Methodology

How to teach special needs students depends upon the child. When teaching Social Skills, using visual strategies such as role-playing, acting out with puppets or dolls, modeling, social scripts, picture or word situation cards, social stories, games, comic strip conversations, TV, movies, Social Autopsies, SOCCSS, SODA, Virtual Environments, etc. is easier for the ASD child to understand and comprehend. Video taping the student may also be useful so they can visualize their behavior. But which technique works best? That depends upon the child.

When teaching any student the teacher must take into account how the student learns best. It is therefore vital that the IEP Team choose the methodology (how the behavior will be taught) most suitable to the child’s needs. Methodology is crucial in the case of students with ASD and also ties to the concept for “appropriate” education.

According to IDEA the IEP team, which includes the parents, must determine how the child will meet those goals. The IEP must also specify the modifications, supports and services, and the "Special Education," which includes methodology. The school and parents must therefore work collaboratively to determine the methodology best suited to the student’s unique needs.

School officials often refuse to write educational methodologies into the IEP. They argue that teachers should be free to use an “eclectic approach” to educating children with disabilities, and should not be forced to use any specific methodology. Congress rejected this practice when they reauthorized IDEA 2004. By including frequent references to the need to use scientific, research based instruction and interventions, Congress clarified that methodology is vitally important. By requiring the child’s IEP to include “a statement of special education, related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer reviewed research …” (Section 1414(d)(1)(A)) Congress clarified that IEPs must include research-based methodology. wrightslaw.com


Read your child’s IEP carefully. Does it state how your child will be taught? Is the methodology specified in ALL the objectives as well?


Example:

Annual Goal: Student will respond to a social situation with an appropriate comment that is not blunt or rude.

Objectives: Given direct instruction, examples, demonstration/modeling, practice, of inappropriate conversational behavior (blunt or rude) and a variety of common social situations using comic strip communications, Student will select an appropriate answer to the social situation from a group of 3 comic strip communications presented that is not blunt or rude, 4/5 opportunities over 4 consecutive data collections, given prompts (5 seconds wait) and praise that is gradually decreasing.


One month objective: 3/5 opportunities over 4 consecutive data collections, verbal prompts (example: which answer is the best, which answer is being the nicest, which one would you want someone to say to you, etc.) .

Six month objective: 4/5 opportunities over 4 consecutive data collections, verbal prompts (example: which answer is the best, which answer is being the nicest, which one would you want someone to say to you, etc.) .

Full year objective: 4/5 opportunities over 4 consecutive data collections, independent performance/initiation.

Evaluation: monitoring chart twice per week




*So how does your child learn best?