The Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS) for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome, Autism, and Related Disabilities: Integrating Best Practices Throughout the Student's Day (Student Manual)

by Shawn A. Henry, Brenda Smith Myles

Overview

The CAPS (The Comprehensive Autism Planning System) is a tool to help teachers and educational teams to plan and implement a student's program across the school. This includes planning for the implementation of the IEP (Individualized Education Program) and the curriculum relevant to the student. It takes the team through the process of planning out the goals/objectives to be targeted in each activity of the day, the modifications and accommodations that should be provided to support the student in each activity, the sensory supports to help the student stay engaged, and the communication and social supports that the student needs to be successful. In addition, it identifies the type of data that should be collected for each area and the reinforcers that have been chosen for use for success. As with many tools, while this system was developed for use with individuals on the autism spectrum, it can be an essential tool for any student regardless of the types of supports and needs they have. There are various forms of this system that focus on targeting specific skills for each activity and identifying the communication, sensory, and reinforcement supports that will be needed for each situation.

This student manual contains the following features to help strengthen students' understanding of material discussed within each chapter and ability to apply the material to everyday work with individuals with autism spectrum and related disorders:

For Each Chapter ...

Chapter Learner Objectives – List of learner objectives at the beginning of each chapter as a preview of the chapter’s content. The learner objectives also highlight information that readers are expected to understand and be able to explain after reading the chapter.

Chapter Summaries – Overview of the main points discussed within the chapter.

Glossary – Alphabetical listing of important vocabulary terms presented in grey boldface within the book.

Chapter Review Questions and Answers – Questions and accompanying answers designed to check understanding of and ability to explain the information discussed within the chapter. The review questions may also be used as a study guide when preparing for tests and/or exams that may be administered in class.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937473761
Publisher:	Future Horizons, Inc.
Publication date:	07/09/2013
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.10(d)

About the Author

Shawn A. Henry is executive director at the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI), where he concentrates on developing statewide change efforts in promoting advances in the training of professionals serving students with autism and providing supports for families. He was previously the program director of training and evaluation at the Kentucky Autism Training Center, Universityof Louisville (KATC), where he coordinated targeted professional development throughout the state. These experiences, as well as serving as an elementary special education teacher, primarily teaching students with autism, led Shawn to develop the Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS).

Brenda Smith Myles, PhD is a consultant with the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI), the Ziggurat Group, and the Education and Treatment Services Project for Military Dependent Children with Autism. She is the recipient of the Autism Society of America’s Outstanding Professional Award, the Princeton Fellowship Award, and the Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Developmental Disabilities Burton Blatt Humanitarian Award. Dr. Myles has made over 500 presentations all over the world and written more than 150 articles and books on ASD. In addition, she served as the co-chair of the National ASD Teacher Standards Committee; was on the National Institute of Mental Health’s Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee’s Strategic Planning Consortium; collaborated with the National Professional Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, National Autism Center, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to identify evidence-based practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Further, in the latest survey conducted by the Universityof Texas, she was acknowledged as the second most productive applied researcher in ASD in the world.

Read an Excerpt

Review Questions and Answers

1. Explain how the limitations of an IEP are addressed by the CAPS.

Answer: Even though student outcomes are delineated in the IEP, it is often difficult to fully transfer them to a student’s daily program (Aspy & Grossman, 2011). Some accommodations may not be listed on the IEP even though they are integral to the student’s success, leading to frustration both for the teacher and the student, limitations in access to the general education curriculum, or

severe behavior challenges.

2. What is the “all-important” question answered by the CAPS?

Answer: What supports does the student need for each activity?

Table of Contents

Overview of Features: Student Manual

Chapter 1. The Comprehensive Autism Planning System

Chapter 2. Structure/Modifications Kai-Chien Tien, PhD, and Hyo Jung Lee, PhD

Chapter 3. Reinforcement Joyce Downing, PhD

Chapter 4. Sensory Strategies

Chapter 5. Communication/Social Skills Teresa Cardon, PhD, CCC-SLP

Chapter 6. Data Collection Andi Babkie, PhD

Chapter 7. Generalization

Chapter 8. Instruction Often Occurring in Specialized Settings

with Sheila M. Smith, PhD, and Sherry Moyer, MSW

Chapter 9. M-CAPS – Using CAPS in Middle School, High School, and Beyond

Chapter 10. The CAPS Process

References

Editorial Reviews

CAPS is an invaluable guide for anyone who has to negotiate the complex and sometimes daunting system of available resources for individuals with ASD. Written in clear and precise language that will speak to both the layperson and the specialist, this book offers new insights and techniques

relevant to students at various ages and stages of development. The multidisciplinary CAPS model acknowledges the need to tailor programming to a student’s individual differences and unique set of circumstances. As a supervisor for ASD programs for a large public school district, I am always

looking for ways to improve our ability to serve our students. I recommend the easily accessible CAPS model and this ready-to-use guide to any professional in the educational field looking to support students with ASD and other disabilities.” – Doreen Tilt, MSEd, CAS, supervisor of autism spectrum disorders program, Bridgeport Public Schools, Bridgeport, Connecticut

“The CAPS is invaluable! This flexible tool can assist in collaboration, transitions, and IEP planning by providing practitioners with an organized framework for implementing evidence-based practices and supports throughout the day. It also helps with accountability and consistency across providers – an increasingly important issue. This expanded second edition of CAPS includes important new material on technical assistance/consultation as well as up-to-date considerations of current mandates and trends that support CAPS use. With plenty of clear examples, resources, and poignant case studies, educators, family members and, most important, persons with ASD, will benefit from this book.” – Paul G. LaCava, PhD, assistant professor of special education, Rhode Island College

“This tool takes the mystery out of addressing the complex needs of individuals on the spectrum by allowing the multidisciplinary team to use and implement a transdisciplinary process that allows for the individual expertise of each team member to be used collectively, thereby ensuring consistency of

quality supports, instruction, and progress monitoring throughout the day. Our Center team believes that the CAPS is so effective that we have incorporated it into our comprehensive training program that is used to train teachers and related service providers in our state. The CAPS turns the mandated IEP document into a user-friendly tool that is shared with all staff, and is tremendously helpful to general education teachers.”

– Ruth Eren, EdD, associate professor, director, Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Southern Connecticut State University

From the Publisher