Multiple Means of Representation10 Perception..10 Options for Language, Mathematical Expression and Symbols11 Options for Comprehension...11 Multiple Means of Action and Expression12 Options for Physical Action...12 Options for Expression and Communication.13 Provide Options for Executive Functions..13 Multiple Means of Engagement.14 Recruiting Interest..14 Sustaining Effort and Persistance...15 Self-Regulation...16
Conclusion..17
References...18
Appendix A.22
3 Background
The number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the US is constantly on the rise. In fact, the Autism Speaks Organization recently came out with a new statistic that 1 in every 68 children is diagnosed with ASD (Autism Speaks, 2014). Along with the increase in ASD, there is a movement toward inclusive classrooms. This movement has sparked a debate on whether or not this is a good idea for children with and without learning disabilities or disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Some believe that segregating students with disabilities is discrimination, but proponents of segregated classrooms often point to the fact that it can be difficult for those students to get the individualized attention and expert level of care they need from inclusive classrooms. On the other hand, supporters of inclusive classrooms cite important social benefits of inclusive classrooms, but others say that extra disruptions may negatively effect instruction and learning in the classroom (Gordon, 2013). While there are many factors at play in this debate, one area that can be reinforced in either type of classroom, but particularly in inclusive classrooms is the supports that can be provided to help students succeed and become more independent. One of the major issues in assisting children with ASD in the classroom is that current support systems tend to lead to over-dependence on adults (Hume,Loftin & Lantz, 2009). According to a study conducted by Giangreco and Broer students with ASD spent around 86% of their day with a one-on-one aide within 3 feet of them (Giangreco & Broer, 2005). The proximity and ease of access to paraprofessionals might benefit students in the short run by providing additional support and prompts to students during particular moments in school, but once the constant one-on-one involvement is removed students often struggle to complete tasks independently (Giangreco et al.,1997; Hume, Loftin, & Lantz, 2009).
4 One way to help support independence in students with ASD or other social, organizational challenges is to employ technology in the classroom. In fact, even beyond the current surge in interest in educational technology, a variety of technological devices and programs have been used to support children with ASD for over 35 years (Knight, McKissick, & Saunders, 2013). The addition of tech tools for ASD in the classroom has been shown to improve communication and literacy expression skills and may be appealing to students because it allows for autonomy and comfort in the classroom (Tincani & Boutot, 2005). Commonly identified benefits of supporting students with ASD with technological tools include reducing the time and cost- effectiveness of one-on-one instruction and increasing the total number of students who can be positively impacted (Higgins & Boone, 1996; Tincani & Boutot, 2005). Taking into consideration the need for students with ASD to gain independence and the efficacy of assistive technology, Invisible Coach was created. Invisible Coach empowers students to have a more direct hand in their learning through a multitude of functions and tools available through the Invisible Coach dashboard. In addition to allowing students to make decisions about their learning and needs, Invisible Coach integrates the support of one-on-one aides through features like the Whisper chat function, but paraprofessional assistance is not as heavily leaned upon. Thus, learning regulation and independence is scaffolded for students. The skills that children with ASD gain through the use of supportive technology such as Invisible Coach have tangible benefits in life beyond school. Increased communication and functional abilities increases the number of individuals with ASD who are able to live independently post high school. Depending on the individual student, they may be more likely to obtain post secondary education, live away from parents and earn a living by being employed. All of this can lead to an overall higher quality of life for both the student and their families (Anderson, Shattuck, Cooper, Roux & Wagner, 2013; Roux et al., 2013; Shattuck et al., 2012).
5 Invisible Coach Purpose: The purpose of Invisible Coach is to promote greater independence in children with ASD (or other social, organizational challenges) by applying UDL theory to create metacognitive supports on one customizable online platform. Although we hope this product will eventually be generalize to many age ranges and types of learners, we are initially designing Invisible Coach for 4 th -5 th graders on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. The idea behind the Invisible Coach is to help these students succeed in the mainstream classroom without as much reliance on one-on-one aides or remedial pull-out lessons. Invisible Coach will focus on independent learning skills by providing students a single platform which they can customize with the executive functioning, communication, and emotional regulation supports to meet their individual learning style. Students can self-assess their own goals via Invisible Coach, but teachers can assess the students independent learning skills progress with the rubric found on the implementation guide. Invisible Coach will be accessible to students in the academic classroom (i.e. Language Arts class) via a computer or a tablet.
Design: Invisible Coach began as a website dashboard, and now includes a partner mobile application for greater convenience. Invisible Coach provides students with a customizable digital support environment, including features such as calendars, checklists, reminders, goal and grade trackers, a coping-strategy toolbox, time management devices, and digital incentive systems. An additional feature is the ability to communicate digitally with teachers or learning support specialists in real-time through a whisper chat function or pre-set check-in button. The most important feature is that each students dashboard is customizable with the tools and features most appropriate for his/her needs (Goldsberry & Schmitz, 2014).
6 There are a number of implementation possibilities for Invisible Coach. 1. A student can register individually for Invisible Coach to create a dashboard with digital support tools. 2. A student and a specialist can register as a team, through which they can work together to create their dashboard and be available via chat even when they are physically apart during class time. 3. A teacher can register for him/herself and the whole class, so that each student can have an individualized dashboard through which they can communicate important messages to the teacher via check-in buttons.
Standards:
Invisible Coach includes metacognitive supports to help students achieve social and emotional learning standards, and subsequently academic standards. Anchorage School District in Alaska provides some examples of Social and Emotional Learning Standards (ASD SEL Standards).* These Self-Awareness and Self-Management skills are foundational to students taking an active role in their learning, and thus achieving academic success. For students who struggle with these skills, Invisible Coach provides safe and unobtrusive support system.
Self-Awareness: 1A: Students demonstrate awareness of their emotions. - Invisible Coach offers emotional check in and graphing for students to chart and review their emotions. 1B: Students demonstrate awareness of their personal traits. - Through the emotional tracking systems, and the ability to save notes, chats with educators, and graphs of emotions throughout the day, Invisible Coach provides students with opportunities to reflect on their personal traits. Students can review these transcripts and graphs with their educator, to determine trends in their learning process. Then, they can work with the educator or on their own to customize their homepage according to their needs. 1C: Students demonstrate awareness of their external supports. - Students take personal responsibility in managing and implementing the supports on their dashboard. By using Invisible Coach, students can try out many support strategies. Then, as they use the progress monitoring tools, such as goal tracking, emotion tracking, and progress reward system, IC will generate graphs, which will support student understanding of how well each tool is working for them. Thus, students will become more aware of learning, behavioral and emotional triggers, as well as the effectiveness of various supports for them. 1D: Students have a sense of personal responsibility.
7 - Students are in charge of setting their own learning, emotion, and behavior goals.
Self-Management: 2A: Students demonstrate ability to manage their emotions constructively. - Students plan for and respond to emotional dysregulation using Invisible Coachs emotion check-in, graphing, and tool-box. 2C: Students use effective decision-making skills. - The emotion tool box provides students with a self-prescribed menu of coping strategies when they need to make a decision about how to self-regulate. 2D: Students demonstrate ability to set and achieve goals. - Students set and track personal academic, social, and behavioral goals.
Social Management: 4A: Students use positive communication and social skills to interact effectively with others. - Students are provided with communication tools such as the whisper and the check-in (so they can communicate with an adult without disrupting the class), and the digital note-pad and doodle-pad, so they can save their personal thoughts and share only relevant ones.
* For details, please see: http://www.asdk12.org/media/anchorage/globalmedia/documents/sel/SEL_TeamOverview.pdf
Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a curriculum design and development framework that aims to maximize usability and create equal learning opportunities among all types of learners (CAST, 2014). The idea behind UDL is that there is no such thing as a one-size fits all model for education since all students are different and vary in their strengths and weaknesses (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2013). Factors that contribute to this variability include differences in preferences for means of expression, degrees of motivation and engagement, and perception and comprehension of content and materials presented (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2013). Thus, adaptability in goal setting, methods, materials and assessments within programs and curricula is key to creating a solid, UDL-aligned product (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2013). Informed by neuroscience and educational research the UDL guidelines are built out under the following foundational brain networks: 1) Recognition Network; 2) Strategic Network; 3)
8 Affective Network. Each network is based on its own individual principle and is discussed in depth below: The Recognition Network: The Recognition Network is located posteriorly in the brain and is primarily responsible for the receiving and processing of external information into knowledge one can use to navigate through a variety of contexts (CAST, 2011). At the heart of the Recognition Network is the notion of Multiple Means of Representation. Multiple means of representation means that subject matter, materials and content are presented in a variety of ways to appeal to all types of learners. This is highly important as individual learners have different ways of perceiving and comprehending information in their brains. For instance, two students, one with sight and one who is blind can still participate in and benefit from reading the same book in class on an iPad provided that there is an option for voice-over. Having multiple means of representation allows for a wider range of individuals to take in and benefit from the information that a teacher or lesson is trying to convey. The Strategic Network: The Strategic Network is located in the forebrain and serves individuals in planning, organization, and carrying out expressions and actions (CAST, 2011). The key notion of the Strategic Network is Multiple Means of Action and Expression. Multiple means of action and expression means that students are provided a multitude of options to set appropriate goals, express their knowledge, navigate their environment and hone their executive functioning skills (UDL Center, 2014). An example of multiple means of action and expression is providing students with an assignment that allow for written, visual and speech presentation options. In this example, a student with a motor disability may choose to give an oral presentation instead of a written presentation in order to express their knowledge of the content matter of the assignment.
9 The Affective Network: The Affective Network is located in the center of the brain and its primary role is to stimulate interest and engage and motivate learners. The core idea behind the affective network is Multiple Means of Engagement. A key component of multiple means of engagement is getting to know students on a personal level and allowing them to work in ways that they feel most comfortable. For example, providing students with options for alone or group work, or hands-on or visual lessons. Multiple means of engagement is highly important because individual learners are motivated by a wide variety of things and emotions largely play into the success of students in the classroom (CAST, 2011). Overall, the goal of UDL is to design high quality curricula that can reach as many different types of learners as possible through multiple means of representation, action and expression, as well as engagement. The full set of UDL principles and guidelines can be reviewed on the National Center on Universal Design for Learning website (www.udlcenter.org). Additional information can also be found on the CAST website (www.cast.org). Both of these sites also provide UDL examples, resources and professional development materials.
Integration of UDL in Invisible Coach
One of the biggest benefits of designing Invisible Coach through the UDL lens is that though the idea for Invisible Coach started with the notion of aiding students with ASD or other social, organizational challenges, it is applicable to all students. Below is the breakdown of how Invisible Coach incorporates UDL Guidelines and Checkpoints. A list view broken down by individual tools can be found in Appendix A. Multiple Means of Representation:
The Invisible Coach platform integrates UDL principle 1 Multiple Means of Representation by providing students with a variety of options for perception, language, symbols and
10 comprehension. By providing multiple means of representation, Invisible Coach is able to tap into and meet the needs of the brains recognition network. Perception Invisible coach offers students with ASD ways to customize the visual display of information and offers alternatives for visual information (checkpoint 1.1). A number of studies have revealed that children with ASD are particularly strong at understanding, responding to and communicating with visual-spatial materials (Shane 2008, Shane et al., 2012). Invisible Coach allows students to capitalize on their strong visual-spatial skills by allowing students to customize the display and features (digital tools) of their dashboard. Students will have only as many features as they want and need. They can change the font, color, and sizes of the features to best suit their needs. Additionally, text can be supplemented or replaced with icons, either provided by Invisible Coach or uploaded by the child. Thus, by providing students with a visual dashboard that they can customize, Invisible Coach is able to promote independence and tailor learning to each students individual needs. Since Invisible Coach is based in UDL, every aspect of the product is accessible. For instance, the Invisible Coach training videos provide alternatives to auditory information (checkpoint 1.2) by using closed captioning. This is particularly useful when students are joining their teachers and paraprofessionals in watching the training videos. By including students in the training portion of Invisible Coach, everyone will be able to get the most out of the product. Though its known that students with ASD are particularly strong visually, Invisible Coach recognizes that every student is unique and that some may prefer an alternative to visual information (checkpoint 1.3). Invisible Coach provides a text-to-speech toolbar at the top of every page as well as providing the option for auditory reminders and another means of communication with teachers, paraprofessionals and other individuals. Studies have shown that providing text-to-audio and text-to- speech options for communication purposes allow for children with ASD to have more effective and
11 meaningful engagement in activities and conversations (Shane et al., 2012; Thunberg, Alhsen & Dahlgren Sandberg, 2007). Options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols Invisible Coach provides students with tools that will help clarify vocabulary and symbols (checkpoint 2.1) by incorporating a hover-over-word dictionary as well as the option of an online reference dictionary. As students navigate Invisible Coach, they will use visual icons, which will have corresponding words as they hover over. Providing these options is important due to the fact that children with ASD have strengths in visual processing and like visual content delivered via electronic screen. Additionally, studies suggest that spoken language should be supplemented with a visual-linguistic environment, or symbols (Shane, et al., 2012; Althaus, et al., 1996; Shane & Albert, 2008). On a similar note, Invisible Coach will give students the ability to illustrate through multiple media (checkpoint 2.5) by allowing students to upload their own audio, text and visual materials to use in the calendar and reminder features. Alternatively, students can choose not to upload their own materials and use the standard Invisible Coach audio, text and images that are pre-loaded. This will help students make choices and keep on schedule and on track in ways that are most helpful for their individual learning styles. Invisible Coach recognizes the fact that there are multilingual children with ASD (Valicenti- McDermott et al., 2013). Despite the fact that children with ASD often struggle with language acquisition, research has shown that bilingualism or multilingualism has any negative effects on language development in young children with ASD. Thus, Invisible coach will have an optional translation feature with both audio and visual symbol supports to help children interact with class content and promote understanding across languages (checkpoint 2.4). Provide options for comprehension The Invisible Coach platform provides many options for comprehension. To start, students are able to highlight patters, critical features, big ideas and relationships (checkpoint 3.2) if students choose to include the goal tracker or emotion tracker on
12 their dashboard. By including these features, students are able to generate charts and graphs that illustrate their progress and highlight trends in their personal performance. This is particularly important for children with ASD as it visually supports executive functions and emotional regulation (Korkmaz, 2011). Similarly, Invisible Coach also guides information processing, visualization and manipulation (checkpoint 3.3) through infographics and providing a platform to help students graph and monitor emotions and personal goals. Finally, Invisible Coach maximizes transfer and generalization (checkpoint 3.4). Since Invisible Coach is a digital platform, it can be used in a variety of learning environments, thus encouraging transfer of metacognitive skills to many different settings. An important piece of information to note is the fact that this does not mean that students are dependent upon Invisible Coach. Rather, Invisible Coach provides a single tool on which students can practice organizational, communication, and emotion regulation skills in real world contexts (Ganz, Sigafoos, Simpson, Cooke, 2008).
Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The Invisible Coach platform integrates UDL principle 2 Multiple Means of Action and Expression by providing students with a variety of options for physical action, expression and communication, and executive functions. By providing multiple means of action and expression, Invisible Coach is able to tap into and meet the needs of the brains strategic network. Provide options for physical action One way Invisible Coach is able to provide students options for physical action is by varying the methods for response and navigation (checkpoint 4.1) through the Invisible Coach tablet application. The touchscreen application will be easier for students to use than a regular computer mouse for those with motor impairments (Sacrey, Germani, Bryson & Zwaigenbaum , 2014). The application will also have a speech-to-text microphone in the note-pad to reduce the need for typing for students with limited motor control. The tablet application will
13 accessible on any device as it is being designed to be compatible with a variety of tablets on the market including IOS and Android platforms. In fact, the ability to use Invisible Coach on commonly used tablets is a large benefit in itself as it has been noted that other assistive devices, such as the Dynavox etc. tend to be bulky, difficult to transport and often stigmatize students who use them (Shane et al., 2012). Provide options for expression and communication - In order to provide options for expression and communication, Invisible Coach has incorporated multiple media for communication (checkpoint 5.1) and multiple tools for construction and composition (checkpoint 5.2). The check-in function provides students multiple media for quick, symbolic communication and is highly useful at times when a student needs to alert a teacher or other educator regarding comfort level, anxiety, and general readiness to learn without the need for words. In addition to the check-in feature, the notepad and Whisper function are tools for construction and composition. The notepad and Whisper function allow for texting and doodling capabilities. These three communication functions are highly valuable to this population as verbal communication and expression can be particularly challenging (Zalla et al., 2014). The multitude of visual communication options provided by Invisible Coach will open doors for more effective and efficient communication. Additionally, by making communication less of an effort as has been demonstrated by other visual exchange systems such as Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS), Invisible Coach may actually encourage more effective communication, a higher degree of self-helping behaviors and more independence than students with ASD are typically display without these systems (Malhotra, Rajender, Bahtia & Singh, 2010). Provide options for executive functions Invisible Coach provides supports for executive functions by incorporating tools that help guide appropriate goal setting (checkpoint 6.1), support planning and strategy development (checkpoint 6.2), and enhance capacity for monitoring progress (checkpoint 6.3). The Invisible Coachs goal setting, tracking and reward system scaffolds students goal-setting and achieving behavior by prompting students to break down goals into definable and
14 quantifiable pieces. The ability to set goals is an important task for children with ASD to learn as they tend to get stuck and frustrated, which can lead to behavioral issues. In fact, the ability to set target goals has been explored with positive results in behavior, flexibility and goal setting (Kenworthy et al., 2014). In addition to goal tracking, Invisible Coach has built in tools for emotion tracking. Invisible Coachs emotion tracker and tool-box system allows students to plan self-regulation strategies. For example, when a student is feeling a certain emotion, the emotion-tracking tool will prompt students to try one of their planned strategies in moments of emotional dysregulation. Emotion tracking is important to students with ASD as they have a tendency to internalize problems, which contribute to the higher than average levels of depression and anxiety, particularly in the high-functioning population (Henderson et al., 2013). Both the goal tracking and the emotion-tracking features provide options for students to turn their data into charts and graphs to monitor progress. Students can choose to display these charts on the dashboard. Additionally, the whisper and note-pad functions are saved so that students can review past thoughts and conversations independently or with an educator.
Multiple Means of Engagement The Invisible Coach platform integrates UDL principle 3 Multiple Means of Engagement by providing students with a variety of options for recruiting interest, sustaining effort and persistence, and self-regulation. By providing multiple means of Engagement, Invisible Coach is able to tap into and meet the needs of the brains affective network. Recruiting I nterest Invisible Coach has multiple tools to optimize individual choice and autonomy (checkpoint 7.1), optimize relevance, value and authenticity (checkpoint 7.2) and minimize threats and distractions (checkpoint 7.3). Students can customize and personalize almost every aspect of their Invisible Coach dashboard. Students can choose color schemes and themes, set their own goals, select how their progress is rewarded, choose how they want to communicate and
15 take notes, and take charge of their emotions and plans. Students are able to further customize their Invisible Coach dashboard by using pictures from their real world (i.e. a photo of their own classroom, rather than a stock image of a classroom), thus enhancing authenticity and personal relevance. The customizability and flexible nature of the Invisible Coach platform is important in this population as the nature of ASD is developmental and can change over time. There is no one-size fits all treatment, education, or support structure and such supports must be able to meet the changing needs of students with ASD as Invisible Coach is capable of doing (Stahmer, Schreibman & Cunningham, 2011). Additionally, students are able to link progress to rewards, which enhances the value of goal related behavior for many students. This customization is also important in minimizing threats and distractions. Students can limit the amount of distractions by choosing to display only a few supports on the main dashboard if they are the type of student to be easily overwhelmed by choice or clutter. The Invisible Coach chat functions also provide ways of minimizing threats and distractions. For many students with ASD, chatting privately may feel less threatening than speaking in a large group. For others, chatting privately about individually relevant information may minimize being a distraction to the classmates (i.e. if that student is prone to commenting too often during class). On the other hand, student and/or teacher can disable the Whisper function if the chat becomes too distracting. Sustaining Effort and Persistence Through Invisible Coachs goal and emotion tracking, progress monitoring and reward systems students are incentivized to sustain effort and persistence. To stay on track students can set the reminders for their personal goals, display their personal goals and progress on their dashboard to increase awareness of development, and rewards heighten the salience of goals by linking them to motivating stimuli (checkpoint 8.1). Additionally, Invisible Coach has the capability to vary demands and resources to optimize challenge (checkpoint 8.2) by adjusting their goals and setting new goals as they have mastered previous goals in the goal setting and tracking tools. Students can also choose to link higher levels of achievement to more motivating
16 rewards. Allowing students to set achievable goals that vary with mastery and earn rewards based upon the achievement of those goals is highly important in this population. It has been shown that without appropriate motivation students with ASD can sometimes develop learned helplessness and end up underperforming despite having the potential to achieve much more and perform at higher levels (Koegel & Mentis, 1985). To further support the sustainment of effort and persistence, Invisible Coach has a multitude of tools that help foster collaboration and community. Though communication and emotional expression can be particularly challenging for kids with ASD building a sense of friendship and community can be good in helping reduce feelings of loneliness, depression and the inability to connect with others and can help students connect based on shared interests (Orsmond, Wyngaarden Krauss & Mailick Seltzer, 2004). Collaboration and community building features include the check- in system, which allows students to be in constant communication with their teachers about their emotional states without disrupting the class, and the Whisper function, which encourages students to discuss their learning experience with their educators. The Whisper function also allows for increased mastery-oriented feedback (checkpoint 8.4) as educators can provide personalized feedback without interrupting the class or calling attention to a shy student. Finally, the Educator Dashboard allows teachers and paraprofessionals to be in constant communication between themselves, their students, and the students families, thus allowing for the individualized care and attention that each child needs. Self-Regulation The Invisible Coach platform provides students many tools to help with self-regulation. More specifically, Invisible Coach helps promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation (checkpoint 9.1) through the Progress Reward System. Since students are set up with the expectation of a realistic reward upon goal completion, students are motivated to work towards their target goals. Setting up realistic goals that can be rewarded is important in preventing frustration and behavior issues and promoting flexibility, and independence (Kenworthy et al., 2014).
17 The Progress Reward System also facilitates personal coping skills and strategies (checkpoint 9.2) by allowing the student to remind him or herself of the positive outcomes of goal-related behavior, which is an important coping strategy during moments of frustration (Kenworthy et al., 2014). Invisible Coachs Check-In System helps facilitate coping as well by allowing students to express their emotional states and feelings. Since students with ASD generally have a more difficult time with self-expression the ability to be heard and understood may be an important coping strategy for many students and may help them to feel less lonely and find peers with similar interests (Orsmond, Wyngaarden Krauss & Mailick Seltzer, 2004). Similarly, the Self Regulation Planner and Emotion Tracker together allow students to come up with a coping plan ahead of time and will help implement the strategies in their Self-Regulation toolbox when necessary. Finally, Invisible Coach is able to help students develop self-assessment and reflection skills (checkpoint 9.3) through the Self-Regulation Planner, Emotion Tracker and Self-Regulation Toolbox. The Self-Regulation Planner allows students to reflect upon which strategies are most useful for them and re-work their plan based on data from the Emotion Tracker. The Emotion Tracker itself provides practice in assessing students own emotional states. As students log their emotions in the Emotion Tracker, the Self-Regulation Toolbox automatically reminds the students of the emotion they just logged, thus reinforcing the self-reflection they just completed.
Conclusion
Invisible Coach recognizes the need to support students with ASD and their educators. By utilizing UDL principles and guidelines Invisible Coach is able to support individualized learning and communication, decrease stress and frustration at school and foster a greater degree of independence through the multitude of customizable tools and features available in the Invisible Coach dashboard. Greater satisfaction at school and independent functioning will not
18 only lead to better life outcomes for students with ASD, but will also allow teachers and paraprofessionals to be more impactful in their work, thus decreasing job stress and improving job satisfaction. Overall, Invisible Coach is the tool that will allow students with ASD to reach their true individual potentials.
References:
Althaus, M., de Sonneville, L. M., Minderaa, R. B., Hensen, L. G., &Til, R. B. (1996). Information processing and aspects of visual attention in children with the DSM-III-R Diagnosis Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS): II. Child Neuropsychology, 2, 1729. Anchorage School District Professional Learning Department (2014). Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards. Anchorage, Alaska. Anderson, K., Shattuck, P., Cooper, B., Roux, A., & Wagner, M. (2013). Prevalence and correlates of postsecondary residential status among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Autism, Epub ahead of print, doi: 10.1177/1362361313481860 Ganz, J., Sigafoos, J., Simpson, R., & Cook, K. (2008). Generalization of a pictorial alternative communication system across instructors and distance. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 24(2), 89-99. doi: 10.1080/07434610802113289 Giangreco, M., & Broer, S. (2005). Questionable utilization of paraprofessionals in inclusive schools: Are we addressing symptoms or causes? Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20, 1026. Giangreco, M., Edelman, S., Luiselli, T., & Macfarland, S. (1997). Helping or hovering? Effects of Instructional assistant proximity on students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 64, 718. Goldsberry, A., & Schmitz, M., (2014). Product description. Entrepreneurship in the Education
19 Marketplace. Gordon, J. (2013). Is inclusive education a human right?. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , 41(4), 754-767. doi: 10.1111/jlme.12087 Henderson, H., Ono, K., McMahon, C., Schwartz, C., Usher, L., Mundy, P. (2013). The Costs and Benefits of Self-monitoring for Higher Functioning Children and Adolescents with Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Epub ahead of print. doi: 0.1007/s10803- 013-1968-7 Higgins, K., & Boone, R. (1996). Creating individualized computer-assisted instruction for students with autism using multimedia authoring software. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 11, 6978. Hume, K., Loftin, R., & Lantz, J. Increasing Independence In Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review Of Three Focused Interventions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 1329- 1338. Kenworthy, L., Gutermuth Anthony, L., Naiman, D., Cannon, L., Wills, M., Luong-Tran, C., Werner, M., Alexander, K., Strang, J., Bal, E., Sokoloff, J., Wallace, G. (2014). Randomized controlled effectiveness trial of executive function intervention for children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55 (4), 374-383. doi: 0.1111/jcpp.12161 Knight, V., McKissick, B., & Saunders, A. (2013). A review of technology-based interventions to teach academic skills to students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(11), 2628-2648. doi: 10.1007/s10803-013-1814-y Koegel, R., & Mentis, M. (1985). Motivation in childhood autism: can they or wont they?. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 26(2), 185-191. Korkmaz, B. (2011). Theory of mind and neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Pediatric Research, 69(5), 101R-108R. doi: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e318212c177
20 Orsmond, G., Wyngaarden Krauss, M., & Mailick Seltzer, M. (2004). Peer relationships and social and recreational activities among adolescents and adults with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(3), 245-256. Roux, A., Shattuck, P., Cooper , B., Anderson, K., Wagner, M., & Narendorf, S. (2013). Postsecondary employment experiences among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(9), 931- 939. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.019 Sacrey, L., Germani, T., Bryson, S., & Zwaigenbaum , L. (2014). Reaching and grasping in autism spectrum disorder: A review of recent literature. Frontiers in Neurology, 5, 1-12. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2014.00006 Shane, H., Laubscher, E., Schlosser, R., Flynn, S., Sorce, J., & Abramson, J. (2012). Applying technology to visually support language and communication in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(6), 1228-1235. doi: 10.1007/s10803-011-1304-z Shane, H. C., & Albert, P. D. (2008). Electronic screen media for persons with autism spectrum disorders: Results of a survey. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1499 1508. Shattuck, P., Narendorf, S., Cooper , B., Sterzing, P., Wagner, M., & Taylor, J. (2012). Postsecondary education and employment among youth with an autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 129(6), 1042-1049. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2864 Thunberg, G., Alhsen, E., & Dahlgren Sandberg, A. (2007). Thunberg, g., alhsen, e., & sandberg, a. d. children with autistic spectrum disorders and speechgenerating devices: Communication in different activities at home. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, 21(6), 457-479. doi: 10.1080/02699200701314963
21 Tincani, M., & Boutot, E. A. (2005). Technology and autism: Current practices and future directions. In D. Edyburn, K. Higgins, & R. Boone (Eds.), Handbook of special education technology research and practice. Whitefish Bay, WI: Knowledge by Design. Valicenti-McDermott, M., Tarshis, N., Schouls, M., Galdston, M., Hottinger, K., Seijo, R., Shulman, L., & Shinnar , S. (2013). Language differences between monolingual english and bilingual english-spanish young children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Neurology, 27(8), 945-948. doi: 10.1177/0883073812453204 Zalla, T., Amsellem, F., Chaste, P., Ervas, F., Leboyer, M., & Champagne-Lavau, M. (2014). Individuals with autism spectrum disorders do not use social stereotypes in irony comprehension. PLoS One, 9(4), 1-9. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095568
22 Appendix A
Invisible Coach Feature UDL Checkpoints Explanation Customizable Dash 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students can choose which tools to display on their dashboard for easy access to the supports most useful for their own needs. 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy Students can choose color schemes and themes with which to personalize their dashboard 7.3 Minimize threats and distractions Students can limit the amount of distractions by choosing to display only a few supports if they are the type of student to be easily overwhelmed by choice or clutter. Text-Help Toolbar 1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information Students can use text to speech capabilities. 2.1 Clarify vocabulary and symbols A dictionary is available for any on-screen text. Language Settings 2.4 Promote understanding across languages Invisible Coach will be available in multiple languages. Pre-set Icons 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students may choose from Invisible Coach icons to accompany (or replace) text. Upload-able Icons 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students may upload their own icons from the web or take their own photos to accompany (or replace) text. 7.2 Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity By using pictures from their real world (i.e. a photo of their own classroom, rather than a stock image of a classroom), students enhance authenticity and personal relevance. Daily Schedule 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the Students can choose to highlight their current activity, or display the schedule without
23 display of information highlighting. 2.5 Illustrate through multiple media Students can upload photos or use text (or both) to create schedules. Calendar 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students can display the calendar by week, month, or year. 2.5 Illustrate through multiple media Students can use icons, text, or both to mark events on their calendar. 6.2 Support planning and strategy development Students can use the calendar to plan ahead and keep track of important dates. Reminder System 1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information Students can set the reminders to be read aloud at given times/intervals. 2.5 Illustrate through multiple media Students can choose an icon to accompany or replace the text of their reminder. 6.2 Support planning and strategy development Students can use the reminder system to practice using strategies until the habit has developed. 8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives Students can set the reminders to remind them of their personal goals. Homework Organizer 6.2 Support planning and strategy development Students can use the homework organizer to plan and keep track of homework assignments. To-Do List/Routine 6.2 Support planning and strategy development Students can use the To-Do list to keep track of tasks and multi-step processes. Goal Setting Scaffold 6.1 Guide The Goal Setting Scaffold helps students break down
24 appropriate goal setting their more abstract goals into concrete, measurable actions. 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy Students choose their own goals, rather than being assigned goals by their teachers. 8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives Students can choose to display their personal goals on their dashboard for constant reminder. 8.2 Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge Students can adjust their goals and set new goals as they have mastered previous goals. Goal Tracker 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students can choose the type of graph generated by the goal tracker. 3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships As students track goal-related behavior, the goal tracker generates graphs to display patterns in progress. 6.1 Guide appropriate goal setting Students can visualize how appropriate their goal is based on how they progress (i.e. too quickly, too slowly, at a reasonable pace), and adjust their goals based on their data. 6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress Graphs help students visualize and monitor progress. 8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives Progress towards goals can be displayed on dashboard for heightened salience. 9.3 Develop self- assessment and reflection Students self-monitor and record their own progress towards goals. Progress Reward System 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students can choose themes for their reward charts. 6.4 Enhance capacity for The reward chart helps students visually monitor their progress towards the reward accompanying
25 monitoring progress their goal. 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy Students can choose how their progress is rewarded. 7.2 Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity Linking progress to rewards enhances the value of goal-related behavior for many students. 8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives Rewards heighten the salience of goals by linking them to motivating stimuli. 8.2 Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge Students can choose to link higher levels of achievement to more motivating rewards. 9.1 Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation Students are motivated to work towards goals because of the expectation of a realistic reward upon goal completion. 9.2 Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies Reminding self of the positive outcomes of goal- related behavior is an important coping strategy during moments of frustration. 8.Check-In System 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students can choose the check-in symbols which are most relatable to them. 5.1 Use multiple media for communication Students can communicate discretely and symbolically to educators through the use of the check-in system. As can be seen on the teacher dashboard, when students check-in, the teacher will see where the student is emotionally at that moment. 8.3 Foster collaboration and community Students can be in constant communication with their teachers about their emotional states without disrupting the class. 9.2 Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies Merely expressing emotional state and feeling heard/understood may be an important coping strategy for many students. Whisper Function 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of Students can choose colors to represent themselves and their educator.
26 information 3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships Chat histories are saved so that students can review them later with educators and search for patterns in communication. 3.3 Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation Students can discretely chat with paraprofessional, assistant teacher, or aide to process class content more deeply when interrupting the class might not be appropriate. 5.1 Use multiple media for communication Students can communicate discretely with a paraprofessional, assistant teacher, or aide via the chat function, if they are too shy to speak in front of the whole class. 5.2 Use multiple tools for construction and composition Students can communicate through text or through a doodle pad. 6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources Chat history is saved for later review of student data, such as through processes, questions, and challenges. 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy Students can choose how to communicate with their educators and how to display that communication. 7.3 Minimize threats and distractions For many students, chatting privately may feel less threatening than speaking in a large group. For others, chatting privately about individually relevant information may minimize being a distraction to the classmates (i.e. if that student is prone to commenting too often during class). Additionally, the whisper function can be disabled by student and/or teacher if the chat is too distracting. 8.3 Foster collaboration and community Students are encouraged to discuss their learning experience with their educators. 8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback Educators can provide personalized feedback without interrupting the class or calling attention to a shy student.
27 3.3 Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation Students can take notes or doodle to help them visualize class content. 4.1 Vary the methods for response and navigation Students with motor challenges can use the microphone instead of typing or using a mouse/stylus. 5.2 Use multiple tools for construction and composition Students can choose to type notes, draw/doodle notes, or use the microphone for speech-to text note taking, when appropriate. 6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources Note and doodle history is saved for personal record, or to analyze with educator. 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy Students can choose how they prefer to take notes. Self-Regulation Planner 3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships Self-Regulation Planner highlights the relationship between emotions and behaviors. 6.2 Support planning and strategy development Students plan ahead for moments of intense emotion which might require coping strategies. 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy Students can choose which coping strategies to pair with which emotions. 9.2 Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies Setting a coping plan ahead of time will help implement the strategies when necessary. 9.3 Develop self- assessment and reflection Students can reflect upon which strategies are most useful for them, and re-work their plan based on data from the Emotion Tracker. Emotion Tracker 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the Students can choose the theme and symbols of their emotion tracker. Students can choose which type of
28 display of information graph to display. 3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships The emotion tracker generates graphs based on the emotions the student has logged. 6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources A history of tracked emotions can be stored for personal data and consultation with an educator. 8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives If emotional regulation is a goal, students can set a reminder to regularly track emotions. 9.2 Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies Once a student logs an emotion, the emotion tracker links to the self-regulation plan the student had already set, and provides students with options in his/her Self-Regulation Toolbox. 9.3 Develop self- assessment and reflection Students use the emotion tracker to practice assessing their own emotional state. Self-Regulation Toolbox (AKA React) 1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information Students can choose themes and icons for the Self- Regulation Toolbox. 6.2 Support planning and strategy development As students practice using their tools, they can reevaluate which tools are most useful for them, and plan on these strategies for the future. 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy Students are in charge of implementing their own plan, and they can choose from choices they set for themselves ahead of time. 9.2 Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies Once a student logs an emotion, the emotion tracker links to the self-regulation plan the student had already set, and provides students with options in his/her Self-Regulation Toolbox. 9.3 Develop self- assessment and reflection As students log their emotions in the Emotion Tracker, the Self-Regulation Toolbox automatically reminds the students of the emotion they just logged, reinforcing the self-reflection they just completed.
29 Educator Dashboard 3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships Class activity and progress is monitored and tacked for the educator to get an overview of class patterns. 3.3 Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation Educators can choose to view data by student, whole class, or activity. 5.1 Use multiple media for communication Educators can communicate with students via the Whisper Function, and students can reach the educator via the Check-In. Educators can email parents and even export student data and graphs to parents from their dashboard. 6.2 Support planning and strategy development Based on class and student activity, Invisible Coach provides educators with resources and suggestions for their students. 7.3 Minimize threats and distractions Educators can disable the Whisper Function and can set up a firewall from distracting websites. 8.3 Foster collaboration and community Using Invisible Coach, Educators allow for constant communication between themselves, their students, and the students families. App Version 4.1 Vary the methods for response and navigation The App Version provides a touchscreen platform which may be easier to physically navigate for students uncomfortable with a mouse and keyboard.