VCU RRTC

Educating a student with ASD can be a challenge for any educator. A primary concern is ensuring all team members who work with a student are aware of his or her specific supports and needs. This may include understanding the communication system utilized, instructional strategies that work, and helpful accommodations. This issue is exacerbated when it comes time for a major transition such as getting a new teacher or moving to a new school. Often, communication breaks down and the receiving teacher is left to learn about the student on his or her own. To ensure consistency of implementation across teachers and settings, a planning system must be in place that outlines this information and provides the opportunity for communication. In this webcast, Dr. Henry will provide a brief overview of the Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS) and will describe how the CAPS may be used to enhance communication and aid in transition planning. The CAPS is an easy-to-use system that allows educators to understand how and when to implement an instructional program for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The CAPS model answers the questions (a) What supports does my student/child need in each class to be successful? (b) What goals is my student/child working on? and (c) Is there a thoughtful sequence to the student’s/child’s day for implementation of instruction?