Category Archives: autism

Pick of the Week: “Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents”

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Executive function in individuals with autism has become a hot topic, and this is the bestselling guide that helped put executive skills on the map for school-based clinicians and educators.  This week only, you can save 15% on your copy of the second edition of Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents.  Just use our promotional code EXECSK5 at checkout.

This manual explains how these critical cognitive processes develop and why they play such a key role in children’s behavior and school performance. Concise and practitioner-friendly, the manual provides step-by-step guidelines and practical tools to promote executive skill development by implementing environmental modifications, individualized instruction, coaching, and whole-class interventions.

Included in this book are sections on developing behavioral objectives and measuring intervention effectiveness, strategies to intervene at levels of the student and the environment, routines in getting ready to begin the day, collecting homework, writing papers, studying for tests, managing open-ended tasks, managing anxiety, and much more. With these strategies, you will be able to address executive skills such as task initiation, sustained attention, working memory, planning, organization, time management, emotional control, and response inhibition, among others. More than 24 reproducible checklists, questionnaires, planning sheets and assessment tools are also included to empower readers to immediately help teach executive skills.

We’ve also included a sample chapter on our site so you can have a sneak peek at this edition!  Don’t forget – take 15% off your order of Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention by using EXECSK5 at checkout this week!

Visual Schedule to Improve Independent Play Skills in Children with Autism

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Parents, caregivers, therapists and teachers alike work so hard to teach a variety of play skills but what happens when your child or student doesn’t make that leap from facilitated play to independent play? Independent play is such an important skill that will allow him or her to better connect with their peers, build friendships, expand problem-solving skills and structure downtime.  A successful transition from demonstrating play skills with adult support to playing independently can be impacted by a myriad of variables.

Some of my students struggle with independent play because it is difficult to move from a thick schedule of reinforcement of 1:1 adult attention to a thinner one of just having an adult “check in” once in a while.  Other learners have impairments impacting executive function, specifically the organization and sequencing of steps for meaningful and reinforcing play as well as on-task behavior, task completion and working memory. Additionally, in some cases the skill of independent play is elusive because teachers struggle to find ways to fade out prompts or to successfully thin out the schedule of reinforcement.

Below is the visual schedule with data sheets for measuring acquisition and progress that I have created.  I have found it useful with learners with very different skill sets and abilities.  Click here for a comprehensive Task Analysis on teaching independent play using a visual schedule.

Keep in mind that this is for learners that:

  • Have successfully acquired a varied repertoire of play skills
  • Do not require visual schedules that break down every step of the play
  • Are able to complete activities with delayed reinforcement

In order to prepare this for use with the learner:

  • Set up a toy organizational system that has toys bins
  • Print the materials and laminate the schedule strip and the cut out shapes.
  • Attach Velcro dots to the bins, schedule strip and shapes and to the work surface if you like
  • Identify activities that are suitable for this schedule

Remember that any open-ended activities like building blocks or coloring can be turned into close-ended activities by limiting the number of pieces or by teaching the learner to use a timer.

As you would when teaching any schedule, use a most-to-least prompting strategy, only use verbal instruction for the initial direction or SD (e.g. “Go play.”), and prompt only from behind and out of view.

The schedule I have been using has a smiley face at the end of the schedule indicating a “free choice” time which all of my students understand.  However, if you are using this with a learner that requires a visual reminder of what they are working for, you could easily adapt this by putting a picture of the reward in the place of the smiley face.  Time to play!

*Don’t forget to download your free visual schedule and data sheets here!

Pick of the Week: Should I or Shouldn’t I?

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New from the Social Thinking team, Should I or Shouldn’t I? encourages players to think about their own behavior choices and compare how their perceptions match—or don’t—those of others. The game is built on the idea of perspective-taking and explores social behaviors from different viewpoints to help develop understanding of how these affect relationships with others. The object of the game is to have players think about their own thoughts and behaviors and those of others in various situations. This week, we’re featuring both the Middle/High School and Elementary School editions as our Pick of the Week with a 15% discount to your order. Just enter in promo code SHOULDI3 to redeem your savings at checkout.

The brand-new Elementary School edition fosters important discussions about social situations that elementary-aged students ages 8-11 may encounter at home, at school, and out in the community. Between the ages of 8-11, the social demands placed on kids begin to change. Teachers expect kids to be more socially aware of others and be more independent in monitoring their own social behaviors. Kids of this age are also expected to successfully navigate unstructured social experiences such as recess and lunch. For many, this is difficult. As kids move through grades 3-5, play also changes from being imaginative to being competitive. Kids “hang out” more, which often translates into increasingly sophisticated conversations where group members must figure out other people’s motives and intentions. Overall, social nuance becomes much more complex.

This game gives kids a chance to explore this shifting social landscape and learn how their own views compare/contrast with the way their peers view things. The Prompt and Challenge cards address a wide range of age-matched situations that arise at school, during down time together, or in the community. However, it is always wise for parents or therapists to read through the cards and remove those that may be inappropriate for any of the players or that are mismatched to their level of social functioning or social understanding.

 

The Middle/High School edition is designed to give preteens and teens a fun and motivating way to improve their social sense, practice taking the perspectives of others, and discuss relevant teen issues in a nonjudgmental setting. Questions posed on the Prompt and Challenge cards address a wide variety of teenage-related situations, such as interacting at home, at school, at a friend’s home, the mall, the grocery store, at a party or the library, at the movies or on a date.  For some alternative ways to play, check out Sam Blanco‘s set of Modified Instructions for the Middle/High School edition of this game.
Each edition can be played 1-on-1 with a therapist or in a group of up to 6 players. Each set includes: 100 Prompt cards to practice perspective taking; 50 Challenge cards that help generalize learning; 6 sets of Voting Cards; 6 copies of the 5-Point Behavior Rating Scale; and a Teaching Guide that provides in depth instruction for preparing students to play and meeting the unique needs of each individual learner.Should I or Shouldn’t I? will be perfect if you are looking for structured activities to teach complex social skills to elementary school-aged and teens with autism or other developmental delays. Don’t forget—this week only, you can save 15% on your order of the Should I or Shouldn’t I? Elementary School Edition or Middle/High School Edition by entering in SHOULDI3 at checkout.

Tip of the Week: Increasing Play Between Siblings

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Helping learners with autism engage successfully with their siblings is an important goal. The ultimate goal should be for both the sibling and the child with autism to initiate interactions without adult direction.

Children playing a board gameActivities should be reinforcing for both kids in order to increase the likelihood that siblings will independently engage in play without prompts by adults. Try to avoid situations where you are requiring the typically developing sibling to engage in an activity just because it is motivating for the learner with autism.

Don’t expect the sibling to fill the role of “mini-teacher” or “mini-therapist.” While at times the sibling may need to prompt the learner with autism to complete a task or take a turn during a game, when possible be clear that the adult is responsible for guiding the child with autism through activities. The adult can also act as a model for appropriate language and prompting in instances when the sibling is alone with the child with autism. However, your goal is to provide low-pressure play situations for both children. One way to help with this is to introduce activities and games that the learner with autism has mastered so the sibling is less likely to take on the roll as teacher or therapist.

Teach the learner with autism to invite his/her sibling to play. It’s beneficial for both kids if the learner with autism initiates some activities. While introducing games and toys to learners with autism, it’s useful to have highly-motivating games that then become associated with the sibling. This way, when the learner with autism sees the game, he/she automatically thinks of inviting the sibling to play. In ABA terms, the presentation of the game acts as an Sd for inviting the sibling to play.

Allow both kids to have interests that are unshared. It is frequently counterproductive to force play situations. Finding common interests is the key to increasing the likelihood of each child initiating play in the future. If the child with autism is required to participate in un-motivating activities with his/her sibling (or vice versa), the child will begin to associate the sibling with undesirable activities. It is perfectly normal and healthy for both siblings to engage in hobbies, games, and activities that the other is uninterested in.

Pick of the Week: NEW! Fidgets Kit

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We’re thrilled to introduce this brand new Fidgets Kit, exclusively created and brought to you by Different Roads in conjunction with our Behavioral Consultant Stacy Asay.

Fidget toys can be a great and socially acceptable replacement for stereotypic or repetitive behavior in the classroom or community. Some students find the repetitive action of “fidgeting” to be calming and are then better able to focus on the task at hand. Additionally, some students who have a difficult time staying still are able to sustain sitting behavior for longer periods with less support or prompting when they are manipulating something repeatedly in their hands.

In honor of the arrival of this great new kit, this week only, take 15% off of the Fidgets Kit by entering in our promotional code FIDGETS at checkout!

We’ve assembled this Fidgets Kit to include an array of items that can provide a variety of sensory experiences: stretchy, chewy, spiky, twisty, bumpy, twisty, clicky, bouncy and smooshy! We’ve included a variety of items that vary in texture or are manipulated in different ways so that they can be rotated regularly. The components have also been chosen so that they can be worn on the wrist, clipped to a belt, handheld, or attached to a piece of clothing.

Remember, this week only, take 15% off* your order of the Fidgets Kit by applying FIDGETS at checkout!

*Offer valid through 01/28/14 at 11:59pm EST. Not valid with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces or dashes in the code at checkout!

Product Demo: Tiggly Shapes

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We thought you might like to see a product demo of the Tiggly Shapes & Apps by BCBA Sam Blanco. She’s been happily using the Tiggly Shapes and Apps with her students and we thought you might be interested in some of the uses specifically for learners with autism. Check out our brief demos to get a closer look at Tiggly. And read Sam’s Review on the product here.



The Power of Music (and Katy Perry)

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What can you say? Imagine this mother’s absolute delight when her 8-year old son, mostly non-verbal, started singing the big pop song of the day? His mother, Carla, said “I was so happy to know something that he liked. I don’t know what his favorite food is, I don’t know what his favorite color is. I know he likes music, but I didn’t know he liked a particular song.” Have a listen and be warned – you may erupt in applause.


Pick of the Week: Social Thinking Books

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Social thinking is what we do when we interact with people–how we think about people affects how we behave, which in turn affects how others respond to us, which in turn affects our own feelings. More than 15 years ago, Michelle Garcia Winner coined the term Social Thinking® and developed the related treatment approach for individuals with high-functioning autism, Asperger’s and similar challenges as she treated her students. The term social thinking now encompasses many treatment programs broadly described as “teaching social thinking and related skills.” These strategies share common traits and differ from “social skills” teachings by building specific thinking strategies that occur prior to social communication and interaction.

To help you get started on the Social Thinking® curriculum with your child, this week only, we’re offering a 15% discount on our Social Thinking books: Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students, Thinking About YOU Thinking About ME (2nd Edition), Social Thinking Worksheets for Tweens and Teens: Learning to Read In-Between the Social Lines, and Worksheets! for Teaching Social Thinking and Related Skills. Use promo code BLOGSOCL4* on your online order at checkout.

Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students addresses methods for teaching social-cognitive and -communicative skills to students with deficits in those areas using the Social Thinking Model. This is a core Social Thinking curriculum book and complements Thinking About YOU Thinking About ME.

The 69 included lessons teach students the basics of working and thinking in a group. Each chapter addresses how to use and interpret language (verbal and nonverbal) to understand the contexts where real communication happens. The lessons contained can be used from kindergarten through adulthood, and parents and professionals are encouraged to modify the activities to make them age-appropriate. The beginning lessons introduce the Social Thinking Vocabulary to students and caregivers, so that it can be used throughout the day. Each chapter concludes with IEP goal suggestions to reinforce the concepts. Each chapter also provides a list of educational standards to tie it to the academics of the classroom. An included CD-ROM (Mac/PC compatible) contains all the handouts that accompany the lessons in the book.

Thinking About YOU Thinking About ME presents concrete lessons and strategies for enhancing perspective-taking in students across all ages, as well as information on how to apply them in different settings. It is designed for use by both parents and professionals with students from kindergarten through grade 12. Packed with assessments, teaching methods, and worksheets, this manual covers Michelle Garcia Winner’s perspective-taking model, the four steps of communication (which creates a framework for understanding the complexities of social thinking), sample IEP goals and benchmarks along with complete lessons that can be used in a school or therapeutic setting, Social Behavior Mapping (which presents visual ways to teach students the impact of behavior on themselves and others), the Social Thinking Dynamic Assessment Protocol (which explores why many assessments fall short and provides 25 pages of templates to use as an informal assessment strategy), as well as concrete strategies and templates to help students build their own dynamic social thinking abilities.

Social Thinking Worksheets for Tweens and Teens focuses on (pre)adolescent social concepts that explore how social rules and expectations change with age and require more mature social thinking and social skills. This book covers lessons on friendship, being bossy, participating in groups, and more. There are 160 worksheets across 9 lesson sections along with a PC/MAC compatible CD that contains all the worksheets for downloading. The material in this book may also be used by older students who are less mature or who learn this type of information more slowly.

Worksheets! For Teaching Social Thinking and Related Skills encourages students with Asperger’s Syndrome, autism spectrum disorders (higher functioning), ADHD, NVLD and undiagnosed others to process more deeply what social thinking means to them. This book provides parents and educators with ways to explore breaking down abstract social thinking concepts into concrete ways for students to work on them individually or in group settings. Lessons are organized into categories that include friendship, perspective taking, self-monitoring, being part of a group, problem solving and more. Some worksheets are appropriate for grades K-4, but they work best with grades 5-12.

Remember, this week only, save 15% on your order of any of our Social Thinking® books by entering in the promo code BLOGSOCL4* at checkout!

*Offer is valid until Nov. 19, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces in the promo code at checkout!

Pick of the Week: Reading Focus Card Combo Pack

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Readers who have difficulty focusing and comprehending text will benefit from this effective tool designed to improve attention and focus. This week only, we are offering a 15% discount off our Reading Focus Card Combo Pack. Enter in the promo code BLOGRFC3 at checkout to redeem your savings on your online order.

Reading Focus Cards enable a reader to see 1-2 lines of isolated text and block out the surrounding text and images, encouraging attentiveness and reducing distractions. The optional included colored filters can also help decrease visual stress sometimes caused by white page backgrounds. Cards are available in a random variety of colors and in two sizes to accommodate virtually every book or periodical. Reading Focus Cards are appropriate for readers on all levels and can be used either independently or by facilitators in language building lessons.

The main advantages of using the Reading Focus Card are:

  • Promotes better concentration and comprehension
  • Is portable and easy to store in a pocket or a purse
  • Can be used as a bookmark for easiest access
  • Can also be placed on a binder ring for safe keeping
  • Assists with reading charts, graphs, and stock quotes

This week only, take 15% off your purchase of the Reading Focus Card Combo Pack by entering in the promo code BLOGRFC3* at check out!

*Offer is valid until Nov. 12, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. Not compatible with any other offers. Be sure there are no spaces or dashes in the promo code at checkout!

 

Tip of the Week: Do It Again

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Teacher and Student In A Classroom At SchoolTeaching learners with autism or other developmental delays can frequently be a complicated, stress-inducing labor of love. This is why I especially appreciate that one of the most useful strategies in working with learners of all ages is just three simple words: “Do it again.”

The basic idea behind “Do it again,” (Or “Try it again,” or “Do it better”) is that you are calmly stating that the learner must try an action again and do it better than previously done. You are not yelling, you’re voice isn’t even raised. And you are communicating to the learner that you know he/she is capable of doing more.

In some cases, working with learners who may require more invasive prompts such as physical prompts, it may be necessary to have two adults for this to work best. Below are a few example scenarios of how this might work.

Scenario One

  • Teacher asks student to hand a paper to her.
  • Learner drops paper on desk next to her hand.
  • Teacher: (Hands paper back to student.) Try it again. (Holds hand out for paper.)
  • Learner places paper in hand.
  • Teacher: Thank you.

Scenario Two

  • Non-verbal learner wants to get attention from teacher. Grabs teacher’s shirt and pulls.
  • Second adult (possibly another teacher or paraprofessional): Try it again. (Provides hand-over-hand assistance for giving a light tap to get teacher attention.)
  • Teacher: What do you need, _____?

Scenario Three

  • Learner: S@*!
  • Teacher: Try again.
  • Learner: S@*!
  • Teacher: Try it again. (calm, even tone)
  • Learner: I’m mad.

Scenario Four

  • Learner is running across the room to get a toy.
  • Teacher: Go back. Try again. (The learner must return to the point in which he/she began to run.)
  • Learner walks across the room.

Behaviors to use this with:

  • recurring behaviors in which you know the student knows the rule, or you have repeated the rule many times
  • behaviors that are maintained by attention or desiring “shock value” such as cursing, insulting, or using rude language
  • increasing behaviors related to polite speech
  • decreasing behaviors that could cause injury (such as running in the classroom or being rough with peers or adults)

Why it works:

  • you are demonstrating a calm sense of control
  • you are demonstrating that you have and enforce high expectations
  • you are willing to spend the time to have your learner complete requests correctly
  • the learner is still receiving attention, but it is low-quality attention. You should differentiate the quality of the attention you provide based on the quality of the learner’s behavior.
  • the learner still gets what he/she desires, but only after behaving in the desired manner. It is important that the learner still receives the tangible, attention, or escape instead of being punished for finally engaging in the desired behavior, EVEN IF the learner has to “do it again” multiple times. Over time, the learner will engage in the appropriate behavior more quickly because it increases the speed with which they receive the desired item or activity.