Abstract
Apparent differences in executive function can lead to challenges for students on the autism spectrum in mainstream settings. Difficulties with staying on‐task and transitioning between tasks and task elements can interfere with students’ participation in educational activities and lead to stress and anxiety. While the use of visual supports, such as visual schedules and work systems, has been shown to be effective in supporting students to stay on‐task in special education and autism‐specific settings, there is little research to support the use of these strategies by teachers in mainstream classrooms. This study evaluated the use of visual schedules and work systems in supporting four students on the autism spectrum to stay on‐task and work independently in a mainstream setting. These strategies were implemented by teachers as inclusive practices, and evaluated using observations within the natural classroom environment to examine their feasibility in mainstream settings. All participants demonstrated improvements in on‐task behaviours. Results for other, secondary, dependent variables were mixed, with some students showing reduced off‐task behaviours and increased productivity. The implications for clinical practice and future research directions are discussed.
Highlights
Scale (SRS-2) was used as a quantitative measure of traits associated with ASD (Constantino & Gruber, 2007)
On-task Behaviours As presented in Figure 1, a change in on-task behaviour from baseline to intervention was evident for all four children
The average percentage of intervals in which James engaged in on-task behaviours increased from a mean of 20% intervals during baseline to 53% during intervention, representing a large, statistically significant effect (Tau-U = .6458, p = .045)
Summary
Scale (SRS-2) was used as a quantitative measure of traits associated with ASD (Constantino & Gruber, 2007). All four students had T-scores (total scores) over 60, which “indicate deficiencies in reciprocal social behavior that are clinically significant” (Constantino & Gruber, 2012). Teachers were asked about the students’ ability to complete classwork, and the students’ potential academic ability was examined using the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, second edition (KBIT-2; Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004). All students scored in the average, or above average, range for their chronological ages (see Table 1)
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