Nancy J. Dalrymple

Toilet Training and Behaviors of People with Autism: Parent Views.

Individuals with autism often present with toileting problems, yet there is little information about the nature of these problems. This investigation surveyed 100 parents of people with autism of a mean age of 19.5 years. Results indicated that lower cognition and lower verbal levels were significantly correlated with age of accomplishment of bowel and urine training; some subjects were not trained at the time of the study. The average duration of urine training was 1.6 years, bowel training 2.1 years. On the average, training started more than 21/2 years before the average age of diagnosis of autism. Fifty-six percent of the sample had to be taught to self-initiate, 42% were taught to ask to use the toilet, and 49% were taught using a schedule. Reinforcement was used by 78% of the parents of males and by 100% of the parents of females. Punishment, primarily scolding was used by 37% of the parents. The most common problems reported were urinating in places other than the toilet, constipation, stuffing up toilets, continually flushing, or smearing feces. More fears related to toileting were noted for verbal subjects.

The Effects of Consultation on Individualized Education Program Outcomes for Young Children With Autism: The Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success.

The effects of a teacher consultation intervention were examined—namely, the collaborative model for promoting competence and success (COMPASS), which was designed to improve objectives of individualized education programs for children with autism. The intervention consists of an initial parent—teacher consultation, followed by four teacher consultations across the school year. Thirty-five teachers and a randomly selected child with autism (M age = 6.1 years) from each classroom participated. Compared to the nonintervention teacher—child dyads, the intervention teacher—child dyads showed improvements in individualized education program objectives, with a large effect size ( d = 1.51).

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Compass Web-Based and Face-to-Face Teacher Coaching in Autism.

OBJECTIVE Most children with autism rely on schools as their primary source of intervention, yet research has suggested that teachers rarely use evidence-based practices. To address the need for improved educational outcomes, a previously tested consultation intervention called the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS; Ruble, Dalrymple, & McGrew, 2010; Ruble, Dalrymple, & McGrew, 2012) was evaluated in a 2nd randomized controlled trial, with the addition of a web-based group. METHOD Forty-nine teacher-child dyads were randomized into 1 of 3 groups: (1) a placebo control (PBO) group, (2) COMPASS followed by face-to-face (FF) coaching sessions, and (3) COMPASS followed by web-based (WEB) coaching sessions. Three individualized goals (social, communication, and independence skills) were selected for intervention for each child. The primary outcome of independent ratings of child goal attainment and several process measures (e.g., consultant and teacher fidelity) were evaluated. RESULTS Using an intent-to-treat approach, findings replicated earlier results with a very large effect size (d = 1.41) for the FF group and a large effect size (d = 1.12) for the WEB group relative to the PBO group. There were no differences in overall change across goal domains between the FF and WEB groups, suggesting the efficacy of videoconferencing technology. CONCLUSIONS COMPASS is effective and results in improved educational outcomes for young children with autism. Videoconferencing technology, as a scalable tool, has promise for facilitating access to autism specialists and bridging the research-to-practice gap.

Randomized Control Trial of COMPASS for Improving Transition Outcomes of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The postsecondary outcomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are significantly worse than peers with other disabilities. One problem is the lack of empirically-supported transition planning interventions to guide services and help produce better outcomes. We applied an implementation science approach to adapt and modify an evidence-based consultation intervention originally tested with young children called the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS; Ruble et al., The collaborative model for promoting competence and success for students with ASD. Springer, New York, 2012a) and evaluate it for efficacy in a randomized controlled trial for transition-age youth. Results replicated findings with younger students with ASD that IEP outcomes were higher for COMPASS compared to the placebo control group (d = 2.1). Consultant fidelity was high and teacher adherence improved over time, replicating the importance of ongoing teacher coaching.

Writing Effective Individual Education Programs

Overview: This chapter provides more details that assist with the activities that are described in Chaps. 7 and 8. The consultant facilitates the consultation by guiding the participants in using all the available information about the student to select objectives in communication, social, and work skills. Objectives must be well written using suggestions provided in this chapter.

Theoretical Background of COMPASS

Overview: This chapter explains the theoretical framework of COMPASS. Also provided is an overview of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definitions of impairment, disability, and handicap and how this conceptual framework influences COMPASS.

Evaluating Your Knowledge of ASD

Overview: This chapter discusses content knowledge and process skills needed by the COMPASS consultant. Various types of training and the competencies achieved from the training are discussed. A self-evaluation form is provided for further self-study.

Rationale for COMPASS

Overview: This chapter describes COMPASS as the first research-supported consultation model for young students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It describes why COMPASS is specialized for ASD, is proactive, and is based on collaboration.

From Consultation to Coaching: Implementing Plans and Monitoring Progress

Overview: This chapter covers the essential components of teacher coaching. The importance of follow-up sessions from the initial COMPASS consultation is described and coaching is defined. Also provided are practical forms and a coaching protocol. The primary outcome measure of a COMPASS consultation is described, and instructions are provided for developing the Goal Attainment Scale Form.

COMPASS Consultation Action Plan: Step A

Overview: This chapter covers Step A of the COMPASS Consultation Action Plan, which is conducted prior to the consultation. This information will inform the framework for the student’s personalized COMPASS profile.