Description

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How can schools and districts support better outcomes for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)? Find the answers in this essential guide for administrators and educators, a user-friendly roadmap for assessing teachers' current instruction and implementing evidence-based teaching practices.

The heart of this unique resource is an efficient Classroom Observation Tool developed by the authors (in collaboration with classroom teachers and administrators), which helps support school teams in implementing evidence-based practices for teaching students with ASD. After uncovering strengths and needs with the tool, educational leaders can use the practical guidelines and strategies in the book to strengthen instruction at the classroom, school, and district levels. Readers will also get critical background information on students with ASD, including their cognitive processes, the challenges they encounter in school, the fundamentals of intervention, and the key laws and regulations every school leader needs to know.

With this informative tool and concise handbook, school leaders can make high-quality instruction the norm in every classroom-- and develop new ways to support the engagement and learning of all students with ASD.

USE THE BOOK AND TOOL TOGETHER TO:

• assess evidence-based practices in both general and special education settings
• identify areas for improvement and target professional development efforts
• help teachers develop and deliver effective instruction for students with ASD
• match teaching practices with the cognitive profiles and learning needs of individual students
• learn new strategies for productive collaboration between teachers and administrators

Assess and improve practices in three key areas:
Environment--including physical organization of the classroom, visual schedules, and behavioral supports
Instruction--including clear instructional objectives, activity schedules, direct instruction, systematic instruction, and data collection
Communication--including embedded communication instruction, communication with peers and adults, and targeted social skills instruction

About the Author

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Christina R. Carnahan, Ed.D., is Associate Professor of Special Education and Director of Advancement and Transition Services at the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include literacy instruction for individuals with autism and other significant support needs across the lifespan. Dr. Carnahan has published in journals such as Expectational Children, Focus on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and Journal of Special Education. K. Alisa Lowrey, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Special Education within the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education in the College of Education and Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the field of special education. Dr. Lowrey is the Program Coordinator for the Undergraduate Program at USM. She is also the co-editor for Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. Her research interests include inclusive practices, universal design for learning, and quality teacher preparation and professional development, specifically focusing on those learners with the most significant support needs. Dr. Lowrey has published in journals such as Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities.