"Autism at-a-Glance" is a series of practitioner and family-friendly documents created by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD (CSESA) designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents with ASD. The purpose of the "Autism at-a-Glance"…

Naturalistic intervention (NI) originates from applied behavior analysis, which is the use of behavioral techniques to teach learners specific skills. Naturalistic intervention (NI) integrates the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) into the natural environment, or into a learner's everyday routines and activities so that the acquired…

Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle with learning new skills or behaviors, especially when these behaviors are complex or have multiple components. Task analysis (TA) can be used to help break down and teach these chained behaviors. Chained behaviors are behaviors or skills which consist of multiple steps such as tying…

Reinforcement (R+) is used to teach target skills and increase desired behaviors. Other evidence-based practices (for example, prompting, pivotal responses training) draw upon components of reinforcement. Reinforcement describes the relationship between learner behavior and a consequence that follows the behavior. The relationship between the…

Social skills training (SST) refers to any adult-directed instruction in which social skills are targeted for improvement. SST typically occurs in either a group or individual format, and may also include facilitated practice in classroom settings. SST sometimes may co-occur with peer-mediated instruction and intervention (PMII) or some related…

Like other teens, many teens on the autism spectrum desire friendships and romantic partners. Due to challenges with social communication, some teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may have limited experience dating and could benefit from explicitly learning skills associated with successful and safe dating experiences. Teens with ASD may…

A hallmark of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is difficulties with social communication, and some learners with ASD experience additional deficits in expressive and/or receptive language that impair their ability to interact with others. However, a strength observed in many learners with ASD is responding to visual cues and structure. The use of…

Autism is a life-long, complex developmental disorder that causes impairment in the way individuals process information. Autism belongs to heterogeneous categories of developmental disabilities where neurological disorders lead to deficits in a child's ability to communicate, understand language, play, develop social skills, and relate to others.…