UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS COURSE NAME: Autism Spectrum Disorders: Issues in Assessment & Intervention COURSE NUMBER: CMSI 299/EDCI 200 CRN 12403 Off campus UG & GR students (Section DL1) CRN 10872 On campus UG & GR students (Section A1) CRN 12934 Off campus ILEHP students (Section DL2) CRN 14138 Off campus SLP-A students (Section DL3) CRN 10881 On campus CE students (Section ZR1) CRN 14201 Off campus HEC students (EDCI 200, Section DL1) SEMESTER: Spring YEAR: 2011 COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will highlight current research regarding neurodevelopmental issues in autism; recognizing early markers or red flags for ASD; the diagnostic criteria and assessment tools used to identify children with ASD; assessment and intervention considerations in communication, social interaction and play; intervention strategies with an evidence-base including relationship based (e.g., Floor Time), skill based (e.g., PECS, video modeling), parent-based (e.g., joint attention training, More Than Words), and cognitive-perspective based (e.g., social stories, peer mediation) interventions. The course will also focus on developing an understanding of the role of families in the assessment and intervention of children and adolescents with ASD in consideration of their cultural values and beliefs. Further, the course will create a framework for understanding and implementing effective interventions; and, profiling the strengths and challenges of each intervention including ways to match children’s strengths and needs, family capacity and the family’s cultural values and beliefs with the interventions selected. Students will be exposed to collaborative and interdisciplinary models of service delivery that ensure family-centered and culturally competent approaches to assessment and intervention. CREDITS: 3 (Undergraduate & Graduate) PREREQUISITES: No specific prerequisites have been listed as required; however, this is an upper 200 level course offered for undergraduate and graduate credit. Undergraduates who take the course should be in good standing and should be upper level students with a specific interest in autism. CMSI 94 Development of Spoken Language would facilitate students’ understanding of the language components emphasized in this class. CLASS MEETING TIMES: DATES: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 to Wednesday, May 4, 2011 TIME: 5:10-8:10 pm 1 LOCATION: L400 Lafayette (@ UVM) DISTANCE LEARNING SITES: VIT sites: Brattleboro, Rutland, Springfield, St. Albans, Montpelier NOTE: VIT sites are not available for a full 3 hours on Feb. 9 th -only available 5:10 to 6:45 pm; on March 16 Montpelier students will need to go to Waterbury; Castleton site will be used for the two first weeks of class in place of Rutland site URL for Videowebstreaming: http://real.uvm.edu:554/ramgen/broadcast/cmsi.rm COURSE FACULTY: PRIMARY INSTRUCTOR: Patricia A. Prelock, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Dean, College of Nursing & Health Sciences Professor, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders OFFICE: 105 Rowell, 106 Carrigan Drive, UVM PHONE: (802) 656-2529 E-MAIL: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS: 2-3:30 pm Wednesday Other times by appointment CO-INSTRUCTOR: Amy Ducker Cohen, Ph.D. Clinical Coordinator, Autism Spectrum Program OFFICE: Howard Center PHONE: (802) 488-6683 E-MAIL: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS: By appointment only TEACHING ASSISTANT : Jessica Berry, Graduate Student OFFICE: Graduate Student Room, Pomeroy Hall PHONE: (845) 321-3453 E-MAIL: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS Available Thursdays, 3:00-5:00 pm Other times by appointment PROGRAM SUPPORT: Louise Lareau OFFICE: 005 Rowell E-MAIL: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS: Available Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 8:00-4:00 TEACHING-LEARNING METHODS: A variety of teaching tools including group and individual classroom and Blackboard activities will be used to facilitate students’ learning. This is a writing intensive course with support from the Writing in the Disciplines Program. Student learning is evaluated through the completion of several writing assignments for which grading rubrics are provided. Video 2 clips both in class and on blackboard provide context for the content that will be discussed in class. In the classroom, students will be asked to participate in class discussions that are facilitated through a think-pair-share strategy in small groups. Targeted group and general discussion forums will occur using Blackboard technology. TEXTBOOKS & OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS: REQUIRED TEXT: Prelock, P. A. (2006 ). Autism Spectrum Disorders: Issues in Assessment & Intervention . Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Publishers. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED READINGS: Additional journal articles used to supplement the required text can be found on Blackboard. The readings are organized under Course Materials. There is a folder for each Wednesday class with the required and recommended readings posted as links to the articles through the UVM Library where you can download individual pdfs. Please be sure your Adobe Reader is up to date on whichever computer you are using. Please note: Readings in the required textbook will not be posted on Blackboard. A decision was made not to create coursepacks to save paper (ultimately trees) and costs for students. I encourage you to bring your laptops to class and take notes on the ppts or instructional outlines that are posted to support your learning. RESOURCES: National Research Council (2001). Educating children with autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. (check on line at NAP) National Standards Project (2009). Addressing the need for evidence-based practice guidelines for ASD. National Autism Center ( www.nationalautismcenter.org ) Check out the ASHA Evidence-Based MAP for Autism ( www.ncepmaps.org or http://www.ncepmaps.org/Autism-Spectrum-Disorders.php ) PLEASE CHECK BLACKBOARD EACH WEEK: A copy of each week’s course outline will be posted on Blackboard prior to each class. Links to both required & recommended readings will also be posted on Blackboard as will resources of interest, video links, and additional handouts for each class. Students should check the Blackboard site for CMSI 299/EDCI 200 on a regular basis for additional and relevant materials that will support class discussion and applications to practice. COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. To increase knowledge and skill in applying family-centered and culturally competent care to the assessment and intervention of children and adolescents with ASD and their families. (ASHA Standards III-D & IV-G1b, 2a; VT Standard 2: Professional Development, Principles 2 & 3; VT Standard 3: Colleagueship, Principle 10). 3 2. To increase awareness and knowledge of both formal and informal methods of assessment for children and adolescents with ASD, especially in the areas of receptive & expressive language, cognitive communication, social aspects of communication, communication modalities , play and behavior. (ASHA Standards III-D & IV-G1b; VT Standard 2: Professional Development, Principles 7 & 9). 3. To increase understanding of the red flags or early markers as well as the diagnostic criteria used to identify children and adolescents with ASD. (ASHA Standards III-C, III-D & III-F; VT Standard 2: Professional Development, Principle 3). 4. To create diagnostic profiles of children and adolescents with ASD leading to meaningful, evidence-based intervention planning. (ASHA Standards III-C, III-D, III-F, IV-G1b & 2a & IV-F; VT Standard: Professional Development, Principles 7, 8 & 9; VT Standard 3: Colleagueship, Principle 10; VT Standard 4: Advocacy, Principles 11 & 12; VT Standard 5: Accountability, Principles 15 & 16). 5. To increase understanding of various evidence-based interventions proposed for serving the needs of children and adolescents with ASD and their families as described in the literature . (ASHA Standards III-D, III-F & IV-G2a; VT Standard 2: Professional Knowledge, Principles 3 through 9). 6. To increase knowledge and use of creative problem solving, conflict management and mediation strategies to support team decision making around selection and development of intervention programs for children with ASD and their families. (ASHA Standards III-D, III-F & IV-G2a; VT Standard 3: Colleagueship, Principle 10; VT Standard 4; Advocacy, Principles 11-13. 7. To create treatment protocols for serving children with ASD leading to meaningful, evidence-based intervention across a variety of settings. (ASHA Standards III-F & IV-G2a; VT Standard 2: Professional Knowledge, Principles 3- 9). 8. Students will understand and use effective interaction and personal qualities to collaborate with students, families and other professional colleagues to provide the most appropriate model of service delivery for children and adolescents with ASD (ASHA Standard IV-G2a; VT Standard 3: Colleagueship, Principle 10; VT Standard 4: Advocacy, Principles 11, 12 & 13). The following is a list of the expected knowledge and skills for students at the end of the CSD program as outlined by the Commission on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Standard 3.1B. Those outcomes that are supported through work in this course are identified (see checked boxes). Knowledge of the nature of speech, language, Taught Practiced Evaluated hearing, and communication disorders and differences, as well as swallowing disorders, including etiologies, characteristics, and anatomical/physiological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, linguistic, and cultural correlates. articulation fluency voice and resonance, including respiration