February 2013 Newsletter: Teaching with Special Interests

As we close our two-part series on teaching with special interests, I'm a bit sorry to leave the topic behind since it is such a valuable teaching tool. We will probably explore it again in future issues of our newsletter. Please feel free to leave a comment about your favorite way to use student interests when teaching!


Announcements:

A Step-by-Step Plan for Problem Behaviors!
Positively Autism's next online training class covers effective, research-based strategies for reducing problem behaviors. You'll be guided step-by-step in creating a plan to increase positive behavior while reducing negative behavior. Classes are flexible, allowing you to access course activities at any time from any computer with an internet connection. Register by February 28 and save! http://www.positivelyautism.com/training/ . An outline of the course can be found here: http://www.positivelyautism.com/training/CourseOutline_Behavior.pdf

Churches and Autism Survey Closes Soon
Positively Autism is conducting a survey on how churches and places of worship can be more inclusive to families of children with autism. It's very short and has only a few questions. Results will be reported in a future issue of our newsletter. Thanks! http://www.positivelyautism.com/survey_2013churchresources.html


Main Articles:

Feb. Newsletter Topic: More Teaching with Special Interest Areas! - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/feb-newsletter-topic-more-teaching-with.html

Special Interests: An Evidence-Based Practice? - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/special-interests-evidence-based.html

Promote a Social/Leisure Skill with Special Interests - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/promote-socialleisure-skill-with.html

From Tarantulas to Toilet Brushes: Understanding the Special Interest Areas of Children and Youth With Asperger Syndrome - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/from-tarantulas-to-toilet-brushes.html

Train-Theme App to Teach Emotion Recognition - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/train-theme-app-to-teach-emotion.html

Make a Token Economy More Fun with Special Interests - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/make-token-economy-more-fun-with.html

Encourage Game Play with Special Interests - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/encourage-game-play-with-special.html


News:

February Positive Autism News - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-positive-autism-news.html

Adults with Autism: Share Your Opinions of Autism Interventions for a Research Study - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/adults-with-autism-share-your-opinions.html


Free Downloads:

St. Patrick's Day Activities - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/free-st-patricks-day-activities-from.html

Spring Activities (Including a Spring Break Social Narrative) - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/spring-activities-including-spring.html

Easter Social Stories and Activities - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/02/free-easter-social-stories-and.html

Free Easter Social Stories and Activities from Positively Autism

Visit Positively Autism's Easter Resources page for:

• "Travis the Train Goes on an Easter Egg Hunt" Story
• "Going to Church on Easter" Social Skill Story
• "Going to Church on Easter" Social Skill Article (for older/more verbal students)
• "Decorating Easter Eggs" Social Skill Story
• "Going on an Easter Egg Hunt" Social Skill Story

Adults with Autism: Share Your Opinions of Autism Interventions for a Research Study

I found out about the following upcoming research project and I thought it sounds very interesting. Learning about autism from those people who have autism is a great tool. As with participating in any study, please make sure to fully investigate the study, ask questions, and make sure it is right for you before you participate. Please note that this study is not affiliated with Positively Autism.

YOUNG AUTISTIC ADULTS NEEDED FOR A STUDY

Are you a young, autistic adult aged 18-25?  Are you willing to share your opinions and experiences regarding autism therapies?  You can be interviewed in-person, over the telephone, or even through internet-based communication like emailing or online chatting – your choice!   

I am a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California, and I am looking for volunteers to participate in my confidential dissertation research study eliciting the opinions of young, autistic adults about the desirable and undesirable qualities of autism therapies and therapists. 

This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to share their stories and ideas and contribute to a scientific literature regarding autism interventions!

In order to be eligible, you:

1.      Must be between 18 and 25 years of age.

2.      Must have received intervention or therapy as a child due to having an autism spectrum disorder, such as from a psychotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, special educator, or other person from a “helping profession.” 

3.      Must have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (including Asperger syndrome) by a licensed mental health professional or medical doctor. 

4.      Must be able to communicate independently in oral form, written form, or through augmentative communication.  

5.      If you have a conservator, there must be written consent from both the conservator and the participant in order to allow for potential participation in the study.

If you want to participate, you will be asked to:

Review and sign a consent form, complete a brief demographic questionnaire, and take part in an individual interview (60 – 120 minutes).

Please understand that you will not be compensated and that extensive measures will be taken to protect your confidentiality to the full extent of the law.

If you are interested in participating, or if you know of individuals who may want to participate, please contact me at aklein@wi.edu.

Thanks so much, 

Alex Klein, M.A.

Spring Activities (Including a Spring Break Social Narrative)

 

Check out Positively Autism's Spring Resource Page. http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/unit_spring.html

It includes:

• Spring Vocabulary
• "Travis the Train Visits a Farm in Spring" Story
• "Travis the Train Visits the City in the Spring" (Vocabulary Story)
• Books and Songs
• "What to Expect on Spring Break" Story

Free St. Patrick's Day Activities from Positively Autism

Check out our St. Patrick's Day page for fun activities including

• a vocabulary book,
• a things that are green activity, 
• a story about wearing green, and
• a St. Patrick's Day adventure story featuring Travis the Train!

Find all of the activities here: http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/stpatricksday.html

February Positive Autism News

Students with Autism Gravitate Toward STEM Majors
February 1, 2013
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/budding-scientist/2013/02/01/students-with-autism-gravitate-toward-stem-majors/


'I Am Me' Exhibit Spotlights Talents of Artists Diagnosed with Autism
February 3, 2013
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130203/LIVING04/302030025/-am-me-exhibit-spotlights-talents-artists-diagnosed-autism


17 Things 'The Princess Bride' Taught Me About Autism Parenting
February 11, 2013
http://www.snagglebox.com/2013/02/17-things-princess-bride-taught-me.html

Encourage Game Play with Special Interests

A fun way to motivate your child or students to try playing a new board game with friends or siblings is to allow them to use an object representing their special interest as a game piece. For the game in the picture, the child used a figure of "Darth Vader" to play a Mega Blocks game (linked below).

 

 

Make a Token Economy More Fun with Special Interests

A token economy is frequently used to reinforce positive behaviors and academic responses in students with autism. An example is shown in the video.



A token economy can be more fun and motivating if special interests are incorporated into the token economy. Pictures of a student's favorite characters, themes, or toys can be used as "tokens." Some examples are below.

Treasure Chest Token Economy

 

Train Token Economy

 



Airplane Token Economy

 

Car Token Economy

 

Police Car Token Economy

Train-Theme App to Teach Emotion Recognition

We featured this app before, but I'm also putting it in this issue. It might be both fun and educational for a student with autism who loves trains!

"With Training Faces, Therese Wantuch said she wanted to create a learning tool that was fun and functional for children with autism. Focused on a passenger train traveling to destinations around the world, the game requires players to match a specified emotion with the correct picture of the passenger’s facial expression. Each session includes four rounds, and each round has a time limit. At the completion of each session, the player will get to see the train complete the route on the map."

Read About it Here:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20121209/BIZ/312090105/A-mom-her-app-Technology-affecting-autism

Find the App at Amazon.com here.

From Tarantulas to Toilet Brushes: Understanding the Special Interest Areas of Children and Youth With Asperger Syndrome

Title: From Tarantulas to Toilet Brushes: Understanding the Special Interest Areas of Children and Youth With Asperger Syndrome

Author: Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

Journal: Remedial and Special Education

Issue: Volume 28, Number 3, May/June 2007

Why Read This Article? "Strong positive relationships were found between special interests and improvements in students’ social, communication, emotional, sensory, and fine motor skills. Based on these findings, the researcher created a strength-based model of AS and special interests that emphasizes the critical need for teachers to understand and value the special interests of these students and the impact on their families."

Link: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.121.1178&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Promote a Social/Leisure Skill with Special Interests

A fun way to increase interest in playing card games with family or friends is by using a deck of cards that features pictures of favorite characters. I've used a deck of cards featuring the characters from Angry Birds: Star Wars to play a variety of "classic" card games, such as War or Slapjack. We also worked on adding and subtracting using the cards as manipulatives to demonstrate the math problems. There are many ways that a set of cards could be used for teaching activities.

Angry Birds Star Wars Playing Cards - Bundle of 4 Decks in 4 Colorful Tins

Star Wars Heros & Villains Illustrated Double Deck Playing Cards in Tin

Vintage Railroad Playing Cards

Harry Potter Playing Cards

Special Interests: An Evidence-Based Practice?

This was also published in our newsletter last month, but I think it's worth repeating.


As professionals or parents teaching children with autism, it is critical that the strategies we use are supported by research. This is important so that we don't waste money or the child's time on interventions that may not be effective. If an intervention method has sufficient research support, it is called an evidence-based practice (EBP).

The National Standards Report is a report published in 2009 that lists how much research support different autism intervention methods have. This report lists "incorporating...special interests...or ritualistic/obsessional activities into tasks" as an "Established" intervention*. This means that there is research to support the strategy.

I hope knowing that there is research support to incorporating student interests into learning activities will encourage more teachers to use this valuable strategy with confidence.

This month, Positively Autism will provide you with information and tools to use student interests to teach in the classroom and home.


*As part of the "Antecedent Package" - NAC Report, page 44.

Feb. Newsletter Topic: More Teaching with Special Interest Areas!

Children and adults with autism may have strong interests in a certain area, such as computers, weather, trains, etc. These interests can often be used as powerful teaching tools to increase academic skills, improve behaviors, and facilitate social skills.

In this month's newsletter, we will continue this topic and provide information and resources about how to use special interests to make learning more fun, motivating, and effective.