Targeting Social Skills Training for 3-5 year olds with ASD using IPAD 2 Apps Sue Baker and Kimberly Johnson Iowa Department of Education October 25, 2011.

Targeting Social Skills Training for 3-5 year olds with ASD

using IPAD 2 Apps

Sue Baker and Kimberly JohnsonIowa Department of Education

October 25, 2011 3:00-4:30 via ICN

Purpose in apps project

• Purchase technology and materials to participate in Part B/619 DE/AEA initiative to address social skills interventions to meet the needs of preschoolers (aged 3-5) on an IEP with an ASD condition or suspected condition.

AEA Administrators

Provided and expected• “starter kit” of apps on a list of access skills for

social skills development distributed to approximately five/six teachers this 2011-2012 school year. This is a two year project and can be distributed to same or different teachers 2012-2013.

• Keeping the rotation of this equipment going will likely require a calendar of who has the equipment when and how it should be routed to the next classroom. ART’s are likely responsible for rotation but school team will support instruction with apps.

• Teachers will experiment with the apps to determine what might work with their targeted students. These social skills include: – Turn-taking – Increasing eye contact – Engagement – Initiation – Organization – Social story-like behavior rehearsal

• An ICN session will:– briefly review operation of IPAD, – address aspects of EBP (evidence-based

practices), – Share important aspects of IEP development,– observation skills as precursor skills, and– linkages with assessment tools

• Teachers will likely write goals to address social skills needs; these apps may serve as a portion of practice, generalization, or maintenance of specific social skills

• Teachers will report – how many students with ASD were supported

for a 4-6 week period with this technology– What goals were written– Share general progress of targeted students

and their interest in this technology

Common Social Skill Difficulties in Children with ASD

• Difficulties with Social Initiation

• Difficulties with Reciprocity and Terminating Interactions

• Non-verbal Communication Difficulties

• Difficulties with Social Cognition

• Difficulties associated with Perspective Taking and Self–awareness

• Social Anxiety and Social Withdrawal

Critical areas of intervention for ASD• Areas of needs of ASD profile

– Develop language skills, develop communication skills, getting ready to learn behaviors

– Develop social interaction skills– Behavior regulation

• How to teach: referencing science behind EBP handout of interventions

• The need to find out what motivates this learner to relate, communicate, respond

Social Objectives are Made up of Multiple Component Skills

• Bobby will join in activities with peers at center time at least 5 times/observation period.

• Skills Bobby need to successfully reach the objective:– Reading non-verbal and conversational cues– Knowledge of social rules (when)– Regulation of emotion– Coordinating motor movements– Timing– Use of eye contact and other N-V expression

So objectives should:• Be connected to larger goals• Be connected to assessment data• Be the direct outcome of the intervention• Define short term, immediate behavior• Describe specific level of performance

criteria• Made up of specific social skills and sub-

skills or component skills as above. Select 3-5 social objectives per every 9 weeks. (Bellini 2011 conference)

1. Assessment Tools-Areas of need-social skills

• Teaching Strategies Gold (ages 3-5 years)

• Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-R (2-12 years)

• New! Underlying Characteristics Checklist Early Intervention (3 months -72 months)

Teaching Strategies GOLD

• Observe and document development and learning

• Inform planning and instruction

• Focus on Social-Emotional area– An Autism Spectrum Disorder condition has

social skills deficits as some of their core symptoms so this group will have developmental lags or gaps

• These skills must often be directly taught.– Emerging or unevenly developing

ABBLS-R

• Assessment, curriculum guide, and skills tracking system for children with language delays

• Contains task analysis of many of the skills necessary to communicate daily

• Focus on Social Interaction from the Basic learner skills assessment

• These skills must be taught directly– Emerging skills and unevenly developing

UCC-Early Intervention• Informal assessment tool to identify

characteristics of ASD for the purpose of intervention design.

• Provides a way to more appropriately serve children at a younger age even when their diagnostic picture remains unclear

• Takes into account developmental norms but also atypicalities and concerns/red flags for ASD

• 2. Decide between skills acquisition deficits and performance deficits.– See next slide

• 3. Select appropriate intervention strategies

• 4. Implement intervention

• 5. Evaluate program and modify as needed.

Dr. Scott Bellini 8-3-2011• Strategies that Promote Skills Acquisition

– Thoughts, feelings, and Interest activities– Social Problem solving and Social Rules– Reciprocal Intervention Strategies– Social Stories– Role Playing/Behavioral Rehearsal– Self-Awareness Strategies– Interaction/Conversation Planning– Video Modeling

Dr. Scott Bellini 8-3-2011• Strategies that Enhance Social

Performance– Reinforcement/Contingency Strategies– Priming Social Behavior– Peer Mediated Interventions– Game Playing– Environmental Modifications– Increased Social Opportunities– Disability awareness– Prompting– Social Stories

3 Select appropriate intervention strategies

• What social skills will be targeted?• Does the strategy match skill or

performance deficit?• Does the strategy match the

developmental level of child (language and cognitive functioning)?

• Is the strategy supported by research? next

• What components of social interaction skills does the strategy address?

Are SST or Technology supported by research for ASD?

• Social Skills is an evidence based practice at the emerging level for ages 3-5– National Autism Center’s EBP Standards Report from ’09

• Technology was not recognized for this age group from the ’09 report; Computer Aided Instruction from NPDC report includes the use of computers to teach academic skills and to promote communication and language development and skills within preschool age. Not specific to social skills

Therefore we need to understand the logic/rationale for using technology (IPAD 2) with this age group for social skills training.

Logic/rationale IPAD in special ed• Ease of use, especially touch screen

design• Offer a sense of independence• “Anything that will reach a kid and make

them excited about learning, let's try it." • Educators no longer have concerns that

students will break the devices, which have proved sturdy.

• Engaging. Special Ed. Pupils Find Learning Tool In IPad Applications. By:

Shah, Nirvi, Education Week, 02774232, 3/2/2011, Vol. 30, Issue 22

Instructional Sequence

• Introduce the skill or concept• Teach the skill or concept• Practice the skill or concept• Provide immediate feedback• Apply skill in natural environment

• When to use technology apps? Present info?

Skill: Turn taking • Introduce the skill

– Do something; indicate turn is finished; wait; watch others; • Teach the skill (with one other peer or adult) using various prompt

supports– Put penny in bank; wait using visual cue A where to put hands, look at

Tommy (or listen for turn cue from him); (visual cue B look at cue card indicating my turn); Put penny in bank, wait using visual cue for two or three turns

– Put penny in bank; wait using effective visual prompt, “tell “ Tommy when I am finished; prompt C nonverbally (push container toward him) prompt D voice output app turn taker (#2 on list)

• Practice the skill (toy does not have end point; so sing or count to determine when the turn is over)– Another toy glasses; wait; anticipate turn; push container to him on his

turn, tell him– App #4 Bubble Popper see next page

• Provide immediate feedback– Reinforce all the steps in the sequence, thin it

• Apply skill in natural environment (when he plays the lead to identify what toy he is interested in; may be adult to turn take with

Bubble popper practice• Go to turn taker category• Click bubble popper• Look at upper right i for information

– Set the size of bubble using touch and drag– Set the color– Determine practice or challenge– Shake the IPAD to get more bubbles to pop

• This app is not structuring the language of turntaking and indicates if he is motivated to pop without being told it is his turn, or to wait

Bubble popper challenge

• This setting allows one player to play for one minute before his turn is over.

• It has some interesting motivating sounds for the “waiter”

• Indicates data and accuracy of popping only those bubbles that inflate after they have been popped one time.

• Departure to how to organize apps

How to organize apps

• Use of folders for apps that target the same skills will help new users

• Touch on the app icon to open it– Touch a second longer, and it will wiggle– Find two apps that can go into the same

folder– Touch and drag it on top of the second icon– A blank line pops up to name the folder– See the example

Turn taking apps continued

• #7 Talking Tom Cat• Upper right side i gives instructions• Repeats what you say• Pet or poke• Pull or touch his tail• Touch window to make dog appear• Popping a sack; fart sound

– Tom cat sighs when a turn is delayed– Icons on left are fine; purchase more options with

icons on left. Caution: can get kind of violent

Turn taking apps continued

• #5 Doodle buddy

• Icons at bottom – Reverse or erase the last movement– Clear the screen if it doesn’t clear by shaking– Crayon decides color of marks made– Stamp allows choice of icon that will appear

when touched on screen with accompanying noise

– Tic tack toe board changes background– Wrench has options for more purchases

Turn taking apps continued

• # 3 Preschool…Toys

• Requires two players to touch a puzzle piece, and drag it to location– Can teach about borders as a hint– Can teach about make color blue touch blue– A noise is reinforcer when piece is correctly

placed– Does not provide accuracy data

Turn taking apps continued

• # 8 Dino Puzzle HD– Can be difficult as this is a puzzle with

different layers, starting with the egg in the center that brings other puzzles to put together on top

– If in doubt move the piece until the reinforcement sound is heard

– May require one setting to practice alone as it is frustrating

Turn taking apps continued

• #9 Elmo’s Monster Maker HD

• Instructions are provided to make a monster then icons appear at the bottom to have the monster interact with Elmo

• Touching the mouth makes different reactions appear

• The icon upper left allows you to change the eyes, and nose (repeated touches will change the body), while the green arrow makes them interact

Turn taking apps continued

• # 10 Farm Animal Puzzle Free– Take turns matching puzzle pieces

• Strategies of body image, make the partial object touch the object (eye touch eye)

• Hear reinforcement for each piece and YEAH when all five puzzle pieces are complete

• Does not keep data for misses and correct placements.

Turn taking apps continued

• #11 Kids Fireman HD

• 911 on phone to start

• Turn taking with an entire screen– Touch and make action happen– You can experiment

Turn taking apps continued

• #12 Little Things not my favoriteIs an app that you can enlarge that has lots of

objects on a shape (dog, shoe) that one can use the hint to reduce all the distracters

Can be difficult, but sometimes is a strength (discrimination skills) for ASD

Turn taking apps continued

• # 13 Monkey Preschool Lunch Box

• This is really an academic game but involves following directions with counting, language, colors, letters, and matching games that are best played in pairs– Provides reinforcement or incorrect

Eye contact• #1 Look in my Eyes Restaurant

– Can be very difficult unless you understand toy box game

• Earns $ to purchase items for various scenes like a restaurant

• See directions for Building a scene

• Touch locations on left-kitchen– Move the chair by touching on it and moving it

to the next room until it lands on the kitchen page

• Transition to eye contact

Eye contact folder• # 2: Look in my eyes-toy box

– Directions to review options including data– Look into the eyes and a number appears

• Very structured, but can be helpful for some• See the number, then touch the matching number• Earns 4 stars for a prize, then you put that prize in

the toy box

Eye contact continued• #3 Look in my eyes Dino game

• Play the game, matching the number to earn 4 stars for a dinosaur

• Icons across the top, add sound, touch the dinosaur and he moves, touch the mouth to make him growl or play background sounds.

• Transition to engagement/look

Introduction of the skill

• Eyes see (objects). Activities must overemphasize pointing to expose a toy “look”

• Eyes tell – What you want – Puppet can look in direction of his favorite food,

gooble up favorite, others can tell what he looks at (from choice) is what he wants

• Most researchers suggest that eye contact must be paired with communication to be used functionally (look at eyes to say “hi”

Engagement-look

• # 1: Baby rattle toy

• Look and touch the sun; and hear and see reinforcement– When you miss you also hear an interesting

sound also; speed varies– Can be done individually or for social turn

taking with a peer– Has no end to the program

Engagement Look continued• #2 Play Activities Find the Train

• Look for train among other distracters

• Touch it

• Provides sound if correct and places X with sound if not correct

• At the end you find if you won (trophy) or had too many errors (rain on the car)

• There are other puzzle and set matching games not conducive to engagement

Engagement-look continued• #3 Peek A Boo

• Look to find a “jumping” barn with a sound

• Touch to open doors

• Touch animal to close barn

• Repeat

• Can be done in pairs

Engagement-look continued

• # Old McDonald Duck Duck Goose

• Like carnival game Wack-A-Mole

• Look for duck to appear

• Touch duck

• Do not touch goose

• Two minutes time

• Levels above the game can be stopped at 1, 2, 3 to

Engagement-look continued; Initiation

• Kopy Kat• Is in two categories (engagement, initiation) so I have

him as a separate icon

• Sequence game requiring you to look as the blob winks, makes a noise and tells you in text its your turn to repeat the action sequence (up to four items in order)

• Stops after the first mistake, allows to play again

If organization is a need

• Separate icon: First Then• Visual Schedule; choose presentation,

bottom right will enlarge it, and scroll through the sequence; change schedules by touching word in upper left– Morning at home preparing for school routine

with 12 pictured steps– ABA schedule– Potty then computer

If social story behavioral rehearsal will be useful

• Going places: Model Me separate Icon

• Like a social story with narration; requires pushing the arrow to advance; home takes you to another story

• Helpful for families; school staff can prepare– Hairdresser, mall, doctor, playground, grocery

store, restaurant

Transition to and from IPAD time

• Schedule First Then potty then computer

• Provide a peer the IPAD to hold and have target child approach and request to play (initiation when highly motivated can be reinforced and expanded)

• When IPAD time is over (bell, green, yellow, red to prepare) have a routine to let it rest and plug in to recharge.

Evaluation form• If you would like to have these and other IPAD

social skills apps on a Google Docs page, provide your e-mail to access that page when it is up and running.– Scan/send: sue-baker@uiowa, or

[email protected]

• Please transition the IPAD to others as directed• Collect data on IPAD activities after a social skill

goal has been written• You will be contacted via e-mail to answer

questions about your IPAD use