New Site is Almost Ready

My new site is about 2/3 of the way finished.

I can't post on this site until it is ready - because I'm working on the new site.

Thank you for all of the encouraging emails letting me know that you are excited about the new site.

I'll let you know the name and new website address as soon as it goes live.

My AWESOME new website designer, Shauna, will also link OMAC to the new site.

Stay tuned!

Bad News and Good News

Bad news and Good news.

Bad news first: This blog has just about outgrown the site I'm currently using. I have no space to upload PDF's so that you can print for use in your classroom. I am suffering growing pains so I need to expand.

Now the Good news: I'm getting a new website! I'm happy that you cannot see my dance of joy. The new site will have a new name and look. It will also have the space to hold printable freebies that you can download (I'm really excited about that). We will upload all of the current information so that you will not lose access to all that is on the site now. It will continue to have a site for teachers/educators and parents but will expand to contain information for not only Autism/PDD but also Intellectual Disabilities. This is due to suggestions from my readers for more information about students in other significant disability categories, including Behavior. So I listened and will try to create a site that will meet all of our needs.

We are working on the site and I will give you a link as soon as I can.

Visual Representation of Data

We as Special Educators all know data. We live and breathe data. At times we get deathly sick of data. But....if we are running a classroom based on the Science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) then just learn to love it.

ABA, as you well know, is not just taking data - filling sheets with tic-marks. In order to fulfill your responsibility in running an ABA classroom then you have to move on to the next step which is....Interpreting the data. I know that I've discussed ABA before but let's do it again.

Do you really know how to interpret all of those slashes and tic-marks you've been keeping on your student's academic and behavioral progress?


Well, one of the first steps to interpretation is to create a visual representation of the data.

Graphs.

Don't scream yet....it's really not hard. I know that you don't have time to take data much less add the extra step of graphing it - but you are going to have to do it in order to understand what you are doing.

Do you know how to use Excel? If not then here is an easy site that will help you create simple graphs. Make up some data and play around with the site. Usually line graphs are the best for showing progress or lack of progress on a day to day basis.

So, now you've graphed it. Look closely at the plot. Are there trends? Certain days that are not as good as others? Maybe times of the day that aren't as good? This is how you interpret data. Unless you graph it there is no way to interpret it.

Now, for the third step of fulfilling your ABA responsibility in the classroom - you now need to make changes in treatment based on the data that you have just interpreted. If the child is making progress then keep up the intervention you are using. If the child is having difficulty on certains days or times of the day then determine what is happening and intervene.

I want to give you another site for data sheets. I may have given this to you before but it is worth repeating.

Autism 4 Teachers Data Sheets

General Data Sheets & NET (natural environment teaching) Sheets

We will talk more about NET in the next post.

Crisis Management

I hate to bring up Crisis plans but it is a fact of life with some of our students. You know that I have worked in what we call Psycho-Educational centers for students with severe behaviors. We had daily crises and these involved our students on the spectrum.






A crisis could involve running out of the school building, becoming extremely self-injurious, exhibiting aggression toward staff or other students, or threats of self-injury/suicide.
But remember "crisis" is a relative term - a crisis to some may not truely be a crisis to all.





What I would like to do is to tell you what I do when I'm called out to a crisis. This may help you in de-escalating the situation.



1. Remain calm. That sounds silly but sometimes you are the only level headed one around. Some staff in other types of positions may not be used to significant behaviors and may over react at situations - making them worse. The best thing for our students is for you to model a sense of calm.



2. After the child is safe - call a team meeting. Involve the staff and administrators, psychologists and others. Sit for a few mins and debrief - making a plan.



3. When I run the meetings I like to use my computer to take notes/create a checklist as a plan of action. DO NOT just sit around talking about what happened and blaming each other.....cut to the chase and make a plan. The situation has already happened - move on. Using a word document - create a checklist of steps to take in getting answers to the following questions:

• Why this happened - the function.
• Do we need additional information to determine what to do next?
• Do you need an updated FBA?
• Updated Psychological?
• Updated Behavior Intervention Plan?
• Is it due to sensory issues/academic issues/medical issues?
• Are you not creating a positive environment?
• Does the student need a more restrictive environment?
• Is there a reinforcer/behavior system in place?
• Are there visual supports in place in the classroom?
• Do you recognize the antecedents for the crisis behavior?
• Are you being Proactive or Reactive in the way you deal with behavior?
• Have you completed a Reinforcer survey with the student?

4. Create a safety plan - go thru scenarios and exactly who will do what next time it happens (have a safe place where the student can run to, make sure student is supervised all day, etc.)

5. Determine when to hold a parent conference to brainstorm ideas and plan.



6. It is also important to talk to the student.



7. In creating a checklist - include each step, who will be responsible for each step and the timeline for completing each step. Take data. Make sure to develop a way to take data otherwise how will you know if progress is being made.



8. Schedule a followup meeting to discuss progress.

Reading Blogs 101

It has just come to my attention that some of my readers may not know how to access older posts. Sorry I did not think of explaining earlier.

1. On the left side of each page is :

Links to Older Posts
Autism Awareness (7)
Autism Education; (1)
BIP (1)
Blog Carnival (1)
Bloggy Carnival (1)
Cheapskate Ideas (1)
Classroom Layout (1)
Clutter Cleaning (1)
Color Coding (1)

This column will link to all of the posts on this page. It will tell you exactly how many posts are in each of the categories.

2. If you scroll down to the very bottom of each page it will say Older Posts. If you click this it will take you to the previous pages. There may be quite a few of these so keep doing this until you get to the beginning of the posts.

3. Link Back to the OMAC Site gives you the option (if you have a website or blog or your own) to copy and paste code to most the OMAC Button on your site so you can easily link back.

4. Subscribe in a Reader will allow you to access the new posts in through a Feedburner.

5. A couple of the pages have widgets that you can apply to your own blog if you have one. There are also videos that you can place on your website/blog.

End of Blogging class 101. I hope that answers a few of the questions you had.

I'm.....Back!

Okay, I took a little longer than I thought I would to get back to blogging. But I'm EXTREMELY Busy. I am now settled back into school....settled back into College (getting ready for comps and dissertation) and I'm ready to get back to blogging.

I've posted new topics on several pages and will back in the swing of things as I have Lots of updates to share.

Welcome back to school!

No posting for a week and a half because.....

I'm taking my niece....my nephew....and my mom to Disney World!! It is their first time with Mickey and I'm excited to see their faces.

I'll be back and begin posting again soon.