Social Stories

Carol Gray first defined “Social Stories” in 1991, as a strategy used by people who work and/or live with individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to assist them in their understanding of situations, concepts, or social skills. Social Stories are also used to acknowledge achievement. Since most individuals with ASD are strong visual learners and weak auditory learners, Social Stories provide a meaningful form of feedback. A Social Story is made up of four basic sentence types and a ratio that defines their frequency. The Social Story Guidelines ensure that every social story has a patient and reassuring quality.
http://www.thegraycenter.org for additional information

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an augmentative, alternative training program that offers individuals with autism or other communication deficits an opportunity to initiate and sustain communication. This system was developed to assist individuals in their understanding of the function of communication as an exchange of intent. Lori Frost, MS, CCC/LSP and Dr. Andrew Bondy are coauthors of the PECS Manual and a Picture’s Worth that provide all the necessary information to implement PECS effectively.
http://www.pecs.com for additional information

Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (T.E.A.C.C.H.)

Founder Eric Schopler developed the T.E.A.C.C.H. approach in 1974, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. T.E.A.C.C.H. takes into account all aspects of the individual’s life. “The major priorities include centering on the individual (skills, interests and needs), understanding autism, adopting appropriate adaptations, and a broadly-based intervention strategy building on existing skills and interests.” T.E.A.C.C.H. emphasizes individual assessment to better understand the individual and plan educational programs that best meet their needs. Structured teaching employs strategies to: organize the physical environment, develop schedules and work systems, make expectations clear and explicit, and the use of visual strategies, all of which have been effective techniques for teaching independence and academic skills. Structured Teaching has been successful in developing lifelong skills and an increased level of independence in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
http://www.TEACCH.com for additional information

The Developmental, Individual-Difference Relationship-Based (DIR) Model or Floortime

The Floortime model of intervention was developed Dr. Stanley Greenspan, The University of George Washington Medical School, to address developmental challenges involving compromises to a child’s ability to relate, communicate, and think. Floortime as a philosophy addresses the relationship between adults and children as “one of respect that develops healthy emotional, social and intellectual growth.” This approach believes in meeting each child at his/her developmental level. It builds on the child's strengths and following the child's lead and interests in interaction and play. The goal is to capture his/her motivation while enticing the desire to interact and learn from his/her partner. Once this is accomplished, it is the role of the adult to entice the child into more complex interactions to assist the child’s movement up the developmental ladder.
http://www.stanleygreenspan.com for additional information

Visual Strategies

Linda Hodgdon states in her book Visual Strategies for Improving Communication (1995), that 75 percent to 85 percent of students with autism are visual learners. Visual strategies are instructional techniques or tools that provide a visual representation of information being delivered to the learner. These tools are designed to enhance the student’s understanding and increase his/her participation in the learning process. Visual strategies can take on, but not be limited to: daily schedules, work systems, communication systems, furniture and material arrangement, signs and labels, written messages, choice boards, and written directions.
http://www.usevisualstrategies.com for additional information

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) utilizes methods that are based on the science of behavior. Behaviorism uses tools such as: observation, assessment, and data collection as a way to examine human and animal behavior. ABA is an intensive approach to teaching which involves, but is not limited to, the techniques of discrete trial training. Skills, or lessons, are broken into small measurable tasks. Repetition, feedback, and rewards are utilized to help master these tasks. The principles of ABA have been around for many years, but have generated an interest in the area of autism only in more recent years. ABA is a set of principles upon which an educational program can be developed, but is not considered a stand-alone program.
http://www.polyxo.com for additional information