For some students, a simple checklist is all they need to get them started and keep them moving through academic activities. The following is an example of such a checklist:

1The checklist corresponds to the numbered folders. The student knows to complete the work in the four folders. After checking each number off, the student then has a few minutes to engage in a highly reinforcing activity.Continue Reading

Q&A with Lisa Rogers

Q: Dear Lisa,

We think our daughter has Asperger’s. It’s all only her way and she bursts out laughing at very awkward times. She has no friends and doesn’t’ seem to care about her hygiene or people skills. I’m not sure where to go or what to do. We live in a rural area in Tennessee. Does the school or doctor’s office help? I’m reading online and found aspergers101 and it seems the closest to finding what is wrong.

-Mary Andrews, Greenbrier Tennessee

A: Dear Mary,

While I live in Texas, there are some federal guidelines that mandate certain functions at the state level that should provide some guidance to you and your family. Go to the following link for some initial information:Continue Reading

As many of you already know, individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder may experience significant differences in how they perceive the world through their senses. Over the course of the next several blogs, we will take a closer look at each of the senses and explore possible strategies and techniques to help reach homeostasis or deal with the sensory difference. Not all children with ASD have sensory sensitivities, but some children might have several.

boy with hands

This week, we will begin with the sense of sight. Approximately 70% of information about the world is taken in through the eye. Firstly, it should be noted that research exploring the brain of individuals on the spectrum has found that there is generally a heightened awareness of visual details. Also, the brain processes information and makes decisions/plans in the visual region of the brain. The sense of vision is critical for all individuals and the implications for differences in this sense is especially important to understand.

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In previous blogs, we have reviewed several of the following instructional strategies that can be implemented across subject areas and grade levels. The focus of this blog, which will be split up into two posts, is reading strategies. We will remind ourselves of these comprehensive strategies as they apply to reading, and I will provide you with examples of worksheets and other resources to utilize.

  1. Chunking
  2. Graphic Organizers
  3. Steps of the Process
  4. Visual Guides
  5. Models of Correct Work
  6. Video Modeling
  7. Incorporate Interests
  8. Technology
  9. Pneumonic Devices
  10. Preview Learning

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more place you’ll go.”
-Dr. Seuss

Repeated Reading: Fluency develops as a result of many opportunities to practice reading with a high degree of success. This means relatively easy text for the reader, with no more than approximately 1 to 20 words difficult for the reader resulting in 95% success.

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Researchers have found the following to be effective techniques:

  • Students read and re-read a text a certain number of times or until a certain level of fluency is reached
  • Four re-readings are sufficient for most

 

 

 

 

 

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As a continuation of last week’s blog on anchor charts, Lily Newman has posted some ideas to consider when creating anchor charts. Here are her tips on making this strategy most effective.

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A T-Chart can be made by placing a line down the middle of a page and labeling the left and right side of the page according to acceptable and unacceptable behavior. The T-Chart is then used to clarify acceptable or desired behaviors versus unacceptable or undesired behaviors by listing those under each of the categories.

Empty Library With Arranged Tables And Chairs

I was visiting with a teacher about one of his high school students that was wreaking havoc with her profanity. They had many conversations with her and had a tried several other strategies, but the profanity continued to spew. I offered this as a possible strategy and the teacher immediately told me that she knows she is not supposed to say those words, but she just doesn’t care about that. He was trying to tell me that writing good words on one side of the T-chart and bad words on the other side was just too simple.

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Chill Pass

After looking at student data, it was determined for a particular student that 4 chill passes would be sufficient for the morning and 4 more for the afternoon. If she did not use her morning chill passes, then she could add them to the afternoon allotment, especially since afternoons were her most difficult time. Her 4 chill passes included one for 2 minutes, one for 3 minutes, one for 5 minutes and another for 10 minutes.

Chill Pass

She learned the concept of how to use the chill passes quickly and would evaluate the situation carefully before deciding which amount of time she would need in the chill zone. For this student, the teacher also added the feature of combining her chill passes so that she could choose a maximum amount of time of 20 minutes in the chill zone at one time if the situation called for such measures.Continue Reading

Chill Pass

In a previous blog, we discussed the benefit of a “Chill Zone” for students that experience anxiety or frustration in school and/or home settings, and how to set that area up for success. Some students might benefit from a companion strategy called a Chill Pass.

Chill Pass

The Chill Pass can help the student to have a visual reminder that it is O.K. to go to the chill zone when they are escalating in their anxiety or frustration.

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You might already use mnemonic techniques in your life. If you have five things to get at the grocery store: sugar, tea, apples, rice and soup, you might create and visualize STARS remember your list. In classrooms, mnemonics is a memory enhancing instructional strategy that involves teaching students to
link new information that is taught to information they already know.

Detail of elementary school art class

Mnemonic devices are patterns of letters, sounds, or associated ideas that aid people in remembering information. Keyword, pegword, and letter strategies were the mnemonic devices used in the studies included in this meta-analysis.

These mnemonic techniques use acoustically linked proxy words to connect two pieces of information. For example, students were given the keyword “rainy day” and told to think of a frog sitting in the rain to remember that the scientific classification for common frogs is ranidae.Continue Reading

Another pioneer in the world of social skill development is Elisa Gagnon, who has written about another type of narrative called Power Cards. A Power Card is a brief scenario or character sketch describing how the hero solves the problem. The Power Card then recaps how the person with ASD can use the same strategy to solve a similar problem.

Happy group of kids

I am often asked, “How is a Power Card different from a Social Story?” While there are many similarities, I would describe their differences by saying that a Power Card is usually very brief, and always incorporates a student’s interest within the narrative.Continue Reading

If you have never created a movie, the sheer technology of it might seem overwhelming. You might be surprised how simple it can be if you know just a few key features. If you have access to Movie Maker on a PC, then here is some information that will help you through.

How to Make a Video

Make a movie in four simple steps:

  • Step 1: Get video, digital photos, and music into Windows Movie Maker
  • Step 2: Start editing
  • Step 3: Add titles, transitions, and effects
  • Step 4: Publish your movie and share it with other people

With Windows Movie Maker in Windows Vista, you can quickly go from just watching movies to making your own great-looking home movies and sharing them with your family and friends.

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The following is a list of tips to create and use your own video modeling tool.

  • Videos are short, usually 2-5 minutes, or even shorter
  • The student will typically watch the video 3-5 times at one session
  • The student will then practice the skill/behavior targeted in the video. The teacher might say, “Now it’s your turn, just like the video” and support the student as they attempt the skill/behavior
  • Continue to create opportunities to practice the new skill at natural and planned times throughout the day

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Ways to highlight important information:

  • Slow motion
  • Up Close- zoom in
  • Highlight single words
  • Use text
  • Use symbols
  • Use magnetic letters for titles

Remember to:

  • Title your video
  • Limit distractions
  • Highlight relevant information
  • Incorporate student drawings
  • Secure photo/video releases from parents
  • Don’t over think it…get started and then revise as needed

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By Lisa Rogers

Click HERE to help support Lisa Rogers’ video modeling project, “The Orion Files.”