An ABA School & Center for Children with Autism
Presented by Joshua Weinstein, President & Founder
Utilizing
Applied Behavior Analysis
Shema Kolainu- Hear Our Voices
Mission Statement
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To hear the voices of the children and families we
serve as they strive to achieve their full potential
for independence, productivity and inclusion in the
community.
Shema Kolainu (SK) is dedicated to the education of
children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Our vision is to provide the best opportunity offered
anywhere for children with ASD to achieve recovery.
Shema Kolainu- Hear Our Voices
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Shema Kolainu “Hear Our Voices” is a
school and center for families with
children with an autism spectrum
disorder, and other related disabilities
such as RETTS, OCD, ED and other
physical disabilities.
Shema Kolainu is a private, non-profit,
non-denominational, multi-cultural
school, founded in 1998.
Shema Kolainu- Hear Our Voices
Center-based Services
 Pre-School (3 to 5 years) - NYS approved
 School (5 to 11 years) - NYS approved
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Related Services (center and home-based)
Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Art Therapy
Music Therapy
Evaluation Services
Parent training and support groups
Technological Devices to
supplement verbal
behavior program
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Augmentative
Communication
Devices
Computer software
and programs
SK presented AAC Research in ABA 2006. Research resulted in increase
communication across all students. Research available on our website.
Home-Based Programs (part 1 EI)
Early Intervention Program: Giving Toddlers A
Strong Start
The Early Intervention Program serves children
diagnosed with autism and developmental
disabilities, age 0-3 at the time of referral.
This program is based on a strong parent-professional
partnership.
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Individualized services focus on learning readiness;
language; play; family participation; daily routines
relevant to eating, sleeping, and bathing; and other
areas jointly identified by SK-HOV professionals and
parents.
Home-Based Programs (part 2 EI)
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Through EI, children with developmental delays and
autism receive education, therapeutic, service
coordination and evaluation in the five boroughs of
New York City.
Programs are based on the child's Individualized
Family Service Plan (IFSP) and are designed to
involve the family in all aspects of the child's
program. Intensive applied behavior analysis is the
instructional method.
Home Based Programs (part 3 SEIT)
Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT)
Program for Children ages 3-5
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SEIT is an individualized program operating
throughout the five boroughs of New York City that
utilizes the child's natural environment for learning.
Certified special education teachers provide home
and community-based, one-to-one individualized
educational programming for preschool children,
ages 3 to 5, with autism spectrum disorders and
other developmental disabilities.
Home Based Programs (part 4 SEIT)
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Home-based SEIT programming is often combined
with the student's school, center-based or day
program to encourage the generalization of skills.
Some children with autism in SK-HOV's early
intervention and preschool programs have made
such dramatic progress that it is possible for them to
attend their neighborhood nursery school with the
assistance of a Special Education Itinerant Teacher.
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Least Restricted Environment (LRE) is provided using
these services for children who are able to be
mainstreamed with support.
For students who can be mainstreamed, the SEIT
provides behavioral interventions and support to the
student at the nursery school while acting as a
consultant to early childhood teachers.
RELATED COMMUNITY-BASED
SERVICES/RES HAB
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Shema Kolainu participates in OMRDD's Medicaid
Service Coordination and Home Community-Based
Services (HCBS) Waiver Program, providing Res Hab
services through the waiver. A Service Coordinator is
on-site to assist children and families.
Medicaid Waiver Services
 Care at Home – for the medically fragile
 Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC)- coordinating
the services that a child receives and ensuring it is
effective and productive
 Residential Habilitation Program (Res Hab) –
assisting with adaptive daily living skills in the home
of the child
Parent Training Program (part 1)
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Workshop Series
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The workshop series is open the community free
of charge. Lectures are presented every other
month to address different topics that are related
to ASD.
This year’s workshop include:
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Living with Autism
Positive approaches for children with ASD
The independent Learner
Language acquisition
Open Door Policy
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Our classrooms are equipped with double sided
mirrors that allow for uninterrupted observations with
sound. This equipment can be used for both parent
and staff training
Parent Training Program (part 2)
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Parent support Group
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Giving opportunities for parents to
share their experiences and
knowledge while developing
relationships.
Networking
Community Resources
Resource library at school
Internet sites for parents
Staff Training Protocol (part 1)
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ABA training manual-in the first two weeks of
training the staff is given a manual that includes the
basic literature, tactical decision list and decision
protocol outline. This information is reviewed with a
BCBA qualified personnel.
Observations are conducted using a detailed form
called the Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy
(TPRA) form. These observation are analyzed and
graphed by the supervisor and analyzed for mastery
level criterion.
Public posting is an accepted behavioral tactic to
ensure consistency of performance across time.
Staff Training Protocol (part 2)
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Ongoing training is provided through:
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Staff Meetings
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Weekly workshops
Rapid Data presentation
Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) and
Principles of behavior for teaching programs.
Classroom meetings
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Tactical decisions
Student performance
Quality Assurance (QA) meetings
PSI- Personalized System of
Instruction
Modules (Keller, 1968, Greer, 2002)
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Verbal behavior about the Sciencevocabulary of the science of verbal
behavior (positive reinforcement)
Contingency-Shaped Behavior- Operant
behavior shaped directly by consequences
(providing positive reinforcement)
Verbally-Mediated Behavior- behavior that
is mediated or controlled by verbal
behavior rather then contingencies
(explaining positive reinforcement)
Teacher Assistant Rank
Verbal Behavior
about the Science
 Reads Maurice, Green,
Luce (1996) Behavioral
Interventions For Young
Children With Autism. Ch 5:
Selecting Teaching Programs
Reads Van Houten, R. “
How to Use Prompts To
Initiate Behavior”
Attends workshop on
prompting hierarchies
Contingency-Shaped Verbally-Mediated
Behavior
Behavior
5 TPRA observations with no
teacher errors across 5 STO’s
that you scripted
Presents 350 LU daily for 10
consecutive school days
Script 10 different student
programs, minimum of 1 per
domain with your
supervisor/lead teacher
Present 5 “bad” graphs at
staff meetings tacting key
points with 90% accuracy for
each presentation
Completes all corresponding
quizzes to mastery. Use
questions in readings.
Classroom Teacher Rank
MODULE : VERBAL BEHAVIOR
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Partington, J. & Sundberg, M. (1998). Teaching language to children with
autism or other developmental disabilities. Pleasant Hill, CA: Behavior
Analysts, Inc.Ch. 1-5
DEMONSTRATION- Identify a student, administer a baseline assessment of
skills using the ABLLS, identify target behaviors to be taught, script out all
selected programs, document data collection, criteria, and ratio of
instructional trials to criterion.
BCBA Signature:______________________ Date Completed: ________
Read “Teaching operations for verbal behavior” Teaching procedures for
mands/tacts
Ch. 1 Basic sequence. (Greer, 2001)
Quiz to Criterion (90%)
DEMONSTRATION- Implement direct mand training procedures outlined in
Greer across 3 students- 5 new forms taught to criterion in the 1:1 setting
for each student.
Measurement- 3 consecutive TPRA observations per student without error
Measurement- mand training sessions conducted 3x per week per student,
graphed and reviewed by supervising behavior analyst.
BCBA Signature:______________________ Date Completed: _________
TPRA- Teacher Performance
Rate/Accuracy
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Components of a TPRA
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(Ingham & Greer, 1992)
The Learn Unit (Albers & Greer, 1991)
 (discrete trial – Lovaas)
Mands and Reinforcement schedules –
(Mands are requests made for reinforcement.
Reinforcement schedules indicate the
frequency to access those reinforcers)
Rate of delivery –how quickly the teacher
delivers instruction
Collateral Praise –a general reinforcement
for the classroom
Immediate feedback
TPRA Form
Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy Observation
Observer: _____________
Student: ________________
Reinforcers: ____________
Teacher: _____________
Program: _______________
Level: ____________
Date: ________________
STO: __________________
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Target Behavior
Collateral Behaviors
LU # Ant. Beh. Con. LU Mand Con. LU Soc. I Soc. G Comments
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Mand
RF. Sch:
Teacher Performance Rate/Accuracy
This graph shows an
ascending trend of accurate
teacher delivered instruction
over time.
12
Count Per Minutes
10
8
Accurate LU Presented
Inaccurate LU Presented
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4
2
0
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TPRA
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Collateral Behaviors
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What behaviors are recorded
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Social praise to the student in the 1:1 setting
Social praise to others students in the
classroom
Some of the Research
Jones, K. M. Drew, H. A. & Weber, N. L. (2000).
Noncontingent peer attention as treatment for disruptive
classroom behavior.. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,.
33, 343-346.
Craft, M. A. Alber, S. R. & Heward, W. L. (1998). Teaching
elementary students with developmental disabilities to recruit
teacher attention in a general education classroom: Effects on
teacher praise and academic productivity.
Paige M. McKerchar & Rachel H. Thompson (2004). A
descriptive analysis of potential reinforcement contingencies
in the preschool classroom.. Journal of Applied Behavior
Analysis,. 37, 431-444.
Collateral Behavior
5
This graph shows an ascending
trend of collateral reinforcement
over time delivered by the teacher
to her student and all the other
students in the class.
4.5
4
Count Per Minute
3.5
Count Per Minute Contingent
Consequation to the Student in 1:1
3
2.5
Count Per Minute Contingent
Consequation to Other Students in the
classroom
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
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10 11 12 13 14 15
TPRA
Supervision Model
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SKHOV strives for professionalism in its highest
form
Our model includes a multilayered supervision
team that is well qualified and experienced.
Every child’s Portfolio is reviewed daily during the
one and a half hour time interval that is set for
portfolio planning and review.
Weekly portfolio review is done by a supervisor
who is BCBA qualified.
A monthly review is completed by the educational
director of all portfolios.
The ABLLS assessment is completed every three
months to ensure progress.
Summary of SK ABA approach
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ABLLS-R (Assessment of Basic Language and
Learning Skills Revised) James Partington
Research and Evidence Based Practices
Individualized Instruction
Group and Peer Instruction
PSI – Personalized System of Instruction
Related Services – Speech, OT, PT, Art and Music
Parent Training
Staff Training and Module System
TPRA- Teacher Performance Rate/Accuracy
Collateral Behaviors (Reinforcement for other
behaviors)
Supervision Model
Autism Awareness and Graduation Day
SK Visitors
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Provides Autism awareness of our program
iCARE4autism
International Center for Autism Research
& Education
Founded with the goal of discovering a cure
for autism,
iCARE seeks to build a consensus
surrounding the issues and best practices in
autism research and diagnosis.
iCARE4autism
International Center for Autism Research &
Education
Through RESEARCH, EDUCATION,
AWARENESS, and FUNDING,
iCARE4autism works in
partnership with similar
institutions globally to discover
the etiology of autism, and to
search for the biologic and
environmental causes of autism
spectrum disorders (ASD).
iCARE4autism International Autism
Conference - Jerusalem
Save the date!
February 17,18,19,
2010
The Autism
Epidemic
Autism Spectrum
Disorders (ASD)
Across the Life Span
What Does Medical and
Educational Research
Tell Us?
The gathering place for
furthering autism
research & education
What is the 2010 Autism Conference?
A 3-day international conference in Jerusalem, Israel.
Over 3,000 in attendance, including researchers,
educators, parents, trade show vendors, and sponsors.
A gathering place for leading international autism
researchers and educators to work in collaboration.
A meeting place for leading medical researchers and
practitioners.
Leading behaviorists and educators meet to converse
about the latest autism education.
The one place where parents can gain a complete
overview of both the latest medical research and
educational practices.
A unique opportunity for sponsors and vendors to
reach this valuable audience in a very brand-friendly
environment.
Topics
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Autism across the lifespan:
toddler, school-age, adult
Medical research in new
neurobiology, genetics, and
psychopharmacology
Education research in
socialization,
communication, challenging
behavior, and other related
areas.
Techniques covered: ABA &
alternative treatments
Speakers & Presenters
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Over 30 countries represented
Medical and scientific researchers,
Principal investigators
Professors
Board Certified Behavior Analysts
Pediatricians, Neurologists,
Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Nurse
Practitioners
Educational researchers
Parent Advocates
Location
Israel Convention Center (ICC)
•Ussishkin Auditorium: is Israel's largest
auditorium. With 3,104 comfortable seats
•Over 25 other halls with capacity ranging from
2,000 to 180 seats
Dates & Topics
February 17-19: Autism Awareness Week
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Wednesday, Feb. 17 at ICC
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Thursday, Feb. 18 at ICC
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Opening Ceremony
 Featuring a Keynote address by President of
Israel, Mayor of Jerusalem, and other major
world leaders
Medical Research and Practice Presentations
Educational Research and Practice Presentations
Friday, Feb. 19 (1/2 day) at ICC
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Children and family activities
International Autism Awareness Week
Tradeshow and Exhibitions will include
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Technological
Pharmaceutical
Educational
Therapeutic
Publication
Examples of booth exhibitors:
 Adaptive Communication Devices
 Adaptive Equipment
 Software and computer programs for children with autism
 Therapeutic Services
 Special Toys for Children
 Holistic Therapy Exhibits
Thank you for your attention!
Questions?
Email to jweinstein@skhov.org
Additional resources
www.icare4autism.org
www.shemakolainu.org
www.abainternational.org