Division TEACCH

Early Childhood
Services Program
 TEACCH EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES

The TEACCH Demonstration Early Childhood Services are a part of the statewide
clinical, research, and training services provided by Division TEACCH at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These early intervention programs are operated directly
by Division TEACCH for several purposes, which include:

• Models for Intervention

These TEACCH early childhood programs serve

as exemplary models of educational intervention
for young children with autism, emphasizing
individualized instruction based on on-going
assessment, close collaboration with families,
and the development of the child’s motivation
and skills in a wide range of curriculum areas,
including:

- “learn how to learn” and build attention, organization, generalization, and

independence through the use of Structured Teaching
- functional expressive and receptive communication skills
- play and social interest and skills
- developmentally appropriate and functional cognitive, motor, and
self-care skills

• Involvement of University Students

The TEACCH Early Childhood Services programs provide

supervised educational and professional development
experiences (volunteer work, service learning, internships) for
undergraduates and graduate students in a variety of
departments, including psychology, early intervention, speech,
special education, occupational therapy, recreational therapy,
rehabilitation counseling, and medicine. Of the many students
who volunteer or intern with the TEACCH Early Childhood
Services programs, some decide to make autism the focus of
their career. Others find their TEACCH experience helpful in
broadening their knowledge base in the helping professions.
Others gain information and insight to carry with them into future positions as the
employers or neighbors of people with autism.
• Demonstration and Training

The TEACCH Early Childhood Services

programs provide demonstration sites to share
information with visitors (parents and
professionals) from around the state, the nation,
and the world. Individual, week-long internships
are arranged for professional development of
interested preschool professionals.

In addition, the Early Childhood Services

programs provide several week-long sessions of
intensive, hands-on TEACCH Training each
summer, to share information that will assist other professionals interested in
establishing similar programs.

• Research

The Early Childhood Services programs

serve as sites for program evaluation and
research that will assist TEACCH in
understanding and meeting the needs of
preschool children with autism and their
families. In addition, the programs serve as
a resource for other University programs
and departments to develop an autism
knowledge base for their work in
developing interventions, conducting
screenings and diagnostic evaluations,
consulting to families, and implementing
staff development.

As a part of the larger TEACCH network of services, the TEACCH Early Childhood
Services programs also include close collaboration with the Chapel Hill and Raleigh
TEACCH Centers and other agencies to insure the coordination of services and smooth
transitions for children moving into and out of the TEACCH programs.
 TEACCH Early Childhood Groups

The TEACCH Early Childhood Services Program is

comprised of four small groups of children and families who
work with TEACCH staff in settings designed to meet the
needs of each group of children. These four groups share a
common philosophy and curriculum and are committed to
developing the following:

(1) A comprehensive program with an emphasis on developing both

motivation and skills in a wide range of curriculum areas. These curriculum
areas include:
- “learn how to learn” through the use of
Structured Teaching
- expressive and receptive communication,
focusing particularly on initiation,
communicative intent, and effective
communication means
- social interest and skills
- play skills
- cognitive and functional academic skills
- functional fine and gross motor skills
- self-care skills

(2) An individualized and developmentally appropriate plan for each child that
focuses on improving child motivation and skills while adjusting the
environment to compensate for the child’s weaker skill areas.

(3) Opportunities for 1-to-1 instruction, group teaching, and independent practice
of skills in above curriculum areas.

(4) Individualized assessment of the

child’s strengths, weaknesses, and
emerging skills in the above
curriculum areas both at home and in
the classroom.

(5) Active and on-going parent/teacher

collaboration in determining
educational goals for the child and in
carrying out the child’s educational
program both across settings and
including the home.
 Group 1: Home TEACCHing Sessions
and
Group 2: TEACCHing Together
Recognizing the importance of early intervention and family support in autism,
Division TEACCH sponsors the Home TEACCHing Sessions and the TEACCHing
Together Group as models for introducing children and families to the uses of Structured
Teaching in very early childhood. These groups are designed to fill the gap that occurs
with increasing frequency between early
screening/diagnosis and the beginning of
formal, school-based educational programs.
This period of time is fraught with anxiety and
confusion for many parents who are eager to
begin educational programming but find few
options available to them. Further, the months
following initial referral or diagnosis are a time
when parents seek out information. Parents are
eager to receive services that target both their
children’s need for direct intervention and their
own need for information and training.

While a definitive diagnosis of autism is not necessary to participate in these

programs, the children enrolled are typically under 3 ½ years of age and are showing
problems in three areas. They have difficulties in the development of their use and
understanding of language, their play and social development, and their ability to
organize or understand transitions between activities. Referrals to the program come
through the regional TEACCH Centers, often originating with local Early Intervention
programs, such as the CDSA, Child Development Services Agency.

The programs have a dual focus. One

focus is on assessment of the individual
child’s strengths and needs and developing
effective teaching strategies. This is often the
child’s first experience of being a
“student”—sitting at a table, focusing on
learning, attending, imitation, following
directions, and early cognitive developmental
skills.

The other focus is on working with

the parents, utilizing the TEACCH
philosophy of establishing parents as co-
therapists. The TEACCH staff share knowledge of autism and model effective
intervention strategies. The parents are encouraged to share their detailed knowledge of
their child and family and to observe, give feedback, shadow the TEACCH staff, and
gradually apply the principles of Structured Teaching in activities with their child.
Home TEACCHing Sessions are home-based services targeting very young
children and their families. A TEACCH teacher schedules a series of in-home sessions to
work with both the child and a parent. Enrollment is for a block of 12 weekly sessions,
renewable for a second block if
appropriate. The goals and activities
of these sessions are highly
individualized to each child’s
developmental needs, and are
developed and implemented
collaboratively between the teacher
and the family. The curriculum for
these very young children focuses on
developing the child’s ability to
attend, understand, and learn through
the use of Structured Teaching.
Frequently some of the most
important curriculum goals of these
sessions include:

- Adding structure to the environment to

improve understanding and attention

- Improving transition skills through the

design and use of visual transition systems

- Increasing engagement through the use

of strengths and interests

- Building strong, positive learning

routines

- Developing independent expressive

communication through exchange systems

- Parents are actively involved in all teaching sessions

and have opportunities to
share ideas, ask questions, and learn how to apply the
principles of Structured
Teaching in their specific home environment.
Parents receive weekly progress notes, homework
assignments for the week, and an article on a specific topic
related to structured teaching and the home. There is also
monthly Make-it and Take it Sessions held in Raleigh to
make materials to add to your home program.
 The TEACCHing Together group brings a small group of children and parents
together in a preschool classroom setting to introduce the child and parent to a beginning
preschool environment. Enrollment is for a 15-week semester. Parents and children
both participate in the classroom activities. Structured Teaching is used to advance an
individualized curriculum focusing on developing cognitive, play, communication, and
transition skills through the use of several centers.

- The 1-to-1 Teaching Center is designed to give the child

the opportunity to interact
and learn with an adult. It also focuses on developing a
positive learning/ work routine.

- The Structured Play Center focuses on teaching play

skills, using developmentally appropriate and high interest
materials
.

- The Independent Skills Center focuses on building

organization, attention, motivation, and persistence in
completing activities. While a teacher is present to assist
as needed, the goal is for the child to feel highly
successful and competent.

- The Play Area: The materials in the play area are chosen to
be of high interest, and there is room to engage in physical
play as well as toy play. The adults join the
children in this area, following each child’s lead and building
social engagement as well as play skills.

- Group activities: Children and staff share a

snack time and a circle time, focusing on
shared attention, communication, imitation,
and turn-taking.
- Transition skills are addressed between
each scheduled activity. The use of the
visual supports and positive routines of
Structured Teaching help the children
understand transitions and move purposefully
between activities, arriving ready to learn.
 Structured TEACCHing Play Group
and
TEACCH Social Group
The Structured TEACCHing Play Group and the TEACCH Social Group target slightly
older preschoolers. These groups meet in the afternoon, allowing enrolled preschoolers
to participate in their school programs in the morning and then come to their TEACCH
group for supplemental instruction focusing on using all the elements of Structured
Teaching to further their curriculum goals in the areas of communication, pre-academic
and cognitive skills, work behaviors, play skills, and social development.

The classroom design for these groups

reflects the stated curriculum focus.
Areas are created for different types of
learning settings, including direct
teaching, independent practice, and
group learning settings. Also, a variety
of play centers reflect the importance of
developing independent leisure and
social leisure skills.

Students are enrolled in each group for a 15 –

week semester. Parent involvement is
encouraged through participation in classroom
visits and a monthly parent discussion group
led by TEACCH staff.

The Structured TEACCHing Play Group meets

once a week in the TEACCH classroom. Four
students each semester are enrolled for 2-hour
sessions that alternate individual learning activities
with small group activities. During the Play Group
sessions each child has opportunities for direct
instruction from staff members to focus on the
acquisition of new communication skills, pre-
academic skills, play skills, and work routines. All
children also have opportunities to practice these
skills and learn social skills in meaningful,
motivating group activities. Individual sessions will focus on learning to use Structured
Teaching elements and developing cognitive, communication, and play skills. Group
activities may include snack, art, music and movement, stories, games, and cooking.
There will typically be 3 group activities and 3 individual activities
The TEACCH Social Group meets once a week for 2 hours per session. This group is
designed for older preschoolers with more language and social awareness . The focus of
this program will be on developing the social and communication skills to be successful
in group and community settings. Groups will include games, stories, music/ movement,
projects such as art or cooking, and preparation/ practice for social/community situations.
However, opportunities for individual activities will be included as well, scheduled to
alternate with group activities in order to provide some breaks from social pressures.