Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

26
Shannon Curtis Gordon County Schools Autism/ Moderate, Severe, Profound Teacher

Transcript of Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Page 1: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Shannon Curtis

Gordon County Schools

Autism/ Moderate, Severe, Profound Teacher

Page 2: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

My Class

Page 3: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

My Class with their Peer Buddies

Page 4: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Reinforcers and Motivation are keys to learning! Most of us didn’t learn our ABC’s because someone told us to do it or that to be successful we need to learn them.

Instead, we had a built in social reinforcement of wanting to make our parents proud, hearing someone tell us how smart we are, or maybe having someone clap for us.

Kids with communication challenges often do not respond to those types of naturally occurring reinforcers.

They don’t find them enjoyable!

Page 5: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

But, everyone has something that they enjoy!

EVERYONE!!!

Social reinforcers aren’t always effective.

If you got a high five for every day that you work instead of a pay check would you continue to work?

NO!

Other children who work for praise, getting a good grade, etc. are still getting a pay off- theirs is just more socially acceptable.

Page 6: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Communication: PECS Without communication,

skills, our students are left with behavior issues, difficulty with social skills, learning problems, and the ability to communicate their basic needs and wants.

Teachers with students with Autism and other Developmental Disabilities find themselves faced with the daunting task of finding a reliable means of communication for their students.

Page 7: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Assessment: ABLLS-R Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills- Revised

Historically assessment of our population has been difficult and thus making it even more difficult to decide of skill progression for IEPs.

The ABLLS-R has examines 25 categories of behavior across a wide range of skills sets. Skills measured range from essential abilities like orienting on people and objects to complex skills like talking about pleasant things that are not immediately present (i.e., "How was your day?").

The ABLLS-R gives us the “What?” to teach. It gives us a continuum of skills and next steps.

Page 8: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Curriculum: Unique Learning Systems (ULS) First curriculum of its kind

Provides differentiation levels for students with Mild to Profound Learning Disabilities

Uses Symbolstix as their symbol representations

Provides monthly units based on Science or Social Studies concepts that align to state standards

Internet based, but you are able to download materials monthly and reuse

Provides activities aligned to CCGPS

Page 9: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Assessment: ABLLS-R We are mandated to assess students and provide IEP

goals that are directly related to students needs and abilities.

There are very few assessments that can be used with our population of students.

It is very time consuming and sometimes a bit confusing, but it is a great tool.

Page 10: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

ABLLS-R BASIC LEARNER SKILLS (Sections A-P)

A: Cooperation & Reinforcer Effectiveness

B: Visual Performance: crucial prerequisite: absent or weak visual performance skills child predict problems with receptive discrimination and other language skills

C: Receptive Language: ability to follow simple directions

D: Imitation: Critical for learning; building blocks for learning; important to consider gross, fine, speed, sequence,; used to teach sign language. (See also Y: Gross Motor & Z: Fine Motor).

Page 11: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

E: Vocal Imitation: ability to repeat exactly what is heard; used to shape articulation or later on more complex constructs

F: Requests (mands):should (at least!!) occur 20-30 times/day (spontaneous); saturate environment with highly reinforcing items, and prime motivation. (see also section I: Spontaneous Vocalizations)

G: Labeling (tacts): when kids are picking up 100+ labels, collecting data isn’t as important; important for the purpose of joint attn; child who can label 50-100 items would be benefited by adding complex labels (i.e. noun-verb)

H: Intraverbals : critical for conversational speech & social interaction; answering “wh” questions or responding to something said by another person or a property of something that is NOT present

Page 12: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

I: Spontaneous Vocalizations

J: Syntax & Grammar: emphasize function before form;

K: Play & Leisure

L: Social Interaction

M: Group Instruction

N: Classroom Routines

(No O)

P: Generalized Responding

Page 13: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

ACADEMIC Skills (Sections Q-T) Q. Reading R. Math S: Writing T: Spelling

SELF-HELP Skills (Sections U-X) U: Dressing V: Eating W: Grooming X: Toileting

MOTOR Skills (Sections Y-Z) Y: Gross Motor Z: Fine Motor

Page 14: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

All Problems can be solved if you can… - Wait!

- Talk to the right person!

Page 15: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Jed Baker Social Skills

Page 16: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

PECS All Children has the basic right to be able to excess

their needs and wants, the right to have choices, ask for help and attention from others, and be communicated to with respect and consideration.

How can we do this? PECS

PECS gives us the “HOW?” we can teach

Page 17: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Communication Bill of Rights

Page 18: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Phase I People using PECS are taught to approach and give a

picture of a desired item to a communicative partner in exchange for that item.

Pointing to pictures is discouraged as pointing does not require interaction with a person.

Using PECS, students learn to gain the attention of the communication partner in order to make a request.

At this phase, it is not essential for the student to look at or identify the pictures.

Page 19: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

You must have two people to teach this phase!

The communication partner will present one highly

motivating object and wait for the student to reach for it.

As the student reaches for the desired item, a facilitator

moves the student’s hand to a single corresponding picture

and has them place this picture in the open hand of the

communication partner.

Continue until the student can initiate a communication

picture exchange without the help of a facilitator.

Page 20: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Why should all PECS procedures be followed in Stage 1?

In Stage 1, the child’s role is to initiate his/her request for a desired item and inherently learn the power of engaging in exchange and its consequences.

He/she is learning to request a variety of objects from a variety of communication partners with varying facilitators in a variety of environments.

He/she is learning that the same procedure of picking up a picture and giving it to the person who is enticing him with a favored item always results in the same outcome. That is powerful.

Page 21: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Why follow procedures? Along the way, it is hoped that the facilitators are also

cutting back on the degree of physical assistance needed so the child can make the appropriate exchange on his/her own.

In Phase 2, there is a focused effort on reducing prompts to further support the concept of independent communication. Sometimes people initiate PECS without fully implementing all of the required elements and then wonder why it hasn’t produced the desired outcome. If a child is not initiating on his own or has some concept of responsibility for his book, he probably does not belong at Stage 4 (i.e., using a sentence strip).

Page 23: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

PECS at work

Page 24: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

Unique!

Unique has unpacked all of the standards for us and aligned activities to the standards for us.

We don’t have to search out ways to connect activities to the standards.

They provide a Scope and Sequence, Assessment Tools, Differentiated Assessment, Work Samples for documentations (GAA, IEP goals), and all areas of the curriculum adapted for us!

Page 25: Connecting Communication, Assessment, and Curriculum

More Resources Math Benchmarks

English/ LA Benchmarks

Guide to Making a Student Profile

Planning Guide