Successful Inclusion Practices for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Transcription

1 Successful Inclusion Practices for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Sonja R. de Boer, Ph.D., BCBA-D Woodbury Autism Education & Research July 31, 2014 Aspect Autism in Education Conference

2 Autism-Inclusion Connection Plan and Prepare Goal of early intervention for children with ASD is to provide student with skills needed to function appropriately and independently in typical environments Throughout early intervention need to plan and prepare for next educational environment classroom Focus is on group learning skills Careful planning and preparation need to occur before the first moment of the child s inclusion in general education classroom Initial introduction into the classroom needs to be positive and fun the people and activities are reinforcing thus the child does not try to avoid the classroom or try to escape when he is in there. 2

3 Components of Autism Inclusion Model Coordinated & planned team commitment Training & social support (attitudes) Appropriate instructional & behavioural intervention methods Individualized accommodations & modifications Sufficient resources & support Recurrent evaluation of inclusion program & student progress (data) Family Involvement: Home-school collaboration 3

4 Coordinated & Planned Team Commitment Communication is the basis for developing collaborative relationships among educators and among IEP team members Responsibility of student with ASD is shared between general and special education Time is set aside for collaboration and meetings Clear roles & responsibilities of team members are established enables team members to maintain appropriate expectations and timely follow-through with implementation of program 4

5 Training & Social Support Development of positive inclusionary attitudes Consistent and planned exposure (ability awareness) for teachers to children with disabilities, specifically children with ASD Individualized Training (specific to role and responsibilities) for administrators, teachers, school learning support officers, school staff, and parents Ability awareness and social skills training for typical peers 5

6 Effective Instructional & Behavioral Intervention Methods Implementation of effective instructional & behavioral intervention methods Appropriate and comprehensive assessment of behavior, language and academic and social skills has been performed Goals & objectives are appropriate for student and general education environment Task analyses are performed on skill deficit areas Teachers & support staff understand and utilize appropriate methods of instruction type and delivery (DTT, Incidental Teaching, Direct Instruction differences in structure, prompting, reinforcement, etc.) Teachers & support staff utilize ABA-based behavior intervention methods for behaviors impeding learning or inclusion in general education setting 6

7 Individualized Accommodations & Modifications Curriculum is modified as needed i.e. Pre-teaching, modified outcomes, differential reinforcement (individual token economy system) Behavior plan is adapted for general education environment Other supplemental services available i.e. Pull-out for academics, SLP, OT or social skills training, recess and lunch time support, parent training 7

8 Sufficient Resources & Support Availability of appropriately trained support personnel for different general education environments School Learning Support Officers Supplementary aids and services Ongoing in-service training for teaching and support staff Training provided regarding ASD, collaboration, inclusion, behavior intervention, social skills, reinforcement delivery and motivation (MO) Adequate planning and meeting time for staff 8

9 Recurrent Evaluation of Inclusion Program & Student Progress An effective individualized educational program constantly undergoes re-evaluation and re-direction Ongoing evaluation of overall inclusion program and student progress is essential for progress and success Evaluation and data collection is needed for the following components of inclusion program: Curriculum delivery and instruction methods Environmental arrangements & accommodations Social support of general education administration and staff Goals & objectives and naturally occurring reinforcement and consequences embedded within curriculum, activities and environment Family involvement 9

10 Recurrent Evaluation of Inclusion Program & Student Progress Evaluation and data collections is needed for the following components of student progress: Ability and participation level Social skills (amount & type), adaptive behavior, academic abilities, language development Task completion Able to complete tasks provided (with accommodations) Generalization of skills Utilizing acquired skills in the general education classroom Independence level overall social initiation, performance of acquired language and academic skills, learning new skills in general education 10

11 Family Involvement: Home- School Collaboration Professionals and parents need to listen to each other - establish a trusting and a cooperative relationship, be knowledgeable of families values, be knowledgeable of teachers limitations and accept each other as partners. Administrative support is a key component to the successful inclusion of students with ASD within a district and schools and between school and parents. Parents and general education teachers need appropriate training regarding disability, child (language) development, in-home parent-child interventions, IEP process, and methods of intervention for children with ASD. Families of children with ASD need to be included and involved in child s education and student s progress 11

12 Conclusions and Recommendations Inclusion within general education environment does not meet the needs of every student with ASD. Those children with ASD who are included will benefit in different ways and to different degrees. Inclusion within the general education classroom is not all or nothing. Designing an individualized educational program for a student with ASD can include time in different locations (i.e. special education classrooms, SLP or OT pull-out, etc.) Effectively teaching and including students with ASD in the general education environment will always be a significant challenge for all professionals, parents, students with ASD and their peers. 12