Instructional Strategies Assignment

Lorraine Salas

EDUU 677

Professor Singh

February 12, 2023

 Becoming thoroughly trained on evidence-based instructional strategies before teaching

students with Autism improves chances of learners meeting their academic goals. In this paper I

will outline three evidence-based instructional strategies that can benefit learners with Autism

Spectrum Disorder and how they can be implemented in the classroom with reference to my

fieldwork observations.

Direct Instruction

Direct instruction is a teaching model that is used with language arts, writing, math, and

other academic subjects and it is best used in small student groups (Rentschler et al., 2022). The

foundational strategies of prompting and modeling can best be practiced in a small group or one-

to-one setting along with this teaching model. Some examples of lessons under Direct

Instruction are learning letter sounds, sight word recognition, decoding, organization

multiplication arrays, adding, and subtracting numbers. When instruction is given that is outside

of the skill level of the student or foundational skills are not acquired before the introduction of a

more advanced skill, students tend to lose motivation and develop a poor self-image. With

Direct Instruction, lessons are developed at the academic level of the student with ASD with the

use of repetition and assuring that mastery is completed before new content is introduced

(Rentschler et al., 2022). It is recommended to use placement tests that are found in a

curriculum’s teacher guide so that individual and small groups can be created and grouped based

on academic levels.

Prompting

The webpage resource Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules made

available by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill identifies the five types of prompting:

gestural, verbal, visual, model, and physical (Sam et al., 2015). “Prompts can be used to teach a
variety of skills such as pointing to objects, remaining ‘on task’, writing names, asking questions,

raising hand in class, completing math problems, sight-word recognition, and interacting with

peers.” (Sam et al., 2015). This strategy can also be used by any person under the care or

supervision of a student with ASD such as a caregiver, occupational therapist, speech language

pathologist, and education specialist. It is also a foundational strategy that is used with other

evidence-based practices such as time delay and reinforcement (Wong et al., 2014). There are

three key components in the process of prompting: antecedent (cue), learner response, and

feedback. It is important to get the students attention, make eye contact, match and touch the

stimulus, and express what you expect the learner to do. Offer a praise or reinforcement when the

learner completes the task or skill correctly and interrupt when the learner delivers an incorrect

response.

Technology Aided Instruction and Intervention

The modern student has shown interest and motivation in learning with the use of

technology and software developers have designed applications to increase that interest every

year. Technology-aided instruction and intervention is the use of any electronic item, equipment,

application, or virtual network that is used to improve productivity and capabilities of children

with autism spectrum disorders (Hedges et al., 2018). Breakthroughs in technology have

provided a variety of methods and devices that almost any student with ASD can use to

communicate their wants, needs, and responses to prompts. Some of these examples include

smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, speech generating devices, interactive white

boards, software for computers, and the internet. There are many goals that can be addressed

with TAII and some include increasing the accuracy of spelling, motivation, vocabulary

acquisition, independence, organization skills, and communication (Hedges et al., 2018). Some
of the ways TAII can help students with ASD increase independence is the ability to have

students work at their own pace, at their level of understanding, and reduction of social demands

(Hedges et al., 2018).

Implementation and Fidelity

With the implementation of any instructional strategy, it is important to first assess and

analyze results to identify academic and vocational levels for any learner with ASD. Identifying

academic and vocational levels can help with targeting instructional needs and developing short-

and long-term goals. Using data collecting charts and documenting any and all observations

before, during, or after instruction is an important step in progress monitoring and maintaining

fidelity. The student that I am observing during my fieldwork observations has been enrolled in

the special day class for thirty school days. Her previous teacher who is a general education

teacher states that the student was able to complete academic assignments at a fifty percent rate

throughout the school day. After being tested in the special day classroom, they scored at a

beginning first grade level in reading and writing, and a late first grade level for math. She is

able to read short vowel consonant-vowel-consonant words and is starting to read long vowel

words. She can read one hundred and twenty sight words and with technology aided instruction,

the student uses the Quizlet application on the iPad to practice their sight words. TAII has been

implemented in the classroom and has shown to be successful. The Lexia Reading program is

also a TAII that the student has been completing on a daily basis and the fidelity piece is that the

results of the students work on the program is shared during parent conferences. The student is

also rewarded with behavior points when they complete a level in the program.

For math and writing instruction, it was difficult for the student to transition because this

is their non-preferred academic activity. Verbal, gestural, and physical prompting has proved to
help the student gradually transition from whole group to small group. The level of prompting

began with gestures and now the student reacts with verbal prompting. Fidelity with prompting

occurs every day because this strategy is used during Direct Instruction. Direct Instruction occurs

daily and is evident with lesson plans in reading, writing, and math. During small group Direct

Instruction, the student is prompted to practice their penmanship and writing simple sentences

using sight words. They are also prompted to practice creating multiplication arrays.
 References

 The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder. (n.d.)

What are Evidence-based Practices?  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
https://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/evidence-based-practices
 C. Wong, S. Odom, K. Hume, A. Cox, A. Fettig, S. Kucharczyk, M. Brock (2014)
Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum
Disorder. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 Sam, A., & AFIRM Team. (2015). Prompting. Chapel Hill, NC: National Professional
Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, FPG Child Development Center,
University of North Carolina. Retrieved from http://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/prompting
 Hedges, S., & AFIRM Team. (2017). Technology-aided instruction and
intervention.  Chapel Hill, NC: National Professional Development Center on Autism
Spectrum Disorder, FPG Child Development Center, University of North Carolina.
Retrieved from http://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/technology-aided-instruction-and-intervention
 Rentschler, L., Sam, A., Waters, V., Dees, R., & AFIRM Team. (2022). Direct
Instruction. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child
Development Institute, Autism Focused Intervention Modules and
Resources. https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/direct-instruction