“The best hands-on guide to the most important part of intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders: helping the children take the skills they learn in intervention and use them whenever and wherever they need them.” —Tristram Smith, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities, University of Rochester Medical Center

Generalization is the key to effective autism intervention—when children can apply new skills across settings, they’ll make broad, long-term improvements in behavior and social communication. The first how-to guide to generalization is finally here! Practical and reader-friendly, this is the book that helps professionals take today’s most popular autism interventions to the next level by making generalization an integral part of them.

Pre-K–Grade 8 special educators, early interventionists, SLPs, and other professionals will

• enhance 6 widely used autism intervention models with specific, evidence-based generalization strategies
• get dozens of easy activities that really help children use new skills consistently—no matter where they are or who they’re with
• learn about generalization from the experts who know best, with contributions from top autism authorities like Ilene Schwartz, Carol Gray, Andy Bondy, Laura Schriebman, and Bryna Siegel
• provide positive, supportive parent education so they can be active partners in promoting their children’s generalization of skills
• weave generalization strategies into every phase of intervention planning, not just at the end after skills have already been learned
• modify generalization strategies for different settings, so children can achieve their ultimate goal: applying their skills successfully in school, at home, and in the community
• assess the effectiveness of generalization strategies at multiple stages of instruction

Case studies and vivid examples bring the strategies to life in every chapter, and forms and checklists help professionals plan interventions, track children’s goals, and monitor their progress toward generalization. With this urgently needed guide to one of the most important facets of autism intervention, readers will help children generalize social behaviors and communication skills—and ensure better lives and brighter futures.

Make generalization strategies a part of these popular interventions:

• Pivotal Response Training
• Discrete Trial Instruction
• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
• Social Stories™
• Computer-Assisted Intervention
• JumpStart Learning-to-Learn

Schedule of Events

Please note: This is a preliminary agenda and it is subject to change.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Registration/Information
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Family Orientation

Thursday, March 26, 2009
7:00 am - 6:00 pm Registration/Information
7:00 am - 8:00 am Family Orientation
7:30 am – 5:00 pm Exhibits Open
8:00 am - 9:10 am Welcome/Opening/Keynote
9:30 am – 5:45 pm Breakout Sessions
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch on Your Own
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Reception/Poster Session

Friday, March 27, 2009
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration/Information
8:00 am – 4:00 pm Exhibits Open
8:30 am – 4:45 pm Breakout Sessions
12:45 pm- 2:00 pm Lunch on Your Own

Saturday, March 28, 2009
8:00 am – 4:30 pm Registration/Information
8:30 am – 12:30 pm Morning Workshops
8:30 am – 4:30 pm Full day Workshops
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Afternoon Workshops

Jigsaw Learning Presentation

I will be presenting a poster at the Thursday evening reception showing data from over 1,000 users of TeachTown Basics.  Results from this research have shown interesting usage patterns including how often the program is typically used, how many lessons and which types of lessons the students are learning, ages of users, geography of users, and other valuable information about how the program is currently being used by subscribers.  Future directions for this product and others will be discussed, along with suggestions for generalization and maximizing benefits when using this program.  

Both presentations are described below….

The conference is of special interest to college and university faculty, researchers, administrators, and practitioners in behavior analysis, psychology, regular and special education, rehabilitation, public health, behavioral medicine, speech and language, social work, business, and human services. Undergraduate, graduate students and family members of individuals with special needs are also encouraged to attend.

The conference offers information, resources, and professional development opportunities for Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, regular and special educators, students in those and related fields, and parents and/or consumers of behavior analysis services.

Keynote addresses will be delivered by CalABA’s public policy consultant James Gross, who is sure to inspire listeners to get involved in public policy work, and Sigrid Glenn, a visionary behavior analyst who will clarify burning conceptual questions about what it means to be a “radical” behaviorist. The 2009 Outstanding Contributor to Behavior Analysis, Jon Bailey, will describe “pillars of professionalism” for behavior analysts in his address. This year’s Glenda Vittimberga Memorial Lecture will be on the important topic of psychotropic medications for challenging behaviors, delivered by Jennifer Zarcone.

 Jigsaw Learning Presentations:

Various aspects of technology can be used for children with autism to improve independence, adaptive skills, academics, social skills, receptive and expressive language skills, communication, motivation, attention, and many other areas of need.  Chances are, you have heard of the term “assistive technology” (AT). However, there tends to often be confusion associated with AT in terms of what is actually considered assistive technology and who should be considered for assistive technology. First, let’s define AT… According to the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-407), an assistive technology means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, off-the-shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Now, let’s consider who needs AT… When Congress reauthorized IDEA in 1997, they added the provision that ALL students on IEPs must now be considered for assistive technology. This means that an overwhelmingly huge number of 3+ million students were now eligible to be considered for AT. Unfortunately, this was another underfunded mandate and is often overlooked or ignored. Why is it ignored? People think it costs a lot of money, nobody knows how to use what is already available to them, it’s too complicated, there are too many technical issues, or the teachers that did know how to use it have moved on and nobody else is interested or has the time for training.

Processing visual information or pairing visual information with auditory information, tends to be a much more effective strategy for children with autism. When we use AT with children with autism, we are providing the targeted information through their strongest processing area, therefore providing more efficient and effective programming. That said when working with students with ASD, various aspects of technology from “low” tech to “high” tech should be considered in every aspect of their educational programming.

When deciding on what mode of AT you will use, it is important to determine which visual representation system is best understood by the student. You will also need to consider in what contexts the student needs to access information and make the most effective and efficient programming decisions based on functionality and portability of the assistive technology in those settings. Some examples of visual systems include objects, real life photographs, realistic drawings, line drawings, and text. Each of these examples can be used with assorted modes (low tech, high tech, etc.) of technology, as long as the student can readily comprehend the visual information. Some children may need different visual representation systems in different situations. The skills being taught and individual student tendencies and characteristics associated with ASD, will likely determine what systems and technology you end up using or finding particularly effective.

Examples:

One child may need to use 3D objects for his visual schedule because the actual objects seem to provide the added information needed to guide him from one activity to the next. However, another child may have the same daily schedule, but will need line drawings because 3D objects are too distracting and he tends to focus on inconsequential details in real life photos.

A student who only needs a sticky note reminder to stay on task for homework at home, may also need a timer that can be pre-programmed at intermittent intervals to stay on task in the classroom at school.

Assistive technology devices can be grouped into three categories: low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech. When exploring AT solutions for a student with autism, the team should first consider whether low-tech solutions can meet the needs of the student. In addition to low-tech solutions being more cost effective, these solutions tend to be the least intrusive and are almost transparent providing better generalization, more functionality, and often times a better quality of life (i.e. avoiding possible embarrassment for the student).

Various modes of technology strategies, commonly associated with working with children with autism, are defined with examples below:

“Low” Technology (”Light Tech”) – Visual support strategies that do not involve any electronic or battery operated device. Low tech solutions are typically low cost and easy to use and are often readily available in the classroom or home environment. Low tech strategies are often less complicated, usually smaller and lighter in weight and in size, and also simpler to make.

Examples: dry erase boards, reading frames, sticky notes, seat cushions, clipboards, manila file folders, photo albums, laminated pictures and/or symbols, highlighters, highlight tape, 3-ring binders, pencil grips, darker lines or raised lines on paper, color contrast paper, weighted pencils, graph paper, adaptive scissors, phone book for foot rest, etc.

“Mid” Technology – Battery operated devices or simple electronic devices requiring little training and advanced technology. Often they are fairly lightweight and quite portable, allowing the student to use them anywhere.

Examples: tape or digital recorders, electronic dictionaries or organizers, audio books, special lighting or acoustical treatments, amplification systems, adapted keyboards, audible word scanning devices, Language Master, overhead projectors, smartboards, timers, calculators, wrist watch timers, simple voice output devices (buttons, switches), etc.

“High” Technology – These are usually the more complex technological support strategies and also typically require more expensive equipment and more sophiscated training. When low and mid-tech solutions are not effective for the student, it may be necessary to consider high-tech options. However, remember that the most expensive solution may not be the best option for each student; each student requires individualized consideration and evaluation and what will work for one student may not work for the next student.

Examples: video camera systems, talking calculators, word processors, various software, scanners, reading pens, computers and adaptive hardware, complex voice output devices, alternative keyboards, mouse emulators, scanners, text-to-speech software, screen reading software, speech recognition software, augmentative communication devices, digital whiteboard devices, etc.

It’s no surprise that research in neuroscience has demonstrated that we all process information differently from one another.  With three primary brain functions in regards to learning and processing information, you can imagine the vast differences in how each individual student in just one particular classroom will absorb information.  Universal design for learning means using instructional tools, materials, and methods that remove the barriers to learning and thus, making it possible for all students to succeed. A universally-designed curriculum offers multiple means of representation (give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge), multiple means of expression (provide alternatives for learners to demonstrate what they know), and multiple means of engagement (tapping into interests, motivation, interests, etc.).  Technology can reduce the amount of effort required to implement the components of UDL  in the classroom, enabling educators to create lesson plans and transform curriculum in efficient and flexible ways to meet the various needs of all students.