Structured Teaching: The classroom uses predictable visual and written schedules, modifications of the environment and learning materials, and presentation of instruction in ways that make content easier for students with autism to understand. Visual learning is used frequently since most students are visual learners. Often the room has designated areas for different types of activities: academic, leisure, social, play, individual instruction and work.
Antecedent Interventions: The situation or environment that precedes a target behavior is modified to reduce that behavior. Positive behavior supports are often effective strategies. A certain person, or a work or prompt spoken, showing the student the reinforcer first, a gesture or modeling the expected behavior, can all be effective.
Prompting: A prompt is a cue to promote a response. It can be a gesture, verbal, or physical; modeling the response or putting items in a specific order can also be a prompt. Prompts are given from least to most intrusive, and need to be faded as soon as possible to avoid prompt dependence. Time Delay is often used to fade prompting by waiting briefly after a directive before giving a prompt.
Environmental Modification: The environment where the unwanted behavior occurs is modified in some way to reduce the behavior. The antecedent or stimulus that triggers the behavior is removed.
Behavioral Interventions: The goal is to reduce problem behaviors and teach appropriate behaviors with the same function for the student. Basic principles of behavior modification are used: applied behavior analysis; positive behavior supports. An analysis is completed on what triggers the behavior (antecedent) and what happens after the behavior (consequence). One or both of those are modified, and data is collected to determine whether behavior has decreased.
Differential Reinforcement: Unwanted behaviors are replaced with appropriate behaviors by withholding reinforcement from the unwanted behavior and reinforcing the appropriate behaviors. Often planned ignoring of an unwanted behavior and focus on the desired behavior is used effectively.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT): This 1:1 strategy teaches skills in a systematic way with small repeated trials. Discrete means the trial has a definite beginning and ending. A task is broken into very small steps. Each step is taught one at a time. After each trial, which lasts only seconds, the student receives a reinforcer for a correct response to increase the likelihood that the correct response will be repeated again until the skill is learned.
Extinction: The reinforcer that continues to prompt the behavior is ended or withdrawn, thus reducing or eliminating the unwanted behavior. It may be as simple as ignoring a behavior that has been used to get attention, although many behaviors have more than one reinforcer.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): All problem behavior has a function, usually with a communicative intent. The FBA is a systematic approach to determine the purpose of the behavior so interventions can be determined to reduce and replace the unwanted behaviors with communicative alternatives. Observation is made and data collected about the antecedents and consequences of the behavior. Behavior frequency and duration are noted. A hypothesis is developed and tested with interventions, and data collected to determine whether the behavior changes.
Reinforcement: All reinforcement increases a target behavior—wanted and unwanted behaviors. Positive reinforcement is when something is given following a behavior that causes the behavior to be repeated. For example, a child who cries in the grocery store and is allowed to select an item to buy to make him quiet will probably cry next time to get to buy something. A student who is given the drink he wants after he says, “Thank you,” will probably say, “Thank you” next time. Negative reinforcement is when something is withdrawn or ended following a behavior that increases the likelihood that behavior will increase. For example, a student who pushes over his desk to get out of work and is taken to another area for time out will probably repeat that behavior again to get out of work. A student who is allowed to take a break after making the sign for “play” will probably use the sign again.
Response Interruption/Redirection (RIR): A student is blocked or redirected with a prompt to a different activity when an unwanted behavior begins. This is often used for repetitive self-stimulatory or self-injurious behaviors that are not reinforced with external reinforcers, but have a sensory purpose, like hand-flapping, putting things in the mouth, repetitive vocalizations.
Task Analysis and Chaining: A task is broken down into small steps to make it more manageable. The student is observed doing the task and it is noted which steps are done independently and which need to be taught. Then each step is taught one at a time in a chaining sequence. Forward chaining is when instruction begins with the first step and moves through the task sequentially until each step has been mastered. Backward chaining begins instruction with the last step and works backward one step at a time.
Cognitive Behavioral Interventions: These are used for students who are verbal and have higher levels of intelligence. They are used to replace negative and unrealistic thinking and behaviors with positive thinking and problem-solving approaches that help the student function more naturally in life. Modeling and role-playing give students a chance to experience and practice alternate behaviors.
Joint Attention Intervention: Children begin to share attention with adults as infants, looking at objects the adult points to, following the eye gaze of the adult to see the same object. Pointing to objects to share them with another person. These are early nonverbal social interaction, which are critical for relationships, communication, and learning about the world.
Modeling/Video Modeling: This is effective for visual learners and is used effectively to teach social and adaptive skills. Demonstration is given for a specific behavior, simple or complex, live or video, done by peers or adults. The student needs skills of attending and watching before this will be effective. Making a video of the behavior allows a refinement of the behaviors being taught. A behavior can be broken down into smaller steps and emphasized or replayed. A student can practice one step at a time.
Structured Work Systems: This strategy develops independent functioning of a student by providing a task explained with visuals, models, and pieces. It is very clear what to do and how to know the task is complete. Skills that have already been learned are practiced in a sequence to complete a larger task.
Naturalistic Interventions: These interventions teach student functional skills in their natural environment, during the school day routine or at home. It is more relaxed than a structured instruction setting. Often the child expresses interest at the time and is ready to learn. These interventions happen during the day’s activities: having conversation and encouraging expression; giving choices and natural reinforcers; modeling play with toys or pretend play; encouraging and rewarding attempts. Some approaches may be called incidental teaching, embedded teaching, incidental teaching, milieu teaching.
Pivotal Response Training (PRT): This intervention is child-based, uses ABA principles, and focuses on pivotal behaviors, such as self- initiation, self-management, social communication. Pivotal behaviors are required for many areas of functioning, and their development improves many general behaviors. Parents and teach skills at home, community, and school within the natural environment of the child. The student is given choices, reinforcements for attempts, and practices turn-taking.
Parent-Implemented Interventions: Parent are their children’s most effective teacher. Parents are given training for basic teaching techniques that usually include ABA principles, procedures for teaching communication skills, self-regulation, self-help skills.
Peer-Mediated Interventions: These involve peers to increase social interactions and academic development. Usually peers who show an interest in the students with autism are good candidates. They are trained to initiate and maintain conversation to encourage participation of the student with autism.
Picture Exchange Communication Exchange (PECS): This is use for functional communication, allowing a student to express wants or needs when they aren’t able to verbally express them. The student hands a small picture or symbol to the teacher to communicate.
Schedules: Schedules help students understand and manage and organize their thoughts and activities, providing structured, predictable steps in a visual form. Schedules can include written words, photos, symbols, pictures. A schedule may contain steps for an academic, adaptive task, housekeeping tasks. It may show each of the activities of the day or a time period, helping students to know an activity will end and show them what will happen next, which assists with persistence in an activity and in transition. It can be used to regulate leisure time, allowing the student to select an activity, persist in playing, putting it away, and selecting another.
Visual Supports: Visual supports help students understand their environment and organize their day at school and home. They may include schedules, scripts, visual boundaries, pictures, words, objects, labels, organization systems, timelines, calendars, maps.
Self-Management: Students are taught to regulate their behavior by recording it on checklists or with smiley or frowny faces, tokens, visuals, and receive reinforcement for their behaviors. Skills needed include learning how to set personal goals and be self-aware.
Social Communication Intervention: Social communication deficits are identified and pragmatic communication skills are targeted. Social conversation and nonverbal social cues are taught through social stories, prompting, self-monitoring, video modeling, pivotal response training, scripts, computer-based interventions.
Social Narratives: These stories describe a specific setting or event, inappropriate behaviors with explanation of why they are not good choices, replacement behaviors, and the effect of good behaviors on others. They are written in first person, often include pictures, and usually address the “who, what, when, where, and why, of the situation. They are used as instructional pieces separate from the behaviors and also after the behavior has been displayed to reteach the student.
Social Skills Intervention: Social skills can be taught individually and in small groups. They focus on skills needed to interact with peers and in other situations. Basic skills focus on eye contact, responding to name and to greetings. Other skills include initiating greetings; initiating and maintaining conversations.
Speech-Generating Devices: Students use a portable device to press a symbol or picture that vocalizes the item or activity the student desires. The reinforcement is that the student is given what he has selected.
Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI): Computers are used to teach academics, social skills, language, and communication.
Antecedent Interventions: The situation or environment that precedes a target behavior is modified to reduce that behavior. Positive behavior supports are often effective strategies. A certain person, or a work or prompt spoken, showing the student the reinforcer first, a gesture or modeling the expected behavior, can all be effective.
Prompting: A prompt is a cue to promote a response. It can be a gesture, verbal, or physical; modeling the response or putting items in a specific order can also be a prompt. Prompts are given from least to most intrusive, and need to be faded as soon as possible to avoid prompt dependence. Time Delay is often used to fade prompting by waiting briefly after a directive before giving a prompt.
Environmental Modification: The environment where the unwanted behavior occurs is modified in some way to reduce the behavior. The antecedent or stimulus that triggers the behavior is removed.
Behavioral Interventions: The goal is to reduce problem behaviors and teach appropriate behaviors with the same function for the student. Basic principles of behavior modification are used: applied behavior analysis; positive behavior supports. An analysis is completed on what triggers the behavior (antecedent) and what happens after the behavior (consequence). One or both of those are modified, and data is collected to determine whether behavior has decreased.
Differential Reinforcement: Unwanted behaviors are replaced with appropriate behaviors by withholding reinforcement from the unwanted behavior and reinforcing the appropriate behaviors. Often planned ignoring of an unwanted behavior and focus on the desired behavior is used effectively.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT): This 1:1 strategy teaches skills in a systematic way with small repeated trials. Discrete means the trial has a definite beginning and ending. A task is broken into very small steps. Each step is taught one at a time. After each trial, which lasts only seconds, the student receives a reinforcer for a correct response to increase the likelihood that the correct response will be repeated again until the skill is learned.
Extinction: The reinforcer that continues to prompt the behavior is ended or withdrawn, thus reducing or eliminating the unwanted behavior. It may be as simple as ignoring a behavior that has been used to get attention, although many behaviors have more than one reinforcer.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): All problem behavior has a function, usually with a communicative intent. The FBA is a systematic approach to determine the purpose of the behavior so interventions can be determined to reduce and replace the unwanted behaviors with communicative alternatives. Observation is made and data collected about the antecedents and consequences of the behavior. Behavior frequency and duration are noted. A hypothesis is developed and tested with interventions, and data collected to determine whether the behavior changes.
Reinforcement: All reinforcement increases a target behavior—wanted and unwanted behaviors. Positive reinforcement is when something is given following a behavior that causes the behavior to be repeated. For example, a child who cries in the grocery store and is allowed to select an item to buy to make him quiet will probably cry next time to get to buy something. A student who is given the drink he wants after he says, “Thank you,” will probably say, “Thank you” next time. Negative reinforcement is when something is withdrawn or ended following a behavior that increases the likelihood that behavior will increase. For example, a student who pushes over his desk to get out of work and is taken to another area for time out will probably repeat that behavior again to get out of work. A student who is allowed to take a break after making the sign for “play” will probably use the sign again.
Response Interruption/Redirection (RIR): A student is blocked or redirected with a prompt to a different activity when an unwanted behavior begins. This is often used for repetitive self-stimulatory or self-injurious behaviors that are not reinforced with external reinforcers, but have a sensory purpose, like hand-flapping, putting things in the mouth, repetitive vocalizations.
Task Analysis and Chaining: A task is broken down into small steps to make it more manageable. The student is observed doing the task and it is noted which steps are done independently and which need to be taught. Then each step is taught one at a time in a chaining sequence. Forward chaining is when instruction begins with the first step and moves through the task sequentially until each step has been mastered. Backward chaining begins instruction with the last step and works backward one step at a time.
Cognitive Behavioral Interventions: These are used for students who are verbal and have higher levels of intelligence. They are used to replace negative and unrealistic thinking and behaviors with positive thinking and problem-solving approaches that help the student function more naturally in life. Modeling and role-playing give students a chance to experience and practice alternate behaviors.
Joint Attention Intervention: Children begin to share attention with adults as infants, looking at objects the adult points to, following the eye gaze of the adult to see the same object. Pointing to objects to share them with another person. These are early nonverbal social interaction, which are critical for relationships, communication, and learning about the world.
Modeling/Video Modeling: This is effective for visual learners and is used effectively to teach social and adaptive skills. Demonstration is given for a specific behavior, simple or complex, live or video, done by peers or adults. The student needs skills of attending and watching before this will be effective. Making a video of the behavior allows a refinement of the behaviors being taught. A behavior can be broken down into smaller steps and emphasized or replayed. A student can practice one step at a time.
Structured Work Systems: This strategy develops independent functioning of a student by providing a task explained with visuals, models, and pieces. It is very clear what to do and how to know the task is complete. Skills that have already been learned are practiced in a sequence to complete a larger task.
Naturalistic Interventions: These interventions teach student functional skills in their natural environment, during the school day routine or at home. It is more relaxed than a structured instruction setting. Often the child expresses interest at the time and is ready to learn. These interventions happen during the day’s activities: having conversation and encouraging expression; giving choices and natural reinforcers; modeling play with toys or pretend play; encouraging and rewarding attempts. Some approaches may be called incidental teaching, embedded teaching, incidental teaching, milieu teaching.
Pivotal Response Training (PRT): This intervention is child-based, uses ABA principles, and focuses on pivotal behaviors, such as self- initiation, self-management, social communication. Pivotal behaviors are required for many areas of functioning, and their development improves many general behaviors. Parents and teach skills at home, community, and school within the natural environment of the child. The student is given choices, reinforcements for attempts, and practices turn-taking.
Parent-Implemented Interventions: Parent are their children’s most effective teacher. Parents are given training for basic teaching techniques that usually include ABA principles, procedures for teaching communication skills, self-regulation, self-help skills.
Peer-Mediated Interventions: These involve peers to increase social interactions and academic development. Usually peers who show an interest in the students with autism are good candidates. They are trained to initiate and maintain conversation to encourage participation of the student with autism.
Picture Exchange Communication Exchange (PECS): This is use for functional communication, allowing a student to express wants or needs when they aren’t able to verbally express them. The student hands a small picture or symbol to the teacher to communicate.
Schedules: Schedules help students understand and manage and organize their thoughts and activities, providing structured, predictable steps in a visual form. Schedules can include written words, photos, symbols, pictures. A schedule may contain steps for an academic, adaptive task, housekeeping tasks. It may show each of the activities of the day or a time period, helping students to know an activity will end and show them what will happen next, which assists with persistence in an activity and in transition. It can be used to regulate leisure time, allowing the student to select an activity, persist in playing, putting it away, and selecting another.
Visual Supports: Visual supports help students understand their environment and organize their day at school and home. They may include schedules, scripts, visual boundaries, pictures, words, objects, labels, organization systems, timelines, calendars, maps.
Self-Management: Students are taught to regulate their behavior by recording it on checklists or with smiley or frowny faces, tokens, visuals, and receive reinforcement for their behaviors. Skills needed include learning how to set personal goals and be self-aware.
Social Communication Intervention: Social communication deficits are identified and pragmatic communication skills are targeted. Social conversation and nonverbal social cues are taught through social stories, prompting, self-monitoring, video modeling, pivotal response training, scripts, computer-based interventions.
Social Narratives: These stories describe a specific setting or event, inappropriate behaviors with explanation of why they are not good choices, replacement behaviors, and the effect of good behaviors on others. They are written in first person, often include pictures, and usually address the “who, what, when, where, and why, of the situation. They are used as instructional pieces separate from the behaviors and also after the behavior has been displayed to reteach the student.
Social Skills Intervention: Social skills can be taught individually and in small groups. They focus on skills needed to interact with peers and in other situations. Basic skills focus on eye contact, responding to name and to greetings. Other skills include initiating greetings; initiating and maintaining conversations.
Speech-Generating Devices: Students use a portable device to press a symbol or picture that vocalizes the item or activity the student desires. The reinforcement is that the student is given what he has selected.
Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI): Computers are used to teach academics, social skills, language, and communication.