Managing the Cycle of Meltdowns for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Geoff Colvin draws on his experience as a classroom teacher, administrator, researcher and instructor at the University of Oregon, and national public school consultant. Widely recognized as an expert on the subjects of school safety and violence prevention, Colvin has provided inservice training for teachers and administrators in more than 100 school districts and agencies nationally and internationally. He recently served as research associate at the University of Oregon and independent consultant in the areas of schoolwide discipline, school climate, school safety, and violence prevention, classroom management, and individual cases involving students with severe behavior disorders. Geoff also directed a juvenile detention school and a school program for youth with serious emotionally disturbances. Colvin has authored more than sixty publications, books, book chapters, journal articles, and video programs on the subject of teaching and managing students who exhibit the full range of problem behavior.Dr. Martin R. Sheehan, integrates a background in research psychology, Direct Instruction, special education, and media development. He is the owner of Double S Instructional Systems and has received federal funding for over 10 National Institutes of Health Small Business grant projects. He has served as the the Principal Investigator for projects on improving anger management for adults with disabilities, positive behavior supports for educators who work with challenging students, dangerous drug prevention, nutrition, weight loss and exercise, leisure, and future planning programs for individuals with DD. For 12 years he worked as an administrator in charge of programs for high school students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities. At that time he developed and supervised classrooms for students with autism and other developmental disabilities who exhibited severe acting out behaviors. He also has worked in the past as a therapist for a local counseling center and specialized in helping individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities and also with helping parents with their difficult children.Dr. Sheehan continues to serve on numerous NIH Center for Scientific Review study groups, including the Biobehavioral and Social Science Review Group in the area of Risk, Prevention, and Health Behavior.

• Foreword by Richard L. SimpsonAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorsIntroductionSection I: A Model for Meltdown Behavior of Students With ASD1. Autism Spectrum Disorder, Overview2. The Nature of Meltdowns3. A Six-Phase Model of the Meltdown CycleSection II: Strategies for Managing the Phases of the Meltdown Cycle4. Calm Phase5. Trigger Phase6. Agitation Phase7. Meltdown Phase8. Re-Grouping Phase9. Starting-Over Phase10. The Parent ComponentClosing RemarksAppendicesReferencesIndex

"This book provides educators and parents with current research-based strategies for helping to recognize the stages of meltdown in children with ASD and a model for systematic analysis and action. The strategies suggested are comprehensive and sensitive to the diversity of student needs."