Building Independence

Book excerpt: Individuals with ASD and related disorders are supported by a variety of people throughout their day, whether in educational and work settings, transition programs or at home. Structured work systems are one method that can be used to ensure that they develop and maintain their ability to work on their own, without assistance and prompting from others. Briefly, structured work systems are designed to give visual information about what work needs to be done, how much works needs to be done, when the work is completed and what will happen next. Due to the predictability and sense of accomplishment that are built into the system, many individuals with ASD find the structured work time their favorite time of the day. Full of color photos and case examples spanning age and levels of functioning, the book provides an A-Z guide to work systems, including assessment, how to build them into the curriculum, IEPs, lesson planning and more.