A “5” Could Make Me Lose Control! is a great teaching aid to help your child learn how to regulate their emotions. Included in the kit are different cards with scenarios that need to be matched with the appropriate point and corresponding emotion on the scale.
Category Archives: 5-Point Scale
What are the best interventions for children with ASD?
This is a tricky question to answer. Individuals with ASD are complex and unique so finding ways to best support them depends on the individual and their goals. Below, we’ve outlined a few interventions that you would want to be familiar with. On our “Community Autism Specialists” page we have contact information for area resources. Support groups are another great way to learn about what works for families. Here is a complete report on Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
ABA
ABA is short for Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA breaks down complex tasks into small pieces and then individuals (usually children) are taught one small piece at a time. When a child is successful they get rewards. Over time, the therapist teaches more complex skills and with fewer rewards (ABA needs to be implemented with an ABA therapist). This intervention has been the study of a lot of research and is typically considered to be effective. We have several books on ABA in our library.
Floortime
Floortime is a strategy in which parents and professionals play with young children at their level and in doing so help expand their communication and social skills. This approach, developed by Dr. Greenspan, starts with following the child’s lead and then building upon that to expand the child’s world. Compared to ABA, this approach is more child centered and naturalistic but it may be less successful for teaching concrete tasks. The P.L.A.Y project offers Floortime and you can learn more about Floortime with books and DVDs from our library.
PECS
PECS is short for picture exchange system. It is one of the most common communication interventions used with children with ASD especially those with significant communication impairments. Children with ASD often have difficulty communicating their basic wants and needs. This intervention focuses on giving them a tool (pictures) to communicate. Over time the goal is to use the pictures to exchange for items, build sentences, and answer questions. We have several books on PECS in our library and we can make PECS pictures for you in our resource room.
Social Narratives
Social narratives help teach learners about social relationships, social thinking, and what to expect in different social situations. We can create social narratives for your child/student’s individual needs. We also have books on how to create and use social narratives.
The Incredible 5-Point Scale
The Incredible 5-Point Scale is a visual strategy that helps individuals with autism learn about regulating emotions. Sometimes children with ASD seem to go from calm to meltdown very quickly. This tool helps them to understand their emotions and put them in perspective. It is also used to teach strategies for managing difficult emotions. We can make many adaptations of the 5-Point scale in the resource room and have books on how to implement the strategy.
We didn’t want to overwhelm you so this is a pretty short list. From here, we would recommend browsing the intervention books in our library (either online or in person). There are also some great websites that give more comprehensive information about interventions. Autism Speaks has a nice summaries of a variety of different supports and videos so you can see them in action. Autism Internet Modules provides online training for learning many interventions available. They focus on evidence based interventions so their list of interventions also serves a great for what are best practices (not just common practices).
Medical Interventions
There are no medications that have been specifically developed for individuals with ASD, however, some medications are often prescribed to help children (and adults) focus, manage emotions, and learn better as well as manage other challenges individuals with ASD may face (like difficulties sleeping or irritable bowel syndrome). If you’re considering medical options the free “Medication Decision Aid Tool Kit” from Autism Speaks may be useful or the book Taking the Mystery Out of Medications in Autism/Asperger Syndromes.
Poster Sized Emotions Thermometer
![IMG_0017[1]](https://theautismprogramuiuc.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/img_00171.jpg)
This visual support is a large version of the emotions thermometer we carry in stock in the resource room, which is based off of “The incredible 5-Point Scale”. The emotions thermometer helps individuals break down emotions into concrete parts to help them identify and better understand their feelings. This is done by breaking down emotions into numbers, colors, pictures, and words and formatting them into the shape of a thermometer. We carry index card sized and an 8 x 11 sized emotion thermometers in stock in the resource room, but the poster sized emotions thermometers are only made upon request.
Autism Internet Modules
Have you heard of PECS but not really sure what it is? Would you like to implement a five-point scale, but not exactly sure how? The Autism Internet Modules were developed with one aim in mind: to make comprehensive,up-to-date, and usable information on autism accessible and applicable to educators, other professionals, and families who support individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Written by experts from across the U.S., all online modules are free, and are designed to promote understanding of, respect for, and equality of persons with ASD.
You do have to create a log in, but the modules are free. You can pay a small fee to receive a certificate of completion.
The Incredible 5-Point Scale: The Significantly Improved and Expanded Second Edition
The Incredible 5-Point Scale: The Significantly Improved and Expanded Second Edition by Kari Dunn Buron and Mitzi Curtis.
(XBM Buron 2012 Improved)
Assisting students in understanding social interactions and controlling their emotional responses. Pp. 97.
If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.
Social Behavior and Self-Management
Social Behavior and Self-Management by Kari Dunn Buron, MS, Jane Thierfeld Brown EdD, Mitzi Curtis, MA, and Lisa King, Med.
(XBM Buron 2012)
5 point scales for Adolescents and Adults. Pp. 71.
If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.
The Incredible 5 Point Scale
The Incredible 5 Point Scale by Kari Dunn Buron and Mitzi Curtis.
(XBM Buron 2005 DVD)
In this DVD, the authors share their successful use of the simple concept of 5-point scales to help students understand and control their emotional reactions to everyday events that might otherwise set in emotion escalating reactions. Whether it is inappropriate touching, obsessions, yelling, hitting or making hurtful statements to classmates, this clearly illustrated video shows how to break down a given behavior and, with the student’s active participation, develop a unique scale that identifies the problem and, just as important, suggests alternative, positive behaviors at each level of the scale. 22 min.
If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.
The Incredible 5 Point Scale: Assisting Students with ASD in Understanding Social Interactions and Controlling their Emotional Responses
The Incredible 5 Point Scale: Assisting Students with ASD in Understanding Social Interactions and Controlling their Emotional Responses by Kari Buron & Mitzi Curtis.
(XBM Buron 2003)
Two teachers share their simple yet successful concept of the 5 point scale to help students understand and control their emotional reactions to everyday events that might otherwise cause escalating reactions. This book shows how to break down a given behavior and suggests alternative, positive behaviors at each level of the scale. Pp. 73.
If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.
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