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The Communication
Development Network was developed in 1997 in response to increased LADSE
school district requests for appropriate educational opportunities for
students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). LADSE’s response was
two-fold: the development of CD classrooms and District Autism Support
Services.
CD
Classrooms
The CD classrooms
provide intensive educational and therapeutic supports within a clinical
model for students three to fourteen years of age. A student is enrolled
for a portion of the school day in a CD program site where staff focus
on the development of communication, social skills, and positive
behavior. For the remainder of the day, the student receives
services in their home school in a general education or early childhood
classroom. Team collaboration supports curricular adaptations and
generalization of skills across educational and home settings.
Methodologies
Communication
Development classes offer an eclectic approach to educating students
with ASD. Components include but are not limited to Discrete
Trial, TEACCH methods, Heartland approach, Greenspan Floor Time, and
augmentative communication systems.
District
Autism Supports
LADSE offers
consultative support to teams working with ASD. The consultant
assists in the design and structuring of teaching environments,
strategies, and supports that best accommodate the needs of students
with autism in the natural setting. The focus of the consultation
may include social skill development, generalization of skills,
behavioral concerns, visual systems, communication strategies, and
curricular adaptations.
District
Training Opportunities
Training
opportunities for district staff are offered throughout the school year.
Topics include the following:
-
Visual systems to support independence
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Positive
behavioral interventions
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Social skill
development
-
Learning styles
of Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Asperger's
Syndrome
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Alternative
Communication Systems
-
Curricular
adaptations to support success in general education classrooms
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