Teacher Training and Attention in Autism

Teacher Training and Attention in Autism

Background
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication, repetitive and stereotyped interests and behaviours (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) affecting as many as 1 in every 44 children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Importantly, autism is also frequently associated with attention difficulties (with reports suggesting up to 50-80% of comorbidity with attention difficulties) and is closely linked to academic attainment in this population. However, attention atypicality in autism is not fully understood and is seldom explicitly targeted in schools. Nevertheless, the use of technology has been found to be a powerful tool to teach a variety of skills in individuals with autism. Specifically, the Computerised Progressive Attention Training (CPAT; Shalev et al., 2007), has been shown to improve academic performance apart from attention skills in children with autism. As such, there is a huge potential to provide educational professionals a critical knowledge and tools regarding managing and developing attention in autism in the school context.

Objectives
The main objectives of the project was to provide resources and tools to teachers and professionals working with children with autism (e.g., therapists, paraprofessionals) on the topic of attention in autism, to learn about their currently held knowledge of attention in autism, to train them in attention in autism, to develop a freely available cross-platform version of the CPAT (attention training tool) and to provide a freely available Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), with training material and resources. Other secondary objectives were to test the implementation of CPAT in the participating schools in the four countries and to share good practice amongst each other.

Implementation
Together with the three intellectual outputs listed below, TTAA has conducted four transnational meetings (in Tel Aviv, Florina [online], Valencia and Birmingham), in addition to a Learning, Teaching and Training activity (in Tel Aviv) and three multiplier events (Florina [online], Valencia and Birmingham). During the COVID pandemic TTAA has also conducted two additional (not initially planned) online open events (i.e., webinars) attended by over 300 participants live in November 2020 and May 2021 and around 1000 accessed them on demand. Given the high number of participants across the different activities and outputs including the online events in 2020/2021, the multipliers events in Florina, Valencia and Birmingham, and the students enrolled in the MOOC, the TTAA project seemed to have exceeded our expectation in terms of its initial impact and reach. In addition to these activities we are currently running further follow-up projects in the UK (Staffordshire autism outreach unit) and Israel and we have secured additional funding for dissemination and promotion of the TTAA work to broader audiences while our partner nasen has scheduled more in person and online events to promote our produced resources.

Results
TTAA has produced a report on the current knowledge of teachers in the four participating countries regarding attention in autism, as well as a literature review focusing on scientific studies looking at attention and cognitive training in autism. The understanding gained from these reports (especially the teachers' knowledge) fed into the MOOC, that has been developed as part of the third intellectual output. The MOOC is offered on the platforms Future Learn and Moodle in the four languages of the project (i.e., English, Greek, Hebrew and Spanish) and there are already around 800 students enrolled on the English version as well as 400 students enrolled on the Spanish version of the course.

TTAA has also developed a fully functional new version of the CPAT software (Computerised Progressive Attention Training). The software has been tested by the school partners and we have learned from their experience and feedback and incorporated it in the final CPAT version. School partners have also produced resources to support the implementation of CPAT in different school settings informed from their experience with it. These resources are available through the MOOC platform for teachers and educational practitioners to download and use.

The Partners:

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom - Coordinator

1st 12thesio Ralleion Peiramatikon Dimotikon Sxoleion, Greece
ASOCIACIÓN DE PADRES Y FAMILIARES DE PERSONAS CON TRASTORNOS DEL ESPECTRO DEL AUTISMO DE AVILA Y SU PROVINCIA, Spain
National Association of Special Educational Needs, United Kingdom
PANEPISTIMIO DYTIKIS MAKEDONIAS, Greece
Rookery School, United Kingdom
TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, Israel
UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA, Spain
Weizman School, Israel