TEACCH

Treatment Overview

TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children) is a state funded program in North Carolina. It was developed by Dr. Eric Schopler in the early 1970's.

TEACCH focuses on the child as the priority, rather than any philosophical position like inclusion, discrete trial training, facilitated communication, etc. TEACCH emphasizes individualized assessment to understand the autistic person and adjust the programming to suit. This is different from imposing or dictating a model of “normal” behaviour for everyone and requiring people with autism to fit into the mold, whether that is comfortable for them or not.

TEACCH uses an evaluation tool called the Psycho Education Profile (PEP) in order to begin therapy at the appropriate level, and structures the teaching in the best way to promote learning and independence. The physical environment is organized, and visual schedules utilized to make expectations clear and explicit. This environment allows people with autism the opportunity to learn independent of adult prompting. TEACCH adapts the learning environment and schedule to be effective and stress free for each child and accommodates the child's unique characteristics.

Cultivating strengths and interests rather than drilling solely on deficits is another important priority. In this sense TEACCH is no different from any other program. On the other hand, most programs dealing with developmental disabilities emphasize remediating deficits and focus their entire efforts on that goal. The TEACCH approach respects what they call the "culture of autism"; the relative strengths of people with autism in visual skills, recognizing details, and memory, among others can become the basis of successful adult functioning. TEACCH has also observed that capitalizing on their interests, even though they may be peculiar from our perspective, helps increase their motivation and understanding of what they are doing. These strategies enhance efforts to work positively and productively with autistic people, rather than coercing them and forcing them in directions that do not interest them and that they cannot comprehend.

Required Training

TEACCH is a school based model, and although it is meant to be transferred to home, most of the program has been developed for the classroom setting. The TEACCH center in North Carolina provides training programs in diagnosis, assessment, structured teaching, educational services, residential and vocational programs, and parent training.

Click Here to learn more about The TEACCH Center

Therapy Outcome

There are no formal outcome studies provided by the TEACCH Center. This is probably due to the fact that TEACCH allows the autistic person to lead the direction of the therapy and “develop as far as they can go”. Therefore, individual progress is not compared. Much of the outcome information is based on observation and comments by parents and has not been evaluated in a systematic way. It must be stated that many parents have good comments about the program and felt “supported” by the centers providing the TEACCH model.

Therapy Intensity/Duration

The basic TEACCH model places several ASD children in small self-contained classes, usually with one teacher and one aid. The program generally provides 3 to 5 half day sessions per week.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The experts at TEACCH do not appear to be producing hard empirical evidence that the children’s symptoms improve with their method. Although anecdotal evidence can be valid and may be all that a parent needs to feel “supported” the TEACCH program should go further and show that their method provides lasting improvement for autistic children. The TEACCH program functions well as a center based program and is easier to implement and understand than an ABA program, and may be the best alternative for parents and municipalities than a more intensive, one-on-one program.