Outside Intervention for ASD

By: Mallory Chester

For this assignment, I based my research on the 3 outside interventions that I have
experienced as the most common when it comes to my students with ASD.

Outside Intervention Role of Service Provider

Occupational Therapy Occupational therapists work to promote,

Occupational therapy teaches skills that help the person live as maintain, and develop the skills needed by
independently as possible. Skills may include dressing, eating, students to be functional in a school setting and
bathing, and relating to people.
beyond. Active participation in life promotes:
-learning
-self-esteem
-self-confidence
-independence
-social interaction

Occupational therapists use a holistic approach in

planning programmes. They take into account the
physical, social, emotional, sensory and cognitive
abilities and needs of students.

In the case of autism, an occupational therapist

works to develop skills for handwriting, fine motor
skills and daily living skills. However, the most
essential role is also to assess and target the
child’s sensory processing disorders. This is
beneficial to remove barriers to learning and help
the students become calmer and more focused.

Social Skills Training
Social skills training teaches children the skills they need to
interact with others, including conversation and
problem-solving skills.
There are many social skills to learn, so many
different people will teach them in different
settings - at home, school, and in the community.
Examples of these potential providers can be:
-special education teacher
-speech pathologist
-occupational therapist

Any of these professionals may lead a “social

skills group” that combines direct, explicit
instruction with opportunities to practice and
generalize these skills in more natural
environments. This means real life practice with
peers. Effective Social Skills groups should*:
-Provide structure and predictability

-Break down abstract social concepts into


Speech Therapy
Speech therapy helps to improve the person’s communication
skills. Some people are able to learn verbal communication
skills. For others, using gestures or picture boards is more
realistic.
concrete actions
-Simplify language and group children by
language level
-Work in pairs or groups with cooperation and
partnership encouraged
-Provide multiple and varied learning opportunities
-Foster self-awareness and self-esteem
-Provide opportunities for practice so that skills
are used beyond the group in real life settings
Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) have a goal
of treatment which is to improve social
communication and other language skills and to
modify behaviors so that the individual is better
able to develop relationships, function effectively
in social settings, and actively participate in
everyday life. SLPs often collaborate with other
professionals to design and implement effective
treatment plans. Goals target core challenges of
ASD and focus on:
-initiating spontaneous communication in
functional activities;
-engaging in reciprocal communication
interactions; and
-generalizing skills across activities, environments,
and communication partners.
Family-centered practice by SLPs has the goal of
creating ​a partnership so that the family fully
participates in all aspects of the individual's care.
Participation of families in services for the
individual with autism can help reduce the stress
experienced by family members.
Various treatments and modalities that SLPs may
use can include:
-Augmentative and Alternative Communication
(AAC)
-Activity Schedule and Visual Supports
-Computer Based Instruction
-Video Based Instruction
 My Experience Although I have never been in a scenario where an issue arose
surrounding a lack of communication between school service providers
and outside service providers, I can definitely attest to a lack of awareness
that these services were being utilised by my students and families of
students with ASD. I can honestly say that many of the IEPs that I have
received from LST rarely include information about any outside
interventions that families are utilizing. As a classroom teacher, I would like
to be better informed of these interventions and plans in place, so that I
can do my best to follow through with consistency in my classroom as well.
If an occupational therapist has been working with a student with ASD to
develop and implement certain social strategies, I would like to be aware
of them so that I can practice them with the student as well. The last thing I
would want to do is inadvertently counteract any progress being made in
outside interventions by something that I am doing with a student.

References:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d). ​Autism: Treatment.​

https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589935303&section=Treatment
Autism Speaks. (n.d). ​Social Skills and Autism.​
https://www.autismspeaks.org/social-skills-and-autism

Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention. (2019, September 23rd)​. Treatment and
Intervention Services for Autism Spectrum Disorder​.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html

Laurie, Corinna. (2018, June 19th). ​Why is Occupational Therapy Important for Autistic
Children.​ National Autistic Society.
https://network.autism.org.uk/good-practice/case-studies/why-occupational-therapy-impo
rtant-children-autism#:~:text=In%20the%20case%20of%20autism,the%20child's%20sen
sory%20processing%20disorders.