Inside Behavior Analysis
Volume 3 | 2011 | Number 2 | Online ISSN: 2151-4704
Direct Instruction
By Wendy Kozma
Direct instruction is a logical choice for a wide variety of learners. Frequently, the instructional needs of learners with autism spectrum disorders and other learning challenges are often not so dramatically different from the needs of typically developing learners. As a stated goal, the Direct Instruction Special Interest Group (DISIG) strives to coordinate and support a continuum of ongoing education, training, and networking opportunities for all individuals interested in direct instruction implementation as an effective evidence-based instructional practice. The significance of evidence-based instructional practices has been established and numerous studies support direct instruction as an effective practice within this domain. Direct instruction is a system of teaching in which instructional variables are controlled using carefully designed materials, sequences, and teaching strategies to ensure students will master content at a reasonable rate.
DISIG held its annual business meeting on Sunday, May 29 at the 37th ABAI Annual Convention in Denver. During the meeting, the SIG established goals and projects targeted for the coming year, including a plan to design and launch a DISIG website. A committee was be formed to accomplish the task of authoring and submitting a direct instruction symposium proposal for the 2012 ABAI Annual Convention in Seattle. The DISIG also committed to the continued promotion of a collaborative relationship with members of the Parent Professional Partnership SIG and the Autism SIG. Representatives from the three groups met in Denver to discuss ways the SIGs could work together toward common goals and develop an action plan. Suggested goals for this collaborative group included planning for and providing ongoing training for professionals on multiple levels (introductory, intermediate, and advanced/research level) and offering education and support for parents and practitioners attending ABAI-sponsored workshops and presentations.
Several members of the DISIG were invited to participate as trainers and forum presenters at the Second Annual Effective Programs for Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference, hosted by the Association for Direct Instruction (ADI). Workshops were conducted by practitioners with considerable expertise in implementing direct instruction programs with learners on the autism spectrum. This year, the conference will be held Thursday through Saturday, October 20–22, at the Hilton Newark Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey. Following the conference, ADI will again host a forum. Several members of the DISIG were invited to participate in the forum.
The forum participants will identify various challenges, administrative practices, and implementation strategies pertaining specifically to teaching individuals on the autism spectrum. These elements will be analyzed with respect to learner characteristics and discussed in relationship to obstacles and challenges to direct instruction implementation. Members of the forum will seek to propose and catalog solutions to instructional obstacles, including modifications and adaptations. Forum participants will continue to develop a systematic process for determining best practice guidelines and publishing standardized processes for implementing solutions. The committee formed to develop research projects validating the effectiveness of direct instruction implementation with learners on the spectrum and will continue work on several research proposals that were established at the conclusion of the 2010 conference.
This annual event provides an important opportunity to advance the use of direct instruction with learners on the spectrum. The sponsoring association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the use of direct instruction programs. ADI hosts direct instruction conferences, provides online networking and assistance, and publishes the Direct Instruction News and The Journal of Direct Instruction. For more information on ADI, please visit www.adihome.org.