Synopses & Reviews
Generalization is the key to effective autism intervention—when children can apply new skills across settings, they'll make broad, long-term improvements in behavior and social communication. The first how-to guide to generalization is finally here! Practical and reader-friendly, this is the book that helps professionals take today's most popular autism interventions to the next level by making generalization an integral part of them.
Pre-K–Grade 8 special educators, early interventionists, SLPs, and other professionals will
- enhance 6 widely used autism intervention models with specific, evidence-based generalization strategies
- get dozens of easy activities that really help children use new skills consistently—no matter where they are or who they're with
- learn about generalization from the experts who know best, with contributions from top autism authorities like Ilene Schwartz, Carol Gray, Andy Bondy, Laura Schriebman, and Bryna Siegel
- provide positive, supportive parent education so they can be active partners in promoting their children's generalization of skills
- weave generalization strategies into every phase of intervention planning, not just at the end after skills have already been learned
- modify generalization strategies for different settings, so children can achieve their ultimate goal: applying their skills successfully in school, at home, and in the community
- assess the effectiveness of generalization strategies at multiple stages of instruction
Case studies and vivid examples bring the strategies to life in every chapter, and forms and checklists help professionals plan interventions, track children's goals, and monitor their progress toward generalization. With this urgently needed guide to one of the most important facets of autism intervention, readers will help children generalize social behaviors and communication skills—and ensure better lives and brighter futures.
Make generalization strategies a part of these popular interventions:
- Pivotal Response Training
- Discrete Trial Instruction
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
- Social Stories™
- Computer-Assisted Intervention
- JumpStart Learning-to-Learn
Review
"A valuable and user-friendly compendium of the latest in both research and evidence-based practice . . . This book is an overdue and important contribution to the field." Peter F. Gerhardt, Ed.D.
Synopsis
Generalization is the key to effective autism intervention -- when children can apply new skills across settings, they'll make broad, long-term improvements in behavior and social communication. The first how-to guide to generalization is finally here Practical and reader-friendly, this is the book that helps professionals take today's most popular autism interventions to the next level by making generalization an integral part of them. Pre-KGrade 8 special educators, early interventionists, SLPs, and other professionals will enhance six widely used autism intervention models (Pivotal Response Training, Discrete Trial Instruction, PECS, Social Stories, Computer-Assisted Intervention, and JumpStart Learning-to-Learn) with specific, evidence-based generalization strategies and dozens of activities from top autism authorities.
Synopsis
Practical and reader-friendly, this how-to guide to generalization helps professionals take today's most popular autism interventions to the next level by making generalization an integral part of them. ; Practical and reader-friendly, this how-to guide t
About the Author
Anne Bernard, Research and Clinical Coordinator,Autism and Neurodevelopment Clinic, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143. In addition to her research on diagnosis and intervention strategies for autism spectrum disorders, Ms. Bernard is currently coordinating a magnetic source imaging study on sensory processing disorders.
Andy Bondy, Ph.D., Co-founder, Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc., 13 Garfield Way, Suite 1, Newark, Delaware 19713. Dr. Bondy has more than 35 years of experience in applied behavior analysis and autism. He directed a statewide program for students with autism for 14 years and co-developed the Picture Exchange Communication System. He also co-founded (with his wife, Lori Frost) Pyramid Educational Consultants, which provides parent and staff training around the world.
Shannon Cernich, Ph.D., BCBA, Director of Implementation and Training, Jigsaw Learning, 2815 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 300, Seattle, Washington 98102. Dr. Cernich has more than 10 years of experience working with children and adults with autism spectrum disorders and special needs as well as with their educators and caregivers. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has a Ph.D. in psychology. Her goal is to work with her team to utilize technology to help 100,000 children with special needs in the next 5 years, and she has met her 1-year benchmark.
Sabrina D. Daneshvar, Ph.D., BCBA, Program Coordinator, Autism Spectrum Therapies, 1526 Brookhollow Drive, Suite 70, Santa Ana, California 92705. Dr. Daneshvar received her Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from Claremont Graduate University with a concentration in behavioral treatment of developmental disabilities. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a program coordinator with Autism Spectrum Therapies. Her expertise includes early intervention, parent education, behavior support, consultation, and staff development.
Carol Davis, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Special Education, University of Washington, Box 353600, Seattle, Washington 98195. Dr. Davis’s research interests include examining effective instructional practices that facilitate skill acquisition and promote positive behavior of students with moderate to profound disabilities in inclusive settings, identifying variables that contribute to the use of effective strategies by teachers in these settings, and developing systems to support students with severe disabilities to have access to the general education curriculum within the public school setting.
Anna Dvortcsak, M.S., CCC-SLP, Private Practice, 4110 South East Hawthorne Boulevard #420, Portland, Oregon 97214. Ms. Dvortcsak, a licensed speech and language pathologist, specializes in parent-mediated intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. In 2004, Ms. Dvortcsak founded Dvortcsak Speech and Language Services (DSLSI), which provides individual and group training to families with children with autism and related disorders, individualized speech and language services, and training to professionals working with children with autism and related disorders. She also consults with school districts, private practices, and hospitals to train staff to use naturalistic treatment strategies to enhance children’s engagement, imitation, language, and play skills and to use parent-mediated interventions.
Lauren Franke, Psy.D, Private Practice, 1600 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite C, Seal Beach, California 90740. As a licensed clinical psychologist and language pathologist, Dr. Franke has spent the last 25 years in private and clinical practice with an emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of language disorders, developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, learning disorders, and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. She also consults with school districts pro
Table of Contents
About the Editor
Contributors
Foreword
Lee Grossman
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Generalization and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Daniel Openden, Christina Whalen, Shannon Cernich, & Manya Vaupel
I. Popular Autism Interventions and Generalization Strategies
2. Enhancing Generalization of Treatment Effects via Pivotal Response Training and the Individualization of Treatment Protocols
Laura Schreibman, Aubyn C. Stahmer, & Jessica Suhrheinrich
3. Enhancing the Generalization of Skills Taught Through Discrete Trial Instruction
Mary Jane Weiss & Robert H. LaRue
4. Generalization Issues Pertaining to the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
Andy Bondy & Lori Frost
5. Social Stories, Categorization, and Generalization in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Carol Gray
6. Generalization in Computer-Assisted Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Christina Whalen, Dominic W. Massaro, & Lauren Franke
II. Generalization Applications to Parents, Schools, and Community
7. The JumpStart Learning-to-Learn Model: Parent Training in Naturalistic Teaching for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Bryna Siegel & Anne Bernard
8. Increasing Generalization by Training Teachers to Provide Parent Training for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Brooke Ingersoll & Anna Dvortcsak
9. Generalization in School Settings: Strategies for Planning and Teaching
Ilene S. Schwartz, Carol Davis, Annie McLaughlin, & Nancy E. Rosenberg
10. Generalizing In-Home Treatment Gains
Sabrina D. Daneshvar, William D. Frea, & Ronit M. M. Molko
Index
Reading Group Guide
TOWARD IMPROVING GENERALIZATION
Antecedent Strategies
When planning for and teaching generalization, consider the following strategies:
- Use interesting, preferred, and functional activities and items.
Students are more likely to engage in an activity when there is natural reinforcement associated with the activity. For example, if you want to teach turn taking in board games, find out what board games the children are playing at school. This way, if there is a group of children playing a particular game, your student will already know how to play and can then join the group.
- Exaggerate and vary affect when interacting with your students.
Your students are the first ones to notice if something is boring. If you are not interested, they may not be either. Your student may not pick up on various moods or feelings if you are subtle. Often, students with ASDs have a delay in affect and have difficulty picking up on the affective states of others. Therefore, as a therapist, it is important to exaggerate your affect so that students may then notice various types of affect in others and better demonstrate affect themselves in different social situations. For example, if you find a missing puzzle piece while doing a puzzle with your student and want to show her that you are happy about it, exaggerate your happiness so that it is clear to her that you are happy about it. Say, “Yeah! I found the piece that goes here!†with a big smile on your face while looking at the child. Reciprocally, when she finds a missing piece, model the same reaction and wait for her to have the opportunity to display her affective response. It is also critical to vary your affective responses as people are not always going to be happy all the time and your time with your student is a good time to model and teach appropriate affect in various situations. This applies to negative emotions as well. For instance, if you are playing a video game with your student and your character gets knocked out of the game, you can model an appropriate affective response such as saying, “Oh no! Not again!†and frowning, but then also demonstrate a return to neutral affect by getting back into the game and saying, “Oh well, I’ll try it again.â€
The same question can be asked in many ways (e.g., “What is it?†“What do you see?†“Tell me what this is.†“Tell me about this!â€). It is important for students with ASDs to know how to respond to a variety of instructions, questions, and comments to optimize generalization.
- Vary your teaching environments and settings.
- Watch carefully for mastery of skills.
Students will get bored easily if they are expected to continue to work on the same skill over and over again, especially if they have already demonstrated that they have learned it. Once a student masters a skill, immediately move it into generalization. Teach the skill with new materials, in new