Pick of the Week: Auditory Timer – ONLY $5 This Week!

DRT207Keep your student on schedule with our popular Auditory Timer, and get yours for $7.95 only $5 this week (37% savings)! Enter promo code TIMER5 to redeem your savings at check out!

Our versatile white Auditory Timer can count both forwards and backwards, up to 99 minutes. The timer also counts seconds, and beeps when time has elapsed. You can also set it to go off in increments, such as every 5 minutes, with the simple push of one button. Press “START/STOP” to begin or stop timing. Then press both the “MIN” and “SEC” buttons simultaneously to reset the time. The personal timer also has a magnetized clip on the back so that it can be attached to pockets, belts, or the refrigerator. Only 1 AAA battery required.

Don’t forget—you can get your Auditory Timer for only $5 this week (37% savings) by using promo code TIMER5 at check out!

*Offer is valid until 11:59pm EDT on July 15, 2014. Not compatible with any other offers. Be sure there are no spaces or dashes in your code at check out!

Guest Article: “Wandering and Autism” by Sarah Kupferschmidt, MA, BCBA

There are compelling statistics today that highlight the need to address the issue of our children wandering and going missing.  The safety of chidren with autism is an enormous concern for parents and caregivers alike.  Last month, we shared BCBA Sam Blanco’s interview with Gary Weitzen on safety, wandering, and emergency planning for individuals on the spectrum.  This week, we’re thrilled to bring you a guest article by Sarah Kupferschmidt, MA, BCBA. Sarah has written a wonderfully informative article on how to use the Behavior Skills Training framework to teach your child help-seeking behavior in cases of wandering.
Wandering and Autism
by Sarah Kupferschmidt, MA, BCBA

We seem to be hearing about more and more cases of children with autism wandering and going missing in the media.  In some of these cases the children were reunited safely with their families, but in many unfortunate instances, tragedy ensued.  There is evidence to suggest that this may be more common than most people realize.   The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) and the Kennedy Krieger Institute published a study in 2012, in the Journal of Pediatricson this very topic.  According to the study,  49% of the parents that were interviewed reported that their child with autism had wandered or bolted.  Moreover, more than half of those children that did wander actually went missing.  Compelling numbers aside, what I found even more important about the results of this study was that for obvious reasons parents reported that they were experiencing high levels of stress related to the prospect of their child wandering, but, they were also feeling helpless to a certain extent because they felt that they did not know what they could do about the wandering.

The good news in all of this is that there is hope for those families.  There are ways that we may be able to help prevent children with autism from going missing in the event that they do wander. Behavioral Skills Training (BST), which is a framework based on Applied Behavior Analysis, has been shown to be effective in teaching a variety of different skills to individuals with and/or without a disability.  Specifically, it has been shown to be effective in teaching help-seeking behavior in children with autism (Bergstrom, R., Najdowski, A.C., Tarbox, J., 2012).   This framework involves breaking a complex skill like “seeking help when lost” into its component parts and teaching the child to engage in those behaviors when relevant. For example,   in the article mentioned above, children with autism were taught what to do if they were lost in a store. The help-seeking behavior was broken down into the following steps:
  1. Shout out for the person you are with (e.g., “Mom” or “Dad”)
  2. Look for and walk over to store employee
  3. Tell the employee, “I’m lost”
These steps were taught using the BST framework which includes the following critical elements:
  1. Instructions: Explaining to the child what they should do
  2. Modeling:  Showing the child what they should do
  3. Rehearsal: Practicing with the child
  4. Feedback: Providing feedback to the child on how they did

Each of these steps are fairly self-explanatory.  The instructions step is simply telling the child in words what they should do.  Perhaps you could include some visuals when you are reviewing the steps of what they should do when they get lost.  The next step is showing them how it should be done.  I typically use video models but it is possible to demonstrate it live if you don’t have a recording device.  The next steps are critical in the development of this new skill.  Set up a safe situation with the child where you can go out in the community and practice the three steps.  You could bring the visuals along with you if your child needed that little bit of extra help.  If your child did all three steps correctly it is important to praise them immediately and to let them know what they did well.  If they missed one or more of the steps let them know what they did well and remind them of what they need to do differently next time.  For example, you might say “nice job shouting out for mom or dad, next time, don’t forget to tell the cashier you are lost”.  These steps would be practiced until your child was able to do it fluently.

While the BST framework has evidence to support its use, it is important to remember that every child is unique and has different strengths and weaknesses.  In my experience, the children that would do well in this type of program have certain pre-requisite skills.  Ideally, they would already be able to follow simple instructions, have the ability to imitate, and the ability to identify strangers and familiar people.  While children with autism may be at higher risk for wandering, there are things that we can teach parents/teachers to do to help reduce the risk for compromised safety and/or harm that are grounded in ABA.  If you are worried about your child’s risk for wandering, then I would recommend you contact a local Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) that can assist you in determining if a program such as the one described above would be suitable for you and your child.

About the Author

Sarah Kupferschmidt is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who has worked with hundreds of children with autism and their families across Ontario. She has had the privilege of supervising ABA programs and training clinical staff in those programs.  Currently Sarah offers parent coaching and workshops to teach parents but also educators on the most effective ways to teach children using the principles of ABA.  She is also a part-time faculty member at Mohawk College in the Autism Behavioral Science program, in the social sciences program at McMaster University, and an Adjunct Professor at Sage Graduate School.  Sarah is CEO and co-Founder of Special Appucations Inc., which is a company that creates educational products that help maximize the learning potential for children with autism because they are designed using the principles of ABA.  Sarah has appeared as a guest on CP24, CHCH news, Hamilton Life and the Scott Thompson radio show as an authority on autism.

Here’s What Was in YOUR ABA Toolbox

Thank you to all who participated in our ABA Toolbox giveaway last week! We’ve received some wonderful responses and feedback from parents, teachers, and therapists on their favorite products from our catalog and how they are using it with a special child, and we are thrilled to be sharing them with you!

Our biggest goal in this endeavor was to share with you the unbelievable wealth of experience and knowledge our community of parents, teachers, and therapists have in using our products in innovative and creative ways for their ABA programs.

 

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Pick of the Week: Spot It! Matching Game

Our absolute favorite matching and visual discrimination game, Spot It! provides endless fun and challenge to learners of all ages.  Out of the 55 cards, there is always one, and only one, matching symbol between any two cards.  Players can develop a sharp eye and quick reflexes, as they play any of the five included games. This week only, you can save 15%* on your order of the Spot It! matching card game by applying our promo code SPOTIT3 at checkout!

Easy to learn but never boring, this is a great resource for developing visual perception, focus, and reaction time.  This game is easy enough to include students of all skill levels but challenging enough to keep everyone interested in playing.

Take 15% off* your order of Spot It! this week by mentioning or using code SPOTIT3 over the phone with us at (800) 853-1057 or at checkout online.

*Offer is valid until 11:59pm ET on May 13, 2014. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces or dashes in your code at checkout!

What’s in YOUR ABA Toolbox? Share and Win a $250 Gift Certificate

All of our products here at Different Roads to Learning are carefully selected to support both home and school ABA programs. Our community of parents, teachers and therapists have an unbelievable wealth of experience and knowledge in using our products in innovative and creative ways. We want to know What’s in Your ABA Toolbox?

Please fill out this form and share with us your go-to resource for working with students on the spectrum and tell us how you use it. All responses will be entered to win a $250 Gift Certificate* from Different Roads to Learning.

*Only one (1) response will be counted per person. Giveaway ends at 12:00pm ET on 05/05/2014. Submissions will be entered and selected by random for a chance to win a $250 Different Roads to Learning Gift Certificate good towards any future purchases from our catalog. Submissions will be shared on the Different Roads Blog at blog.difflearn.com on Monday, May 5th, 2014. Be sure to check back to our blog on that day to read all of the submissions! The winner will also be announced and contacted via email with their $250 Gift Certificate on May 5th, 2014. Entries for products and materials NOT included on www.difflearn.com or in the Different Roads Catalog will not be considered.

Tip of the Week: School Placement Checklist for Students with Autism

This time of year many parents are researching and visiting schools, trying to find a school placement that makes sense for their child. Here in New York City, parents have many options, while parents living in other places may be presented with very few options. In both situations, finding the right school placement to meet your child’s unique needs can feel impossible.

Over the years, I have visited many potential school placements with the families I’ve worked with. I’ve generated the list of questions below to help those families have more productive, focused, and useful school visits. I recommend that you read through the questions, then prioritize them before making school visits.

Teacher and children sitting on floors with hands raised

The Classroom Environment

  1. How many children are in the classroom?
  2. How many staff are in the classroom? Will your child have enough support as mandated by his/her IEP?
  3. Where is the classroom located? Does it require your child to walk up and down many stairs? Is it too close or too far from an exit? Is it isolated from the rest of the building?
  4. Is the classroom large enough for all students and staff to move safely and comfortably? Is the furniture appropriate for your child’s size?
  5. Does the classroom environment and structure fit the needs of your child?
  6. Are all students engaged in productive work?
  7. Are maladaptive behaviors appropriately addressed?
  8. If your child will be in a Collaborative Team Teaching class, what is the ratio of general education students to special education students?
  9. What academic supports are available in the classroom? Computers? Class library? Centers?
  10. What is the age range of students in the class? Does is span more than three years?
  11. Does the level of academic functioning within the classroom match your child’s needs?
  12. Does the level of language functioning within the classroom match your child’s needs?
  13. Do the behavior management needs of the classroom match your child’s needs?
  14. Do any students have 1:1 paraprofessionals to meet their needs as mandated by an IEP?

Academics

  1. What curriculum does the school use?
  2. Is there a specific teaching methodology used within the classroom? If so, what type of training do the teachers receive in that methodology?
  3. Will the teacher need to modify the curriculum in order to meet your child’s needs? If so, what supports will be in place to help him/her modify it appropriately?
  4. How often are student “mainstreamed” into the general education population? What is the school’s typical process for this?
  5. What typically happens to special education students after aging out of the school? What high schools or colleges do they go to? Do they secure jobs?

Related Services (Speech, OT, PT, Counseling)

  1. Are related services provided through pull out, push in, or a combination of both?
  2. Are related service providers assigned to the class on a regular basis?
  3. Do related service providers have enough time in their schedule to meet your child’s mandate?
  4. How are parents notified if sessions are missed or if special concerns arise during sessions?
  5. Are missed sessions made up?
  6. Does the school apply a set level of mandated services for each class?

Transportation

  1. How close is the school to my home?
  2. Is bus service available? If so, will it be provided by a mini-bus or a large yellow school bus? How long will my child have to spend on the bus? How many students will be on the bus? Is my child the first or last to be picked up or dropped of? Does the bus schedule interfere with my child’s medication schedule? Who will be responsible for taking my child off the bus in the morning and putting him/her on the bus in the afternoon?
  3. Where will my child line up at school in the morning and at dismissal? What is the staff/student ratio for supervision during those transitions?

Preschool children working together on puzzle. Image shot 2009. Exact date unknown.

Interaction with Peers in General Education/Shared Spaces

  1. What age range is represented within the entire school? Is it appropriate for your child?
  2. What opportunities are there for your child to interact with the general education population within the school (field trips, field day, extracurricular activities, etc.)? How often do these opportunities occur?
  3. Are there any social skills or extracurricular programs in which general education students come into your child’s classroom or special education students go into a general education classroom?
  4. How many children will be in the cafeteria while my child is eating there? What is the staff/student ratio of the cafeteria during that time? What age range will be sharing the cafeteria with my child?
  5. What extracurricular subjects will your child receive? Will these be offered in his/her classroom? Will your child need to travel to a separate classroom? Will extracurricular subjects be provided within the same class, or will my child be included with general education peers?
  6. Do students go on field trips? What class field trips have the students recently been on? Do students travel by bus? Are parents able to attend field trips? What is the child/teacher ratio on field trips? Will field trips be provided within the same class, or will my child be included with general education peers? How often do field trips occur?

Communication with the School

  1. What is the application process like? Any important deadlines? Online or paper application?
  2. How will the school stay in contact with me? Daily notebook? Emails?

Pick of the Week: “Fitting In and Having Fun” Vol. 4: High School Life

There are many behaviors that high school students are expected to recognize and display. Students need to be aware of these implicit expectations in order to make good choices, become more independent, and form healthy relationships. This week only, we are offering a 15% discount off of the video modeling program “Fitting In and Having Fun”, Vol. 4: High School Life to help your high school student improve their social awareness. Enter BLOGFITN2* at checkout to apply these savings to your online order.

This video modeling DVD follows a teen named Jon as he learns to navigate high school by becoming more aware of the unspoken rules his teachers and peers expect him to know. The DVD includes the TD Social Skills exclusive “What they’re thinking” insight windows to help students realize the impact of their behavior on others. Actual high school peer mentors who offer advice on how to solve teen problems are also featured. “Springboard to discussion” questions explore each topic further to help students to better understand and improve social exchanges.

Watch the video below for a preview!

Fitting In and Having Fun, Volume 4: High School LifeThe social situations reviewed on this DVD are:

  • Getting Organized
  • Classroom Protocol
  • Sharing Conversations
  • Staying Calm to Problem-Solve
  • Showing Empathy
  • Manners Count
  • Dealing With Stress
  • Embarrassing Situations
  • Falling Head Over Heels

This week only, save 15% on your order of “Fitting In and Having Fun”, Vol. 4: High School Life by using the promotional code BLOGFITN2* at checkout!

*Offer is valid until November 5, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces or dashes in the promo code at checkout!

Pick of the Week: “I See I Learn” Books

Early childhood is a period of vital learning through sensory experiences. Visual learning and comprehension are expressed long before children learn to read and utter a wide range of vocabulary. The I See I Learn series by visual learning specialist Stuart J. Murphy applies this natural capacity of young children with engaging and stimulating stories that are reinforced with visual strategies that help young learners prepare for school and other situations.

I See I Learn BooksThe I See I Learn series introduces a neighborhood of gentle, caring individuals, who respect and nurture each other. The stories are infused with experiences in which our fictional friends Freda, Percy, Emma, Carlos, Camille, and Ajay learn basic life lessons by effecting positive results.

 

This week only, SAVE 15% on the I See I Learn books, by entering in the promo code BLOGISIL3 at checkout.

The books are divided into the comprehensive domains of Social and Emotional Skills. Each title addresses a particular issue relevant to the experiences of young learners. In Percy Gets Upset, readers learn how to deal with frustration. Good Job, Ajay! helps children build confidence. Emma’s Friendwich explores the fun and challenges of making friends. In Camille’s Team, the gang must work together to share in the fun and learn cooperation. Percy Listens Up gently helps children understand that not listening often leads to missing out on great fun. And Freda Stops a Bully explores how it feels to be teased and bullied and what strategies kids can use to stop it.

Informative illustrations paired with diagrams that illustrate various issues encountered in children’s daily lives help make these lessons easier for young learners to remember.

Layout 1

Additional activities and questions in the back of the books also help educators and caregivers further explore each issue discussed in the stories with their children.

Experts in the field of educational development for young children agree that learning tools need to have the ability to apply children’s own viewpoints in solving the conflicts that they may face on a daily basis. Stuart J. Murphy does this exactly with a positive-child approach in his series. Each layout – each word – reflects Murphy’s ability to see scenarios and dilemmas “as a child” and to present them in natural, kid-friendly language with solutions that make sense from their perspectives. The dynamic illustrations in each story are engaging and help generate excitement in young learners when you decide to introduce a new title.
 
 

BLOGISIL3 Promo Code

This week only, SAVE 15% on any one of our selections from the I See I Learn series by Stuart J. Murphy, by entering in the promo code BLOGISIL3 at checkout.*

 

 

 

*Offer expires on May 14, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

“Ability vs. Disability” by Gary Shulman

It is important to remind ourselves as parents and providers of children with special needs of the little joys and pride we take in the skills and passions our children display. We recently received a moving anecdote from Special Needs Consultant and Trainer Gary Shulman about Matthew, whose six years of life has touched so many around him despite his label of being a disabled child. Please take a moment to read his story, for we do believe that “behind every child with a label of disability is a child with ability to be cherished, praised, and supported.”

Ability vs. Disability

Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
shulman.gary@yahoo.com
Special Needs Consultant and Trainer

April, 2013

During my more than 24 years as Program Director of Social Services and Training Coordinator for Resources for Children with Special Needs and now as a private consultant and trainer, I have had the great pleasure of asking thousands of parents of children with disabilities to tell me about their children’s talents, skills, abilities and passions. Very often that question has been met with astonishment, “Someone is actually asking me to accentuate the positive as the old song says!” What a concept! My heart has always been warmed and my soul and spirit uplifted by the myriad responses that gleefully utter from the lips of these proud parents: “Susan is a gifted musician-she hears a song once then sits down and figures it out on the piano”, “My son swims like a fish!” “Thomas has memorized the entire subway system-he is passionate about trains.”, “Hector always greets me with a hug and seems to know when I am feeling down-he brightens up my life.” …and on and on. My response is to have everyone in the room praise and applaud these positive stories of hope, joy and delight. We of course also move on to discussing the needs, wants, wishes and dreams.

I often tell the story of an “angel” who blessed this world by the name of Matthew. When Matthew was born, the doctor who had obviously not been through any sensitivity training, felt compelled to tell the new parents the bad news that after conducting genetic testing, Matthew was determined to have a very rare condition called I-Cell Disease. “So what does that mean?-when can we bring Matthew home to enjoy and love him?” The doctor proceeded to elucidate that Matthew should not be brought home but rather institutionalized! He then felt compelled to share that Matthew’s immunological system would over the course of 5 or 6 years, destroy all organs in Matthews tiny body. “Why put yourself through such misery-he will never grow or develop. Needless to say these spiritual, caring, loving dedicated parents took Matthew home and received Medicaid under the Medicaid Waiver program to meet many of his complex medical needs. He was enrolled in Early Intervention where his miraculous and talented Occupational Therapist Ilaine, only saw the potential skills, talents and strengths. Matthew learned to happily feed himself, walk with a walker, sing, dance and love……..oh how this child gave and received love. He was pure love. This beautiful child positively affected ever human being who was fortunate enough to have the joy of knowing this angel on earth. I made him pancakes during one visit and he stopped eating for a moment, turned his steroid filled, barely moving body, to face me so he could tell me, “Hey Gary! These are delicious!” Matthew by the way had a photographic memory and could tell you every player in the Yankee dugout, give you directions to Grandma’s house and direct you to all food items in the supermarket.

There is no miraculous ending here — Matthew died after 6 glorious years on earth. Six years of love and joy. Six years of enhancing the lives of everyone who was fortunate enough to have known this miraculous child. At his funeral were all the friends, neighbors, family members and admirers whose lives had been touched by this angel of humanity. The doctor who had diagnosed Matthew of course was not present. His memory lives on in every workshop I conduct. His parents graced me with a gift that I will always cherish. Knowing that Matthew would soon be leaving this world, they had him record anything that he wanted to say to those people in his life whom he cared for. Sitting on my dresser is a small photo book with Matthew’s picture in it. There is a button in that photo-book. When you press that button, Matthew’s sweet voice can be heard saying, “Hello Gary-I love you!” His spirit helps to motivate all parents of children with disabilities who have been told by “professionals” what their children would never be able to do. Just as the Bumblebee should not fly according to scientists, yet does (because nobody has ever told the bumblebee he can’t fly) so too will all children with disabilities continue to FLY as long as we continue to recognize that behind every label of disability there is a human being with abilities, talents, skills and passions…………………..and love to give and receive. We must never take the hope away!

Behind every child with a label of disability is a child with ability to be cherished, praised and supported.

 

New Low Price on Our Language App: Tell Me About It!

tell me about it iconAutism Awareness Month excitement continues…We’re thrilled to announce that for the rest of April, you can purchase our App Tell Me About It! Learning Language by Receptive Function, Feature & Category for the low price of $2.99!

Tell Me About It! teaches the label, category, function, and features of more than 235 language targets over 6 levels of incremental difficulty, with over 1000 unique testable attributes. The presentation of each language target conforms to an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) discrete trial program, with reinforcement provided by a token economy system. Tell Me About It! provides a self-contained discrete trial program that error corrects and provides direct and immediate reinforcement while collecting and synthesizing data for up to 10 students. There is a Student Report Card that displays data for each student, with an option to email the results.

For students with speech and language delays or for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning to simply label an image doesn’t necessarily translate into comprehensive understanding of that word. By breaking down each language target by its category, the function that it serves and its salient features, we offer students the opportunity to fully comprehend and then engage in language.

Level 1 

Categories

The App covers 15 categories of language targets that include: Animals, Body Parts, Clothing, Food, Household Items, Dishes, Utensils, Tools, Toys, School Supplies, Sports, Vehicles, Accessories, Furniture, and Musical Instruments.

 

 

 


Levels

The App advances from the basic building blocks of language – simple labeling – all the way through shared features across categories. The Levels presented in incremental difficulty are:

Level 1: Labels
                Level 2: Categories
                Level 3: Function
                Level 4: Feature
                Level 5: Randomized Feature, Function, Category
               Level 6: Shared Featured, Function, Category

Teacher Console

 

Teacher’s Console            

Teachers and parents can delve into the Teacher’s Console to control the settings for each student by turning the written labels for each language target ON/OFF, selecting a specific token character, selecting the default Level, and choosing a Reinforcement Schedule.

There is even a motion that administrators can use while a game is in progress to access the Teacher’s Menu to adjust the settings or view reports. To access the Teacher’s Bar, simply swipe 2 fingers in an upward motion from the bottom of the screen up:

 TeacherGesture

Reinforcement Schedule

The Reinforcement Schedule determines how many targets the studentmust answer correctly in order to complete a trial session and obtain a 5-10 second animation reward.  There is an option for 3, 5, or 10 tokens and you can even select the character you want or keep the default setting of Random.

 End of Game

Reporting & Data

Tell Me About It! tracks each student’s progress and provides a Report after every trial as well as a comprehensive Report Card accessible in the teacher’s console. You’ll see a + for every correct response and a – for incorrect ones. If a student hasn’t yet mastered a target, you’ll see the number of presentations in parentheses after the score.

Report Card

Determining Mastery of Targets

This App strives to mimic an actual one-on-one instructional session with a therapist as much as is possible in an application. For this App, we determine which targets will be defined as mastered by the program in a variety of ways depending on how many times it has been presented.  When answered correctly on the very first presentation, the student receives both a token and verbal praise and that target is considered “known” or mastered and not presented again on that level.  If the answer is not correct on that first presentation, the target will be reintroduced in subsequent trials and must then be answered correctly on two different, consecutive presentations to be considered mastered. When an incorrect response is given, error correction is provided by having the correct image flash while verbal correction is also provided. The App then shuffles the placement of the images, and re-presents the same question. If the student answers correctly on this second attempt, they receive verbal praise only (no token) and then move to another question.  Note that your Data sheets will display, in parentheses, how many times each target has been presented so that you are always aware of your student’s progression and where there might be deficits.