Autism

From the age of three Autistic children can attend school. Most of them will attend a school designed strictly for Autistic children. I have worked in these types of schools for a little over nine years now.

Discrete trials are a specific method of teaching children with Autism. There are both pros and cons to this type of teaching. The setting is based in a cubical usually with one teacher or assistant and two children. The purpose of the cubical is to ensure that the children do not become distracted from things going on outside the cubical. Typically these children are not mainstreamed at all. They are in a self contained class for the entire day. All specials are also done within the classroom. There is usually an art, music and a gym teacher, but they come into the classroom to teach the specials.

During discrete trials, the child/children will learn the basics. Sit quiet, follow simple directions, colors, letters, looking, and listening skills.

While performing discrete trials the teacher will use very simple language. "Look at me" is one term "match red" is another. After the direction is given to the child, the child is give three to five seconds to respond. If the child responds, his/her response is recorded onto data sheets. On these sheets you will find three letters "C" "I" "P." "C" is for correct, "I" is if the child's response was incorrect, and "P" is for the child responded correctly but need some kind of prompt from the teacher. After each correct response, the child is to receive an immediate positive reinforcement. Even if the child got the correct answer with a prompt reinforcement is still given. Each trial has consists of ten chances. Children have to receive and 85% or higher on a certain task 3 times in a row in order to move on. When a child does this, it is considered "mastered" and the child can move on. As mentioned above, with colors, if a child masters the color blue, they do not move onto the next color. They then have to match blue with one distracter. This means when the teacher says touch blue there will be another color next to blue. The child now has to be able to tell the difference between blue and the one that is not blue. After this is mastered you add a second distracter. If all three levels of blue are mastered, the child can finally move onto another color.

Prompts: Prompts come in different levels. There is a gesture prompt, which is when the teacher will give the direction and point to the answer to help the child get the correct answer. A visual prompt is when the teacher will again give the direction except this time look at the correct answer, and the child will pick up on this gesture and then respond correctly. A full prompt is when the teacher will give the direction and use a hand over hand prompt, thus putting the child's hand on the correct answer. All of these prompts are ok to do as long as you document them on your data sheets.

Reinforcements: there are two types of reinforcements.

1. Primary: which is always some kind of food, it does not matter what