Autism updates with the newsletter noted to the right. If you click on the title of the blog at the top, you will also find additional information on setting events and writing measurable behavioral objectives.
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Provided by
Dr. Richard Solomon (Note: these are Goals, not measurable behavioral objectives)
ATTENTION AND BASIC SOCIAL RELATEDNESS
• Child will respond to the overtures of familiar/preferred adults with smile, frown, reach, vocalization or other intentional behavior.
• Child will respond to the overtures of familiar/preferred adults with obvious pleasure.
• Child will demonstrate affection towards others.
• Child will seek comfort when hurt.
• Child will stay engaged with familiar adult for increasing lengths of time.
• Child will become displeased when preferred adult is unresponsive during play for 30 seconds or more.
• Child will spontaneously seek the company of his/her family members when family is not attempting to engage him/her.
• Episodes of aimless behavior will decrease. .
• Child will stay focused on shared conversation with caregivers, instead of lapsing into private reference.
• When engaged with a family member/trusted adult, frequency of subvocalizations will diminish.
• Child will acknowledge the comings and goings of familiar people.
• Child will demonstrate awareness of others by seeking proximity.
• Child will demonstrate awareness of others by showing some simple imitation.
• Child will call family members by name.
• Child will call family members and other familiar people by name. -
• Child will focus attention on a directed activity for _______ minutes.
• Child will respond to first requests.
• Child will predictably attend to speech, normal in tone and volume.
IMITATION
• Child will imitate with object after demonstration of use of object.
• Child will simultaneously imitate with objects.
• Child will imitate hand movements.
• Child will imitate body movements.
• Child will imitate mouth movements. . ^
• Child will imitate sounds.
• Child will imitate words. .
AFFECT
• Child will look up to caregiver using smile as a way of securing adult attention.
• Child will show positive emotional expressions in response to praise.
• Child will independently solicit praise upon the completion of a task.
• Child will label feeling states (begin with happy, sad, angry/mad, scared) in self..
• Child will identify emotions in family members/familiar adults/peers.
• Child will respond appropriately to emotions in family members/familiar adults/peers.
· Child will offer comfort to others in distress.
· Child will accurately identify the feelings she/he has in a variety of settings and will
be able to explain the relationship of events to her/his feelings.
• Child will match spoken expressions of sadness, happiness, anger and surprise with facial expressions of the same emotions.
• Child will tolerate negative emotions in literature and play.
• Child will use pretend play scenarios to explore negative affect and practice appropriate responses.
• Child will be tolerant of own mistakes and performances that were not perfect.
• To express precision and subtlety in the expression of emotion, child will use qualifiers to describe gradation of emotional experience (e.g. really disappointed, a little disappointed).
SELF-REGULATION
• Child will recover from distress within minutes with help from familiaradult. . .
• Child will tolerate the proximity of other children.
• Child will communicate through language when upset, rather than tantrum.
• Child will learn different strategies for self-calming during times of frustration, anxiety, anger or disappointment.
• Child will use appropriate strategies for controlling his/her body when excited, anxious or angry.
• Child will maintain a polite and/or tactful style of communication when letting others know that something is bothering them.
• Child will productively reflect upon the advantages and disadvantage of own behavior.
PLAY ,
• Child will look at familiar adults when they attempt to engage the child in play.
• Child will joyfully participate in sensory-motor play with a familiar adult.
• Child will participate in songs, finger-plays and rhymes with familiar adults.
• Child will engage in parallel play.
• Child will engage in simple motor games with rules.
• Child will participate in turn taking activities.
• Child will appropriately look at books with caregivers.
• Child will expand his/her play repertoire to include manipulation, sensory-motor, art experiences, music experiences, building/construction, and early cognitive (sorting, matching, puzzles).
• Child participates in physical games with rules (e.g. duck, duck, goose).
• Child participates in non-physical games with rules (e.g. board games) (5-6 yrs).
Play with toys:
• Child will look at face of person activating toy or game.
• Child will imitate toy action.
• Child will engage in functional action with a toy with adult participation.
• Child will independently engage in functional action with a toy.
Pretend Plav:
• Child will develop interest in the content of pretend play as opposed to the simple mechanics (i.e. interest will move from how the bottle fits in baby's mouth to helping hungrybaby).
• Child will participate in pretend play involving concrete and familiar themes such as self-care, daily activities, cars and animals with adult/peers.
• Child will develop nurturing play with baby dolls.
• Child will arrange doll furniture into meaningful groups and uses doll figures to act out simple themes from own experience (2-2 ¥2 yrs).
• Child will participate in increasingly elaborate make-believe, moving from early concrete (episodes of eating/feeding, driving cars with noise, putting farm animals in barn) to more complex concrete (simple familiar stories) with adult/peers.
• Child will participate in more elaborate play themes, moving from concrete themes (involving everyday, common experience) to abstract themes (involving everyday, common experience) to abstract themes (involving material never directly experienced) with adult/peers. . • Child will assume the role of another person (dress-up) (3 J/2 - 4 yrs).
• Child will engage in role-playing using figures and puppets (4 — 4 */z yrs).
Drawing:
• Child will scribble with crayon (1 -1 ½ yrs). ' .
• Child will imitate drawing of vertical line (2-2 J/2 yrs).
• Child will imitate drawing of circle (2 ¥2 - 3 yrs).
• Child will add 3 parts to incomplete human drawing (5 ¥2 - 4 yrs).
• Child will copy drawing of-square (4 - 4 '/2 yrs).
• Child will draw unmistakable human with body, arms, legs, feet, nose, eyes and mouth (4 ¥2 - 5 yrs).
COMMUNICATION
Receptive (understanding language):
• Child will respond to his/her name.
• Child will look for family members when asked "Where is Mommy?" or "Where is Daddy?"
• Child will stop action in response to "No!"
• Child will appropriately respond to the command, "Stop!" • •
• Child will move body in response to a one-step direction.
Child will get familiar object or food that is requested.
Child will take object or food to someone when requested.
Child will follow two-step directions involving two different actions.
• Child will indicate approval when asked a "Do you want" question.
• Child will appropriately respond to simple and familiar WHERE questions with searching movements.
• Child points to eyes, nose and mouth in self and others upon request.
• Child identifies all large body parts upon request (2 - 2 !/2 yrs).
• Child will point to pictures in a book or familiar objects as they are named.
• Child will follow a series of 2-3 simple related commands with the same object.
• Child will identify smaller body parts upon request (i.e. chin, knee, elbow, fingers, toes).
• Child will follow a series of three unrelated commands.
• Child will comply with strategically posted STOP signs.
Eye Gaze:
• Child will look at person when given something.
• Child will look at person when giving them something.
• Child will follow someone's point when object is in close proximity and can be touched.
• Child will point to desired object when object can be touched/over distance.
• Child will follow someone's point when object is distant.
• Child points to direct someone to look at object or event to share enjoyment while looking back and forth to make sure adult sees what child sees.
• Child will look towards adult to make sense of an ambiguous situation (social referencing).
• Child will reference adult expression to guide own behavior.
• Child will look at person who is speaking to communicate interest/attention.
• Child will look at person to whom he/she is speaking to make sure person is listening/attending.
Expressive communication (body language and affect):
• Child will respond to gestures with intentional gestures of his/her own (e.g. reaches out in response to outstretched arms).
• Child will initiate interactions (e.g. reaches for toy).
• Child will look when name is called. .
• Child will wave goodbye.
• Child will express desire for food using gestures and body language.
• Child will express desire for activity using gestures and body language.
• Child will express wishes, intentions and feelings using multiple gestures in a row.
• Child will indicate disapproval using gestures and body language.
• Child will choose from two options using gestures and body language.
• Child will find appropriate and effective ways to get attention.
• Child will participate in 4 reciprocal social interactions.
• Child will participate in 8 reciprocal social interactions.
• Child will participate in 12 reciprocal social interactions.
Expressive communication fthe use of symbols for communication'):
• Child will learn fill-in-the-blanks of familiar songs, rhymes and or familiar verbal routines (e.g. ready, set, go).
• Child will use word/sign/picture for "more".
• Child will make choice using real objects. .
• Child will use word/sign/picture for mommy and daddy.
• Child will express desire for food using PECS/signs/words.
• Child will express desire for activity using PECS/signs/words.
• Child will express desire for toy/object using PECS/signs/words.
• Child will develop consistent vocabulary of _____ symbols used in the absence of concrete gestures (for example, child will come into the dining room and say "apple" to mother to request apple juice without needing to take mother to refrigerator and touch the apple juice bottle).
• Child will indicate disapproval using PECS/signs/words.
• Child will choose from two options using PECS/signs/words.
• Child will indicate that he is done with an activity by saying or signing, "All done".
• Child will respond to question, "What's this?"
• Child will ask question, "What's this?"
• Child will spontaneously add words to play, narrating play actions.
• Child will use two-word combinations (18-36 month skill).
• Child will use "MY" to indicate ownership (18-24 month skill).
• Child will refer to self by name.
• Child will ask questions by raising pitch at end of word or phrase.
• Child will ask for help (2-3 year skill).
• Child will say first and last name when asked. . '
• Child will use pronouns I, ME, MINE and YOU.
• Child will talk about an event that has just happened. . -> Child will respond to WHAT and WHO questions.> Child will respond to WHERE and WHEN questions.> Child will respond to WHY questions.
• Child will spontaneously ask WH questions (3-4 year skill). > Child will use language in imaginative play to narrate actions.
• Child will use prepositions IN, ON and UNDER. .Child will describe objects according to size, color and shape (4-5 yrs).Child will use pronouns HE, SHE, THEY, HIS, HER, OUR and THEIR.Child will use the following deictic terms: HERE, THERE, THIS, THAT.Child will ask meaning of new words.Child will retell a brief story (5+ year skill). • •
• Child will tell home address.
• Child will talk about the future using "will".
• Child will use pronounds "himself and "herself.
• Child will compare objects using "-er" and "-est" endings.
Conversational Skills/Pragmatics: •
• Child will use attention-getting words such as "Hey!" (2-3 years)
• Child will use appropriate volume with conversational partner.
• Child will use meaningful inflection with conversational partner.
• Child will use appropriate distance between self and conversational partner.
• Child will make appropriate adjustments when initiating conversation in order to gain and keep partner's attention (i.e. raising her voice, adding a gesture):
• Child will attend to peers when they address her/him, responding appropriately.
• Child will say "What?" or "Excuse me, could you say it again?" or a similar phrase when she/he doesn't understand question posed by an adult.
• When others initiate conversation, child will respond in appropriate, multi-wordphrases. • '
• Child will use eye contact to signal turn taking.
• Child will be able to engage in conversation over a broad range of topics.
• Child will add new, relevant information to previous comments in conversation.
• Child will ask questions that are related to topic to maintain conversational flow.
• Child will make transition statements to signify a change in conversational topic.
• Child will put her/his thoughts on pause so adult/peer can add to, or comment on, the conversation.
• Child will initiate conversation that is of interest to social partner.
• Child will change style of interaction when speaking with very young children (3-4
years). » Child will change style of interaction when speaking with peers as opposed to adults.
• Child will use names of adults/siblings/peers when addressing them.
• Child will ask how, why and when questions in order to obtain information.
• Child will provide relevant'information to adult when it is requested.
· Child will provide relevant information to peers/sibling when it is requested. » Child will share experiences through narration (describing connection between settings, characters behavioral and emotional responses, and consequences).
SENSORY ISSUES
Child will eat a greater variety of foods.
The frequency of the startle response will decrease.
Child will gain comfort with activities in which his/her feet are off the ground.
Child will become sensitized to, and appropriately label, hot, cold and pain.
Child will walk around toys, pets and people on floor. .
Child will successfully avoid bumping into people.
• Child will develop compensatory strategies for feeling comfort while in large, open spaces.
• Child will employ appropriate strategies to reduce overwhelming stimuli in new environments.
• Child will become more comfortable with activities designed to decrease tactile defensiveness on hands and face.
• Child will remain socially engaged, as is typical for Child, in the midst of a group of children.
• Child will remain socially engaged, as is typical for Child, in new environments.
RESTRICTED INTERESTS/PERSEVERATIVE BEHAVIORS
• Instances of perseveration (specify types) will be successfully redirected.
• Instances of idiosyncratic motor behaviors will decrease.
• Playing with toys or objects in atypical/repetitive ways will decrease.
• Reciting passages from books, videos, TV and/or radio will decrease.
• Instances of perseveration around rules, when child appears bossy, will decrease.
• Child will tolerate changes in routines.
• Child will demonstrate interest and pleasure in a range of developmentally appropriate play activities. .•
• Child will expand repertoire of social play activities.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
• Child will label self by name.
• Child will use the words "me" and "mine".
• Child will demonstrate understanding of function of familiar objects by selecting correct item or insisting on correct item when 'mistakenly' given wrong item.
• Child will demonstrate knowledge of the spatial concepts IN, ON and UNDER.
• Child will demonstrate understanding of quantity concepts ONE, MORE and ALL.
• Child will demonstrate knowledge of gender by pointing to boy/girl upon request (2Yi-Syrs). . '
• Child will demonstrate an understanding of the spatial concepts FRONT and BACK by moving his/her body or moving objects.
• Child will demonstrate knowledge of FRONT and BACK of clothes (3 ¥2 - 4 yrs).
• Child will demonstrate spatial concepts ABOVE/BELOW and TOP/BOTTOM (4-4 ft yrs).
• Child will demonstrate understanding of same/different.
• Child will demonstrate understanding of first/middle/last.
• Child will develop a better conceptual understanding of causality as demonstrated by appropriately answering WHY questions.
• To demonstrate a growing understanding of time and sequence, child will
spontaneously use time markers in conversation (in the following order: now, later,, soon, before, after, breakfast time, lunch time, dinnertime, morning, afternoon, night,yesterday, today, tomorrow, along time ago, days of the week, months of the year).
• Child will recall recent/familiar events with logical sequence.
• To demonstrate an understanding of locative state and prepositions, child will be able to answer WHERE questions.
• Child will be able to use the word NOT in sentences, such as "Which car is not in theline?" . .
• Child, will be able to group items into the following categories: color, size, shape, function, texture, taste and temperature.
• Child will practice sorting by one attribute.
• Child will practice sorting by more than one attribute at a time.
• Child will accurately answer questions that connect actions to adjectives, such as "What do you do when you are hungry?"
• Child will accurately describe the relationship of both immediate and extended family members using the appropriate labels for relatives.
• Child will draw accurate inferences from auditory information, answering questions such as "What do you think will happen next?" or "How do you think so-and-so might be feeling?"
• Child will demonstrate an understanding of graduated size by stacking and nesting blocks.
• Child will use the prefix "-est" to demonstrate knowledge of relative size.
• Child will demonstrate the ability to guess, speculate, estimate and imagine to come up with an answer or to solve a problem.
SOCIAL AWARENESS/THEORY OF MIND
• Child will acknowledge the comings and goings of familiar people.
• Child will use eye gaze to bring attention to self (as if to say, "Look at me!").
• Child will note what others are doing and shape his/her behaviors accordingly.
• Child will demonstrate an awareness of the needs of others by spontaneously offering help.
• Child will receive a daily compliment for being considerate.
• Child will demonstrate concept that his/her actions have an effect on the way other .people feel.
• Child will demonstrate the ability to teach another person how to do something, figuring out just what that other person needs to know.
Theory of Mind:
• Child will be able to identify what another person is experiencing.
• Child will identify what another person knows.
• Child will predict what others might see or hear in a given situation.
• Child will predict what others might think or feel in a given situation.
• Child will demonstrate the knowledge that other people do not know what child isthinking or feeling. . . •
SOCIAL SKILLS
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• Child will successfully initiate conversation/play with peer.
• When someone does not want to play with Child, she/he will be able to fonnulate a new plan of action.
• Child will appropriately respond to peers when they make social overtures.
• Child will decline an invitation to play or converse using appropriate communication.
• Child will develop tactful responses to describe dislikes and disagreements.
• Child will sustain interaction with peers.
• Child will be able to join others already engaged in a play activity (as opposed to having a peer join them in their activity).
• Child will tolerate and stay engaged in play with peer even when not in charge.
• Child will communicate with peers when ready to change activities.
• Child will demonstrate flexibility and the ability to adapt in social settings by accommodating play suggestions from familiar caregivers or therapists.
• Child will demonstrate flexibility and the ability to adapt in social settings by accommodating play suggestions from peers.
• Child will sustain interaction on a playdate.
• Child will share toys when appropriate with adult/sibling/peer (3 —3 ¥2 yrs).
• Child will successfully negotiate over toys.
• Child will demonstrate appropriate responses to children who are mean or hurtful. \ • Child will learn to talk on the phone in a developmentally appropriate manner. « Child will apologize if and when he/she bumps into someone.
• Child will apologize if and when he/she hurts someone's feelings or body.
-'^ - SOCIAL NORMS
• In an age appropriate manner, child will wait for her/his turn to talk.
• Child will refrain from interrupting parents while on the phone.
• Child will demonstrate an understanding of modesty and/or privacy by being fully clothed when leaving the bathroom in public places.
• Child will refrain from publicly touching private body parts. .
• Child will wipe nose on tissue and throw tissue away.
• Child will demonstrate an understanding of ownership by refraining from takingsomeone else's food or belongings. .
• Child will demonstrate age-appropriate modesty.
• Child will demonstrate age-appropriate tact.
• Child will refrain from asking embarrassing or intrusive question of conversational partner.
SCHOOL/CAMP SKILLS
•» In an age appropriate fashion, child will follow teacher's instructions.
• Child will attend to verbal instructions, using compensatory strategies when
necessary.
