Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children
TEACCH stands for " Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children" (German: " treatment and educational needs of autistic and communication handicapped children in a similar way ").
The emergence of the TEACCH program
A research project at the University of North Carolina / USA, in Chapel Hill, is the cornerstone for the development of TEACCH. It was about the active involvement of parents in promoting their autistic children. This approach should the hitherto common assumption that parents wore on autism is the main culprit refute.
From the research project was in 1972 due to the initiative of many parents the TEACCH program out. This is a public institution in North Carolina, which includes a comprehensive, life-long system of services and support for patients, their families and professionals. Core point here are the nine TEACCH centers where diagnosis, consultation, training of professionals and the networking of all participating institutions takes place.
Here, among other things, accurate delivery schedules are created, which can then be implemented with the help of therapists in the networked institutions. This includes any conveyors, schools, workshops and residential facilities. These are oriented in their work on the principles of the TEACCH program:
- Understanding of the typical difficulties of people with autism
- Individual diagnosis and promotion
- Cooperation with parents / families
- To cope optimizing ability in his life world
- Holism ( promotion of all aspects of personality )
- Competence orientation and respect for otherness
- Structuring, cognitive approaches and behavioral theory
Also, an organized labor monitoring and individual housing and work opportunities for people with autism, such as the Carolina Living and Learning Center, were able to establish through the TEACCH program.
The pedagogical approach of the TEACCH program
While the TEACCH program is a government institution in North Carolina, almost unique, where he developed educational- therapeutic approach has received worldwide recognition and distribution. This " TEACCH approach" is now known in many European schools and educational institutions, and often elements of it into practice.
This is for example the principle of structuring the situation (structured teaching ) and visualization, both aspects which are often brought in Germany with TEACCH in conjunction. These are elements of the TEACCH approach and are explained in more detail below.
Structured teaching
When it comes to structured teaching, supporting people with autism in learning. There is support for the development of meanings, for clarity of relationships and helps in the development of skills to cope in everyday life.
An important aspect is the spatial and temporal patterning, and the design of the work material. This is based not only on teaching, but on the whole day. Due to the particular information processing benefit people with autism of structured help. It promotes a sense of security and competence, because you can adapt to new situations better when you understand when something happens. In educational practice, a distinction in the structuring of processes schedules, task schedules and instructions. However, this should always be checked again for their necessity and appropriateness and reduced if necessary.
Examples of the spatial structuring:
Place names; Room divider (eg shelves); Carpets mark specific areas, curtains; Lines on floors; Assignment of objects to certain places; Images and captions
Examples of the temporal structuring:
Bell; Signals, words; Start and end routine; clocks and watches; Schedules in the appropriate level of abstraction
Textured material and instructions:
Design of the work area; Visual instructions ( templates, image sequences, examples); Arrangement of the material into labeled container material
Visualization
People with autism often have outstanding expertise in the processing of visual information. This ability is often underestimated, as they often direct their attention only very briefly on something. Nevertheless, they take with this seemingly glance that true for them necessary.
The visual sense is therefore the preferred processing channel. Visualization is also more stable and clear as language and requires no understanding of language accompanying (social) features such as facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice. Besides the use of picture cards people with autism often respond very well to the use of sign, since attending the visual channel is addressed.
Room:
Clarify the function of places: in the space by visual barriers (eg shelves) which define the individual areas ( work, pause, etc. ); the individual areas by symbols or real objects (such as headphones for break-out area, indoor signage for orientation in the schoolhouse ) identify; Shelves / cabinets with pictures / symbols signpost (eg also for jacket, shoes, hat )
Time:
Visually vividly designed daily schedules make it easier to adjust to deviations from normality (eg rain break); Time timer ( the remaining time (eg for a particular job ) is represented by a smaller and smaller area)
Action:
Visually illustrate where something is and / or has its place (eg table set with cover plate, glass, cutlery imprint as a guide to the table ); illustrate short actions visually (eg, the individual steps of hand washing, tying shoes )