RUNNING HEAD: Wk 5 Instructional Strategies Assignment 1

Wk 5 Instructional Strategies Assignment

Ashli Gold

EDUU 677: Autism Spectrum Disorder Programming and Strategies II

Brandman University

June 3, 2018
Wk 5 Instructional Strategies Assignment 2

This paper contains a discussion of three Evidence-Based Practices that address how to

apply instructional strategies for use with students with ASD and how these practices can be

applied in a classroom with fidelity. The EBPs to be addressed are Technology-aided instruction

and intervention (TAII), Modeling, and Time delay.

Technology-aided instruction and intervention (TAII)

Technology-aided instruction and intervention (TAII) relies on technology to help a

learner with ASD to acquire a skill or other goal. When using TAII, teachers and other support

providers utilize technologies in a way that will allow them to acquire the skill or behavior being

targeted. By using technology, the student can work independently and at their own pace. They

can also repeat lessons that are delivered at their own instructional level until mastery is

achieved. TAII can be used for all age levels and address deficits in several areas including

social, communication, behavior, joint attention, cognition, school- readiness, academic, motor,

adaptive, and vocational outcomes. ("AFIRM," n.d.).

Modeling (MD)

Modeling can be used for students from age 0 to 22 in preschool to high school and can

be used effectively to address academic, social, communication, joint attention, school readiness,

and play outcomes. This EBP aids students with ASD to acquire new skill or behavior. It is

effective in that it allows the student with ASD -- who often struggle to acquire a new skill or

behavior -- to observe someone else correctly performing the skill involves a learner observing

someone correctly performing a target skill or behavior. Studies have shown that observing

another person perform the target behavior will increase the likelihood that the student will be

able to learn and generalize the new skill or behavior ("AFIRM," n.d.).

Time Delay (TD)

Time delay is includes a set of procedures that fades prompts as learners gain new skills and has

been shown effective with individuals with ASD ranging from preschool to high school. This

EBP can be used effectively to address needs in the following areas: social, communication, joint
Wk 5 Instructional Strategies Assignment 3

attention, behavior, school readiness, play, cognitive, motor, adaptive, and academic outcomes.

Time delay uses two different types or time delays, constant time delay (CTD) and progressive

time delay (PTD), and can help learners with transferring target skills and behaviors to new

situations ("AFIRM," n.d.).

How to implement communication and language interventions in the real world

In my opinion, the most important factor in successfully implementing an EBP, aside

from selecting the correct one for the situation, is to have clear communication and shared

expectations throughout the entire IEP team. Once the team has performed a Functional

Behavior Assessment (FBA) to determine the true function of the target behavior and has agreed

on the best EBP to address the target behavior, the task is not over. The team needs to have

clear, consistent communication with each other (including the parent and the student, when

appropriate). This is important not only for recording purposes on the IEP, which should be

amended to include the new accommodation, but also so that the team can implement the EBP

across multiple settings (IRIS, 2009). If a teacher is absent, for example, the rest of the team

should be able to continue the successful implementation of the EBP in her absence and this

should have no (or very little) impact on the student.

Since they are both relatively low tech options, and there are not specialized materials

necessary for their implementation, I think that modeling and time delay could be somewhat

easily integrated into the classroom. Once the target behaviors or skills have been identified, an

IEP team could quickly begin to implement the EBPs in the classroom to address them.

Conversely, Technology-aided instruction and intervention (TAII) could be a much more

difficult EBP to implement as it relies on specific, and sometimes specialized, technology to

address the needs of the learner. However, this EBP may be much more impactful in the long

run, as it allows the learner a certain amount of self-reliance and self-determination instead of

relying on a staff member to provide prompting and feedback. These two characteristics have

been studied in their relationship to quality of life after transitioning out of secondary school
Wk 5 Instructional Strategies Assignment 4

(Biggs & Carter, 2015). So, even though it may be a more difficult EBP to implement, it may

allow for an increased level of independence in accessing curriculum which may have further

reaching positive outcomes for the student.

Wk 5 Instructional Strategies Assignment 5

References

AFIRM. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/resource-

search/results?f[0]=field_resource_module%3A590

Biggs, E. E., & Carter, E. W. (2015). Quality of Life for Transition-Age Youth with Autism or

Intellectual Disability. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(1), 190-204.

doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2563-x

Hendricks, D. R., & Wehman, P. (2009). Transition From School to Adulthood for Youth With

Autism Spectrum Disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities,

24(2), 77-88. doi:10.1177/1088357608329827

The IRIS Center. (2009). Functional behavior assessment: identifying the reasons for problem

behavior and developing a behavior plan. Retrieved from:

https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/fba/cinit/#content