What are the two conflicting approaches to intervention?
The traditional behaviourist approach (one to one, pre-determined, highly structured) and the Developmental approach (Very child centred and unstructured)
What can be a problem with contemporary behavioural and developmental approaches, which sit in the middle ground of the spectrum?
- They can be like “Patchwork”.
- uncoordinated
- poorly integrated
- can cause confusion between home and school
What does SCERTS stand for?
Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transactional Support.
What is the SCERTS model?
- A flexible, individualised, family-centred approach, based on current research in ASD and child development.
- It’s an overarching framework which considers and plans for each individual and their family.
- Takes into account the complexity and inter-relatedness of the core impairments
- Considers communicative functions and intentions of behaviours
- Positive behaviour supports
- Integrates socioemotional factors, arousal modulation and emotion regulation
- Learning and sensory preferences: visual supports
- A comprehensive multidisciplinary approach
What social communication (SC) aspects does the model focus on?
- Capacity for joint attention
- Capacity for symbol use
What emotional regulation (ER) aspects does the model focus on?
- Self regulation
- Mutual regulation
- Recovery from dysregulation
What transactional support (TS) aspects does the model focus on?
- Educational/ Learning support: (Visual/ organisational
supports, environmental/curriculum modification) - Interpersonal support: (communicative and interactive
partner attainment, peer relationships.) - Family support and support among professionals: (For
emotional support, as well as development of skills.)
What intervention approaches are there?
- Hanen more than words
- Hanen talk-ability programme
- PACT (preschool autism communication trial)
- SCIP (social communication intervention programme)
- Secret Agent Society
What are the four stages of the Hanen More Than Words programme?
- Own Agenda (Pre-intentional)
- Requester (Pre-linguistic)
- Early Communicators (first words)
- Partner (word combinations)
What does the Hanen More Than Words programme consist of?
- Parent intervention
- Early communication intervention
- Social support for parents
through:
- Pre-programme assessing and video recording
- Minimum 17.5 hours group training
- 3 video feedback sessions
In the Hanen More Than Words programme, what are parents trained to use ‘every day contexts’ to do?
- Create and facilitate new reasons and temptations for their child to communicate
- Highlight contingency: the connection between what is being said and what is happening
- Encourage turn taking with routines
- Cue or prompt the child to take a turn
- Intrude to get an interaction going, then follow the child’s lead.
What language modelling strategies do they highlight in HMTW?
Say less
And stress (highlight key words)
Go slow
And show (use visual aids)
Who is Hanen’s Talk-ability programme aimed at?
Parents of verbal children aged 3 to 7 with social communication difficulties.
What does Talk-ability help the child to do?
- Have two-way balanced conversations
- ‘Tune in’ to non-verbal meanings
- Understand and respond to how others feel
- Develop imagination and flexibility
- Play with other children
What does the I-Cues strategy involve?
Hanen Talk-ability
- Include your child’s interest
- Interpret his/her message
- Introduce your own ideas
- Insist on a change of topic
Do this through:
- Commenting …and wait
- Asking a question…and wait
- Making it easier to answer your question…and wait
- Hint…and wait
- Make a suggestion…and wait
- Tell your child what to say or do…and wait
What is PACT? What does it involve?
The Preschool Autism Communication Trial
A communication focused, parent mediated intervention for children under 5 with autism.
It involves:
Video feedbacking:
- To increase parental responsiveness and sensitivity to
child’s communication
- To promote strategies to develop child’s
communication such as repetitions, pauses and
action routines
One to one sessions:
- Between parents and therapist (with child present)
- 2 hr sessions, every 2 weeks for 6 months, followed by
monthly ‘booster’ sessions for 6 months (total 18
sessions)
Families expected to do 30 minutes daily home practise.
What is SCIP? What does it involve?
Social Communication Intervention Programme.
A standardised approach for children aged 6 to 11, with social communication difficulties.
Involves:
- Parents and teachers involved in planning intervention
- Direct intervention from an SLT and closely supervised
supportive assistants
What is the Secret Agent Society (SAS)?
An individualised spy-themed intervention, for high functioning children with ASD, aged 8 to 12.
Targets emotional understanding, regulation and social skills.
Can be in the form of a multi-level computer game, board games/ card games or modelling and role play.
What are 10 tips for how to engage a young child with a diagnosis of autism?
- Joint attention (items of high interest)
- Temptations (create reasons for communication)
- Low approach angle (Get low)
- Anticipation routines (1…2….3…go!)
- Physical routines (rough and tumble, tickling)
- Increase pauses (give child opportunity to signal)
- Wait for child’s signal, DO… then pause.
- Non distracting environment
- None or minimal speech
- Vocally and physically imitate the child
