high functioning autism as a contextual …...asperger’s syndrome/high functioning autism (as/hfa)...
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High Functioning Autism as a Contextual Framework for Accessible Education Jillian Caduto Psychology, Children’s Health and Education
+What Is Autism (ASD)?
n A pervasive developmental disorder in which an individual has: n Persistent deficits in social communication and social
interaction across multiple contexts n Restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities
n Symptoms present in early development, not fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities
n Disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental disorder
n Affects 1 in every 64 children
(American Psychological Association, 2013)
+Asperger’s Syndrome/High Functioning Autism (AS/HFA)
n Autism is a spectrum disorder
n Asperger’s once considered its own entity, but collapsed into ASD as of the last DSM update
n Characterized by: n Unusual speech patterns n Difficulty understanding pragmatics and suprasegmentals of
speech n Hypersensitive to different stimuli in the environment n Normal levels of cognition
n Despite normal intelligence, students with AS/HFA still require additional supports
(Autism Speaks Inc., 2018), (Rao, Beidel, & Murray, 2007),
+Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
n Federal mandate that requires states receiving funding for special education programs to design and implement specific education services for each child with disability
n Components included statements of: n Child’s current academic achievement level
n Measurable annual goals
n Description of benchmarks
n Child’s progress
n Goal is to place student in the least restrictive learning environment to enhance achievement outcomes
(Hickman and Applequist, 2013), (Allen-Mears, MacDonald, & McGee, 2016)
+IEP Team
n Various disciplines providing services to ensure student success in the classroom
n Includes: n Parents
n Regular education teacher
n Special education teacher
n School administration
n Representative of the public agency
n Related service personnel (school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, etc.)
n If appropriate, the child.
(Hickman and Applequist, 2013).
+Roles of Team Members
n Regular Education Teacher n Works on planning the general curriculum and the specific
courses of study to help student meet IEP goals
n Special Education Teacher n May help in general education classroom or provide pull-out
services in a resource room
n Helps in curriculum development/modification
n Assists in pre- and post-testing
(Lee, Wehmeyer, Soukup, & Palmer, 2010), (“AASEP’s Staff Development Course”, 2018)
+Roles of Team Members (cont.)
n School Psychologist n Observes development of student population to recognize warning
signs of autism and trains general educations to notice risk factors n Participates in the behavioral screening process n Diagnose (if appropriately trained) n Conduct special education evaluations
n Speech-Language Pathologist n prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social
communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults
n work one-on-one with the individual with AS/HFA, within a group of students with similar deficits, or provide in-class services to help improve communication
(Brock, Jimerson, and Hansen, 2006), (American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 2018)
+IEP Goals
n Developed by observing student behavior and conducting a battery of test to establish baseline n Use to develop benchmarks for attainable goals
n Looks at strengths and weaknesses
n IEP team works to provide accommodations and the necessary skill set to achieve attainable goals n Examples of accommodations:
n Limiting external stimuli
n Explicit directions with visuals
n Optimal seating
(Shore, 2010)
+The Problem with Establishing Goals
n Concerns in goal development due to inconsistencies in methodology among IEP team members n 2012 study noting limited understanding of diagnosis and lack of
training or proper training to administer baseline testing and providing adequate services
n Poor baseline testing results in inaccurate results to establish appropriate goals
n Lack of education on diagnoses, testing, and providing services leads to poor content development
(Blackwell and Rosetti, 2014), (Sansosti and Sansosti, 2012)
+Hauser’s OBSE Framework Model
n Framework that outlines the creation and implementation of an IEP in four steps:
n (O)perationalize n Goals should be straightforward and written clearly as to not
contain ambiguous wording
n Focus on one measureable behavior or skill per goal
n (B)aseline n Establishes benchmarks for behavior
n Using present observations to collect data or use previously collected data to asses quality, quantity, or both for a behavior
n Define terms and protocol for scoring execution of behavior
(Hauser, 2017)
+Hauser’s OBSE Framework Model (Cont.)
n (S)cale n Depends on what is being asses, how it is defined, evaluation
methods, and targets for student growth n Quantitative or qualitative scales
n (E)valuation n Who will be carrying out the evaluation n When will the evaluation take place n In what context is the behavior being assessed
n Additional professional development n Helps team members collaborate with one another and best
understand the four steps as a whole
(Hauser, 2017)
+IEP Influence Beyond High School
n In high school, postsecondary goals are added to IEP n Preparation for higher education or workforce
n Transitional plan includes: n continuous social and life skills development n sex education n workplace expectations and appropriate workplace behavior n well-planned postsecondary educational supports n and forming and planning leisure activities in adulthood
n Universities continuing this plan through use of Student Accessibility Services and First Year Seminars n UConn implemented their program
(Wenzel and Rowley, 2010)
+The Project
n The IEP n Purpose is to understand the components of the IEP, the
professionals involved, common goals, and how progress is tracked to meet goals.
n IEP Team Training and Collaboration Do’s and Don’ts n Purpose is to understand how the team works together and what
can be done to improve services.
+Putting the Pieces Together
n Autism Spectrum Disorder is a rising diagnosis and those at the higher end of the spectrum may not be noticed for special education services until later.
n Important to note these students as to provide the necessary services and accommodations to help academic success.
n IEP team personnel should be well versed in understanding the disorder and service delivery model as to best provide these accommodations as a cohesive unit.
+References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
American Speech-Language Hearing Association. (2018). The Profession of Speech-Language Pathology. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from https://www.asha.org/Students/Speech-Language-Pathology/
Autism Speaks Inc. (Ed.). (2018). How are Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Different? Retrieved March 5, 2018, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/asperger-syndrome-and-high-functioning-autism-tool-kit/how-are-and-hfa-dif
Blackwell, W. H., & Rossetti, Z. S. (2014).The development of individualized education programs: where have we been and where should we go now? SAGE Open, 4(2), 1–15.doi:10.1177/2158244014530411
Brock, S. E., Jimerson, S. R., & Hansen, R. L. (2006). Identifying, assessing, and treating autism at school. New York: Springer.
+References (Cont.)
Hauser, M. D. (2017). The Essential and Interrelated Components of Evidenced-Based IEPs: A User’s Guide. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 49(6), 420-428. doi 10.1177/0040059916688327
Hickman, J. A., & Applequist, K. F. (2013). Individualized educational plan. In C. R. Reynolds, K. J. Vannest, & E. Fletcher-Janzen (Eds.), Encyclopedia of special education: a reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved from https://gold.worcester.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/wileyse/individualized_educational_plan/0?institutionId=5188
Lee SH, Wehmeyer ML, Soukup J, Palmer SB. Impact of curriculum modifications on access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities. Exceptional Children. 2010;76(2):213–233.
MacLeod, A., & Green, S. (2009). Beyond the books: Case study of a collaborative and holistic -support model for university students with Asperger’s syndrome. Studies in Higher Education, 34, 631–646.
+References (Cont.)
Sansosti, J. M., & Sansosti, F. J. (2012). Inclusion for Students with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders: Definitions and Decision Making: Inclusion for Students With HFASD. Psychology in the Schools, 49(10), 917–931. http://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21652
Shore, S. (2010). Strengths and Challenges [PDF]. Autism Speaks Inc.
Wenzel, C., & Rowley, L. (2010). Teaching Social Skills and Academic Strategies to College Students with Aspergers Syndrome. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 42(5), 44-50. doi:10.1177/004005991004200505
Zeedyk, S. M., Tipton, L. A., & Blacher, J. (2014). Educational Supports for High Functioning Youth With ASD. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 31(1), 37-48. doi:10.1177/1088357614525435