June 2012 Newsletter: New Free Downloads and More About Evidence-Based Practice

Articles:

More About EBP and Autism - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/06/more-about-ebp-and-autism.html

U.S. Educational Policy and EBP - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/06/us-educational-policy-and-ebp.html

May/June Positive Autism News - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/06/mayjune-positive-autism-news.html


Free Downloads:

New Free Download: "Other People Can Be First" Social Skill Story - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-free-download-other-people-can-be.html

New Free Download: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" Activities - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-free-download-very-hungry.html

New Free Download: Things That Are Orange - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-free-download-things-that-are.html

Fourth of July Activities - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2012/06/fourth-of-july-activities.html

May/June Positive Autism News

Autistic teen showcases drawings of The Beatles
June 20, 2012
http://www.greecepost.com/events/x1179514068/Autistic-teen-showcases-drawings-of-The-Beatles-at-Nazareth-College

An autistic superhero: Brothers with autism create comic book series
June 18, 2012
http://articles.mcall.com/2012-06-18/health/mc-smith-brothers-autistic-superhero-20120618_1_autism-spectrum-comic-book-series-superhero

Man writes about living with form of autism
June 13, 2012
http://www.leadertelegram.com/features/health/article_0cabcfed-db0a-5225-9fde-f7512faf41cd.html

U-Hi teen has the music in him
May 24, 2012
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/may/24/u-hi-teen-has-the-music-in-him/

Autistic Boy Saves Family From Tornado
May 23, 2012
http://thautcast.com/drupal5/content/autistic-boy-saves-family-tornado

Fourth of July Activities

Check out Positively Autism's collection of 4th of July social skill stories, songs, books, and activities.

http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/unit_fourthofjuly.html

New Free Download: Things That Are Orange

A computer-based colors activity: http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/Colors_Orange_ThingsThatAre.pdf

Amazon.com recommends...

New Free Download: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" Activities

Vocabulary activities, a story video, and printables for "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/unit_hungrycaterpillar.html

U.S. Educational Policy and EBP

According to Wrightslaw, federal policy defines scientifically-based research (another way of saying EBP) as having at least one of the following components:

• publication in a peer-reviewed journal (this means other professionals reviewed the research before publication) or
• a team of independent experts approved it through an objective, rigorous, and scientific review.

A more detailed definition of scientifically-based research from the No Child Left Behind Act can be found here.

In a 2005 article, H. Rutherford Turnbull III describes what the most recent authorization of the IDEA states about the use of evidence-based practice. In the IDEA (as well as No Child Left Behind), evidence-based practice is called scientifically-based instruction, but these terms are generally referring to the same thing. Here are a few summaries of what the IDEA says about scientifically-based instruction (AKA evidence-based practice).

• Students may not receive IDEA benefits if their educational difficulties are due to a lack of appropriate reading instruction that includes essential components of reading instruction.
• Students may not be classified as having a learning disability if the student’s educational performance increases as a result of using scientific and research-based educational interventions (as part of the learning disability evaluation process).
• A student’s educational program and related services (listed in the Individualized Education Program [IEP]) should be based on scientific, reviewed research to the extent that is practicable.
• State education agencies and local school districts should support educator training activities on scientifically-based instruction.
• Local schools are encouraged to offer school-wide programs, such as scientifically-based reading programs and positive behavior supports that may prevent some students from needing special education services.

Many of these provisions are also described on the Wrightslaw website.


References:
"What You Need to Know About IDEA 2004: IEPs for Children with Behavior Problems" by Pat Howey

Turnbull, H. R., III. (2005). Individuals With disabilities education act reauthorization: Accountability and personal responsibility. Remedial and Special Education, 26(6), 320-326.

New Free Download: "Other People Can Be First" Social Skill Story

A story written for a child who had a difficult time letting others do things first, such as getting in line.

http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/Social_OthersFirst.pdf

Want more social skill stories? http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/09social.html

More About EBP and Autism

Continuing our series from last month on Autism and Evidence-Based Practice...

It is not always as simple as looking at a teaching or intervention method to see if it meets any certain EBP criteria. As the saying goes, if you’ve met one student with autism, you’ve met ONE student with autism. Since each individual student is so different, we need to take that into account. One team of experts stated that we can’t answer the basic question of whether a special education practice is effective or not. We need to take into consideration two things:

1. which type of students does the practice work with, and
2. in which contexts or settings is the practice effective. (Odom, Brantlinger, Gersten, Horner, Thompson, and Harris, 2005)

For all of us who don’t have the time to look through a bunch of research studies, review them for quality, and count the number of high-quality studies on a method, there are other options. Check out the resources linked below to see brief research summaries on a variety of methods.

Association for Science in Autism Treatment: summaries of research on autism.

National Autism Center: provides guides on evidence-based practice for autism.

Professional Development Center on ASD: summaries and fact sheets on evidence-based practices.

References:

Odom, S.L., Brantlinger, E., Gersten, R., Horner, R.H., Thompson, B., & Harris, K.R. (2005). Research in special education: Scientific methods and evidence-based practice. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 137-148.