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Design Project: Students with ASD: Developing Socialization and Self-Management Skills

Project Proposal

Educational Impact of ASD

This design project is a mini-course focusing on students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the educational challenges they face. NY State is now mandating that all new teachers take a course about ASD because of its growing prevalence in our country and schools. In this mini-course I would focus on the following areas:

1. What is ASD and how is it diagnosed?
2. As educators, Why is it important to know about ASD?
3. Social skill development
4. Behavioral support strategies

Research in these areas has been growing very rapidly and there is information and approaches to assist students with ASD that many educators are unaware of. With the increase in diagnoses, especially in younger students who are just entering the school system, it is very important to have the most up to date information and resources to assist these students in their education.

Needs Assessment

1. Instructional Problem:

Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continue to grow rapidly each year. From 1993-2007 the number of confirmed children with ASD has grown 1558% (fightingautism.org, 2009). From 2003-2007 the growth has been 753% (fightingautism.org, 2009.) These numbers mean that we have a growing number of students with ASD in our school system, and a huge number of children diagnosed with ASD who have not yet entered our school system. Students diagnosed with ASD have unique needs that require teachers to have knowledge of this disorder and the accompanying educational challenges. With the push for inclusion classrooms, all teachers, not just special education teachers, need to have a better understanding of students diagnosed with ASD.

2. The Nature of what is to be learned:

Instructors will learn about ASD and the special educational considerations that have to be taken into account when designing educational programs for students with this disorder.

3. About the learners:

The participants in this mini-course are educators that have at least a bachelor’s degree in an educational field and have experience working in a classroom (does not have to be special education). All participants are self motivated learners who are participating to gain knowledge that can be used to better their teaching practices.

4. Instructional Content

This is a self directed mini-course that will provide participants with information to assist them in better understanding ASD and the educational difficulties students with this disorder face. The first unit will focus on, what is ASD? It will give background information on Autism and other disorders that are incorporated into the Autism Spectrum. It will survey how it is diagnosed and the developmental differences between students diagnosed with ASD and typically developing students. The second anfd third unit will focus on how this diagnosis affects the students ability to learn and what research based intervention are available to provide these students with an educational environment and curriculum that meets their unique needs. Some of the topics that will be covered are; structure and routine, behavioral management, and social skill development.

5. Explore Instructional Problem/Solution

• Pending

Unit 1: What is ASD and how is it diagnosed?

Goal: Develop an understanding of the complexity and nauture of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Objectives:

• Develop an understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by learning all the disabilities the spectrum encompasses.
• Learn how ASD is diagnosed by evaluating the criteria for an ASD diagnosis.
• Understand the developmental differences between students diagnosed with ASD and typically developing students by comparing the developmental milestones of each.
• Understand why learning about ASD is important as an educator by evaluating graphs that show the rapid growth in ASD amongst current and future students.

Unit 2: Social Skill Development

Goal: Evaluate the social skill deficts students with Autism face and evaluate strategies to increase their socilization skills.

Objectives

• Develop an understanding of the many social skill deficits students with Autism may display by evaluating several videos and articles.
• Describe the friendships and language that students with ASD exhibit by evaluating several videos and articles.
• Evaluate several social skill interventions for students with ASD by describing the intervention, evaluating the pro’s and cons of the intervention, and evaluating the research that validates each intervention.

Unit 3: Self Management Support

Goal: Assess the many types of behaviors students with Autism may exhibit and evaluate the cause and strategies for interventions.

Objectives

• Develop an understanding of the behavioral characteristics of ASD by evaluating several videos and articles.

• Evaluate self management strategies for students with ASD by assessing the purpose and procedure for such a plan.

• Assess the many reasons for particular behaviors in students with ASD by evaluating several assessment tools and their function.

Task Analysis

Performance Objectives

By Completion of this course, participants will:

• Develop an understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by learning all the disabilities the spectrum encompasses.
• Learn how ASD is diagnosed by evaluating the criteria for an ASD diagnosis.
• Discover how to develop social skills in students with ASD by evaluating several research based approaches.
• Evaluate the behavioral issues students with ASD exhibit and develop strategies to assess and develop self management strategies for the student.

Prerequisite Skills

• Experience in a school environment
• Understanding that disabilities affect education of students
• Ability to navigate Wiki-Sites
• Intrinsic motivation to learn new content
• Open mindedness towards new research

Sequencing (Curriculum Map)

Students with ASD: Developing Socialization and Self-Management Skills

Unit 1: What is ASD and how is it diagnosed?

• Develop an understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by learning all the disabilities the spectrum encompasses.
• Learn how ASD is diagnosed by evaluating the criteria for an ASD diagnosis.
• Understand the developmental differences between students diagnosed with ASD and typically developing students by comparing the developmental milestones of each.
• Understand why learning about ASD is important as an educator by evaluating graphs that show the rapid growth in ASD amongst current and future students.

Unit 2: Social Skill Development

• Develop an understanding of the many social skill deficits students with autism may display by evaluating several videos and articles.
• Describe the friendships and language that students with ASD exhibit by evaluating several videos and articles.
• Evaluate several social skill interventions for students with ASD by describing the intervention, evaluating the pro’s and cons of the intervention, and evaluating the research that validates each intervention.

Unit 3: Self Management Support

• Develop an understanding of the behavioral characteristics of ASD by evaluating several videos and articles.

• Evaluate self management strategies for students with ASD by assessing the purpose and procedure for such a plan.

• Assess the many reasons for particular behaviors in students with ASD by evaluating several assessment tools and their function.

References

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Aspergers.com. (2009). What is Aspergers disorder?. Retrieved from http://www.aspergers.com/aspclin.htm

Autism. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/autism

Beneron, L. (2004, October 25). Pivotal response intervention model. Retrieved from http://www.dbpeds.org/articles/detail.cfm?TextID=229

Boyse,, K. (2009, May). Developmental milestones. Retrieved from http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/devmile.htm

Bright Tots, . (2004). Autistic behaviors. Retrieved from http://www.brighttots.com/Autistic_behaviors.html

CDC.gov. (2009). Autism spectrum disorders: fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/AutismFactSheet.pdf

Devaney, L. (2009, December 7). Software helps students with autism . Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=62085

Fightingautism.org. (2009). Autism rates. Retrieved from http://www.fightingautism.org/idea/autism.php

Halliday, P. (Designer). (2009). What is Autism and how prevalent is it? [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.monkeysee.com/play/5041-what-is-autism-and-how-prevalent-is-it

Hart, B., & Risley, T.R (1999). The social world of children learning to talk (p.36) Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes

Healthline. (2006, June 13). Childhood disintegrative disorder. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/childhood-disintegrative-disorder?utm_medium=ask&utm_source=smart&utm_campaign=article&utm_term=Disintegrative+psychosis&ask_return=Childhood+Disintegrative+Disorder

Henry, S. (2007, March). Planning for a successful day: comprehensive autism planning . Retrieved from http://www.researchautism.org/resources/newsletters/2007/2007_march.asp

Krantz, P. (2000). Commentary: Interventions to Facilitate Socialization. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(5), 411-413.

Lee, S. (2007). Effects and implications of self-management for students with autism: a meta-analysis. Focus on Autism and other Developmental Disabilities, 22(1), 2-13.

Lord, C. (2009). Autism speaks: diagnosis of autism. Retrieved from http://www.autismspeaks.org/diagnosis/index.php#DSM-IV Ogle, D.M. (1986). K-W-L: A teaching model that develops active reading of expository text. Reading Teacher, 39, 564-570

Phillips, M. (2004). Facial processing deficits and social dysfunction: how are they related? . Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 127(8), Retrieved from http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/127/8/1691

Rett's syndrome. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rett's syndrome

Rogers, S. (2000). Interventions that facilitate socialization in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(5), 399-409.

TeacherVision, . (2009). Peer tutoring for students with autism. Retrieved from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/autism/teaching-methods/8202.html?page=2&detoured=1

Wilkinson, L. (2008). Self-management for children. Intervention in School and Clinic, 43(3), 150-157.

Yale School of Medicine. (2008, May 6). Pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (pdd-nos). Retrieved from http://www.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism/pddnos.html