Teach Skills to Students with Autism through Effective iPad Use

This session was all about working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The iPad apps discussed:
Proloquo2go
Pictello
Doodle Buddy

Presenter was a Behavior Analysis Specialist, she noticed that many ASD students are just using the iPad to self-stimulate, not truly as a learning tool.

Behavioral Challenges for ASD students
-Agression
-Self-Injury (SIB self injuring behavior)
-Limited communication skills
-Limited self-help skills
-Limited world now and in the future without significant change

Self-injury is a more difficult behavior to change than aggression.

Her approach: DTT: Discreet trial teaching

Sometimes teachers/ed techs that work with ASD students:
-talk too much
-talk to fast
-don’t have the student’s attention before starting to talk
-student doesn’t really understand

She created a three term contingency for behavior: ABC’S

Antecedent: Behavior: Consequence
1/3   teacher    1/3 student  1/3 teacher

Teachers are 2/3 of the solution or the problem

The key to changing behavior is identifying antecedents and changing the consequence!

Why is it so hard to reinforce behavior?

It is easier to correct negative behavior (often) than praise positive behavior. We often don’t reward expected behavior but for ASD students it is important to not assume or expect any positive behavior from students and always reward positive behavior. 

Advice from the presenter on working with ASD students:
-dont speak to them unless they are paying attention, the hardest part is the wait
-bringing out the rewards while they are behaving not when they begin being disruptive
-tracking data to see what form of prompting is effective

ex.
      -verbal
      -model
     -verbal and model

An example of a visual/modal reward system used with success with ASD students:
-popsicle stick colored with velcro on both sides, can stick a number of pom poms on it and move from one side to the other to earn reward 

Some Apps used with ASD students:
App: Proloquo2go Symbol-based AAC
Very expensive app: 5 apps for $250

-It is a myth that using a communication app will prevent students from talking/learning to talk, actually the opposite is true.
-Students can touch the face of the student who is talking to help learn the names of kids in their class

Pictello $20
-can write social stories
-use pictures of student and add your own text
-can make a schedule that will read itself to the student in your voice
-can make a strategy list of what they need to do if they need a break

Doodle Buddy: Free drawing app
-students can illustrate pictures from the photo library
ex. put a check mark on a picture of them completing a positive task