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I'm attending the Association for Direct Instruction (ADI) Conference for the third year. The usual speakers are here - but the good news is that they are all superb. I saw a very interesting poster from Educational Resources, Inc. (http://erigroup.us). It is a list of popular books and their grade level. Very handy. I've been wanting my son to read "Where the Red Fern Grows" and sure enough, it is for grade level 4.9. Super considering he is going into 5th grade. Here is the list from their product catalog (available on the web):

Selection Level Level Level
The Box Car Children:
The Copy Cat Mystery Grade 3.0 Grades 2-5 Grades 2-4
Julian, Secret Agent Grade 3.1 Grades 2-5 Grades 3-5
Tippy Lemmey Grade 3.4 Grades 3-5 Grades 3-5
Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? Grade 3.6 Grades 3-6 Grades 3-5
The Gadget War Grade 3.7 Grades 4-7 Grades 4-6
Charlotte’s Web Grade 4.4 Grades 3-7 Grades 4-6
Freedom Crossing Grade 4.4 Grades 4-8 Grades 4-6
Holes Grade 4.6 Grades 4-8 Grades 6-8
Where the Red Fern Grows Grade 4.9 Grades 5-8 Grades 6-8
Bud, Not Buddy Grade 5.0 Grades 5-8 Grades 6-8
The Wanderer Grade 5.2 Grades 5-8 Grades 6-8

NOTE: This information was eventually published

105 kids intensive treatment
61 completed YR 01
34 completed YR 02
Replication Sites (where data is taken for this study):
NYAP - (Northwest Young Autism Project)
Barelona
Iceland
Maryland
NJ
Norway
Pittsburg
Raleigh, NC
Stockton, CA
UK
University of Houston
Wisconsin
Minnesota
>80% acquire receptive commands and non-verbal imitation
>50% aquire verbal imitation
~25% acquire expressive labels
Progress in 1st 3 months predicts later progress for most not all
Those starting ABA less than 2 yrs of age start slow but do better in the long run
Stimming seems to be due to escape from social interactions (according to Smith)
Yearly changes
IQ: Avg gain

12 pts in YR 01 of therapy
5 pts in YR 02 of therapy

Language: Avg gain

12 months per year

Visual spatial: Avg gain

21 months in YR 01 of therapy
6 months in YR 02 of therapy

Adaptive skills: Avg gain:

6 pts in YR 01 of therapy
2 pts in YR 02 of therapy

Stepping Stones 3-5 Autism Classroom Open House
11-5-99

Bend EI/ECSE at Alice Hatch Center
By Kathy Harris

People *Interviewed/Staff Involved

*Kathryn Emerson (EI/ECSE Regional Director)

*Tracy Kennedy (Stepping Stones Lead Teacher/Program Director autism classroom 3-5)

*Kathryn Procter (autism specialist)

Paul Andrews (autism specialist)

Linda Sweetlund (may be mispelled)(autism specialist)

Paula Day (ECSE Director)

Why does this program seem to work for both parents and staff:

Behavior Analysis =

• Experimental Analysis of Behavior (The investigation through highly controlled and systematic scientific manipulation of the governing laws of behavior)
• Behaviorism (The philosophical underpinnings of behavior science)
• Applied Behavior Analysis (The application of laws derived from Experimental Analysis of Behavior to problems of human concern)

Instructional Technologies Derived from ABA

• Discrete Trial Training
• Direct Instruction
• Mathematics
• Incidental Teaching
• Precision Teaching
• Programmed Instruction
• Errorless Learning
• Stimulus Equivalence
• Personalized Systems of Instruction
  

History of Fluency Based Instruction

• Skinner - rate as a metric of behavior - active learner
• Lindsley - Standard Celeration Chart
• Haughton - fluency concept

Examples

• You will have exactly 1 minute to ....
• Write/Count by 5's (eg 5,10,15,20, etc)
• Don't start until I say "please begin"

Fluent is defined by

Class 1: STARS School Model
Presenters: James Partington, Mary Katherine Endicott, Siri Ming, Carmen Martin, Nikki Judd (public school teacher), Blaine Cowick (Administrator New Haven Unified School District)

STARS School: the development of affiliated STARS model classrooms

Goal: acquire enough skills to learn on own, where STARS is no longer needed. STARS doesn't want to keep kids any longer than they need to. Get skills to exit and get higher level skills elsewhere

A model for other people, to teach others ABA (Skinner's Verbal Behavior) methods through Behavior Analysis technology and education

Essential characteristics of Language-Based Classroom

Mission - to provide high quality, effective interventions for children with developmental disabilities and to provide training to teachers who provide services

Behavior Analysis of Language -

Guiding the Development and, Implementation of an Intensive Program for Teaching Language and Basic Learner Skills To Children With Autism
Workbook for Parents and Their Team

By:

Dr. Vincent J. Carbone Board Certified Behavior Analyst
With Assistance from: Cherish Richards, CABA Holly Smith, CABA
Dr. Vincent J. Carbone Parent Workshop Revised 3/10/01

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Escape/Avoidance Behavioral Problems
Step 1: Overcoming Problem Behaviors During DTT
Step 2: How to Increase Number of Rate Responses
Prompt Fading For Teaching Verbal Behavior
Correction Procedures
Rules about Prompting and Prompt-Fading to Achieve Near Errorless Responses
Teaching Cooperation During Intensive Teaching
Functional Assessment: Establishing Behavioral Control In Everyday Situations
Deliberate Manipulation of Conditions