Family Training

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Family Training

• By Meegan Winters

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Every person with Autism is an individual, and
like all individuals, has a unique personality
and combination of characteristics-Autism
Society of America
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Definition of Autism

• According to the American Psychiatric
  Association, Autism is characterized by a triad
  of impairments in the areas of socialization,
  communication, and ritualistic behavior

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• Social Interactions

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A person with Autism usually has problems
interacting with people in the following ways

• May avoid or lack eye contact
• May not imitate others
• May not point or use other hand gestures
• May prefer to be alone
• May not understand social cues

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• Communication

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A person with Autism will usually have problems
communicating, such as

• May not speak at all
• May be severely language delayed
• May have unusual or odd speech patterns (repeat
  words or phrases heard by others, i.e. tv or
  videos)
• May be unable to initiate or engage in a
  conversation
• May be unable to use their imagination during
  play, i.e pretending a banana is a phone

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Behaviors
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An individual with Autism may show restricted,
repetitive, or ritualistic behaviors, interests,
and activities, for example

• May be preoccupied with a narrow range of
  interests (i.e dinosaurs, astronomy, trains, or
  roller coasters)
• May insist on sameness (i.e prefer certain
  clothing or eat only certain foods)
• May line up their toys or objects
• May flap their hands, or make hand and body
  gestures
• May rock themselves
• May be self-injurious (i.e head banding)
• May anger easily or show aggression
• May be resistant to change
• May become angry or upset if their daily routine
  changes in any way
• May focus on only a small part of a toy or object

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Children do not outgrow Autism, but symptoms may
lessen as the child develops and receives
treatment
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Why the Lyle Torrant Center?

• Small class sizes
• Highly structured classrooms
• On site therapies (OT, PT, Speech)
• Teachers trained in ASD intervention techniques
  (PECS, TEACCH)
• On site sensory integration rooms

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Intervention Techniques

• TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and
  Communication handicapped Children)
• PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
• Visual Supports

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TEACCH
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What is TEACCH?

• The long-term goals of the TEACCH approach are
  both skill development and fulfillment of
  fundamental human needs such as dignity,
  engagement in productive and personally
  meaningful activities, and feelings of security,
  self-efficacy, and self-confidence.  To
  accomplish these goals, TEACCH developed the
  intervention approach called Structured
  Teaching.  

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The principles of Structured Teaching include

• Understanding the culture of autism.
• Developing an individualized person- and
  family-centered plan for each client or student,
  rather than using a standard curriculum.
• Structuring the physical environment.
• Using visual supports to make the sequence of
  daily activities predictable and understandable .
  
• Using visual supports to make individual tasks
  understandable

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How do we use TEACCH?

• Structured classroom environment (separated areas
  within the class for specific purposes)
• Individualized teaching at the Teacher Table (1
  on 1 teaching)
• Independent skills practiced in individual Work
  Stations.
• Visual Supports used throughout the school and
  classrooms.

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PECS
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PECS

• Teaches functional communication that is
  immediately useful
• Is appropriate for anyone having difficulty using
  speech
• Is augmentative or alternative
• Does not disregard speech

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PECS

• Functions
• Requests direct reinforcement
• Comments social reinforcement
• Spontaneous vs. responsive

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Phases of PECS

• Phase 1-Teaaches Students to initiate
  communication by exchanging a single picture for
  a desired item
• Phase 2-Teaches students to be persistent
  communicators-actively seek out pictures to make
  a request.
• Phase 3-Teaches students to discriminate pictures
  and select the picture that represents the item.

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Phases of PECS (contd)

• Phase 4-Teaches students to use sentence
  structure to make a request in the form of I
  want _____.
• Phase 5-Teaches students to respond to a
  question What do you want?
• Phase 6-Teaches students to comment about things
  in their environment both spontaneously and in
  question form.

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How do we use PECS?

• PECS is a technique used during many Speech
  therapy sessions.
• PECS is used during meal and play times within
  the classroom.
• PECS can be sent home for parents to use with
  their child.
• Each student has their own book and set of
  pictures to make requests and comments.

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Visual Supports
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Visual Supports

• Visual Schedules

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How we use Visual Supports

• Daily Visual schedule
• Visuals for communication (PECS)
• Visuals for skill development
• Visuals for reinforcements and behavior
  modification

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For more Information (Sources)

• Autism Spectrum Disorders by Amy M. Wetherby and
  Barry M. Prizant
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• Do-Watch-Listen-Say by Kathleen Ann Quill
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• www.pecs.com
• www.teacch.com
• www.autism-society.org
• www.child-parent-café.com
• www.cenmi.org/Portals/4/Documents/Tutorials/Visual
  Supports.pps