The need for trained and qualified personnel to work with students with autism is well documented. In 1995, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) reported that for the 1992-1993 school year (latest figures available), the greatest staffing shortage in schools was for personnel to provide services to students with autism. During that time period, OSEP reported that 23 percent more staff members were needed than were available to provide these services. OSEP also reported that during the same time period, the second greatest percentage shortage of school staff other than special education teachers, was qualified recreation therapists, otherwise known as Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS).

The need for special education and therapeutic recreation services for students with autism is evident. To address these needs, a project using an interdisciplinary effort to prepare school and therapeutic recreation personnel to serve children and youth with autism with a focus on social and recreation skills was designed. The goals of the project were two fold. One was to prepare graduate students to work with people with autism, focusing on recreation, play, social skill development, and inclusion. The other purpose was to evaluate recreation as an intervention for students with autism, and to share what we learned with others.

Two nationally-recognized programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill collaborated on this project - the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and the Division for the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren (TEACCH) in the Department of Psychiatry.

Project Autism, a personnel preparation grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, was a three-year effort addressing the recreation needs of people with autism. This project was based upon the premise that recreation is a powerful tool which promotes independent functioning, community inclusion, and mastery of life skills applicable to recreation involvement, as well as to education, community living, employment, and overall quality of life. During the three years of Project Autism, graduate students in the fields of therapeutic recreation, special education, and psychology learned about facilitating recreation opportunities through classroom and practical experiences.

This manual is the result of what students, faculty, teachers, and parents learned during Project Autism. This "how-to" manual was created to be used by a variety of audiences: teachers, families, residential staff, recreation service providers, school counselors, and Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS’s).

Project Autism was grounded in the principles of structured teaching methods developed by TEACCH. Developed in the early 1970's by Dr. Eric Schopler, the TEACCH approach includes a focus on the person with autism and the development of a program around this person's skills, interests, and needs. The major priorities include centering on the individual, understanding autism, and making appropriate adaptations. Structured teaching is a broadly-based intervention strategy that builds on an individual's existing skills and interests. By focusing on the individual the priority is the person rather than any philosophical notion like inclusion, discrete trial training, or facilitated communication. TEACCH emphasizes individualized assessment to understand the individual better and also "the culture of autism," suggesting that people with autism are part of a distinctive group with common characteristics that are different, but not necessarily inferior, to the rest of us.

Structured teaching is an important aspect of the TEACCH model, and the model used during Project Autism. Research and experience has demonstrated that structure fits the "culture of autism" more effectively than many other techniques. Organizing the physical environment, developing schedules and work systems, making expectations clear and explicit, and using visual materials have been effective ways of developing skills and allowing people with autism to use these skills independently of direct adult prompting and cueing. Because individuals with autism respond better to structure, Structured Teaching is beneficial in classrooms, recreation centers, work settings, homes, and other residential settings. Providing structure and organization in the classroom or any other learning environment on a student’s level of understanding can help alleviate or moderate behavior problems and use the individual’s strengths to better understand and learn.

The major components of Structured Teaching involve:

• Physical Organization (How the physical environment is organized to decrease distractions and increase the ability to focus and understand what is required and where by using clear boundaries.)
• Work Areas (Specific places where the individual works 1:1 with the teacher/leader and where group activities occur)
• Scheduling (Individual outlines that show the sequence of events that will occur in a specific time frame, such as during a school day. For those who can not read, photos, pictures, or actual objects can be used to show the person what will occur next.
• Teaching Method/Work Systems (Setting up what is required for the individual to do following a left-to-right sequence. Jigs and written instructions can help the person with autism understand what is expected and stay organized. There is a sequence of steps so the individual understands what is expected. There is also a concrete "finished" point and place, such as a basket, so the individual can understand when the task is completed and where to put the completed materials.)
• Giving Prompts and Direction (Understanding how the individual learns, communicates, and follows directions best and following those specific methods.)

LINK TO TEACCH (http://www.autism-info.com/teacch.html or www.unc.edu/depts/teacch/structur.htm)
 
 

We have intentionally NOT specified level of functioning or degree of challenge of the person with autism when developing this manual. Every person, regardless of level of functioning, should follow the same process for seeking recreation interests and participation. Similarly, we did not list step-by-step explanations or descriptions for various recreation activities. Regardless of the type of recreation selected, the method will be the same.

This information is general, focusing on the process of assisting a person with autism to participate in meaningful recreation pursuits, rather than to focus on a specific activity. For example, this manual does not detail how to get a person involved with a specific activity, such as basketball. Instead, it explains how to help a person identify an interest, learn the skills necessary to participate, and get involved with the activity. The following is a sample list of the many opportunities that might be explored for people with autism.