Ziggurat Model: A Functional Approach
to Autism Planning
Overview of the Ziggurat Model and the Comprehensive
Autism Planning System (CAPS)
Educators Summer Symposium - 2009
Breakout session presented by
Brittany Schmidt
Center for Disabilities, ASD Program
What IS a Ziggurat?
zig⋅gu⋅rat
noun (among the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians) a temple of Sumerian origin in the
form of a pyramidal tower, consisting of a number of stories and having about the
outside a broad ascent winding round the structure, presenting the appearance of a
series of terraces.
Do I have to learn one more
intervention??
No!

The ZM (Ziggurat Model) is a format for
taking the information you know about
characteristics, organizing your
observations then taking intervention
ideas and organizing the above into a
comprehensive plan that has, at the core,
the characteristics of the individual.
Introduction
•
•
•
•
Doctors Barry Grossman and Ruth Aspy
www.texasautism.com
The Ziggurat Model (ZM) is a unique
process and framework for designing a
comprehensive intervention plan.
An essential strength and underlying
feature of the Ziggurat is that it is
designed to address true needs or
underlying deficits of students with autism
spectrum disorders (ASD).
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Components of the
Ziggurat Model

Five levels in a hierarchical structure
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◦
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Sensory Differences and Biological Needs
Reinforcement
Structure and Visual/Tactile Supports
Task Demands
Skills to Teach
Three Assessment Tools
◦ The Underlying Characteristics Checklist
(UCC) (this one will be covered today)
◦ Individual Strengths and Skills Inventory (ISSI)
◦ ABC-Iceberg (ABC-I)

The Ziggurat Worksheet (so will this one)
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Strengths of the
Ziggurat Model
Outlines evidence-based practices
 Incorporates a functional behavioral
assessment
 Emphasizes a proactive, positive approach
 Incorporates ongoing assessment
 Promotes collaboration and
communication among parents and
professionals

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Intervention Ziggurat (IZ)
IZ facilitates the development of targeted,
comprehensive positive interventions
Incorporates five critical levels:

1. Sensory Differences and Biological Needs
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reinforcement
Structure and Visual/Tactile Supports
Task Demands
Skills to Teach
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Intervention Ziggurat
SEE HANDOUT
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Sensory Differences and
Biologic Needs
Sensory differences are not currently
included as core symptoms of ASD.
• Impact of sensory differences to the
individual pose some of the greatest
challenges.
• Motor differences (muscle tone, oral-motor,
repetitive movements, motor planning)
• Biologic Needs (hunger, pain, illness, sleep)
• Field of OT - Sensory Systems & Sensory
Integration: (proprioceptive, vestibular,
tactile/touch, visual/sight, auditory/sound,
gustatory/taste)
•
Sensory/Biologic - continued

Modifying the environment to ensure
physical health and comfort and optimal
sensory arousal level may be critical to
the success of an intervention program.
Reinforcement
Defined as “a situation or event that
follows a particular behavior, resulting in
an increased likelihood that a behavior
will recur in the future” (Bregman &
Gerdtz, 1997, p. 611)
 Provided that a consequence is desirable,
the behavior will be displayed more in the
future
 Essential to process of acquiring new
skills

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Structure and Visual/Tactile
Supports
•
•
Based on core characteristics of HFA/AS
– Intense drive to find order and make sense of their
world
– Tend to conceptualize ideas and experiences in a visual
way
Visual information may be used to address a variety of
needs
– For instance, visual supports shown to improve
communication skills (Thieman & Goldstein, 2004)
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Task Demands
(or; “removing obstacles”)
Is it appropriate to expect John to be able
to sit in a classroom for 45 minutes?
 What are the social demands for Maria at
work?
 Can Marty copy information from the
board?
 Does Miguel have the skills to handle a
field trip to the art museum?

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Skills to Teach
Autism spectrum disorders are lifelong
conditions that require intervention
throughout the lifespan. Only when the
sensory system is calm, reinforcement is
available, the environment is made
predictable through structure and
visual/tactile supports, and task demands are
carefully designed can skills be effectively
taught and demonstrated.
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Interdisciplinary Approach
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•
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Implementation may require the expertise
or participation of several people
One of the benefits of using Ziggurat
Model
Provides a big picture and brings service
providers together so all working towards
a common goal
Helps all players see how they are
contributing to overall process
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Moving From Assessment to
Intervention Design
• Assessment Tools
– Underlying Characteristics Checklist (UCC)
– Individual Strengths and Skills Inventory (ISSI)
– ABC-Iceberg (ABC-I)
• Comprehensive Intervention Planning
– Ziggurat Worksheet (ZW)
• Incorporates the five levels of the Intervention Ziggurat
• Addresses underlying needs identified with the UCC
• Includes three points of intervention (A-B-C)
• Implementation
– Implement intervention
– Evaluate outcomes
©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Why Use the Ziggurat Model
The five tiers of the Intervention Ziggurat
and the three points of intervention
(A-B-C) are based on an understanding of
the characteristics and needs of
individuals with HFA/AS.
 Use of ZM (UCC, ISSI, ABC-I, and ZW)
facilitates the identification of needs and
provision of comprehensive treatment
through an interdisciplinary approach.

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Why Use the Ziggurat Model
The Ziggurat Model is not a set of
intervention techniques. It is a framework
for decision making.
 The model does not describe how to
intervene. It describes how to design an
intervention using a set of evidence-based
strategies.

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Strengths of the Ziggurat
Model
Provides a process and framework for
designing an intervention
 Addresses characteristics of ASD
 Emphasizes and enhances evidence-based
strategies
 Facilitates comprehensive intervention
design

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
Strengths of the Ziggurat
Model
Incorporates assessment
 Emphasizes a positive approach
 Facilitates the design of proactive
interventions
 Facilitates interdisciplinary interventions
 Prevents a “band-aid” approach to
intervention
 Prevents punitive approaches

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
UCC – CL and HF
Informal assessment tool designed by
Aspy and Grossman designed to identify
characteristics across a number of
domains.
 It is not designed for diagnosis.
 The results are used to develop a
comprehensive intervention incorporating
each of the five levels of the Ziggurat.

UCC
Completed by parents and staff.
 Completion of the UCC is an
intervention in itself!

◦ Increased awareness of the characteristics and
the impact on the individual leads to
decreased frustration on the part of the team.
UCC-CL or HF
CL = Classic
 HF = High Functioning

General Intervention Plan
UCC/ISSI
Intervention Ziggurat (Ziggurat Worksheet)
Specific Behavioral Concerns
UCC/ISSI
ABC-I
Intervention Ziggurat (Ziggurat Worksheet)
Using the UCC
Video
Which UCC will you use? CL or HF?
 Continue the video

Designing a
General or Global Program
Users first prioritize concerns from
several areas identified on the UCC using
the guiding questions on the Global
Intervention Plan Instructions
 Using guided questions on the Global
Intervention Plan Instructions, specific
items are then selected from the
prioritized UCC areas

©2008 Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., & Barry G.
Grossman, Ph.D.
General Intervention Plan
UCC/ISSI
Intervention Ziggurat (Ziggurat Worksheet)
Global Intervention Plan –
Establishing Priorities
From the list of UCC concerns select
items to address for intervention.
 These items are transferred to the
Ziggurat Worksheet.

Establishing Priorities
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Which UCC’s have the greatest impact?
◦ Difficulty understanding non-verbal
communication may be more fundamental and
important than understanding jokes.

Which UCC’s address more pivotal
underlying needs?
◦ Think about the ultimate goal of intervention.
Short and long-term goals be developed.
Intervention Design Helper

A simple worksheet you can choose to
use if the Global Intervention Plan isn’t
needed or desired.
General Intervention Plan
UCC/ISSI
Intervention Ziggurat (Ziggurat Worksheet)
Intervention Ziggurat/Ziggurat
Worksheet
Facilitates
the development of targeted,
comprehensive positive interventions.
Incorporates the five critical levels,
structured in a hierarchy.
The first three levels depict internal and
environmental factors.
Sensory/Biologic
Reinforcement
Structure and Visual Tactile Supports
IZ
BASE/1st Level: Sensory Differences and
Biologic Needs
– Addresses basic internal factors that impact all
functioning.
2nd Level: Reinforcement
– Addresses motivational needs prerequisite to skill
development.
3rd Level: Structure and Visual/Tactile
Supports
– Draws on the strength of visual processing and
addresses the need for order and routine that is
fundamental to individuals with ASD.
Top Two Levels
The top two levels of the IZ focus on
understanding expectations in light of the
characteristics of individuals with an ASD
and targeting appropriate skills to
develop.
Task Demands and Skills to Teach
Specific Behavioral Concerns
UCC/ISSI
ABC-I
Intervention Ziggurat (Ziggurat Worksheet)
The ABC-Iceberg (The ABC-I)
A behavioral assessment approach using
the Ziggurat Model
 Incorporates the relationship between
the characteristics of autism spectrum
disorders and behavior

Aspy and Grossman (2008)
Iceberg Analogy
•
•
•
Way of describing critical aspects of
objects or circumstances that are not
apparent without careful observation.
TEACCH applied this analogy to aid in
the understanding of behaviors observed
in individuals with an ASD.
Interventions based on the iceberg
concept are designed to address
underlying deficits or characteristics
associated with autism.
ABC-I Model Applied to Social Isolation
Aspy and Grossman (2008)
ABC-I Model Applied to Meltdowns
Aspy and Grossman (2008)
CAPS
Shawn Henry and Brenda Smith Myles
The Comprehensive Autism
Planning System (CAPS) is designed
to provide an overview of a student’s
daily schedule by time and activity
as well as the supports that he/she
needs during each period.
 Following the development of the
student’s IEP, all educational
professionals who work with the
student develop the CAPS.

continued
Thus, the CAPS allows professionals and
parents to answer the all-important question
for students with an ASD: What supports does
the student need for each activity?
• The CAPS is a list of a student’s daily tasks and
activities, the times they occur, along with the
all-important delineation of the supports
needed to support student success.
• In addition, the CAPS includes space for
making notations about data collection and
how skills are to be generalized to others
settings.
•
CAPS
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The CAPS is founded on the recognition
that students with an ASD have complex
needs in multiple areas.
It is individualized.
Comprehensive: takes into account all
activities of the day to ensure that
supports are integrated throughout.
Flexible: can be used with students from
preschool to college at home and school.
Addressing Current
Mandates and Trends
•
Accountability
– AYP
– Targeted skills to teach
– Data collection across the day
– IEP goals as well as state standards
•
Scientifically based instruction
– Instruction embedded with the necessary
supports to ensure progress
– RtI/evidenced based interventions
– Student performance
– Continuous progress monitoring
Components
Time, Activity, Targeted Skills to Teach
 Structure/Modifications
 Reinforcement
 Sensory Strategies
 Communication Social Skills
 Data Collection
 Generalization Plan

Ziggurat and the CAPS
Begins with the completion of the UCC
and ISSI.
 Information obtained is incorporated into
the CAPS to ensure that the student’s
needs and interventions are addressed
throughout the day with data collection
and a plan for generalization built in.
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Handouts
Blank CAPS
 Completed CAPS
 CAPS with visual support examples
shown
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