actually be to have their role become unnecessary; there will be other students to assist once one has become sufficiently independent. As a campus leader, be sure that your team has clearly defined all staff roles and responsibilities. Teachers may benefit from professional development that addresses effective collaboration with paraprofessionals. In order to provide effective feedback, staff can benefit from being evaluated in specific areas critical to their effectiveness with students with autism (such as prompting, reinforcement, teaching skills, reducing problem behavior, and promoting social interactions). Each program should be evaluated by staff, parents, consultants, and any other stakeholders to be sure it is providing appropriate educational opportunities. An external evaluation by a
professional outside of the district can also yield valuable input.
Staff Training Topics • Overview of autism, ABA, and learning theory • Instructional strategies • Curricular modifications • Challenging behavior • Facilitation of peer interactions and social skills • Functional curricula and life skills instruction • Data collection and analysis • Generalization and maintenance strategies • Parent collaboration • Interdepartmental collaboration • Relationship-building with the students
T Putting It All Together The most common legal violations of IDEA in legal cases pertaining to autism were unqualified school personnel, lack of adequate student progress, and lack of meaningful data collection to guide decisions. It has been suggested that schools focus on the following guidelines for teaching students with ASD: follow IDEA procedural requirements, conduct thorough student assessments to develop IEP goals, teach intensively enough to meet both academic and nonacademic needs, use scientifically validated strategies and train the entire staff in them, and collect and analyze meaningful data. Ensuring that your school meets these criteria will help you to establish defensible programs that meet your students’ needs.
• Individualized supports and services • Systematic instruction • Comprehensible and structured learning environments • Specialized curricular content • Functional approach to challenging behavior • Family involvement The extent to which each student needs these supports should be assessed individually, but they are fundamental principles to keep in mind regardless of the student’s placement. If you have a strong foundation in place for your programs, then you and your staff can tailor them to individual students as needed. Your dedication to increasing your understanding of autism spectrum disorder, the complex and unique educational needs of your students, and the particular challenges faced by your staff will improve the outcome for everyone involved.
A recent literature review found these core elements recommended in the education of students with ASD:
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