1. The TAG Program After-School ABA Services A School-based Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Ellie Becker, Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Plainview Old-Bethpage School District
Frank Carbone, Behavioral Consultant, Plainview Old-Bethpage School District
Jeannine Gulli, TAG Supervisor, Plainview-Old Bethpage School District
Kristen Raszka, TAG Supervisor, Plainview-Old Bethpage School District

2. The Origin of TAG The After-School Group
Students with home hours
Same level of services each year
Growth of program
Not seeing desired results
Families with parent training hours
Requests for individualized sessions
Parents not always involved in the service
Staff turn-over (compensatory hours)
Implementation of goals that cannot be met during the school day
Social
ADL

3. Why It Makes Sense For Students with Special Needs
A basement is not real life
IEP goals support school functioning
Access to peers
Generalization of skills
Hallway walking
Classroom behavior
Special area (practice routines)
Lunchroom/recreation
Bathroom skills

4. Why It Makes Sense For Students with Special Needs
Builds connections with potential classmates
Less restrictive
Having a life (basements are boring)
Belonging to a group

5. Why It Makes Sense For Administrators
Doing what’s best for students
Doing what’s best for students=happy staff, happy parents, and happy children
Happy children, staff, and families=happy administrators
Better control
Better oversight
Access to observations
Access to information
Ability to provide on going supervision to providers

6. Why It Makes Sense For Administrators
Confidence in money well spent
Ratio fading as students progress
Service fading as students progress
Leads to more naturalistic after-school activities

7. Why It Makes Sense For Staff
Collaboration
Access to supervision
On the spot problem solving
Variety
Avoiding the “stuck in the middle syndrome”
Very rewarding (teach it, see it)
Happy staff members = productive staff members

8. District Assessment Do You Need TAG
District Assessment Do You Need TAG? Here are some things to think about.
Do you have students with autism who receive home services?
Do you have families requesting “individualized” parent training and/or behavior intervention services?
Do you have more than one agency providing home hours?
Is time a factor in adequately overseeing home programs?
Do you have a vision to provide services following the least restrictive model?

9. Do You Need TAG? More things to think about.
Do you know what your students are working on in their homes?
Do you have confidence that the hours you are funding are producing better students, better lives?
Do your students with home hours eventually participate in existing school based programs
(i.e. after-school clubs/teams, extra help, after-care)?
If you answered yes to the first five questions and no to the next three questions then you need an after school program for students with autism.

10. The Model- Elementary Up to 4 days per week
CSE recommendation depends on student’s current levels,
needs, and goals
Currently 14 students enrolled in Elementary TAG
Students grouped by levels, needs, and age
Staffing
4 teachers*
12 teacher aides*
*not in attendance each day
15-20 peers
Model behavior, leisure and social skills

11. The Model- Elementary Expectations for all students
Increased speech
Increased social skills
Acquisition of age-appropriate social skills
Improved daily living skills
Improved motor skills
Increase in typical behaviors
Friendship with peers
Parent participation
Passive
Active

12. The Model- Middle School
Up to 3 days per week
CSE recommendation depends on student’s current levels, needs, and goals
Currently 9 students enrolled in Middle School TAG
Students grouped by levels, needs and age
Staffing
2 teachers*
6 aides*
*Not all in attendance each day
About 40 peers per day (about 120 peers total)
Each day is broken into two periods
Large group- gymnasium
Small groups- classrooms

13. The Model- Middle School
Students have opportunities to join clubs and sports
Chorus
Basketball
Baseball
Lego Club
Art Club
Grandpals
Kids in the Kitchen Club
Drama Club
Parental Participation
Passive
Active

14. The Model- High School 2 days per week Currently 6 students enrolled
Staffing
1 teacher
6 aide
15 peers
Parent participation
Passive
Active

15. The Model- High School
Students have an opportunity to join clubs and sports depending on their interests and needs
Track
Bowling
Basketball
Baseball
Weight Training
Anime Club
Culture Club

16. Challenges Buy in from club advisors and coaches Access to peers
For older students sports are competitive
Appropriate criteria
Parental desire to have their children attend
Procuring peers
Use of facilities

17. Suggestions For Getting Started
Work needs to be done before annual review season
Build a solid foundation…do the groundwork
Develop a proposal
Board proposal
Family acceptance
Staff recruitment
Peer recruitment
Training

18. More Suggestions For Getting Started
Peer Training
Training sessions (after-school)
Practice session (after-school)
On site training
Staff Training
Autism training
Problem behavior training
Discrete trial teaching training
Teaching social skills training
Facilitating peer modeling intervention
Continual on site training

19. More Getting Started Family Training Ordering Materials
About the program
Social Skills development
Social Skills teaching
Supporting the program
Ordering Materials
Curriculum
Toys/Games
Training Videos
Furniture
Storage
Creating Protocols
Arrival
Dismissal
Absences
Emergency Contact
Communication
Program Calendar

20. More Getting Started Skill Assessments
Developing individual curricula based on student’s needs and IEP goals
Setting up
Two hour schedule
Grouping students/staff/peers

21. Learn From us! Start slow Be prepared
Have everything set up prior to the first day of the program
Set enrollment criteria
Who gets to come?
Invest in training
Quality of staff is directly correlated with quality of your program
Substitute coverage

22. You Are Not Alone
Communicate with school districts that have programs up and running
Use curriculum, materials, and resources that have already been created
Observe effective and established programs
Administrators/Board Members
Staff
Families
Connect new families with happy families in your district
Positive Parent Energies
Parental Foundations

23. Feel Free to Contact Us ebecker@pobschools.org fcarbone@pobschools.org