ABA Intervention in Public School Classrooms for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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ABA Intervention in Public School Classrooms for
Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Kelle Wood, M.Ed., BCBA
• Central Texas Autism Center
• Carin Thompson, M.Ed., BCBA
• Lewisville ISD
• Jessi Harkins, M.Ed., BCBA
• Plano ISD

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Overview of Presentation

• Kelle
• Power point available on TxABA website
• Rationale for Staff Training in ABA
• CTAC consulting model
• Questions at end
• Carin
• Consulting Teacher Model
• Jessi
• Application in the classroom

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What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

• The science of human behavior that began over 70
  years ago with the work of John Watson, B.F.
  Skinner and others.
• A systematic study and manipulation of
  environmental events that precede and follow
  behaviors.

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3 Term Contingency
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
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Why is ABA recommended for children with Autism?

• Most children with Autism do not learn
  incidentally from the natural environment the way
  typical learners do.
• Children with Autism often have not acquired
  language and have subsequently acquired
  challenging behaviors.
• The science of ABA guides us to analyze behavior,
  language and other skills, identify targets to
  increase and decrease and take data to measure
  these outcomes.
• 30 years of research in peer reviewed journals
  support the efficacy of the science in improving
  treatment outcomes.

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Current Research in ABA

• Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
• Journal of the Analysis of Verbal Behavior
• Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

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Current Research in Autism

• National Academies Press (2001)- Educating
  Children with Autism ABA is recommended practice
• NY State guidelines for Early Intervention of
  Children with an ASD recommends and the state
  provides a minimum 20 hours/week of ABA

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Current Research in Autism

• Research in Developmental Disabilities, v. 26
  (2005) A Comparison of intensive behavior
  analytic and eclectic treatments for young
  children with autism Jane S. Howard, et al.
• Compared ABA intervention to eclectic
  treatments
• ABA group best results in standardized pre/post
  tests
• Focus on Autism and Other Developmental
  Disabilities, Fall 2005, Vol. 20, number 3.
  Evidence-Based Practices and Students with
  Autism Spectrum Disorders, Richard L. Simpson
• ABA is scientifically based best practice for the
  treatment of children with autism.

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Educational Law and ABA

• NCLB/ IDIEA 2004 Requires that educators use
  instructional methodology that has supporting
  research in peer reviewed journals
  (Scientifically Based Research )
• FBA included in Re-authorization of IDEA 1997
• 1999 US Surgeon General Report found ABA most
  effective treatment for children with Autism
• Case Law
• TBSI- Texas Behavioral Support Initiative

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Central Texas Autism Center Services
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Central Texas Autism Center School District
Consulting Models
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Individual Student Evaluations and Program
Recommendations

• Districts may hire one of our BCBA/ BCABA to
  conduct individual assessments on children with
  Autism
• Functional Behavior Assessments/Analysis (FBA)
• Develop a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
• Criterion Referenced Assessments to guide IEP
  development
• Attend ARD meeting to discuss report
• Train the staff and parents on implementing the
  recommendations in the BIP/ IEP
• Set up data collection systems
• On-going follow up consultations
• In the classroom, email, video, data reviews

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Individual Classroom Program Evaluations

• Some districts may choose to focus training on
  just one or a few classrooms for students with
  Autism
• Staff workshops by BCBA/BCABA
• Assisting in assessments (FBA, BIP, IEP
  development)
• Program organization (data, materials)
• Monthly/Bi-Monthly classroom consults throughout
  the year
• Hands-on modeling and coaching

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Trainer of Trainer (TOT) Model

• A year long ABA curriculum planned for selected
  staff members conducted by BCBA/BCABA
• Every other month full day lecture with video
  models
• Staff assigned application homework of data
  collection and video
• Every other month, staff presents their
  assignment and receives feedback
• Collaboration between behavior analyst and
  administration to choose staff that will co-train
  for the next year
• Selected staff may take on-line course work in ABA

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District Wide Staff Training/ Trainer of Trainer
Model
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Consulting Teacher Model
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General Guidelines

• Special Education Consulting Teachers collaborate
  with classroom teachers and other professional
  staff of Special Education students by providing
  intensive support through modeling, training and
  ongoing feedback for behavior and instructional
  interventions for student success

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Why Consulting Teachers?

• Autism rate in children 1150 (CDC February
  2007)
• LISD serves approx. 48,000 students, 5500 are
  receiving Special Education Services. Over 400
  students have the eligibility of Autism.
• Legislation NCLB, IDEA Response to
  Intervention (RTI), AYP

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Consulting Teachers

• Are highly qualified Special Education
  professionals who have extensive training and
  knowledge in multiple specialty areas
• All are certified special education teachers and
  many have certifications in other areas (e.g.
  General Education, Hearing Impaired, BCBA,
  Educational Diagnostician)

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Consulting Teacher Requests Student Specific

• Conduct detailed Functional Behavior Assessment
  (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) for
  severe problematic behaviors that interfere with
  learning or the learning of others
• Provide direct support to teachers in the
  implementation of the BIP using modeling, guided
  feedback and assistance in data collection

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Consulting Teacher Requests Student Specific

• Provide modeling and guided feedback on
  instructional practices using evidenced based
  procedures (Errorless Teaching, Prompting,
  Fading, Chaining, teaching to Fluency etc.)
• Conduct criterion referenced assessments such as
  the Assessment of Basic Language and Learner
  Skills (ABLLS) when appropriate

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Consulting Teacher Request Classroom Specific

• Guide teacher in classroom-wide management
  systems
• Train teacher on the implementation of
  learner-centered instructional strategies that
  are aligned with the students goals and
  objectives

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Consulting Teaching Training Support

• Train district personnel (teachers,
  administrators, paraprofessional, and related
  services) on basic ABA principles and how it
  applies to student achievement both behaviorally
  and educationally

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Consulting Teacher Continuing Education

• Receive on-going training in a Trainer of
  Trainers (TOT) model from districts consulting
  BCBA
• Attend workshops/conferences to increase
  knowledge/skills in evidence based instructional
  practices

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Applications in Classrooms

• Direct training to staff on ABA principles
• Specialized workshops on conducting Functional
  Behavior Assessments (FBA) and correlating
  appropriate interventions based on the assessment
  for the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
• Specialized workshops on using Prompting
  effectively (Types of Prompts, Fading Prompts,
  etc.)

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Communication Classrooms

• Are designed to provide a highly structured
  instructional program for students with Autism
  Spectrum Disorders or students with severe
  communication delays whose communication needs
  cannot be met in other settings

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Classroom Components

• Individualized Instruction based on ABLLS, CBAs,
  principles of ABA
• Individualized Behavior Management Plans
• Classroom Organization/Visual Supports
• Data Collection
• Socialization
• Parent Communication

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Components cont.

• Teachers instructional procedures are based on
  the science of ABA and Verbal Behavior.
• Many of the instructional practices are based on
  the research of James Partington, Ph.D., Mark
  Sundberg, Ph.D., Jack Michaels, Ph.D and others
  published in JABA, JEAB and JAVB.

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Ending the Myth

• ABA is a Science not a methodology Provide
  direct training to administrators and other
  support personal on the basic principles and
  applications
• ABA is not Lovaas or DTT
• It is GOOD TEACHING.

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Using ABA Within the Public School Classroom
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Data-Based Implementation
IEP Development
Assessment
Teaching
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Assessment

• Clear Definition of the Behavior Measured
• Criterion-Referenced Assessments
• e.g. ABLLS
• Adapting Informal Assessments
• e.g. CLASS
• Task Analysis
• Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) or
  Functional Analysis (FA)

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IEP Development ARD Meetings

• New objectives
• Based on assessment data
• Must be measurable behaviorally defined
• Collaborative development for appropriateness
• Progress
• Data-based decisions
• Visual representation

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Teaching

• Behavior change in the classroom
• Academics
• Social Skills
• Communication
• Classroom Management
• Classroom Procedures Rules
• Behavior Management
• Setting up the environment

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Teaching, continued

• NET and DTT in the Classroom
• Prompting Prompt Fading
• Visual Supports
• Hand-Over-Hand Prompts (examples)
• Paraprofessional Shadows

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TeachingDocumentation Data Collection

• Legally Mandated
• Daily monitoring of progress
• Objective measurement
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• Using the Data
• Determine effectiveness of current teaching
  procedure
• Revise teaching procedure or objective if no
  progress is observed

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Training Within the Classroom

• Team Meetings
• Paraprofessionals
• Related Service Professionals
• Training Topics
• Basic Principles of ABA
• Consistency
• Managing Behavior
• Data Collection
• Prompting Prompt Fading

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A Classroom Incorporating ABA

• All professionals paraprofessionals have a
  clear understanding of procedures concepts
  related to incorporating ABA how that applies
  to each student.
• Assessment are to be data-based .
• IEP development is derived from assessment
  other quantitative data.
• Teaching goals are based on the IEP development
  additional informal quantitative assessment.
• Teachers implement empirically-supported ABA
  procedures and practices throughout the classroom.