Natural Supports for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

1. Natural Supports for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder Building Your Future Project Intensive Training

2. Does anyone work with someone that you don’t understand?What do you do about that?Group Discussion

4. THE SOLUTION IS ALWAYS IN THE PROBLEM

5. Who better knows the expectations within the job… An outside person or a co-worker!

6. Key Questions • What Are Natural Support? • Why Would I Use Natural Supports? • What is the Medium of Exchange for people who are “typical” to connect with people with ASD? • Are you in, What do you need to know, and How do we keep you coming back • (Recruitment, Training and Maintenance)

7. Social Competency Research • Students with adequate social skills are more likely to have positive outcomes, while significant social difficulties place the child at risk for developing later problem behaviors (Koegel, Koegel, & Surratt, 1992). • Venter, Lord, and Schopler (1992) conducted a study of children with autism and found that social skills during childhood were strong predictors of adult adaptive functioning.

8. Social Competency Research • Educational programming for students with ASD should include goals for improving social skills with both adults and peers (National Research Council, 2001). • Weiss and Harris (2001) refer to the scarcity of research targeting social skill development in adolescents and older students. • Many interventions targeting social skills development have inadequately addressed the social validity of outcomes.

9. Social Competency Research • The more traditional approaches to teaching social skills have not been highly effective as indicated in a meta analysis conducted by Bellini et al., (2007). • Many peer-mediated intervention programs are too narrow in scope, such as the Circle of Friends approach, to produce significant long-term impact on participants. • Efforts to successfully teach social skills to students with ASD can be undermined by problems with generalization to new settings, people, and materials (Parsons & Mitchell, 2002; Zager & Shamow, 2005).

10. What Does This Research Mean To Us?

11. Social Competency and ASD Research summarized by Rogers (2000) indicate a shift in the field of ASD, from: Adult-Directed Instructional Strategies TO Peer-Mediated Interventions Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of peer-mediated strategies to facilitate social interactions.

12. Social Competency and ASD • The National Research Council report (2001) recommended that students with ASD be taught skills in natural contexts. • One suggestion is the use of multiple peers in various settings to improve generalization (Kamps et al., 1997; Kamps et al., 2002).

13. Social Competency and ASD Another suggestion is providing more time for instruction and social interaction with typically developing peers a strategy that will likely result in both quicker skill acquisition and better maintenance of improvements(Strain, Kohler, Storey, & Danko, 1994).

14. Evidence Based Practices: Social Skills and Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention “Peer mediated instruction and intervention has been shown to have positive effects on academic, interpersonal and personal-social development and may be the largest and most empirically supported type of social intervention for learners with ASD” (Bass & Mulick, 2007; Maheady, Harper & Mailette, 2001; McConnell, 2002)

15. Goals for Students with ASD • Socialization Skills • Independent Skills

16. Development of the Concept Local School District - 7000 Students 40 Miles North of Detroit, Oakland County, Michigan Center Program for Students with Autism 13 Local School Districts in Oakland County Send Students to the Autistic Program

17. History of the Autistic Program 1987 - Elementary 1990 - Middle School 1992 - High School 1993 - Pre-Primary Program 1994 – 2nd Elementary 1996 - Post High School Program 1999 – 2nd Middle School

18. Full Continuum Concepts • Break Card • Modifications – Ed Strats • Visual Supports

19. Two Things We Were Doing OK • 4th and 5th Grade Students coming down during indoor recess. • Weekly team meetings…True Brainstorming: all ideas are good ideas and the best idea in the room stays on the table

20. Beginning Stages of Students with Students • Letter, Number, and Color Games • Common Goal for both sets of students • Reinforcing to both students with ASD and general education students • In beginning stages use food as a motivator

21. Two Things We Were Doing OK • 4th and 5th Grade Students coming down during indoor recess. • Weekly team meetings…True Brainstorming: all ideas are good ideas and the best idea in the room stays on the table

22. Evolution of the Clarkston Autistic Program Reverse Mainstream > > Moderated Behavior Integration > > Behavioral Systems Integration > > Academic Systems Integration > > Socialization Systems Reverse Mainstream > > Curriculum Makeover

23. Evolution of the Clarkston Autistic Program Reverse Mainstream > > Moderated Behavior Reverse Mainstream > > Curriculum Makeover Integration > > Behavioral Systems Integration > > Academic Systems Integration > > Socialization Systems

24. The LINK Program • 1990 – 17 Study Hall Volunteers • 2002 – 800 General Education Students 72 Students with ASD • Utilizing the Most Appropriate Resource in Public Education to Teach Social Skills to Students with ASD

25. Post High School Video • Use to educate potential job placement staff • Assist parents in understanding ultimate goal of the program • Creates common understanding about ASD and the workplace

26. Post High School Vocational Placements • Oakland University - Library • ACO Hardware • Independence Township Library • Bank One - Clarkston • Dunkin’ Donuts • Subway

27. Article Written about Marty at O.U.

28. Post High School Vocational Placements • F.Y.E. - Great Lakes Crossing • Target • OATS Horse Farm • C.C.A. • William Beaumont Hospital • The Greenery • Overtyme Restaurant

29. Goals for Students with ASD • Socialization Skills • Independent Skills

30. Two Ways to Address A Socialization Deficit • Utilizesocial skills curriculum toteachisolated social skills to students with autism spectrum disorder in specific settings and thenpracticeisolated skills in a generalized setting. • Teachgeneral education students about autism spectrum disorder and specific information about students with autism spectrum disorder in their building.Developtolerance and acceptance within the general education population. Students with autism spectrum disorder will then be able topracticesocial skills in all settings within the building gaining competency in natural environments.

31. Peer to Peer Support Programs Teach general education students about Autism Spectrum Disorder and specific information about students with autism spectrum disorder in their building. Develop tolerance and acceptance within the general education population. Students with autism spectrum disorder will then be able to practice social skills in all settings within the building gaining competency in natural environments.

32. Medium of Exchange How to connect the typical person to the person with ASD?

33. Definition of Medium of Exchange • The medium of exchange is any material, task, prop, interest area, etc. that connects a person with ASD to a typical person • Typically the medium of exchange is something that does not require language for the connection or interaction to occur

34. Medium of Exchange Material Person with ASD Typical Person

35. Medium of ExchangeRain Man Example • Creating Connections • Medium of Exchange as an Avenue for Opportunity • Organizing the Person with ASD • Realization of Skills and Where they fit within the Community Available to the Person with ASD

36. Examples of Medium of Exchange • Work Talk • After Work Activities • Encyclopedic Interests • Computer Interests and Related Technology • Bowling and Other Leagues • WII • Intense Interests

37. The STATE of Michigan Most Bowling Leagues

38. What Connects You with Other People? What are Characteristics Interests of a Significant Person in your Life? What are your Characteristics/ Interests? What is the Same?

39. This is the Concept of Medium of Exchange What it is for you is what it is for the person with ASD

40. Connecting with Other People… Isn’t That What This Is All About!

41. Medium of ExchangeVerbal Fascinations • Movies - Matt • Nose Game – Robert • No Pink – Robert

42. AwakeningsMedium of Exchange • Try to discover the interest areas of the people with ASD to develop mediums • Motor Planning and Organization • Staff and Natural Supports may need to initiate the medium in the environments for Person with ASD • Staff and Natural Supports are excellent resources in developing new mediums

43. Care for the Person Respect for the Disability

44. Natural Support Benefits to People with ASD • Socialization Opportunities • Work Place Norms and Expectations • Independence • Larger Support Network • More Models of Work Tasks • Others Noticing Subtle Changes to the Environment

45. Peer to Peer BenefitsNatural Supports • Organizational Skills • Problem Solving Skills • Connection to Employment • Diversity • Responsibility • Collaboration • Self Esteem

46. Reciprocal Benefits 1. Opportunities for learning in both populations. 2. Growth occurs in both populations. 3. Cost effective and productive.

47. Questions or Concerns about Medium of Exchange Determine a Medium of Exchange for the Students You Work With P.O.C. – 20 Minutes

48. Recruitment of the Natural Supports Do I Have to do This or Worse are You Going to Make Me Do This? My Plate is Full and How Will this Help?

49. Steps for Recruitment • Provide information about ASD and specific people with ASD in the job to other people • Provide interested volunteers the opportunity • Organize and schedule the natural supports throughout the day

50. Peer to Peer and Other Natural Supports Recruitment • All People Make Great Supports • After-Work Activities • Management Needs to Be Involved • What can this help us with? Will this move me forward in the organization?