The DATA Model Skills Checklist

Available in packs of 5, these forms are used to assess children's functional needs with the DATA Model, a comprehensive, school-based program for children 3 to 5 with autism. Blending best practices from applied behavior analysis and early childhood special education, the DATA Model is a proven program rooted in evidence-based practice and based on 20 years of testing and refinement. The DATA Model Skills Checklist covers 6 key domains: Adaptive Executive Functioning Cognitive Communication Social Play A must for autism and behavior specialists, SLPs, program directors, and early childhood special educators, the DATA Model is the all-in-one program you need to prepare young children with autism for long-term success at school and in their community.

About the Author :
Bonnie McBride, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Director of the Oklahoma Autism Center. She has expertise in early childhood special education, early childhood education, and applied behavior analysis. She has a long history of using behavioral principles to work with children with ASD and other disorders. She completed her doctoral work at the University of Washington where she was a teacher in the inclusive preschool and the first head teacher of Project DATA. Since moving to Oklahoma Bonnie has been instrumental in increasing the availability of services to young children with ASD and their families in that state. She has developed a statewide network to implement Project DATA for toddlers and preschoolers in Oklahoma. She has served as the Principal Investigator for two randomized control trials of the Project DATA model funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (Toddler and Preschool). Crista Scott, M.Ed., BCBA, is a Research Coordinator at the University of Washingtona s Childcare Quality and Early Learning Center for Research and Professional Development (CQEL). Crista taught for eight years in early childhood special education. Most of those eight years were spent as a teacher in an inclusive preschool and coordinator for Project DATA at the University of Washington's Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education. Crista has a Master's degree in education, with an emphasis in early childhood special education, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). In addition to teaching in special education, Crista is interested in providing effective professional development activities. She was a product manager for the Office of Head Start's National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning, supporting the development and dissemination of professional development materials for educators in early learning. Crista supported an Institute of Education Sciences grant that investigated the use of self and in-person coaching strategies to increase the use of embedded teaching practices in early childhood special education classrooms. Currently she is coordinating an evaluation project on the implementation of Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND), a program that supports interactions between childcare providers and children in infant/toddler environments. This project is in partnership with Washington State's Department of Early Learning (DEL) and the University of Oregon. Dr. Sandall is an assistant professor at the University of Washington in special education with a specialization in early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). She has directed personnel preparation projects, developed curriculum materials for all age groups, and published materials on instructional strategies to facilitate optimal outcomes for young children with disabilities. Dr. Sandall is a board member of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC), Council for Exceptional Children, and an investigator on DEC's research project to synthesize EI/ECSE research practices and translate them to recommended field practices. She is also co-editor of DEC's Young Exceptional Children monograph series and co-editor of DEC Recommended Practices in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (with Mary McLean and Barbara J. Smith, Sopris West, 2000). Ilene S. Schwartz, Ph.D. is Professor at the University of Washington in the area of special education. Dr. Schwartz has an extensive background working with young children with special needs, specifically with young children with autism and other disabilities. Dr. Schwartz is the Director of the Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education at the University of Washington. Dr. Schwartz is the faculty advisor for the inclusive preschool and kindergarten programs at the Experimental Education Unit at the University of Washington, where she maintains an active line of research and personnel preparation activities. Dr. Schwartz is Principal Investigator of several projects, including a model demonstration project to develop school-based services for young children with autism, a research project to assess the differential effectiveness of preschool programs for young children with autism, and a personnel preparation program for early childhood education teachers who work with children with severe disabilities in inclusive settings. Dr. Schwartz has published numerous chapters and articles about early childhood education and social validity. She serves on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Early Intervention and Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. Julie Ashmun, M.Ed., BCBA is the Director of the Professional Development Unit at the University of Washington's Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education. She began working in preschool and child care centers in 1995 and since then has been a Project DATA teacher and coordinator, a professional development research assistant and trainer, and a family resource coordinator. Julie has a Master's degree in education, with an emphasis in early childhood special education, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Julie is interested in effective practices for professional development in education and adult learning. She also devotes her time to researching and working with children with neurodevelopmental delays, including autism, and working with families and educators. Julie's research focuses on assessment and intervention practices for inclusive school based programs for children with disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.

Review :
The Data Model, which is built upon the scientific principles of applied behavior analysis, provides a comprehensive early childhood curriculum that allows instruction to be tailored to the unique needs of the child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is no doubt that this tool will be of great use to any early childhood practitioner, or family member, working with young children with ASD."" - Brian Boyd, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ""The DATA Model Manual and Skills Checklist provide a wealth of information beneficial for a variety of professionals who work with young children with autism, from those who have little experience to those who have been working in the field for many years. The rich information and valuable resources are well organized and will enhance the libraries of those who work with preschoolers with ASD."" - Merle Crawford ""I am thrilled that this tool is available. The Data Model provides all the information and tools necessary for supporting young children with Autism in early childhood environments. The authors have created a process and the tools necessary for delivering high quality instruction on highly valued skills in the context of developmentally appropriate learning environments."" - Mary Louise Hemmeter, Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University ""I found the Skills Checklist to be particularly useful and would like to start using it immediately in my coursework and professional development activities."" - Erin Barton, Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University ""The DATA Model offers expert and important advice while also providing easy-to-use methods for developing and teaching a myriad of important and critical target behaviors for preschoolers."" - Lynn Koegel, Clinical Director, Koegel Autism Center Director, Broad Center for Asperger Research ""The DATA Model for Teaching Preschoolers with Autism includes a thoughtful and complete manual encompassing the best evidence-based practices for providing a high quality inclusive program for young children with ASD. It covers the essential pieces that a team would need to know to implement a developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and specialized program for young children with ASD in their school or community. The included Skills Checklist is comprehensive and detailed and would provide teams with ongoing information about support a child would need to be successful in an inclusive preschool setting."" - Elizabeth Steed, School of Education and Human Development, University of Colorado Denver ""This is the best manual I have ever seen for determining what and how to teach young children with autism. The DATA Model and the Skills Checklist are incredibly valuable resources, and the emphasis on quality of life results in a perfectly-oriented curriculum."" - Glen Dunlap, University of Nevada ""With the use of the DATA Model, young children with ASD are able to fully benefit from the various learning opportunities that inclusive preschool classrooms provide. The model provides practitioners with a framework for embedding intensive interventions within everyday routines and activities in inclusive preschool classrooms to meet their unique learning needs in natural contexts, promoting meaningful learning outcomes that are generalized and maintained across home, school, and community contexts."" - Debra Leach, Associate Professor of Special Education, Winthrop University