Web Media: teacher information on promoting pro-social behavior of students with autism

This Phase I application, prepared in response to Priority 2, seeks to develop a web-based, multimedia instructional product for educators to develop skills in promoting the pro-social skills of students with high functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome, a group of students whose poor social skills pose a barrier to optimal school achievement for themselves and their classmates. During Phase I, we will develop an interactive prototype that demonstrates the content, design, and functionality of the proposed product. We will use expert review and focus groups to determine its usefulness to teachers in improving social behavior of students with autism. During Phase II, we will use the prototype to develop and field test the final product. A detailed business plan will also be developed during Phase II. Three specific objectives will be met during Phase I. Milestones for each objective are included below in the Project Design section. The objectives are: Objective 1: To conduct an expert review of the proposed content and learner outcomes for the product, Objective 2: Based on the panel’s review, to produce an interactive, multimedia prototype using Macromedia Flash, and Objective 3: To convene focus groups to evaluate the prototype for use with teachers and teachers-in-training.