Autism & Asperger’s Disorder:
Information &
Effective Intervention Strategies
Instructor
Name: Dr. Marrea
Winnega
Phone: 509-891-7219
Office
Hours: 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. PST Monday – Friday
Email: marrea_winnega@virtualeduc.com
Address: Virtual
Education Software
Technical
Support: support@virtualeduc.com
Introduction
Welcome
to Autism & Asperger’s
Disorder, an interactive computer-based instruction course designed to help
you achieve a better understanding of Autism and Asperger’s
Disorder, of intervention strategies to enhance communication and learning, and
of methods for teaching more conventional behaviors. Autism
& Asperger’s Disorder provides information on
the characteristics of the disorder, learning styles associated with the
disorder, communication weaknesses, and various intervention strategies that
have proven to be successful when working with students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder. The course helps you
comprehend why individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder act the way they do,
and what you can do to enhance more appropriate behavior. This course also lists resources for
educators, related service personnel, and parents who would like more help or
information on autism and Asperger’s Disorder.
This computer-based instruction course
is a self-supporting program that provides instruction, structured practice,
and evaluation all on your home or school computer. Technical support information can be found in
the Help section of your course.
Course Materials (Online)
Title: Autism & Asperger’s Disorder: Information & Effective Intervention
Strategies
Author: Dr.
Marrea Winnega, Ph.D. &
Mary Coughlin, CCC-SLP
Publisher: Virtual Education Software, inc. 2001, Revised
2002, Revised 2004, Revised 2010, Revised 2014
Instructor: Dr. Marrea Winnega
Academic Integrity Statement
The structure
and format of most distance-learning courses presume a high level of personal
and academic integrity in completion and submission of coursework. Individuals
enrolled in a distance-learning course are expected to adhere to the following
standards of academic conduct.
Academic
Work
Academic work submitted by the
individual (such as papers, assignments, reports, tests) shall be the student’s
own work or appropriately attributed, in part or in whole, to its correct
source. Submission of commercially prepared (or group prepared) materials as if
they are one’s own work is unacceptable.
Aiding
Honesty in Others
The individual will encourage honesty in
others by refraining from providing materials or information to another person
with knowledge that these materials or information will be used improperly.
Violations
of these academic standards will result in the assignment of a failing grade
and subsequent loss of credit for the course.
Level
of Application
This course is designed to be an
informational course with application in work or work-related settings. The intervention strategies are designed to
be used with students with autism and Asperger’s
Disorder ranging in age from approximately three years to adulthood.
Expected
Learning Outcomes
As a result of this course, participants will
demonstrate their ability to:
·
To define the characteristics of Autism
Spectrum Disorder and Asperger’s for better
understanding of these disorders
·
To increase the ability to
identify students having these disorders
·
To provide information on how
individuals with these disorders are different from other students, and how to
teach them given these differences
·
To understand their behavior in
terms of their differences and communication styles
·
To develop an understanding of
the communication differences and weaknesses in students with autism or Asperger’s
·
To provide information on
teaching strategies
·
To provide resources for teachers
and parents
Course Description
The
course Autism & Asperger’s
Disorder has been divided into four chapters and into five to eight
exercises within each chapter. The first chapter is on the diagnosis of Autism
Spectrum Disorder; it gives a clear picture of the characteristics that define
these disorders. Although the
information in this chapter is thorough, there is much information published
about autism and Asperger’s Disorder. We recommend
that you complete readings and research outside the course materials to gain a
fuller understanding of these disorders and the variety of interventions. To
cover all areas and issues affecting students with autism or Asperger’s and their behavior would not be possible in one
course. However, this introduction chapter and subsequent chapters should give
you a firm understanding of the disorder and effective tools for facilitating
positive changes with these students.
The
second chapter of Autism & Asperger’s Disorder is “Behaviors & Differences.” This
chapter discusses ways in which individuals with autism or Asperger’s
are different from other learners. The information in this chapter serves to
increase your understanding of autism and Asperger’s
so that an effective intervention plan can be developed to help the student
with communication and/or behavioral difficulties. Gaining an understanding of
the possible reasons for their behaviors will also help in the understanding of
why certain interventions are more successful in teaching these students.
The
third chapter is “Communication &
Language.” In this chapter, you will
be given information about the prerequisites of communication, the components
of speech and language, and the profiles of nonverbal and verbal children with
Autism Spectrum Disorders. You will be
provided with interventions to enhance communication.
The final chapter covers “Visually Supported Communication.” You will learn how to use visual supports, schedules, and calendars to help students with autism or Asperger’s monitor their time and program more effectively and independently. You will learn to use the strategy of “first/then” to help children finish important daily tasks before moving into pleasurable free-time activities. You will also be presented with some case examples to strengthen your understanding.
Student
Expectations
As a student you will be expected to:
·
Complete all four information sections showing a competent understanding of the
material presented in each section.
·
Complete all four section examinations, showing a competent understanding of
the material presented. You must obtain
an overall score of 70% or higher,
with no individual exam score below 50%,
and successfully complete ALL writing assignments to pass this course. *Please note: Minimum exam score requirements may vary by college or
university; therefore, you should refer to your course addendum to determine
what your minimum exam score requirements are.
·
Complete a review of any section
on which your examination score was below 50%.
·
Retake
any examination, after completing an information review, to increase that
examination score to a minimum of 50%, making sure to also be achieving an
overall exam score of a minimum 70% (maximum of three attempts). *Please note: Minimum exam score requirements may vary by
college or university; therefore, you should refer to your course addendum to
determine what your minimum exam score requirements are.
·
Complete all course journal
article and essay writing assignments with the minimum word count shown for
each writing assignment.
·
Complete a course evaluation form
at the end of the course.
Course
Overview
Chapter
1 – Introduction & Characteristics
This
section focuses on the characteristics that define the autism spectrum. The areas to be discussed are the social and
communication deficits and the restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior,
interests or activities exhibited by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Chapter
2 – Behaviors & Differences
This
section describes how individuals with autism and Asperger’s
perceive the world and their different learning styles. These differences will be applied to the
behavioral challenges these students exhibit.
Chapter 3 – Communication & Language
This
section discusses the prerequisites for communication, such as object
permanence and cause and effect, the components of speech and language, and the
communication profiles exhibited by individuals with Autism Spectrum
Disorder. Enhancing communication in
both the nonverbal and the verbal student will be addressed.
Chapter 4 – Visually Supported Communication
This
section discusses how visual supports can be used to help students understand
verbal directions and what they need to be doing. Visual supports include
symbols, line drawings and pictures used as pictures on a ring, communication
boards, schedules, lists and first/then cards.
Examinations
At the end of each course chapter, you
will be expected to complete an examination designed to assess your knowledge.
You may take these exams a total of three times. Your last score will save, not
the highest score. After your third
attempt, each examination will lock and not allow further access. The average from your exam scores will be
printed on your certificate. However,
this is not your final grade since your required writing assignments have not
been reviewed. Exceptionally written or
poorly written required writing assignments, or violation of the academic
integrity policy in the course syllabus, will affect your grade.
As this is a self-paced computerized
instruction program, you may review course information as often as necessary.
You will not be able to exit any examinations until you have answered all
questions. If you try to exit the exam before you complete all questions, your
information will be lost. You are expected to complete the entire exam in one
sitting.
Writing Assignments
All assignments are reviewed and may impact your
final grade. Exceptionally or
poorly written assignments, or violation of the Academic Integrity Policy (see
course syllabus for policy), will affect your grade. Fifty percent of your
grade is determined by your writing assignments, and your overall exam score
determines the other fifty percent. Refer
to the Essay Grading Guidelines which
were sent as an attachment with your original course link.
You should also
refer to the Course Syllabus Addendum which was sent as an attachment with your
original course link, to determine if you have any writing assignments in
addition to the Critical Thinking Questions (CTQ) and Journal Article
Summations (JAS). If you do, the Essay
Grading Guidelines will also apply.
1) Critical Thinking Questions
There are
four CTQs that you are required to complete. You will need to write a minimum of 500 words (maximum 1,000) per essay. You should explain how the information that you
gained from the course will be applied
and clearly convey a strong understanding of the course content as it relates
to each CTQ. To view the questions, click on REQUIRED ESSAY and
choose the CTQ that you are ready to complete; this will bring up a screen where you may enter your essay. Prior to course submission, you may go back at
any point to edit your essay, but
you must be certain to click SAVE once you are done with your edits.
You must click SAVE before you write
another essay or move on to another part of the course.
2) Journal Article Summations
You
are required to write, in your own words, a summary on a total of three
peer-reviewed or scholarly journal articles
(one article per JAS), written by an author with a Ph.D., Ed.D.
or similar, on the topic outlined within each
JAS section in the “Required Essays” portion of the course (blogs,
abstracts, news articles or similar are not
acceptable). Your article choice must relate specifically to the discussion
topic listed in each individual JAS.
You will choose a total of three relevant articles (one article per JAS) and write a thorough
summary of the information
presented in each article (you must write a minimum of 200 words with a 400 word maximum per JAS). Be sure to provide the URL
or the journal name, volume, date, and any other critical information in APA format to allow the
facilitator to access and review each article. Your summaries must meet
the minimum word count and are
not to include your final citations as part of your word count. In other words, the citations are not to be used as a means to meet the
minimum word count.
To write
your summary, click on REQUIRED ESSAYS and choose the JAS that you would like
to complete. A writing
program will automatically launch where you can write your summary. When you
are ready to stop, click SAVE.
Prior to course submission you may go back at any point to edit your summaries
but you must be certain to click SAVE
once you are done with your edits. For more information on the features of this
assignment, please consult the HELP
menu.
You must click SAVE before you write
another summary or move on to another part of the course.
Instructor
Description
Autism & Asperger’s
Disorder has been developed by Marrea Winnega, Ph.D., BCBA and
Mary Coughlin, CCC-SLP, BCBA. Dr. Marrea Winnega, the instructor of record, is a Licensed Clinical
Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst with more than 20 years of
experience in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Currently, she is the
Director of School Consulting for Autism Home Support Services and an Assistant
Professor of Clinical Psychology in the University of Illinois at Chicago
Department of Disability and Human Development. She consults for schools and
agencies serving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including Asperger’s Disorder. She facilitated numerous parent groups
for parents of children with autism in her position at the
Mary Coughlin is a
Speech-Language Pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst with more than
25 years of experience in the field. Her
background includes working with students in both regular education and special
education settings. She has taught in a
communication development classroom and has worked with students with behavior
disorders; students with severe-profound disabilities, birth to 5; and
medically fragile children, as well as those with developmental delays and
autism. She served on a diagnostic team
serving early childhood children for more than 10 years. For the last 15 years she has worked with
students with autism and significant other impairments. She has presented numerous
workshops for parents and professionals on the various aspects of
communication, speech, and language. She
worked with Dr. Winnega in Autism Dynamic Beginnings
since its inception and currently serves as a consultant to the program
(renamed Students Teachers Achieving Results (STAR) program) incorporating
verbal behavior approach and structured teaching into effective teaching
strategies for its students.
Contacting the
Instructor
You may
contact the instructor by emailing Dr. Winnega at marrea_winnega@virtualeduc.com
or calling her at 509-891-7219, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m
- 5 p.m. PST. Phone messages will be answered within 24 hours. Phone conferences will be limited to
ten minutes per student, per day, given that this is a self-paced instructional
program. Please do not contact the instructor about technical problems, course
glitches or other issues that involve the operation of the course.
Technical Questions
If you have questions or problems
related to the operation of this course, please try everything twice. If the
problem persists please check our support pages for FAQs and known issues at www.virtualeduc.com and also the Help
section of your course.
If you need personal assistance then
email support@virtualeduc.com or
call (509) 891-7219. When contacting
technical support, please know your course version number (it is located at the
bottom left side of the Welcome Screen) and your operating system, and be
seated in front of the computer at the time of your call.
Minimum Computer
Requirements
Please
refer to VESi’s website: www.virtualeduc.com or contact VESi if you have further questions about the compatibility
of your operating system.
Refer to the addendum regarding Grading Criteria, Course Completion
Information, Items to be Submitted and how to submit your completed
information. The addendum will also note any additional course assignments that
you may be required to complete that are not listed in this syllabus.
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Latest
information in a variety of journals, including: Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders; Focus on Autism; Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
Books by Carol Gray:
The
New Social Story Book, The New Social Story Book-Illustrated Edition, Taming
the Recess Jungle. Available through Future
Horizons.
Resources
Autism Society of
Contact
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about local chapters and state associations.
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National
Standards Project,
“The
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Publishers/Bookstores
Future Horizons,
Inc.
Autism Asperger Publishing Co.
Amazon
Course content is updated every three years. Due to this update timeline, some URL links may no longer be active or may have changed. Please type the title of the organization into the command line of any Internet browser search window and you will be able to find whether the URL link is still active or any new link to the corresponding organization’s web home page.
Updated 8/26/15 JN