Nothing is more central to the development of a functional education program than longitudinal planning. This is true for students with autism or any developmental disability. The ultimate educational goal for a student with autism is to produce a clear thinking, employable, independent, socially competent adult. It is important to keep these goals in mind when determining the … [Read more...] about Life Referenced Curriculum for Students with Autism

When we begin the curriculum adaptation process by first choosing the adaptation method, we are putting the cart before the horse. Instead, the first task is to decide what we want the student to learn --his personal learning goals. Some students are capable of going beyond the general curriculum, while others learn the content that is given. Some students can learn a portion … [Read more...] about Practical Tips on Adapting Curriculum for Diverse Learners

What is Section 504? Section 504 is from the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by, receiving funds from, or employed/contracted by Federal agencies. For U.S. Dept. of Education (ED) funded agencies, public schools, 504 is enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a component of ED. Each Federal … [Read more...] about Section 504 Compliance – Update 2017 per OCR – Project ACCESS Fact Sheet

Teachers and parents have been using some variation of naturalistic teaching as long as there have been students with autism…and before. It seems like I was doing such things as taking advantage of the “teachable moment” forever. I was tempting kids to talk by waving a desirable object in front of them and insisting on some response before they got it before I ever heard the … [Read more...] about Using Naturalistic Strategies For Teaching Students with Autism

A review of procedural differences between determinations of eligibility for special education services resulting in IEP development, compared to a medical diagnosis resulting in a possible Plan of Care (POC). The following charts lay out the official wording for each, followed by a brief discussion of how that applies in practice for schools and families. MEDICAL … [Read more...] about Educational Eligibility vs. Medical Diagnosis – What’s the Difference?!