what does a teacher do in TEACCH?
rather than seeing how person presents as problem, the teacher embraces that difference and values that difference, everyone is different rather than just people with asd
what does TEACCH celebrate?
celebration of culture of autism
what is the main aim of TEACCH?
we try to put accommodations in the environment to help people function rather than changing the person themselves..prosthetic environment taps into creating an environment for them to function
What is TEACCH based on?
physical layout and visual environment that taps into visual orientation of people with asd, respond v well to visual stimulation, like routine so TEACCH env is based on routine and vis scheduling
what accommodates people with ASD in TEACCH programmes?
ASD find it difficult to transition from one activity to another, they like the familiarity, and use of visual stimuli is a powerful way of counteracting liking or doing the same thing, visual schedules to keep them informed about what will happen in their env, tell them what’s coming next, reflects background of ABA
what is the fundamental difference between ABA and TEACCH?
fundamental diff between two approaches is ABA approach is trying to change the person using systematic methods taking account of the diffs, approach of TEACHH is more celebrative of the culture of ASD and help person to function in a changed env to accommodate their needs.
what does the TEACCH programme pride themselves upon?…reducing challenging behaviours
decreasing need for challenging behaviours by changing the env in TEACHH. lack of accommodation in env to the needs of the person will cause person to carry out a challenging behaviour.
can comparing the ABA and TEACCH approaches be justified?
- TEACH and ABA, two approaches suggest valid measures of outcomes, the data used to compare the approaches is open to dispute. TEACHH didn’t produce any measurable changes in IQ, but ppl from TEACHH will say they’re setting out to improve QoL and not IQ for person.
- assumption that there are measurable variables that can indicate improvement, but disagreement about which approach and about what would indicate a benefit derived from treatment.
- psychologists are bringing together a bunch of strategies that have been able to show an effect, bringing to bear on knowledge that have established effects which encapsulates an approach, the bringing together of all these strategies.
what are features of the TEACCH environment?
physical layout is NB:
- the distraction of doors and windows is minimised
- shelving is used in strategic way in the order that it is going to be used,
- room divided into areas with diff physical characs and areas are allocated to diff activities, try to vis see what each area is for.
- furniture is used in strategic way to separate people and activities.
- positioning of work areas is NB, need to be in places that are not visually distracting, need to be marked and clear to differentiate between a work area and non-work area.
what are other features of the TEACCH programme, ie scheduling?
- scheduling is NB, should be followed for day and is a written schedule.
- individualised schedules so that each child has their own schedule and presented in a way they can understand.
- written schedule supplemented with photographs etc.
- vis prompts used for tasks, sequence of photos to demonstrate to child how to carry out task, vis assembles of photographs…clipboard and laminators!
visual prompts to indicate to the child about what is next?
there is a heavy dependence of vis prompts, show them a pic of the activity and the assemblent of photos, pair vis with verbal prompts in telling the child what to do
what is there an emphasis on in the classroom?
- emphasis on left to right sequence, sorting tasks organised by left-right sequence, mirror left-right sequence which we use in presenting material.
- TEACHH classrooms produce quicker learning, when test people outside of context its not clear whether they function better
what are one of the downfalls of the ABA programme?
ABA basically says autism can be eradicated and people buy into this, want their IQ to improve and make them look less autistic.
…need to ask parents what they want for their child…who is this being done for and when is child seen for being the recipient of the service that you choose?
does the severity of the disorder indicate which approach should be adopted?
- we need multiple demonstrations of the benefits of a particular approach.
- v hard to predict who will benefit from the approaches. - no simple answer as to whether severity of disorder should determine which approach you adopt.
what did Callahan et al. 2008, say?
Anecdotal reports by teachers, parents
suggest however, that the inability of many
school districts to deliver high quality autism programming
is an area of widespread concern.
what is social validity?
Social validity can be generally defined as consumer satisfaction with the goals, procedures, and outcomes of programs and interventions… Whether or not a particular intervention—or a comprehensive treatment model—receives widespread social validation can determine the extent to which the intervention or model is adopted and implemented within schools, homes, and clinics
who created the TEACCH programme?
Mesibov and Schopler in 1972
what does TEACCH mean?
Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped CHildren
where did the TEACCH programme originate?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
what is the theoretical rationale for TEACCH approach?
The TEACCH approach is called ‘‘Structured Teaching.’’
Structured Teaching is based on evidence and observation
that individuals with autism share a pattern of neuropsychological deficits and strengths that we call the ‘Culture of Autism’
what are the 8 characteristics does the ‘Culture of Autism’ proposed by Mesibov include?
- Relative strength in and preference for processing
visual information, as opposed to language processing. - Heightened attention to details, but difficulty with connecting, or deriving meaning from them
- Enormous variability in attention (individuals can be very distractible at times, and at other times intensely
focused). - Communication problems, always including impairments in the initiation and social use of language (pragmatics).
- Difficulty with concepts of time, including moving
through activities too quickly or too slowly, and having problems recognising the beginning or end of an activity. - Tendency to become attached to routines and the settings where they are established, so that activities may be difficult to transfer or generalise from the original learning situation. Disruptions in routines can be uncomfortable, confusing, or upsetting.
- Very intense interests and impulses to engage in
favoured activities and difficulties disengaging once engaged. - Marked sensory preferences and aversions.
what did Bodfish (2004), say that favours the implementation of a TEACCH environment?
Bodfish concluded
that there is clear empirical support for the benefits of
structure and predictability in the environment
what 4 structures does TEACCH recommend?
1) physical structure
2) organising and communicating the sequence of events of the day
3) organisation of individual tasks using visual means
4) linking individual tasks into a sequence of activities, called the work/activity system
what does 1) physical structure embody?
examples are (a) using elements such as furniture arrangement or visual cues that show a student/client which activities occur in specific areas and where to stand or sit in the area, and (b) reducing environmental sources of distraction or overstimulation by seating a student facing away from a door or window.
