(R)EVOLUTIONARY TRAINING FOR TEACHERS/PARAPROFESSIONALS WHO TEACH STUDENTS WITH AUTISM *This work was supported in whole or part by a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The opinions and conclusions expressed in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policy of the THECB.
Everything is bigger in Texas... 54,098 Texas students receiving special education program under autism eligibility Texas Education Agency, 2017 130,316 Texans with autism below 22 years of age Texas Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, 2014 5.1 million total student population Texas Tribune, 2015 1,227 school districts, including 202 charter schools Texas Tribune, 2015 78.2% of districts have less than 3000 students, 67% haves less than 1600 students, and 55.1% have less than 1000 students Texas Tribune, 2015
Etiology of Autism After more than 50 years of study, no causes have been identified. There needs to be a geometric increase in research funding to determine the causes of autism. - Lee Grossman, President of the Autism Society of America, 2002
Research to Practice Theories Treatments Neuro-biological Sensory Gastrointestinal Heavy metals Social-Emotional Time-travelers Behavioral Risperdal Equilibrium Gluten/casein-free diets Chelation Facilitated communication Past-life regressions Environmental modifications
Evidence-based Practices
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FAPE for Students with Autism: Free Applied Behavior Analytic Public Education
ABA for Autism Associations and Organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Children with Disabilities Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) Autism Speaks Behavior Analyst Certification Board National Autism Center (NAC) National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on Autism Spectrum Disorders National Research Council (NRC) New York State Department of Health U.S. Surgeon General Individual Studies: Barbaresi et al. (2006) Doehring et al. (2014) Eldevik et al. (2010) Heyvaert et al. (2012) Lilienfeld (2005) Ma (2009) Makrygianni & Reed (2010) Myers & Johnson (2007) Reichow (2012) Simpson (2005) Sturmey (2002) Virues-Ortega (2010) Wong et al. (2015)
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Autism Grant Program: Board-certified Behavior Analyst Training for teachers/paraprofessionals Teachers/paraprofessionals can be in public or private institutions, teaching grades pre- Kindergarten through 12th grade
UTSA s award aims to: Train 960 teachers/paraprofessionals in evidence-based ABA techniques and meet the requirements for the 40-hr RBT training as specified by the BACB Impact approximately 5094 students with ASD through teacher/paraeducator professional development
Free-Operant Field Experiences
What is a MakerSpace? What is a Maker? Text Novice Behaviors in a MakerSpace
Components of a MakerSpace
MakerSpace extension... Pooling resources Project-based learning Development of a verbal community Reinforcing to members of the community Aversive to outsiders?
Project-Based Learning Collectively, we have identified 4 design principles that appear to be especially important: A. Defining learning-appropriate goals that lead to deep understanding; A. Providing scaffolds such as embedded teaching, teaching tools, sets of contrasting cases, and beginning with problem-based learning activities before initiating projects; A. Ensuring multiple opportunities for formative self-assessment and revision; and A. Developing social structures that promote participation and a sense of agency. -Barron et al. (1998)
Project-Based Learning Defining features: Authentic content, authentic assessment, teacher facilitation but not direction, explicit educational goals (Moursund, 1999) Foster the development of students minds by engaging them in sophisticated and substantial opportunities for deep understanding (Blumenfeld et al., 1991) Authentic "driving" questions, a community of inquiry, and the use of cognitive tools (Krajcik et al., 1994) "Expeditionary Learning" adds features of comprehensive school improvement, community service, and multidisciplinary themes (Outward Bound, 1999) Real projects (Tretten & Zachariou, 1997)
BACB-approved intensive practicum Two BCBAs to supervise a maximum of eight graduate students (1:4) Each graduate student assigned a child from the community in need of behavior-analytic intervention Staggered sessions allow for a 2:1 Bx Tech/child ratio Founded in 2013 ShaperSpace founded 2015
Emphasis on Generating Project Questions: What are the effects of teaching motor imitation with and without manipulatives? Can a microphone be used to enhance the volume of speech? To what extent does Corrective Reading - Comprehension increase derivational stimulus control over intraverbal behavior? How do you increase variability of mands for a child with a limited verbal repertoire? Can we transfer control from signed echoics to signed intraverbal responding?
Lab notes
Thorndike (1898) Skinner (1938)
Lovaas et al. (1971) Hart & Risley (1974)
Miltenberger et al. (2004) Mason & Andrews (In review)
Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Training
Zoom: 2-hr synchronous meetings Project-Based Learning Multi-point videoconferencing within a hub-and-spoke model for developing networks of experts to create virtual clinics and provide interdisciplinary solutions Group-coaching format: Guided discussion regarding the week s content, presentation by educators, feedback given to the group as a whole based on the educator examples, and time for question and answer Virtual Professional Learning Communities teachers/paraprofessionals work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and data-based decision making to achieve better results for the students with autism that they serve purposeful conversation around content in context (Hoadley & Kilner, 2005) continuous professional development for educators (DuFour & Eaker, 1998)
Relias Learning: 8-hr asynchronous modules
Week 1: Defining Behavior Webinar: Introductions (15-min) Verbal Community Research (5-min) Outline of program (30-min) Project-based learning Online video modules Role of the RBT RBT Task List Overview of the behavior-analytic perspective with emphasis on behavioral definitions (30-min) Homework assignment (10-min): Select a behavioral deficit exhibited by a student with autism with whom you work and provide an functional definition of the behavior. Pre-test (30-min) Modules: Principles of Behavior, Part 1: Reinforcement: 1.25 h C-01 Principles of Behavior, Part 2: Behavior Reduction: 1.0 h D-01; D-02; D-04; D-05 Functions of Behavior: FBA: 2.5 h D-02 Ethics and Clients Rights: 1.0 h F-05 Ethical Guidelines for ABA Practitioners: 1.25 h E-01; E-02; E-03; E-04; E-05 Supporting Quality of Life for a Person with Developmental Disabilities 1.25 h F-05
Week 2: Observing and Recording Behavior Webinar: Review of modules (10-min) Clinical review of behavioral definitions provided by participants (70-min) Overview of recording methods/behavioral dimensions (30-min) Homework assignment: (10-min): Select a recording method for the target behavior and record baseline performance Modules: Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in ABA 1.5 h E-04 Instructional Control: 1.25 h C-07; C-08; C-09; C-10 Intensive Trial Teaching 1.5 h C-02; C-04; C-07 Recording Behavior 2.0 h A-01; A-02; A-03; A- 04 Graphing and Program Evaluation: 1.0 h A-05
Week 3: Fidelity of Implementation Webinar: Review of modules (10-min) Clinical review of recording methods/baseline data provided by participants (70-min) Overview of skill-acquisition procedures (30- min) Homework assignment: (10-min): Develop a fidelity of implementation plan for a reinforcement-based intervention, begin collecting intervention data, and record student performance Modules: Antecedent Interventions 1.5 h D-03 Consequence Interventions 2.0 h D-04; D-05 Discrete Trial Instruction, Part 1: 1.25 h C-04 Discrete Trial Instruction, Part 2: 1.25 h C-04 Teaching Early Social Skills 1.0 h C-04; C-05 Abuse and Neglect of Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities 1.75 h E-04; F-05
Week 4: Visual Analysis Webinar: Review of modules (10-min) Clinical review of intervention data provided by participants (70-min) Overview of behavior-reduction procedures (30-min) Homework assignment: (10-min): Revise/continue reinforcement-based intervention, record student performance, graph results Modules: Introduction to Verbal Behavior 2.0 h C-01; C- 02 Teaching Requests/Mand Training 1.75 h C-04; C-05 Receptive Language/Lifetime Requests 0.75 h C-04; C-05 Guidelines for Effective Documentation: 3.0 h E-01; E-02; E-03; E-04; E-05
Week 5: Course Wrap-up Webinar: Review of modules (10-min) Clinical review of intervention data provided by participants (70-min) Course wrap-up (10-min) Post-test/Course Evaluation (30-min) Modules: N/A
Online PB-ABA Training (as of February 1, 2018): 694 Teachers/Paraprofessionals trained to date 1521 recruited 843 enrolled (ten cohorts) 505 completed both pre- and post-tests
Participant Demographics
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Education Service Center Regions Served