Early Childhood: Intensive Instruction

’12-13

Amy Matthews, Ph.D. & Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, Ph.D.

Grand Valley State University

Linda Elenbaas, M.A.

Spring Lake Schools / OAISD

Agenda

Welcome Back and Review

Intensive Teaching/Applied Behavior

Analysis (ABA)

ABA Components

Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)/Intensive

Teaching and NET

Preparing for intensive teaching

Intensive, Individualized Intervention

What is it?

Why is it critical?

Why was Anne Sullivan’s teaching successful? Individualized Intensive Repetition Follow through Targeted High expectations Failure was not an option

Children with ASD Need Good Teaching Even More Than

Most Kids

Neurotypical Child Child with Autism 1,000 learn units a day Few learn units a day Learn from their environment Poor observational learners Specific instruction not needed Specific instruction necessary Strong speaking skills Weak speaking skills Strong listening skills Weak listening skills

*A child with autism has to learn at a faster rate than typical peers just to catch up.

More Learning Opportunities

Provide individualized intensive teaching

to increase learning for students who do

not learn from the natural environment or

through typical classroom activities

Presenting Instruction

Request (Stimulus)

Response

Reaction(Consequence)

Presenting Instruction

REQUEST RESPONSE REACTION

What makes the behavior happen

What increases the chance the behavior will happen

again

Instruction

“Do This”: Imitation

“MATCH”: Pre-academic

“Do Puzzle”: Play Skills

“Give me the . . .”: Receptive Language

PROMPT

REINFORCEMENT

The 3 Rs are what we call a “Learning

Opportunity” or “Learning Trial”

Using the 3 Rs…

100% success is expected so…

Failure is not an option

A child will be assisted until he is

successful

Don’t make a request unless you can follow through

More About the 3 Rs

Who presents Where to present What do you present How to prompt How to reinforce How many times to present How quickly to present

Request

Response Reacti

on

What is ABA?

The Basics of

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

ABA is Good Teaching

What is ABA?

ABA systematically applies procedures based on behavioral principles to the instruction and modification of socially significant behaviors.

Why ABA?

Based on over 60 years of scientific evidence Research supports intensive, structured

intervention Best way to prepare young children with ASD to

learn Effective way to teach many new skills Individualized and intensive Ongoing monitoring through data collection

ABA as a Broad Science

Applied behavior analysis contributes to a full range of areas including: AIDS prevention, conservation of natural resources, education, gerontology, health and exercise, industrial safety, language acquisition, littering, medical procedures, parenting, seatbelt use, severe mental disorders, sports, and zoo management and care of animals. ABA-based interventions have gained recent popularity in the last 20 years related to teaching students with ASD.

What is ABA?

ABA is Not:

Only applicable to young children with ASD. It can be used with any age group and individuals with and without various disabilities.

Applied Behavior Analysis

The broad approach to changing behavior based on behavioral principles

Seat-Belt Use Negative reinforcement tactics work to

increase seatbelt use unless buzzing can be disconnected

Research would suggest positive reinforcement strategies will increase use

Geller, E.S., Casali, J.G., & Johnson, R.P. (1980). Seat belt usage: A potential target for applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 13(4) pp. 669-675.

Researchers suggest: a light on the license plate to indicate the belt is buckled followed by a large scale community effort to reward drivers for their use, including entrance to “fast” traffic lane, discounts given by businesses with drive-thru window (banks, fast food, etc)

ABA methods are used to support persons with autism in at least six ways:

to increase behaviors (e.g. reinforcement procedures increase on-task behavior, or social interactions);

to teach new skills (e.g. systematic instruction and reinforcement procedures teach functional life skills, communication skills, social skills);

to maintain behaviors (e.g. teaching self control and self-monitoring procedures to stay on task);

ABA methods are used to support persons with ASD in at least six ways:

to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another (e.g. from completing assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the general ed classroom);

to restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (e.g. playing with trains has a time and a place); and

to reduce interfering behaviors (e.g. aggression, stereotypy)

Different Forms of ABA Teaching

• Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)

• Incidental Teaching• Verbal Behavior

• PECS

• Pivotal Response Training

ABA Credential

ABA isn’t just another strategy

It is a field of study based on many years of research that serves as a foundational approach to teaching

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is the credential given to people with significant expertise and experience with ABA

Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) – www.bacb.com

ABA and Evidence-based Practice ABA is listed as an evidence-based

practice by:National Professional Development Center on

ASDNational Standards ProjectAssociation for Science in Autism TreatmentNumerous recent books and articles on

evidence-based practice

ABA Effectiveness

According to a cost/benefit analysis conducted by Jacobson, Mulick & Green (1996), competently-delivered, early, intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) can offer the hope of unprecedented gains for both children and taxpayers: estimated savings per child to age 22 are about $200,000; to age 55, $1,000,000.

Similar analysis by Chasson, Harris, & Neely (2007) suggested the use of EIBI can lead to a savings of $208,500 per child across 18 years of education in the state of TX.

According to Ganz (2006), ninety percent of children with ASD who are deprived of intensive, effective early intervention will require special or custodial care throughout their lives, and this is estimated to cost the United States $35 billion dollars a year.

Getting STARTed with Intensive Teaching First, we need to review some of the basic

components of ABA

Many of them will look familiar to you; you might be surprised that much of it isn’t new!

ABA Components

Prompting Errorless Learning Reinforcement Behavioral Momentum Stages of Learning

Prompting Prompting involves helping the child give the

correct response after a given request.

When learning new tasks, a child needs help to understand the connection between the request and the desired response.

Prompts increase the success of the student.

Prompting may occur at the same time as the request, right after the request, or even before the request.

Summary: Types of Prompts Verbal prompts

Visual prompts Model prompts Picture prompts Gestural prompts Positional prompts

Physical prompts Blocking Initiation prompts Full Physical prompts

Verbal Prompts

Verbal prompt involves providing a verbal instruction, cue, or model, or overemphasizing the correct word in an array of choices (direct and indirect).

Visual Prompts Model prompts is the acting out of the target

behavior by the adult or another child with the hope that the child will imitate.

Picture prompts provide a visual cue to the child.

Gestural prompts includes pointing to, looking at, moving, or touching an item or area to indicate a correct response.

Positional prompts involves arranging the materials of the trial so that the correct item is in a position advantageous to the child.

Physical Prompts

Blocking involves stopping an incorrect response or behavior before it occurs

Initiation prompts involves helping the child to begin an action to complete a task

Physical prompts involves actually touching the child.

Prompting

Using the right level of prompting Least to most (reduces

dependency) Most to least (errorless

learning)

Errorless Learning

Learning it wrong

Have you ever… Learned a name and later discovered it was the

wrong name Made a wrong turn the first time going somewhere

and then made the same mistake next time Added the wrong ingredient to a recipe and then did it

again

When are errors not okay? Surgery

Pilots

Bridge architects

When it will take just as much work to unlearn errors

Errorless Learning

In errorless learning, children only learn the correct skill. That is, the teacher teaches in such a manner that students do not make any mistakes. As a result, they do not learn an incorrect skill that will have to be corrected or re-taught.

It might look like cheating but it isn’t

Examples:You’re wearing blue shoes. If you have blue

shoes, line up.My name is Miss Lisa. Who am I?“Raise your hand” while modeling raise hand

and providing an initiation prompt.This is a truck. What is this?You have an apple and milk for lunch. What

are you having for lunch? While showing a picture of apple and milk.

Errorless Learning

Errorless learning offers the following benefits: Minimizes the number of errors Increases time available for instruction Reduces the likelihood that errors will be

repeated in the future Reduces frustration and increases opportunities

for reinforcement

Errorless Learning

Prompting leads to success 90-100% of the time Errorless process:

Give an instruction onceWait for a response; prompt before an error

occurs within 3-5 seconds of requestWhen a child is first learning a skill, the

prompt may be immediate

When to use Errorless Learning

When to use Has few

skills/acquisition phase

Unlikely to learn without many trials, supported by prompts

When not to use Has skills; working

on mastery or fluency

Prompting Cautions

Watch for unplanned prompts (e.g. Clever Hans)

Beware of prompt dependency

Goal is to use the least amount of prompting necessary to get the child to respond correctly

Fade Prompts

Prompt fading Gradually reduce

the level of prompting needed. For example:Full physical to

partial physicalFull physical to

gesturalModel to verbalVerbal to visual

Time delay Delay prompt by 1-

3 seconds

Prompting: Application/Activity

Consider 2 tasks1. Dressing or completing a drawing activity

2. Identifying features of an object or labeling pictures How would you prompt your student in these

tasks Most to least – errorless teaching Least to most

How would you fade

ABA Components

Prompting Errorless Learning Reinforcement Behavioral Momentum Stages of Learning

Hurray for Reinforcers!!

Reinforcement

All people use reinforcement in every day life. 

Something is a reinforcer if it increases the behavior that occurred immediately before the reinforcer was delivered.

Reinforcement

A reinforcer can be positive or negative.

Positive – giving something to increase a behavior, like a smile, a cookie or a toy

Negative- taking something away to increase a behavior, like turning off the alarm clock, or a teacher removing a demand so the child will stop screaming.

Guidelines for Reinforcement If it doesn’t increase behavior, it isn’t a reinforcer.

Each child will have different reinforcers.

A reinforcer for a child won’t be a reinforcer forever.

Vary reinforcers.

Reinforcers should be immediate.

Always pair tangible reinforcers with social praise,

eye contact, high fives, hugs, brief games.

Guidelines for Reinforcement Use descriptive praise for correct responses (e.g.

“You are sitting so quietly, we are ready to get started!” or “Thanks for closing the door, you are a great helper.”).

If reinforcement is being presented after each trial, short-lived reinforcers should be used. A single mini M&M, one blow on the bubble wand, a quick high five and a "Great job!"

Start with reinforcement after every trial then thin out the reinforcement schedule once a behavior is learned.

101 Ways to PraiseWOW • WAY TO GO • SUPER • YOU'RE SPECIAL • OUTSTANDING • EXCELLENT

•GREAT• GOOD • NEAT • WELL DONE • REMARKABLE • I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT • I'M PROUD OF YOU • FANTASTIC • SUPER STAR • NICE WORK • LOOKING GOOD • YOU'RE ON TOP OF IT • BEAUTIFUL • NOW YOU'RE FLYING • YOU'RE

CATCHING ON • NOW YOU'VE GOT IT • YOU'RE INCREDIBLE • BRAVO • YOU'RE FANTASTIC • HURRAY FOR YOU • YOU'RE ON TARGET • YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY •

HOW NICE • HOW SMART • GOOD JOB • THAT'S INCREDIBLE • HOT DOG • DYNAMITE • YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL • YOU'RE UNIQUE • NOTHING CAN STOP YOU NOW • GOOD FOR YOU • I LIKE YOU YOU'RE A WINNER • REMARKABLE JOB •

BEAUTIFUL WORK • SPECTACULAR • YOU'RE SPECTACULAR • YOU'RE DARLING • YOU'RE PRECIOUS • GREAT DISCOVERY • YOU'VE DISCOVERED THE SECRET • YOU FIGURED IT OUT • FANTASTIC JOB • HIP, HIP, HURRAY • BINGO •

MAGNIFICENT • MARVELOUS • TERRIFIC • YOU'RE IMPORTANT • PHENOMENAL • YOU'RE SENSATIONAL • SUPER WORK • CREATIVE JOB • SUPER JOB •

FANTASTIC JOB • EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE • YOU'RE A REAL TROOPER • YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE • YOU ARE EXCITING • YOU LEARNED IT RIGHT • WHAT AN IMAGINATION •WHAT A GOOD LISTENER • YOU ARE FUN • YOU'RE GROWING

UP • YOU TRIED HARD • YOU CARE • BEAUTIFUL SHARING • OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE • YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND • I TRUST YOU • YOU'RE IMPORTANT • YOU MEAN A LOT TO ME • YOU MAKE ME HAPPY • YOU BELONG • YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND • YOU MAKE ME LAUGH • YOU BRIGHTEN MY DAY • I RESPECT YOU • YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME • THAT'S CORRECT • YOU'RE A JOY • YOU'RE A TREASURE • YOU'RE WONDERFUL • YOU'RE PERFECT • AWESOME • A+ JOB •

YOU'RE A-OK MY BUDDY • YOU MADE MY DAY • THAT'S THE BEST • A BIG HUG • A BIG KISS • I LOVE YOU!

Reinforcement Better responses get a better reinforcer

Faster responding Louder responding Longer responding (e.g., time on task) More accurate (e.g., says word more clearly)

Better reinforcers are More (e.g., popcorn) Better (e.g., favorite color m & m) Longer access (e.g., more time to watch video)

Reinforcement Schedules

Continuous – Reinforce after every correct responseUsed for acquisition and difficult tasks

Intermittent – Fixed or variable scheduleUsed to maintain a behavior

Identifying and Individualizing Reinforcers

Ask / Survey Observe Sample/Preference

assessment

Reinforcer Assessment

Survey Reinforcer survey 1

Reinforcer survey 2

Conduct a reinforcer assessment

Rapport Building (Pairing)

High quality programs have positive teacher child interactions

The goal of pairing is for the learner to enjoy being with the instructor (the instructor is a big chocolate chip cookie)

The learner should not want to escape from the instructor When a child sees you, he should know that great

things are going to happen and not bad things Pairing happens before instructional demands

start

Rapport Building (Pairing)

We don’t want kids working to escape from the teacher.

It’s okay to work to get a fun reinforcer and learn to associate that reinforcer with a person.

So…Why wouldn’t you try to use pairing?What is better than this?

Rapport Building (Pairing)

A process of establishing yourself as a reinforcer in order to build rapport with child. Associate yourself with a reinforcer.

Best types of reinforcers for pairing: Are controlled by you Can be delivered multiple times in small amounts Go away by themselves and don’t need to be taken

away Are somehow better with you than without you (toy

that only you know how to turn on)

Pairing: Steps

Identify the learner’s reinforcers Best types of reinforcers for pairing:

Are controlled by you Can be delivered multiple times in small amounts Go away by themselves and don’t need to be taken away Are somehow better with you than without you (toy that only you

know how to turn on) Limit the availability of other reinforcers during pairing Create an environment that is fun Offer something that is more desirable than what they

are already doing Pair your voice and yourself with the reinforcers

Engaging Tasks

Boring is not always in the task, but in the environment because you don’t have enough reinforcement (lever example)

A task has to be so engaging that children do not want to escape

ABA Components

Prompting Errorless Learning Reinforcement Behavioral Momentum Stages of Learning

Behavioral Momentum

Behavioral MomentumFaced with a list of tasks, we often complete the easier tasks first so we can check them off the list and achieve satisfaction from small successes before we tackle the harder tasks…

This is the concept of behavior momentum

Behavioral MomentumUse the same procedure with your students Roll with successes Provide the student with a series of high

probability (motivating) requests or directions. This will increase the likelihood that the student will comply with the less likely (low probability) direction/request.

Behavioral Momentum and the Classroom Schedule

Avoid starting the day with “unlikely” or “nonpreferred” activities, such as a review of the previous day’s problems, a difficult assignment, or calendar review.

Instead, begin with “likely” or “preferred” behaviors, games or activities, such as “Simon Says,” team guess of a teacher’s selected mystery animal, or reading a high-interest story.

Follow the preferred activities with less likely activities (e.g., academic assignments, problem review).

Ben’s

Picks

Behavioral Momentum and Individual Student Responses

Use behavior momentum to encourage students to follow directions and complete demands Start by giving three or more requests that a student

will readily do. After successfully completing each request, reinforce the student—this builds “behavior momentum.”

Next make a more difficult request

This is why we use “mixed trials” – more about this later

Behavioral Momentum: Example

Mrs. Cleaver is working with 4-year-old Allison to improve following directions. After identifying high and low probability behaviors for Allison, she uses the following sequence . . .

“Allison, where’s the dog?”“Allison, give me five.”

“Allison, what’s your favorite animal?”“Allison, put your puzzle

back on the shelf.”

ABA Components

Prompting Errorless Learning Reinforcement Shaping Behavioral Momentum Stages of Learning

Stages of learning

For each targeted goal, consider the stage of learning.

1. Acquisition

2. Fluency building

3. Maintenance

4. Generalization

Acquisition

Characterized by high rates of inaccurate responses. Students have little or no skill at this stage. With careful teacher-directed instruction, the rate of accurate responses rises.

Acquisition

Acquisition requires intense teacher-student interaction

Numerous prompts are needed for correct responses

Correct responding is the focus not fast responding

Use errorless learning to reduce errors

Acquisition

Foreign languages

Reading

Picture Exchange Communication: Request

Fluency Building

When the responses reach independence at 80-90% accuracy, students are moving into fluency building.

Students practice to increase the speed of responding accurately.

Teacher provides corrective feedback.

Fluency

Foreign languages

Reading

Picture Exchange Communication: Request

Maintenance

Once students respond fluently, instructional time for the target skill is reduced

Practice is provided for maintenance

(Goal selection)

Maintenance

Foreign languages

Reading

Picture Exchange Communication: Request

Generalization

If you don’t program for generalization, don’t bother

teaching at all.

Generalization

Transfer of learning: Stimuli – use multiple exemplars and real objects People – use multiple instructions, parents Settings – use varied and natural settings Behaviors – teach behaviors of similar response class

Reduce the level of prompting and reinforcement used so the student can demonstrate the behavior independently.

Generalization

Foreign languages

Reading

Picture Exchange Communication: Request

Ways to Increase Generalization Teach in the target situation

Use common items that will be encountered in the natural environment

Provide multiple examples

Vary instructors

Increase reinforcement in the natural environment for taught behaviors

Teach meaningful behaviors that are useable across people and settings

Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)

What is the difference between ABA and DTT?

Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)

DTT is a teaching procedure based

on ABA principles

Steege, M. W., Mace, F. C., Perry, L., & Longnecker, H. (2007). Applied behavior

analysis: Beyond discrete trial teaching. Psychology in the Schools, 44(1), 91-99.

Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)

Primarily adult-directed and implemented in a structured setting

Particularly effective for teaching early learning and language skills

One component of a comprehensive program for children with ASD

Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)

Breaks skills into small parts Provides concentrated teaching opportunities Uses prompting & prompt fading Uses reinforcement procedures Data collection informs programming

decisions Teaches to fluency and generalization

To Master a Concept

8-12 repetitions for a gifted student 23-35 repetitions for an average student 1400 repetitions for a “naïve” student

What works: Research about teaching and learning, US Dept of Ed, 1996

Presenting Instruction

REQUEST RESPONSE REACTION

What makes the behavior happen

What increases the chance the behavior will happen

again

Instruction

“Do This”: Imitation

“MATCH”: Pre-academic

“Do Puzzle”: Play Skills

“Give me the . . .”: Receptive Language

PROMPT

REINFORCEMENT

Get attention

Correct Incorrect Reinforce Prompt for correct response

REQUEST

RESPONSE

REACTION

Instructional Delivery

Nuances of presentation Environment Teaching session length Instructor language Mixing vs. massing Pacing Varying placement Set size

Request Response ReactionStimulus Response Consequence

Instructional Delivery: Environment

Work in the most natural environment that will still allow the child to learn

Use the environment to block and manage behavior, but gradually move to a natural learning environment

Instructional Delivery

Nuances of presentation Environment Teaching session length Instructor language Mixing vs. massing Pacing Varying placement Set size

Request Response ReactionStimulus Response Consequence

Instructional Delivery: Session Length Keep track of when a child starts to lose

momentum and stop a minute before

Always end on a positive request

Work up to longer periods of work

Instructional Delivery

Nuances of presentation Environment Teaching session length Instructor language Mixing vs. massing Pacing Varying placement Set size

Request Response ReactionStimulus Response Consequence

Instructional Delivery: Instructor Language Simple vs. complex

When do you keep the lead constant vs. vary the lead (e.g. point to…, touch…, show me…, where is…)

Instructional Delivery

Nuances of presentation Environment Teaching session length Instructor language Mixing vs. massing Pacing Varying placement Set size

Request Response ReactionStimulus Response Consequence

Presentation:Mass Trial vs. Mixed Trial Mass trial is repeated practice of the same task

Provides lots of practice Rote and sometimes hard to generalize

Mixed trials involve asking a combination of questions More natural and easier to generalize Some students may have a hard time learning a task

in a mixed presentation

Mass Trial vs. Mixed Trial

Instructional Delivery

Nuances of presentation Environment Teaching session length Instructor language Mixing vs. massing Pacing Varying placement Set size

Request Response ReactionStimulus Response Consequence

Instructional Delivery: Pacing

How quickly to you present a request to a student?

Considerations:Child’s processing speedErrorless learning approachStage of learning (acquisition vs. fluency)

Instructional Delivery

Nuances of presentation Environment Teaching session length Instructor language Mixing vs. massing Pacing Varying placement Set size

Request Response ReactionStimulus Response Consequence

Instructional Delivery: Vary Placement Change position of item presented each time

Change from horizontal to vertical

Change setting (e.g. PECS)

Change location (table vs. held by instructor)

Instructional Delivery

Nuances of presentation Environment Teaching session length Instructor language Mixing vs. massing Pacing Varying placement Set size

Request Response ReactionStimulus Response Consequence

Instructional Delivery: Set Size

How many items are presented at a time? When do you present two?

When do you present three? (why is this better?)

When do you present multiple items?

Autism and ABA Apps

Autism Apps

ABA Apps

Day Two

Next Steps

How do we set up intensive teaching?

Next Steps: How do we set up intensive teaching?

Identify curricula Complete a student skills assessment Select targets based on the assessment Establish a data collection system Complete reinforcer survey and collect items Identify time in the daily schedule for

intensive teaching

Intensive Teaching Curriculum Areas

Readiness skills/Learning to learn Attention Imitation Motivation Making choices

Language Play/Social skills Pre-academic/Academic/Literacy Self help/Adaptive Motor

Curriculum to Teach Specific Skills

Assessment, Evaluation and Programming System (0-3 and 3-6) (AEPS) - http://aepslinkedsystem.com/

The STAR Program – www.starautismprogram.com Rethink Autism - http://www.rethinkautism.com/ Teaching language to children with autism or other

developmental disabilities by Sundberg & Partington Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism

by Maurice, Green, & Luce Teach Me Language by Freeman & Dake

Next Steps: How do we set up intensive teaching?

Identifying curricula Complete a student skills assessment Select targets based on the assessment Establish a data collection system Complete reinforcer survey and collect items Identify time in the daily schedule for

intensive teaching

Conducting a Skills Assessment

You only know what to teach by assessing a child’s current skills and knowing where you want the child to go next.

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.“Which road do I take”? she asked.His response was a question: “Where do you want to go”?“I don’t know,” Alice answered.“Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.”

~Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland

MDE Approved Assessment Systems Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System

(AEPS) Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2n edition (BDI-2) Brigance Inventory of Early Development-II (IED-II) Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs

(CCPSN) Preschool Child Observation Record, 2nd ed (COR) Creative Curriculum Development Continuum for Ages 3-

5 (CCDC) Learning Accomplishment Profile – Third Edition (LAP-3)

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/REPORTING_PRESCHOOL_SPED_OUTCOMES_for_the_WEB_4.08_235053_7.pdf

Assessment systems often used with children with ASD

Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infant and Children (AEPS)AEPS Interactive (AEPSi)

http://www.aepsi.com The Assessment of Basic Language and

Learning Skills-Revised (ABBLS-R) Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and

Placement Program (VB-MAPP)

Classroom Skills Assessment

You can use a skills assessment data sheet for all of your students to assess performance in typical classroom activities and self-help skills

This data can be used for the development of IEP goals and intensive teaching targets

Skills Data Sheet Across Students

Fine motor

Social

Eating

Basically…know thy student

Student summary

Student summary example

Student Example Gavin knows his upper and lowercase letters, letter sounds, numbers to 29, the

concept of one and all in a set, basic colors and shapes. He is able to copy simple lines, trace letters and lines. He is independent in eating and beginning toileting. He has some overall delays in motor coordination for his age but navigates safely in

multiple environments. He has significant delays in functional use of language and speaks in primarily one

word utterances. He does not communicate to get his needs met, seek information or interact by

answering questions or recalling events. He is able to receptively and expressively identify pictures and objects. He is beginning to understand the features, function and category of objects. He understands the concepts of small, medium and large He has difficulty initiating interaction with peers and primarily plays alone or with an

adult. He will participate in organized games supervised by an adult and do some basic pretend play with adult supervision.

He rarely responds to peer initiated interactions or initiaties with peers.

Student Example: Gavin

Progress record

Graph 1

Graph 2

Child report

Select a student for intensive teaching Based on your assessments of all

students, who would require more intensive instruction.

Develop an intensive teaching program for one student to begin.

Next Steps: How do we set up intensive teaching?

Identifying curricula Complete a student skills assessment Select targets based on the assessment Establish a data collection system Complete reinforcer survey and collect

items Identify time in the daily schedule for

intensive teaching

What do we teach?

We teach those skills that will help the child become better learners, gain independence, and be successful in general

education

Choosing Goals

Expectations are addressed throughout the day in all activities and generally are not chosen as IEP goals and targets

Choose your IEP goals and targets from the items on the assessment and from a solid curriculum

Choosing Targets Balance across curriculum areas Ask the following question:

Does the child have the necessary prerequisite skills for this target?

Is this target developmentally/age appropriate for the child?

Will this skill help to reduce problem behaviors? Will this skill lead to the teaching of other meaningful

skills? Is this skill likely to generalize? Will this skill be maintained? Will the child acquire this skill in a reasonable amount

of time? Is this skill important for the child and family?

Choosing target words to teach

If you were going to Japan and you wanted to choose 12 words that would be very relevant to get around, what would they be?

When choosing any target, choose what is most relevant and likely to be learned and used

This concept applies generally across all areas: pre-academic skills, play, etc.

Choosing target words to teach

Teach words that can be used broadly (e.g., “open” can be understood and used for open door, open jar, open lid, open goldfish bag, open mouth and say ahh)

Avoid choosing words that do not convey a concrete meaning (e.g. more) or words that are not critical for understanding (e.g. please, more)

Choose words that are motivating to the child and will be used frequently and reinforced

Teach yes and no

Target Examples

Target Areas

Target Areas with Examples

Circle Time Targets

Student Example: Gavin

Student summary IEP Summary

IEP Goals 1 IEP Goals 2 IEP Goals 3

Next Steps: How do we set up intensive teaching?

Identifying curricula Complete a student skills assessment Select targets based on the assessment Establish a data collection system Complete reinforcer survey and collect

items Identify time in the daily schedule for

intensive teaching

Identifying a Data Collection System Identify an appropriate data sheet

Clearly define targets and instructions

Probe data collection vs. trial by trial

Indicate prompt level

Taking Data

Identify an appropriate data sheetClearly define targets and instructions

Probe Data SheetSample Probe Data Sheet

Develop criteria for success/mastery

Consider how same aged typical peers perform this skill. Does a typical child perform this skill 80% of the time or more? Do not set your criteria too low or the child will not achieve

true mastery. Anything less than 80% mastery probably will not be maintained once intensive teaching is ended.

Do not set your criteria higher than would be observed in same aged peers without a disability

For intensive teaching, the criteria often used in the Ottawa program is independent responses on the first cold probe over 3 consecutive days

Student Example: Gavin

Probe data sheet

Multiple students Data Tracking

Goals may be clustered across students

Examples Skills Assessment Classroom Behavior Social Goals

Classroom IEP Data Sheets

IEP Goals 1

IEP Goals 2

Skills Assessment

Toilet training data sheet

Monitoring Progress

The data needs to be reviewed weekly to decide whether changes need to be made to the program

Use a systematic process to decide when to make changes:Mastery criteria for movement forwardProblem solving model for lack of progress

Probe Data Sheet Example

What does this graph tell us?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

20

40

60

80

100

What does this graph tell us?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

20

40

60

80

100

What does this graph tell us?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 120

102030405060708090

100

What does this graph tell us?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

102030405060708090

100

Next Steps: How do we set up intensive teaching?

Identifying curricula Complete a student skills assessment Select targets based on the assessment Establish a data collection system Complete reinforcer survey Identify time in the daily schedule for

intensive teaching

Reinforcer Assessment

Ask/Survey Reinforcer survey 1Reinforcer survey 2

Observe Create a Summary

Reinforcer Summary

Next Steps: How do we set up intensive teaching?

Identifying curricula Complete a student skills assessment Select targets based on the assessment Establish a data collection system Complete reinforcer survey and collect

items Identify time in the daily schedule for

intensive teaching

Accumulated Information

You now have lots of knowledge about practices and strategies. Let’s go back

to your schedule and think about maximizing time.

Finding Time: Be Creative

Specials class (e.g., art or music) when another teacher is in the room – only a segment of the time

Snack – two children do intensive teaching and the snack can be part of the reinforcer

Story time – two children do intensive teaching, especially if you have children that have trouble sitting and paying attention and may require lots of redirection, and thus adult attention, anyway

Coloring time may be a good time for a couple of children to get some intensive teaching time

Speech or OT time when some children might be with the therapist, then the other children can get intensive teaching

If a child is having behavior problems that require 1:1 adult time anyway, then change the schedule to give intensive teaching time to that child

Set up stations/centers, including at least 1-2 independent centers, and have 1-2 centers be intensive teaching with a teacher and a para

In all of these situations, rotate the children so they do not consistently miss the same activity

Next Steps: How do we set up an intensive teaching program?

Complete reinforcer survey and collect items: Review Handout

Fill in scheduling activity form

Identify time in the daily schedule for intensive teaching: Review Handout

Guidelines to Maximize Progress Make it fun; Use lots of interesting and varied

reinforcers (and materials when appropriate)

Begin with shorter sessions then extend time

Take breaks

Mix the trials

Alternate difficult & easy trials (behavioral momentum)

Generalize skills daily

How do we do intensive teaching with more than one child?

Working with More than One Child at a Time Identify students with same targets or

similar targets (quick movement back and forth between students)

If students have different targets, create a system for moving between different materials and presentations (occupy non-engaged student)

How do we find time to offer intensive teaching?

Models of Intensive Teaching

Additional staff to run intensive teaching sessions across classrooms (TBA model)

Extra training and assistance to classroom staff when a child with ASD starts in a new classroom

Project DATA/extended day (Schwartz et al.)

Embedded in classroom schedule (McBride & Schwartz)

Expanding Learning Opportunities Project

Rethink Autism curriculum

Project DATA model

Undergrads supervised by professional

staff

What to do before the next training?

Keep Working on the Classroom Priorities

Develop Intensive Teaching for one student