Structured Work Systems & Activity Organizations

Structured work systems & Activity Organizations

Pre-Assessment

Top of Form

Pre-Assessment

Work systems must include drawers and bins.

Select an answer for question 48 Select your answer True False

Work systems are only used in the school environment.

Select an answer for question 49 Select your answer True False

Work systems are constructed by trained personnel.

Select an answer for question 50 Select your answer True False

A work system clearly indicates the activities or tasks than an individual will complete and the sequence in which the tasks will be completed.

Select an answer for question 51 Select your answer True False

Work systems can be made for ______.

Select an answer for question 52 Select your answer children with ASD adults with ASD both

Work systems use visual cues to provide individuals with four pieces of information

Select an answer for question 53 Select your answer what activities, how to complete them, when finished, what's next what to complete, how many, when finished, what's next how to do it, who with, why it is being done, when is lunch what to complete, when finished, who gets it, how many

The goal of structured work systems is to promote independence.

Select an answer for question 54 Select your answer True False

Structured work systems are designed to teach individuals with ASD new skills, concepts, or content.

Select an answer for question 55 Select your answer True False

If an individual with ASD needs adult support to complete the work system, the work system should be evaluated.

Select an answer for question 56 Select your answer True False

Some things to be considered when determining the type of work system to create include the following:

Select an answer for question 57 Select your answer information related to each individual's abilities information related to environmental considerations the indivdual's level of independence all of the above only choice 1 and 2

What Is a Structured Work System?

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) thrive in well-organized classrooms. Environments that provide clear expectations and predictable routines promote increased engagement and on-task behavior (Tien & Lee, 2007). Creating such environments often involves the use of individual work systems. Structured work systems are primary components of structured teaching.

Individual work systems promote independence by organizing tasks and activities in ways that are comprehensible to individuals with ASD. Specifically, work systems are visually structured sequences that provide opportunities to practice previously taught skills, concepts, or activities (SchoplerMesibov, 1995). These systems clearly communicate four important pieces of information:

1. What activities to complete
2. How many activities to complete
3. How the individual will know when the work is finished
4. What will happen after the work is complete (Mesibov et al., 2005).

Individual work systems use visual supports to provide this information

When using a work system, the individual with ASD moves to the designated workspace. The activities to be completed are in one area of the workspace. Another area is designated for all completed work. Frequently, list of activities for the individual to complete at the work area is posted. The individual then completes the following steps:

• views the list of activities to complete
• obtains the first activity
• places the work in the work area
• completes the activity
• places the activity in the area designated for finished work
• moves on to the next task (Mesibov et al., 1994; SchoplerMesibov, 1995).

Why Use Structured Work Systems?

Constructing meaning and learning from an environment requires attention to many different aspects of that environment (Reed & Gibson, 2005). The importance of such attention is evident in both social and academic settings. For example, to truly understand the nature of what another person says, we must attend to multiple stimuli, including tone of speech, facial expressions, and body language. When learning a new concept or following a new set of directions, we attend to verbal directions while looking at or manipulating a variety of materials. However, many individuals with ASD are unable to attend to multiple stimuli or environmental cues (Quill, 2000). These individuals demonstrate stimulus over-selectivity (Reed & Gibson, 2005), or attention to a limited number of environmental cues at one time. That is, individuals with ASD may attend to specific parts or aspects of a situation without regard for the context within which the situation occurs (HappeFrith, 2006; Quill, 2000).

Over the past several decades, research and personal accounts have indicated that over-selectivity and visual perception influence how individuals with ASD process environmental stimuli (Caron, Mottron, Berthiaume, & Dawson, 2006; Edgin & Pennington, 2005; Grandin, 2006; HappeFrith, 2006). However, the debate continues as to whether individuals with ASD simply have a strength and/or preference for processing specific details or if they lack the ability to process information in context (Dakin & Frith, 2005; Porter & Colheart, 2006). In any case, stimulus over-selectivity keeps individuals with ASD from attending to and processing important aspects of the educational environment (Frith, 2003; Gibson & Reed, 2005; HappeFrith, 2006; Koegel, Koegel, & Carter, 1999; Reed & Gibson, 2005). Specifically, over-selective attention, or attention to parts rather than wholes, limits an individual's ability to understand the "big picture" in academic and social settings (HappeFrith, 2006, p. 6). This is especially true as task demands increase, or situations become more complex (Reed & Gibson, 2005).

The characteristics described above significantly influence the ability of individuals with ASD to participate in many different environments. Many have difficulty completing an activity from start to finish. They are often unable to "(maintain) a mentally specified goal and ... (implement) that goal in the face of distracting alternatives" (Fisher & Happe, 2005, p. 757). In addition to difficulty maintaining attention to activities, individuals with ASD have difficulty generalizing skills to new environments (Koegel et al., 1999).

Structured work systems offer a tool for assisting individuals with ASD in focusing on important details, maintaining attention to tasks, and generalizing skills learned in one setting to new environments. How do work systems support the characteristics described above?

• Work systems highlight important information and help limit distractions.
• Work systems offer an external organization tool for individuals with ASD who may have trouble organizing materials.
• Work systems offer a clear and predictable sequence of activities to complete. Such predictability decreases the anxiety and uncertainty many individuals with ASD feel in the face of unknown tasks or activities.
• Work systems limit the need for verbal instructions.
• Work systems limit the need for constant adult support and prompting and, therefore, promote independence.
• Once an individual has learned how to use a work system, the system can be used across environments to promote generalization of skills.

Can Structured Work Systems Be Used in the Community, at Home, or with Adults?

Structured work systems can be used in any setting and to support any individual with ASD. Moreover, any parent, family member, educator, or other support person can create a work system to support an individual with ASD. Mesibov, Shea, and Schopler (2005) of Division TEACCH offer a list of examples for using work systems at home, in the community, or with adults. Examples include using a work system to:

• ride the bus or subway
• prepare a casserole dish
• clean dishes while working in a restaurant
• complete a toileting or hygiene routine
• request food during a meal
• complete a sequence of school activities
• complete a sequence of therapy activities.

In addition, work systems can be used to facilitate participation in exercise or physical fitness activities; social activities such as bingo games, bowling, or cooking classes; and outdoor activities such as gardening. Because consistency and predictability are so important to individuals with ASD (Scheuermann & Webber, 2002), once they understand the work system in one environment, the system can be used in other environments to promote independence and learning and facilitate participation in a variety of activities.

How Can Work Systems Be Adapted to Meet Individual Needs in Many Environments?

Though all work systems use visual cues to indicate what to do first, next, and last, these systems must be developed to meet the unique needs of each individual. Structured work systems can have simple or complex designs as long as the design aligns with the skills and attributes of the individuals using them. For example, the design of work system for an individual who does not read or write will be different from the design of a work system for someone who is able to read and comprehend written directions. Similarly, if an individual is able to travel from one area to another without adult support, his or her work system will look different from a work system designed for somebody who has trouble moving from one area to another. Below are several examples of structured work systems. These examples offer a starting point for developing structured work systems and are not intended to be exhaustive.

Case Study: Sarah

Sarah is a 6-year-old girl in first grade. She does not yet read and has difficulty transitioning from one area of the classroom to another. Sarah is beginning to match colors, shapes, and pictures of motivating items to the actual objects (e.g., matching picture of her favorite cartoon character to her lunchbox with the same character). Sarah's structured activities utilized a left to right, top to bottom system.

After transitioning to the work area, Sarah sits down at a small desk. To her left is a three shelf bookcase. The top two shelves house one task each. The bottom shelf contains a picture of Sarah's lunchbox with her favorite cartoon character. When Sarah approaches her desk, she can clearly see her work tasks, the number of tasks, and the picture of her lunchbox. To her right is another bookcase where she places each completed task. Sarah obtains her first activity and places it on her desk. After completing the task, she puts her work on a shelf to her right. She then obtains the second task from the bookcase on her left. Again, she completes the task and places it on a shelf to her right. Finally, Sarah obtains the picture of her lunchbox. She stands up and walks from her activity station to her backpack. Sarah opens her bag, obtains her lunchbox, and matches the picture to the top of her lunchbox. An adult then cues Sarah to wait in line for her classmates to go to lunch.

After obtaining and completing a task, the child moves the task to the right side where there is a finished or done box (Dettmer et al., 2000; SchoplerMesibov, 1995). Finally, after completing all the tasks, there is a picture or item that indicates what is coming next in the child's schedule (SchoplerMesibov, 1995).

Case Study: Matt

Matt is 4 years old and attends a half-day inclusive preschool program. Like Sarah, Matt has difficulty transitioning from one area of the classroom to another. He is able to match shapes, numbers, and pictures. Again, similar to Sarah's, Matt's individual work system incorporates a left to right, top to bottom design. Because Matt is able to match shapes and numbers, there is a Velcro strip on the table where Matt completes his play activities. Attached to the Velcro strip are the numbers 1, 2, and 3. A picture of a trampoline is placed after the numbers on the strip. On one side of his play table is a three-drawer bin. Each drawer is numbered in order from 1 to 3. Matt sits down at the table, takes the number 1 and matches it to the drawer on his left with the number 1. He opens the drawer, obtains the play activity, and places it on his table. Matt completes the activity and places it in the top drawer of the bins to his right. He repeats the process, matching the number 2 to the second drawer and the number 3 to the third drawer. When all three tasks are completed, Matt takes the trampoline picture from the Velcro strip. Because Matt loves the trampoline, he is motivated to independently walk across the room to the trampoline area. He matches the small picture to a larger picture hanging on the walk in the trampoline area. He now has 3-5 minutes to jump before transitioning to the next activity.

Structured Work Systems

Case Study: Jacob

Jacob is a sixth grader who spends about 50% of his school day in a general education classroom and the other 50% in a resource room setting. He is a beginning reader and is able to complete basic math activities (e.g., addition, subtraction without borrowing) independently. Jacob first learned to complete a structured work schedule in the resource room.

Jacob's Resource Room Structured Activity System

Jacob's work station includes a laminated worksheet with a place at the top for him to write his name. Approximately 10 feet away, there are several bookcases. Twenty activities line the shelves numbered from 1 to 20. Each morning, the teacher chooses four activities for Jacob to complete. She Velcroes the numbers corresponding to the activities on his worksheet below his name. For example, if she chooses activities 2, 7, 11, and 15, she places those numbers on Jacob's worksheet.

After transitioning to the work area of the resource room, Jacob sits down at his activity desk. He signs in for work by writing his name at the top of the worksheet using a dry-erase marker. He then obtains the first number under his name and walks to the bookcases. After arriving at the bookcases, he identifies the corresponding activity and matches the number to the front. He picks up his work, walks back to his activity table, and completes the designated task. Jacob finally returns his work to the bookcase. He repeats the process for his remaining jobs. The last picture is a picture of Jacob's teacher. Jacob pulls off the picture, walks to the teacher, and taps her on the shoulder. If the teacher is busy, she asks him to wait a minute. Jacob takes a step back and waits for the teacher to turn her attention to him. Once the teacher is attending to Jacob, he verbally requests a break activity. Examples of Jacob's break activities include 5 minutes on the computer, listening to a book on tape, and drawing pictures of airplanes. After his break is over, Jacob transitions to the next activity.

Jacob's Work System in the General Education Classroom

In the afternoon, Jacob participates in the general education classroom. During silent work time, all students have 30 minutes to complete a variety of tasks that might otherwise be homework. The general education and special education teachers have collaborated to create an individual work system for Jacob. Similar to the system he uses in the resource setting, Jacob's tasks are placed on a bookcase in one corner of the classroom. At the start of the silent work time, the general education teacher gives the entire class the verbal direction, "It's time to begin silent work." Because the teacher uses the same direction each day, Jacob has learned it as his cue to begin his structured work system. He takes a red folder from his desk, opens it, and pulls out a laminated worksheet similar to the one he uses in the resource room. At the top of the sheet is a place for Jacob to write his name. Under his name are four numbers corresponding to the activities on the shelf in the corner on the classroom. He takes the first number, walks to the bookcase, and identifies the first task. Jacob matches the number to the front of the task, picks up the activity, and returns to his desk. After completing the activity, Jacob returns the activity to the bookcase and repeats the sequence until all tasks are finished. If the students in the general education classroom do not have any written tasks to complete during the silent work time, they read books in the library area of the classroom. For this reason, the last picture on Jacob's work system is a library picture. He removes the picture, walks to the library area, and matches the picture to a larger picture in the library. He then chooses a book and sits on a beanbag with his classmates.

This video shows middle school student, Ryne working through the left to right progression completing independent work tasks using a visual schedule to guide him. After he completes the tasks he can engage in an activity of his choice. The visual supports used around the room help him navigate to his desired activity. When it is complete, he uses a transition area to move to his next activity.

Individual Work System Using Folders or Binders

Case Study: Alex

Alex is a14-year-old female with Asperger Syndrome. As a ninth grader, she recently transitioned to high school. The basis of Alex's individual work system is a binder that she uses to organize her entire school day. At the start of the school year, Alex's resource room teacher helped her to type her schedule. Her schedule includes the time, name of the class, room number, and teacher's name. Alex's teacher placed a divider for each class inside the binder. On the front of each divider, the teacher again wrote the class name, room number, and teacher's name. The teacher also listed all the materials Alex needs for the class on the divider. Finally, at the back of the binder, there is a homework page containing a list of all Alex's classes. At the end of each class, Alex writes down the assignments and materials she will need to take home to complete the assignments. Before leaving school each night, Alex goes to her locker, opens her binder, and turns to the page with the list of assignments and needed materials. She places the things she needs in her backpack and heads home. In the evening, Alex works at a desk in the living room while her mother works on the computer. She removes the list of assignments and materials and places it on the desk. Alex checks off each assignment as it is completed. She then reloads her backpack for the next school day.