Using a Coaching Model to Support Students with ASD in Schools

March 27, 2009

MiBLSi Coaches Conference

Introductions

WHY MOVE TO A COACHING MODEL?

Too Many Students for the Old System

Michigan Students with an ASD Eligibility Label

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1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

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Too Many Students

• Can’t adequately meet the needs / use #’s as a reason

• Can’t do anything effectively

• Always in crisis / no time for proactive strategies

• No time for collaboration to improve services IN the classroom / build capacity

Increased need for capacity-building

• IDEA Revisions

• OSEP: 80/80 Rule

• NCLB Revisions

• Focus on One Curriculum: – General Education WITH Special Education

Support (EVERYONE looking in the same direction)

Moving Toward a 3-Tiered Approach

Universal Intervention TIER 1

Targeted Intervention TIER 2

Intensive Individualized Intervention TIER 3

Used for 100%Effective for 80%

7-15%

1-5%

Application to Students with ASD

Universal / Tier 1

Targeted / Tier 2

Intensive / Tier 3

Students with Autism

Spectrum Disorders?

Application to Students with ASD

Universal / Tier 1

Targeted / Tier 2

Intensive / Tier 3

What ARE Universal Supports for Students with ASD?

• Family Involvement• Positive Behavior Support• Visual Supports and Strategies• Opportunities in Integrated Environments

– Accommodations / Modifications to Increase Access to Integrated Environments

• Build in Preferred Activities• Focus on Independent Functioning /

Socialization Skill Development• Peer to Peer Support• Effective Use of Paraprofessionals to support

independence and socialization• Implementation Fidelity through Coaching

Fidelity of Implementation

• All educators need to know the effective practices

• Be able to implement those practices

• Have follow up support to assure implementation fidelity.

Increase ACCOUNTABILITY for OUTCOME

• Responsibility for implementation– Lack of “role up your sleeves”– Come and go without responsibility

• Ownership– Blame direct service staff

• Skills in prescriptive student support– Pick and choose the TC preferred strategies

• Knowledge of system– Staff, resources, structure, etc.– General education curriculum

Implementing START Coaching

• EPLI (Effective Practice Leadership Initiative)

• EPLI is designed to:

– Increase local ACCESS to information and training in ASD

– Improve IMPLEMENTATION of effective practices for students with ASD in order to improve OUTCOMES

– BUILD local district CAPACITY to educate students with ASD

– Increase use of TEAM and PROBLEM-SOLVING processes

HOW do we deliver EPLI?

• Trainer/Coaches– Deliver content information through training– Recruit and train building coaches

• Coach Coordinators / Leaders– Serve in a coach consultant role– Coordinate district / ISD coaching activities– Work collaboratively with Trainer/Coaches

• Building Coaches– Serve in a coaching role at the building level

What is a COACH?

Most common example: SPORTS

What is the ROLE of the Coach?

What characteristics make a GOOD Coach?

What Characteristics make a BAD Coach?

What IS a Coach?

• We don’t see coaches as “experts”; rather, they HAVE expertise. . .

– In the CONTENT– In the PROCESS– In the TEAMING necessary to make it happen

Isn’t this a “consultant” ? ? ?

Expert Consultant Coach

Expert Collaborative

Reaction Proactive

Dependence Building Capacity

Blame Accountability

Comparison of the Models:Expert Consultant vs.

Coach:

This change requires you to THINK DIFFERENTLY

The way you think creates the results you get. The most powerful way to improve the quality of your results is to improve the way you think . . .

HOW:

…stop focusing on the problem

…understand no one person knows the RIGHT answer

…realize that FEAR, CONFORMITY,

AND LAZINESS paralyzes us

START’s Coaching Model

STRUCTURED yet

FLEXIBLE

START Coaching StructureRoles / Responsibilities

• Coach Coordinator(s): – Coach representatives to the RCN– Coordinate coaching in the region– Report out progress to RCN / START

• Coach Leader(s): – ISD / District Level Coaches– Carry caseload of buildings / coaches– Meet regularly / support building coaches– Report progress to Coach Coordinator

• Building Coaches: – Coaches working at the building level– Positive nag / crisis response– Assure action items are completed– Coordinate / report progress to Coach Leader

RCN: EPLI Coach Coordinator(s)

Districts Level – EPLI District Coach Leaders

Building COACH

Building COACH

COACH

Leader

Building Coach

Building COACHBuilding

COACH

Building COACH

ISD / District Level (Coach Leaders)

Building COACH

Building COACH

COACH

Leader

Building Coach

Building COACHBuilding

COACH

Building COACH

START Coaching Goal

A coach in every building serving

students with ASD in Michigan

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EXAMPLE:CCRESA Model of Service: Building Capacity

Support Team and Building Coaches

CCRESA

St. Johns

P-W Bath

Dewitt

Ovid-Elsie

Fowler

ASD Team

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Who are Coach Leaders?

• In multiple buildings• Tends to be Ancillary Staff:

– School Psychs– SSW– Providers of Speech and

Language– ASD Teacher Consultants– OTs / PTs

A LEADER is a person you would

follow to a place you wouldn’t go yourself

Super Bowl – Go Steelers

• Coach Mike Tomlin• HIS ROLE• Teach others about the game• Assist others in their understanding• Guide others in making right decisions• Deal with the toughest calls of the

game

What is their JOB ?

• Carry a Caseload of BUILDINGS (i.e. COACHES)

• Recruit Building Coaches

• Assist and Support Building Coaches in:– Development and maintenance of a 3-tiered model of academic

and behavioral support for students with ASD• Consult on Tier 2/3 students

– Development and implementation of evidence based interventions (USAPT / POC)

– Gathering and analyzing data for decision-making• IEP Development and Implementation• Behavior Plan Development and Implementation

• Coordination/Training of Building Coaches• Consultation with Teams/Coaches• Resource for Current Research/Best Practice• Screening Observations• Evaluation via Centralized Team Model• Classroom/Staff Sensitivity Training• Workshops/Trainings• Resource Library (under construction)• Collaboration with Ingham/Eaton counties (CRAN)• Parent Support Groups• Coach/Mentoring support

CCRESAASD

SUPPORT TEAM

Stephanie Dyer-Psychologist

Caryn Coyle-ASD TC; CPM

Tisha Schafer-Occupational Therapist

Joanne Polfus-School Social Worker

Lori Seagraves-Speech/Language Therapist

Requirements to be a Coach Leader

• Michigan Department of Ed Credential

• Work for the public schools

• Three years experience working with students with ASD

• START Training

Who are Building Coaches?

• Primarily assigned to ONE building

• EXAMPLES:– Special Ed Teacher– Gen Ed Teacher– Provider of Speech and Language– Principal

Coaching T-Ball, Elementary Basketball, Pee-Wee Hockey

• Not to run out on court, field, ice

YOUR ROLE

• Teach others about the game• Assist others in their understanding• Guide others in making right decisions• Deal with the toughest calls of the game

WHAT IS THEIR JOB?

• Meet monthly with building team– School Improvement Team– Tiered / Academic – Behavior Support Teams– Special Ed / ASD Support Teams

• Develop goals for building capacity– EIC-ASD– USAPT– POC

• Follow up on action items

• Provide Implementation Support

• Problem Solve in Crisis

• Report to Coach Leader

• “Front line” resource person for building• Coordinate team meetings for each student

with ASD in their building• Communication link between building and

ASD team (trainings, supports, resources)• Link for consultation requests, screening

observations, evaluations• Support for classroom teachers and support

staff

CCRESAASD

BUILDING COACHES

Attend 3 2-day training modules

Submit resume and application

Attend 5-6 coaches meetings/training during year

Submit meeting agendas/minutes from teamings

Requirements to be a Building Coach

• Michigan Department of Ed Credential

• Work for the public schools / primarily in ONE building

• START Training

TO BE A COACH

• TOOLS

• SKILLS

• RESOURCES / SUPPORTS

TOOLS

• USAPT

• EIC-ASD– http://education.gsu.edu/autism/

• APERS– Evidence-based practices– http://www.ocali.org/

COACHING SKILLS

TAKING ON HUMAN NATURE

Problem Solving ProcessMEETING MECHANICS

ProblemIdentification

ProblemSpecification

Brainstorm Cluster/Prioritize

ImplementationVariables

AssignResponsibilities

Adapted in part from

Allen, S.J. & Graden, J.L. (1997).

COACHING SKILLS

• FBA on Adults– Begin with the end in mind– 10 minute vs. 1 hour approach– Right vs. Successful

• Keep Focus on the STUDENTS

• Keep out of the OPINION DEBATE– Law– Evidence–based support– DATA

COACHING SKILLS

• Talk about the WHITE ELEPHANT– Spotlight vs. Lightening Bolt

• Focus on OUTCOME -- IMPLEMENTATION– Discovery vs. Expert

• An idea discovered is better than an idea delivered--

– Crisis vs. Build capacity

– Do it for them?

COACHING SKILLS

• FRONTLOAD: Best place to solve a problem is…

• Have an arsenal of responses….

The Tough Meetings

• You want a goal about that, write it yourself…

• I can’t believe the parent wants me to provide data on why I selected these strategies…

• I think kids with aggression need to be sent home and charged with assault.

• He has ASD. He needs to go to the ASD program.

• We can’t have general ed students support students with ASD.. it will take away from their school day.

The Tough Questions

• This student is hurting our staff! When is enough enough? – DATA on implementation fidelity– Documentation of using data to make program

adjustments– Lack of progress on goals and objectives

• If you modify the curriculum THAT much, what is the student actually learning?– Learning HOW to Learn: Purpose of Modifications

The Tough Questions

• If you use visuals THAT much, aren’t you creating dependence on visuals?– SYSTEMS dependent vs. ADULT dependent– SYSTEMS increases INDEPENDENCE

• If we put that student in general education, he will disrupt the learning of others. Don’t you think he would be better off in a restricted setting?– DEFINITION OF LRE

Now you know the WHAT… What about the HOW?

• Nonverbal (55%)– Appearance– Posture– Eye contact– Body movement

• Paraverbal (55%)– Tone– Volume– Cadence

• Verbal (7%)

I didn’t say you were stupid.

COACHING SKILLSProviding Feedback

“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”

—Norman Vincent Peale

Providing Feedback• Effective feedback is meant to help the recipient.

– Feedback will not FIX what you believe is wrong with another

person.

– The recipient’s decision to change behavior is their responsibility.

– Don’t give feedback to “get something off your chest.”

• Feedback should be descriptive, not evaluative

– Give information, not judgment.

– Be honest and straightforward-- FRONTLOAD

– Talk about the “elephant” in the room

• Expect feedback in return (listen, don’t just defend or justify)

• Remember, even constructive feedback can be painful

Coaching Supports / Resources

• Quarterly Coaches Meetings

• Online Coach Manual

• Coaching Kits

• Visual Supports Kits

• Reinforcing Coaching Activities

COACHING GOAL

• GET CRITICAL MASS– HOW?

– The Story of the Hybrid Seed

• Bruce Ryan / Neal Gross study on the spread of hybrid seed corn (1930’s Greene County Iowa)

• New seed introduced in 1928 and was superior in every respect

• DESIGN:– 258 farmers– In 1932-33, only a handful used the new seed

• DEFAULT:– 1934: 16; then 21 more; then 36, 61 … etc.

• DEFIANT:– By 1941: all but 2 used new seed

The Tipping Point; Malcolm Gladwell

Story of the Hybrid Seed

Getting Critical Mass

• DESIGN:– What did it take to be one of the initial

farmers to use the new seed?

• DEFAULT:– What are the characteristics of the farmers

who incrementally used the new seed?

• DEFIANT:– What about characteristics of the hold-out

farmers?

The Tipping Point; Malcolm Gladwell

THESE ARE BEHAVIORS / NOT PEOPLE

• DESIGN:– Closest to the CUSTOMER– Advocate change when it benefits the

customer

• DEFAULT:– Protecting SELF

• DEFIANT:– Furthest from the customer– Protecting STATUS QUO

GET CRITICAL MASS

• DESIGN:– NEEDS in order to continue to advocate for

the customer?

• DEFAULT:– NEEDS in order to make change toward

supporting the customer?

• DEFIANT:– NEEDS to change?

There are Barriers to Change

What are the BARRIERS?

• Administration

• $$$$$$$$

• Location

• Resources

• NCLB / MEAP requirements?

• New Grad Requirements. . .

Control the Controllables

ACTIVITY

Effecting Change

REMEMBER:

“Effective systems change takes 2-5 years even with concentrated and continual actions.”

Centre for Strategic Planning

Questions?