Saturday, January 29, 2011

Additional information on writing measurable behavioral objectives

This series of postings will provide additional information on writing measurable behavioral objective.
Remember, the best objectives are individualized and written specifically for the individual and the situation.  You will get much better outcomes by learning and following the process, even though it takes a little more time and effort, writing individualized objectives rather than using canned objectives (which typically do not meet rule).

Click here to continue with the information.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Parent Implemented Interventions for Autism (ASD)

The best progress your child can make will in almost all situations involve your own involvement; however, this is not something you should do on your own.  It is essential you enlist the expert help and support from an appropriate consultant/coach.  The following will tell you want to look for AND provide you with links for additional information.

Please click "here" for more information.

Best Practice, Better Outcomes: How to write Measurable Behavioral Objectives, Goals & Plans: for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

This will take you through the information on how to write measurable behavioral objectives.  Please ask questions in the comment section.

This series of postings will provide you with the fundamental tools and skills to write individualized and effective measurable behavioral objectives for either mental health or developmental disabilities.

Click next to continue: Better Outcomes

Further autism treatment information:

¨ Please watch the video presentations: Evidence Based Practices in Autism Spectrum Disorders Presenters: Patricia Schetter, M.A., BCBA & Aaron Stabel, M.A., BCBA &
¨ Psychosocial and Biological Markers of Stress in the Lives of Mothers of Adolescents and Adults with Autism: Mailick Seltzer, Ph.D. (Once you have clicked on the videos, wait for the picture and music to start. It will take a couple minutes. After the music starts, pause the video, do something else you have to do and then about a half hour later click the play button to watch the presentation uninterrupted.)
¨ at: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/videos/video_autism.html

¨ and

¨ Parent Implemented Intervention: http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/mod_intro.php?mod_id=94
(It’s free and easy to register.)

Click here for additional information on interventions.

Progress for children with autism continued

¨ While a child MAY make progress in a school or center…


¨ Without significant, Parental/Primary Care Provider, involvement in the consistent implementation of therapy…

¨ Most if not all gains in behavior are likely to be of only short duration

Click "next" to continue with this information.

Progress for children with autism continued

¨ There is evidence of significant improvement in behavior for almost all children if:

¨ the right (EBP) intervention is provided at the right time

¨ by a well qualified interventionist, and

¨ Intervention is consistent across environments and settings


Click "next" to continue with this information.

Progress for children with autism continued

¨ While the “Passive” children, on average, do not tend to demonstrate outcomes as good as the “Active But Odd” children,


¨ “Passive” children tend to do better in more tightly structured interventions. (New research coming out over the next two years may change this)

It may be that P.L.A.Y. will demonstrate positive outcomes for children in all three categories. The research completed so far is promising.


Click "next" to continue with this information.

Progress for children with autism continued

¨ If we divide children with ASD into three subgroups:


¨ Aloof

¨ Passive

¨ Active But Odd (note: this nomenclature is not the fault or responsibility of the person preparing this information)

¨ The “Active But Odd” group tends to have better outcomes.

Please click "next" to continue with the information.

Progress for children with autism continued

¨ There is no (peer reviewed and broadly accepted) evidence of significant skill improvement from any of the models for children with an IQ less than 35 or below 40% in chronological age according to a functional assessment.






Click "next" to continue with this information.

Progress for Children With Autism

¨ To my knowledge and as verified by a number of the experts in the field:

¨ There is no (peer reviewed and broadly accepted) evidence of significant efficacy in intensive (one on one delivered by a professional) intervention beyond 36 months. (Little evidence much beyond 24 months. If the child is not making significant gains in the first year…make a change. * Significant in this case would mean a measurable improvement in SIB-R BI, and/or GMI, and/or IQ score)

¨ There is no (peer reviewed and broadly accepted) evidence of significant efficacy in intensive intervention for children older than eight years old.

Click "next" to continue with the information.

Recommended Autism Interventions According to Diagnosis

¨ As you review the information presented through these training modules and the handouts for parents, please understand:

¨ The Diagnostic Criteria for Aspergers is not very precise and is often interchangeable with “High Functioning Autism”
¨ (There is a movement to remove the separate diagnoses of Autism, PDD NOS, and Aspergers and simply replace it with ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder)

Click "next" to continue with the information.

General: Autism Research, Model, and Intervention Package, Information

The following information provides a very brief overview of research and intervention in Autism.  You will find additional links to some very good supplemental information.

Click "Next" to continue through the information.

Basic information including evidence based practice, stress and parenting a child with autism, and parental involvement in therapy

This information is primarily targeted towards:

¨ Children diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
¨ However; can be generalized to some extent to other children with developmental disabilities with more limited applicability to children with degenerative disabilities.

Consistency
¨ All of the recommended models (contained elsewhere on the site) contain elements of many of the EBP (Evidence Based Practice) intervention packages.

Click "next" to continue with this information.

Monday, January 24, 2011

What to look for in a consultant/coach

Whether you have a child with autism spectrum disorder, another developmental disability, and/or mental health or behavioral health needs the criteria for an effective consultant/coach is very similar.


First, why do you want a consultant/coach?

1. Children make the most progress when the intervention is consistent across all environments and research has repeatedly demonstrated that parents can be effective interventionists for their own child and quite often are the most effective interventionists for their own child.

2. Even the very best therapists/interventionists use their own consultant/coach. You might even say that the best do and the worst don’t and that’s one of the reasons for the difference.

3. At times, even the very best parents loose objectivity and need another outside expert to take a look and give feedback for difficult, unusual, disabilities, disorders, and circumstances.

4. Not all children are the same. Just like not all adults are the same. Some children respond better to one type of intervention over another and sometime it changes over time.

5. Some children need very specialized and specific types of intervention.



What can you expect from a good consultant/coach?

1. This person will be an expert in working with families and children.

2. This person will have at their disposal additional consultant/coaches to help them help you in areas where your direct consultant/coach is not an expert

3. They will be an expert in the assessment of not only your child; but will be able to assess your resources to better help your child through your child’s and your natural supports. This assessment will include a functional analysis of behavior if there are behavioral issues.

4. They will provide and help you provide ongoing assessment, theirs being more formal and yours being more informal.

5. They will be an expert in providing intervention for the disability, condition, or behaviors your child is exhibiting.

6. They will provide both you and your child with pertinent, applicable, and valuable instruction related to your child’s disability and/or condition and how you can adjust your interactions to better help your child.

7. They will carefully and lovingly provide you with feedback regarding your interactions, and your child’s environment, even when some of it is difficult for you to hear.

8. They will provide directly or in conjunction with another consultant/coach, consultation and/or direct assistance with assistive technology when needed. (This can at times be very low cost and creative uses for common items found around your home.)

9. They will provide you with direct examples and demonstration of the techniques or interventions they are describing. This includes working directly with your child, while you are observing in person, and/or through a two way mirror, and/or by video, and providing feedback as they observe your work with your child. (This can be through ,direct in person interaction, two way mirror, and/or through viewing video of you working with your child. This video may be shared with other consultant/coaches as needed)

10. They will provide ongoing reassessment and adjustment as needed.

11. They will be respectful of your values

12. They will help you integrate intervention into yours and your child’s natural routines, usually eliminating the need to make drastic changes or additions to your schedule.

13. They will work with other educators and/or care providers to assure intervention is consistent across environments.



Supplemental material:

http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/mod_list.php#layout_content_box

http://www.coachinginearlychildhood.org/

http://www.fippcase.org/caseinpoint/caseinpoint_vol4_no1.pdf

Evidence-Based Practice: Parent-Implemented Intervention

There are many free tools.
Parent Implemented Interventions
Registration is free and easy.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Good, even the best autism treatment doesn't have to cost a fortune. Research has proven this. Sometimes your child can get great treatment for 20% of what is commonly paid for treatment.

Good, even the best autism treatment doesn't have to cost a fortune. Research has proven this. Sometimes your child can get great treatment for 20% of what is commonly paid for treatment.


There are three keys:

1. Use Evidence Based Best Practice.

2. Consistency across all environments and throughout the day.

3. Parent/Caregiver participation. NOTE: This does not mean spending your whole life doing therapy with your child. What it does mean is altering all of your interactions with your child so therapy will occur during the natural routines for you, your family, and your child. You will find the tools and link to tools you need here. A good clinical/theraputic (routine based) consultant is a must…but must less expensive than full time therapy and often more beneficial to your child as long as all the interventions are contextualized within the natural routines of your child emphasizing natural reinforcers.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

What's the PROOF intervention works and is worth the time, effort, and money

Too often many people in the helping professions have the attitude that they are doing a good thing which should not require documentation or accountability, let alone measurable outcomes. Too often and too easily
data is manipulated, just as it often is in advertising, with the intent of selling a product or service being a higher priority than objective information on what works, what doesn't, and what really IS the cost
benefit ratio. These times are hopefully coming to an end. It is a disservice to the intended beneficiaries of the intervention and it is a disservice to those who are paying the bill...and really, it is a disservice to the intervention provider who isn't required to hone his or her skills and provide the right therapy at the right time.

It is too easy to write objectives in such a way as to show goals and objectives being met. It is too easy to say progress is being made; but withholding or simply not gathering crucial information that might give an indication if that progress has been a result of the intervention or perhaps other variables such as maturation or...(?).

One of the only ways to have a clear indication that real progress is being made is to compare against truly objective scores resulting from objective norm referenced assessments determined from direct observation and testing. These include assessments such as a Battelle, or Bayley, or an IQ score. There are many other assessments which can and will give you a standard deviation and Z score which will provide you with a better understanding of REAL progress. There are also other assessments which approach this level of integrity, validity, and reliability. There are also some assessments that while on the surface and through research, demonstrate a fairly high level of validity and reliability, unfortunately when in the hands of or reported by individuals with a high motivation to skew the results, they often lack good integrity. This can include the assessments previously mentioned.

Another fairly concrete way to look at progress is to look at real outcomes, outcomes based upon specific criteria, such as recidivism and employment; however, there are common misrepresentations in this data as well such as low recidivism back into a juvenile justice system while the same youth end up on an adult system (hardly a real success) or low unemployment rates but high underemployment and many people who have simply stopped looking for work or by statistical manipulation have been removed from the data.

So what to do? Assure the best assessments possible, and verify results on a random basis. Provide and pay for services which provide the best average results and the best average cost benefit ratio.

Parent Implemented Intervention (Autism Spectrum Disorders)

In many parts of the world parent implemented intervention is the only intervention available for children with autism and due to the economic downturn may soon be the only intervention available in increasing sectors of the globe. For this reason and also because of the efficacy of (benefit from) parent implemented intervention (in most cases where the parent is provided with good consultation to better help their own child and where the parent is willing to adjust their interaction with a child of special needs) providers must learn to be more adept at working with families and providing needed consultation.

As you see here, as in all three of the closely associated websites: Best Practice, Better Outcomes/How to write Measurable Behavioral Objectives, Goals & Plans http://bestoutcomes.blogspot.com/ ; Current Autism News & Research or Hope for Autism http://currentautismresearchhopeforautism.blogspot.com/  ; and ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PARENTING: A RESEARCH BASED RESOURCE GUIDE http://responsiblepracticalparenting.blogspot.com/ 

There is a great deal of evidence from research which clearly demonstrates that parents can, with help of qualified consultants, provide therapeutic intervention for their own children. As mentioned previously, this may require learning to interact with their child with special needs in ways which must be adjusted from how they may interact with a typically developing child. While the adjustments may be; they are not always substantial.

Please see the following presentation for additional information and links to even more information. (All three of the websites listed above also provide a great deal of information on the subject as well as the ability to ask questions and discuss with others.) http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/mod_intro.php?mod_id=94
Registration is free and easy

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Autism Internet Modules | Welcome

Autism Internet Modules Welcome: "The Autism Internet Modules were developed with one aim in mind: to make comprehensive, up-to-date, and usable information on autism accessible and applicable to educators, other professionals, and families who support individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Written by experts from across the U.S., all online modules are free, and are designed to promote understanding of, respect for, and equality of persons with ASD."

Best Practice for Children diagnosed with Aspergers ages 15-18

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Modeling …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

4) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention?

5) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 15-18) diagnosed with aspergers, using their agency and the above intervention?

6) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

Best Practice for Children diagnosed with PDD NOS ages 15-18

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Behavioral Package …

• Modeling …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention(s) you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 15-18) diagnosed with PDD NOS, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention (or combination) you have chosen in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

When multiple interventions are mentioned it is usually most helpful to use more than one or even all which are mentioned according to the specific needs and strengths of the child and family.

Best Practice for Children diagnosed with Autism ages 15-18

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Antecedent Package …

• Behavioral Package …

• Modeling …

• Self-management …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention(s) you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 15-18) diagnosed with Autism, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention (or combination) you have chosen in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

When multiple interventions are mentioned it is usually most helpful to use more than one or even all which are mentioned according to the specific needs and strengths of the child and family.

Best Practice for Children diagnosed with PDD NOS ages 10-14

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Behavioral Package …

• Modeling …

• Peer Training Package …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention(s) you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 10-14) diagnosed with PDD NOS, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention (or combination) you have chosen in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

When multiple interventions are mentioned it is usually most helpful to use more than one or even all which are mentioned according to the specific needs and strengths of the child and family.

Best Practice for Children with Aspergers ages 10-14

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Modeling …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in this intervention?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 10-14) with Aspergers, using their agency and the above intervention?

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

Best Practice for Children with Autism ages 10-14

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Antecedent Package …

• Behavioral Package …

• Modeling …

• Peer Training Package …

• Schedules …

• Self-management …

• Story-based Intervention Package …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention(s) you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 10-14) with Autism, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention (or combination) you have chosen in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

When multiple interventions are mentioned it is usually most helpful to use more than one or even all which are mentioned according to the specific needs and strengths of the child and family.

Best Practice for Children with PDD NOS ages 6-9

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Behavioral Package …

• Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for Young Children …

• Modeling …

• Naturalistic Teaching Strategies …

• Peer Training Package …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention(s) you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 6-9) with a diagnosis of PDD NOS, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention (or combination) you have chosen in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

When multiple interventions are mentioned it is usually most helpful to use more than one or even all which are mentioned according to the specific needs and strengths of the child and family.

Best Practice for Children with Aspergers ages 6-9

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Modeling …

• Story-based Intervention Package …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention(s) you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 6-9) with aspergers, using their agency and the above intervention?

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention (or combination) you have chosen in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

When multiple interventions are mentioned it is usually most helpful to use more than one or even all which are mentioned according to the specific needs and strengths of the child and family.

Best Practice for Children with Autism, ages 6-9

The following types of intervention have been found to be most effective; (but does not preclude some use of other interventions mentioned depending upon the individual needs of the child and family):

• Antecedent Package …

• Behavioral Package …

• Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for Young Children …

• Modeling …

• Naturalistic Teaching Strategies …

• Peer Training Package …

• Schedules …

• Self-management …

• Story-based Intervention Package …

Based on information from: The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project Findings and Conclusions: 2009

When interviewing potential providers, you may want to ask the following questions:

1) How has the agency and the individual therapist/staff gained expertise/certification in the above intervention(s) you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in skills (BI score) and behavior (GMI score) for a child (age 6-9) with autism, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

3) Ask them to fully explain how they will implement the above intervention (or combination) you have chosen in collaboration with other therapies your child is receiving.

When multiple interventions are mentioned it is usually most helpful to use more than one or even all which are mentioned according to the specific needs and strengths of the child and family.

Reccommended Models for Young Children with Autism

Recommended interventions:


ABA: Behavior Analysis is the scientific study of behavior. Applied Behavior Analysis is the application of the principles of learning and motivation from Behavior Analysis, and the procedures and technology derived from those principles, to the solution of problems of social significance. Many decades of research have validated treatments based on ABA.
http://www.centerforautism.com/getting_started/aba.asp ~ http://www.abainternational.org/

The Denver Model
Also known as the Early Start Denver Model is a well researched combination of behavioral and developmental therapy. It has produced very good results with children who’s IQ is as low as 35 (the lowest or one of the lowest of any of the well researched established models providing excellent outcomes).
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/research/esdm/ ~ http://www.autismspeaks.org/docs/d_200911_ESDM.pdf

DIR®/Floortime™ The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based The objectives of the DIR®/Floortime™ Model are to build healthy foundations for social, emotional, and intellectual capacities rather than focusing on skills and isolated behaviors. http://www.icdl.com/dirFloortime/overview/index.shtml

The P.L.A.Y. Project® is (an) … early intervention program dedicated to empowering parents and professionals to implement intensive, developmental interventions for young children with autism in the most effective and efficient way.
http://www.playproject.org/

PRT: Pivotal Response Treatment … Pivotal Response Teaching, and Pivotal Response Training, PRT focuses on targeting “pivotal” behavioral and skill areas.
http://education.ucsb.edu/autism/ http://www.autismnetwork.org/modules/behavior/pri/index.html http://www.blogger.com/goog_1943166904

TEACCH: Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children
The foundation of this structured teaching intervention is the modification of the environment to assist the child in the learning process. The focus of this intervention is on organizing the child’s physical environment to facilitate overall task success, capitalizing on visual strengths typically displayed by students with ASD and minimizing reliance on auditory processing/verbal expression. http://www.teacch.com/

If your child is functioning close to 50% of chronological age or above or above a 35 IQ, you should see significant gain in both skills (BI) on the SIB-R AND improvements in behavior (GMI) on the SIB-R. Most children should make significant improvements in behavior.

When you interview potential providers, ask these questions.

1) How have they as an agency, and how have the individual therapists/specialists who will be working with your child, gained specific expertise/certification in the above intervention you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in BI and GMI for a child (age 3-6) with autism, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

No matter which intervention you choose, best practice for best outcomes will include close collaboration with a Speech Therapist (SLP) and very possibly other therapists. This close collaboration should assure that all of the intervention for your child is closely aligned, and that everyone is supporting other interventions received by your child.  Parental involvement is essential in any of these interventions.

Intervention descriptions: Evidence Based Best Practice

Intervention descriptions

Please see: Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools from the National Autism Center.

You can find a copy at: http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/pdf/NAC%20Ed%20Manual_FINAL.pdf

This guide can be downloaded on the internet and will provide you with additional information and resources for the various interventions; however, the information is not sufficient to make you an expert on any of the interventions. Expertise comes from specific and extensive study, training, and supervised experience. Be leery of anyone, and possibly any agency, who says they are an expert in everything.

While the referenced paper is geared specifically to the school, the same concepts and specific interventions can be used in multiple settings including the home.

Collaboration between these therapies and intervention provided by SLPs, OTs, PTs, and the child’s physician, is strongly supported in this paper and research. In addition, collaboration with and the additional intervention provided by parents and other natural care providers (supported by consultation and modeling from the therapist) during the child and caregiver’s natural routines, significantly extend, enhance, and strengthen, the child’s learning opportunities. For best outcomes, all intervention and supports, natural and otherwise, must be closely integrated.

• Antecedent Package … These interventions adjust the environment and interactions before the behavior and are meant to either increase or decrease a subsequent behavior. This includes understanding and adjusting “setting events” as well as the more immediate stimulus right before a behavior.  Additional, extensive, and excellent information can be found at: http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/mod_intro.php?mod_id=83 ¨ Registration is free and easy. See Antecedent-Based Interventions (ABI)
¨ Please note that while you can learn a great deal from online modules and reading research, this alone does not qualify anyone to deliver the intervention.

• Behavioral Package … These interventions include traditional behavioral conditioning and rely heavily on positive and negative reinforcement.

• Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for Young Children … This treatment is eclectic in nature with many aspects of ABA and related interventions.

• Joint Attention … These interventions help to develop the foundational skills required for focusing or paying attention to the same object or person, and at the same time, as another person. This essential skill is often difficult for children with autism.

• Modeling … These interventions use either video or live modeling of appropriate behaviors/skills to help individuals develop those same behaviors or skills. It is often used with other interventions which incorporate reinforcement.  Supplemental Material:
• Making SENSE of Autism Through Peers, Play, and Performance • Lecturer: Blythe Corbett, Ph.D.• Affiliation: UC Davis MIND Institute • Date: June 4, 2010 • Length: 1:21:51 • Synopsis: Blythe Corbett, Ph.D. discusses her work at the MIND Institute regarding video modeling, cortisol and stress, and a unique therapeutic intervention -- SENSE Theatre -- that allows children with autism to participate with age-matched peers in theatrical musical performance. Recorded Fri, 4 June 2010.
• Naturalistic Teaching Strategies … These interventions concentrate on natural reinforcement and natural consequences in the natural environment, training, support, and behavioral objectives contextualized in the natural routines and environment for the child.  Supplemental Material: • Additional, extensive, and excellent information can be found at: http://www.blogger.com/goog_672379774

• Registration is free and easy. See Naturalistic Intervention
• Please note that while you can learn a great deal from online modules and reading research, this alone does not qualify someone to deliver the intervention.
• Peer Training Package … These interventions use specifically selected and trained peers to work with and help the child develop appropriate skills and behaviors through structured settings and learning opportunities.

• Pivotal Response Treatment … This intervention focuses on pivotal behaviors in the natural setting.

• Schedules … The use of schedules, charts, picture directions or schedules, etc., often with reinforcement to include natural reinforcers. (Music and other sounds can be used as triggers and cues for schedules when helpful.)  Supplemental Materials: • Schedules
• It is easy to create your own effective schedules; however, here are some possible resources.
• Autism Therapy: visual schedules • http://www.blogger.com/goog_1975106661
• Picture Schedule Samples • http://www.blogger.com/goog_1975106665
• Visual Schedules for Autistic Children • http://www.blogger.com/goog_1975106668
• Visual Schedules • http://www.specialed.us/autism/structure/str11.htm
• Visual Schedule for Autism • http://www.lucasworks.org/visual-schedule-autism.html

• Story-based Intervention Package … The use of stories specifically designed to teach skills to children. Social Stories™ is an example.   Supplemental Materials: • Please watch the video at: Introduction to Teaching Through Social Stories ™
http://www.talkautism.com/Components/Video/Video.aspx?v=56
• The Gray Center • http://www.thegraycenter.org/
• Special Minds • http://www.specialminds.org/about.html
• Social Stories Therapy for Children with Autism • http://autism.healingthresholds.com/therapy/social-stories

Currently there are two similar projects establishing national standards for the treatment of autism in children and adolescents. One is referenced frequently in these pages and the other is the National Professional Development Center for Autism. While the criterion is slightly different for the two projects there is considerable overlap and many of the same professionals worked on both projects. The results are and will be modified as additional research is completed, published, and validated against rigorous standards. Most of the recommendations in these pages are based on evidence based best practice; however, some is better described as emerging practice with close association with evidence based practice (EBP). Recommendations for disabilities other than Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are based on best practice research regarding routine based intervention in the natural environment for a wide variety of disabilities. Much of the research on treatment for ASDs is also applicable to children with other disabilities as well as more typically developing children. To better understand how to implement EBPs, please watch the video presentation: Evidence Based Practices in Autism Spectrum Disorders Presenters: Patricia Schetter, M.A., BCBA & Aaron Stabel, M.A., BCBA at: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/videos/video_autism.html

Additional Resources: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/developmental_disabilities.cfm

INDEX ACCORDING TO AGE AND DIAGNOSIS

Recommended Models for Young Children with Autism

Best Practice for Children with Autism, ages 6-9

Best Practice for Children with Aspergers ages 6-9

Best Practice for Children with PDD NOS ages 6-9

Best Practice for Children with Autism ages 10-14

Best Practice for Children with Aspergers ages 10-14

Best Practice for Children diagnosed with PDD NOS ages 10-14

Best Practice for Children diagnosed with Autism ages 15-18
 
Best Practice for Children diagnosed with PDD NOS ages 15-18

Best Practice for Children diagnosed with Aspergers ages 15-18