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The present study examined the transition component of the Individualized Education Program for 62 secondary students with autism. Plans were coded using a rubric adapted from Indicator 13 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Findings indicated a mean plan score of 10.5 out of 20.0, with a range of 3.0 to 20.0. Strengths were noted in Transition Services, with Course of Study and Transition Assessment as areas of relative need. Student characteristics--including adaptive behavior, IQ, and self-determination--were associated with components of transition plan quality. Plan quality differences were found based on diploma status and the quality of the school environment. Implications for supporting educators in writing and implementing quality transition planning are discussed.

We tested the efficacy of a comprehensive intervention program designed for high school students across the autism spectrum, the Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism (CSESA) model, in a cluster randomized control trial involving 60 high schools in three states (California, North Carolina, Wisconsin), with implementation occurring over a 2-year period. We examined outcomes for the schools, students (N = 547), and families. At the conclusion of the study, CSESA schools had significantly higher program quality than the services-as-usual (SAU) schools. In addition, students in the CSESA schools had significantly higher total attainment of educational goals than students in SAU schools. There were not significant differences between the two groups on standardized assessment outcomes. We discuss implications for intervention implementation and future research with this population in the public school context.

The purpose of the study was to examine the quality of high school programs for students with autism spectrum disorder in the United States. The Autism Program Environment Rating Scale--Middle/High School was used to rate the quality of programs for students with autism spectrum disorder in 60 high schools located in three geographic locations in the United States (CA, NC, and WI). Findings indicated that the total quality rating across schools was slightly above the adequate criterion. Higher quality ratings occurred for program environment, learning climate, family participation, and teaming domains. However, quality ratings for intervention domains related to the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (e.g. communication, social, independence, functional behavior, and transition) were below the adequate quality rating level. Also, quality ratings for transition were significantly higher for modified (primarily self-contained) programs than standard diploma (primarily served in general education) programs. School urbanicity was a significant predictor of program quality, with suburban schools having higher quality ratings than urban or rural schools, controlling for race, school enrollment size, and Title 1 eligibility status. Implications for working with teachers and school teams that support high school students with autism spectrum disorder should include a targeted focus on transition programming that includes a breadth of work-based learning experiences and activities that support social-communication domains.

Maintaining a focus on reading comprehension is essential for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as some will still need to develop this skill during their high school years. Two evidence-based approaches for reading comprehension for high school students with ASD are Alternate Achievement Literacy (AAL) and Collaborative Strategic Reading: High School (CSR-HS). AAL provides adaptations and modifications to support access and comprehension of chronologically age-appropriate text for students with ASD (Browder, Thompson, & Fallin, 2014). Targeted for students "learning to read," the focus of AAL is for students to develop an understanding of text, rather than simply decoding functional sight words found in daily life. CSR-HS combines strategies of strategy instruction and corporative learning to improve reading comprehension throughout the reading process for individuals with ASD (Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk [MCPER], 2013). Students "reading to learn" use CSR-HS to work together to use evidence-based strategies to improve their ability to read text for understanding. This intervention is adapted from traditional CSR to be used with high school students with ASD.

Deafblindness is complex, and there is very limited research on literacy for learners who are deafblind, including on comprehension. This study investigated current practices for comprehension development for learners who are deafblind. Data were collected through a survey and interviews from 63 U.S. participants who were teachers, interveners, and parents. Thematic analysis resulted in the emergence of themes and strategies related to supporting and measuring comprehension during shared reading for learners who are deafblind. Strategies for supporting comprehension include multiple communication forms, customizing the text, repeating, exploring materials, and integrating technology. For measuring comprehension strategies include questioning, completing phrases, commenting and discussing, retelling, sequencing, and extension activities. Implications for research include future investigations on the effectiveness of the strategies currently reported to support and measure comprehension. Implications for practice include developing understanding by supporting communication and access during shared reading while using multiple measures of comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of deafblindness has developed evidence-based practices in communication development and intervention, but very little research has been published on literacy. This study examined the survey responses of 84 participants from 25 states, and 10 follow-up interviews to learn more about emerging instructional ideas specific to shared story reading, also known as interactive reading. The thematic analysis resulted in eight themes and associated instructional strategies. Attentional and engagement strategies included unique considerations due to the impact of deafblindness on accessibility and meaning-making. Teachers, interveners, and parents used practices grounded in both the child-guided approach and systematic instructional approach. They shared vocabulary acquisition strategies, pointing to the link between vocabulary and comprehension. Drawing and writing strategies were used to create text and in extension activities. Touch and tactile strategies were used in preparing materials and during shared reading sessions. Participants applied a variety of comprehension strategies including repetition, prediction, and questioning. Across the survey and interview responses, it was evident that participants understood the role of integrating individually appropriate receptive and expressive communication modes/forms in shared reading activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For individuals with deafblindness a strong relationship exists between communication and literacy, making these critical areas of development. Definitions of literacy for this population must extend beyond traditional notions of reading and writing text to better support communication development. The beliefs teachers maintain, the learning outcomes they set, and the instructional strategies they employ might greatly impact student learning related to communication and literacy. Shared reading could provide a context where communication and literacy skills may be developed for learners with deafblindness. This qualitative study investigated how teachers used shared reading to support communication and literacy development for adolescents with congenital deafblindness. It explored how teacher beliefs about communication and literacy development influenced the learning outcomes they established and the instructional strategies they utilized during shared reading. Data were collected in three secondary classrooms through observations, interviews, and field notes. Thematic analysis was conducted for each individual case and then across cases using a cross-case analysis. For individual cases, themes related to teacher beliefs included connection between communication and literacy, and a comprehensive understanding of deafblindness. Themes related to instructional strategies included communication across multiple forms, focus on the communication process, and systematic instruction. In the discussion of the results, the instructional strategies of the Tri-Focus Framework were used to identify how communication development was supported during the literacy lessons observed. In addition, the use of systematic instruction and formative assessment provided a comprehensive approach to supporting communication and literacy skills during shared reading. Meaningful literacy activities, such as shared reading, have the potential to support communication development for individuals with congenital deafblindness. Teachers require a comprehensive understanding of the nature of deafblindness in order to effectively support an individual's communication and literacy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining the perspectives of autistic young adults is critical for planning educational and service delivery systems focused on the preparation for a high life quality after high school. The perspective and voice of autistic young adults who participated in the Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism (CSESA) multi-site follow-up study conducted across three states (North Carolina, Wisconsin, and California) are described. Participants who exited high school or were enrolled in a district transition program responded to short-answer items on a Young Adult Questionnaire and Interview (n = 148) and completed the Adolescent and Young Adult Activity Card Sort (Berg, 2015; n = 150) to address research questions about their current interests, future plans, and perceived barriers to fulfilling future plans using descriptive statistics and coding of interview responses. The young adults report current engagement in leisure activities, and 79% seek a job change and the opportunity to date and engage in a long-term relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]