Keys to Success for Teaching Students with Autism

Lori Ernsperger, PhD, has more than twenty years of experience working in the public schools as a teacher, administrator, and behavioral consultant. She has had extensive training working with students who have behavior disorders, particularly those on the autism spectrum. Having earned her PhD in Special Education from Indiana University, Dr. Ernsperger has put her research and behavioral expertise to work in a variety of teaching, therapy, and behavior consultant roles. She currently serves as a private autism and behavioral consultant, and lives with her husband Tom and two children, Jessica and Ben, in Henderson, Nevada.

After more than 17 years of experience working with teachers struggling to implement an effective learning program for special needs kids, Dr. Lori Ernsperger decided it was about time someone created a comprehensive resource for practical use in the classroom. She wrote this book as a practical, step-by-step guide to educating students with autism. This much-needed resource unlocks the secrets of six critical teaching elements, including creating an effective classroom environment, curriculum development, instructional strategies, managing problem behaviors, data collection, and building collaborative teams. Perfect for new and veteran teachers, this book enables school personnel to efficiently create and implement an effective educational program for students with autism regardless of their level of experience or training.

Introduction Chapter One: Creating a Positive Environment Classroom Environment Classroom Schedules Staff Roles and Responsibilities Case Studies Chapter Two: Designing and Implementing an Appropriate Curriculum Life Domains Curriculum Development Case Studies Station/Center Plan Chapter Three: Identifying & Implementing Instructional Strategies Instructional Strategies Applied Behavior Analysis Incidental Teaching Chapter Four: Developing Effective Behavior Programming Proactive Program Behavior Intervention Plan Proactive Plan Reactive Programming Chapter Five: Data Collection Daily Data Collection Form Estimated data Sheet Behavior Analysis Log Behavioral Data Collection Intensity Behavioral Data Collection Duration Behavioral Data Collection Frequency/Rate of Behavior Chapter Six: TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More School Administration Conclusion References Appendix A: Classroom Inventory Checklist Appendix B: DSM IV Appendix C: Life Domain Matrix Appendix D: Data Collection Forms