Autism Programs’ School Based Services

“Multi-Layered System of Supports (MLSS) is New Mexico’s comprehensive overhaul of the Response to Intervention (RTI) that improves support systems by removing administrative barriers to providing timely evidence-based supports and focuses on holistic student success through robust family partnerships.”(https://webnew.ped.state.nm.us/bureaus/multi-layered-system-of-supports-mlss/mlss-history-and-origins/)Please see the website above to access information about New Mexico’s Multi-Layered Systems of Support. You may...

Educator Voices: Multi-layered Systems of Support Part 1

“Multi-Layered System of Supports (MLSS) is New Mexico’s comprehensive overhaul of the Response to Intervention (RTI) that improves support systems by removing administrative barriers to providing timely evidence-based supports and focuses on holistic student success through robust family partnerships.” (https://webnew.ped.state.nm.us/bureaus/multi-layered-system-of-supports-mlss/mlss-history-and-origins/) Please see the website above to access information about New Mexico’s Multi-Layered Systems of Support....

Educator Voices: Supporting Indigenous Students in Native Education Settings

Participating in culturally responsive teaching requires a teacher to view their classroom as a learning environment in all aspects and not limiting educational lessons to typical academic subjects. Providing a culturally responsive classroom settings in Native American communities requires the school staff to invite and support local community members to become part of the school...

Educator Voices: Establishing Instructional Control

Establishing instructional control is an integral step in creating an effective classroom. Creating a structured, reinforcing classroom environment is not only an excellent way to quickly build rapport with students, it can also foster a learning atmosphere with less challenging behavior and more time spent on-task. This podcast describes the seven steps as described by...

Educator Voices: Antecedent Interventions

Some evidence-based interventions are actually many interventions that work together to serve the same purpose. An example of that is antecedent Interventions which we will talk about today. Antecedent interventions are designed to alter the environment before a behavior occurs. Almost anything that prevents a behavior from happening is an antecedent intervention.

Educator Voices: Addressing Challenging Behaviors

Some Evidence Based Practices focus on the reduction or elimination of behaviors that interfere with a student’s ability to participate in school, home, and community settings. Extinction is a strategy based on applied behavior analysis that is used to reduce or eliminate unwanted behavior. Extinction involves withdrawing or terminating the positive reinforcer that maintains an...

Educator Voices: Functional Communication

An important Evidence-Based Intervention for almost all children with ASD is Functional communication. Every individual (regardless of disability) needs a way to communicate that allows them to get what they need or want in a way that is acceptable and understandable to the wide world beyond school, therapy and home.

Educator Voices: Prompting

Prompting refers to providing assistance or cues to encourage the use of a specific skill. Sometimes the instructor provides one or more prompts. Sometime the prompts are part of the material used (such as a stop light). As teachers, we do a lot of it without even thinking about how and what we are doing....

Educator Voices: Planning for Transition

Transition is a topic that is most often addressed when students are in middle school preparing for the transition to high school and what our students will do when they are no longer our students. However, as most teachers and parents know, significant transitions occur throughout the school years. In my experience of an educator,...

Educator Voices: 11 IEP Considerations for Students with ASD

The 11 IEP Considerations for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder help IEP teams consider some essential issues when developing an individualized education program for students with ASD. These considerations were developed to address parent concerns about the provision of services to students with ASD. The 11 Considerations were adopted into New Mexico law in July...

Educator Voices: Preference Assessment

It is important to think about how to determine what is actually reinforcing for students. In order for something to be reinforcing, the delivery of that item/activity, etc. must increase the likelihood that a behavior will happen again. Reinforcement is all about motivation! We must have effective reinforcers (things that will motivate our students to...

Educator Voices: Data Collection

Although teachers are required to collect data related to academic development as well as interfering behaviors, collecting information without using it to make instructional and/or environmental changes may be frustrating and does not make the best use of valuable time. In this podcast, we will discuss ways in which data can be easily collected and...

Educator Voices: Reinforcement

Reinforcements and rewards – what’s the difference and what’s the big deal? You may be aware that it involves giving kids what they want in order to encourage them to do what they don’t want but understanding some of the subtleties will make a big difference in how successfully you use both reinforcement and rewards!...