Looking at Needs for Students with ASD

1. Looking at Needs for Students with ASD High School Point Person Training #3 January 17, 2013 Sabrina Beaudry & Pam Leonard

2. In Review: • We have emphasized the importance of describing ASD on a global level, with a focus on the fact that those with ASD think differently (What does it look like for each individual student?). • Last meeting, we emphasized the importance of supporting students with ASD across particular areas of need.

3. Supporting Students Let’s have a discussion related to your homework!

4. What supports do you feel your student has in place? SADN Supports Communication and Language Supports Social Thinking and Social Communication Supports Social Emotional Supports Sensory Regulation Supports What are your thoughts?

5. SADN Supports Communication and Language Supports Social Thinking and Social Communication Supports Social Emotional Supports Sensory Regulation Supports MORE DISCUSSION How independent is your student able to access & use the supports? Do you feel more teaching to the supports is needed? Do you see the supports being used/accessed across the day?

6. When Supports Are In Place SADN Supports Communication and Language Supports Social Thinking and Social Communication Supports Social Emotional Supports Sensory Regulation Supports It allows for expected behavior Which allows for instructional control

7. Today we will: • Again practice describing what individual students’ autism looks like. • Use this knowledge of what it looks like, to determine specific student needs. • Look at the global concept of social thinking needs and how to incorporate it into goals. • Work from students’ specific needs to goal development. • Discuss barriers in the high school environment.

8. To start, Let’s Bring Back our Observation Form • We always want to start by describing our students’ autism…what do we see when we watch them? • Remember the areas to consider: • Communication • Social • Cognitive Style/ Academics • Emotional Regulation • Sensory

9. What Does it Look Like?

10. Introducing Katie: • Senior in high school • Planning on attending college • Takes all general education classes with support • Supportive family • Has never dated & does not plan to • No typical peer friends • Asperger’s Syndrome

11. Another example: Katie Looks Like:

12. What Does it Look Like for Your Student?

13. Break

14. Now, let’s talk about needs…What does that mean? • A lack of something requisite, desirable, or useful. • A physiological or psychological requirement for the well being of an organism.

15. Determining Student Needs: • Use the description of your student to determine his/her needs. • We can use the Autism 7 Considerations form to document these needs. • The 7 considerations aligns closely with the areas of support that we discussed last training.

16. Autism 7 Considerations Form: • ..\..\Point Person 10-11\Resources\autism consideration forms\AUTISM CONSIDERATIONS linear blank.docx • This will be included in IEP Plus

17. Example • Katie's 7 considerations page

18. Your student’s needs: • Fill in each area of need on the 7 considerations form for your student.

19. Now we’re back to supporting students! • Here are Katie’s supports documented on the 7 considerations form. • Katie's supports

20. Your Turn • Add supports to your student’s 7 considerations form.

21. Back to Needs for a minute…Is there a theme? • Do the majority of needs fall under one umbrella? • Is there an over riding deficit area that affects all need areas? • What is the root of the needs?

22. In recent research Theory of mind, Central coherence, & Executive functioning are seen to work together in their role of social learning development. What are your thoughts about the article we gave you?

23. An Article to Read! Read the article and then head to lunch…

24. Social Thinking-Social Learning Tree What were your thoughts?

25. So what is social cognition? The “thinking” that we use to process, store and apply information about other people and social situations It is an intuitive process that most people are “hard-wired” at birth that allows us to learn through observation and trial and error It allows us to use the processes Theory of Mind, Central Coherence and Executive Function skills in a coordinated manner

26. The work of Michelle Garcia has outlined Four Principles of Social Thinking Source: Winner, M.G. (2007) Thinking About You, Thinking About Me. Think Social Publications, San Jose, Ca. www.socialthinking.com Our thoughts and emotions are strongly connected. How we think affects how we feel and how we behave affects how others think and feel. We think about people all the time, even when we have no plans to interact with them. We adjust our own behavior based on what we think the people around us are thinking. We “think with our eyes” to figure out other people’s thoughts, intentions, emotions When people learn how to think differently and flexibly they can think anywhere.

27. There are 3 aspects to teaching Social Thinking skills: 1) Realize other people have a different frame of mind 2) Learn how to figure out what other people are thinking and feeling 3) Use this knowledge to self-adjust your own social behaviors to fit the social situation so the other people view you favorably.

28. Another Way of thinking about Challenges of Social Thinking Jill D. Kuzma 8/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

29. How do Social Cognitive Deficits impact students? Jill D. Kuzma 8/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com Social Skills Emotional Skills Academic Skills Behavioral Skills Organizational Skills

30. Impact on Social Skills …expressing his opinions in class discussions. … showing tolerance for contrasting opinions of his classmates respectfully. …initiating work with a partner or enter a small group when the teacher requests students to do so independently. … understanding his role in cooperative group learning activities such as science labs, group projects, or book study circles. …interpreting non-verbal cues from the teacher during instruction. ….understanding the impression he leaves with others. ….showing interest in other people’s interests and experiences. A student may have difficulty…. Kuzma, 2/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

31. Impact on Emotional Skills … showing tolerance for contrasting opinions of his classmates respectfully. …transitioning between activities independently. …calming himself if he becomes frustrated with his independent work. …expressing more abstract difficult feelings such as frustration, disappointment, embarrassment that may occur throughout the day. …with aspects of competitiveness – insists on winning or inflexible about rules. …with large emotional breakdowns to mild triggers – seem explosive orimpulsive. A student may have difficulty…. Kuzma, 2/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

32. Impact on Academic Skills ….with reading comprehension, inferring character’s emotions and intensions in literacy activities. ….exploring the main idea of a topic, especially with fiction. ….sorting out relevant details versus details that are interesting, but not the most important. ….interpreting and using figurative language in fiction, poetry, etc. ….understanding their role in group learning projects ….understanding and using appropriate math principles when presented with a problem ….Being able to use knowledge gained previously and applying it to another subject area A student may have difficulty…. Kuzma, 2/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

33. Impact on Behavioral Skills …calming himself when he becomes agitated by unexpected peer responses. …getting started on his work during a student work time. …handling disappointment or feelings of being excluded when he is not called on immediately or chosen by peers for partner work. ….adjusting to slight changes in behavior expectations as he transitions between different teachers with varying styles. ….completing obligatory tasks not of their own liking. A student may have difficulty…. Kuzma, 2/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

34. Impact on Organization Skills ….. prioritizing steps to complete a multi-part assignment or long term project …keeping track of papers and class materials …turning in assignments that the child completed. … time management. A student may have difficulty…. Kuzma, 2/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

35. So we have talked about impact now what??? Time for goals!

36. Goal Development… • We want to use student needs to develop goals. • We want to prioritize goal areas. • We want to write goals with social thinking in mind.

37. Prioritizing for Katie: • Perspective taking- with both adults & peers • Reading comprehension • Expressive writing • Organization for assignment completion • Self Regulation of Emotions

38. Goal Area #1:Perspective Taking Present Level: Katie is able to determine what another person may be thinking in a familiar situation/context, when she is prompted to pay attention to particular information (i.e. facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc.). She is independently able to interpret others’ thoughts in one on one or very small group situations with people that she is familiar with; however, she does not use this information to guide her own behavior/social communication. Same age peers are intuitively able to change their own behavior based on what others are doing/saying (perspective taking).

39. Goal: Improving observing & interpreting skills (MGW calls it listening with your eyes) By January 2014, In a structured small group setting (3-4 students),Katie will demonstrate the ability to independently change her own behavior based on the behaviors of others in the group 50% of the time.

40. Benchmarks: • In a small group structured activity, Katie will use perspective taking skills to accurately describe the behaviors of others, including: Body language, facial expressions, & tone of voice, ¾ opportunities. • In a small group structured activity, Katie will use perspective taking skills to accurately describe the behaviors of others (Body language, facial expressions, & tone of voice), and describe her interpretation of what they may be thinking 2/4 opportunities. • In a small group structured activity, Katie will use perspective taking skills to accurately describe the behaviors of others (Body language, facial expressions, & tone of voice), describe her interpretation of what they may be thinking, and appropriately change her own behavior as needed with adult prompting 3/4 opportunities. • GOAL…

41. Goal 2 Reading comprehension • Present Level: When given a novel to read, Katie is able to read and answer basic Wh questions related to concrete facts. Deficits in Katie’s perspective taking impair her ability to answer inferential questions related to character development or be able to predict what may happen in a story. Same age peers are able to use inferential thinking to understand the characters’ perspective and predict outcome.

42. GOAL: To improve reading comprehension: By January 2014, Katie will independently be able to use a social thinking tool (i.e social behavior map) to help her describe a character’s actions, how a character feels, and how a character’s actions impact others in the novel with 80% accuracy.

43. Benchmarks: A. After each reading assignment, Katie will independently complete a social behavior map related to designated characters in a novel with 50% accuracy. B. After each reading assignment, Katie will independently complete a social behavior map related to designated characters in a novel with 60% accuracy. C. After each reading assignment, Katie will independently complete a social behavior map related to designated characters in a novel with 70% accuracy. D..GOAL…

44. Social Behavior Map for _________,Chapt. 1 Behaviors that are Expected Behaviors that are Unexpected

45. Your Turn • Based on your student’s needs, prioritize goal areas. • Pick one goal area, and write a new goal keeping social thinking in mind.

46. Barriers:

47. Next Time? • Now that we have characteristics, needs, and goals sorted out, we need to teach. • We will talk about teaching across the day.

48. Homework • Read “Change Your Ways” and bring your reflective thoughts back…