A Proactive Approach to Interfering Behaviors
Slide 2: Prevent or reduce using M.A.P.S.

We can often PREVENT or REDUCE interfering behavior!

Proactive interventions should be implemented BEFORE a student walks in the door, but
ALSO when a student demonstrates interfering behavior.

M.A.P.S.—Modify, Adjust, Provide and Support!
o Modify the environment
o Adjust instruction
o Provide opportunities to communicate and make choices
o Support the student visually
Now that you know more about interfering behaviors in the student with ASD, it’s important to
remember one crucial piece of information: we can often PREVENT or REDUCE challenging
behavior! This should come as good news to you as a paraprofessional! Wouldn’t it be nice for
both you and your students if things could be done ahead of time to keep the interfering behavior
from ever occurring? Prevention is one of the primary principles of behavior support. When we
understand the function of the behavior, we can often prevent or reduce challenging behaviors by
using positive and proactive strategies.
Your school likely uses such positive and proactive strategies, or what are also known as
universal interventions. Such proactive interventions should be implemented before a student
walks in the door but we will also immediately evaluate for proactive strategies when a student
begins to exhibit any kind of interfering behavior. We do this because proactive interventions
can reduce the chances an interfering behavior will happen. The easiest way to remember these
strategies is M.A.P.S.—Modify, Adjust, Provide and Support! In this presentation, we will
explain how to:

Modify the environment

Adjust instruction

Provide opportunities to communicate and make choices

Support the student visually
Slide 3: Work with strengths



Everyone has strengths, even the student with ASD!
The M.A.P.S. system uses a student’s strengths to reduce the chances of interfering
behavior.
M.A.P.S. understands that students with ASD are often visual learners, have a great
memory and thrive in a routine environment.
Everyone has strengths, or something they are good at. This also includes the student with ASD!
The best part about the M.A.P.S. system is that it uses a student’s strengths to reduce the chances
that an interfering behavior will happen. Students with ASD are often visual learners, have a
great memory, and thrive in a routine environment and the M.A.P.S. system understands how to
use such strengths!
Slide 4: Proactive supports for Andy




Andy is our high school student with ASD.
He has a great memory and is a visual learner.
He has started to leave the classroom without telling anyone.
Andy’s team decided to use:
o Visual cues by placing a sign on the door that reads “RETURN to DESK.”
o Card that he can use to let people know he needs something.
o Provide Andy with a lot of attention before his independent work time.
Let’s look at an example. Andy is our high school student with ASD and he has a great memory
and is a visual learner, however, recall that he has started to leave the classroom without telling
anyone and has even left the building on two occasions. Andy’s educational team decides to
utilize visual cues by placing a sign on the door that reads “RETURN to DESK” to indicate
Andy should not leave the area. The team also gives Andy a card that he can use to let people
know he needs something. They provide Andy with a lot of attention before his independent
work time. Andy’s educational team is incorporating Andy’s strengths of visual learning and
great memory in their proactive interventions as a way to help reduce his interfering behavior of
leaving the classroom. Let’s look at the following videos that will illustrate some of the
strategies that Andy’s team has put in place to help support him.
Slide 5: Visual support: Return to desk
Insert Video: Return to Desk
Transcript:
Celina, can you come up and solve question one for me?
Slide 6: Proactive support: Giving attention before the behavior
Insert Video: Attention Before
Transcript:
All right everybody, here’s your homework assignment. Now you have a little bit of time to get
started on this so you don’t have too much to do at home. So go ahead and answer questions one
through ten and use me for questions if you have any, ok? All right Andy, we’re going to do the
first couple together, ok? All right so we see that x equals seven. So we’re going to plug that in.
So I want you to work on that one. And here you see you’re going to plug in three to y. So I
want you to solve that and I’m going to go help some more people and I’ll be right back to check
on you. I’ll be quick. All right, Celina, you have a question.
Slide 7: Work with weaknesses




Everyone has both strengths and weaknesses!
The M.A.P.S. system knows how to reduce problems associated with a student’s
weaknesses.
We can modify the environment and reduce distractions and the effects of sensory related
issues.
We can also create communication opportunities with peers in a socially appropriate way.
As we all know, everyone has both strengths and weaknesses. Again, the student with ASD is no
different! Another great aspect to the M.A.P.S. system is that it knows how to reduce the
problems associated with a student’s weaknesses. As you’ve already learned, the student with
ASD has trouble with distractions (both what they hear and what they see), social difficulties,
sensory challenges, and communication deficits. The M.A.P.S. system allows us to modify the
environment to keep distractions at a minimum and reduce the effects of sensory related
problems. This system also creates opportunities for the student to communicate with peers and
others in a socially appropriate way.
For example, Mason, a student with ASD, has a hard time concentrating on the lesson when
there is a lot of background noise. He also has an intense interest in video games and interrupts
class often to talk about them. Mason’s educational team decides to move his desk away from
the pencil sharpener next to the door and place the desk in the other corner and also provide him
with a study carrel to help improve his focus. As a way to encourage communication, Mason’s
teacher also sets aside several opportunities each day for him to talk about video games with
another student.
Slide 8: Apply It!

Find your packet and locate the Apply It entitled: Behavior and go to the question
entitled: Proactive Strategies.

Can you think of any proactive or preventative strategies that are used in the classroom in
which you work?

Take a minute and write down some of the strategies that are used in your classroom or
the environment in which you work.
In your packet please locate the “Apply It” titled: Behavior and find the question titled:
Proactive Strategies. Can you think of any proactive or preventative strategies that are used in
the classroom in which you work? I’m sure there are many in place that you may not even
realize are proactive strategies that prevent interfering behavior. Take a minute and write down
some of the strategies that are used in your classroom or the environment in which you work.
Once you have completed this activity, share it with your supervisory teacher to help get a better
understanding of the strategies that are in place.
Slide 9: Working with the educational team

Behavior support requires a team effort!

It is critical to remember that ANY proactive strategy should be done with the approval
of your supervisory teacher!

Everyone needs to be on the same page and supporting the student in the same way!

Always use your M.A.P.S. as you problem solve through any behavior!
Behavior support requires a team effort. One person alone cannot support interfering behavior in
the student with ASD! As you provide proactive strategies, it is critical to remember that this
should always be done with the approval of your supervisory teacher. Some changes are simple
and easy to do, while other changes are complex and harder to implement. Be sure to discuss the
problem behaviors your student has and discuss your ideas for prevention with your supervisory
teacher. Consistency is the key to success with interfering behavior. Intervention only works if
everyone is on the same page and is supporting the student in the same way!
Understanding and helping the student with ASD can be difficult, and at times, confusing. When
you get lost or confused, remember your M.A.P.S. to find your way! Let’s start with the M in
M.A.P.S., or Modify!
Slide 10: Modify the environment


A chaotic classroom environment can actually CREATE interfering behavior in the
student with ASD!
Using the M.A.P.S. system, we can decrease confusion and help the student feel safe.

Structure is one way to MODIFY the environment and helps the student understand
WHAT to do, WHERE to go, and WHEN to do it!
Imagine going to the mall during a holiday. As you know, it can be crowded, confusing, and
overwhelming! Imagine trying to learn geometry in the middle of that holiday mall—most of us
would fail miserably in that kind of situation. Sometimes, that’s what the school environment
feels like for the student with ASD. There are too many people and too many sights, sounds, and
smells. The hallways are full of people bumping into each other, the cafeteria has a wide variety
of aromas, and classrooms can be decorated with far too many materials. All of these things can
actually create interfering behavior in the student with ASD and keep them from learning.
By using the M.A.P.S. system, we can decrease the confusion, help the student feel safe, and
improve his or her ability to learn by using structure. It’s easy to implement small changes that
make a classroom more orderly and easier to navigate. Structure provides organization to the
environment and helps the student understand what to do, where to go, and when to do it.
Slide 11: How to modify the environment

MODIFY the environment and provide settings that are:
o Safe
o Physically structured
o Organized
o Using routines whenever possible
There are many ways to structure the environment. As we modify the environment, it’s crucial
to provide settings that are:
 Safe
 Physically structured
 Organized, and
 Using routines whenever possible
Let’s briefly go through each one of these.
Slide 12: A safe environment
 Safety is one of our top priorities for the student with ASD.
 One major problem in the classroom is the EXIT.
 It is important to keep the student’s desk and other activities away from the exit.
 Windows may also be a safety issue.
Safety is always one of our top priorities for the student with ASD. One of the problems with the
classroom environment and the student with ASD is the exit. A student with ASD may be prone
to running or may have trouble with impulse control. For these students, it can be important to
keep the student’s desk and other activities away from the exit. This will prevent the student
from running out of the room so easily. Also, consider windows and whether they pose a safety
issue or not for the students with whom you work.
Slide 13: A safe environment for Andy
Remember Andy? Andy started leaving the classroom without telling anyone and even left the
building on two different occasions. Let’s look at what Andy’s teacher did to help with this
situation.
Slide 14: Video: A safe environment for Andy
Insert Video: Moving Andy Away from Door
Transcript:
Ok, so now that we know that Andy likes to run out of the room, one thing I’m going to do to
make sure this doesn’t happen is move him away from the exit. So what I’m going to do is get
Andy to switch places with my other student Rebecca so that I have a little bit more room if
Andy does decide to leave the classroom. This way, I know that I have him positioned in a good
space away from the door and now that I know that he leaves I’ve made sure this is a successful
experience for him.
Slide 15: Physical structure
 Physical structure refers to how the classroom is arranged and organized to help the
student focus and learn. This includes:
o Where you place the student’s desk
o Where materials are located
o The amount of furniture and materials in the room
o Items hanging on the wall
Physical structure refers to how the classroom is arranged and organized to help the student
focus and learn. This includes:
 Where you place the student’s desk
 Where materials are located
 The amount of furniture and materials in the room
 Items hanging on the wall
We’ve all been in a classroom that has far too many decorations and just feels chaotic. The
desks are arranged haphazardly around the room, or the room has too much furniture, and the
student’s desk is a disorganized mess. As we mentioned with Mason, it may be necessary to put
the student’s desk away from distractions. Simply rearranging desks can make a dramatic
difference for the student with ASD. The same can be said for removing furniture and creating a
clearly defined space for different activities. Reducing clutter and removing wall hangings help
a student with ASD keep focused on the lesson. Finally, organizing a student’s desk using bins,
folders, and color coded systems reduces confusion and creates independence!
Let’s look at some examples of a physically structured classroom.
Slide 16: Physically structured classroom example
Here is an example of an organized, well defined space. The area is free of many distractions
and there are different spaces that can serve different purposes for the student.
Slide 17: Reducing distractions example
Here’s a great way to reduce distractions for the student with ASD. She can still sit at her desk
like the other students, but has fewer distractions around her to prevent her from completing her
work.
Slide 18: Organization


Organization is crucial for everyone, but it is VERY important to the student with ASD.
Autism impacts a student’s ability to plan, organize and problem solve so it is crucial that
we provide the support a student needs to succeed!
Organization is crucial for everyone, but it is very important to the student with ASD. Autism
impacts a student’s ability to plan, organize, and problem solve so it is crucial that we provide
the support a student needs to succeed! For example, Mason is distracted during class and
doesn’t often get his books and materials out. Then, once Mason attends to the lesson, he
sometimes has difficulty getting through the steps of starting, completing, and handing in
assignments. For this student, it will be necessary to organize both materials and activities in
order for him to be successful.
In Mason’s situation, you might want to simply get his materials out and hand in assignments for
him. However, this does not help Mason become an independent student! Mason’s teacher
decides to organize his desk, putting the books in the order they will be needed throughout the
day, as well as, creating a color-coded binder for each subject complete with written steps for
how to start, finish, ask for help, and hand in assignments.
Slide 19: Organization
Here is an example of the notebook we mentioned for Mason. You can see that his green
homework folder is separate so he knows what to take home at the end of the day. The yellow
folder is the work he needs to turn in when he gets to school.
Slide 20: Routines
 Just like everyone else in this world, the student with ASD needs routine.
 The student with ASD NEEDS routine and may need MORE routine than other students.
 Routines help the student PREDICT what will happen and make him / her feel safer.
Just like everyone else in this world, the student with ASD needs routine. Think about what you
do every morning before work. Do you generally follow a routine? I generally make a cup of
coffee, shower, get dressed and then drink my coffee as I watch the morning news. On the day
I’m out of coffee, well, let’s just say I’m definitely out of sorts for the entire day! The student
with ASD is just like the rest of us, only he or she NEEDS routine and may need MORE routines
than the typical person.
Think about it this way, routines make the world predictable. For the student with ASD, who
may hear more, feel more, see more, and understand less than your typically developing students,
routines make an out of control world feel a little safer. Generally, students with ASD also
prefer for things to occur in the same order day in and day out. When the student with ASD can
predict how his day will unfold and feels safer because of that, YOUR day will better as well!
Imagine for a moment that on one day, lunch happens before math and on the next day it
happens after math, and on the third day, math is substituted by a slightly longer assembly and
lunch happens after the assembly. What is the problem with this schedule for the student with
ASD? The problem is that he or she can’t figure out when lunch is every day because it changes
too often. There’s a reason why routines are crucial for every person, use them to your
advantage!
Slide 21: The A in M.A.P.S.—Adjust instruction



The next part of the M.A.P.S. system is to ADJUST instruction.
The student with ASD may:
o Be a concrete learner and have difficulty with figurative language
o Have problems with sequencing and executive functioning skills
o Learn in other ways than typically developing students
This doesn’t mean the student with ASD can’t learn, it means that we must ADJUST the
way we present information for them to succeed!
The next part of the M.A.P.S. system is to adjust instruction. This is a critical piece of behavior
support that is often forgotten about. We often forget how the student with ASD thinks and
learns. For example, a student with ASD may be a concrete learner and not understand
figurative language. He may also have problems with sequencing and executive functioning
skills. The student with ASD may learn in other ways than typically developing students. This
doesn’t mean the student can’t learn, it simply means we often have to adjust the way we present
information in order for them succeed! When we provide instruction, it is important to consider
the student individually and to provide instruction in a way they can be successful. For example,
some students are visual learners, some students do better with hand over hand, and other
students do better when they hear information. How about you? How do you learn best?
Slide 22: Ways to adjust instruction
 There are many ways to alter instruction for the student with ASD.
 Change the assignment so the student still does the work but does it differently than
others.
 Allow the student to demonstrate knowledge in a different way.
 Change the task order, change the length of the task, or even change the level of difficulty
by making it easier and shorter for the student with ASD.
 Use the student’s intense interests as part of the task.
 Switch between easy and hard tasks.
There are many ways to alter instruction for the student with ASD. By altering a student’s
instruction, you can decrease frustration and increase motivation—it’s a win-win situation!
Remember, it’s ok to be flexible in HOW the student demonstrates what he or she knows; there
really are no hard and fast rules to getting assignments done. You can:





Change the assignment so the student still does the work but does it differently than
others.
Allow the student to demonstrate knowledge in a different way.
Change the task order, change the length of the task, or even change the level of difficulty
by making it easier and shorter for the student with ASD.
Use the student’s intense interests as part of the task.
Switch between easy and hard tasks.
Slide 23: Example
Behavior
Mason often uses interfering behavior
when presented with a writing
assignment.
Mason often gets irritated with
having to do repetitive worksheets.
Mason gets very frustrated with
writing out the words five times each.
Strategy
Mason’s teacher alters the instruction so that he only
has to write 3 sentences instead of the required 6.
Mason’s teacher allows him to demonstrate his skills
with only five questions rather than the normal 25.
Mason’s teacher lets him alternate between the difficult
task of spelling and something Mason loves, reading.
Let’s go over an example.
Mason doesn’t like to write and often uses interfering behavior when presented with a writing
assignment. As part of the M.A.P.S. system, Mason’s teacher alters the instruction so that he
only has to write 3 sentences instead of the required 6. Mason does well in math, but often gets
irritated with having to do repetitive worksheets. Mason’s teacher allows him to demonstrate his
skills with only five questions rather than the normal 25. During spelling, Mason gets very
frustrated with writing out the words five times each, so his teacher lets him alternate between
the difficult task of spelling and something Mason loves, reading.
Slide 24: Examples of adjusting instruction
Adjustment
Change the assignment
so the student still does
the work but does it
differently than others.
Instead of:
Forcing the
student to write
sentences with
spelling words
Allow the student to
demonstrate knowledge
in a different way.
Forcing the
student to
handwrite an
Try:
-Having the student tell a peer the definition of the
word
-Giving the student a worksheet where he has to fill
in the blanks of missing vocabulary rather than
write the entire sentence
-Having the student use a rubber stamp to put the
answer to the math problem
-Using a keyboard to write a paper
Switch between easy
and hard tasks.
assignment
Forcing the
student to do
tasks in order
Allowing the student the freedom to choose which
task to do next and allow them to complete a highly
preferred tasks before something difficult
Here are some creative ways to adjust instruction for the student with ASD:
Adjustment
Change the assignment
so the student still does
the work but does it
differently than others.
Instead of:
Forcing the
student to write
sentences with
spelling words
Allow the student to
demonstrate knowledge
in a different way.
Forcing the
student to
handwrite an
assignment
Forcing the
student to do
tasks in order
Switch between easy
and hard tasks.
Try:
-Having the student tell a peer the definition of the
word
-Giving the student a worksheet where he has to fill
in the blanks of missing vocabulary rather than
write the entire sentence
-Having the student use a rubber stamp to put the
answer to the math problem
-Using a keyboard to write a paper
Allowing the student the freedom to choose which
task to do next and allow them to complete a highly
preferred tasks before something difficult
Slide 25: Examples of adjusting instruction
Adjustment
Change the task order,
change the length, or
level of difficulty by
making it easier and
shorter.
Use the student’s intense
interests as part of the
task.
Instead of:
Forcing the
student to rewrite an entire
paper
Try:
-Allowing the student to simply make punctuation
edits
-Have the student demonstrate knowledge by
rewriting 3 of the sentences
Forcing the
student to
ignore an
obsession
-Having the student write a report on cloud
formations
-Having the student do math using trains
Here are some more ways of adjusting instruction:
Adjustment
Change the task order,
change the length, or
level of difficulty by
making it easier and
shorter.
Instead of:
Forcing the
student to rewrite an entire
paper
Try:
-Allowing the student to simply make punctuation
edits
-Have the student demonstrate knowledge by
rewriting 3 of the sentences
Use the student’s intense Forcing the
interests as part of the
student to
task.
ignore an
obsession
-Having the student write a report on cloud
formations
-Having the student do math using trains
Slide 26: The P in M.A.P.S.
 The P in M.A.P.S. stands for PROVIDE opportunities to communicate and make choices.
 Students with ASD may be frustrated by an inability to communicate fully.
 Students with ASD need an opportunity to make choices throughout the day.
 These strategies help REDUCE interfering behavior.
The next part of the M.A.P.S. system is to provide opportunities to communicate and make
choices. As you’ve learned throughout this course, students with ASD often have trouble
communicating their wants and needs, as well as, interacting with others. Imagine how
frustrating it is for the student with ASD when he or she cannot tell you something as simple as,
“No,” or something as complex as, “That hurt my feelings.” Also consider what life would be
like if you had no control over what you ate, where you went, or what you did? A student with
ASD is much like anyone else and needs to make choices when possible throughout the day.
Providing opportunities to communicate and make choices will help reduce the chance of
interfering behavior throughout the day.
Slide 27: Video example: Choice board
Here is a video demonstrating how a choice board can be used to help a student with ASD make
choices.
Slide 28: Video example: Choice board
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QYuge-8jgU
Transcript:
“If you have a student who isn’t able to tell you what she wants, try providing a visual choice
board with several pictures or icons of preferred items and place on the wall. Take her over to
the board and have her choose an item.
“Carol, it’s snack time.”
“I. Want. Drink.”
“Here’s your drink Carol. That’s nice asking.”
“You can also use this strategy for play time and other opportunities throughout the day. Try
visual choice boards to help a student tell you what she wants.”
Slide 29: Providing communication supports
 Students with ASD use natural speech, sign language, pictures, and VOCAs to
communicate.
 Students with ASD may need a time and a place to talk about intense interests.
 A student with ASD may need to:
o ASK for things or help
o TELL you no
o MAKE requests and comments
o HAVE conversations
We’ve talked about providing communication supports and it is important to remember that
being able to communicate will reduce interfering behaviors. Some students with ASD may use
natural speech, sign language, others may use pictures to communicate and others still, may use a
complex technological system called VOCA or Voice Output Communication Aid. Some
students can communicate spontaneously and independently, but simply need a time and a place
to talk about intense interests. Regardless of how a student communicates, the key is to provide
support, while continuing to build skills. So let’s think about what a student with ASD might
need to communicate. A student may need to:
 Ask for things or help
 Tell you no
 Make requests and comments
 Have conversations
Let’s consider Andy for a moment. Andy is able to communicate his wants and needs, but
doesn’t always do so, especially with unfamiliar people. He has a limited vocabulary and also
has difficulty answering questions. It will be important to consider communication supports for
Andy as a way to REDUCE or PREVENT interfering behavior. An evaluation of Andy’s
strengths and challenges will provide his communication team with the information needed to
make the best choices for his communication supports, including the possibility of augmentative
communication strategies.
Slide 30: Video example: Augmented communication
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIGrxzPMVtw
Transcript:
“Drink.”
“There you go! Great! You wanted your drink!”
“Yay!”
“Hi!”
“Matthew is a happy child.”
“You wanna give me a hug? How are you? How are you doing?”
“My name is Marlo Lemon and I’m Matthew’s mom.”
“Do you see yourself?”
“He has a really funny sense of humor. He’s very visually stimulated. You know, when you have a child
who is nonverbal, people often ask you know, how do they communicate and I always say my goal, yes,
is to get Matthew to talk, but I had to broaden my horizons and get him to communicate.”
“Yay! You want this?”
<Child signing>
“You want your drink?”
“I started working with Matthew several years ago.”
“There you go.”
“I’m Sara Beth Shaw and I’m a speech language pathologist here at Trellis school. When he wasn’t
talking and he wasn’t able to imitate at that time, I decided it was time to implement another functional
mode of communication for him and so we started with picture exchange communication system, which
is very widely known.”
“I. Want. Eat. Popcorn.”
“That was probably the first time in his life that he, uh, had functional communication across a variety of
contexts, um, that really worked for him.”
“He was really doing well with PECS and as a result we asked for could we possibly, you know, use an
assistive technology device to help him with communication.”
“Cookie!”
“Here you go!”
“Yum.”
“The beauty of this device is the capacity for him to communicate is vast. You want to start with the
core. We used core vocabulary words. Core vocabulary words are words like eat, drink, stop, play, go,
more.”
“Eat.”
“Here you go.”
“It speaks, so he speaks.”
“Drink.”
“Drink! Sure, there’s your drink. You wanna play?”
“You find places where they are most motivated and you put the core into it.”
“Go.”
“You wanna go? Let’s go!”
“Go.”
“Gooooo! Hey, my turn, can I have a sip?”
“Today, he was doing well with the word turn.”
“Turn.”
“It wasn’t taking as much prompting as it sometimes does, so then I wanted to increase the difficulty. I
add words while working with him. So I want to add the word ‘my’ so I just went ahead and added it so
now I have the word my.
“My.”
“So I can do, my turn.”
“Turn.”
“It increases the amount of hits you’re going to push and it’s a little bit harder.”
“My turn.”
“My turn!”
“Here you go!”
“These devices on a typical day, are with him all the time.”
End at 2:57
Slide 31: Video example: Comment and answer questions
In this next video, you will see a child use a high tech VOCA to comment and answer questions.
Slide 32: Video example: Comment and answer questions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzqNPx1OVTU&feature=related
Transcript:
<music>
“I’m Tyler.”
“You’re Tyler? Who lives at home with you?”
“Mom.”
“Who else?”
“Dad. Do you have a pet?”
“I do have a pet. Do you?”
“No. Who is in your family?”
“My family? I have my mom, my dad, and my brother. What do you like to do?”
“My favorite hobby is to play football.”
“Play football? Cool!”
<music>
“Waffles?”
“Hmmmmhhhhmmm.”
“Oh, are you out of them?”
“No.”
“What did you have instead of waffles?”
“Cereal.”
“I wanted waffles.”
“Cereal’s good too. What kind of milk did you put in your cereal?”
“Cake.”
“You put cake in your cereal?”
“Nope!”
<laughing>
“Eat! Eat!”
<child also signing eat>
“Ahhhh!”
Slide 33: Video example: Putting it all together
Providing communication opportunities for the student with ASD includes all of these things.
Watch as Thasya uses her communication device in a variety of ways!
Slide 34: Video example: Putting it all together
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zWp2KkOr68
2:11 to 4:30
Transcript:
<music>
“When I first met Thasya, she would have meltdowns. Sometimes just if schedules were off, or if people
were different or she just didn’t get her way.”
“Where are we going? Are we gonna finish the book?”
“So we wanted to be able to be proactive about constantly trying different things so she is able to
express what she wants or needs or feels to the best of her ability.”
<teacher> “Thin. It was a thin, very easy to pour liquid. How many states of matter are there again?
Three, there are three states of matter.”
“When Thasya came into my class last year, she had a very basic, what we called a Talkbox, so, uh, an
augmentative communication device. And it had five basic pages of pre-programmed things and she
used it in structured setting that were the same all the time. So we could make calendar one of the
pages that worked all the time but we found that she was wanting to say and was more engaged than
the device allowed.
“And finally, last May we were able to purchase, the district did, um, the Vantage Lite, for her to use.
She is usually able to go through and multiple steps to finding different things that she wants to say.”
“I. Have. Snack.”
“Your snack?”
<tickling and giggling>
“The team itself went to a lot of trainings on how to support her using it and she became a lot more
involved in the classroom that was socially and academically so we were able to make pages that
connected to every lesson in the room instead of just the thing that happened everyday all the time.
And as well social pages of asking questions and telling jokes, then we found that once she got that
there were joke pages on it and during snack time all of the kids would come over and they’d ask her to
tell them a joke.”
“Ohhhhh.”
“They would ask if they could touch it.”
“Can Caitlyn try?”
<noise>
“Can Caitlyn try? Yes or no?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
Slide 35: The S in M.A.P.S.


The S is M.A.P.S. stands for SUPPORT the student visually.
Visual supports help the student understand:
o The environment
o Academic tasks
o Schedules
o What is being communicated
o Expectations of the student

A visual support is anything that shows the student WHAT to do or WHAT is
happening next.
Let’s move on to the S in M.A.P.S., or SUPPORT the student using visuals. Visual supports
help the student understand the environment, academic task, schedules, and what is being
communicated or expected of the student. A visual support is anything that shows the student
what to do or what is happening next. It helps the student understand the world around him or
her. By using visual supports, the student can understand our expectations in any environment.
Everyone benefits from the use of visual supports.
A visual support can be as simple as showing the student a picture of ‘work’ in preparation for
doing an assignment, or can even be a visual schedule helping to outline his day. Students with
ASD tend to be primarily visual learners, so you should always SHOW the student what to do
rather than TELL the student what to do!
Let’s look at some examples of visual supports:
Slide 36: Video example: Visual supports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeq-46CFB1s&feature=related
Transcripts:
<No words or music, simply picture examples>
Slide 37: Video example: Visual supports
INSERT - VIDEO: Visual Supports
Teacher: Matthew when you’re finished you can go play.
Narrator: Typical children, with intact language comprehension will be able to understand this
instruction. For the child with ASD, however, difficulties with comprehension interfere with the child’s
ability to benefit from this kind of verbal explanation. He needs to be given this information in a simple
but visual way. For example, when we use a first then board, the student can see that when he’s
finished his work he can have his favorite toy.
Teacher: First numbers, then V-Tech.
Narrator: This teacher is showing her student that when he’s finished doing the number activity he can
play with the V-Tech.
Teacher: Find ten. That’s right, that’s ten. And one more; find nine. That’s right, you did it. Good job.
Ok, numbers are finished. Time for V-Tech. Here you go.
Narrator: Over time, the goal will be to increase the amount of time the student is expected to sit and
cooperate with a series of tasks.
Teacher: Want to do piggy bank, then shapes, then string. Ok.
Narrator: This is the student two months later. Now he’s able to do three tasks before he needs a
break.
Teacher: My turn.
Matthew: My turn.
Teacher: My turn.
Matthew: My turn.
Teacher: Last one, my turn. Piggy bank is finished. Put away. Time for shapes. Good for you. Give me,
yellow giraffe. Good for you. Listen; shapes are finished. Time for string. Put on. Good job. Put away.
Time for toys.
Slide 38: Visual supports
Our student Mason struggles with directions during instruction. Making instruction visual can
help Mason understand what is expected of him!
Slide 39: Visual schedules
 Visual schedules are an important and common support for students with ASD.
 Visual schedules are a visual representation of the student’s daily activities.
 No two students with ASD are alike, therefore no two visual schedules will be the same!
Visual schedules are a very important and very common support for students with ASD. Visual
schedules are a visual representation of the student’s daily activities. It provides a list or series
of pictures showing what the student is supposed to be doing.
Take a moment and think what you use to keep you on track each day. Some people use
calendars posted on their refrigerator. Other people use a calendar/reminder function on their
phone or computer. Others still may use sticky notes in their car. Most of us have some kind of
schedule that helps organize our appointments and reminds us what to do and when to do it!
Without calendars, none of our bills would ever get paid on time! Students with ASD also use
calendars like this, but may need to use one with pictures and may need their ‘calendar’ broken
down into smaller hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly schedules!
What a schedule looks like for a student with ASD depends on their individual skills and needs.
Remember, no two students with ASD are alike, therefore no two visual schedules will be the
same!
Slide 40: Video example: Visual supports
Let’s look at a variety of visual supports as shown in this next video.
Slide 41: Video example: Visual supports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH0VlYNIuHw
Use :33 on
“People with autism have a strength in visual perception and they also have a deficit in understanding,
listening to and having verbal communication. Organizing and attending to materials and understanding
what is important is really difficult for people with autism. Another way to say that would be to say that
once they are attending to one thing, they have a really intense focus on that one thing and they have
trouble shifting their attention to other things in the environment. So internal organization is really
important to help them know what they should be focusing on and to maintain that attention and not
get overwhelmed by other things in the environment and then helps them shift their attention from one
thing to another. Visual schedules equates to what most adults use in their daily life. In terms of like a
day planner, they have a list of everything we’re going to do throughout the day.
While a visual schedule can be a written schedule for a person with autism oftentimes for children who
are younger or an adult with autism who is a non-reader, a visual schedule is each of the activities in
their day represented in one picture. For example, when the person wakes up it might say breakfast,
then the next thing on their schedule is go to school and then the next thing on their schedule, whatever
it is they’re going to do at school so it’s a visual representation of what’s gonna happen throughout the
day. I have seen kids who are totally dependent on adult prompts, become independent moving
throughout their day learning to move from one area in a school building to another area in the school
building without adult support or without the support of someone else.
The most important thing about visual schedules is that they have to meet the individual needs of the
child and once the child has a system that he understands or she understands, that system can be used
to teach any number anything else that child needs to learn, and it can be used in a lot of different
environments so people will say how/ what am I going to do when the child is in, you know, the general
education setting? If the child understands the visual system, he / she is using, that system can go into a
general education setting, to a work place, it can be used to help the child function independently.
The federal government just reauthorized the IDEA law and it’s not the IEIA law, in that the law, the
thing I think is most powerful is that they say that low expectations on the part of educators has
hindered kids in special education from reaching their full potential and they also say that kids with
disabilities should have opportunities to become and a capable of becoming independent contributing
community members and if we remember that supports like visual supports or structures and schedules
help will support these guys in becoming that independent contributing member, we realize how
important schedules are.”
Slide 42: Mason and his schedule
Let’s think about Mason again for a moment. One of the strategies that his team determined
appropriate was to review his schedule with him and prepare him for the difficult times during
the day as well as reminding him that there are things he enjoys during the day. Let’s watch as
his teacher reviews his schedule with him to prepare him for the day.
Slide 43: Mason and his schedule
Insert Video: Proactive Strategy – Reviewing the Schedule
Transcript:
Teacher: All right Mason, so we’re going to go over your schedule for today, ok? All right, so
first we have Math and we’re going to be working in stations so you won’t have a worksheet for
that, ok? But in English we’re going to have two worksheets and I know they’re going to be a
little hard, but what do you need to do if you have any difficulty?
Mason: Ask for help.
Teacher: Ask for help, excellent. That’s exactly what I want you to do. Then you get to go to
Art class. Then you’re going to go to lunch. Then we’re going to come back and we have
another worksheet. But this is a simple worksheet; this is a reading worksheet that everybody in
the school building is doing to see how well you’re reading. So this might be especially difficult
but Mrs. Goodwin is going to help you, right? And if she doesn’t help you enough, what can you
do? If she has to go do something real quick.
Mason: Ask for help.
Teacher: Mm hmm or raise your hand. Beautiful, all right. Do you have any questions about
your schedule or does this look good? No questions, all righty well let’s get started on our day.
I’ll give you your pencil and let’s go ahead and check off that we’re getting ready to start math.
Slide 44: Think About It!

Mikiah is a third grade student with autism. He attends the general education setting for
math since math is a strong area for him and he seems to enjoy it. Math class is his
second class of the day and immediately follows gym class. Lately Mikiah has been
having difficulty staying focused in math and is becoming increasingly distractive to the
class. When Mikiah needs the teachers help he will get up and find her regardless of
what else she may be doing including helping another student. The teacher always
reprimands Mikiah and tells him he has to raise his hand to get her attention then she
proceeds to ask him what he needs.
Let’s think about all this information for a few minutes. In your packet find the Think About
It! document entitled: Behavior. Go to the question entitled: Mikiah. Do you Remember
Mikiah? Let’s revisit his story for a minute and see how we may alter the setting event or
antecedent to prevent his behavior. Take a few minutes and write down possible
interventions that can be used to address the antecedent.
Mikiah is a third grade student with autism. He attends the general education setting for math
since math is a strong area for him and he seems to enjoy it. Math class is his second class of
the day and immediately follows gym class. Lately Mikiah has been having difficulty staying
focused in math and is becoming increasingly distractive to the class. When Mikiah needs the
teacher’s help, he will get up and find her regardless of what else she may be doing including
helping another student. The teacher always reprimands Mikiah and tells him he has to raise his
hand to get her attention then she proceeds to ask him what he needs.
Slide 45: Thoughts

There are several options available to address the antecedent in Mikiah’s situation:
o Allow Mikiah to work with a peer partner
o Provide Mikiah with a ‘help’ card
o Teach Mikiah to skip the problem and come back to it
o Teach Mikiah to raise his hand and ensure that someone attends to him when he
does to reinforce this
o Place Mikiah near the teacher’s desk so he doesn’t have so far to walk
o Give Mikiah a visual cue of the rules including to stay in his seat and raise his
hand
There are several options available to address the antecedent in Mikiah’s situation. One option
may be that the teacher allows Mikiah to work with a partner which will eliminate his need to get
up from his desk to seek attention from the teacher because he will have peer attention at his
desk. Another option is to provide Mikiah with a ‘help’ card that he is to hold up in the air when
he needs help. The ‘help’ card can be affixed to Mikiah’s desk so that it is clearly visible to him.
The key here is that the teacher will need to provide Mikiah attention immediately until he is
able to consistently demonstrate raising his hand. These are only two examples. Did you come
up with others?
Slide 46: Summary


Positive and proactive strategies cover a wide range of solutions.
The best way to decide on strategies is to use the M.A.P.S. system:
o MODIFY the environment
o ADJUST instruction
o PROVIDE communication opportunities and choices
o SUPPORT the student visually
As you can see, positive and proactive strategies can cover a wide range of solutions. The best
way to remember how to determine strategies is to use the M.A.P.S. system. Remember,
MODIFY the environment, ADJUST instruction, PROVIDE communication opportunities and
choices, and SUPPORT the student using visuals! By using the M.A.P.S. system, you work with
your student’s strengths and weakness in order to create success!