Ten Guiding Principles when Programming for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Listed below are ten guiding principles to consider when developing an effective program for a student with ASD.

• Make sure the child has an effective means of communication. If the child is nonverbal, consider establishing an alternative communication system. Picture icons and sign are both effective tools for functional communication. If the child is verbal, remember verbal communication diminishes under stress or when the child is frustrated. A systematic approach for teaching communication to children is The Picture Exchange Communication System by Frost and Bondy and is available through Pyramid Educational Consultants, (609) 489-1644.
• Use visual strategies in the classroom for environmental supports. It is a commonly accepted theory that individuals with ASD rely on visual input to understand their environment. Visuals also help children with ASD clarify or organize their environment. An excellent and comprehensive resource for devising visual strategies for your classroom is Visual Strategies for Improving Communication by Linda Hodgdon, available through Quirk Roberts Publishing, (248) 879-2598.
• Establish a daily schedule and teach the child how to use the schedule. A daily schedule organizes the child's environment and creates predictability. Post the schedule on the wall, place it on the child's desk, add it to the child's communication book, or place the schedule on a key ring for easy transportation. An extensive picture icon library is available through Mayer Johnson's Boardmaker software program, (416) 385-0351.
• Use Applied Behavior Analysis to determine the communicative function of a child's behavior. Nonverbal children use behavior as a form of functional communication. Even verbal children use behavior because it is sometimes more effective than verbal communication. Communicative messages behind behavior include, but are not limited to, frustration, avoidance/escape, power and control, and attention seeking. Understanding the communicative intent of the behavior increases the likelihood that an intervention will be effective.
• Focus on shaping self-stimulatory behavior to a more appropriate time, not on eliminating the behavior. Self-stimulation serves a function either related to alerting or calming the sensory system. Without a shaping strategy, the child or adolescent may develop a new self-stimulatory behavior that serves the same function and may even be less desirable than the original behavior.
• Understand discrete trial instruction is often useful, however discrete trial instruction becomes functional only when there is a plan for generalization of the skills learned in the one-on-one setting. Mastery of a skill can be considered only when the child/adolescent exhibits it in a functional setting.
• Identify reinforcers that are effective for the student. If the child is verbal, ask him/her to provide input as to potential reinforcers. If the child is nonverbal, watch the child and note toys, objects, or food that the child interacts with frequently, or perform a reinforcer sampling by arranging different items in front of the child from which he or she can choose.
• Provide frequent choice-making opportunities in the classroom. Choice-making is an essential element in programming and can be embedded into daily schedules and activities. Choice-making allows the child to express needs (e.g., control, frustration, dislike) in an adaptive, acceptable manner.
• Avoid talking too much. The auditory channel is not typically the preferred mode or the most effective means for children with ASD to gain information from their environment. By limiting verbalizations the child can use other sensory modalities, such as vision, to receive information.
• Evaluate your programming efforts on a continual basis. Data collection will provide a concrete, objective means of assessing progress. The value of data collection will become obvious as it is used to make effective program decisions. Slowly build time for data collection into the daily schedule and it will become second nature.