Running head: CURRICULAR MODIFICATIONS

Assignment #2: Curricular Modifications

Melissa K. Andrews
EPSE 449
University of British Columbia
July 10th, 2013

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2
Case Study #1:
Samantha

Table of
Contents
(Page 2)

Background
Information
(Page 3)

Behavioral
Tendencies
(Page 3)
Adaptations /
Modifications
-Attendance(Pages 4-7)

Adaptations /
Modifications
-Story Time(Page 8-11)

Appendix
(Pages 12-13)

References
(Page 14)

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Background Information

4-year-old female who was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old.

Lives at home with her mother, father, and older brother.
Receives home-based early intervention.
Recently started using a visual schedule during home-based sessions.
Samantha is enrolled in a neighborhood preschool.
Teacher is an Early Childhood Educator but has not had experience including children with
autism in her preschool program.
Has a busy class of 15 children and focuses on preparing them for kindergarten.
Classroom schedule includes circle time (attendance, show and tell, calendar) and story time.
Uses center-based activities where they experiment with a variety of learning
materials/activities.
Samanthas preschool classroom has a SmartBoard but her teacher has not used it yet.

Behavioral Tendencies
Samantha is nonverbal; uses Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) to communicate and
instruction is given via Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).
Uses PCS to ask for food and toys at home.
Makes requests using a single symbol; has learned to create a sentence for requests.
Samantha finds the spoken language difficult to understand.
Responds appropriately to very basic commands.
Samantha frequently engages in problem behaviors when asked to complete a non-preferred
activity or transitions.
She will cry, scratch others, and/or fall to the floor in these situations.
Parent note- Samantha responds better to being shown an object that relates to a transition.
Strong interest in technology and loves to look at books.
Enjoys matching PCS to illustrations in simple patterned books (i.e., I see a dog).
Quickly learns new PCS when they are taught in meaningful contexts.
Very interested in text and will spend lots of time organizing plastic letters in a line.
Loves interactive games such as tickling and peek-a-boo.
She will initiate interactions by making eye contact and vocalizing.
At home she enjoys singing action songs.
Requires a lot of physical support to imitate actions, but remains engaged for several minutes at

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a time.

Adaptations / Modifications
-Attendance-

Concern or Focus

Classroom teacher calls out students names.

Students say here or raise their hand to show they are present.
Samantha will come to the circle area but will quickly run away.
Aide suggests that she (a) doesnt understand what is happening
at this time and (b) doesnt know the names of the other children.

Adaptation / Modification
&
Rationale

1. Visual Activity Schedule (VAS):

Since Samantha finds the morning transition to be difficult and
has a tendency to act out at this time, the use of a VAS could
help her to understand what she is expected to do and what will
be happening at this time. As well, the use of a VAS is a useful
tool in preventing problem behaviors in regards to transition
times or participating in activities (Mirenda, 2013a). She has also
started using a VAS at home so this would create some
consistency between home and school. Specifically, an
appropriate VAS for Samantha would be an activity schedule that
teaches a skill through a set of pictures or written words, which
are used to cue the student to complete the task or activity as
independently as possible (Kluth, 2010; see Appendix A).
Samanthas parents also mentioned that she is more successful at
transitions when there is an object shown to her that relates to the
new activity to help her understand the change. These visual cues
could be used as a consistent object to help her with transitions.
2. Visual & Environmental Supports:
Samantha is struggling with the morning routine of attendance
and it may be in part due to its unpredictably (i.e., Who is away?

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When will Samantha be called?). Therefore, by employing visual
and environmental supports it helps to organize the environment,
cope with unpredictability and understand the steps of the task
(Mirenda, 2013a). One way to help Samantha with the attendance
process is to remove the need to respond verbally to her being
present. This could be done by creating a visual attendance
check-in board where ALL of the students are responsible for
checking-in each morning by placing their picture with their
name on the present portion of the board (see Appendix B).
Furthermore, since Samantha enjoys using PCS with simple
patterned sentences, a book could be created for her and her peers
that incorporates the class photos with simple patterned text (i.e.,
I am Samantha and I am Thomas; see Appendix C). This
would help her learn her classmates names and also assist her
with her literacy skills.

Student Interaction
with Support

1. Visual Activity Schedule (VAS):

It would be important for Samantha to take part in creating the
VAS with the support of her Aide so that she really understands
the activity schedule and feels like she is a part of the process.
She could help the Aide choose the appropriate pictures and put
them in the correct order. Since Samantha also enjoys using
plastic letters to create text, the Aide could make simple patterned
sentences for her to copy using the letters.
2. Visual & Environmental Supports:
Since the entire class will be participating in the visual check-in
attendance, it creates more opportunities for those social
interactions. Students have the opportunity to assist Samantha in
finding her picture and putting it up on the board. It gives her
more opportunity to learn the students names as she can assist
them in finding their picture as well. As for the book of photos,
this would be a great activity for Buddy Reading where
Samanthas peers can read the book with Samantha. Since the
text is a simple pattern, her peers should be able to read it to her
with ease. Both the check-in and photo book are hands-on
visual activities that dont require a lot of spoken language, which

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is importance since Samantha finds the spoken language to be
difficult.

Peer / Adult Support

1. Visual Activity Schedule (VAS):

In this case, it is the responsibility of the Aide to assist Samantha
in creating the VAS by helping her locate the correct pictures and
assisting her in putting them in the correct order. Once the
activity schedule is in place, it would be beneficial for a peer to
help Samantha follow her schedule in the morning to create more
opportunities for social interactions and friendship building.
2. Visual & Environmental Supports:
With this activity, it would be important for Samanthas Aide to
assist her in the process of checking-in until she understands
the procedure. If necessary, a VAS could be used at this time to
assist her in the process. However, once she has been shown this
routine, it would be advantageous for her to be given the
opportunity to complete the activity independently or with the
assistance of her peers. As for the photo book, the teacher could
read the story during story time so that the class becomes familiar
with the text. Then, students would be given the opportunity to
read this book during Buddy Reading with Samantha as their
partner to help her become familiar with her peers names through
repetition. Another suggestion would be for the peers to help
Samantha create their names using the plastic letters by copying
them from the book.

Pre-Training

1. Visual Activity Schedule (VAS):

It would be beneficial for Samanthas Aide to have training in
how to use certain programs, such as Boardmaker, in order to
create the picture cards for the VAS. As well, familiarity with the
SetBC Picture Set tool that can be located through the SetBC
website (see www.setbc.org) would be an asset. Another useful
tool for an Aide who is uncertain how to set up a proper and
effective VAS is to visit the website of the Province Outreach

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Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD) and watch
the video titled Visual Schedules: Set-up and Use (POPARD,
2013).
2. Visual & Environmental Supports:
This activity would require training in how to use a camera
properly to take photos of the students. As well, it would be
beneficial to have an understanding of the various computer
programs that could be used to create the class book of photos,
such as Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, and Bookemon (see
Appendix C). Bookemon is a free web-based program that only
requires an account. It is easy to use if given time to become
familiar with the tools it provides.

Context of Use

1. Visual Activity Schedule (VAS):

The great benefit to getting Samantha used to a VAS is that it can
be used in a variety of other contexts. By having Samantha start
off her day with this visual schedule, she will get used to this
format of understanding how an activity is conducted and what
she needs to do for that specific activity. The VAS format can be
used for any activities throughout the day that Samantha finds
difficult, either due to the transition or the unfamiliarity of what
she is expected to do. Using the POPARD video mentioned
above and other technologies, the Aide should be able to assist
Samantha in creating the relevant visual schedules. Eventually,
Samantha may even learn how to participate in the activities
without the use of these VASs.
2. Visual & Environmental Supports:
The visual check-in does not need to be used only as a tool for
attendance taking. It could be used in many other subject areas as
a way for students to give their opinions or answers to various
theme based questions. For example, the teacher could ask
students to put their picture under either YES or NO to answer
questions, such as Do flowers need sun to grow?

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Adaptations / Modifications
-Story Time-

Concern or Focus

Teacher reads to students every day.

She often reads stories that are connected to the current theme.
During this time, the teacher will have phonemic awareness and
letter awareness activities.
She gives students time to answer questions.
Samantha is interested in the illustrations but her attention
wanders.
She will go look at the new page and then leave during the
discussion.
Teacher and aide feel this is an area of interest for her and could
facilitate communication in the future.

Adaptation / Modification
&
Rationale

1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC):

Samantha is a nonverbal student who is able to initiate interaction
through eye contact and other limited vocalizations. The purpose
of AAC is to compensate for temporary or permanent
impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions of
individuals with severe disorders of speech-language production
and/or comprehension, including spoken and written modes of
communication (Mirenda, 2013b). Samantha shows a strong
interest in technology; therefore, it would be beneficial for her to
be introduced to this mode of communication. In order to involve
Samantha in the lesson portion of Story Time, she could use a
Speech Generating Device (SGD) called a Step-by-Step
communicator that is designed to play pre-recorded words,
phrases or sentences (Mirenda, 2013b). Samantha and her aide
could create phrases related to each lesson that allow her to
participate in the lesson. The teacher would need to give the
lesson information to the Aide in advance to help her prepare
these phrases. As well, Samantha could listen to the story and
look at the pictures with her classmates; then, with the use of an
iPad and specific apps, she could complete similar literacy

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activities visually instead of verbally. Grandin (1995) talks about
how some people with ASD think totally in pictures, so this
technique allows Samantha to participate in a format that works
with her strengths.
2. SMARTBoard Technology:
One of the many benefits of using a SmartBoard is that it includes
many different types of learners (i.e., auditory, visual and
kinesthetic). Using the concept of Universal Design for Learning
(UDL), it is important to teach by thinking about ALL of the
students instructional needs (Mirenda, 2013c). Samantha loves
technology, enjoys pictures and making words with her hands.
The use of SmartBoard for Story Time would allow Samantha to
interact more with the story. She could be given opportunities to
virtually flip the pages of the books, as well as answer questions
by moving letters around on the SmartBoard. By pairing assistive
technology programs, such as BoardMaker plus, CS4, and
Kurzweil 3000 with a SMART Board, you are able to create a
more inclusive classroom (SetBC, 2013).

Student Interaction
with Support

1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication:

Samanthas peers could be great helpers with the use of the Stepby-Step Communicator because they could help her to know
when she is supposed to use the device. They could also be asked
to help come up with useful phrases or sentences to use.
Furthermore, Samantha could also create some phrases to use that
are designed to interact with her peers (i.e., How are you today?
Do you want to play?). She could be asked to reply with a YES
or NO PCS to choose which questions she would like to record in
order to limit an excess of spoken language. As for the iPad,
Samantha would be taught how to use it as independently as
possible or with peer support. The main goal for all AACs (aside
from them being used as a communication tool) would be to build
confidence in how to use them without assistance as much as
possible.

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2. SMARTBoard Technology:
The use of a SmartBoard is beneficial for Samantha because she
will be given opportunities to learn through listening to a variety
of auditory sounds as opposed to simply spoken language; she
will be learning how to use a new technology, which she enjoys;
and she can learn kinesthetically by being able to actually touch
the screen to interact and learn.

Peer / Adult Support

1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication:

In order to effectively use the AAC devices, Samantha would
need the assistance of an adult to learn how to use them and
would need continued support as necessary. With the SGD
specifically, every time a new set of phrases was needed, an adult
would need to help Samantha create new ideas and record them
but this could also be done by her peers with the Aides
assistance. When using the iPad, many of Samanthas peers may
be familiar with it or could be very competent helpers with apps if
given direction. At first, Samantha would need assistance with all
AAC until she became familiar and comfortable with how to use
them properly.
2. SMARTBoard Technology:
It is essential that an adult is supporting the learning process of
using a SMARTBoard, as this is a technical piece of technology.
In order for it to be effective, the learning needs to be guided and
assisted to create the best learning experience. When
implemented correctly by an adult, peers should be able to use the
SMARTBoard independently or in small groups as necessary,
while being monitored.

Pre-Training

1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication:

It would be very beneficial for the Aide and the Teacher to be
trained on how to properly use these forms of technology. There
are many resources that can provide this training, including
YouTube videos on how to effectively use an iPad to download
apps, etc. Samanthas peers may need to be trained on these

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devices as well so that they can help her out as needed.
2. SMARTBoard Technology:
There are many workshops offered for people interested in using
a SMARTBoard in their classroom. This form of technology has
a lot to offer if it is fully understood. Many times there are
professional development workshops offered to train educators on
how to use a SMARTBoard to effectively teach to all learners.
Without being trained, the SMARTBoard may not be used to its
full potential.

Context of Use

1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication:

With both the iPad and the Step-by-Step Communicator, they can
each be used in more than just the Story Time context. These
forms of communication are flexible and could be used in many
other areas of Samanthas life, including at home. Since the SGD
can be re-programmed at any time, it can be changed to fit any
situations necessary. However, Samantha would need to be aware
of these changes, therefore, it may be best to just use it for
specific situations to avoid confusion. As for the iPad, the
abundance of useful apps makes it an invaluable tool for
communication, as well as behavioral support because it helps to
simplify activities and makes the information accessible.
2. SMARTBoard Technology:
This form of technology can be effectively used to teach most
educational areas. It is a great tool for Story Time in that it is
interactive, but it is just as effective in teaching math, science, life
skills, etc. It can be used to create motivation, make the subject
come alive, capture the attention of the learners, encourage
involvement of learners in each subject and it allows educators to
use multimedia resources and the internet with a whole class
(Waukesha, 2002).

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12
Appendix

Appendix A: Visual Activity Schedule (Kluth, 2010).

Appendix B: Visual & Environmental Supports

Appendix C: Visual and Environmental Supports (see www.bookemon.com)

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Appendix D: Step-by-Step Communicator

References

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Grandin, T. (1995). The learning style of people with autism: An autobiography. In K. Quill (Ed.),
Teaching Children with Autism (pp. 33-52). Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers.
Kluth, P. (2010). Youre going to love this kid!: Teaching students with autism in the inclusive
classroom (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Co.
Mirenda, P. (2013a). Visual and environmental supports [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from
https://connect.ubc.ca
Mirenda, P. (2013b). Augmentative and alternative communication [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from
https://connect.ubc.ca
Mirenda, P. (2013c). Including students with ASD in general education classrooms [Lecture Notes].
Retrieved from https://connect.ubc.ca
POPARD, (2013). Visual schedules: Set-up and use. Retrieved from
http://www.autismoutreach.ca/elearning/classroom-strategies/visual-schedules-set-and-use
SetBC. (2013). Smart Inclusion Workshop. Retrieved from
http://www.setbc.org/news/events/2009_10/smart_inclusion.html
Waukesha, (2002). Using electronic whiteboards in your classroom: Benefits. Retrieved from
http://www.waukeshaschools.com/WIT/smartBoard/benefits.htm

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