FBA and BIP for Autistic Spectrum Students A staff friendly approach to practice with challenging behaviors

Our School St. Elizabeth School is a member of MANSEF; Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities Our students range of years of age 125 Students

Who We Serve Our students are from: Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, and Prince Georges County Handicapping Codes include: 01-mental retardation 04-speech or language impairment 06- emotional disturbance impairments 09-specific learning disabilities 13- traumatic brain injury 14-Autism

Diagnostic Continuum Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Autism Aspergers PDD NOS Co-morbid disorders: Anxiety D.O.; Obsessive Compulsive D.O.; Bi-Polar D.O.: Sensory Integration D.O.

3 Paramount PBIS Principals  Accepting/Nurturing Host Environment  Tremendous Emphasis on Prevention  Change Occurs in Environment/Staff Approach First

STRATEGIES 1. Program Modifications 2. Program Modification/Behavior Support 3. Behavior Supports 4 Clinical Approaches

PROGRAM MODIFICATIONS  Modify the student’s schedule up front to prevent meltdowns Be flexible with schedule, and become more structured over time  Prepare student for any change in routine, i.e.. Assemblies, quarter changes

 Address Behavior Indirectly in the classroom. e.g. “I can tell your upset, let’s walk.” Vs. “Do not threaten people.”  Incorporate Interest Areas into curriculum; allow them Down Time, to be in their own worlds

Program Modification and Behavior Support Utilize Pacing, walking when anxious-allow pacing in the classroom Create Safety– students may have a special place to go to (within and/or outside of classroom) that helps them self soothe. Should be specific to each student, and may include beanbags, headphones, weighted blanket, computer, drawing, special books,etc.

Behavior Support Strategies Avoid Negative Consequences, assume they are Self Punishing, and avoid firm limit setting Avoid Anxiety Provoking Situations e.g. fire drills, discussion of death (specific to student)

OT Strategies-respond to sensory issues, e.g. removing smells that are noxious to students, headphones in noisy environments Use Humor and Distraction, when agitated, rather than processing. Decrease anxiety rather than addressing content.

Clinical Approaches  Emphasize Social Skills Training— social stories, direct coaching with peers and adults  Incorporate Interest Areas into sessions

 Group Work with project focus to work on interaction and awareness of others.  Review and Praise Social Skills

Emphasize Communication with parents Overall, these students Need Constant Reassurance and Praise

The Teachable Moment(s)  No such Thing. Teaching is a process over time. They don’t learn from experience, but rather ARE their experience. Avoid thinking of them as manipulative. Think in terms of the function of their behavior.

Antecedent- Most often is loss, perception of loss or rejection Behavior-Explosion/Temper Tantrum, Implosion (Withdrawal, Self-injuring behavior) Elopement (Taking off-out of room, out of building) Consequence-Restoring the sense of well- being for the student

Case Examples Wills Mandy Kenny Buster

Wills “Sooner or later Hollywood Middle will be gone. Never to be seen or heard from or teach in madness and never to nail a kid down to the floor with their hands again.”

Mandy Review of FBA and Strategies

Kenny Is it 3 things or not three things???

Buster And The Therapeutic Parking Garage

Team Work is Essential Important for everyone who interacts w/ student to be on same page

Recommended Readings Attwood, T. (1998). Asperger’s syndrome: A guide for parents and professional. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Klin, A., Volkmar, F. R. & Sparrow, S.S. (Editors). (2000). Asperger Syndrome. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Greene, Ross W., Ph.D. (1998). The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, “Chronically Inflexible” Children., New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. Newport, Jerry & Mary. (2002). Autism- Asperger’s and Sexuality: Puberty and Beyond. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, Inc. Wilens, Timothy E., MD., (1999). Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medication for Kids., New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Lori Revitz, MSW, LCSW-C x1154 Nano K. Kolls, MSW, LCSW-C x1143 Allyson Wynn, BS-ALE Teacher x1249 Lisa Scherer, MA, MSW, LCSW-C x1164