W orki n g with Students on the Autism Spectrum W es l ey H. D o tson, Ph.D., B C B A

BurkhartCenter forAutismEducationandResearch&CollegeofEducationTexasTechUniversity Workingwith Studentson theAutism Spectrum WesleyH.Dotson,Ph.D., BCBA

OutlineofPresentation • A description of autism • Characteristics of college students with autism • Helping students with autism succeed • Lessons learned from Project CASE • Questions, comments, and discussion relevant to students you work with

Whatisautism? • Accordingto theDSM-IV: • Impairmentinsocialinteraction • Impairmentsin communication • Restrictedrepetitiveandstereotypedpatternsof behavior, • interestsandactivities • Delaysor abnormalfunctioninginatleastone of thefollowing areas,with onsetpriortoage 3 years: • socialinteraction • languageasusedinsocialcommunication symbolicorimaginativeplay

Autismisaspectrumdisorder • Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) display a wide variety of behaviors and each student is unique • Today’s talk will be focused on higher- functioning students who are academically capable of success at the college level

Studentswithautismandcollege • LongitudinalstudyfromOfficeofSpecialEducation • Programs(2005) • Exploredpost-secondaryandsocialexperiences • < 20%withASD reportedinteractingwithfriendonceweekly • 40%belongedtocommunityorsocialgroupofsomekind • For most,over75%ofsocialinteractionswithfamilymembersandpaid caregivers • Few studentswithautism(~25%)attendany kindof post- secondaryeducationalinstitution,butmost recentyearscloserto 40%

Continued • Less than25%of thosewho attendearn adegree within6 years • Recentstudysuggestsmost commonreasonsfor droppingout: • Failuretodevelopfriendshipsand“fitin”with peers • Failuretonavigatesocialenvironmentandnot-obvious expectations (Barnard-Brak,Lechtenberger,& Lan,2010)

What we’re doinghere at TTU • ProjectCASE • FundedbyTCDD • Providewrap-aroundsupportsto studentswith • ASDat TTUandSPC • 9 @TTU, 11@ SPC • Partnershipw/ SDS&TECHniquesCenter • Focusonself-advocacyskills, problem solving,degreecompletion,employment

What we’re doinghere at TTU (cont.) • Year1 Outcomes • 90%retentionduringfirst1.5years • 2 graduates • Allreturningstudentsworkedat leastone internship • Self-reportmeasuresaboutcollegeexperience show consistent patterns

Student Readiness Inventory-College, (ENGAGE) • Designedto assess self-reportedperceptionof academicandsocial functioning • Administeredto CASEstudentsat endoffirst semesterof collegeandeachspringthereafter • Control= 48,232studentsfromcomparable institutions

Table Table A2. Your Students' Mean ENGAGE Percentile ScoresCompared to other 4-Year Institutions Students at Other 4-Year Institutions b Your students a Note. a Nfor your institution = 10.bNfor 4-year institutions= 48232. M = Mean;SD = Standard Deviation. Lower scores reflect more risk.

Table – Labels with an asterisk (*) are circled in red (academic aspect) Table A2. Your Students' Mean ENGAGE Percentile ScoresCompared to other 4-Year Institutions Students at Other 4-Year Institutions b Your students a Note. a Nfor your institution = 10.bNfor 4-year institutions= 48232. M = Mean;SD = Standard Deviation. Lower scores reflect more risk.

Implications of academic related statistics • Theycansucceedacademically • TheyWANTto be here • Theyarewillingto workhard

Table – Labels with an asterisk (*) are circled in red (social aspect) Table A2. Your Students' Mean ENGAGE Percentile ScoresCompared to other 4-Year Institutions Students at Other 4-Year Institutions b Your students a Note. a Nfor your institution = 10.bNfor 4-year institutions= 48232. M = Mean;SD = Standard Deviation. Lower scores reflect more risk.

Implications of social related statistics • Theystrugglewiththe social demandsof college • Peers • Professors • Navigatingthe system

Somecharacteristicbehaviorsthatcauseproblems • Rule-governed • Routine-driven • Literal • Difficulty generalizingskills • Difficultyrecognizingimportant thingsinenvironment • Social cues • Academiccues

Rule-Governed • Itis notunusualforindividualswith autismtohave“rules.” • Rather thanrespond tofluidenvironment,theyrespond by followingrigid“rules” • “I alwaysdo math problems inorder.” or “I don’terase wrong answers,I cross them out.” • Theadvantageis thatif a positiveandadaptiverulecan be taught,ittendstostick. • Findways to teachdesirableskillsas rules • “I alwayswritemy assignments inmyplannerbeforeI leave class.”

Routine-Driven • Oftencompletetasks andtransitionsin a stereotypedandrepetitiveway. • Difficultyhandlingsurprises • Difficultywithchangesin routines • Predictabilityandstabilityare important

Literal • Studentswith autismstruggleto identifynon- • verbalcues • Misunderstandfacialexpressionand body language • Tendto interpretlanguagebasedonly on itsliteralmeaning. • Sarcasm,inference,andslangoftenconfuseand • frustrateindividualswithautism.

Difficultygeneralizingskills • Oftenappearto “forget”skills in newsettings • Don’teasilyrecognizewhenpreviouslylearned skillcanbeused innovelsituations

DifficultyRecognizing ImportantThingsinEnvironment • Studentswith autismstruggleto distinguish importantfromtrivialinexternalenvironment. • Itcanbeoverwhelmingto knowwhatto pay attentionto, bothduringinterpersonal interactionsandclasswork.

Continued… • “My hearingis likehavinga hearingaid with the volumecontrolstuckon "superloud."Itis like anopenmicrophonethat picksup everything.I havetwo choices:turnthe mikeon andgetdelugedwith sound,orshutitoff.” • –TempleGrandin(CollegeProfessorwith Autism)

Whatthismeansforyou • Usual accommodationsandsupportsnotenough Difficultiesless likely tobeacademic Social/environmentalsupportsneeded • Willneedhelpmakingsense of complex“hidden curriculum”of collegeenvironment

Whatthismeansforyou (cont.) • Howthis maypresentitself in yourclassroom: • Difficultywithgroupwork/projects Unusualsocial behavior(toomany • questions,notrespondingto questions) • “Extreme”reactionstominordisruptions • Anxietyacrossevensimplesituations • Failureto completeactivitiesor • assignmentsifconfused

Somekeythingstokeepinmind • It’s NOTpersonal • TheyWANTto do therightthing • TheyWANTto be there • Theyusuallywon’tknowhowto ask forhelp Don’trecognizerootcauseof problem Can’tarticulatewhattheyneed Ashamed/stubborn/afraid

Transitiontoadulthood • Movingtowardsindependenceandadult responsibilitiesis hardandstressfulfor everyone! • College isscaryforalot offolks! Sometimestheproblem isnotthedisability • Stay sensitivetowhatasuccessful peerwouldbe doing

Howyoucanhelpthembesuccessful: • Helpthemtodiscriminatewhatisimportant • Provideandhelpthem create stabilityandpredictability • Prompting: theyneedspecific guidance • Builda positiverelationship • Don’tbeafraidtoaskforhelp

Helpthemtodiscriminatewhat isimportant • Helpthemidentifycritical informationin syllabi, • assignmentsheets,etc. • Providedetailed assignment sheets,grading criteria,etc. • Givethemawaytorecognize keyinformationin lectures/texts–not everywordisequally important

Helpthemtodiscriminatewhat isimportant (cont.) • Teachproblemsolvingrulesand routinesfor howto handleclassroomsituations • Class participation • Difficultysubmittinghomework • Requestingextensions • Askingaquestionduringlecture

Helpthemtodiscriminatewhat isimportant (continued) • Teach“hidden”curriculumfor yourclass andfor dealingwithuniversityfacultyandstaff • Interpret inappropriatesocialbehaviorasa teachingopportunityratherthan apersonal affrontorchallenge toyour authority • Explicitlytellthem howyouwishtobe addressed/contacted/spokento • Don’tbeafraidtoaskthemtopractice!

StabilityandPredictability • Create a classroomroutinethatstudentcan follow • Providestudentwith a writtenor visualschedule foreachweek/classperiod • Teachroutinesforyourclass • Helpidentifyfunctionalrules foryourclass

Prompting • Don’tassumeanything • Promptmorethanyouthinkyoushould. When youthinkyou’vetoldthe studentoften enough,prompt5 moretimes. This isquickest andeasiest way to providemoresupportand predictabilityto astudentwith autism.

Prompting:Changes • Ifroutinewillbedisrupted,provideearlyand repeatedwarnings • Remindstudent ofupcomingchangestothe class activityormeetingschedule • Provideawrittenorvisualschedule beforedayin question • Bepreparedfor“turbulence”on thosedays

Prompting:Generalization • Rarelyexhibitbehaviorlearnedinone settingin newsettings orwithnewpeople • Won’tuseoutlinetechnique learned inEnglish class onaHistorypaper,etc. • May“forget”howtousesoftwareorhardwareifonanewcomputerorelectronicdevices • Pointoutand makeexplicitanytime a previouslylearnedskill canbeusedin a new settingor witha newperson

BuildingaStrongRelationship:HowtoFocusonthe Positive • Positiveinteractionsincreasesuccess • Usea positiveandenthusiasticvoice • Modelrespectfulinteractions • Proximityandspecificpraise • Noticelittlethings

Don’tbeafraidtoaskforhelp • You are not alone.

QuestionsorComments? • Remainingtimeforquestionsandadditional discussionof situations/behaviors/tips

Thanksforcoming! • Ifyouhaveadditionalquestions,or wouldlike to speakwithmeabouta specific situation, pleasefeelfreeto email: • wesley.dotson@ttu.edu

W orki n g with Students on the Autism Spectrum W es l ey H. D o tson, Ph.D., B C B A