Framing the Foundations: A Practice Model for Teaching Children on the Autism Spectrum in Early Years Classrooms

2022 ◽  
pp. 25-35
Author(s):  
Wendi Beamish ◽  
Annalise Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Practice Model

scholarly journals Partnerships in Early Childhood Education and Care: Empowering Parents or Empowering Practitioners

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Rouse
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Practice Model ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Learning Framework ◽  
Education And Care

Research acknowledges that outcomes for young children are enhanced when effective partnerships are developed between educators and families. The Australian Early Years Learning Framework provides direction for the professional practice of early childhood educators by acknowledging the importance of educators working in partnership with families. In the Victorian state-based early years framework, family-centred practice has been included as the practice model. Family-centred practice has as its core a philosophy of professionals supporting the empowerment of parents as active decision makers for their child. The early childhood education and care sector in Australia, however, is made up of a workforce which is largely perceived as being undervalued as a profession. This raises questions as to the capacity of these educators to support the empowerment of parents when they themselves are coming from a position of disempowerment due to their professional status. This article reports on findings from a small-scale study of childhood educators working in a long day-care setting which aimed to identify perceptions of the partnerships that exist between themselves and parents. In the course of the investigation, it became evident that some of educators felt disempowered in the relationships that exist with some families.

OP312 Developing A Tool-kit For Assessment Of Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (S1) ◽  
pp. 12-12
Author(s):  
Leah Watson ◽  
Shirley Jonathan
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Global Developmental Delay ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Speech And Language ◽  
Autism Symptoms ◽  
Therapy Assessment

IntroductionBefore the coronavirus pandemic, children who were on the Early Years Neurodevelopment (EYND) assessment pathway and suspected to have possible Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), received clinic based appointments. This process included a parental interview by a doctor, a specialist speech and language therapy assessment, autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS), which were all carried out on hospital sites. These were postponed in March following national guidance. Our aim was to continue providing accurate evidence-based service for ASD diagnosis.MethodsWe utilised evidence-based telehealth methods to perform a specialist speech and language assessment in a child's home via video call. Parents were also invited to share videos of everyday activities via a secure portal. We could observe the child in a meaningful setting and witness functional impact of their needs. Each case is discussed by a multiagency panel based on DSM-V criteria.Online training was undertaken by professionals to deliver the Brief Observation of Autism Symptoms (BOSA) based on the ADOS for COVID times. Parents were coached by the therapist to enable them to become the administrator, rather than a professional.ResultsTelephonic feedback from the first ten parents whose children underwent a telehealth assessment has been positive; the home was deemed more natural and for some less distressing than clinic. Formal patient surveys have been devised for both the telehealth and BOSA clinic assessments. Analysis is expected by the end of March.To date we have been able to reach an outcome for thirty children, the diagnosis of ASD for twenty-four children and the other six received a diagnosis of global developmental delay or language disorder.ConclusionsWe expect that telehealth will reduce the number of assessments before an ASD diagnosis is made resulting in more prudent healthcare. The new methods have demonstrated clear increased parental participation.

scholarly journals Understanding the Experiences of Young Children on the Autism Spectrum as They Navigate the Irish Early Years’ Education System: Valuing Voices in Child-Centered Narratives

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 160940692091469
Author(s):  
Sarah O’Leary ◽  
Mary Moloney
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Education System ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Visual Storytelling ◽  
Early Years Education ◽  
Shared Stories ◽  
Children’S Voices

This article, which focuses upon narrative inquiry as a means of including the voice and experience of children on the autism spectrum, draws upon a doctoral study that explores the experiences of young children as they and their families navigate the Irish Early Years’ Education System (both preschool and primary school). It focuses, in particular, on the need to acknowledge and appreciate the experiences of these children within their homes and educational settings, their immediate microsystem. It also urges an increased awareness of how the development of these children’s voices is heavily impacted by the roles and actions of others. Six parents shared stories of navigating the Irish Early Years’ Education System with their young child on the autism spectrum. Their children’s voices were incorporated into these narratives using visual storytelling methods. This research adopted an ecological or intercontextual interpretive stance, thus providing valuable insight into the coconstructed experiences of those who identify as “different” or “other,” in this instance, young children on the autism spectrum and their families. In terms of the present article, this ecological stance encompasses the central aim of the overarching study; the critical restorying of parents’ lived experiences of navigating the Irish Early Years’ Education System with their child on the autism spectrum which is thus, underpinned by narrative inquiry and voice.

scholarly journals Early years immersion

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-85
Author(s):  
Christine Stephen ◽  
Joanna McPake ◽  
Irene Pollock ◽  
Wilson McLeod
Keyword(s):  
Professional Practice ◽  
Language Immersion ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Practice Model ◽  
Immersion Education ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Language Revitalisation ◽  
Quality Learning ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

This paper considers the pedagogic challenges encountered in preschool settings which strive to provide high quality learning experiences across the curriculum for three- to five-year olds while also immersing them in a second language. In our effort to develop an empirically and theoretically informed foundation for the development of pedagogic practices in Gaelic-medium preschools in Scotland, we draw on literature from early years education and from early total immersion, particularly in relation to language revitalisation initiatives, and report the findings from our study of the everyday experiences of young learners in three Gaelic-medium playrooms. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges for early years practitioners charged with meeting the goals of both the early years curriculum and early language immersion. It proposes theoretical foundations from which a specific pedagogy and professional practice model for preschool immersion education can be developed, to ensure that these goals are integrated rather than in tension.

scholarly journals Transforming pediatric neuropsychology through video-based teleneuropsychology: an innovative private practice model pre-COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1189-1195
Author(s):  
Christine M Salinas ◽  
Veronica Bordes Edgar ◽  
Gretchen Berrios Siervo ◽  
Heidi A Bender
Keyword(s):  
Private Practice ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Wait Times ◽  
Pediatric Neuropsychology ◽  
Practice Model ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract Objective In pediatric neuropsychology multiple barriers such as long wait times until an appointment, insurance coverage, and limited providers who are bilingual/bicultural or who sub-specialize in pediatric neuropsychology, often slow families from receiving diagnoses and interventions in a timely and affordable manner. This paper focuses on increasing accessibility through the development of a video-based, pediatric teleneuropsychology (TeleNP) practice model that was developed in a private practice 2 years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Method ‘Design thinking’ methodology to problem-solving was utilized to innovate the traditional neuropsychology practice model in under-served areas who may have limited financial and healthcare resources. The practice model approach to include a virtual diagnostic clinic with increased patient and provider efficiency was created to enhance accessibility for patients and sustainability for providers. Results Video-based TeleNP screenings were conducted for 67 children with developmental (i.e., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder) and language disorders, as well as concussion and psychiatric diagnoses. Additional comorbidities were identified in 65.6% of children. Follow-up data approximately 2 months later revealed 98.5% of children were receiving new interventions as a result of the video-based TeleNP assessment. Conclusion Video-based TeleNP benefits the consumer as it can reduce wait times, decrease family financial burden (i.e., travel and parent time off work), expedite referrals for interventions, and provide geographically under-served populations access to providers who are linguistically and culturally responsive. For providers, this model revealed improvements with direct implications for cost-saving, thereby facilitating long-term economic sustainability within a private practice healthcare marketplace.

Prediction of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-18
Author(s):  
T. Lakshmi Praveena ◽  
N. V. Muthu Lakshmi
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Neural Networks ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Random Forest ◽  
Decision Tree ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Treatment Mechanisms

Autism appears to be a neuro developmental disorder that is visible in the early years. It is a wide-spectrum disorder that indicates that the severity and symptoms can vary from person to person. The Centre for Disease Control found that one in 68 was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder with increasing numbers in every year. Detection of autism in adults is a cumbersome procedure because in adults, many symptoms can blend with some other mental health, motor impairment disorders so misinterpretation of actual diseases can in turn lead to a terrible life without proper diagnosis and effective treatment mechanisms. Machine learning is a powerful computer tool that supports different application domains Learning complex relationships or patterns from large datasets to draw accurate conclusions. Disease assessment can be done with predictive health data analysis and more appropriate treatment mechanisms that are now a hot area of research. Supervised learning is an important step of Machine learning which uses a rule-based approach by examining empirical data sets to build accurate predictive models. In this paper, decision tree, random forest, SVM, neural networks algorithms are applied on autism spectrum data which have been collected from UCI repository. The results of decision tree, random forest, SVM, neural networks algorithms on autism dataset are presented in this paper in an efficient manner. Analysis performed over these accurate results which will be useful to make right decisions in predicting autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at early stages. Thus, early autism intervention using machine learning techniques opens up a new way for autistic individuals to develop the potential to lead a better life by improving their behavioural and emotional skills.

Prevalence and functional impact of social (pragmatic) communication disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Saul ◽  
Sarah Louise Griffiths ◽  
Courtenay Norbury
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Algorithm ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Functional Impact ◽  
Pragmatic Communication ◽  
Pragmatic Skills ◽  
Structural Language

Background:To evaluate the utility of the Children’s Communication Checklist-2 (CCC-2) for measuring inclusion and exclusion criteria of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SPCD) and to ascertain prevalence rates and functional impact of SPCD in a community sample.Method:We used parent and teacher responses to the CCC-2 to approximate inclusion (poor social-pragmatic skills) and exclusion (poor structural language skills or autistic symptomatology) criteria for SPCD. We tested the prevalence of SPCD using these criteria in a population-based sample of children (n = 386) aged 5-6 years old. We also investigated the academic and behavioural profiles of children with more broadly-defined limitations in social-pragmatic competence.Results:Regardless of the diagnostic algorithm used, the resulting prevalence rates for SPCD indicated that very few children had isolated social communication difficulties (0-1.3%). However, a larger proportion of children (range: 6.1-10.5%) had social-pragmatic skills outside the expected range alongside structural language difficulties and/or autism spectrum symptoms, and this was associated with a range of adverse academic and behavioural outcomes. Conclusions:A considerable proportion of children in the early years of primary school have social-pragmatic deficits that interfere with social and scholastic activity, however these rarely occur in isolation. Exclusionary criteria articulated by DSM-5 may lead to under-identification of individuals with social-pragmatic deficits that may benefit from tailored support and intervention.

scholarly journals Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the early years of Regular Schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-24
Author(s):  
Eliete Maria Da Silva COSTA ◽  
Glécia Maria Do NASCIMENTO ◽  
Lavínia Samyra Lins De LIMA ◽  
Stella Dara Da Conceição SILVA ◽  
Weslley Douglas Araujo Barbosa Da SILVA
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Spectrum Disorder
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