The Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS) for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Related Disabilities, 2ed: Integrating Best Practices Throughout the Student's Day

This comprehensive, yet easy-to-use system allows educators to understand how and when to implement an instructional program for students with autism spectrum disorders (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 that matches his learning style?

This timely resource addresses adequate yearly progress (AYP), response to intervention (RTI), and positive behaviour support (PBS) in a common-sense format. The CAPS process was designed to be used by the child's educational team, consisting of parents, general educators, special educators, paraprofessionals, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, administrators, psychologists, consultants, siblings, and others who are stakeholders in the student's education.

The structure of this innovative tool ensures consistent use of supports to ensure student success as well as data collection to measure that success. In addition, CAPS fosters targeted professional development.

Because CAPS identifies supports for each of the student's daily activities, it is possible for all educational professionals working with the student to readily identify the methods, supports, and structures in which they themselves need training.

This expanded second edition of CAPS adds important new material on technical assistance/consultation as well as up-to-date considerations of current mandates and trends that support CAPS use, including a major focus on evidence-based practices.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Beginning With the End in Mind

1. The Comprehensive Autism Planning System
2. Structure/Modifications, Kai-Chien Tien, PhD, and Hyo Jung Lee, PhD
3. Reinforcement, Joyce Downing, PhD
4. Sensory Strategies
5. Communication/Social Skills, Teresa Cardon, PhD, CCC-SLP
6. Data Collection, Andi Babkie, PhD
7. Generalization
8. Instruction Often Occurring in Specialized Settings, Sheila M. Smith, PhD, and Sherry Moyer, MSW
9. M-CAPS - Using CAPS in Middle School, High School, and Beyond
10. The CAPS Process
11. Using CAPS for Technical Assistance/Consultation, Lee Stickle, PhD
12. Case Studies
• Preschool - Mitchell, Yu-Chi Chou, PhD
• Elementary School - Sam, Christina Carnahan, PhD
• Home - Jason, Jill Hudson, MS
• Middle/High School - Michael, Amy Bixler Coffin, MS

Index

Glossary

"CAPS is an invaluable guide for anyone who has to negotiate the complex and sometimes daunting system of available resources for individuals with ASD. Written in clear and precise language that will speak to both the layperson and the specialist, this book offers new insights and techniques relevant to students at various ages and stages of development. The multidisciplinary CAPS model acknowledges the need to tailor programming to a student's individual differences and unique set of circumstances. As a supervisor for ASD programs for a large public school district, I am always looking for ways to improve our ability to serve our students. I recommend the easily accessible CAPS model and this ready-to-use guide to any professional in the educational field looking to support students with ASD and other disabilities."
- Doreen Tilt, MSEd, CAS, supervisor of autism spectrum disorders program, Bridgeport Public Schools, Bridgeport, Connecticut

"The CAPS is invaluable! This flexible tool can assist in collaboration, transitions, and IEP planning by providing practitioners with an organized framework for implementing evidence-based practices and supports throughout the day. It also helps with accountability and consistency across providers - an increasingly important issue. This expanded second edition of CAPS includes important new material on technical assistance/consultation as well as up-to-date considerations of current mandates and trends that support CAPS use. With plenty of clear examples, resources, and poignant case studies, educators, family members and, most important, persons with ASD, will benefit from this book."
- Paul G. LaCava, PhD, assistant professor of special education, Rhode Island College

"This tool takes the mystery out of addressing the complex needs of individuals on the spectrum by allowing the multidisciplinary team to use and implement a transdisciplinary process that allows for the individual expertise of each team member to be used collectively, thereby ensuring consistency of quality supports, instruction, and progress monitoring throughout the day. Our Center team believes that the CAPS is so effective that we have incorporated it into our comprehensive training program that is used to train teachers and related service providers in our state. The CAPS turns the mandated IEP document into a user-friendly tool that is shared with all staff, and is tremendously helpful to general education teachers."
- Ruth Eren, EdD, associate professor, director, Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Southern Connecticut State University