Statewide Autism Resources and Training (START) Effective Practices Assessment Tool (EPAT) for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The Effective Practices Assessment Tool (EPAT) was developed from a review of the literature on critical practices necessary for effective programming for young children with ASD. Establishing these practices in an early childhood classroom is important to allow children to make steady progress toward successful involvement in general education environments. The tool allows teams to rate the current level of implementation of critical practices and also re-evaluate progress over time. Examples are provided for three anchor levels.

Building/Team: ______District: ______Date: ______

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AREA 1: Current Status/Progress v e L Critical y t

In Place Partially Not in Place i r

Program o In Place i r

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Components 5

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1 h g i h = 5

, w o l = 1 CRITICAL  5  4  3  2  1 COMPONENTS Each student receives more than Each student receives Each student receives less than 5 Priority: 25 learning opportunities approximately 15 learning learning opportunities (including  1 1. Students are actively (including entire stimulus, opportunities (including entire entire stimulus, response,  2 engaged with many response, consequence stimulus, response, consequence consequence sequence) per hour on  3 learning opportunities sequence) per hour on average. sequence) per hour on average. average. Students are actively  4 Students are actively engaged in Students are actively engaged in engaged in productive activities less  5 throughout the day productive activities more than productive activities more than than 50% of the time. 80% of the time. 80% of the time. CRITICAL  5  4  3  2  1 COMPONENTS Instructional practices, curricula Some instructional practices, Instructional practices, curricula and Priority: and behavioral support strategies curricula and behavioral support behavioral support strategies are  1 2. Focus on evidence used are evidence-based and strategies that are implemented used because they have commonly  2 based practices and data is collected to document have research evidence supporting been used within the program, and  3 collecting data to effectiveness. Staff knows and them. Data is not consistently are rarely evaluated for  4 implements evidence based collected to document effectiveness.  5 document effectiveness practices in the classroom. effectiveness of practices.

START Materials 9/18/15 START Materials 9/18/15 CRITICAL  5  4  3  2  1 COMPONENTS Student goals prepare students Staff set kindergarten as a priority Minimal focus on activities that will Priority: for typical school and for most students with ASD; goals prepare students for typical school  1 3. Emphasis on community activities with peers; and activities are moderately environments upon leaving the early  2 preparing students for kindergarten is considered for all successful at preparing some childhood setting.  3 general education students with ASD; classroom students for general education  4 staff visit typical preschool and settings and peer integration.  5 environments and general education environments community at least once per year. involvement with peers

CRITICAL  5  4  3  2  1 COMPONENTS Staff consistently support Independence is promoted for Students are assisted to complete Priority: students to move toward some students or some of the time, most tasks and with few or no plans  1 4. Promotion of independence during school but staff does not consistently to reduce adult support and prompts.  2 independence activities and routines (e.g., implement supports that will allow Note: This does not mean taking  3 walking through the hallway) all students to increase away visual supports or  4 and in completing self-care skills independence during classroom augmentative communication  5 (e.g., putting on shoes) by using activities. systems that are effective. strategies that reducing the need for prompts such as visual supports, time delay, and prompt fading.

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AREA 2: e

Current Status/Progress v e L Organizational y t In Place Partially Not in Place i r

Supports o In Place i r

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1 h g i h = 5

, w o l = 1 SCHEDULE AND  5  4  3  2  1 ORGANIZATION Classroom activities are Classroom activities are organized Classroom activities are not Priority: systematically organized to with developmentally appropriate systematically organized and may  1 5. Classroom activities address key learning goals activities but may not be not adequately address  2 are organized and including communication, implemented systematically; key developmentally appropriate goals;  3 address key learning social, motor, literacy, and pre- goals are addressed some, but not activities may not provide a  4 academic /academic areas all days; students still have complete mix of social,  5 goals throughout the day; clear periods of unstructured time. communication, motor, pre- organization and structure are academic/academic, and literacy evident to anyone who enters the goals; large blocks of free time are room. provided in the daily schedule. SCHEDULE AND  5  4  3  2  1 ORGANIZATION The classroom schedule A standard preschool schedule A standard preschool schedule is Priority: counterbalances work time with may be used with some used without considering creative  1 6. Classroom schedule movement activities to increase modifications to account for ways to increase time on task and  2 is developed to motivation and reduce problem individual needs. Schedule may learning opportunities. Classroom  3 maximally promote behavior resulting from extended not consistently maximize activities may not include a mix of  4 work time; bathroom breaks are learning time or ensure movement goals; large blocks of free time are  5 engagement and taken during snack to reduce and learning is alternated. New provided in the daily schedule and increased learning time away from learning learning activities may be students are not always actively opportunities activities; scheduling ensures a incorporated into the schedule engaged. wide range of goals are periodically. Students have some addressed within activities. New periods of unstructured time with activities are consistently limited engagement. incorporated within the schedule to support learning and engagement.

START Materials 9/18/15 VISUAL &  5  4  3  2  1 BEHAVIORAL Areas of the room are clearly Some areas of the classroom are The classroom is a wide open space Priority: SUPPORTS delineated; space is laid out so delineated moderately well; some without clear boundaries, or clutter  1 children focus on tasks (e.g. spaces are still problematic and makes it hard to differentiate  2 7. Classroom enclosed play spaces that less functional for student between areas; needed materials are  3 environment is promote social interaction, work learning. Staff may use logical hard for students to access; problem  4 areas without too many environmental barriers to support areas are not modified (e.g.,  5 structured to prevent distractions); schedules and students to remain in areas, but covering areas that are distracting). problem behaviors and communication systems are easy students often need physical support learning to access. Effective management by adults to remain environmental systems are used in required locations. to support students (e.g., chairs provided at circle for students who need assistance sitting). VISUAL &  5  4  3  2  1 BEHAVIORAL Students are provided with a Some visual supports are used to A few visuals are placed around the Priority: SUPPORTS variety of visual supports (e.g. assist students but may not be classroom but children do not attend  1 stop signs, wait signs, picture used consistently or other visuals to them and staff rarely references  2 8. A variety of visual labels for areas, choice making may be more effective. Students them.  3 supports are used to cues) in a majority of daily may need to be prompted to use  4 activities and staff actively uses visual supports most of the time.  5 promote visual supports to assist children communication and with learning and behavior. reduce problem Although some students behaviors occasionally need prompting to use the visuals, many students use them with minimal support. VISUAL &  5  4  3  2  1 BEHAVIORAL Students are verbally Students are sometimes verbally Students are acknowledged for Priority: SUPPORTS acknowledged and regularly acknowledged and provided with appropriate behaviors inconsistently  1 provided with reinforcers to reinforcers to reward appropriate and correction of problem behavior  2 9. Appropriate reward appropriate behavior; the behavior; appropriate behaviors occurs more frequently than praise  3 behaviors are regularly ratio of positive to negative may be quietly ignored. for appropriate behavior.  4 feedback is at least 4 positives to  5 reinforced 1 negative.

START Materials 9/18/15 VISUAL &  5  4  3  2  1 BEHAVIORAL The staff makes decisions about A plan may be in place to address Problem behaviors are discussed by Priority: SUPPORTS responding to behavior at team problem behaviors, but it isn’t staff in the moment, which leads to  1 meetings and all staff agrees to followed consistently by all staff slow response to behavior, and  2 10. Inappropriate respond in the same manner or is preceded by too much verbal provides attention to the student for  3 behaviors are quickly within a set time period; the plan prompting; staff occasionally negative behavior; staff does not  4 is followed consistently for a discusses behavior in front of respond to behavior in the same  5 addressed in a substantial period of time before students or makes decisions way; problem behaviors are not systematic manner. changes are made. during behavioral episodes. addressed systematically. VISUAL &  5  4  3  2  1 BEHAVIORAL Proactive strategies are Some proactive strategies are used Problem behaviors are not Priority: SUPPORTS implemented to prevent problem to reduce problem behaviors, but addressed, or are addressed with  1 behavior (e.g., visual cues, pre- may not be used consistently or by negative consequences (e.g. time  2 11. Proactive strategies corrects, environmental changes) all staff. out, reprimands) and prevention of  3 are used to reduce and appropriate alternative problem behavior is rarely  4 behaviors are taught (e.g. wait, considered.  5 problem behaviors and ask for help, or making choices). teach appropriate alternative behaviors. VISUAL &  5  4  3  2  1 BEHAVIORAL Expectations for students are Expectations may be defined, but Expectations are not explicitly Priority: SUPPORTS well-defined, written, clearly may not be posted or taught to all defined for staff or students.  1 posted, and taught regularly with staff and students. Staff may know  2 12. Expectations are students and staff. Expectations the expectations but do not follow  3 clear and consistent for for staff are documented and a them. Expectations are not  4 system is in place to ensure typically shared with parents.  5 students and staff expectations are followed. Expectations are shared with parents.

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AREA 3: e

Current Status/Progress v e L Instructional y t

In Place Partially Not in Place i r

Supports o In Place i r

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1 h g i h = 5

, w o l = 1 GROUP INSTRUCTION  5  4  3  2  1 Within classroom instruction, Some differentiation of instruction All students are expected to learn the Priority: 13. Differentiated different requests and prompting occurs during classroom same content and are presented with  1 instruction is to meet levels are used for different instruction, but is not consistently the same materials; efforts are not  2 the needs of different students to meet their diverse planned and is not specifically directed toward diversifying  3 learners needs and strengths (e.g. some targeted to meet the diverse instructional requests or goals within  4 students point to pictures to learning needs of different activities to meet the needs of  5 respond, while other students learners; rates of instructional different learners. provide verbal responses); rates requests may be higher for some of instructional requests are students compared to others. fairly equivalent for all students GROUP INSTRUCTION  5  4  3  2  1 Center-like activities are Some opportunities for small No or few scheduled opportunities Priority: 14. Small group regularly scheduled and group instruction occur, but these for small group instruction are  1 instruction is scheduled implemented such that student: opportunities may be irregular or provided; teaching primarily occurs  2 and implemented to adult ratios are maximized; minimally structured (e.g., the in a whole-class format (no attempts  3 maximize instructional student groupings are adult in charge of a group of are made to split circle or provide  4 opportunities thoughtfully implemented; students is unclear about goals). smaller groupings during other  5 creative scheduling practices activities to reduce student to ensure that small group teacher ratios). instruction occurs regularly within the schedule. GROUP INSTRUCTION  5  4  3  2  1 Classroom activities are planned Some classroom activities Classroom activities do not regularly Priority: 15. Clear goals, so that multiple goals are regularly address a few goals or target a variety of goals (e.g.,  1 identified from a targeted and taught within targets, but all staff may not be sensory table is primarily focused on  2 number of domains are activities; goals target aware of these targets, or the sensory play, art activities primarily  3 actively targeted within communication, pre-literacy, targets are not consistently focus on fine motor skills).  4 classroom activities academic skills, gross & fine addressed.  5 motor skills, and social domains; staff actively targets these areas

START Materials 9/18/15 for students; written goal cards are used, in many classroom activities. GROUP  5  4  3  2  1 Priority: INSTRUCTION: Circle time has clearly Circle time is structured with some Circle time is routine with few  1 CIRCLE TIME identifiable goals; students have planned goals; students are given targeted goals for students; students  2 numerous opportunities to some opportunities to respond are typically passive participants  3 16. Circle time is engage with teacher through although specific feedback is not (e.g., students listen to a story being  4 engaging with clear group and individual responses often provided; group size may be read to them, or listen to music), few  5 goals and numerous that are followed by feedback; large; activities are generally the opportunities are given for students group and individual the size of the group is same for long periods of time. to respond or ask questions either as learning opportunities conducive to learning and a group or individually with management of student feedback; size of the group may be behavior; new routines and too large. activities are regularly integrated into circle time. GROUP  5  4  3  2  1 Priority: INSTRUCTION: Snack has clear goals that are Snack is set up with some group Snack is primarily a time to eat and  1 SNACK directly addressed. Students and individual goals focused on little instruction takes place such as  2 have numerous opportunities for communication and social prompting for communication or  3 17. Snack is set up with group and individual responding, interaction; some opportunities are social interaction with adults or  4 specific communication requesting and social given for students to engage with peers.  5 and social goals with engagement. Snack time is adults and peers through numerous group and utilized as a time to increase responding and asking questions. individual learning natural social opportunities and Snack time communication and opportunities engagement with peers. social interactions may be heavily prompted with little opportunity for natural interaction. INDIVIDUAL  5  4  3  2  1 INSTRUCTION A developmentally appropriate A curriculum (or curricula) may be A standard curriculum (or curricula) Priority: and effective curriculum used to structure classroom is not used to address class wide or  1 18. Key curriculum (curricula) is used to structure activities but not all curriculum individual goals.  2 areas are addressed classroom activities and address areas are addressed systematically  3 individual student goals. The across days and students.  4 curriculum is used  5 systematically across days and students; key curriculum areas include: attending, imitation, communication, social, pre- academic/academic, motor, self- care, school readiness.

START Materials 9/18/15 INDIVIDUAL  5  4  3  2  1 INSTRUCTION Individual goals are identified Individual data sheets are available Individual goals are only Priority: and available in a specified with critical goals identified for infrequently targeted in the  1 19. Individual goals are location (program book, data those students requiring more classroom; regular data collection  2 targeted and taught sheets on a clipboard) for intensive instruction but intensive does not occur to show whether the  3 with regular data students requiring intensive instruction may not be provided student is making gains on  4 collection to inform instruction; these students consistently enough to produce individual targets; 1:1 or 1:2  5 decision making receive daily opportunities for changes in learning. instruction occurs primarily in the 1:1 or 1:2 instruction and data context of ancillary services (e.g., collection occurs approximately speech, OT) and rarely occurs within each day; generalization data are the classroom setting. also collected. INDIVIDUAL  5  4  3  2  1 INSTRUCTION Staff regularly uses evidence- Staff inconsistently use evidence- Staff do not use instructional Priority: based instructional strategies to based instructional to teach skills strategies based on applied behavior  1 20. Evidence-based teach skills (i.e., prompting, or use them with only moderate analysis principles to teach new  2 instructional strategies shaping, reinforcement, task effectiveness (e.g. over-prompting, skills.  3 are used for teaching analysis, generalization). inconsistent reinforcement).  4 Instructional requests are  5 consistently followed by either: a) reinforcement for a correct response, or b) prompts to achieve successful responding. PLAY  5  4  3  2  1 Age-appropriate activities and Play activities are age-appropriate Play activities are not age Priority: 21. A wide range of materials (e.g., books, pretend and many materials are offered; appropriate; efforts are not directed  1 age-appropriate play play materials, puzzles) are however, these materials are not toward diversifying and expanding  2 activities are offered offered and accessible; play routinely changed or expanded to play opportunities with new  3 materials are representative of ensure that students have exposure materials and play activities.  4 those found in typical preschool to new play activities (e.g.,  5 classrooms and efforts are systematically changing dramatic directed toward diversifying and play materials). expanding play opportunities.

START Materials 9/18/15 PLAY  5  4  3  2  1 Play time is highly structured for Play activities are regularly Some children are not actively Priority: 22. Supports are used to students who require it, with supervised by adults but some engaged in meaningful play during  1 ensure active and adult and peer support to ensure supervising adults are unclear of scheduled play time; play skills for  2 meaningful engagement that learning and meaningful specific goals, and may not these students are not consistently  3 in play activities engagement occurs for all effectively use teaching strategies modeled and expanded through peer  4 students; when appropriate, play such as prompting and modeling to and adult supports.  5 schedules, scripts, and peer encourage appropriate play. training are offered to encourage appropriate play; pre-teaching of foundational play skills is addressed in individual or small group instruction to promote success during play time. COMMUNICATION  5  4  3  2  1 Staff consistently plan and Some staff encourage Students are often provided with Priority: 23. Communication implement communication communication (e.g., the speech- items without encouraging  1 opportunities that target opportunities by using therapist or the classroom teacher), communication (e.g. snacks);  2 a range of motivating materials, but efforts are not systematic activities are not actively planned to  3 communication skills communicative temptations, and across people; communication ensure that communication  4 are actively planned making preferred items visible, opportunities may only happen at opportunities are maximized.  5 but inaccessible. Staff regularly specified times such as during and taught throughout promotes manding/requesting, snack/lunch, or tend to focus in the day labeling, teach yes/no, and only one area (requesting), rather choice-making opportunities. than opportunities to learn a range of communication skills. COMMUNICATION  5  4  3  2  1 Students have functional Functional communication systems Some students do not have Priority: 24. Every student has a communication systems to make are available for some, but not all functional communication systems,  1 functional their wants and needs known; students; communication systems and/or parents have not been  2 communication system systems may be verbal, pictures, are developed but are not consulted to determine the most  3 that is supported across signs, or an augmentative individualized based on a careful appropriate mode of communication  4 environments device. Systems target broad assessment of student strengths for students.  5 communication needs, including: and needs; systems may be requests for items, requests for developed with some parental support (help), making internal input, but systems are not typically states known (illness), and social used across all environments with interactions (greetings) across all communication partners. environments and partners.

START Materials 9/18/15 COMMUNICATION  5  4  3  2  1 Students are supported to initiate Initiations of social interactions are Initiations of social interactions by Priority: 25. Children are taught social interactions and sometimes targeted, but not students are inconsistent or are not  1 to initiate social commenting with both peers and consistently; initiations toward directly targeted.  2 interactions adults throughout the day; peers are targeted less frequently  3 verbal, gestural and visual than initiations toward adults.  4 prompts are used to help  5 students share interests with others (e.g., “look what I have”), and initiate social interactions (e.g., “can I play?” “what do you have?” “your turn”). COMMUNICATION  5  4  3  2  1 Students are taught to request Requests are targeted in a few Initiating requests is not specifically Priority: 26. Staff supports items and activities across a activities with support from adults targeted, or is targeted in only one  1 students to initiate variety of domains, e.g., but systematic efforts are not taken activity (e.g., child uses his Picture  2 requests foods/snack items, preferred to expand the child’s repertoire of Exchange Communication System  3 toys, social activities (play, requests; requests tend to be from (PECS) book only during snack time  4 tickles), sensory activities one or a few domains (e.g., foods to request food items).  5 (swing, trampoline), and play and sensory activities). items (play-doh, puzzles); requests are systematically targeted throughout the day in a variety of environments with data collection to determine progress on expanding requesting ability.

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AREA 4: e

Current Status/Progress v e L People Supports y t In Place Partially Not in Place i r o

In Place i r

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1 h g i h = 5

, w o l = 1 TEAM  5  4  3  2  1 Staff meetings are set as a priority Staff meets on a semi-regular basis Classroom staff primarily discusses Priority: 27. Team meetings and key staff members attend. but all key staff members (e.g., issues informally without all team  1 occur on a regular Meetings are run efficiently and administrators, ancillary staff) are members; meetings that DO occur  2 basis and are run effectively with an agenda and not in attendance. A standard tend to involve casual discussion,  3 effectively and action items developed each time; meeting format is sometimes used, often go off-topic, and rarely result  4 efficiently with an action items are followed up on at but action plans are not in an action plan.  5 each meeting. consistently created or followed. agenda and action plan

SERVICE DELIVERY  5  4  3  2  1 & CONSISTENCY Staff discusses plans in team Staff coordinates responses to Each staff member responds to Priority: meetings to ensure consistency of behavior at some times and with behavior without coordination with  1 28. Staff are consistent responding in learning tasks and some children. other staff; goals and teaching  2 in their work with when responding to behavior. A approach are not coordinated across  3 students (e.g. system is in place to check that all staff.  4 responding to staff follows team plans for  5 behavior, teaching ensuring consistency. strategies)

SERVICE DELIVERY  5  4  3  2  1 & CONSISTENCY Planful scheduling allows Ancillary staff spends only some Ancillary staff rarely spend time Priority: ancillary staff to assist in the of their time in the classroom or if interacting and assisting in the  1 29. Ancillary team classroom at key times of the day; they spend most of their time in the classroom and mostly provide  2 members spend time ancillary staff addresses classroom they are not well- services to students outside the  3 directly supporting the individual goals in activities integrated into the schedule and classroom.  4 classroom within the classroom and model classroom themes, activities, and  5 teaching and instructional goals. techniques for classroom staff (e.g. speech therapist models speech activities in classroom for staff to use).

START Materials 9/18/15 FAMILY  5  4  3  2  1 INVOLVEMENT Families are invited to volunteer Families attend IEP meetings and Families may attend IEP meetings Priority: in the classroom; families give receive some communication from but receive minimal communication  1 30. Families are actively input regarding preferences for the classroom team. They may from the classroom team supporting  2 supported to be involved goals, strategies, and participate in some additional goal their child.  3 in their child’s communication systems; setting and planning related to  4 educational program resources are provided to families behaviors and learning  5 as needed; families receive performance. regular communication that provides both positive feedback and relevant information regarding their child’s progress in school.

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