The SCERTS Model

A Comprehensive Educational Approach

for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Volume II

Program Planning & Intervention

by

Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., Amy M. Wetherby, Ph.D., Emily Rubin, M.S.,

Amy C. Laurent, Ed.M., OTR/L, and Patrick J. Rydell, Ed.D.

Chapter 4

Linking Transactional Support Goals to Social Communication

and Emotional Regulation Goals

In this chapter, we address the integrated nature of the SCERTS Model in specific reference to how Transactional Support goals must be linked to goals in Social Communication and Emotional Regulation. Nevertheless, it is important to emphasize once again that although we have identified the primary domains of the model in reference to Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support, we do not mean to imply that these domains are separate and distinct. On the contrary, in child development, and therefore in our assessment and educational programming approaches in the SCERTS Model, these domains are intimately interrelated and interwoven. Therefore, in practice, a child’s abilities as well as potential in social communication and emotional regulation cannot be viewed apart from the transactional supports that are influencing a child’s behavior and how the child’s behavior is influencing partner behavior. More specifically, we now address the process of how interpersonal supports and learning supports are assessed and targeted when implementing the SCERTS Model.

IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING CHILD AND PARTNER GOALS

Transactional Nature of Developmental Challenges Developmental challenges are transactional in nature. That is, such challenges are dynamic and are determined by child-specific factors, factors external to the child, and the interaction among these factors. If this were not the case, one would assume that a child’s difficulties and progress would be determined solely by the type and severity of a child’s developmental difficulties.

1. There is a strong relationship between a child’s achievements in social communication and a child’s achievements in emotional regulation. Again, relationships among different aspects of development, such as social communication, emotional regulation, and learning, are viewed as fluid and inseparable. Therefore, we expect that improvements in one domain, such as emotional regulation, will positively influence social communication and learning. When a child develops a greater capacity to regulate arousal in social activities, for example, gains will likely be observed in that child’s capacity to engage in reciprocal interaction with adults and peers.

2. There is a strong relationship between a partner’s implementation of interpersonal supports and a child’s achievements in social communication and emotional regulation. As noted, the role of a child’s partners will have a significant and long-term impact on a child’s development.

3. There is a strong relationship between a partner’s implementation of learning supports and a child’s achievements in social communication and emotional regulation. Learning supports provided by sensitive partners, including how environments and everyday activities are arranged to support active participation and learning have a significant impact on a child’s development.

Factors that influence a child’s progress or lack of progress may be conceptualized in three major categories: within-child factors, partner factors, and environmental factors.

Partner Factors A basic premise of the SCERTS Model is that partners play the most critical role in supporting a child’s development. Furthermore, this role goes well beyond the implementation of teaching strategies in structured or semistructured learning lessons to help the child learn new skills.

Environmental Factors The third category of factors is how environments are arranged and learning supports are used in educational programming and in everyday activities to support children’s social communication and emotional regulation.

Linking Goals

SOCIAL PARTNER STAGE

At the Social Partner stage, a child’s partners have a significant impact on supporting the child’s ability to become a more active social and communicative partner, to communicate with purpose or intent for a range of communicative functions, and to acquire and use conventional gestures and vocalizations within social-communicative exchanges.

Child Snapshots

Snapshot of Kendra
Kendra is a 2-year-old Social Partner who is working on initiating bids for interaction (JA1.2). She is described as a somewhat aloof, self-directed child who appears to fulfill her needs on her own.

Snapshot of David
David’s team discussed that while reading stories at home, he is interested in the pictures but is not yet shifting gaze between his caregiver and the pictures to share this interest.

Snapshot of Bridget
Bridget is a 5-year-old Social Partner who is developing her ability to share positive emotions using clear facial expressions or vocalizations (JA3.2).

Snapshot of Caleb
Caleb is a 6-year-old Social Partner who is developing his ability to share intentions to regulate another’s behavior.

Snapshot of Rebecca
Rebecca is a 3-year-old Social Partner who is developing her ability to share intentions for social interaction.

CONCLUSION

The SCERTS Model provides a framework to understand and enhance the developmental achievements of children by focusing on the transactional relationships among the child, their partners, and the environment. Through structured goals and collaborative support, children can improve their social communication and emotional regulation skills effectively.