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| Developing Effective School-Based Programs for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. |
| Friday, May 23, 2008 |
| 10:00 AM–5:00 PM |
| Boulevard C |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Sharon A. Reeve, Ph.D. |
| SHARON A. REEVE (Caldwell College), MARY ELLEN MCDONALD (Hofstra University) |
| Description: Effective school-based programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders are greatly needed, yet development of such programs is no easy task. Many components are necessary to ensure success of a program and this workshop will thoroughly review all of these components, from the very broad and generic topics, such as curriculum development, to the very specific topics such as classroom set-up and daily staff rotation. To that end, an overview will be presented on individualized assessment, goal selection, skill assessment and curriculum development. In addition, staff development, staff retention, and training strategies will be thoroughly discussed. Classroom management, make-up, and effective classroom systems, such as protocols for staff rotation, specific training requests and analysis of a childs performance, as well as the arrangement of the instructional space will be reviewed. In addition, inclusion opportunities and necessary pre-requisite skills for particular inclusive settings will be analyzed. Strategies for collaboration with parents and related service providers will be discussed. Finally, strategies for program evaluation and overcoming obstacles in public schools and non-profit organizations will be presented. |
| Learning Objectives: 1. list five necessary components for an effective school-based program for individuals with autism 2. describe effective assessment procedures and goal selection 3. describe three ways in which to train staff 4. describe three ways to maintain staff morale 5. describe four effective classroom systems 6. describe three ways in which to effectively collaborate with parents and related service providers 7. describe four pre-requisite skills necessary for a successful inclusion experience 8. describe an inclusive programmatic evaluation system |
| Activities: Participants will receive extensive handouts and will have opportunities to participate in didactic presentations, problem solving discussion, and the exploration of various situations that arise when developing and consulting for school-based programs, through the use of video-based scenarios. Role- playing will be used for various topics such as the effective application of behavior analytic principles in the workplace. Participants will also have the opportunity to develop strategies designed to retain staff and maintain staff morale. Engagement in various additional activities such as arranging instructional space and designing classroom management procedures will also be practiced. |
| Audience: This workshop is appropriate for behavior analysts who are interested in consulting in school-based programs and/or has ABA experience consulting/teaching individuals with autism in various clinical settings. It is also appropriate for parents who would like to develop skills in the assessment of various components of school-based programs. In addition, public/private school administrators and members of child study teams who wish to develop a new program or expand upon an already established program may also find this workshop helpful. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |