KISN Newsletter - TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile Curriculum ...

ONLINE NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2011

NOVEMBER 2011

TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile Curriculum Project by Rebekah Helget, Regional Autism Consultant   Three  years  ago,  having   never  conducted  a  “transi4on”   assessment,  I  had  very  li9le   confidence  in  my  skills  in   assis4ng  Mary  Woodworth,  KISN   Transi4on  Coordinator,   administer  the  TTAP  Formal   Assessment  to  a  very  ‘high   needs’  student  with  Au4sm.     However,  the  informa4on   gathered  from  that  assessment,   paired  with  the  TTAP  Informal   lorem ipsum dolor met set Assessment   components,   quamin   nunc resulted   the  mparum ost  purposeful   and  prac4cal  transi4on  plan  that   I  had  ever  read.    ALer  this   assessment  experience,  my   mo4va4on  rela4ng  to  transi4on   and  defining  “independence”  for   individuals  quickly  became  a   high  interest  area  and  a  passion   of  mine.    I  also  realized  that  I   needed  to  get  other   professionals  involved  who   could  assist  me  with  ideas  for   implementa4on,  related  to  the   many  possibili4es  of  how  using   TTAP  results  could  change   outcomes  for  Secondary  

2009

students.    I  invited  an   Occupa4onal  Therapist  and  a   School  Psychologist  to  join  me  in   a9ending  a  Regional  TTAP   training,  offered  by  KISN,  in   Emporia,  September  of  2010.     Crea4ng  a  new  approach  to   transi4on  planning  for  our   district  was  our  first  goal.   Emphasizing  and  imbedding   visual  supports  for  independent   func4oning  for  all  students  was   our  second  goal.    Upon  our   return  home,  the  School   Psychologist  at  South  Middle   school  created  a  list  of  all  8th   grade  students  who  would   benefit  from  the  TTAP  Formal   Assessment;  the  Occupa4onal   Therapist  and  I  began  conversing   with  South  High  School’s   Principal,  Linn  Exline,  and  some   of  the  SPED  teachers  about  the   importance  of  differen4a4ng   and  modifying  instruc4on   through  the  use  of  visual   structure.    These  conversa4ons   led  to  a  search  for  a  curriculum   that  could  be  used  in  the  middle   and  high  school  programs.    Linn   was  highly  responsive  of  the  

idea  of  aligning  curriculums  and   assessment,  and  was   instrumental  in  brainstorming   ideas  for  a  training  that  would   blend  a  brief  introduc4on  to   au4sm,  the  TTAP  Informal   Assessment  tools,  Structured   Teaching,  and  Task  Analysis,  for   Special  Educa4on  and  regular   educa4on  teachers  and   Paraprofessionals  for  both   Middle/High  School  buildings.     The  training  was  so  well  received   and  the  informa4on  presented   found  to  be  so  meaningful  that   Linn  requested  the  ini4al  two   days  of  training  be  extended  to  a   third  day.       Currently,  the  TTAP   Informal  Assessments  are   ini4ated  on  all  Func4onal   Learning  Classroom  students   when  they  enter  6th  grade  and  in   the  8th  grade  the  Formal   Assessment  is  given.    Megan   Consbruck,  a  FLC  teacher,  at   South  Middle  school  made  the   statement,  “I  finally  feel  I  have  a   tool  that  helps  me  bridge   transi4on  in  a  more  concrete   way.”    A  South  High  school  

The Kansas Instructional Support Network is partially funded through Part B funds administered by the Kansas State Department of Education's Special Education Services. KISN does not discriminate on the basis of  race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities.  The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:  Deputy Director, Keystone Learning Services, 500 E. Sunflower, Ozawkie, KS  66070, 785-876-2214.



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TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile Curriculum Project, Cont’d: teacher,  Jenni  Showman,  made   the  statement,  “ The  assessment   has  assisted  us  with  more   individualized,  purposeful,   learning  and  ac4vi4es  related  to   the  student’s  strengths  and   ability  vs.  the  general  skills  that   every  student  learns.”     Although  our  focus  began   with  the  more  func4onal   students  we  are  beginning  to   see  the  need  to  implement  the   plan  with  our  Higher  Func4oning   students  with  Au4sm,  who   spend  the  majority  of  their  day   in  the  general  educa4on  seang.     The  soL  skills  related  to   voca4onal  behavior,   independent  func4oning,  leisure   skills,  communica4on,   interpersonal  skills,  mobility,  and   all  other  environmental  factors   are  the  areas  that  are  interfering   with  successful  employment  and   independent  living,  aLer   gradua4on.    Fall  of  2011,  Salina   South  High  School  provided   training  for  paraprofessionals  in   crea4ng  procedural  task  

analysis,  adding  visual  structure   to  modified  tasks,  and  a  new   way  to  define  what   ‘independence’  in  task   comple4on  truly  looks  like.     At  this  4me,  we  feel  we   are  s4ll  in  the  “baby  stages”  of   developing  our  district  wide   approach  to  transi4on  planning   for  our  students.    However,  one   thing  we  know  for  sure  is  that   collabora4on  and   communica4on  between   buildings  has  been  made  easier   because  of  the  use  of  the  TTAP,   Structured  Teaching,  and   procedural  task  analysis  in   developing,  implemen4ng,  and   measuring  individualized  goals   and  benchmarks  based  on  a   students  strengths,  needs  and   interests.    We  also  know  that   this  collabora4on  across  grade   levels  will  ul4mately  result  in   quality  of  life  for  our  student’s   futures.

 

             Rebekah  Helget    

CALENDAR DEC 6, 3:30-4:15PM Webinar Series - Boardmaker & Beyond - Presented by Katie Thomas - Online DEC 13, 3:30-4:15PM Webinar Series - Boardmaker, Advanced Skills - Presented by Katie Thomas - Online

COMING IN JAN, 2012: APPLICATIONS TO OUR WEEK LONG SUMMER INSTITUTE TRAINING AN INTRODUCTION TO STRUCTURE TEACHING. APPLICATIONS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SENT TO DIRECTORS, PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR DIRECTOR FOR MORE INFORMATION AND AN APPLICATION!

The Kansas Instructional Support Network is partially funded through Part B funds administered by the Kansas State Department of Education's Special Education Services. KISN does not discriminate on the basis of  race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities.  The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:  Deputy Director, Keystone Learning Services, 500 E. Sunflower, Ozawkie, KS  66070, 785-876-2214.



www.KansasASD.com