1. DAPE Autism Spectrum Disorders
Audra Wells, M.Ed
and
Tony Hastings, M. Ed

2. What Do We Know? People with ASD struggle with…
Organization and have a need for structure
Receptive communication
Socialization
Understanding the hidden curriculum
Difficulty with transitions
Rigidity
Strong interests in limited amount of activities or topics

3. How Can DAPE Help? Increase gross motor skills
Provide socialization using an organized approach to the activities
Increase the range of interests the student has for leisure activities
Address life long fitness activities

4. Why Structure?????
Because…
“Work is play and play is work!!” TEACCH, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

5. Structured Teaching and DAPE
Physical Structure
Mini Schedule
Structured Task

6. Physical Structure Refers to the way we set up and organize each area
Clear Physical and Visual Boundaries
Equipment
Tape on the Floor/lines on the floor
Hula-hoop
Rope (divides sections)
Minimize Visual and Auditory Distractions

7. General Phy-Ed Physical Structure
How does the child know where to sit in a squad in phy-ed?
How does the child know the physical boundaries during a game?
Are the boundaries the same during a stick hockey game as during a basket ball game?
How does the child know which equipment should be used and which should be left alone?
Draw a phy-ed class room thinking about visual structure talk with a neighbor and sketch out how to physically organize a phy-ed class for a student with ASD

8. DAPE Classroom
How does the child know where to wait for instructions without verbal prompts?
How does the child know what equipment or tools will be used during his/her session?
How does the child know the boundaries of an activity in the room?
Sketch how to physically structure a DAPE space during a typical session

9. Mini Schedule
A systematic way for the student to receive and understand information.
The mini schedule answers four key questions for the student:
What do I do?
How much do I do?
How will I know when I am finished?
What do I do when I am finished?
Talk about preparing for new unit

10. Mini Schedule
Bring an element of familiarity and predictability to all different kinds of situations and activities
A routine which can lead to building flexibility (the activities may change, but the systems remain the same)
Teach the “first____, then____concept”

11. Types of Mini Schedules
Left to Right
Top to Bottom
Matching (colors, letters, numbers…)
Written schedule
Always have a defined way to demonstrate finished

12. A Structured Activity
The activity should be as visually clear as possible and require little verbal instruction
Answer four key questions
What do I do?
How much do I do?
How will I know I am finished?
What do I do when I am finished?

13. Creating a work system for DAPE
Using Boxes with a tool or symbol representing the task that is to be completed
Using hula-hoops
A task list on the board
Work in groups of three to design a work system that would work for DAPE

14. Example1: Sit-Ups Towel on floor with a symbol for sit up
Card with the number to be completed (if the child can count)
Clothes pins on a card- when the clothes pins are gone the student is done with the sit-ups

15. Example 2: Practice Throwing a ball
Have multiple balls on a line on the floor
Have a target on the wall at the end of the room
Have a box next to the target
Child takes each ball throws at target
Ball goes in finished box.
When all balls are removed from the start line the task is done

16. Example 3: Practice catching a ball
The teacher has a start line with multiple balls on the line
The teacher tosses a ball at the student
The student places the ball in the done box when the teacher’s start line is empty the task is finished.
Note: I would not do ball throwing and catching tasks back to back. The student may become confused and start thinking the task will never end leading to a meltdown.

17. How Would You Define Finished?
Volleyball
Floor Hockey
Basketball
Tag
Baseball
Track Activities

18. How Would We Structure A Game Such As….
Get into a group of three
Choose an activity
Design how to teach the activity with the principles you have learned: Physical structure, mini schedule, structured task
Small Group Have a couple of groups share.

19. Resources:
TEACCH, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill