| Core features of successful educational programs | Questions to ask |
| Program components |
- Individualized programming for each child.
- A curriculum emphasizing communication, social interaction, attention, imitation, play, emotional and behavioral regulation, and self-advocacy.
- Family involvement (including parent/caregiver training).
- Transition planning.
- Accessibility.
| - What therapies/interventions (ie, related services) is the child receiving?
- Does the program have a curriculum or manual that guides goal setting and how the special education teacher and/or therapist works with the child towards their goals?
- Is parent/caregiver training included in the program to generalize use of skills learned in the school environment into the home setting?
- Does the program include transition planning?
- Are interventions or services funded by the school, medical insurance, or private sources?
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| Program setting |
- A highly supportive teaching environment.
- Predictability and structure.
| - Are therapies/interventions provided individually or in group settings?
- Are any services being provided outside of school (eg, in a home or center-based setting)?
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| Program frequency |
- Entry into a program as soon as ASD is suspected.
- A minimum of 25 hours per week of services for 12 months per year.
| - How long has the child been receiving therapies/interventions?
- How many days a week does the child attend in each setting?
- How much time does the child spend in each setting?
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| Program staffing |
- Teachers with special expertise in working with children with ASD.
- A high staff-to-student ratio (eg, 1:1 or 1:2).
| - Who is providing the therapies and overseeing the program? What are their qualifications (eg, are they a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst)?
- How many students and teachers/staff are in each setting?
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| Monitoring of response |
- Ongoing program evaluation and adjustment.
- Close monitoring and modification as the child's needs change.
- Functional assessment of behavior problems (if the child has disruptive, aggressive, or non-compliant behavior at school).
| - What are the child's goals in therapy?
- Does the child's special education teacher and/or therapist talk to the parent/caregiver regularly about these goals and how they are working with the child on meeting them?
- How is progress towards meeting these goals measured?
- How often is progress reviewed and shared with the parent/caregiver?
- When a target skill is not met, what is the process for adjusting the program or goals to meet the child's needs? For example:
- Are skills broken down into more scaffolded goals (ie, incremental steps)?
- Are problem behaviors assessed in the context of environmental triggers, and is there a clear understanding of the function of the child's behavior?
- Have replacement behaviors been identified, and is there a clear, data-driven plan to teach them as alternatives to the problem behaviors?
- Is there direct observation of the child in different environments to maximize the effectiveness of interventions?
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