SPECIAL RESEARCH ISSUE

Self-Advocacy as Part of Transition Planning for People with Autism

by Stephen Shore

Transitions can be challenging for everyone because they represent a change from one activity, event, phase, or even different stages of the lifespan cycle. Most people have the benefit of being able to prepare for most changes by thinking them through or having access to resources enabling them to make these transitions. However, sensory distortions and other challenges often prevent persons on the spectrum from enjoying the same success in transitions as non-autistic persons. One goal for everyone supporting those with autism is to provide the necessary education and access to information, allowing an equal chance at success in navigating transitions in what is often a confusing world.

Transitions come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. For some people with autism, simply walking from one room to the other can be like walking off the face of the Earth -- proper preparation must occur in order to successfully step across a threshold into the unknown. Others may be challenged when there is a change in the daily routine. In these situations, it is important to present the daily schedule in an understandable way while making it clear visually, aurally, tactilely or by other means that there is an upcoming modification. The balance of this article will focus on the education in self-advocacy aspect of transition to adulthood for people on the autism spectrum.

Rationale for Developing Skills in Self-advocacY

The ability to self-advocate enables a person with autism to get her needs met while engendering better mutual understanding, trust, and productivity. It is imperative that the person with autism, or any other disability, know how to self-advocate because the responsibility to do so helps the individual tremendously after aging out of public school.

Self-advocacy involves making another person aware of one’s needs in a way they can understand and assist in your efforts for a modification in an environment. As a part of the self-advocacy effort, it is necessary to explain why the request was made to modify the environment. While most people seem to learn these skills through observation and practice, those on the autism spectrum often need direct instruction.

Teaching Skills in Self-Advocacy

One of the best ways to teach skills in this area is to use the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Usually, the IEP consists of a team of professionals, parents, and others familiar with the child on the autism spectrum. Even though the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) encourages child participation in the IEP at all ages, student involvement usually only occurs at the mandated age of 14, and even then it is still usually minimal.

By involving the child as a meaningful member of the IEP team to the best of their ability benefits both the other IEP members and the child. The IEP members, who may work with dozens of children, get a reminder of exactly whom they are helping. The student gets valuable lessons in advocating for themselves and working out a plan enabling greatest productivity.

It is often thought that self-advocacy is only for students at the higher end of the autism spectrum and that involving, for example, a 6 year-old nonverbal, hyperactive child in a 90-minute meeting is impossible. The truth is… it is impossible. However, having the child come to the meeting to interact with just a couple of the members for about a minute is very doable and engages the child with the educational process to the best of their ability. Another child may be able to communicate that he likes a certain class and finds another one difficult before leaving. Yet another child may be able to comment on certain sensory-based difficulties such as paying attention during a writing session because he is distracted by the noise of pencils scratching the paper as other students write. There are other students who have the wherewithal to research into, and lead significant portions of the IEP meeting. The more a child can learn to help themselves while in school the better off they will be in their self-advocacy and disclosure efforts after graduation.

Efforts in self-advocacy education are important for when the child leaves the mandated protection and provisions of advocacy from IDEA transitions to the much lesser protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One of the major differences between the two disability laws is that ADA requires a person with a disability to advocate for themselves for often much fewer protections and benefits afforded under IDEA.

Given that the public schools are charged with preparing the nation’s youth to lead fulfilling and productive lives, it only makes sense that self-advocacy instruction for those in need should be part of this education.

Stages of Self-Advocacy

Consider the following scenario: A 13-year old student in an inclusive classroom, Sam has been coming home crying for the past week. Through discussion with Sam and classroom observation you see that some of students take great fun in watching Sam squirm as they lightly touch him in apparent hope that Sam will eventually strike out… and get blamed for starting a fight. Previously, you would have intervened by talking with Sam’s homeroom teacher about how others are taking advantage of Sam’s tactile hypersensitivity.

But as part of Sam’s team you realize that it is time for him to work on self-advocacy. Kassiane Sibley's chapter "Help me help myself" describes six stages of development in self-advocacy skills. These skills range from planning the advocacy effort with the student and having him observe the facilitator model the process to where the facilitator merely serves as backup support by telephone if needed (2004, in Shore, 2004). Since this is Sam’s first foray into self-advocacy you, the facilitation team, would work out with Sam some appropriate actions to take in his efforts. For example, while Sam might like to punch his bullies in the nose, you will help him reach the conclusion that talking to the teacher about his problem may be a better course of action for resolving his problem. Further advocacy work with Sam will include a fading away of direct support as he learns to speak up for himse

As a child Stephen Shore was diagnosed with "Atypical Development with strong autistic tendencies," viewed as "too sick" to be treated on an outpatient basis and recommended for institutionalization. With much help from his parents, teachers, and others, Mr. Shore is now completing his doctoral degree in special education at Boston University with a focus on helping people on the autism spectrum develop their capacities to the fullest extent possible. In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Mr. Shore presents and consults internationally on adult issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure as discussed in his books Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum, and the soon to be released Understanding Autism for Dummies. Mr. Shore is also a board member of the Autism Society of America and president emeritus of the Asperger’s Association of New England. He serves for the Board of Directors for Unlocking Autism, the Autism Services Association of Massachusetts, MAAP, and the College Internship Program.

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RESEARCH UPDATE

This month’s review of current research looks at the use of video-modeling in the acquisition of social skills in learners with autism spectrum disorders. Video-modeling has been used as an intervention for quite some time now. And with the advent of low cost and digital video technologies, the application of this technology is almost certain to grow.

ARTICLE ONE: Nikopoulous, C.K., & Keenan, M. (2004). Effects of video modeling on social initiations by children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 93- 96.

Summary: Nikopoulous and Keenan investigated the use of video modeling to increase the social initiations of young children with autism. Three young (ages 7-9 years) boys with previously established diagnoses of autism participated in this study. The authors describe the individuals as “being in the mild to moderate range” of autism as assessed using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Social initiation was defined as the child “approaching the experimenter, emitting a vocal or gestural behavior and leading him toward a toy”. Reciprocal play was defined as the child being “engaged in play with the experimenter using any toy in manner for which it was intended”. The results indicated that across all children video-modeling improved social initiation and reciprocal play skills when compared to baseline and these improvements were maintained at 1 and 3 month follow ups. Click here to read the full article.

ARTICLE TWO: Daneshvan, S., Charlop-Christy, M.H., Morris, C., & Lancaster, B.M. (2003). Using video modeling and reinforcement to teach perspective taking skill to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36, 253-257.

Summary: The authors of this investigation used video modeling to teach perspective taking, an understanding that another person’s beliefs about events might differ, to three boys (ages 7-13 years) with autism. As noted by the authors, difficulty with perspective taking, a skill associated with taking turns, sharing, and empathy, is generally considered a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorders. The instructional condition consisted of having the child view a video of an adult correctly completing the perspective taking task. The video focused on relevant visual cues and the model provided verbal explanations of the behavior. The experiment then paused the video and had the child respond to perspective taking questions. Correct answers were reinforced with social praise and preferred primary reinforcers. Incorrect answers resulted in a replay of the video and a “prompt to pay attention until correct imitation occurred.” A follow up was conducted one month after the final training session. The results indicate that while all three children failed the tasks during the baseline/pretest condition, they were subsequently able to correctly complete the tasks even when “novel vocal or motor responses were required” indicating that some generalization of this new skill was evident. Click here to read the full article.

ARTICLE THREE: Charlop-Christy, M.H., Le, L., & Freeman, K.A. (2000). A comparison of video modeling and in vivo modeling for teaching children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30, 537-552.

Summary: In this study the authors compared the effectiveness of video modeling with “in vivo” (real life) modeling for teaching skills to learners with autism. Five young learners with autism, ages 7-11 years, participated in this study. Of particular interest is that, according to parent reports, all participants watched television or videos for a minimum of 30-60 minutes a day. The video modeling condition consisted of the video presentation of a specific defined task (different for different participants) with prompting provided, as necessary, to attend to the video display. After two presentations of the video the study participant was told, “Let’s do the same. Just like on T.V.” In the in vivo condition, training took place in the same setting and was presented in the exactly the same manner as was video modeling with the exception that live models were used. Overall, the results indicated that video modeling led to faster acquisition of skills than did in vivo modeling. In addition, there was evidence of skill generalization after video modeling when none was noted after in vivo modeling. The authors offer a number of possible explanations for these outcomes including that video modeling may allow learners with autism to more efficiently focus on relevant environmental cues, video model may be more motivating that in vivo model, and it may be more novel and, therefore, of greater interest to the learner.

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Research in Support of Families

by Dr. Peter Gerhardt

This month’s issue of The OARacle features the quarterly research column by OAR President Dr. Peter Gerhardt. Each article examines a particular area of research and discusses its importance in everyday practice. This month’s column describes the importance of considering families in autism research.

A hallmark of good applied research is that it takes into account the environment in which the person lives, plays, goes to school or works. This context, especially in applied research in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), is a critical variable. When the school day is done, respite care has ended or graduation day has come and gone without the necessary post-secondary services or supports, the primary context for the individual learner is the family. It goes without saying that families of learners of ASD are not your typical families. Mixed in with the joy, love and care of any family (Marcus, Kunce, & Schopler, 2005), is often some measure of fear of the future, frustration with the current situation, and a combination of anger, guilt or sorrow just beneath the surface (e.g., Milgram & Atzil, 1988).

After four decades of research (e.g., Wolf, Risley & Mees, 1964; Lecavalier, L., Leone, S., & Wiltz, J., 2006) and subsequent improvements in education, intervention and support for learners with ASDs, families continue to find themselves having to plot their own course through a system that is often less responsive than it should be. This is despite the fact that parents of learners with ASDs are generally recognized as knowledgeable, informed and active participants in their son or daughter’s education (Gerhardt, et al., 2003) and work within a system that is far more responsive than has previously been the case. Given that, the need for research into the needs of families across the life span and across the autism spectrum continues to be critical. In particular there is a need for research that goes beyond the identification of potential stressors to identify those interventions most likely to result in a functional definition of “support,” the barriers to these interventions, and addresses the changing needs of parents as their child grows into adulthood.

Functional Definition of Support

According to Kozloff, et al., (1988), effective models of family support need to be first, available, and then individualized, flexible, and relevant to the needs of families at a given point in time. In other words, family support models need to be based on a functional analytic perspective of family needs across the life span. From a functional analytic perspective the term support needs to be viewed in the same pragmatic manner as are the terms reinforcement or punishment. Just as stimuli associated with these terms are defined solely by their impact (increase or decrease) on a behavior, family support interventions need to be defined solely by their impact on family or parental stress and accommodation. Absent this understanding, an intervention designed to offer support may, inadvertently, increase stress instead. Research investigating what services (e.g., in home respite vs. out of home respite), under what conditions (respite worker hired/supervised by family vs. one hired/supervised by an agency) and at what point in a families life offer the greatest support to individual families should be considered a priority.

Barriers to Family Support

There is a number of support services generally considered beneficial to families of children with ASDs. This would include parent/family training (e.g. Baker, 1989), respite services and parent support groups to name a few. Parent support groups in particular may provide several benefits for attendees including alleviating loneliness, isolation and providing information (Seligman & Darling, 1989). The extent to which benefits may be realized is often limited by such variables as restricted access to the group to both parents, the costs associated with specialized child care if necessary, the diversity of needs reported by families of children with ASD and the competence of the facilitator. Some recent research, however, (e.g., Hsiung, 2000) indicates that internet-based support groups may help reduce the impact of some of these challenges in some cases. More research, it would seem, is necessary if families are to efficiently access supports that may functionally reduce stressors.

Changing Needs Across the Lifespan

Very little is known about the needs of parents/families of adults with ASDs whether their children continue to reside at home or live outside their family home with supports (Krauss, Seltzer & Jacobson, 2005). Potential research questions would include, but certainly not be limited to: 1) What is the impact on the family of living with a now, adult child who is without appropriate services?; 2) What stressors do families report as being most associated with the transition process?; 3) To what extent, if any, are the concerns voiced by parents of adults different than those noted by those of younger children? Adolescents?; and 4) To what extent do parents continue to provide oversight to programs and programmatic decision-making of their adult child?.

Summary

Most of us spend the majority of our lives within the context of some type of family. As sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands or life-partners we spend our lives living, working and playing within that context. Families, however, are systems and as such are subject to a myriad of challenges to their efficient and effective running. This is no truer than when discussing the support needs of families of children with ASDs. As such, research in support of families would appear to be critical and, functionally, should result in family functioning that is less disrupted, the preservation of more intact families; greater educational benefits for the child with ASD, reductions in the use of crisis models of support and potential long-term cost savings.

Saying “you can’t take care of others unless you take care of yourself” may indeed be cliché, but with more research targeted to address both individual family needs, it may well be one cliché that turns out to be true.

References

Gerhardt, P.,F., Mannion, K., Weidenbaum, N., Andretta, M., & Wallace, B. (2003). Knowledge of Autism and ABA: A Comparison between Parents of Children with Autism and Direct Care Staff. Poster presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis. May 25, 2003. San Francisco, CA.

Hsiung, R.C., (2000). The best of both worlds: An online self-help group hosted by a mental health professional. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 3, 935-950.

Kozloff, M.A., Helm, D.T., Cutler, B.C., Douglas-Steele, D., Wells, A., & Scampini, L. (1988). Training programs for families of children with autism and other handicaps. In R. Peters (Ed.) Social Learning and Systems Approaches to Marriage and the Family. London: Brunner/Mazel.

Krauss, M.W., Seltzer, M.M., Jacobson, H.T. (2005). Adults with autism living at home or in non-family settings: Positive and negative aspects of residential status. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 49, 111-124.

Lecavalier, L., Leone, S., & Wiltz, J. (2006). The impact of behaviour problems on caregiver stress in your people with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50, 172-183. Marcus, L.M., Kunce, L.J., &

Schopler, E. (2005) Working with families. In F. Volkmar, R. Paul, A. Klin, & D. Cohen (Eds.). Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, 3rd Ed. (pp. 1055-1086). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Milgram, M.A., & Atzil, M., (1988). Parenting stress in raising autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 18, 415-424.

Seligman, M., & Darling, R. B., (1989). Ordinary Families, Special Children: A Systems Approach to Childhood Disability. New York: Guilford Press.

Wolf, M.M., Risley, T., & Mees, H. (1964). Application of operant conditioning procedures in the behaviour problems of an autistic child. Behavior Research and Therapy, 1, 305-312.

Peter Gerhardt, Ed. D., is the President of OAR and the founding Chairman of the OAR Scientific Council. He is the author or co-author of articles and book chapters on the needs of adults with autism spectrum disorder, the school-to-work-transition process and analysis and intervention of problematic behavior. He has presented nationally and internationally on these topics.

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Community News: Recent Court Ruling Extends Special Education to Student with Asperger Syndrome

Educational performance is not defined solely by academic achievements.

This is the precedent U.S. district Judge D. Brock Hornby set when he recently ruled that School Administrative District (SAD) 55 in Portland, Maine is required by law to provide special education services to a young girl diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome after she attempted to commit suicide by overdosing on various medications.

“That [decision] is very significant [for] people with Asperger Syndrome,” said Special Education attorney Aimee Gilman, who works for the Cleveland based non-profit organization Special Education Services. “[People with AS] frequently can function well academically but they may not be doing well in other aspects of their school life.”

Up until her suicide attempt, the girl (identified in court documents as L.I.) performed well academically in school. Teachers, however, noted that she often “looked sad, anxious and had difficulty making friends,” according to an article published in the Boston Globe.

The 48 page ruling issued on January 30, 2006, requires SAD 55 to design an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the young girl that accommodates her unique condition and to reimburse her parents for a portion of their legal fees. SAD 55 originally denied the family’s request for special education, arguing that L.I. had performed well academically and therefore did not qualify as a “‘child with disability’ under Federal and State definitions.”

“The qualifying condition [for the disability to warrant special education services] must ‘adversely affect a child’s educational performance,’” wrote Judge Hornby in his Memorandum Decision and Order for the case. “I conclude that the record establishes that the student’s condition did adversely affect her educational performance.”

Judge Hornby noted that Maine law defines educational performance “broadly” to include extracurricular activities and other non-academic areas. Students with AS often struggle in school, argued Judge Hornby, because of their “social impairments” which may not even surface until such students enter the school setting.

SAD 55 will appeal the ruling in front of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston where the case will be heard by a panel of three judges in approximately seven months. The First Circuit Court of Appeals is the highest court the case can reach and is one step below the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Gilman says she is unsure how the appeals court will rule but believes that Judge Hornby’s ruling is a step in the right direction.

“There are students with Asperger Syndrome who function very well in school,” she said. “But there are many of them that have language and social issues that affect their likelihood of being successful whether it is causing mental health problems or requiring other kinds of accommodations.”

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Autism Research Competition Deadlines Closing Fast

by Lorem Ipsum

• The analysis, evaluation, or comparison of current models of assessment, intervention, or systems of service delivery including policy analysis,
• Applied aspects of educational, behavioral, or social/communicative intervention across the lifespan, or
• Adult issues such as continuing education, employment, residential supports, sexuality instruction, quality-of-life determinants and “later intervention.”

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OAR Salutes the Ivymount School

In this month’s issue of The OARacle, we salute The Ivymount School in Rockville, Md., a private school that serves children with developmental disabilities including autism. A bi-monthly feature, the Salute recognizes an individual or organization that has gone above and beyond for OAR and the autism community. For the past two months, students from The Ivymount School have become part of the OAR team, visiting twice a month to assist in the mailing of The OARacle to more than 300 families that do not have ready access to online resources. OAR salutes both these students and the faculty who accompany them for their significant contribution to OAR’s mission and The Ivymount School for its service to the community for many years.

For over 40 years The Ivymount School in Rockville, Maryland has been working with children diagnosed with various learning disabilities. In 1998, the school added an Autism Program which has blossomed into an important resource for autistic students and their families as well as a model for training autism professionals.

“Our number one goal is to teach our students and have our students make progress [and] our other number one goal is to train our staff,” said Dr. Tamara Marder, who co-directs the Autism Program at Ivymount with colleague Susan Holt, M.A.

With 43 students between ages seven and 20, the program teaches a functional life skills curriculum that strictly adheres to Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) methodology. The program divides the students into small groups of six or seven and for six hours a day, provides direct training (the teacher to student ratio is often 1:1 and never exceeds 2:1) on how to do everything from follow verbal directions to shop at the grocery store. Each classroom is equipped with various supports for students including individual reinforcement systems, visual schedules, computers and related service providers.

But the most important student support system at Ivymount, says Marder, is the faculty.

“We know that our students are only going to learn as good as our staff members are able to teach,” she said. “Staff are really invested in the students and really love their jobs."

But Marder is quick to point out that staff training at Ivymount is “intensive.” New staff members serve their first year as interns, learning all about autism, teaching strategies, and ABA. Most Ivymount staff members often continue on to graduate school to study ABA or a related field.

“It’s not just a job; they are really learning,” said Marder. “We are happy that we are popping out people who are going to be working and contributing in the field.”

The Ivymount Autism program also provides other support services including workshop seminars and discussion groups for parents, students and professionals. To offset the program's long wait list, the school is also working on an outreach model that will meet the needs of students and families that cannot enroll. The outreach model will also help similar programs emulate their design. Marder predicts that the outreach program will begin this fall.

“We know that there is a very big need for the community to get those ABA services,” she said.

Last year, professionals and parents looking to create a new program for students with Asperger’s Syndrome presented to Ivymount how the school can meet this need as well. In Fall, 2006, the school will also implement this new program which will enable ASD children from 3rd-6th grades to learn essential skills outside a mainstream grade school setting.

“The biggest thing is that reinforcement we feel when our students are making progress,” said Marder. “[That] is the best thing [Ivymount staff] like to see.”

More information about Ivymount is available on the school web site.

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Research Article: Transitioning to New Programs for Teens

By Sara Pahl, BCBA

This article describes a pilot program focused on transitions that adolescents with autism spectrum disorders experience conducted by the Families for Effective Treatment of Autism of Washington. OAR’s President, Dr. Peter Gerhardt, served as a consultant to the project. While set in the Seattle area, it illustrates a programmatic and collaborative approach toward successfully teaching both transition and life skills that offers broader application.

It’s widely understood that the need for quality intensive early intervention remains crucial. That broad realization on the importance of early childhood needs, however, has not yet produced consensus or a continuum for effective interventions for older children, adolescents, or adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Thus, there is a continuing and—with the rising incidence of autism—growing need for services for adolescents with ASD. Last summer, the Families for Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT) of Washington offered a pilot program focused on transitions for adolescents with autism. It was well received by students and parents alike and produced some impressive results.

So when Brenne Schario, the director of FEAT of Washington, offered me the incredible opportunity to help run a pilot program for adolescents with autism that would be done in consultation with Dr. Peter Gerhardt, I jumped at the chance. Having worked in the successful FEAT summer academic program for the past three years, serving primary school aged children, I felt ready to run the organization’s first transitions program.

The pilot program was located in Seattle’s University District and ran three hours a day, five days a week, for five weeks during the summer of 2005. We had 17 students, ages 13-19, as well as three peer volunteers.

• Social Skills Training
• Production Skills
• Community Navigation Skills
• Safety skills
• Leisure skills

The students’ skills varied across the spectrum, ranging from those who needed one-on-one support throughout the day to others who were relatively high functioning autism and in need of fewer, immediate supports. As challenging as it seemed at first to have such a diverse range of abilities in the program, the variety of such individual abilities ultimately became one of its strengths.

On the program staff, we had two teachers, both Board Certified Behavior Analysts, seven assistants, and one part-time volunteer. All of our teachers and assistants had a background in applied behavior analysis (ABA), and most had experience providing instruction using precision teaching or fluency-based instruction.

It was important during the intake assessment with Dr. Gerhardt and me for us to hear not just the priorities of the families, but also to understand what was important to the students. By doing so, I believe we were able to create objectives that targeted both appropriate skills and skills that were important to the students.

The students were divided into two classrooms. Each student had objectives that fell under each of the above components that we established based on the interviews with the students and their parents, current Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and current reports from other professionals. Each student had an IEP with approximately nine objectives. All of the program’s objectives were written to not only incorporate technology that could be used in the future, but also to ensure that every objective we set applied across environments, people, and stimuli, in various environments. Our ultimate goal was to promote visible, meaningful change rather than simply meet the accuracy criteria.

Given these criteria the use of technology was crucial. We used Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), for example, to help achieve production and social skills objectives for tasks like keeping appointments, referencing a social script, or prompting to initiate conversation. We also used ATM cards, cell phones, video cameras and digital cameras with varying accommodations to target the needs of each student. The bustling University District provided us with many opportunities to use preferred places as environments for instruction and provide community-based instruction and street safety. Staying true to one of Seattle’s favorite pastimes, we had many opportunities to walk to Starbucks, order favorite drinks, and surf the Internet.

All data that was not a permanent product was graphed on a Standard Celeration Chart. By charting and analyzing the data, the staff was able to determine which interventions were working and, therefore, work more efficiently with the students. Out of a total of 154 objectives for all students, 92% were met!

Even though we did not have a measurement for qualities like self-confidence, happiness, or satisfaction with the program, 15 out of 17 parents anecdotally reported favorable increases in these areas.. Some parents reported that their children were now independently purchasing items (when they had previously needed support) and that their child said they wanted the FEAT school to be their school all the time. Other reports included that their child for the first time was able to see that there were others who had the same interests and that it was okay to explore those interests. Students also reported that they felt relief after finding out their peers shared their same difficulties.

In retrospect, I think a crucial piece of the program was that students had a voice in what they wanted to learn. One way we targeted this was by having the students complete journal entries each day, which included a summary of things they did, things they liked, and things they wanted to change. Most important, we then had that data to make those changes, when and where necessary.

The program’s success has led FEAT to extend it as a Saturday program during the school year. Without the dedicated staff, Dr. Gehardt’s specialized expertise and the vision of FEAT to continue providing quality ABA services for individuals with autism, this program would not have been possible. I am excited for the future and believe the success of FEAT’s Transition for Teens program is just the beginning of many great things to come as behavior analysts, educators, other related professionals, and dedicated parents continue to provide services for individuals with ASD.

Sara Pahl is a consultant for behavior analysis consulting firm Fabrizio/Moors, which is based in Seattle.

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Resource: Planning Successful Transitions

by Diane Adreon, M.A.

Everyone must adjust to new environments. Sometimes these adjustments involve adapting to a new school, a new teacher, or other things that are different than what we experienced previously. Transitions can be particularly challenging for individuals with autism spectrum disorders [ASD], as they often experience considerable anxiety when faced with new situations. Moreover, many individuals with ASD have difficulty understanding the expectations and routines in new environments. During the school years, transitions include moving from (a) home or day-care to preschool, (b) pre-school to elementary school, (c) early elementary school grades (K-2) to later elementary school grades, (d) elementary to middle school, and (d) middle to high school. The transition from high school to post-secondary education or work is one of the most significant changes that students face, one that requires considerable planning over a long period of time, typically several years.

Other commonly occurring significant school transitions include moving from a private school to public school (or vice versa), or moving from a special education setting to a general education setting. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that the transitions within a given school from one year to the next also involve numerous adjustments. Transition planning is important for many types of transitions, not only those that are most frequently viewed as major changes.

In planning transitions it is often helpful to carefully assess the similarities and differences between the current environment and next environment. All assessments should include a careful analysis of the expectations in the current environment, as well as the supports and accommodations that are being provided in the current environment. This information should be compared to the expectations and available supports and accommodations in the environment(s) that are being considered for the following year(s).

For younger children, considerations might include safety issues. For example, some children are runners. Is this child a runner? What has been needed to keep this student safe? In addition, be sure to pay attention to the environmental expectations for maintaining behavior, paying attention, understanding directions, and independence (putting on shoes/socks/ zipping coat).

In third to fourth grade, careful attention should be given as to the organizational skills, work skills, academic skills, and social/emotional skills necessary to succeed in the environment. Organizational skills might include keeping track of homework assignments, gathering materials for needed assignments, and keeping track of papers (including papers going from school to home and home to school). The following are some of the work skills to consider: (a) Does the student need minimal or repeated prompting to begin working on an assignment? (b) Once started, will the student continue working? (c) How much clarification of instructions or other types of individual assistance does the student require during various activities? Academic skills to consider include the students’ reading comprehension, handwriting, and written composition skills. Considerations in the social/emotional arena include: (a) How will this student perform socially with less direct supervision during unstructured times? (b) Is this student a natural “target” for other students? (c) Can this student work successfully in a group? (d) How much does group work need to be structured in order for this student to be successful? (e) How well does this student handle changes? (f) What types of changes have been difficult for the student to handle? (g) How many changes does the student have to cope with in the current environment? (h) What specific supports have been necessary in order to help the student handle changes appropriately? (i) What tends to upset the student? (j) Does the student recognize when he/she is upset? (k) Does the student follow an adult’s instructions to remove him/herself from a situation? (l) What behaviors has the student typically demonstrated when frustrated or overwhelmed? (m) What has been necessary in order for the student to calm down?

It is also important to assess the demands and identify potential problem situations that may arise during unstructured or less structured times of the day. Unstructured or less structured times include the bus, before and after school, field trips, assemblies, and transitions times between classes, lunch, physical education, and recess. Consider the predictability of these environments, as well as the social demands, sensory issues, and motor expectations.

Organizational, work, social/emotional, and academic demands continue to increase as students move on to middle and high school. When moving from elementary school to middle school, it is likely that the environment changes significantly. However, the process of evaluating the necessary components for a successful transition remains the same – a careful analysis of the current environment and necessary supports and accommodations and identification of the similarities and differences between the current environment and potential next environment(s).

The following are suggestions of proactive strategies that can set the stage for a successful transition.

• Begin transition planning early in the year. Have current school personnel assess current environment, student’s strengths & challenges, and necessary supports and accommodations.
• Involve personnel/representation from next grade or new school in the transitional planning meetings.
• If applicable, visit different programs/schools to determine appropriate placement options. Include school personnel who are currently working with the child when possible.
• Compare similarities and differences in school environments and needed supports and accommodations for these environments.
• Decide on next environment. Modify IEP/504 to address needed supports and accommodations.
• Identify primary school contact for the parent to address any problems or issues that might arise.
• Schedule dates and content of trainings for school personnel prior to the first day of school when possible.

Suggested Orientation Activities

• Familiarize student with schedule in advance.
• Provide student with pictures and names of all teachers in advance. School yearbooks can be helpful resource.
• Arrange for student to meet teacher(s) & other school personnel prior to first day of school.
• If the student will be attending a new school, visit school several times over summer.
• Familiarize student with school routines such as going through the cafeteria line, waiting for the school bus, and following rules when walking in the hallways.

Transition to Adulthood

As previously noted, planning the transition to adulthood requires the greatest amount of planning. The following are a few suggestions to consider when developing and implementing a transition plan.

• Become familiar with the differences between IDEA and ADA.
• If you are considering transitioning to a traditional community college or university, consider fading supports that will not be available in the next environment.
• Emphasize work/study skills such as keeping track of assignments, breaking down projects into smaller components, and establishing time frames.
• While the student is in high school, have him/her become increasingly responsible for explaining his/her difficulties and needed accommodations to school personnel.
• Arrange for work experience activities while the student is still in high school.
• Consider having the student take a college course while still in high school or the summer prior to starting college.
• Assess the student’s daily living skills and utilize breaks and summers to address skills such as personal hygiene, eating habits, and money management.
• Provide opportunities for problem-solving in a variety of situations, since parents and school personnel will not always be immediately available for adults who are striving to live and work independently.

Diane Adreon has served as Associate Director of the University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UM/NSU-CARD) since 1993. She has presented nationally and internationally on Asperger Syndrome and has authored several articles on the subject. She is also the co-author of Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success which won the Autism Society of America Literary Achievement Award in 2001 and serves on the editorial boards of Focus on Autism & Developmental Disorders and Intervention in School & Clinic.

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2nd Annual Best Practices in Autism Treatment & Methodologies Education Conference in San Jose, CA

San Jose Marriott
San Jose, California
April 27-30, 2006

Best Practices 2006 will bring parents and educators from across the country together for the presentation and findings of the National Standards Project, an unprecedented effort to produce a set of standards for evidence-based education and behavioral intervention for children with autism. The schedule at this year’s event already includes speakers Dr. Peter Gerhardt, Ilene S. Schwartz, Joanne Gerenser, Alisa Bahl, Ron Huff, Michelle Garcia Winner as well as presentations and case studies from the Spectrum Center and Therapeutic Pathways/The Kendall School. For more information, visit the conference web site.

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