Professional Development in Autism -- The PDA Center Susan Sandall, Ph.D. Carol Ann Davis, Ed. D....

ProfessionalDevelopment inAutism -- The PDA Centerhttps://depts.washington.edu/pdacent

Susan Sandall, Ph.D.Carol Ann Davis, Ed. D.University of Washington

Laurie Sperry, Ph. D.University of Colorado - Denver

The PDA Center is funded by the US Department of Education --

Office of Special Education Program

Agenda

• Overview of PDA and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

• Training Experiences and Case Study• Resources for Higher-Education• Examples of Resources• Questions



Professional Development in Autism (PDA)

OSEP funded center

Provides training and support for school districts, families and communities to ensure that students with ASD have access to high quality, evidence-based educational services in his or her local school district or educational setting.

https://depts.washington.edu/pdacent/contacts/services.php



Autism is a collection

of overlapping groups

of symptoms that vary from child to child

Siegel, 1996, p.301



Disabilities on the Spectrum:

• Autism

• Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

• Asperger’s Syndrome

• Rett’s Syndrome

• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder



What is Autism?

• Issues in three areas: – social interaction, – communication, – ritualistic behavior

• A spectrum disorder: different children affected to different degrees in each area



Social Deficits (DSM-IV)

• Impairment in nonverbal communication (gestures, eye gaze, etc.)

• Failure in developing peer relationships

• Lack of spontaneous sharing of enjoyment, interests, etc.

• Lack of social or emotional reciprocity



What You Might See

• Complete lack of interest in others.

• Very attached to certain adults, but no interest in peers.

• Inappropriate interest in others.

• Wants friends, but doesn’t “get it.”

• Lack of understanding of facial expression (sometimes with disastrous results).

• Behavior problems related to lack of interest in social praise or social consequences.



Communication (DSM-IV)

• Delay in or total lack of spoken language.

• Impairment in ability to initiate or sustain conversation.

• Stereotyped use of language.

• Lack of make-believe play.



What You Might See

• Use of augmentative communication systems or no communication system.

• Children with very good language, but odd uses: pronoun reversals, strange uses of words.

• Children with odd sounding language.

• “Scripting”

• Repetitive, unimaginative play or no play.

• Behavior problems because of limited language.



Restricted, Repetitive and Stereotyped Patterns of Behavior (DSM-IV)

• Abnormally obsessive interests

• Rigid adherence to routines

• Stereotyped motor movements

• Preoccupation with parts of objects



What You Might See

• Obsessions with trains, maps, letters, etc.• Hand flapping, vocalizing, spinning, self-

injurious behavior.• Lack of interest in “normal” childhood activities.• Tantrums and other behavior problems around

routine changes.• Behavior problems around obsessions.



Other Aspects of Autism

• Onset before Age 3

• Male to female ratio: 4:1

• Mental Retardation

• Sensory Issues

• Savant capabilities

• Is it increasing?? Yes. 1 in 175 is current prevalence



Asperger’s Syndrome

• Same issues in social interactions and repetitive/stereotyped behaviors

• No general delay in language

• Average or above average IQ



What does this mean for early childhood educators?

• Earlier identification• IDEA



Where are the children?

• Home

• Child care

• Special Programs

• Inclusive Preschools

• (Not yet Identified)



Quality Early Childhood Program

Curriculum modifications & adaptations

Embedded Learning Opportunities

Child-focused Instructional Strategies



Child Focused Instructional Strategies

• Children with ASD DO NOT learn from typical strategies employed in early childhood settings:

– Trial and error

– Discovery learning

• Instruction is direct and explicit

• Instruction must provide for many practice opportunities across the day and across many days

• Instruction should result in “entrée” skills



Programs for children with ASD should include: (Dawson & Osterling, 1997)

• Curriculum Content in:– Attending– Imitation– Communication– Play– Social Interaction



Critical Program Features(National Research Council, 2001)

• Entry to the program as early as possible• “Active engagement in intensive

instructional programming…”• At least 25 hours a week, across the year • 1:1 and small group instruction• Family component• Low student/teacher ratio• On-going evaluation and assessment



Programs Cont’d

• Supportive teaching and generalization environments

• Predictability and routine• Functional approach to problem

behaviors• Transition support• Family Involvement



What’s important for preschoolers with ASD?

• Functional, spontaneous communication• Embedded social instruction• Play skills, with peers• Embedded cognitive instruction• Positive behavior support• Functional academics



“The successful implementation of IDEA is perhaps most critically dependent on the quality of the people who implement the principles contained in the law-teachers, para-educators, related service providers and administrators, in cooperation with the parents and students.”

Dr. Robert PasternackMarch 21, 2002

Testimony before theU.S. Senate Committee on

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions



The Need for the PDA Center

• The number of students with autism is increasing dramatically

• Many models of service delivery yield trivial outcomes (Rogers, 1999)

• The technology and skills necessary to implement sound programming is not widespread (Dawson & Osterling, 1997; NRC, 2001)



Challenges related to educating students with ASD

• The science related to effective practices is expanding rapidly, not always accessible, and often at odds with practices in general education.

• While the numbers of children identified with ASD are increasing, the numbers of highly skilled personnel are not (NRC, 2001).

• Some of the instructional strategies that are effective with children with ASD are relatively complex and demand sufficient practice to achieve fluency.

Where is the PDA Center?

University of Washington

University of ColoradoAt Denver

University of Kansas

Children’s Center forDevelopmentalEnrichment

Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education

University of South Florida



Guiding Principles

1. Children with ASD are children first and have the same basic needs as typically developing children.

2. There is no single right way to educate a child with ASD; children are individuals and child and family characteristics must be considered in intervention planning.

3. Knowledge is power. One of the most effective techniques for empowering families is to provide them with accurate information.



Guiding Principles

4. All interventions must be built on evidence-based practices and must include ongoing data collection and evaluation.

5. Effective interventions must be comprehensive and of sufficient intensity to yield educationally meaningful outcomes.

6. Training of personnel is best conducted in ecologically and socially valid settings, utilizing aspects of adult learning, and providing ongoing follow-up and consultation.



Trainings Offered

• Awareness• Implementation• Leadership



Training for Education Teams Site Based Training Model – Guiding Principles

1. Site based training can be conducted at model demonstration sites or at the participant's own program. Training must be done in the context where the knowledge and skills being taught can be applied.

2. The purpose of site-based training is to enable participants to gain deep understanding and to begin to develop proficiency in targeted skills and knowledge

3. Site-based training involves trainers and teams of trainees who work collaboratively to meet the needs of students with autism and their families

4. Site-based training can take different forms and utilize different types of training activities.



Training Experience and Case Study

• Case Study



Website/Courses



Resources for Higher Education

Survey Results

• Respondants:

– 66 from 30 states

– 95% prepared special education teachers

– 34% had a special course on ASD

– 51.5% embedded information on ASD

– 50% were research-based university faculty



As we proceed with the development of materials:

• When you are working with early childhood teachers, what are their questions or issues related to autism spectrum disorder?

• Do early childhood teachers have formal education related to Autistic spectrum disorder (e.g., college course, workshops, conferences)?

• Where do early childhood teachers go for help or information when working with young children with (or suspected of having) Autistic Spectrum disorder?

• See the last question on page 2 of your survey. What are the top 3 needs?



Information already covered:

In current courses:

• Characteristics of autism

• Positive behavior supports and interventions

• Inclusive practices for preschool age students is embedded



What IHE respondents want:

Additional information on:

• Accessing the general education curriculum

• Understanding popular interventions

• Data-based decision-making

• Education service delivery models

• Transition to secondary services

• Core content curriculum



Moderate need:

Information in the core deficit areas associated with ASD

– Communication

– Social skills

– Play/leisure engagement

– Academics



HIGHEST NEED:

• Inclusive practices (only 30% cover this in coursework related to elementary education; only 20% cover this in cousework related to secondary education)

• Accessing the general education curriculum (only 22% cover this in courses)



FORMATS

YES!• PowerPoint

presentations• Reading lists• Small group activities• Computer based

modules

Yes, sort of!• Lecture notes• Course syllabi• Written modules• Resource list



We know from teacher feedback:

• Even though course content on autism was covered in teacher preparation courses, it was not necessarily transferable to real life situations, especially when applied to children who learn differently



Research to Practice

Center for Evidenced-based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior

• http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/index.html

• Evidenced-based Practitioner

http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/index.html



Research to Practice

• Has the intervention been evaluated in a peer reviewed journal?

• Has the intervention been replicated across, investigators, settings and participants?

• Are there alternative interventions that are less restrictive, better researched, or perhaps more effective or efficient?

• Is the intervention within the existing skill set of practitioners, or do they need prior training and consultation?

• Has the intervention been shown to produce outcomes like the ones intended?

• How will we evaluate the intervention if we decide to implement?



Training Modules

• Module 1 Providing Effective Services• Module 2 Environmental Arrangement Strategies• Module 3 Visual Strategies• Module 4 Basic Teaching Principles• Module 5 Basic Teaching Arrangements• Module 6 Positive Behavior Support• Module 7 Assessment• Module 8 Instructional Programs• Module 9 Data Collection• Module 10 Social Skills



Tip Sheets and Research Briefs

• Social Stories• Activity Schedules• Peer Buddies• Visual Supports• Incidental Teaching• Self-management• High-Probability Requests• Video Modeling• PECS• Time Delay• Independent leisure skills



Resource List

• Educating Children with ASD• Accommodations• Social Skills• Evidence-based Instructional Strategies• Positive Behavior Support• Teaming• Website Resources



Questions



PDA Staff

Ilene Schwartz, Ph. D., Washington

Laurie Sperry, Ph D., Colorado

Rich Simpson, Ph. D., Kansas

Carol Quirk, Ph. D., Maryland

Bonnie McBride, Ph. D., Oklahoma

Diane Sainato, Ph. D., Ohio

Glen Dunlap, Ph. D., Florida



To get connected:

www.pdacenter.orgDr. Rina Marie Leon-Guerrero

University of Washington

Experimental Education Unit

Box 357925

Seattle, WA 98195

(206) 543-4011

[email protected]

Professional Development in Autism -- The PDA Center Susan Sandall, Ph.D. Carol Ann Davis, Ed. D....

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