Providing Choice-Making Opportunities to Students With Autism During Instruction

Tyler is a 12-year-old student with autism in fifth grade. Tyler spends half of his school day in a self-contained classroom and the other half of the day in a fifth-grade general education classroom. Tyler communicates using three- to five-word phrases, and his individualized education program (IEP) goals align with third-grade academic standards (e.g., single-digit and double-digit multiplication). During academic work times (i.e., whole group, small group, and independent work), Tyler is often off task or refuses to work. For example, Tyler often talks to his peers, which distracts them and others around them, or he puts his head down on his desk instead of completing his academic work. It is hypothesized that Tyler engages in challenging behavior to escape task demands. Tyler's special education and general education teachers are worried about his behavior during academic instruction and are looking for an effective and easy to implement strategy to help motivate Tyler to stay on task and follow directions during academic work periods.