SCHOOL-BASED

INTERVENTIONS
By Isabella Abbinante

Goal of the BC School System: "support the intellectual development of

all students, including those with special needs. Enabling all students to
achieve the goals of human, social and career development is a
responsibility shared by schools, families and the community" 2

Education programs for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

may take place in a regular classroom, but may include the use of
different learning environments, such as small-group instruction in a
resource room, or other specialized classes. Students should also have
the opportunity for career exploration, work experience and job skills
training. 1

IEPS SBT consists of:

The IEPs should include: classroom teacher(s)
the individualized goals for the student, school administrators
a list of the support services required by counsellors
the student case managers
a list of the adaptations/strategies LST's
planned other school-based/district support
The IEP goals should address: staff
socially adaptive behaviours & social some schools have also included
responsiveness outside, private therapists (OTs, SLPs,
motor development and behaviour consultants)
communicative competence There should be continuity between the
academic performance home-based and school programs
Results of student progress should be based The team reviews the child's needs &
on the goals, strategies and outcomes develops a plan to address these needs
outlined in their IEP 1,2 Parents should be involved in the IEP
2
meeting

SOCIAL SKILLS INTERVENTIONS

Peer-Mediated Interventions
This involves students with ASD having the opportunity to
engage in a natural way with peers their age, rather than
an adult. It requires peer mentors who are trained to make
social initiations, or respond appropriately to the
initiations made by students with ASD throughout the
school day. This strategy allows for the structuring of the
social environment to promote successful social
interactions, and allows the teacher to act as a facilitator. 3

COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS
Prosody Exercises
An area of difficulty for students with ASD is prosody. Stressing
one word over another provides meaning, while the rising or
falling of our voices at the end of a sentence indicates
4
a
question or a statement
If a student is having difficulty using proper prosody while
reading, they may have difficulty with comprehension. There
are exercises a teacher can use to practice this. For example,
using questions to identify which word should be stressed in a
sentence
a) "Who ate the cheese?" -> "The mouse ate the cheese"
b) "What did the mouse eat?" -> "The mouse at the cheese" 5,6
 SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Students with ASD may have a difficult time recognizing
and regulating their emotions. SEL can help them
develop an awareness of emotions, and build social
relationships. 7
Classroom teachers may use a variety of different
practices and exercises for SEL and self-regulation. These
may include:
- Zones of Regulation
- Mindful breathing
- Feelings journals
- Temperature checks
- Community circles 8

ADAPTATIONS
Environment
Adjustments may be made in the learning environment
to support the needs of a student with autism. These
may be recommended in the students IEP as well, and
can include:
- A quiet corner
- Breaks
- Sensory tools
- Visual shape of the day 9

Curriculum
Some students may require modifications or adaptations
to the curriculum and their grade-level requirements,
according to their IEP, This may include:
- Alternative for written work
- Modelling a task visually
- Other forms of assessment (ex: a project vs a test)

RTI & PBS

Some schools implement RTI to provide academic and
behavioural supports for all students based on their needs.
As all studens have different needs, this system of support is
multi-tiered.
Tier 1
- Universal support for all students
- Supports are intended to prevent challenges from
occurring
- This involves teaching critical skills and behaviours all
students are expected to learn
Tier 2
- More specialized or targeted intervention programs
- Provided in small group settings
Tier 3
- More intensive supports
- These students have more serious needs, and may receive
individualized services from the school counsellor,
psychologist or behavioural specialist 10

References
1. BC Ministry of Education. (2016). Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines.
Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-
grade-12/inclusive/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf#page=47
2. ACT. (2016). Living and Working with Children and Adults with ASD. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from
https://www.actcommunity.ca/files/pdf/act/manual/PM_ch7.pdf?v=2016
3. Bellini, S. (n.d.). Making (and Keeping) Friends: A Model for Social Skills Instruction. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/making-and-keeping-friends.html
4. Denworth, L. (2018, June 01). Where communication breaks down for people with autism. Retrieved February 13,
2021, from https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/communication-breaks-people-autism/
5. McGee, K. (2019, May 17). How to Improve Prosody During Reading. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from
https://www.theclassroom.com/grade-1-reading-skills-14733.html
6. Velleman, S. (n.d.). Prosody and Articulation. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://www.apraxia-
kids.org/apraxia_kids_library/prosody-and-articulation/
7. Kaiser, E. (2020, May 08). Autism and Social Emotional Learning. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from
https://betterkids.education/blog/autism-and-social-emotional-learning
8. Buckle, J. (n.d.). 8 Effective Interventions for Social-Emotional Learning. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from
https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/effective-interventions-for-social-emotional-learning
9. Caring4OurKids. (2018, May 30). 5 Important Classroom Accommodations For Children With Autism. Retrieved
VISIT US AT 123 ANYWHERE ST. , ANY CITY
February 13, 2021, from http://caring4ourkids.com/important- classroom-accommodations-for-autistic-children/
10. Park, Y., Chow, K., & Gracely, S. (n.d.). Multi-tiered frameworks: Understanding
Go to reallygreatsite.com for more. RTI, PBIS, MTSS. Retrieved February 13,
2021, from https://studentbehaviorblog.org/multi-tiered-frameworks-understanding-rti-pbis-mtss/