Thanks Kathy Palomo for sending us this helpful information…teachers, please pass on to parents and families.
SAMA Training Schedule for Fall 2011
All classes are held at PDC from 9:00-4:00. PDC is now at the Baker Center, 3908 Avenue B, 78751.
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Reinforcers Galore!!
Here are a list of ideas for reinforcers to use with our students. Please add any ideas you would like to share in the comment section of this posting. If you have a Choice Menu or Menu of Reinforcers posted in your room, please email a photo or .doc file to amy.lessmann@austinisd.org or bree.davison@austinisd.org and we will post it to share with others. Thanks!!
Group Reinforcers for Secondary:
- Time at the end of class to talk with peers
- Reduce homework
- No homework for a night or weekend
- Free grade of 100% for each person in a group
- Free hall pass for each student
- Time to play a group game or engage in a special activity
- Opportunity to listen to music
Group Reinforcers for Elementary:
- Extra recess time
- Time to play a group game or engage in a special activity
- Reduce homework
- No homework for a night or weekend
- Free 100% for each student in group
- “Good News Note” for each student in the group
- Special sign announcing the group’s accomplishments on classroom door or bulletin board
- Sit in teacher’s chair, desk, beanbag chair or other special spot
- Bring music or pick music to play during independent work time
Social Reinforcers:
- Proximity
- Pat on the back
- High five
- Verbal or written praise
- Public or private recognition
- Time to talk to peers in class
- Thumbs up
- Wink
Activity Reinforcers:
- Board games, computer games, recess activities
- Line Leader
- “First Club” (students are the first to be called to line up, go to lunch, choose a book, etc)
- Classroom Jobs in the classroom and outside the classroom
- Special materials (gel pens, dry erase boards, art materials, etc)
- Grade papers
- Staple/sort papers
- Shred papers
- Teacher’s Assistant for the Day
- Student Tutor for class or a younger grade level
- Pass out materials
- Read to class or a younger classroom
- Read teacher/adult at the school (principal, janitor, librarian, pe teacher, secretary) a story
- Computer time
- Listen to music on headphones
- Drawing on chalkboard/dry erase board
- Write a letter or email to someone special
- Take digital pictures of specific topic (find squares in the school, find circles to shapes, find apples in the school, pictures of cafeteria workers, pictures of office staff, etc)
- Free pass on classroom assignment
- Free homework pass
Token Ideas:
- Stars, stamps, stickers, checks, tally marks, happy faces
- Penny charts
- Bingo chips
- Play money
- Tickets
- Popsicle sticks
- Poker chips
- Math counters
- Points
- Hole punches
- Marbles (in marble jar)
References:
Alberto, P. (2009). Applied behavior analysis for teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Coleman, M.C. and Webber, J. (2002). Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Theory and Practice, 4th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Downing, J.A. (2007). Students with emotional and behavioral problems: assessment, management, and intervention strategies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Scheuermann, B. and Hall, J.A. (2008). Positive behavioral supports for the classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
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Day 4 ~ Mental Health and Autism
Fran and Donna, parents of children with autism, started our day by sharing their personal experiences with raising a child with autism and dealing with the grief that comes along with having a child with autism. They both stressed the importance of being honest with parents and speaking frankly when necessary. Keeping the needs of other children in the family a priority is also something that was difficult for both parents. Any assistance that can be given for the other children is greatly appreciated and often times needed.
They also emphasized the importance of getting on the waiting lists for HCS (Home and Community Services- for group home care and other services) and CLASS Services as the waiting lists are approximately 15 years long! She shared the importance of keeping the behavior management plan current (within 6 months) in order to qualify behaviorally. The Medicaid Waiver Program provides CLASS Services for related services, respite care and many other services. Both parents have also been involved with P2P (Parent-To-Parent) and spoke very highly of the support group.
Check out the links to community resources under the “Community Resources Tab” on our blog for more information on Medicaid Waivers.
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Khris Ford, Executive Director and Founder of My Healing Place spoke to us about how grief impacts parents of children with autism. My Healing Place is nearly 4 years old and assists those who have experienced significant or traumatic loss. She discussed the layers of loss that affect parents with children who have autism. These layers may include: loss of a dream, loss of future, loss of control, loss of ability to predict, loss of sense of self, loss of personal time and loss of “normal” family life cycle. The loss can be complicated by guilt, confusion, isolation, frustration, fatigue, love and sadness. Parents need to know they are accepted, understood, validated and heard.
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Kim Bird, AISD Special Education Counselor, came and brought her wealth of knowledge regarding Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome and teaching the language for emotions and self-regulation within the ASD population. She also brought a ton of books from her personal collection.
Here is a close-up of “The Green Book”!! 
Bio-dots with step-by-step directions are a great way to assess stress and biological changes within our bodies…like a mood ring in a sticker form!
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G’Nell Smith from Be Free Yoga came and shared how beneficial yoga is for children…and us! It is a branch of Kundalini yoga. Yoga teaches breathing strategies, relaxation techniques and increases focusing skills. Sensory integration and academic concepts can easily be integrated into yoga through various poses too. She introduced us to the work of Barbara Miles who is a communication’s specialist. The article “Talking the Language of the Hands” is wonderful and discusses the importance of hand-UNDER-hand guideance.
G’Nell also introduced us to the work of Linda Haygood, author of Better Together, Building Relationships with People Who Have Visual Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder (or Atypical Social Development). It is a book directed to visual impairments and autism. More information about the book is available here.
We closed out the afternoon with yoga. It was wonderful! Thank you, G’Nell!!
posted by: all
Day 3 ~ Literacy, Technology and Executive Functioning
Cyndi O’Toole and Nichole Kertis from Region 13 joined us today and we split into elementary and secondary groups. Cyndi brought with her a wealth of knowledge on literacy for our ASD students while Nichole shared technology tools and strategies.
Cyndi shared with us the importance of the Information Processing Model (Gagne and Driscoll, 1988) and how it impacts literacy with our students with ASD. A Literacy-Rich environment is very important for our students, however, the actual environment is also important in meeting their sensory needs which may impact their ability to learn. Keep those classrooms as tidy and as clutter-free as possible!! She also shared the components of a balanced literacy program and how to adapt it to the needs of students with ASD as well as how to integrate assistive technology into the curriculum to increase literacy, language comprehension and communication for our students with autism.
Below is a website with good information about executive functions. This website has tons of information about 12 executive functions and links to all kinds of resources.
http://learningworksforkids.com/executive.html
npdc chart from the National Professional Development Center
Here is a list of books Cyndi brought and shared with us with links to Amazon.com. The books as well as other resources are also accessible from Region XIII for professionals, families and community members from Region XIII’s Autism & PPCD Lending Library. Contact them and they will mail it to you along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to return it when you’re done!
“A Land We Can Share” Teaching Literacy to Student with Autism, Paula Kluth and Kelly Chandler-Olcott
Quality Literacy Instruction for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Christina Carnahan, Ed.D. and Pamela Williamson, Ph.D.
Literacy SKill Development for Students with Special Learning Needs, A Strength-Based Approach, Leslie Brown and Patricia Oelwein
“Just Give Him the Whale!”: 20 Ways to use Fascinations, Areas of Expertise, and Strengths to Support Students with Autism“, Paula Kluth and Patrick Schwarz
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Here are some highlights from the presentation Nichole Kertis from Region XIII shared with us. Also, check out her livebinder link and handout below with even more links to resources for providing accommodations and supporting our students! So much stuff!! Thank you, Nichole!
http://www.livebinders.com/edit?id=129833 The access key is SCORES29.
‘Doing More with Less: Accommodations with Less‘ handout
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Technological Resources and Tools:
My Study Bar is a free download that gives a tools in the form a of toolbar for mind mapping, organization, reading place marker (similar to a reading window) and a text reader. Within each of the tools, there are more options to personalize to the needs of your students.
Lucid Chart is a free tool for making diagrams, flowcharts and charts.
AIM Explorer is simulation tool that does a TON of different things. It can be set for different grade levels and
Readability is a free add-on that is available on Firefox, Safari and Chrome browsers. It will decipher the reading level of an article and also clear out the clutter on a web page.
Google also has a nifty tool in plain daylight that I haven’t ever noticed before! Google a topic and then look along the left hand side about halfway down under “All Results”. Click on “Wonder Wheel” and get ready for a big surprise! A word web that breaks a topic into smaller topics to click and research! Check out “Timeline” and “Reading Level”. Google is sooo cool!
Text Compactor: A Free Online Automatic Text Summarization Tool that summarizes large paragraphs into simpler sentences. It also has a text to speech and a translator for our bilingual students. It can be added to your quick access toolbar within Microsoft Word.
eType is a free dictionary, translator and has the ability to complete words as you begin to type them….like auto correct when you text on a phone.
Webspriation is an online tool similar to Inspiration and Kidspiration. Students make a personal account and are able to access it via the web.
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More Resources Galore!
National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Evidence-Based Practices and Modules
TARGET: Texas Autism Resource Guide for Effective Teaching
Evidence-Based Practices Briefs
posted by: all
Day 2 ~ Severe Behaviors & Coping with Trauma
Today’s workshops were dedicated to those moments where we want to do nothing else but pull our hair out at the end of the day….and we learned the best ways to support students who display challenging and severe behaviors from some very solid presenters.
Jo Webber, PhD, professor from Texas State University was gracious enough to provide us with in depth information and resources to help us effectively tackle those tough behaviors. We talked, debated, and collaborated and figured out what student behaviors stump us the most, and Jo reassured us that these are common behaviors that she encounters. More importantly, we discovered that those episodes of non-compliance, spitting, aggression are all too commonly learned behaviors. That right, learned! And all too often, those undersirable behaviors are accidentally reinforced.
Jo gave us solid learning theories to accurately assess our kids and to make sure we are using FBA correctly. Until we get the function of the behavior correct, we could easily be reinforcing those undesirable behaviors. Jo’s presentation provides endless strategies and ideas, not to mention questions and conversation filled with creative solutions to tricky behaviors.
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The afternoon continued to diversify how we look at challenging behaviors. For this workshop, Kathy Morgan, LSSP, LPC and special education counselor for AISD, led us through a dynamic workshop and activities to help us understand behavior from the perspective of trauma.
Kathy updated us on the latest and greatest brain research. Did you know that it takes your nervous system 26 minutes to recover from a dysregulating event….so when that fire alarm goes off or maybe just that 10:00 AM attendance bell startles you, you’ll have to wait 26 minutes till you’re body is ready and able to learn again.
From The Neuroscience of Human Relationships, Louis Cozolino breaks down brain research and strategies into kid friendly terms. We learned about the areas of our brain such as the Lizard Legacy (which includes the brain stem that supports safety and other basic needs), the Furry Lil Mammal (which includes the limbic system and amygdala that supports friendship and connection) and the Monkey Mind (which is our Neocortex that supports problem-solving, creativity and rational thinking). Take a look at brainrules.net, John Medina sites a variety of tools and research.
We also learned about strategies to help our kids (and ourselves!) cope with daily stressors as well as traumatic events that impact us long-term. Brain Gym, humming, grounding, movement excercises, and regulating breathing are simple strategies that kids can learn and do in their seats…open up Kathy’s presentation and some of the handouts.
Below are some of the books Kathy shared, including the illustrious “Green Book”…happy reading
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So when you feel like the stork from the cartoon clip, Partly Cloudy, just remember to take a deep breath, go to YouTube, and have a good laugh Thanks again for hanging in there with us today!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3EM4UalKDk
Day 1 SCORES Institute ~ Autism & Technology
We wanted to take the opportunity to thank our presenters, Julie Miller from AISD Assistive Technology Dept., Monte Parker from Region XIII, and Lindy Lyles from Region XIII. We were so lucky to have these wonderful professionals provide new insight into this emerging realm.
Julie eagerly broached this evolving topic of AU & Technology and how we might adjust how we think to use Assistive Technology. All too common, our minds are fixed on Go Talks, Dynavox, and PECS in terms of how we think of AT as tools that frequently support our early learners or students with limited to emerging communication skills.
Now, what do we do with our higher functioning students and our aging students with Autism? This is where we need to look at online resources, iPads, application software for our computers, and cloud based technology such as Google Docs and Dropbox to help our students transition throughout their educational careers and beyond.
Technology for the World of ASD-1
Expanded notes for Technology for the World of ASD
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Monte and Lindy collaboratively tackled the emerging topic of Cyberbullying. Our students, neuro-typical and otherwise, are incredibly motivated by visual stimulus. What’s not motivating about learning with computers and other technology forms when research shows that nearly 75% of students learn visually? Along with those engaging learning tools comes social media! Facebook, Gchat, and Twitter abound with just a click of a browser and on most mobile devices. If you want to access Facebook on the school server, just go to your local middle school and pick a kid out of the crowd, they’ll know how to help you check your news feed.
With all these tools to stay connected and up to date, how do we help our kids navigate the “hidden” messages that are prevalent within the social media world? Monte and Lindy reviewed for us how the common behavior deficit areas impact our student and how they develop appropriate relationships with their peers.
The website below is direct link to the Cyberbullying Research Center:
http://www.cyberbullying.us/resources.php
There are a plethora of amazing documents that you can download to use in your classroom. In order to effectively address bullying we need to teach our students with Autism AND their typical peers. I’ve uploaded the handouts from the CRC that were provided during the workshop on Monday (and a few extras). Please go check out the website, there are quizzes, activities, and fact sheets galore!
Top_Ten_Tips_Educators_Cyberbullying_Response
cyberbullying_incident_tracking_form
Cyberbullying_Identification_Prevention_Response_Fact_Sheet
The activities from Mean Girls: 101 1/2 Creative Strategies for Working with Relational Aggression by Kaye Randall and Allyson Bowenare are coming, they need to be scanned first….in the mean time here’s the link. Remember, this is a great resource for all kids, not just girls 
http://www.amazon.com/Mean-Girls-Strategies-Relational-Aggression/dp/1598500228
To wrap up the day, everyone had the opportunity to review the TARGET Manual, this has become one of my favorite resources to support students with appropriate interventions.
http://www.txautism.net/manual.html
Thank you again to our amazing presenters and of course to all of our teachers, teaching assistants, and parents who joined us!
brd
SCORES Institute 2011
This year’s SCORES Institute will take place on June 27-30 at the Baker Center from 9-4pm.
Our gracious donors have provided many fabulous door prizes including:
- Social Thinker -iTouch, Motiv-aider
- Michelle Patterson at Grapevine Salon- Hair Cut and Color
- Zocalo Cafe -Dinner for Two
- MacCam Photography -Photography Session
- Paper Place -Air Diffuser
- Sunstone Yoga- 30 Days of Yoga
- Johnson’s Backyard -$20 gift card for fresh produce
- Teacher Heaven- Gift Card and Product Display
- Farmhouse Delivery- 2 Bushels of fresh produce
- Sandra Mendez- $25 to Macy’s
- Movin’ Easy Dancewear- $50 GIft Cards
- Embellish Nails and Boutique – Facial
- Chicks Dig Austin Landscaping – Books, Motiv-aider
- Renee Craft- Motiv-aider and Books
- MYO Massage- Massage Gift Card
- Waterloo Ice House – Gift Card
- Yoga Yoga- Yoga Mats
- Terra Toys -Sensory Toys
- SE-CAC Subcommittee on Autism- Snacks and Table Decorations
The SCORES Institute Schedule is as follows:
Day 1: Technology and Autism
Day 2: Severe Behaviors
Day 3: Reading Comprehension and Executive Functioning (bring your laptops!)
Day 4: Mental Health and Autism
Thanks and hope to see you there!
Autism Specialists
SCORES Teacher Meeting – March 30
Yesterday we had the opportunity to have Leslie Grove, M.ED/LPC, join us to present information on Autism and Mental Health disorders. All too frequently we encounter a myriad of behaviors that are not solely a result of Autism.
Leslie comes from a pretty unique background; her undergraduate degree was in speech communication and she received her MA in counseling and psychology. Currently she splits her time between private practice and contract work as an educational consultant. Leslie is also celebrating her 20th year working with kids!!!
For those of you unable to attend, Leslie offered to provide our teachers or families with a one-time free consultation. Feel free to contact her at the following email address and phone number if you have any tricky students you’d like additional thoughts on:
GroveLeslie@aol.com, 512-448-5100.
The photo below are the books that Leslie referenced as well.
Below, you will find all the articles that we shared yesterday.
1. This link will take you directly to the website with the interview that discusses the connection between stress, anxiety, relaxation and Autism.
http://legacy.autism.com/families/problems/groden_int.htm
2. This article is from ASHA and discusses assessing diverse learning with AU.
3. This article looks at self-injurious behaviors and AU.
www.vdps.net/special/Treating%20Self-Injurious%20Behavior.doc
Also, just a reminder that subs were paid for by special ed this one last time…submit those requests to Vicki Yancy at CAC.
brd
Test taking season…
Long time no chat. You may have noticed we underwent a name change…that’s right, we have merged from ScoresNews to BehaviorNews! Not only will this blog be for SCORES Teachers, but also for our SBS Teachers….really, for all of our special education teachers. We will be adding more tabs for specific information, stay tuned as we update and upload. So, welcome and welcome back
One thing I’ve been hearing and seeing more of lately is that behavior is on the rise. It seems as though spring and test taking anxiety season are nearly in full bloom. I’ve been hearing teachers and principals talk about behaviors ranging from complete refusal to work, constant alligator tears, taking a teacher’s cell phone to browse “you tube” under the desk, all the way to telling an officer to eff off. This is some quality escape and attention seeking behavior!
Now it seems strategies that were once effective are no longer effective and motivation seems to be waning rapidly. I’ve come to ya’ll to ask you to share your stories about test taking anxiety. Tell us what strategies you are using to support your students during this crazy time.
There are two PDF’s that I’ve posted below, just little somethings I came across that I liked to help us help our kids.
This is a PDF from TEA and SBEC, mostly directed for adults taking their certification tests, but there are some good strategies.
From the University of Iowa, fun inventory!
brd
