Assessment: Major Points
The purpose of conducting an informal assessment is to gather practical information that can be used in designing effective teaching activities. An informal assessment should provide two important types of information: information about the student’s skill levels in different developmental areas; and information about the student’s work-related behaviors and learning skills. Students with autism often […]
Working with Parents – Major Points
Parents and teachers play different roles in the child’s life and development. Both sets of roles are important. Parents and teachers often have very different perspectives regarding the child, the disability, and the treatment. Both sets of perspectives are valid. Parents have valuable information about their child that is critical for establishing and implementing appropriate […]
Training Peer Partners
Introducing the program Emphasize the goal of “helping children learn to play” Describe the target children (e.g., may not talk, may make funny noises) Explain their job (e.g., “try your best to get the child to play with you”) Describe general strategies (e.g., use simple language, use gestures) Training specific behaviors 1) Initiating interactions with […]
Tips For Using Peer Partners Effectively
Provide training for peer partners and allow opportunities for practice Conduct play sessions every day Keep play sessions brief Conduct play sessions in a well-defined free play area Limit the number of toys available Use preferred toys and activities Have a specific objective for each play session (e.g., put a puzzle together, play nerf basketball) […]
Social and Symbolic Dimensions of Play
No Interaction: Child does not touch or play with toys. Child may engage in self-stimulatory behavior not involving toys. Manipulation: Child shows interest in toys and demonstrates some exploratory play. Child does not use toys in a conventional manner. Examples: shakes, mouths, waves, bangs, or lines up toys. Functional: Child uses most toys in a […]
Play/Socialization – Major Points
Play is an important developmental process that facilitates growth in intellectual, linguistic, emotional, and social areas. Toy play and peer interactions are two aspects of social development that often need to be targeted for intervention in children with autism. Play skills emerge in a developmental sequence that begins with the simple manipulation of objects and […]
Play/Socialization Resources
Musselwhite, C.R. (1986). Adaptive Play for Special Needs Children. San Diego: College-Hill Press. Odom, S.L. & McConnell, S.R. (1993). Play Time/Social Time: Organizing Your Classroom to Build Interaction Skills. Tucson: Communication Skill Builders. Quill, K.A. (1995). Teaching Children with Autism. New York: Delmar Publishers, Inc. Schopler, E. & Mesibov, G.B. (1995). Learning and Cognition in […]
Assessment of Social Skills – Social Contexts
Social Characteristics Structured Time Play/Leisure Travel Eating/Mealtime Meeting Others Proximity Object/Body Use Social Initiation Social Response Interfering Behavior […]
Ways to Structure Classroom Activities for Children with Autism
Circle time or group time It would be helpful … for children to be seated in chairs and have physical boundaries (a Rifton chair for Jared) to have photos of child and child’s name on his/her group chair for a timer to sound at the end of group time to have brief circle time; include […]
Elements of Physical Environment
Area/Center Location Visual Boundaries Materials Other
Structured Teaching – Activity
1) Stay in the same three groups as those used for the “characteristics” activity. 2) Have each group member observe the classroom and teaching strategies and complete the “structured teaching observation form” independently. (20-30 min.) 3) Have each group discuss their ratings and come up with a consensus rating. (10 min.) 4) Have each group […]
Structured Teaching – Major Points
Structured teaching is an instructional approach designed to: * increase the child’s understanding of expectations * increase the predictability of events for the child * promote greater independence within the classroom * maximize the child’s likelihood of experiencing success There are at least three components of structured teaching: * the […]