This month’s ASAT feature comes to us from Marcia Questel, BCBA, Content Editor, and Executive Director David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, Association for Science in Autism Treatment. To learn more about ASAT, please visit their website at www.asatonline.org. You can also sign up for ASAT’s free newsletter, Science in Autism Treatment, and like them on Facebook!

The autism community has many fine advocates for individuals with autism and their families and Gary Mayerson is one of the finest. Prior to sharing a review of the contents of the book, we wanted to provide a bit of background for our readers. Just weeks before Autism’s Declaration of Independence: Navigating Autism in the Age of Uncertainty was published; the world was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than delay the distribution of the book, Mr. Mayerson expanded its contents to address systems turned upside down and new challenges facing our community. So, beyond the high quality of the original content, these efforts shine through pages of COVID-19 dedicated content, aimed at assisting families with pandemic-related questions and concerns. At the same time, Mr. Mayerson was working behind the scenes to ensure that basic legal safeguards were not compromised. Along with helping the families he served to navigate service provisions through the pandemic, he was able to publish this informative book containing crucial information about individual and family rights with rich application before and during the pandemic, and thereafter.

Part 1 – Knowing Your Child’s Rights and How to Apply Them

Mr. Mayerson released a field guide for parents in 2004 titled How to Compromise with Your School District Without Compromising Your Child. He introduces this new 2020 book with how an “age of uncertainty” has developed since then, and he explains the issues being faced by individuals with autism and their families today. Part 1 is comprised of chapters that address a vast array of topics, many of which have become more salient given the current pandemic. Prior to highlighting several of these chapters, we wanted to provide readers with a list of topics to help them assess if this resource addresses their needs as well as which chapter may bear relevance to their current circumstances:

• Chapter 1: The autism diagnosis and its impact on the family
• Chapter 2: What does the right to a “free and appropriate” education mean for my child?
• Chapter 3: Generalization
• Chapter 4: Managing your child’s right to be educated in the “least restrictive environment”
• Chapter 5: How can parents obtain independent evaluations at school district expense
• Chapter 6: How parents can manage and shape the IEP process
• Chapter 7: Considering claims against school districts – What relief is available?
• Chapter 8: When all else fails – Filing for an impartial hearing (due process)
• Chapter 9: Managing safety considerations
• Chapter 10: Dealing with suspensions and other disciplinary proceedings
• Chapter 11: The threat of criminal charges
• Chapter 12: When a residential placement may be warranted
• Chapter 13: Preparing for the transition to adulthood – The main event
• Chapter 14: Confronting bullying and discrimination in the workspace
• Chapter 15: Guardianship, special needs trusts, and powers of attorney
• Chapter 16: The advent of telehealth instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Chapter 17: The road ahead – Institutionalizing high expectations and discontent

Although it is beyond the scope of this brief review to discuss each of the chapters, here is a sample of highlights. Note that there is so much more to find within this book, but these were selected to simply introduce readers to what they can expect.

Chapter 2: What does the right to a “free appropriate” public education mean for my child? 

In this chapter, Mr. Mayerson (2020) explains the history of the development of a student’s right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Beyond how the laws developed, he defines what FAPE truly means and how schools must adhere to it. Importantly, this chapter provides and explains the educational laws by name, providing families with clarity and arming them with knowledge.

Chapter 4: Managing your child’s right to be educated in the “least restrictive environment” 

This vital chapter highlights the need for students to be truly included in the educational opportunities offered in their school districts. Yet, there is an important balance that districts must strike between placing students in least restrictive environments and still providing all of the educational supports that they need for success. It begins with a mother’s personal story about inclusion and ends with important questions for parents to consider about inclusive placements. Between these, Mr. Mayerson (2020) describes laws pertaining to inclusion in depth, and his experiences advocating for least restrictive environments for students with autism.

Chapter 8: When all else fails – Filing for an impartial hearing (due process) 

This chapter describes many issues related to filing for an impartial hearing for your child’s educational needs. Sections include “Litigating a Case Against the District’s ‘Teacher of the Year,’” “Do Parents Always Need to Hire Counsel to File for Due Process?”, “Preserving and Invoking your Child’s ‘Pendency’ Entitlements,” “Settlement Considerations,” and several others. This chapter thoroughly explains varying situations which may lead a caregiver to filing for an impartial hearing. It provides guidance for parents going through these challenging situations. Readers should take note of the many footnotes found within this chapter that provide even further clarity.

Chapter 9: Managing Safety Considerations 

When parents of children with special needs share their priorities, they most often describe safety concerns. This vital chapter delves deep into issues related to elopement, fire and lockdown drills, COVID-19 related risks, unexplained injuries, police encounters, medications, allergies, bullying, and sexual abuse. Mr. Mayerson (2020) provides accounts of his experiences, and that of others, and shares practical advice that parents can take to help keep their children safe – as well as how to respond when they discover that their children have been in an unsafe situation.

Chapter 16: The advent of telehealth instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic 

While this chapter was written towards the beginning of the pandemic, there is useful advice within it for parents today, especially considering that the pandemic is not over.While many school districts have opened their doors to in-person instruction, there are still others using hybrid and remote options. Furthermore, many districts are compelled to quickly return to online or hybrid instruction with spikes in community transmission, school-based outbreaks, or as circumstances require. Mr. Mayerson (2020) dedicated this chapter to helping families navigate their rights and ensuring that their experiences are well-documented throughout the pandemic, to help secure service provisions for their children.

As you can appreciate from the table of contents shared above as well as the select chapter summaries, the scope of the content presented is vast. Anecdotes of Mr. Mayerson’s personal experiences, as well as those of families, brought many of the points to life and the author made many deep dives into specificity when warranted. There are many well placed sample letters that parents can use as models of both tone and substance offered throughout Part 1.

Part 2 – Advice From the Experts

In Part 2 of Autism’s Declaration of Independence: Navigating Autism in the Age of Uncertainty, Mayerson (2020) showcases “Advice from the Experts” and a brief summary of each of these sections is included below.

Appendix A: Teaching generalization for a more independent and enriched life. 

In this section, authored by Dr. Amy Davis-Lackey, the important topic of generalization is addressed, and a helpful overview of key concepts is provided as carryover and flexible application of skills is paramount. Perhaps one of the most important points relates to the suggestion of a road map related to each target so that generalization efforts can be planned systematically and strategically. We would like to highlight for our readers that generalization is a priority for many providers who use discrete trial instruction. For these providers, the road map suggested by Dr. Davis-Lackey is often built right into the item list and mastery is not celebrated until key generalization indicators are met.

Appendix B: Observing and assessing mainstream, inclusion, and special education classrooms – What I look for 

Dr. David Salsberg describes many placement options available for students with autism that are provided by their school districts. He notes that while these placements look different from school to school, it is vital for practitioners to be aware of what they offer. He advises about what he “looks for” in these placements, noting that neuropsychologists must be well-equipped to advise their clients. Besides knowing about potential placements that are appropriate for their clients, they are also responsible for understanding “the applicable rights and laws (p. 175).” Dr. Salsberg explains with fervor how crucial it is that neuropsychologists guide families, saying that “Conducting an evaluation but then making generic recommendations such as ‘contact your local district to initiate an IEP meeting’ would be like going for a checkup and your doctor saying ‘it looks like you have an infection and you need some medicine, but go to your pharmacy and ask what they think and how to get it (p. 175).’” He goes on through this section to discuss various placements (general education classes, inclusion classes, self-contained classes, specialized schools, and private special education schools) and what they offer, as well as what to consider when weighing these options.

Appendix C: Using assessments and evaluations to develop a reasonable calculated and appropriately ambitious IEP 

Dr. Jennifer Oratio, Ph.D. describes the differences between evaluations conducted by school professionals and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation in this section. She dives deep into the various types of tests that are administered in these evaluations, explaining what they measure in quantitative terms and what they mean for the child in qualitative terms. Parents and professionals must have a deep understanding of these measurements so that they can work to create the most “appropriately ambitious IEP” that they can. Dr. Oratio describes intelligence measurements, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition ® (WISC-V®), the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, Fourth Edition™ (TONI-4 ™), as well as important measurements of language ability, visual-spatial and visual-motor skills, memory, executive functioning, academic achievement tests, and assessments of social/emotional/behavioral skills. She provides detail regarding the assessments used in each of these domains. She goes on to discuss adaptive skills assessments and autism-specific assessments. Beyond describing these crucial measures of skills and deficits and describing how they impact the success of the child, Dr. Oratio explains how to share these evaluations with school professionals, and most importantly how to ensure that they are considered through the development of the IEP with the school district.

Appendix D: Evaluating speech and language needs with the right assessment tools. 

In this section, authored by Dr. Steven Blaustein, CCC-SLP, a description of the essential components of a speech report is offered. As reflected throughout this book, the content is comprehensive yet accessible and the blueprint provided can raise the bar for both providers and parents alike. In fact, the content can be applied to other disciplines such as occupational therapy to maximize the utility, relevance, and benefit of written reports.

Appendix E: Bullying tips for parents: Q & A with Michael Dreiblatt of Non-Profit STAND up to Bullying 

In this final section of the book, Michael Dreiblatt shares a wealth of advice for parents who are concerned about bullying in their child’s school. He shares tips for bystanders who are witnesses to bullying, advises parents about clear warning signs that their child may be being bullied at school, provides instructions for school staff who wish to have a policy that protects against bullying, and more. This section is for anyone who is related to, or is working with, students (who need proactive support to prevent bullying), a victim of bullying, or even a person who is behaving like a bully.

This entire book sheds tremendous light on issues related to autism, and the laws that are in place to protect the rights of individuals. While it is overflowing with practical and immediately useful advice, it is not overwhelming or verbose. Mr. Mayerson (2020) makes great use of every page, which has led to the creation of a condensed book filled with issues of great importance to individuals and families, along with steps that they can take to protect their rights amid a wide variety of situations and conditions. We highly recommend this book for parents and providers alike.

References

Mayerson, G. (2020). Autism’s declaration of independence: Navigating autism in the age of uncertainty. Different Roads to Learning.

Mayerson, G (2004). How to compromise with your school district without compromising your child: A field guide for getting effective services for children with special needs. DRL Books.

Citation for this article

Questel, M., & Celiberti, D. (2021). Review of Autism’s declaration of independence: Navigating autism in the age of uncertainty. Science in Autism Treatment, 18(10).

About the Authors

Marcia Questel is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a master’s degree in special education (concentration – autism) and graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis. She has been working with invidivuals with autism for over 20 years. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology with a focus on developmental disorders, where her passion for researching executive functioning (EF) and Theory of Mind (ToM) began. Marcia works in private practice, providing consultation to families and faculty. She is the Content Editor for Science in Autism Treatment and the Externship Co-Coordinator for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment. She is researching access and effectiveness of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also creates supportive content for parents and professionals, including free workshops available on the ABAskills YouTube page. In Yale’s Affect Regulation and Cognition lab, she is researching emotions and relationships among teenagers and their parents. Marcia also enjoys research that explores the relationship between EF and emotion regulation.

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, is the Executive Director of ASAT and Past-President, a role he served from 2006 to 2012. He is the Editor of ASAT’s monthly publication, Science in Autism Treatment. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from Rutgers University in 1993 and his certification in behavior analysis in 2000. Dr. Celiberti has served on a number of advisory boards and special interest groups in the field of autism, applied behavior analysis (ABA), and early childhood education. He works in private practice and provides consultation to public and private schools and agencies in underserved areas. He has authored several articles in professional journals and presents frequently at regional, national, and international conferences. In prior positions, Dr. Celiberti taught courses related to ABA at both undergraduate and graduate levels, supervised individuals pursuing BCBA certifications, and conducted research in the areas of ABA, family intervention, and autism.

By Dana Reinecke, PhD, BCBA-D

Resistance to change and preference for sameness are core features of autism.  It can be natural to avoid new things, especially if change is overwhelming. While this may be more comfortable for the individual in the short term, there are long-term consequences, including  difficulty in contacting new reinforcers and reduced access to learning opportunities.  Over time, the individual may lose out on potentially pleasant and exciting experiences, even becoming bored and unmotivated by the things they previously really enjoyed.

How can we help with this situation? 

We can start by looking at how frequently new experiences are offered to the individual.  If they are pretty resistant to new things and have demonstrated that in the past, their loved ones, staff, and teachers may have taken a step back and started to avoid even offering new experiences, toys, activities, food, people, or settings. While we would not want to deliberately upset someone, we can work towards making opportunities for exposure to new things available in a gentle, supportive way.

Plan New Things

For some, exposure to new things can be made more tolerable by letting them know what is going to happen ahead of time, and explaining what the expectations will be.  For example, “Tomorrow we are going to put on a new movie when you finish your homework.  You can watch it if you want, or you can play with your toys.  It’s totally up to you!”  Or, a picture of a new movie might be added to the person’s activity schedule and the same message reviewed with them using fewer words.

Some families might choose to establish a “try new things” day every week.  The whole family can get in on it, to provide encouragement and modeling.  For example, Mom, Dad, and child might each pick one new food to try every Saturday.  Or, everyone in the family can decide on something new that they want to learn before some milestone occurs.  For example, each family member could plan to learn about one new animal or dinosaur before an upcoming holiday. 

Pair Reinforcers

Exposure to new things can also be eased by pairing the new item or activity with something (or someone) that is already reinforcing.  A favorite aunt or uncle who brings over and plays with a new toy with great enthusiasm may draw in a child’s attention and willingness to engage more quickly than if the toy is just handed to the child or left for them to discover.  Similarly, an older child might be more willing to try a new interest like playing a sport or learning a craft if something else that is pleasurable is also happening, like a favorite snack, music, or friend to do the new activity with.

In a similar way, new activities can be combined with old favorites.  For some children who are very attached to particular characters, it can be helpful to introduce their beloved characters into new activities.  For example, a child who loves Elmo from Sesame Street is more likely to be interested in a new activity like coloring if the coloring books include Elmo pictures.  We can also get creative with mixing interests from different places.  An individual who really loves trains might begin to develop interests in geography by learning about train routes through different states.  The conversation can gradually be guided from trains to the places where the trains run, to eventually interesting facts about those places.

Be Patient

Exposure to new items and activities does not need to include any requirements to engage with the new items and activities.  It may take several exposures before an individual is even willing to look at or start to engage with something new.  This is okay and it’s preferable to let interest and willingness occur naturally, even if slowly.  Trying to force engagement will likely only make the new activity or item aversive and something to be avoided, which is definitely not what we want to do.  Patience is key, along with a willingness to continue to increase exposure to new items and activities.  Not every new thing will wind up being a favorite or even enjoyed, but over time some likely will become preferred.  More important, newness and change will become more tolerable, opening the person up to worlds of possibility. 

About the Author

Dana Reinecke, Ph.D., BCBA-D is a New York State Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA).   Dana is an Assistant Program Director in the Applied Behavior Analysis department at Capella University, overseeing the PhD in Behavior Analysis program and mentoring doctoral learners.  She is also co-owner of SupervisorABA, an online platform for BACB supervision curriculum and documentation.  Dana has provided training and consultation to school districts, private schools, agencies, and families for individuals with disabilities. She has published her research in peer-reviewed journals, written chapters in published books, and co-edited books on ABA and autism.  Current areas of research include use of technology to support students with and without disabilities, self-management training of college students with disabilities, and online teaching strategies for effective college and graduate education.  Dana is a Past President of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA).

This week, Different Roads is proud to share some tips from Nancy Hammill and Understood on the dos and don’ts of fidgets, both in the classroom and at home!

Fidgets, like squeeze balls and key chains, are self-regulation tools that promote movement and tactile input. They can be great for kids who struggle with attention, focus and sensory processing.

But in my many years as a teacher and parent, I’ve often seen them misused. When I see a child throw a squeeze ball across the room or obsess over making shapes out of Silly Putty, I know something’s gone wrong.

The problem is we often hand fidgets to kids without any direction, thinking they’ll magically know how to use them. Then when they play with them—rather than use them as a tool—we get angry.

That’s why it’s important to teach kids how to use fidgets. Here’s what I suggest.

How to Use Fidgets

First, explain to your child that a fidget is one strategy in her “tool kit” to help her improve focus on a task. When used correctly in the right situation, fidgets can help her be a better listener, sustain attention on her work, and even calm down or slow down her body and mind.

Basically, a fidget is a tool to help her focus—not a toy.

Second, work with your child to identify specific times she might need a fidget. For example, she might need it when she’s doing homework or needs to sit still in a movie theater.

Third, set up clear rules for how to use fidgets in your home, and communicate them to your child. If you’re unsure where to start, here are my “non-negotiables”:

• Rule #1: Be mindful. Before you grab a fidget, think about whether you need it. If you don’t know, review rule #2.
• Rule #2: You can only use a fidget to help with focus and attention or to calm down. Otherwise it will be taken away.
• Rule #3: Don’t use a fidget if it distracts others or interferes with the work others are doing. If the fidget does distract others or interfere with their work, use a different fidget or strategy.
• Rule #4: Every time you’re done with a fidget, put it back where it belongs. (In our house, we keep fidgets in a designated basket.)

If you want to try a fidget with your child, there are many options to choose from. Experiment to find what works best for your child. But I recommend that you don’t get a fidget that has a cute face or that looks like a toy. Your child needs to remember that fidgets are tools.

When you’re ready, you can set up a fidget basket (or other spot), print the rules, and put the rules in a place where your child can easily see and review them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Hammill is the 2016 National Learning Disabilities Educator of the Year, awarded by Understood founding partner the Learning Disabilities Association of America. She has 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist and learning therapist.

About Understood: The professionals who advise parents on Understood are all experts in their fields. They include educators, learning and attention specialists, physicians, psychologists, lawyers and more. They share a commitment to children with learning and attention issues.

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Different Roads to Learning

By Maithri Sivaraman, BCBA

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) on their website lists credentialed behavior analysts from 99 countries spanning across 6 continents. Behavior analysts and consumers of behavior analysis are now establishing footprints across the globe. Each of these countries comes with its own set of cultural practices and norms. Leon Megginson, author of Small Business Management said, “it is not the strongest, or the most intelligent who survives, but the one most responsive to change.” Considering the high rates of global migration and the international dissemination that our field desires, practitioners find themselves serving an increasingly diverse population. A recent article in Behavior Analysis in Practice by Andrea Dennison and colleagues highlights the variations in cultural norms, caregiver and practitioner linguistic competencies that a culturally competent ABA therapist must consider when designing a home program.

What are the barriers?

The Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board requires that behavior analysts consider the role of culture in service delivery (BACB code 1.05c), involve clients and families in treatment process (BACB code 4.02), and individualize the treatment plan to meet client needs (BACB code 4.03). Yet the BACB Fourth Edition Task List and the upcoming Fifth Edition Task List which define the scope of practice of a credentialed behavior analyst do not make much mention of culture – which means that training programs do not typically include cultural competence. Dennison and colleagues (2019) identified several barriers in ABA treatment for culturally and linguistically diverse families and highlighted ways to overcome them.

Do we hold stereotypes?

With the influence of the media or the people around us, we tend to categorize people into social groups and create a simplified conception of the group based on some assumptions – we create stereotypes and hold prejudices. Implicit biases held by a practitioner towards certain cultural sub-groups may result in a subtle, yet observable bias towards the client, and adversely impact treatment outcomes. Dennison et al (2019) suggest that a practitioner’s “self-reflection and introspection regarding cultural attitudes and practices towards clients” may be a first step towards undoing these biases.

Are we aware of cultural norms?

Practitioners often find themselves in a variety of contexts and situations with varying contingencies. Each culture comes with its own set of learned behaviors, beliefs, and norms. Dennison and colleagues add that some cultures might prefer a warm, informal discussion with a service provider prior to a formal meeting to discuss goals. A violation of this might seem off-putting to the client, and conversely, such an expectation for an informal discussion might catch the analyst unaware. In some cultures even a simple handshake for greeting might be offensive. They recommend that practitioners monitor clients for signs of discomfort or displeasure during the course of the treatment to identify whether a cultural norm has been violated.

What to do when a practitioner doesn’t speak the home language of the client?

A language mismatch between the practitioner’s language and the home language of the client might lead to information loss. A client might not be able to completely express their priorities in terms of the services they need. Dennison urges practitioners to make every attempt to invite a bilingual practitioner or interpreter either in-person or online, to future family meetings. Providing the family with access to ABA textbooks written in their home language might be a good way to introduce ABA terminology and lead to better acceptability of services delivered. The authors caution against using loosely translated words; online tools might not be ideal for activities that require precise definitions.

Cultural analysis

“A cultural analysis involves an individual analysis of the cultural factors affecting an individual’s environment and the resulting contingency,” the authors add. A re-assessment of priorities in goals might be warranted, and a cultural analysis might inform what behaviors are identified as the primary targets for intervention. Dennison refers to the importance of social etiquette and the value placed on conflict avoidance in Latin cultures as an example. Measuring social validity might give the analyst information about whether the family sees the behavior change as meaningful.

Empathy grows as we learn

Try not to stigmatize immigrant families as “uncaring” for not seeking services earlier. Several socioeconomic stressors such as lack of housing and transportation availability likely play a role in their decision. The authors urge practitioners to empathize with these families and add that attempts to empathize can be made even if the practitioner and family do not share a common home language.

Finally, the lack of diversity in research with the omission of demographic details such as language and ethnicity of participants in scientific publications overlooks the critical value of such information. This calls for a shift in the field towards intentionally inclusive subject recruitment and the reporting of such information.

A culturally competent behavior analyst is not one who knows everything there is to know about every culture. This would be impossible. It is someone who can acknowledge that patterns of cultural difference may be present, and are then able to view a situation from a different cultural perspective than one’s own. Maintaining a curiosity about each client’s culture, and having an open dialogue with them about their background, ethnicity, and belief system can result in a positive outcome for the client and the analyst.

“If we are going to live with our deepest differences then we must learn about one another.”  ― Deborah J. Levine

References

Dennison, A., Lund, E., Brodhead, M., Mejia, L., Armenta, A., & Leal, J. (2019). Delivering Home-Supported Applied Behavior Analysis Therapies to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families. Behavior Analysis in Practice, OnlineFirst, 1-12.

About The Author

Maithri Sivaraman is a BCBA with a Masters in Psychology from the University of Madras and holds a Graduate Certificate in ABA from the University of North Texas. She is currently a doctoral student in Psychology at Ghent University, Belgium. Prior to this position, Maithri provided behavior analytic services to children with autism and other developmental disabilities in Chennai, India. She is the recipient of a dissemination grant from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) to train caregivers in function-based assessments and intervention for problem behavior in India. She has presented papers at international conferences, published articles in peer-reviewed journals and has authored a column for the ‘Autism Network’, India’s quarterly autism journal. She is the International Dissemination Coordinator of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) and a member of the Distinguished Scholars Group of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

Previously published on Different Roads to Learning on November 14, 2019.

By Ashleigh Evans, MS, BCBA

Time is a challenging concept for children to grasp. It is even more difficult for concrete thinkers, as many neurodiverse children are. Children with autism tend to understand concrete concepts better than abstract ones, like time. Visual timers and other supports can help bridge the gap, giving children a better understanding of time. 

What is a visual timer?

Visual timers allow you to observe the passage of time through visual cues. There are different types of visual timers. The type you choose will depend on a number of factors, such as your child’s preference and your intended use of the timer.

Here are a few options

The Time Timer demonstrates the passage of time with a colored disk that fades away as time passes. With this timer, your child can easily observe the color closing in as the time passes.

Time Timers are great for longer activities, as you can set them for up to one hour.

Sand timers are another great option to demonstrate the passage of time. Each sand timer has a different duration. They come in durations of 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. Simply flip it over and watch the sand flow down. When the minutes are up, the sand will be entirely at the bottom.

The Time Tracker is a unique and customizable visual timer. The green, yellow, and red sections light up to serve as warnings for the amount of time left for an activity. You can program the time each section lights up, making it customizable to your needs.

How can visual timers be used at home?

Visual timers are great for helping with transitions, whether big or small.

Here are a few ideas for using visual timers with your child at home

• To show the remaining time in an activity. Transitioning away from a favorite activity like screen time or playing outside can cause distress for many children. A visual timer can make these transitions easier by providing a visual cue before the activity is over.
  
  
• To help your child wait for an upcoming activity. Waiting is not easy. For children with a limited understanding of time, being told to wait may feel the same as being told “no.” To help your child understand what “wait” means, set your visual timer to allow them to observe the amount of time they need to wait.
  
  
• For morning and bedtime routines. A Time Timer with a dry-erase board can be beneficial to help your child work through morning, bedtime, or any other routines. Set the timer for each task and check each off as you go through the routine.
  
  
• To teach your child how long to engage in an activity. If your child tends to rush through activities they should be spending more time on, set a visual timer to help them identify how long to spend in that activity. Brushing teeth, for example, is a daily task that many children tend to rush through. A visual timer is a great way to help them learn how long to spend brushing.

Review the visual timer with your child and set expectations before using it. This will help things run more smoothly when you begin using it. Don’t worry if it doesn’t click right away. It may take time for your child to understand how the visual relates to the activity. With consistency, your child should be able to understand the concept of time better.

About the Author

Ashleigh Evans, MS, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has been practicing in the behavior analysis field for over 13 years and opened her own independent practice in early 2022. Her experience has been vast across different age groups, diagnoses, and needs. She is passionate about improving the field through education, reformative action, and better supervisory practices, leading her to create content and resources for families and ABA professionals which can be found on her website, www.evansbehavioralservices.com/.

Imagine telling your students to sit down at the table for math. You finally get 4 students seated, but then you turn your back for two seconds to grab the materials for your lesson, and in the meantime, two kids pop up and run back to their preferred activities.

Scenarios like these make me want to pull my hair out. I hate downtime. My students struggle with it, which makes my life as a teacher so much harder.

So one way I have found to eliminate as much downtime as possible (besides packing my day full of activities) is to create routines in every part of my day. This way, students know what is expected and can independently get going with an activity even when I have to run and grab some materials, deal with a challenging behavior, etc. It makes my students (and me) more productive! In today’s post, I want to share some helpful tips and activities I have found to reduce downtime in the classroom.

Visual Schedules

One helpful way to do this is to post a visual schedule of your routine. In the beginning, you will need to teach this to your students on a very consistent basis. Over time, they will get into the swing of things and they’ll be ready to get started without you! For my morning group, by the end of the year, I put each kid in charge of a different activity (their names were written on a clothespin and clipped onto the activity) which gave me time to do attendance, get the lunch count, check backpacks, etc. while still monitoring the group as needed.

Binders

Binders can be another helpful way to create routines. Students can grab their binders and begin working on activities in order. If you need students to stop and pause between activities for more instruction, use dividers to split the binder into sections along with a “stop and wait” visual. (Check out this post for more info on my morning work binders or this post for 8 ways to use binders in your classroom).

I often find it is the beginning of the lesson that is the hardest…like I said before, teachers need time to get set up, materials gathered, smart board turned on, etc. In general ed, teachers often have a “do now” or “warm up” activity where their students do a review activity, practice problem, or introduction activity for the lesson that will follow. I find this extremely helpful in my classroom as well. Here are a couple activities I have used to fill the downtime in the beginning of a lesson.

Correcting Sentences

To start my advanced morning group, I had my students start with a daily correcting sentence worksheet. We would review as a group, then move onto other literacy activities (click here to see a blog post detailing what we did in this group).

Fluency Timings

I have utilized a few different versions of fluency timings in my classroom and they can be extremely helpful as a beginning “warm up” activity. (My little soapbox on fluency… fluency is speed + accuracy. Our students can sometimes learn skills, but they are too slow with that skill to make it actually functional. Fluency activities help students practice a skill and increase their speed.) With my beginner students, we use these fluency timings where students label as many pictures/numbers/letters/etc. out loud in one minute. With my advanced students, we did written fluency timings. We had kids assigned to be in charge of these as well (yellow cards were student initials who were in charge). These helped my kiddos increase their ability to generate ideas when given a topic, speed of writing, and made writing into a fun activity. And of course, including some visual directions for the activity increased student independence!

Check-in/out 

I helped a teacher create this check-in for students who came into her room when they needed a break from their general ed classroom. To help them not disrupt her other groups and get to their break as quickly/independently as possible, she came up with the idea to have them check-in, select their break activity, set a timer, and check out when they were finished. I have also seen some great social skills groups start and end with a check-in/out worksheet. Here is a sample from do2learn which provides these FREE.

Predictable Worksheets

I like these worksheets for practicing letters/numbers as they involve minimal writing, but more coloring, tracing, and circling.  Most of my kiddos could complete these with minimal assistance, and with so many worksheets, we could use them throughout the year to begin a group.

File folders, puzzles, or adapted books

Have a bin of these at the ready to either set at each student’s spot or have them make a choice from the bin as the beginning activity before starting your lesson. I love using my “All About Me” books which each student has to practice targeting personal information.

About The Author

This piece was originally published on Autism Tank.

My name is Hailey and I have been a special education teacher for students with autism for over 10 years.  I taught students in 1-8th grade.  My class size has ranged from 4-13 students over my career and I have had between 1-4 paraprofessionals full time in my classroom. I currently work in a school district as an autism specialist and help teachers in all disability areas to implement evidence-based interventions for their students. I have had several family members with disabilities, which initially made me interested in the special education field.  I took an intro to special education course in college, where I absolutely fell in love.  As a course requirement, we had to volunteer every week in a classroom, and it became the highlight of my week!  

Previously published on Different Roads to Learning on February 6, 2020.

By: Randy Horowitz, M.S. Ed., S.A.S.

Children with autism often engage in problem behavior when asked to participate in activities to which they are infrequently exposed (e.g., doctor/dental exams, haircuts, etc.). In many cases, the problem behavior serves as a means to avoid an unpleasant situation or to communicate a need.

Why are dental visits problematic?

Infrequent exposure, combined with fears associated with dentists, sensory issues related to dental implements and changes in schedules (going to the dentist when you should be in school) prevents some children with autism from learning the appropriate skills and behaviors needed to be successful at the dentist.

Because of these challenges, parents and teachers tend to avoid dental exams, when in reality, they need to do the opposite. Create many opportunities to practice. Build skills. Practice appropriate behavior. Come into contact with reinforcement. Do so under the best circumstances (e.g., in the absence of a tooth ache or painful dental issue).

Prepping for success

• Prepare the dentist/hygienist/receptionist in advance. Talk to the dentist prior to your scheduled appointment. Explain your child’s preferences and aversions (e.g., one person speaks at a time, noises, etc.) 
• Visit the dental office without having an actual exam. Take a tour. Provide reinforcement for appropriate skills and behavior (e.g. labeling objects in the environment, walking nicely etc.). Leave on a good note. Consider repeating this across several visits.
• Introduce pictures (e.g., the dentists’ office, waiting room, exam room, etc.) during structured teaching sessions
• Use visual schedules to indicate when the appointment will be
• Consider using social stories, peer models or video modeling procedures during regular teaching sessions

In some cases, the above strategies may not be effective, or your child’s rate of acquisition may be slower than the timeframe you have. In these cases, you may have to create a lot of opportunities for direct instruction. Practice a dental exam several times a day with the actual dental implements.

Some Prerequisite Skills (Mastery of these skills may create the occasion for more success during a dental exam)

• Sits in chair (also lays back/tolerates the reclined position)
• Imitates adult movements (e.g., opens mouth)
• Follows simple directions (e.g., “say ah”, “open wide” etc.)
• Tolerates toothbrushing. Use many different types of toothbrushes and toothpastes during teaching sessions at home. Programming for generalization across materials may help your child accept what the dentist offers.

Strategies for waiting

• Strategically schedule the appointment for times that are less crowded. Ask the office if the first appointment of the day is less wait time than the end of the day.
• Use a timer
• Bring things to do (but avoid a situation where terminating a preferred activity or relinquishing a preferred object may cause problem behavior)
• Wait in the car, take a walk around the block and ask the receptionist to call or text when the dentist is ready

Strategies for during the appointment

• Begin with mastered skills. Ask the dentist to do a few trials of general direction following. This builds momentum and also provides an opportunity for the child to access reinforcement for correct responses
• Pair the exam with reinforcement (e.g., preferred music, TV, etc.)
• Give breaks out of the chair
• End on a positive note. Even if the entire exam is not complete, if the child has tolerated many steps for longer periods of time, terminate the exam and schedule follow up.

Through systematic teaching and gradual exposure, children with autism can learn needed skills and behaviors to be successful during a dental exam. The rate of acquisition of these skills and behaviors varies across children. In some cases, mastery may take weeks or even months. In the meantime, remember to celebrate each successful step along the way!

About the Author

Randy Horowitz, M.S. Ed., S.A.S.

Randy has a Master of Science in Education from Queens College and a Certificate of School Administration and Supervision from the College of New Rochelle. Randy is currently a doctoral candidate in the educational leadership program at Concordia University. Randy started her career as a special education teacher in public school in Nassau County and then spent close to 30 years in senior leadership positions at nonprofit organizations serving children and adults with autism in NYC and Long Island. Randy has presented at local, national and international conferences on topics relating to educating individuals with autism. Her particular areas of interest include preparing and supporting individuals with autism for integration into community activities.

In addition to her many work responsibilities, Randy is also a seasoned runner and has participated in countless road races and marathons, including our Blazing Trails Run/Walk, raising well over $65,000 in the past 15 years to benefit the autism community.

This week’s post comes to us from Stephanny Freeman, PhD and Kristen Hayashida, MEd, BCBA, our partners on the Play Idea Cards app. Play Idea Cards is a full curriculum on teaching play – right in the palm of your hand! Check it out on the Apple App Store! 

Everyone just loves the holidays!

Lots of emotions!  Excitement, joy, love, anxiety, anticipation, stress, and relaxation…

Lots of activities! Giving gifts, eating holiday food, traveling to see family and friends…

Lots of people!  Big groups, little groups, friends, family, loved-ones, and strangers too!

But the holidays are also a FANASTIC time to help your children continue their COGnitive development! 

You can target executive functioning (EF) during these special activities, which is not only a great opportunity to foster skills, but also helps you as a caregiver have a successful and joyous holiday season! Here are some of our tips to build EF during the holidays:

Consider EF Skills when Choosing Gifts for Your Children

Rather than impulsively buying the newest screen toys… plan, problem solve, and control those holiday emotions!! Use your EF skills to buy enriching toys and plan fabulous activities! Deck the Halls with Cogs of EF – fa la la la la, la la la la!

• Working Memory – look for memory-based board games and the copying pattern games.
• Planning – consider activities where children can make something (e.g., manipulatives such as blocks or magnetic tiles, arts and crafts, dough).
• Cognitive Flexibility – give a track set and challenge the child to vary the path or move a vehicle through obstacles. You may also consider any “flexible” toys (e.g., magnetic sets, wax sticks, slime) to talk about how you can change the shape of the object.
• Task Initiation – outdoor equipment would be great for this skill (think: balls, hoops, chalk, ropes, cones/domes), or cleaning and gardening supplies.
• Emotional Control and Inhibition – use a gift that challenges your child to inhibit impulsive responses and regulate through frustration/excitement. We think of dress up clothes (for peer play, turn taking), advent calendars, surprise toys, bubbles, foam shooters, noisy electronic infant toys.
• Organization – find toys that contain lots of pieces and can be sorted and used by category such as figures, furniture, vehicles, houses/garages/buildings with all the associated pieces, doctors/vet kits, cooking/kitchen/ice-cream stand/restaurant.
• Problem Solving – STEM kits, puzzles, brain teasers all naturally present the child with problems to solve, but you can use these activities as opportunities to solve problems that may naturally occur (e.g., if chemicals don’t react, liquid spills from the beaker).

Embed EF practice in your holiday preparation!

Everyone is so busy making their lists and checking in twice! Involve your child during your holiday preparations to help build EF skills:

• Shopping!  Make a store plan by the layout, develop a list, check it off as you go, make sure to consider other things if something is not available, don’t buy things not on the list!
• Baking and Cooking!  Talk about the order, what’s in a recipe, have them retrieve the items (more than one at a time), try to remember the measurements, plan out the decorations (draw first, gather the colors, etc.)
• Decorating the house/tree!  Sort decorations by room, place items on the tree by tree zone, and compromise and delegate roles and responsibilities.  Include how to be careful with delicate objects, how things are meaningful to others, and fix broken items.
• Wrapping and giving presents!  Notice how people respond to gifts given.  Work on fixing ripped paper/ribbons that don’t cooperate, and glitter that gets everywhere.  Be sure to label and organize the gifts.  Solving any problems related to gift giving (oops, we forgot cousin Milt!)
• Family Gatherings!  Organizing some family activity, planning where people are going to sit, getting along with family members and discussing how to behave in other people’s homes.

From our family here at KidsConnect to yours… Happy Holidays to the wonderful, thoughtful, executive functioning-using, caregivers! 

About the Authors

Dr. Stephanny Freeman is a clinical professor at UCLA, a licensed clinical psychologist, and Co-Directs the Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization Program (ECPHP).  For 20 years, she has educated children with ASD and other exceptionalities as a teacher, studied interventions for social emotional development, and designed curriculum and behavior plans in school and clinic settings.

Kristen Hayashida is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the UCLA Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization Program (ECPHP).  For the last 10 years she has served as a therapist, researcher and educator of children and families living with autism spectrum disorder through the treatment of problem behavior.

By Sam Blanco, BCBA

I’ve written several posts about the importance of reinforcement, but now I want to turn my attention to another important concept: replacement behaviors. It can be very easy to slip into the habit of telling kids what NOT to do. “Don’t touch that! Don’t pick your nose! Don’t run!” However, if we can turn it around and tell kids what to do instead we often see higher rates of compliance.

Here are a few examples of replacement behaviors you can teach:

• A student refuses to speak when they do not understand a question. You can teach the student what to say, such as “I don’t understand,” or “Can I get help?” Teach through modeling and role playing in one-to-one settings, then generalize it to the classroom or other environments in which the skill is necessary.
• When you begin a math lesson, one student frequently attempts to run out of the room. Introduce a signal or symbol (such as a holding up a stop sign) to request a break. Initially, you might give the break each time the student uses the sign correctly, then begin to require more and more math work before a break is received. This allows for appropriate and safe breaks without disrupting the rest of the class.
• When your learner is done with dinner, he pushes his plate into the middle of the table. Teach your learner to instead put items in the sink. You might start with just placing the fork in the sink, then add more and more items until they are clearing the table independently. Another replacement behavior may be to use a symbol or signal as in the previous example to request to leave the table, or to teach the learner to say “May I go?”

Keep It Simple

Replacement behaviors should be simple to implement, should be taught one-on-one with multiple opportunities to practice and be reinforced, and should, if possible, be functionally equivalent to the undesirable behavior. (For example, if a child is engaging in one behavior to escape, the replacement behavior should teach a more appropriate way to escape.)

Sometimes, simply instructing the learner on a replacement behavior makes a huge change, but often you need to combine teaching a replacement behavior with other strategies (such as differential reinforcement). What I do know is that identifying and teaching a replacement behavior is a necessary part of almost any intervention and should not be overlooked.

About The Author

Sam is an ABA provider for school-aged students in Brooklyn, New York. Working in education for over 15 years with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays, Sam utilizes strategies for achieving a multitude of academic, behavior, and social goals. She is also an assistant professor in the ABA program at The Sage Colleges and the Senior Clinical Strategist at Encore Support Services. You can read more of Sam’s posts for Different Roads To Learning when you click here!

This post was originally published with Different Roads to Learning on December 19, 2019.

In this podcast, Drs. Jill Dardig and William L. Heward discuss their new book, Let’s Make a Contract. Contracts are particularly useful for children on the autism spectrum, who benefit from understanding clear expectations and receiving positive feedback and rewards.

In their interview, they discuss key elements of a behavior contract:

• What a behavior contract is
• How long a behavior contract should last
• Common mistakes made with behavior contracts, and how to avoid negativity when mistakes are made
• How contracts can benefit children, parents, families, school settings, and self goals

For more information regarding this interview, and for a full transcript of the episode, visit https://marybarbera.com/behavior-change-contract-bill-heward/