by Ann M. Sam, Suzanne Kucharczyk, Victoria WatersFirst Published December 14, 2017 Other https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059917745654
“Ms. Crouch was a first-year special education teacher at Douglas High School. With support from school administrators and the special education team, Ms. Crouch expanded the work-based learning opportunities for students with more intense support needs, including students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The changes in instructional settings and focus were especially challenging for one student, Mateo, who began to exhibit new and challenging behaviors that were more likely to limit his future success in work settings.
Mr. Welling, an elementary-level special educator, has co-taught in an inclusive classroom for 4 years. Soon after the first day of school, Mr. Welling connected with the individualized education program (IEP) team of his new student, Lauren. The IEP team included the second-grade general education teacher, the speech-language pathologist (SLP), and Lauren’s parents. Although Lauren had become much more independent with her use of a speech-generated device with adults, she communicated very little with peers. Each team member expressed a desire to increase Lauren’s engagement with peers in order to develop her social and communication skills.
Educators, like Ms. Crouch and Mr. Welling, continually encounter new challenges that require different tools or ways to utilize current tools in novel ways. Common challenges when working with students with ASD may include addressing interfering behavior, developing communication systems, increasing social opportunities for students, and addressing academic needs. The emergence of online learning modules, however, can provide the support that teachers, who work in a variety of settings, need to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs).”