The LEARN Program
Summary of Services at LEARN
The LEARN Foundation for Autism was founded by Mandy Mason, CEO, in August 2008. The mission was to create a centre in Perth for young children with autism that provided world class, evidence based early intervention.
Extensive controlled studies have shown that the most effective therapy for teaching individuals with autism is Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), performed across various settings and in the home with the active involvement of parents and family members.
LEARN’s program is delivered by therapists with focussed supervision and significant experience in the treatment of children with autism. A key component of the program is to teach these skills to parents so they can ensure generalisation to the natural environment.
LEARN’s program encompasses:
- Admission to the Program via undergoing The Verbal Behaviour Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (The VB MAPP).
- A Needs Assessment developed by LEARN’s Clinical Director based on the outcome of results from the VB MAPP.
- Academic Assessments – see Assessments below.
- Visual Motor Assessment conducted by LEARN’s Behavioural Occupational Therapist.
- Monthly Program Reviews with LEARN’s Clinical Director.
- Therapy undertaken by highly trained ABA Therapists, both at LEARN and in home environments (if less then 15km from LEARN) incorporating;
- One on One ABA Intensive Program (8+ hours per week) to focus on gaps identified by the VB-MAPP.
- A Bridge Program (4+ hours per week) focussing on any remaining gaps in the VB-MAPP and:
- Play Skills
- Play Dates with Typical Developing Peers; and
- Academic Skills.
- Monthly Parent Training Seminars;
- School Consultation; and
- Behavioural Assessments and Programs incorporating:
- Functional Assessment
- Functional Analysis for challenging and severe behaviours
- Home Based Assessments for Behavioural Interventions (eating, sleeping, toileting and other programs).
The National Autism Centre’s Standards Report
"The National Standards Report may be the most important document that parents and practitioners ever read and the most important weapon in their arsenal to fight autism." Marjorie H. Charlop Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Claremont McKenna College
Director, The Claremont Autism Centre
In 2009 the National Autism Centre (NAC) in the US released a report reviewing all currently available literature on interventions for use in autism for individuals under 22 years of age. The report was designed to assist parents, educators and service providers to integrate critical information into treatment decisions.
"This report cuts through the confusing and often conflicting information about the myriad treatments available for ASD," said Susan M. Wilczynski, Ph.D., BCBA, Executive Director of the NAC. "It is designed to serve as a single, authoritative source of guidance for parents, caregivers, educators, and service providers as they make informed treatment decisions."
The report is the culmination of the National Standards Project, a multi-year project that began with more than 6,400 research abstracts about autism treatments and concluded with a comprehensive national Standards Report. Forty-five nationally recognized scholars, researchers, experts in autism, and other leaders representing diverse fields of study were involved in the project.
"The national Standards Report covers a broad range of applied treatments and identifies the levels of scientific evidence available for each one," continued Dr. Wilczynski. "These treatments target the core symptoms of autism, as well as many other challenges that individuals on the autism spectrum face."
Treatments were defined as either:
- Established
- Emerging
- Unestablished
- Ineffective/Harmful
The report identifies 11 “established” treatments, 22 “emerging” treatments that have some evidence of effectiveness, but still require more research, and five “unestablished” treatments that have little or no evidence of effectiveness.
Nearly 90% of the established treatments came from behavioural literature (i.e. applied behaviour analysis, behavioural psychology, and positive behaviour support). The report also identifies limitations of the existing autism treatment research and encourages the scientific community to more aggressively pursue targeted treatment research.
LEARN’s program draws on research that falls within established treatments as defined by the National Autism Centre (NAC) being predominantly Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA).
Assessments and Measures at LEARN
Evidence based practice, best practice guidelines and FAHCSIA guidelines make it clear that transparent and valid assessment procedures are an absolute necessity in the provision of effective Early Intervention and Educational Interventions.
There are numerous methods for assessing development and response to treatment. The goal of any treatment program that has the aim of reducing or developing certain learning and behaviour patterns is to develop a package of instruments that allows for a comprehensive comparison and evaluation of the child’s current level of development while still capturing change and development as it occurs.
LEARN utilises The Verbal Behaviour Milestones Assessment and Placement Program: The VB-MAPP is a criterion-referenced assessment tool, curriculum guide, and skill tracking system that is designed for children with autism and language delays. The VB-MAPP is based on B.F. Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behaviour, established developmental milestones, and research from the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis.
There are five components of the VB-MAPP, and collectively they provide a baseline level of performance, a direction for intervention, a system for tracking skill acquisition, a tool for outcome measures and other language research projects, and a framework for curriculum planning.
The overall results of the VB-MAPP provide valuable information that will serve as a guide for the development of an effective individualized language, social skills and learning curriculum.
Full details of the assessment can be found at http://www.marksundberg.com/vb-mapp.htm
The next level of analysis that LEARN utilises is standardized measurement procedures. These are listed below;
- Visual Motor Assessment (using the Miller Function and Participation Scales – M-FUN-PS).
- Academic Assessment (using the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement – the KTEA and the Gray Oral Reading Test – the GORT).
- Social Development (using the Social Skills Rating Scales).
- Functional Assessment.
