This resource is intended to support you as you work with our neurodivergent students who are on the Autism Spectrum.

Each tab is a different Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) that can be used to improve experience and outcomes with our ASD kiddos.

Each tab will give you a brief overview, quick links to help you understand and implement the practice, and a link to an entire module with AFIRM (Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules) - which provides a free, on-demand deep dive into each EBP.

Please take a look through each of the tabs on the bulletin board and reach out with any questions.

Together we can celebrate the diversity of our students and support their ability to grow and contribute positively to our community of learners.

Thank you :)

AFIRM Modules | AFIRM (unc.edu)

PECS consists of six phases which are: (1) “how” to communicate, (2) distance and persistence, (3) picture discrimination, (4) sentence structure, (5) responsive requesting, and (6) commenting

Picture Exchange Communication System | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Most social skill meetings include instruction on basic concepts, role-playing or practice, and feedback to help learners with ASD acquire and practice communication, play, or social skills to promote positive interactions with peers

Teaching social skills to autistic teens, with Elizabeth Laugeson, PsyD (apa.org)

Social Skills Training | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Scripts are practiced many times before using in the actual situation.

Generally used by an adult and prompts should be faded as the learner begins to acquire the skill.

1. Gesture- can include pointing at or touching object

2. Verbal Cue- teacher uses verbal hints 

3. Visual Cues- can include visual supports, pictures

4. Modeling-Showing learner how to perform skill

5. Physical- physically touching child to help them perform behavior or skill ( i.e. hand over hand prompting) 

It is especially important to assess child preferences when determining reinforcements.

This will differ from student to student.

Each individual step is then explicitly taught, reinforced and supported through independence before advancing to the next step with the intention of facilitating independence with the complete complex task.

Using a video model makes the instruction easier to process and retain and allows for repetition/

Supports learners with ASD to focus on key elements.

Monitoring and describing their own internal experience to build awareness of self-soothing strategies that will lead to intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for behaving appropriately. 

This strategy is used by getting the learner’s attention when they are engaging in the interfering behavior, redirecting them to an appropriate behavior, and then reinforcing the appropriate behavior in some way, such as a sign five or fist bump.

Social Narratives | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Scripting | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Prompting | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Reinforcement | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Task Analysis | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Video Modeling | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Self-management | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Response Interruption and Redirection | AFIRM (unc.edu)