Comprendiendo el Suplemento de Autismo: 2025-2026 Seminario Web

Very good afternoon and welcome to the webinar this afternoon today, organized by SPECtX and Partners Resource Network. Today's presenters are Joanne de la Garza Randol and her server Ginette Aguirre from SPECtX. We also have Marliana Antunez from Partners Resource Network with us. The topic of today's webinar is Understanding the Autism Supplement. Before we begin, reminders. This webinar is being recorded and the recording will be posted on our Spectex site. The chat function is only available if you need technical support. However, you can ask questions in the question and answer section. The presenters will review their submissions, which will help us with clarifications and frequently asked questions in the future. There will be no live Q&A today. A little bit about us. SPETEX is Texas's special education information center. We are a collaborative project between the educational services center of region ten and the Texas education agency. We help parents understand their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, and we facilitate collaboration when there are concerns between parents and the school district. We also serve as a resource for educators. We offer support by phone, email, or live chat for families and professionals. We also provide webinars like today's, as well as resources. Now we'll hear from Marianna Antunez for more information about the Partners Resource Network. Go ahead, Marianna. Very good afternoon, Jeanette. I'm Marianna Antunez and I represent the Partners Resource Network. Partners Resource Network is a non-profit organization that operates the network of information and training centers for parents in Texas. These OPTI centers are funded by the Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. In Texas, these four projects, PTIs, are PACT, PACT, PACT, PACT, and TEAM. Our mission is to empower and support Texas families and those with disabilities and special health care needs. We do this through a network of highly qualified regional coordinators, who know local policies, services and resources, as well as state and national guidelines. PRN provides training, information and personalized assistance at no cost to Texas families and youth. We serve parents of children and youth with disabilities from birth to twenty-six years of age, as well as youth between fourteen and twenty-six, and twenty-six years of age, who exercise self-defense. Thank you very much. Thank you, Marcellana, for that important information. And the information we're presenting today at the seminar, understanding the autism supplement, is by Nathan Paulen. Nathan Pollan is the state autism coordinator at the Texas education agency in the office of special populations and student support. Once again, thank you very much for being with us today. The, we will present you with the requirements for forgiveness. We are very happy to present today the supplement on autism. Hopefully this presentation will be useful to you in supporting your child. And now a brief summary of today's agenda. Here are the supplement requirements for autism. We will then analyze the meaning of each strategy, its considerations, and make a final review of the requirements and best practices to consider when collaborating with your school district in the development and implementation of the individualized educational program, known as the I e p. TEA has published a supplementary guide to autism for educators that includes questions and answers, best practice tips, key points and examples from the IEP. Throughout this presentation, we will refer to the information included in this guide. This guide is aimed at educators, so the language may be more technical, but we invite families to consult it. It's available on our TEA special education resource website, Texas Speed Support, which can be found at Speed Support dot T E A Texas dot gov. Included is the commissioner's rule on this slide so you know where it is in the rules, however, it's not written for families and this is the only time we'll address it as written in the rule. Basically, this rule means that Supplement Strategies for Autism are part of the I p, not a separate document. It is based on data from a variety of sources, identifies each student's current and unique needs, and if you have a student receiving special education services with an autism eligibility area, these eleven strategies should be considered at least once a year and documented in the IEP. Now let's take a deeper look at each of the strategies. Advance UAN. Thank you, Janet. The conversation during the ARD committee meeting may include these considerations for extended programming. Which means, my student needs additional programming outside of regular hours or days of the school year. This may include extended day services, which is additional instruction or support before or after regular school hours, and or extended school year services, or I s and s y, for their acronym in English. These are services that they provide, are provided during the summer or other breaks to maintain skills. Some key considerations for this strategy include data sources, functional communication systems, and other areas. Data accounts are decisions about your student's support based on a comprehensive perspective, not just a test or time. This means that teachers and specialists analyze various sources of information, such as classroom performance, evaluations, observations and their input to understand the needs of their student and develop the best plan. Functional communication system. It's included for some students who use special methods to communicate, such as sign language or devices that help them speak. These tools are called functional communication systems. If your student uses one, they may need additional time and support to learn how to use it correctly and express themselves clearly. This can be an important reason to consider additional help beyond the regular school day or year. When deciding what type of support a student needs, it's not just about schoolwork. The team also analyzes other important areas of development such as behavior, which is how your student manages emotions and responds to challenges. Social skills, how to interact with other children and work as a team Communication is how you express and understand others. Self-care skills, which are everyday tasks, such as dressing, brushing your teeth, or eating independently. These areas help to understand your student's needs so that the school can provide appropriate support. The second supplement strategy, indicated as G two in the standard, is daily schedules. Which means, my student needs a daily schedule to actively participate in learning activities and reduce unstructured time during the school day. Students with autism benefit when predictable and consistent routines are established, even at times of the day that are often less structured, such as recess, lunch, and support meetings. When considering the need for this strategy, it's important to remember that commitment means active participation. Participation reduces unwanted behavior and anxiety, helping your student feel safe and ready to learn. Daily schedules should be individually tailored to the needs of your student and may include items such as photographs, images or text. Each schedule can and should be implemented simultaneously with the schedule of the entire class. The next supplement strategy indicated as G three in the standard is training at home and in the community. Which means, my student needs support at home or in the community to help him develop important skills such as social, behavioral, communication or personal care. One then. Viable alternatives may include, but are not limited to, collaborating with nurseries, respite services, foster families, siblings or grandparents, parents' observations at school, recording a video of the teacher working with the student, recording a video of the child demonstrating skills and supports and visual abilities and supports for the home. This strategy can be used to address a student's academic learning needs and or reinforce social behavior skills in a variety of environments outside the school community. The fourth strategy of the supplement, indicated as g four in the standard for positive behavior support strategies, means your student needs positive strategies, such as changing what happens before a behavior, teaching better ways to respond and using efforts. This could mean help with behavior at home, school and in the community. Some considerations. There are no universal strategies to support the behavioral needs of students with autism. This is true for all the strategies in the autism supplement, but for the support of positive behaviors, ARD committee members should consider information from staff and family members about in what situations the worrisome behaviors occur and how those behaviors manifest. A functional behavior assessment, or FVA, can help determine behavioral functions, and role-based interventions are more effective with specific behaviors. The function of a behavior is the reason or purpose that the behavior has for the student. Fusion-based interventions serve the same purpose as objective behavior. For example, a student who knocks to access a preferred activity would be allowed to access it if they kindly requested it. The next strategy in the supplement indicated as g five in the rule is future planning, which means. It's time to start, sorry. It's time to start planning for your student's future, learning, working, living and being part of the community, helping them to develop important skills now. Some key considerations for this strategy include focusing on the student's life and their vision for the future. And planning for the future involves the participation of family, caregivers, friends and the student. Planning for the future is not the same as planning for the transition. Transition planning is a legal requirement for all students who receive special education services starting at age fourteen. Planning for the future as a requirement of Texas regulations applies to students with autism who receive special education services at any age. This planning is based on the student's personal goals for the future and can guide the transition requirements that need to be addressed before they turn fourteen. The sixth supplement strategy indicated as g six in the standard is training for parents and families, which means your family needs training or support for your student to succeed at home and in the community. This may include learning strategies for behavior at home, finding useful resources, such as workshops or support groups, to address areas such as communication, social skills and behavior. Also the creation of structured and sensorially friendly environments in the home, such as some options. Use school techniques at home to maintain consistency For example, if the school has proven successful with a visual schedule, that system could be used at home as well. Some key considerations for this strategy include generalization, which occurs when a skill that is mastered in one environment is generalized to another. For example, when a student practices and masters the skill of brushing their teeth at school, the next step would be to work on mastering this skill at home. Training may include areas such as behavior management, interpersonal skills, communication, and or how to create structured environments in all environments. The school should provide information about local resources available to parents and families of students with autism. Parent training and support can be provided in a variety of formats, including but not limited to group training, individual training, and provision of resources. The next supplement strategy indicated as g seven in the standard is the one provided by staff per student. This means, your student needs a higher staff-to-student ratio to support their learning and behavior in different school environments and activities. The staff-to-student ratio refers to the ratio of adult staff to students in the given environment. This can consist of support in an entire group, in a smaller group, or even one that, depending on the student's needs, can be one-on-one. In situations, everything depends on the student's needs and the particular situations. Some key considerations for this strategy include reviewing the student's current daily routine and learning level for each skill or goal. Consider the environment, inventory, requirements, and other influencing factors. Address staff-to-student proportions that are appropriate for each part of the student's journey. And maintain and prioritize the goal of greater independence. Consider the environment, communication skills, and social, behavioral, and adaptive behavior skills. The eighth supplement strategy indicated as g eight in the standard is communication interventions, which means your student needs communicative support, such as different ways of expressing themselves and understanding others, that works in all environments, such as the home and in other areas. Some key considerations for this strategy include the student's learning style and the portability of a communication strategy, that is, the possibility of taking the strategy with them to other places, for example, having access to a device or an image exchange folder in different environments. The ninth supplement strategy, indicated as g nine in the rule, refers to supports and strategies for social skills, what it means. Does your student need additional support to learn and use social skills in different environments? Strategies can include peer interaction, video modeling, social narratives, and role play with peers. Video modeling is a teaching method that uses short videos to show students how to do something, such as brushing their teeth, greeting a friend, or staying calm when they are frustrated. This one is especially useful for children with autism because it shows exactly what to do step by step in a way that is easy to understand and repeat. Social narratives are short, simple stories that help students with autism understand everyday situations, behaviors, or social norms for different social situations. They explain what to expect and how to respond in a clear, calm and reassuring way. The stories can be customized to the student's needs, such as going to the dentist, traveling by bus, eating out with the family, and more. Some considerations. The decision about what strategies and supports to implement should be for each student and their unique needs. Social behavior occurs in all inmates and may be unique to certain environments, and teachers, speech-language pathologists, related service providers, and anyone else who interacts with the student in the school environment can provide support. The tenth strategy in the supplement indicated as g ten in the rule is professional support for teaching and administrative staff. Which means, does your student need additional training from school staff to effectively use the strategies and techniques described in their IEP? Some key considerations for this strategy include All school personnel working with a student with autism may need training to ensure the implementation of the techniques and strategies described in the IEP. All required training completed by school personnel caring for a student with autism must be documented. Schools are responsible for training teachers and for professionals to effectively implement programs for students with autism, and training can include a base of evidence-based practices. The eleventh and final strategy of the supplement, indicated as g eleven in the rule, are teaching strategies. Which means, your student needs specific teaching strategies based on peer-reviewed research that has proven effective for students with autism. This may include, among other strategies, visual supports, structured learning, social skills training, discrete test teaching, and augmentative communication. Visual aids are tools that use images, symbols, or written words to help students understand and manage daily life. They are especially useful for students with autism because they facilitate communication and make routines more predictable. Structured learning is an organized, predictable and adapted form of teaching to help students, especially those with autism, feel safe and successful. Due to the tasks in few, in clear steps and uses routines, visual resources and practical activities to facilitate the understanding of learning. Discrete trial training is a structured teaching method that involves dividing a skill into smaller steps and practicing each step repeatedly with positive effort. And augmentative communication is about supplementing someone's existing communication. And some key considerations for this strategy include, the strategies listed in this rule are among the many available instructional options that an ARD committee may consider when developing an IEP. It is the responsibility of an ARD committee to make decisions about what strategies are appropriate for each student's unique needs. There's no one way that works for everyone when offering services to students with autism, as each student has unique needs. Now that we have covered the eleven strategies to consider, Texas regulations establish requirements for what an ARD committee must do, if it is determined that any of the eleven strategies are not necessary for the student. If the ARD committee determines that one or more of the eleven strategies are not necessary, the IEP must include a statement stating and identifying the strategies that are not necessary, explaining why the strategy is not necessary, and describing what information was used to determine the decision. Some key takeaways to remember today. The autism supplement is part of the IEP. ARD committees should consider all strategies at least once a year, and document how the strategies will be implemented. Base decisions on current data and on the student's unique needs. Document the reason why you don't need to use a strategy. We would like to share with you some resources that, although they are aimed at educators and are only available in English for the time being, I consider it appropriate to share them, given the information we are presenting today. First, as mentioned above, this autism supplement guidance document will be on screen, it's available. Although it is aimed at educators and is more technical in nature, it includes detailed information on each of the eleven strategies, including examples for the IEP, for each one. The Texas special education support website, TEA, also includes a page on evidence-based practices for autism. This resource includes descriptions and steps for implementing strategies identified as evidence-based practices for students with autism. It also includes information on some strategies considered to be emerging, meaning that they have some evidence to support their use in students with autism, but not enough to be considered evidence-based. Below is the Autism Toolkit, which includes incredible downloadable tools, such as visual aids for students with autism. There are two video collections, strategies in action and show me. These show strategies demonstrated with additional voice-in-text to describe in detail what is shown on the screen. For example, there are videos on the use of reinforcement, task analysis, and visual supports for students with autism. That's all for today for our presentation, and we thank you for joining us today and for the technical difficulties we had during the presentation. We appreciate your patience and once again we are going to go with Marjia Ana so that they can give us more information about the partner resource network. Go ahead, Marjia Ana, and thank you also for helping us with the chat. Thank you very much to everyone for participating, to Ginette and Joanne, because autism and autism supplement strategies are complex, but they are vital for all Texas families whose children have this disability. So we hope that this information has been of great value to them and, above all, that it will help them. On the screen you will see the contact information of the partners resource network, our toll-free number, our website at the bottom and our email. We are up to date and we are in everything, we cover everything in Texas, so wherever you are, please don't hesitate to call or contact us if you have questions or if you have any problems. Thank you very much. Thank you, Maryana. And also, if you have questions about special education, contact us, InspectX. We are your resource for special education information. We're happy to help, and our information is on the screen.