Individualized Group Instruction of Normally Developing and Autistic-like Children: The LEAP Curriculum Model

Abstract

This paper focuses on a description of an approach to individualize group instruction and an evaluation of preacademic/academic program effects for normally developing and autistic-like children, Essential features of the individualized group instruction procedure include: individualized curriculum for each class participant; frequent assessment of intervention impact; opportunities to revise curricular objectives; planning lessons that include objectives for each child; management of behavior in a group; and daily review of goal plans, The results of program evaluation on 13 normally developing and 6 autistic-like children showed that: (a) normally developing children achieved, on the average, a twofold increase in their rate of development during program participation; (b) autistic-like children achieved, on the average, a twofold increase in their rate of development during program participation; and (c) autistic-like children's intervention rate of performance was above that for normally developing children at program entry.