Instructional Practices Curriculum Differentiation Discrete Trial Overview Age Appropriate Materials
Curriculum 61 Curriculum Portland Public Schools has adopted curriculum for Communication Behavior Classrooms. These curriculum consist of: STAR Curriculum The STAR Autism Program teaches children with autism the critical skills identified by the 2001 National Research Council. The ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training and functional routines form the instructional base of this comprehensive program for children with autism. The STAR Program includes detailed lesson plans, teaching materials, data systems and a curriculum- based assessment for teaching in the six curricular areas of receptive language, expressive language, spontaneous language, functional routines, academics and play and social skills. Edmark Reading Program Software Edmark is a software reading curriculum that provides lessons and activities with short instructional steps, repetition and constant positive feedback. Students can use alternative access devices (e.g. a mouse, keyboard or single button switch). Students can log in for a customized individualized program that starts at their level and progresses based on mastery of the material. Data is collected on students responses and can be accessed by the teacher.
Curriculum 62 DT Trainer DT trainer is a computer program that is based on current research to support the learning of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. DT Trainer breaks down learning into the appropriate steps for students. Some of the lessons address: Matching, Identification, Counting, Phonics, Classification, Sequencing, Spatial Relations, Math, Time, Money, Word Analysis, Wh Questions, Word Recognition. Touch Math TouchMath is a multisensory program that uses its signature TouchPoints to engage students of all abilities and learning styles. It uses a step- by- step approach to teach: Counting Addition Subtraction Place Value Multiplication Division Time Money Fractions Story Problems Shapes Sizes Pre- algebra Hand Writing Without Tears The HWT curriculum starts when children enter kindergarten. By playing, singing and building letters, they develop important skills they need to print words, sentences, paragraphs, and eventually transition to cursive.
Curriculum 63 Unique Learning Unique Learning System is the an online, dynamic, curriculum for focus classrooms. Subscribers download monthly instructional thematic units of study. Each unit contains 30 lesson plans and downloadable materials that teachers can readily implement into classroom learning activities. All materials are created using SymbolStix graphics. The unit lesson plans define three levels of differentiated tasks to accommodate the diversity of learners with significant disabilities. Autism Services has a limited number of subscriptions. Contact your ASD Consultant if you are interested in this resource. All Curriculum The All Reading Curriculum is a visual based literacy program that is designed to meet the needs of students with significant disabilities. The program uses the Mayer Johnson Boardmaker visuals to target skills and increase understanding. Autism Services has a limited number of copies. Contact your ASD Specialist if you are interested in this resource. Story Grammar Marker Story Grammar Marker is a tool that teachers can use to model the skills necessary for students to start learning about the process of writing. The program uses a series of icon that represent the essential components of a story, The Marker prompts students to remember proper story sequencing. These elements are: Character Setting Initiating Event (kick- off) Internal Response (emotion of feelings) Plan Attempts Direct Consequences Resolution Autism Services has a limited number of copies. Contact your ASD Consultant if you are interested in this resource.
Differentiation 64 Focus classrooms contain a wide range of learners, because our students come to the table with a variety of skill sets, it is important that we adapt our teaching strategies to their learning needs. Below are some strategies to support non- verbal students who are working on attending and other prerequisites to academic skills. When providing instruction to your functional students, you are looking to increase engagement/participation and not necessarily information acquisition. Here are some outcomes to work towards with these students: o Increased participation in activities of daily living o Increased ability to exercise control over the individual s own life o Increased opportunities for others to interact with the individual o Develop skills that have potential for further learning A switch or button, programmed can support your students in answering questions, make requests or comment. Your routines can be broken into incremental steps so that you can see even the smallest bits of progress. o Collecting data by level of independence within those routines allows you to see the progress and areas of strength for your students. Many teachers use this scale used in the FACTER and STAR programs: 4 Independent: with natural cues and visual supports 3 Gestural or Verbal Prompts 2 Partial Physical Prompts 1 Full Physical Prompts 0 No completion of routine step When planning to teach a new skill, we must know how that skill will help the student gain more independence, either immediately or in the future. In other words, we must know where are we going with this skill. Is this skill one that will be used as a stepping stone for the next skill we teach? Is this skill one that we are teaching after simplifying a broader skill? Focusing on generalization within lesson planning, as well as skill mastery, can help students gain independence as well as understand the purpose of the skill.
Differentiation 65 Unique Learning System During the 2012-2013 school year, several Communication Behavior and Intensive Skills classroom teachers piloted this curriculum in their classroom. It is a comprehensive curriculum aligned with Common Core State Standards and it has three levels of differentiation built in. One advantage of this curriculum is that imbedded within every lesson plan was clear expectations for three levels of learners. Below is a sample of how this curriculum explicitly supports a range of learners. The Pyramid Approach to Education The Pyramid Approach to Education is a unique model of teaching that establishes effective learning environments for individuals with developmental disabilities and/or learning impairments. Designed by Dr. Andrew Bondy, and based on the principles of broad spectrum applied behavior analysis (ABA). The Pyramid Approach is based on two types of learning elements: structural and instructional. The structural elements form the base of the Pyramid, creating an environment conducive to learning. The base elements include: functional activities, reinforcement systems, functional communication and identification and replacement of contextually inappropriate behaviors. The instructional elements form the top of the Pyramid and include information relevant to the creation of effective lessons. The top elements include: generalization, lesson formats, teaching/ prompting strategies, and error correction. All elements involve data- based decision making. When all of the elements are combined, the approach results in success in a range of settings. The Pyramid emphasizes how to teach, rather than simply what to teach, and allows each student s program to be individually tailored to meet learning goals. If you would like to access this meaningful curriculum, please contact your autism consultant.
Discrete Trial Overview 66 Discrete Trial Overview Discrete Trial is an evidenced based practice that a number of educational curricula utilize. Discrete trial training is a method of providing intervention. 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). One curriculum that contains a discrete trial portion, that PPS has adopted, is the STAR Curriculum (Strategies for Teaching Based on Autism Research). The following is an overview of how to provide discrete trial training. This form will also be attached in the appendix.
Age Appropriate Materials 67 Meaningful Instruction Providing age appropriate materials give students a respectful way to access instruction at their level. This can be challenging when you are working with a nonverbal, nonreader who is in their teens. However, here are some age respectful options that you can consider: o Using age respectful visual supports is a great over- arching strategy for encouraging appropriateness with materials. While Boardmaker is an easy program to access, some other programs might provide more age appropriate materials. o Pics For PECS has a CD of visuals with current trends included. Contact your autism consultant about accessing this program. o Symbol Stix is a $49 dollar program that uses simple stick figures to depict a wide range of visuals. o Zac Picto is a free downloadable program that provides a wide range of pictures. o Unique Learning Systems uses age respectful topics at each grade level band, differentiates lessons for a range of learner and uses symbol stix to illustrate it. Here are some examples of the 3-5 grade level band about clean water. o Pyramid Approach emphasizes teaching skills that in a generalized setting within age appropriate tasks. Talk with your autism consultant about ways to access The Pyramid Approach to Education Lesson Plan/ Data Collection book.