Tip of the Week: Scanning – Best Teaching Practices

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

Scanning is one of the first skills we teach learners with autism. This skill, (looking at each item presented and using that information to make decisions,) is essential for almost every other skill we teach children in early childhood. Historically, we have taught scanning skills through matching and listener responding activities by lining up 3 pictures or objects, then having the learner choose the correct match out of the three items or point to the item we have named. However, this is not representative of the way scanning skills are used in the natural environment.

Toddler boy reaching for carrots in grocery store Consider how you use scanning in your own life: searching a row of books on a shelf to find a particular title, trying to find your favorite tomato soup in a supermarket aisle filled with soups, or looking through a box of Legos for one blue square Lego to complete a structure. None of the ways we scan in the natural environment present materials in a field of 3 neatly lined-up items.

There are steps you should take in order to help prepare your learner for scanning in the natural environment. When working on matching items or identifying items, you should quickly reduce prompts (as discussed in this previous post) and increase the difficulty of scanning. There are two ways to do this: (1) increase the number of items in the field and (2) make the array of items messy.

If we take a look at matching, here is a sample of the steps for a matching program you might use to help teach the skill:

Match an object to 1 of 3 objects placed on the table
Match an object to 1 of 5 objects placed on the table
Match an object to 1 of 5 objects placed in a messy array on the table
Match an object to 1 of 8 objects placed in a messy array on the table
Match an object to 1 of 10 objects placed in a messy array on the table
Match an object to 1 of 5 objects with similar but non-matching items in the messy array (example: you’re trying to match a red car, in the array there will be a red car as well as a blue car and a red truck.)
Match an object to 1 of 8 objects with similar but non-matching items in the messy array

As the learner masters each step, he/she is getting closer to what that skill looks like in the natural environment. Lastly, here are a few examples of how children use scanning in the natural environment. These can be used to practice the skill in ways that are motivating to your individual learner:

searching for all the pieces to a costume for dress up play
finding a specific piece to complete a puzzle or block structure
looking for his/her favorite candy or snack at the supermarket
finding a specified item in a picture (for example, if I have a learner that loves Elmo, I’ll find many pictues with Elmo shown and have the learner point him out)
retrieving shoes from a shelf or closet
picking out a nail polish color
choosing their favorite tv show from a DVR or computer menu
playing “I Spy”
finding the right tool from a messy utensil drawer for a cooking activity
retreiving his/her favorite train from a bucket of trains

The Power of Music (and Katy Perry)

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

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.

Tip of the Week: Use Your Smartphone as a Photo Journal

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

Your smartphone just may be an untapped resource in working on skills with your learner. There are several apps out there that allow you to record audio over photos or type text over photos, and many of them are free.

While there are many similar apps out there, I prefer the app Over for adding text to photos because it’s easy to use, offers a variety of fonts, and allows you to move the text to different parts of the pictures ($1.99 in the iTunes store).

For adding audio to videos or photos, I love Shuttersong (free in the iTunes store). This video illustrates how easy it is to use.

You can use these apps to help your learner with a variety of communication and cognitive skills.

Skills:

The apps can be used to help your learner identify people who were engaged in the activity with you. For example, if you take a trip to a petting zoo, you can take photos of the people who went with you. Depending on the level of your learner, this could involve naming the person pictured, discussing what animals were that person’s favorite, or describing things that person did or felt during the trip.
Apps can also be used to allow your learner to write or record a statement describing what happened. This can be done in the moment or later for the learner to practice recall.
You can print the pictures or save them to a document on your computer or tablet. Your learner can then put them in sequential order and tell you about his/her day.
If the learner is working on recall skills with other teachers/adults, you can provide the images to them so they can provide prompts to your learner as needed.

Benefits:

Allows you to provide visual prompts for your learner to aid in recalling recent events.
If your learners is highly motivated by using the cell phone, this can be a great way to get him/her involved in conversation related to activities you’ve participated in as a family or class.
It provides a functional use of the smartphone for your learner.

Hints for the Holidays: 6 Tips for Success on Thanksgiving

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

Holidays can be challenging for everyone in the family. Your to-do lists get longer, your routines are switched around, and all the little stresses can be especially difficult for your child with autism. Here are a few tips to ease the difficulties related to Thanksgiving.

acrostic2

Finally, remind your child why you are thankful for them and enjoy your holiday!

Unique Program Gives Adults with Autism Greater Quality of Life

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) launches the nation’s first-of-its-kind comprehensive treatment program for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The CARD Adult Services program uses intensive, scientifically-proven applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to place adults with ASD on the fast track to being functional in their daily lives, integrated into the community, and living their lives to their fullest potential.

Unlike any other program in the United States for adults with ASD, CARD Adult Services focuses on individualized treatment with the mission of minimizing challenging behaviors and maximizing skill acquisition to improve social skills, social language, basic language concepts, functional academics, adaptive skills, functional communication, executive function, and vocational skills. These skills are taught at home and at CARD centers and can also be provided in vocational settings.

“When people speak of individuals with autism, they tend to be referring to children because, statistically, 1 in every 88 children in America is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder,” says Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh, CARD founder and CEO. “But the reality is that many adults with autism need therapy and daily support.”

Twenty-three-year-old Russell Rollens has received therapy since he was 22 months old. His biggest challenges include a lack of expressive skills and spontaneous language, behavioral issues, co-morbid medical issues, and a sleep disorder. He began using CARD Adult Services at the age of 18 to improve his behavioral and functional skills, and he is making measurable progress. In the past few months, he has been participating in a part-time day program where he works with horses. “My family and I are greatly indebted to CARD for making my beloved son’s life as good as it can be,” says Russell’s father Rick Rollens.

According to research, Russell is 1 of an estimated 1.5 million Americans living with ASD, making it one of the fastest-growing developmental disabilities in America. According to a 2012 survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012, the unemployment rate for individuals with a disability is 13.4 percent. CARD is working to decrease the number of unemployed adults with ASD by providing targeted therapy that increases their vocational skills, enabling them to join the workforce and maintain employment.

For more information about the CARD Adult Services program, visit their Programs page.

Source: PRWeb

Pick of the Week: Social Thinking Books

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

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!

Tip of the Week: Using a MotivAider to Help Parents Give Positive Reinforcement

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

Several years ago I worked with an eight-year-old girl named Stella in her home. Gina, her mother, was at her wit’s end. She had Stella, a four-year-old daughter, and an 18-month-old son to care for plus household duties, balancing work and home life, and maintaining her marriage. She constantly felt stressed, which was compounded by the fact that Stella was not yet speaking or communicating any needs beyond what she wanted to eat, was still not toilet trained, and made a mess everywhere she went. Gina felt that she spent her days following Stella around the house, picking up after her, and yelling at her to stop. She frequently would find Stella dumping out a bin of toys or sweeping all the books off of a shelf, then try to distract her with a Youtube video or a snack.

At this point, Gina was feeling hopeless.

So you can imagine that she was highly skeptical when I suggested that using the MotivAider, a simple device that vibrates at timed intervals, might make her life easier. And while she was prepared for me to try to change Stella’s behaviors, she was not expecting me to suggest she change some of her own behaviors. However, she decided to give it a try.

She set the MotivAider to vibrate every two minutes, then clipped it to her waistband. Her instructions? Every time she felt it vibrate, she should go find Stella. If Stella was engaging in appropriate behaviors (sitting calmly, looking at a book without damaging it, playing with a toy she enjoyed, or watching a video) Gina would give her some positive reinforcement. This included but was not limited to giving her hugs, presenting a snack, watching the video with her, or bringing up her favorite Youtube videos if she was doing something else. If Stella was engaging in an inappropriate behavior, Gina would ignore it (as long as Stella was not in any danger.)

To Gina’s surprise, Stella quickly stopped dumping out bins of toys and making a mess all over the house. All Gina needed was an easy reminder to catch Stella doing something good.

The MotivAider is one of my all-time favorite tools. You can program it to vibrate on a fixed or variable schedule at different duration and intensity levels. I use it for many things, but I’ve had great success in using it with parents. It’s easy for them to use independently, they can use it even when I am not present, and it fits into their busy lifestyles.

Many parents (and teachers) get stuck in the same cycle as Gina did, consistently reinforcing undesirable behaviors by providing attention whenever those behaviors are present. With the help of the MotivAider, Gina was able to change that contingency. (It should be noted that this intervention would not work as described above for a behavior that is not maintained by attention.)

While I was brought in to help change Stella’s behavior, we also changed Gina’s behavior. When we started, Gina provided reinforcement to Stella at every two minute interval in which she found her behaving appropriately. Over time we increased that interval, so that Stella wasn’t receiving such a high rate of reinforcement.

Gina reported that the house felt more calm now, and she had more energy during the day. It also gave her a confidence boost. Having success in this one area made her feel more hopeful and invested in creating success in other areas. Other families I’ve used it with have experienced similar results. One simple tool can lead to massive change for a family.

**Names and identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the identities of my clients.

Pick of the Week: Reading Focus Card Combo Pack

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

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: Avoid Prompt Dependence When Teaching New Skills

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

“She won’t say hi unless I say ‘Say Hello.’” “He will only wash his hands if I put his hand on the knob to turn on the water.” “He won’t use his fork until I put it in his hand.”

I hear statements like this all the time from both parents and providers working with learners what autism. What they are describing is “prompt dependence,” which is when a learner requires a prompt from a teacher or parent in order to complete a task. So how do you avoid prompt dependence with your own learners?

Let’s start with the prompt itself. There are many different ways to prompt which can be divided into levels by how intrusive the prompt is. Below is a sample of a prompt hierarchy, with the least intrusive prompt at the top and the most intrusive prompt at the bottom. Your goal is to quickly move through the prompt levels to move your learner to independence.

Prompting Hierarchy

Now let’s look at two different examples to show these prompt levels. In the first example, the goal is for the learner to greet a person who walks into the room. In the second example, the goal is for the learner to pull up his/her pants after using the bathroom as a part of a toileting routine.

Prompt Chart

Research shows that least-to-most prompting increases potential for errors and slows down rate of acquisition for new skills. Therefore, most-to-least prompting is preferred for teaching new skills. This means that you would start at a full physical prompt, then move your way up the prompt heirarchy until your learner achieves independence with the task.

In the past, when working with discrete trials, it has been common practice to have a learner master a skill at a certain prompt level, then move to a less intrusive prompt and have the learner master the skill at that prompt level, steadily moving towards independence. This can actually encourage prompt dependence because the learner remains on the same prompt level for too long.

Instead, you should try to quickly move up the prompt hierarchy in a way that makes sense for the skill you are trying to teach. Below are some tips to help you help your learners achieve independence.

Follow the rule of three: Whether you are teaching with discrete trials or in the natural environment, once your learner has successfully responded to a demand three times consecutively, move to a less intrusive prompt.
If you are taking data, make a notation of what prompt level you are using at each step. (And remember, that only independent responses should be counted towards the learner’s percentage of correct responses.)
At the end of a session or group of trials, note what prompt level you were at by the end of the session. Then start at that level during the next session.
If your learner does not respond correctly when you move to a less intrusive prompt, then move back to the most recent prompt level. Once they respond again correctly at that prompt level three times consecutively, move again to a less restrictive prompt.
Remember that verbal prompts are very difficult to fade. Though they are less instrusive, you should avoid using them when possible.
You can pair prompts and then fade out the more intrusive prompts. For example, with the sample of pulling up pants described above, you can pair a visual prompt with a gestural prompt by showing the symbol for pulling up pants while pointing at the pants. Over time, you stop using the symbol and just use the gestural prompt. The gestural prompt can be faded by moving your point further and further away from the pants.
Write down what the prompt levels will look like for the specific task you are teaching. This way you will be fully prepared to quickly move your learner towards independence.
Differentiate your reinforcement! If you move to a less intrusive prompt and the learner responds correctly, then you should immediately provide a stronger reinforcer than you did for previous responses. If a learner spontaneously responds without a prompt, you should do what I call “throwing them a party” by combining reinforcers (such as tickles and high fives) or providing a highly desirable reinforcer.

Prompting can be very difficult to do well, but following these tips should help set your learner on the path to independence.

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