Teaching Flexibility: The Development of an Intervention for Children with ASD

2010

Children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism (AS/HFA) are bright, caring people who also have problems with aspects of executive function (EF): flexible thinking/behavior, integration, planning, and organizing. These EF problems in children with AS/HFA interfere with learning and behavior in the classroom, and relate to the repetitive behaviors and social difficulties characteristic of the disorder. This proposal represents the partnership among key stakeholders including clinical researchers, special educators, and parents of children with AS/HFA to extend an intervention to address the core EF component of flexible thinking, while also building other, supporting EF skills. We will present a draft of the Enhanced Flexibility Intervention manual and materials that were developed through a participatory research framework (including focus groups, intensive collaboration with the Ivymount School Model Asperger Program and feedback from participants, parents and interventionists). We will also present the results of a preliminary test of the intervention with 13 children comparing the change in multi-modal assessments from pre- to postintervention.

Conference presentations and posters presented

Consumers/Families, Professionals, Students

Audio (cassette, audio file, etc.)

N/A