysis” in the field of applied behavior analysis. This is the process of determining the cause (or “function”) of behavior before developing an intervention. The intervention must be based on the hypothesized cause (function) of behavior.

 Why Do Functional Behavioral Assessments?

 Failure to base the intervention on the specific cause (function) very often results in ineffective and unnecessarily restrictive procedures.

For example, consider the case of a young child who has learned that screaming is an effective way of avoiding or escaping unpleasant tasks. Using timeout in this situation would provide the child with exactly what he wants (avoiding the task) and is likely to make the problem worse, not better. Without an adequate functional behavioral assessment, we would not know the true function of the young child’s screaming and therefore may select an inappropriate intervention.

 How Do You Determine the Cause or Function of Behavior?

There are three ways of getting at the function (cause) of the behavior:

(a) interviews and rating scales,
(b) direct and systematic observation of the person’s behavior, and
(c) manipulating different environmental events to see how behavior changes.

The first two are generally referred to as functional assessments whereas the third is generally referred to as a functional analysis.

Several different interviews and rating scales have been developed to try to get at the function (cause) of behavior. However, reliability is usually poor and these should be used only as a starting point for systematic and direct observation of the person’s behavior. Relying exclusively on interviews and rating scales should never be considered a functional assessment. Besides having poor reliability, it would never hold up in court with an expert witness.

A more reliable method involves directly observing the person’s behavior in his or her natural environment and analyzing the behavior’s antecedents (environmental events that immediately precede the problem behavior) and consequences (environmental events that immediately follow the problem behavior).”

According to the Regional Center of Orange County, the depth of the disability determines the depth of the analysis.

http://www.rcocdd.com/resources/GuidlinesFunctionalAssessment%20BehavPlan.pdf

Information reproduced here from:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php#aba

“Many families of children with autism spectrum disorders are interested in dietary and nutritional interventions that might help some of their children’s symptoms.

 Removal of gluten (a protein found in barley, rye, oats, and wheat) and casein (a protein found in dairy products), in what is known as a GFCF, is a popular dietary treatment for symptoms of autism. It is based on the hypothesis that these proteins are absorbed differently in children with autism spectrum disorders and act like false opiate-like chemicals in the brain. The hypothesis is not based on an allergic response. Neither the hypothesis nor the effectiveness of this dietary intervention has been demonstrated in scientific studies to date. Studies are ongoing in a number of centers. However, many families report that dietary elimination of gluten and casein has helped regulate bowel habits, sleep, activity, habitual behaviors and enhance overall progress in their individual child, sometimes over night. No specific laboratory tests can predict which children might be observed by their families to have a positive response to dietary intervention. For that reason, many families elect a trial of dietary restriction with careful observation by the family and intervention team.

A trial of dietary restriction requires attention to basic nutritional guidelines. Dairy products are the most common source of calcium and vitamin D in young children in the U.S. Many young children depend on dairy products for a balanced protein intake. Alternative sources of these nutrients require substitution of other food and beverage products with attention to nutritional content rather than solely as a milk substitute beverage. Substitution of gluten free products requires attention to the overall fiber and vitamin content of a child’s diet. Vitamin and supplement use may have both positive effects and side effects. Consultation with a dietitian or physician should be considered and can be helpful to families in the determination of healthy application of a GFCF diet. This may be especially true for children who are picky eaters.”

 For more information see also:

http://autism.about.com/od/alternativetreatmens/f/dandoc.htm

School districts in California are mandated by the Individuals With Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEIA) http://idea.ed.gov/download/statute.html, Part B which became effective in October of 2006. The IDEA was originally enacted in 1975 and renamed and re-drafted for adoption in 1997, and then re-authorized in 2004 and in 2007. As recent as December 31, 2008, implementation is still not complete.

In exchange for federal funding, IDEIA requires that an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) for children with disabilities be in place prior to a child’s third birthday.

Qualifying disabilities for special education eligibility are: Hearing impaired; Both hearing and visually impaired;

Speech or language impaired; Visually impaired;

Severely orthopedically impaired; Impaired in strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems (other health impaired); Exhibiting autistic-like behaviors; Mentally retarded; Seriously emotionally disturbed; Learning disabled; Multiple disabilities; and

Traumatic brain injury.

[34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.7; 5 C.C.R. Sec. 3030.]

For more information:

 http://www.pai-ca.org/PUBS/504001SpecEdIndex.htm (revised 2005)

A student with a disability who requires positive behavioral intervention strategies and supports to address disruptive behavior may or may not also require exemptions from the schools regular discipline code.

IDP is reactive, whereas a BIP is proactive and is generally limited to the identification of acts of misconduct and specific consequences for the student should he/she engage in any such misbehavior. This is an alternative to the regular disciplinary code. A student can have both and IDP and BIP and they are not interchangeable.

Under IDEA Part B, school District’s have a legal child find obligation so a school district (or Regional Center in California) may/should ask to do an assessment of your child if they suspect he or she may have a disability. Note that any time any agency has any type of potential financial liability, the assessment fails to be independent.

If a school district does not do an assessment or you disagree with their assessment, you have the legal right to request an IEE at public expense.

Please note that this is not independent, a list of district-approved providers is to be given to you within a reasonable time.

Information reproduced here from:

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2007/julqtr/34cfr300.320.htm

(a) General. As used in this part, the term individualized education program or IEP means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in a meeting in accordance with Sec. Sec. 300.320 through 300.324, and that must include–

(1) A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including–

(i) How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children); or

(ii) For preschool children, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child’s participation in appropriate activities;

(2)

(i) A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to–

(A) Meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and

(B) Meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability;

(ii) For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives;

(3) A description of–

(i) How the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals described in paragraph (2) of this section will be measured; and

(ii) When periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward meeting the annual goals (such as through the use of quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent with the issuance of report cards) will be provided;

(4) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child–

(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;

(ii) To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and

(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section;

(5) An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and in the activities described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section;

(6)

(i) A statement of any individual appropriate accommodations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the child on State and districtwide assessments consistent with section 612(a)(16) of the Act; and

(ii) If the IEP Team determines that the child must take an alternate assessment instead of a particular regular State or districtwide assessment of student achievement, a statement of why–

(A) The child cannot participate in the regular assessment; and

(B) The particular alternate assessment selected is appropriate for the child; and

(7) The projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications.

(b) Transition services. Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, and updated annually, thereafter, the IEP must include–

(1) Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills; and

(2) The transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.

(c) Transfer of rights at age of majority. Beginning not later than one year before the child reaches the age of majority under State law, the IEP must include a statement that the child has been informed of the child’s rights under Part B of the Act, if any, that will transfer to the child on reaching the age of majority under Sec. 300.520.

(d) Construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require–

(1) That additional information be included in a child’s IEP beyond what is explicitly required in section 614 of the Act; or

(2) The IEP Team to include information under one component of a child’s IEP that is already contained under another component of the child’s IEP.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A) and (d)(6))

Information reproduced here from:

http://www.dds.cahwnet.gov/Title17/T17SectionView.cfm?Section=52100.htm

 ”Regional centers and/or LEAs (Lead Educational Agency) shall ensure that a written IFSP is developed for providing early intervention services. The IFSP shall address the infant’s or toddler’s developmental needs and the needs of the family related to meeting the developmental needs of the infant or toddler.

An IFSP shall be developed and implemented for each infant or toddler who has been evaluated, assessed and determined to be eligible for early intervention services.

Information reproduced here from:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php#aba

 
“The communications problems of autistic children vary to some degree and may depend on the intellectual and social development of the individual. Some may be completely unable to speak whereas others have well-developed vocabularies and can speak at length on topics that interest them. Any attempt at therapy must begin with an individual assessment of the child’s language abilities by a trained speech and language pathologist.

 Though some autistic children have little or no problem with the pronunciation of words, most have difficulty effectively using language. Even those children who have no articulation problems exhibit difficulties in the pragmatic use of language such as knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it as well as how to interact socially with people. Many who speak often say things that have no content or information. Others repeat verbatim what they have heard (echolalia) or repeat irrelevant scripts they have memorized. Some autistic children speak in a high-pitched voice or use robotic sounding speech.

 Two pre-skills for language development are joint attention and social initiation. Joint attention involves an eye gaze and referential gestures such as pointing, showing and giving. Children with autism lack social initiation such as questioning, make fewer utterances and fail to use language as a means of social initiation. Though no one treatment is found to successfully improve communication, the best treatment begins early during the preschool years, is individually tailored, and involves parents along with professionals. The goal is always to improve useful communication.

 For some verbal communication is realistic, for others gestured communication or communication through a symbol system such as picture boards can be attempted. Periodic evaluations must be made to find the best approaches and to reestablish goals for the individual child.”

To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities (including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities) are educated with non-disabled children.

Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs ONLY when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

State law provides that special education students be provided with the “maximum interaction with the general school population” as appropriate.

Further, state policy provides that special education students “should receive their education in chronologically age appropriate environments with non-handicapped peers.”

Participation and Progress in the General Curriculum:

The requirements relating to linking participation and progress in the general curriculum to special education include:

1. The measurable annual goals in each student’s IEP must include goals addressing two distinct types of educational needs. Specifically, goals must be related to both:

Meeting the students needs resulting from his disability to enable him to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum

Meeting each of the students other educational needs that result from his disability

The U.S. Department of Education has not addressed with any specificity what bona fide educational needs not related to progress in the general curriculum should be considered disability related “other educational needs” for a student with a disability participating in the general curriculum. Educators are often called upon to decide whether a particular student’s need for services or programming not related to progress in the general curriculum are educational in nature, as opposed to familial, social or medial.

2. Special Education instruction and services to be provided to the student under the IEP must include those needed to allow the student to be involved and progress in the general curriculum. These items of service may be distinct from those required to help the student meet IEP annual goals that are not related to progress in the general curriculum or feasibility of being educated with non-disabled children.

3. The statement of the child’s present levels of educational performance must include, for school-age children, a recitation of how the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

Note:

The intent of the LRE was to promote mainstreaming within the schools, however, through the years, California schools have developed many disability specific classrooms with no semblance of mainstreaming. Furthermore, there is a cosmic difference of opinion as to what constitutes the subjective standard of least restrictive. From a family’s perspective, LRE generally means remaining in the home environment until such time a child can be successful in a classroom environment with typically developing peers. From a District’s perspective, LRE generally means a linear approach starting with zero percent inclusion and then following a cookie-cutter approach year after year until mainstreaming is introduced.

Research shows that children with autism who fit a rapid learner profile must be educated alongside typically developing peers so if your child is going to go to school and fits this profile, appropriate placement is imperative and as such, objectively the LRE.

Information reproduced here from:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php#aba

“Occupational Therapy can benefit a person with autism by attempting to improve the quality of life for the individual. The aim is to maintain, improve, or introduce skills that allow an individual to participate as independently as possible in meaningful life activities. Coping skills, fine motor skills, play skills, self help skills, and socialization are all targeted areas to be addressed.

Through occupational therapy methods, a person with autism can be aided both at home and within the school setting by teaching activities including dressing, feeding, toilet training, grooming, social skills, fine motor and visual skills that assist in writing and scissor use, gross motor coordination to help the individual ride a bike or walk properly, and visual perceptual skills needed for reading and writing.

Occupational therapy is usually part of a collaborative effort of medical and educational professionals, as well as parents and other family members. Through such collaboration a person with autism can move towards the appropriate social, play and learning skills needed to function successfully in everyday life.”

Information reproduced here from:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php#aba

“PECS is a type of augmentative and alternative communication technique where individuals with little or no verbal ability learn to communicate using picture cards. Children use these pictures to “vocalize” a desire, observation, or feeling. These pictures can be purchased in a manualized book, or they can be made at home using images from newspapers, magazines or other books. Since some people with autism tend to learn visually, this type of communication technique has been shown to be effective at improving independent communication skills, leading in some cases to gains in spoken language.

A formalized training program is offered through a company called Pyramid Products, and this program takes the caregiver and child through different phases. However, this manual is not the only source of training and resources. Images may be obtained through magazines, photos, or other media. In Phase one, a communication trainer works with the child and their caregivers to help decide which images would be most motivating. For example, images food may elicit the strongest response. Cards are then created (or provided through a pre-made book) with those images, and the trainer and the caregiver work with the child to help him or her discover that, by handing over the card, they can get the desired object. In Phase two, the caregiver then moves farther away from the child when showing the picture, so that the child must actually come over and hand over the card to receive the food reward. This process engages the child’s ability to seek and obtain another person’s attention. In this way, a full vocabulary and methods for using these new words are taught to the affected individual.

In later phases, children are given more than one image so that they must decide which to use when requesting an item, and throughout the process the number of cards grows and thus the child’s ‘vocabulary’ also increases. Over time, the child may develop the ability to use sentences, including phrases like “I want” to start off the sentence, and even use descriptors like “large” or “red”. Throughout the process, which may take weeks, months or years, the caregiver gives constant feedback to the child. It is thought that by allowing children to express themselves non-verbally, the children are less frustrated and non-desirable behavior including tantrums is reduced.”

Information reproduced here from:

 http://education.ucsb.edu/autism/index.html

“Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is a naturalistic intervention model derived from ABA approaches. Rather than target individual behaviors one at a time, PRT targets pivotal areas of a child’s development, such as motivation, responsivity to multiple cues, self-management, and social initiations. By targeting these critical areas, PRT results in widespread, collateral improvements in other social, communicative, and behavioral areas that are not specifically targeted.

The underlying motivational strategies of PRT are incorporated throughout intervention as often as possible, which include child choice, task variation, interspersing maintenance and acquisition tasks, rewarding attempts, and the use of direct and natural reinforcers.

 The child plays a crucial role in determining the activities and objects that will be used in the PRT exchange. Intentful attempts at the target behavior are rewarded with a natural reinforcer (e.g. if a child attempts a verbal request for a stuffed animal, the child received the animal, not a piece of candy or other unrelated reinforcer). Pivotal Response Treatment is use to teach language, decrease disruptive/self-stimulatory behaviors, and increase social, communication, and academic skills.”

For more information, including empirical support for PRT, also see:

http://education.ucsb.edu/autism/EmpiricalSupport.htm

(I have all the pdfs in an email from UCSB if you want to link to PDFs within site as opposed to link to pdfs outside site)

Information reproduced here from:

http://www.rdiconnect.com/default.asp

 Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) Based on the work of psychologist Steven Gutstein, Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) focuses on improving the long term quality of life for all individuals on the spectrum. The RDI program is a parent- based treatment that focuses on the core problems of gaining friendships, feeling empathy, expressing love and being able to share experiences with others. Dr’s Gutstein program is said to be based on extensive research in typical development and translates research findings into a systematic clinical approach. His research found that individuals on the autism spectrum seemed to lack certain abilities necessary for success in managing the real life environments that are dynamic and changing. He calls these abilities dynamic intelligence and describes six aspects as follows:

1) Emotional Referencing: The ability to use an emotional feedback system to learn from the subjective experiences of others.

2) Social Coordination: The ability to observe and continually regulate one’s behavior in order to participate in spontaneous relationships involving collaboration and exchange of emotions.

3) Declarative Language: Using language and non-verbal communication to express curiosity, invite others to interact, share perceptions and feelings and coordinate your actions with others.

4) Flexible thinking: The ability to rapidly adapt, change strategies and alter plans based upon changing circumstances.

5) Relational Information Processing: The ability to obtain meaning based upon the larger context. Solving problems that have no “right-and-wrong” solutions.

6) Foresight and Hindsight: The ability to reflect on past experiences and anticipate potential future scenarios in a productive manner

Dr Gutstein , who along with Dr. Rachelle Sheely , formed the Connections Center For Family and Personal Development based in Houston Texas in 1995, says, ” We are challenging families and professionals to think beyond achieving mere functionality as a successful outcome for individuals with autism; our reference point for success in the RDI program is quality of life,” The goal is social improvements as well as changes in flexible thinking, pragmatic communication, creative information processing and self- development. The program offers training workshops for parents as well as several books that offer step-by step exercises building motivation so that skills will be utilized and generalized. The program is said to be able to be started easily and implemented into regular, daily activities that enrich family life.

 Information reproduced here from:

http://www.scerts.com/the-scerts-model

 ”The SCERTS® Model

(Prizant, Wetherby, Rubin & Laurent, 2007)

 What is SCERTS?

SCERTS® is an innovative educational model for working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. It provides specific guidelines for helping a child become a competent and confident social communicator, while preventing problem behaviors that interfere with learning and the development of relationships. It also is designed to help families, educators and therapists work cooperatively as a team, in a carefully coordinated manner, to maximize progress in supporting a child.

 The acronym “SCERTS” refers to the focus on:

“SC” - Social Communication - the development of spontaneous, functional communication, emotional expression, and secure and trusting relationships with children and adults;

“ER” - Emotional Regulation - the development of the ability to maintain a well-regulated emotional state to cope with everyday stress, and to be most available for learning and interacting;

“TS” - Transactional Support - the development and implementation of supports to help partners respond to the child’s needs and interests, modify and adapt the environment, and provide tools to enhance learning (e.g., picture communication, written schedules, and sensory supports).

Specific plans are also developed to provide educational and emotional support to families, and to foster teamwork among professionals.

The SCERTS model targets the most significant challenges faced by children with ASD and their families. This is accomplished through family-professional partnerships (family-centered care), and by prioritizing the abilities and supports that will lead to the most positive long-term outcomes. As such, it provides family members and educational teams with a plan for implementing a comprehensive and evidence-based program that will improve quality of life for children and families.

 The SCERTS Model can be used with children and older individuals across a range of developmental abilities, including nonverbal and verbal individuals. It is a lifespan model that can be used from initial diagnosis, throughout the school years, and beyond. It can be adapted to meet the unique demands of different social settings for younger and older individuals with ASD including home, school, community, and ultimately vocational settings.

 The SCERTS Model includes a well-coordinated assessment process that helps a team measure the child’s progress, and determine the necessary supports to be used by the child’s social partners (educators, peers and family members). This assessment process ensures that:

-functional, meaningful and developmentally-appropriate goals and objectives are selected

- individual differences in a child’s style of learning, interests, and motivations are respected

- the culture and lifestyle of the family are understood and respected

- the child is engaged in meaningful and purposeful activities throughout the day

-supports are developed and used consistently across partners, activities, and environments

- a child’s progress is systematically charted over time

- program quality is measured frequently to assure accountability

How does SCERTS compare to other approaches?

The SCERTS curriculum provides a systematic method that ensures that specific skills and appropriate supports, stated as educational objectives, are selected and applied in a consistent manner across a child’s day. This process allows families and educational teams to draw from a wide range of effective practices that are available, and to build upon their current knowledge and abilities in providing an effective program. One of the most unique qualities of SCERTS is that it can incorporate practices from other approaches including contemporary ABA (e.g., Pivotal Response Treatment, LEAP), TEACCH, Floortime, RDI, Hanen, and Social Stories®. The SCERTS Model differs most notably from the focus of “traditional” ABA, an approach that typically targets children’s responses in adult directed Discrete Trials, by promoting child-initiated communication in everyday activities, and in drawing extensively from research on child and human development. The SCERTS Model is most concerned with helping persons with autism to achieve “Authentic Progress”, which is defined as the ability to learn and spontaneously apply functional and relevant skills in a variety of settings and with a variety of partners.”

An SDC is an educational program designed for student’s with special needs. A student may be eligible for a special day class if the Individual Education Program (IEP) Team determines that his/her educational needs cannot be satisfactorily met in general education classes for the majority of the student’s day even with the use of support services.

Students in special day classes should participate in nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent possible.

 Information reproduced here from:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php#aba

 ”Sensory Integration is the process through which the brain organizes and interprets external stimuli such as movement, touch, smell, sight and sound. Autistic children often exhibit symptoms of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) making it difficult for them to process information brought in through the senses. Children can have mild, moderate or severe SID deficits manifesting in either increased (hypersensitivity) or decreased (hyposensitivity) to touch, sound, movement, etc. For example, a hypersensitive child may avoid being touched whereas a hyposensitive child will seek the stimulation of feeling objects and may enjoy being in tight places.

 The goal of Sensory Integration Therapy is to facilitate the development of the nervous system’s ability to process sensory input in a more typical way. Through integration the brain pulls together sensory messages and forms coherent information upon which to act. SIT uses neurosensory and neuromotor exercises to improve the brain’s ability to repair itself. When successful, it can improve attention, concentration, listening, comprehension, balance, coordination and impulsivity control in some children.

The evaluation and treatment of basic sensory integrative processes in the autistic child are usually performed by an occupational and/or physical therapist. A specific program will be planned to provide sensory stimulation to the child, often in conjunction with purposeful muscle activities, to improve how the brain processes and organizes sensory information. The therapy often requires activities that consist of full body movements utilizing different types of equipment. It is believed that SIT does not teach higher-level skills, but enhances the sensory processing abilities thus allowing the child to acquire them.”

 Information reproduced here from:

http://www.teacch.com/whatis.html

 ”The TEACCH approach is a family-centered, evidence-based practice for autism, based on a theoretical conceptualization of autism, supported by empirical research, enriched by extensive clinical expertise, and notable for its flexible and person-centered support of individuals of all ages and skill levels.

 Founded in the early 1970s by the late Eric Schopler, Ph.D., TEACCH developed the concept of the “Culture of Autism” as a way of thinking about the characteristic patterns of thinking and behavior seen in individuals with this diagnosis.

The “Culture of Autism” involves:

Relative strength in and preference for processing visual information (compared to difficulties with auditory processing, particularly of language).

Frequent attention to details but difficulty understanding the meaning of how those details fit together.

Difficulty combining ideas.

Difficulty with organizing ideas, materials, and activities.

Difficulties with attention. (Some individuals are very distractible, others have difficulty shifting attention when it’s time to make transitions.)

Communication problems, which vary by developmental level but always include impairments in the social use of language (called “pragmatics”).

Difficulty with concepts of time, including moving too quickly or too slowly and having problems recognizing the beginning, middle, or end of an activity.

Tendency to become attached to routines, with the result that activities may be difficult to generalize from the original learning situation and disruptions in routines can be upsetting, confusing, or uncomfortable.

Very strong interests and impulses to engage in favored activities, with difficulties disengaging once engaged.

Marked sensory preferences and dislikes.

 The long-term goals of the TEACCH approach are both skill development and fulfillment of fundamental human needs such as dignity, engagement in productive and personally meaningful activities, and feelings of security, self-efficacy, and self-confidence.

 To accomplish these goals, TEACCH developed the intervention approach called “Structured Teaching.”

The principles of Structured Teaching include:

Understanding the culture of autism.

Developing an individualized person- and family-centered plan for each client or student, rather than using a standard curriculum.

Structuring the physical environment.

Using visual supports to make the sequence of daily activities predictable and understandable .

Using visual supports to make individual tasks understandable.”

Note:

TEACCH does not specifically focus on social and communication skills as fully as other therapies it can be used along with such therapies to make them more effective.

 For more information see also:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php#aba