The TEACCH Model

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Prekindergarten

Program for Children with Disabilities

The Prekindergarten program for children with disabilities from MiamiDade County Public Schools offers different models for Students with
Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Among all of these models, the Self-Contained classrooms apply strategies
from the prestigious program TEACCH (Treatment and Education of
Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children).
TEACCH is a program located in North Carolina and it is an evidencebased service, training, and research program for individuals of all ages
and skill levels with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The information about the Prekindergarten Program for Children with
Autism is provided here in this website to show the different strategies that
we implement and the model that we replicate in our classrooms.
This program based the strategies on the TEACCH model, but we also
adjust these strategies to our own students, their families, and the
community in general.

 This information has been taken from

different books and articles from the
TEACCH model
Tasks Galore-Making Groups Meaningful
Lets Get Started-Visually Structured
Tasks- Susan Boswell
Manuals from the level 1 and 2 training
TEACCH Model.

What is TEACCH?
TEACCH is an evidence-based service, training,
and research program for individuals of all ages
and skill levels with Autism Spectrum Disorder
TEACCH is a North Carolina program
administered through the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, but because of its
training activities and publications the TEACCH
approach is widely known nationally and
internationally.

 Founded in the early 1970s by the late Eric

Schopler, Ph.D., TEACCH developed the
concept of the Culture of Autismas the
way of thinking about the characteristic
patterns of thinking and behavior seen in
individuals with this diagnosis. The
Culture of Autism involves:

 Relative strength in and preference for

processing visual information.
Frequent attention to details but difficulty
understanding the meaning of how these details
fit together.
Difficulty combining ideas.
Difficulty with organizing ideas, materials, and
activities.
Difficulties with attention
Communication problems

 Difficulty with concepts of time, including moving too

quickly or too slowly and having problems recognizing
the beginning, middle, or end of an activity.
Tendency to become attached to routines with the result
that activities may be difficult to generalize from the
original learning situation and disruptions in routines
can be upsetting, confusing, or uncomfortable.
Very strong interests and impulses to engage in favored
activities, with difficulties disengaging once engaged.
Marked sensory preferences and dislikes

STRUCTURED TEACHING

TEACCH developed the intervention approach called Structured

Teaching.

According to Division TEACCH, structured teaching helps people

with Autism of all ages and levels of functioning by organizing their
environments and providing clear, concrete and meaningful visual
information

The principles of Structured Teaching include:

1.
2.

Understanding the culture of Autism

Developing an individualized person-and family-centered plan for
each client or student, rather than using a standard curriculum.

STRUCTURED TEACHING
3. Structuring the physical environment.
4. Using visual supports to make the sequence of
daily activities predictable and
understandable.
5. Using visuals supports to make individual
tasks understandable.

STRUCTURED TEACHING
What are the reasons for using Structured
Teaching?
Receptive Communication
Helps them to understand situations and expectations.
Learning Support
Teaches using stronger visual channel rather than
auditory channel.
Independence
Support device for independence and generalization.
Calming
Reduces Overloading
Reduces behavior problems
Often the result on confusion and anxiety.

LEVELS OF STRUCTURE

Visual Structure of
Tasks

Routines and Strategies

Work System
Individual Schedule
Physical Structure

1. PHYSICAL STRUCTURE
The environment should be set up and organized so
that the child understands where different
activities take place and where materials are kept.
Key concepts to keep in mind when setting up clear
physical structure include:
Establish clear visual and/or physical boundaries
Minimize visual and auditory distractions
Areas for all the activities.

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

Individual visual schedules give students the
sequence of their school activities. Students
check their schedules and see cues that indicate
to them, in an individualized way, that they are
going to certain activity. Students might use an
object, a line drawing, a written word, a
photograph, or any type or cue that is
meaningful to them. What the different cues
have in common is that they provide a visual
way for the student to know where to go and
what activity to expect. (Task Galore Laurie
Eckenrode, Pat Fennel, and Kathy Hearsey)

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

A routine to teach flexibility
The students schedule visually tells him where am I supposed to
be? And when will I get to do what?
It moves the student through the physical spaces we have createdcalmly, purposefully, and independently
It is a positive routine to help the student be flexible and deal with
changes
We have to teach the meaning behind the visual not a
routine
Symbol System Used
Objects (functional or representational)
Pictures or photos

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

Written Words
A combination of these
How does the child manipulate it ?
Carry and use objects
Carry and match symbols
Reference symbols and mark off move when finished
We dont fade schedules from our students since they
are a tool for life-long independence. Rather, we
design schedules to grow with the child.

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

INDIVIDUAL VISUAL SCHEDULE

WORK SYSTEM
Organizational system that gives
information to students about what they
are to do when arriving to a classroom
location
Builds independence, sequencing, and
generalization across settings

WORK SYSTEM
The work system is a key tool for sequencing,
independence, and generalization.
Like the schedule, the work system is a powerful routine
that brings an element of familiarity and predictability to
different settings.
As a scheduled activity begins, it is a systematic, visual
way to answer the following 4 questions:
How much am I to do?
What and in what order am I to do?
How will I know when I am finished?
What happens when I am finished?

WORK SYSTEM

The concept of finished is a key organizer and

motivator for people with Autism. The work
system emphasizes teaching the concept of
first/then.
Individualize work system by:
1.

Types of work system

Left to right

Matching

Written

WORK SYSTEM
2. How to manipulative the work system
Move activities
Match symbols to activities
Read list of activities
3. How to indicate finished
Put things into a finished location on the right
Put things away
Mark off list
4. How much movement is involved during session
Stay seated throughout
Move within small work area
Move within larger area to get and replace materials as needed

Independent Work System

If you use baskets as a work system..

You can start with one basket at a time and

build up until the child can complete three
or more baskets independently.

Independent Work System

If you use baskets as a work system..

Materials in baskets MUST be tasks that the

child can already do!
This is not a time to teach new tasks to the
child.

Independent Work System

If you use baskets as a work system..

The materials in the baskets must have a

beginning and an end.
If the task is open-ended the child does not
know what to do or what is expected.

Independent Work System

If you use baskets as a work system..

Do not allow the children to play with the

basket work task toy/materials. Teach the
children to take the materials out of
the baskets. Complete the tasks. Put the baskets in the
finished area, and check the transition picture to see
where he is going next. Most of the materials used for
the basket tasks are also located in some other area of
the room. Allow the child to transition to that area as a
reinforcer and play with the toys.

INDEPENDENT WORK SYSTEM

INDEPENDENT WORK SYSTEM

WORK SYSTEM
When the student arrives at any location,
are the four questions answered?
At circle time?
In any play area?
In large group time?
In places out the classroom?

WORK SYSTEM

WORK SYSTEM

WORK SYSTEM

WORK SYSTEM

Routine and Strategies

People with Autism like routines. They create
their routines as a coping strategy to compensate
for lack of understanding.
Checking the schedule and following the work
system are two powerful routines that build
independence and flexibility.
Other routines/strategies to teach include the
spatial and sequencing organization of working
from left-to-right and top-to-bottom.
Routines and strategies help compensate for
poor organization, judgment, and problemsolving abilities.

OTHER VISUAL STRUCTURE OF

ACTIVITIES
Within any specific activity, we add visual structure to
capitalize on the students visual learning style, minimize
reliance on auditory processing, and build independence.

TYPES OF VISUAL STRUCTURE

Visual instructions: How the beginning, sequence of
steps, and ending point of an activity is indicated.
Examples include:
Materials may define the task
Left-to-right sequence of materials
Jigs: tell the student how much of what material to get
organized as first step of task

TYPES OF VISUAL STRUCTURE(CONT.)

Product sample: a model to show the finished produce
Visual Organization: How the space and materials are organized to
enhance the students attention and independence. Examples include:
Self-contained tasks
Container organization
Stabilize the materials
Limit the space
Limit the amount of materials
Visual Clarity: How we draw the students attention to the most relevant
and useful information. Examples include:
Color coding
Labeling
Highlighting
Exaggerating a concept

VISUAL STRUCTURED ROUTINE

VISUAL STRUCTURED ROUTINE