2015 TASH Conference

We will share how a special education teacher at a San Francisco elementary school planned and developed successful social supports for students with ASD with maximum buy-in from the entire school community. Starting with building a classroom community and providing targeted information to specific classes and teachers; followed by thoughtfully planning integration opportunities and peer partners; and continual training and modeling of facilitation of social supports for support staff. Today the supported students are included in general education classes, multiple structured peer supports exist, and a school-wide ASD Awareness Week is promoted and led by ALL teachers and the PTA. OBJECTIVES: 1. Participants will gain knowledge of the need for and the effectiveness of carefully planned and individualized social supports in the development of effective inclusive opportunities and positive peer relationships for students with ASD. 2. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the how two teachers were able to increase meaningful inclusive opportunities for all of their students and develop multiple, lasting social supports through continual information provision; individualized planning and selection of specific supports; and constant training and modeling for support staff and general education colleagues. 3. Participants will gain knowledge of a variety structured social supports that are effective in elementary school and learn how to individualize these supports for students with unique communication, sensory, and behavioral profiles needs. 4. Participants will gain knowledge of how to increase community presence of their class or program and integrate their efforts with other school organizations (i.e., PTA and after-school classes or program) and activities (i.e., PTA special events, weekend garden days, celebration weeks). 5. Participants will be provided with a list of available resources to assist them in planning and developing structured social supports at their own school sites, including a published set of lessons and activities related to autism awareness which were developed by the two lead special education teachers at this school during their journey from a segregated class to an inclusive school community that values and promotes natural peer supports and social relationships between all students.