The Etownian >> Features
Spitzer emphasizes baby steps
Thursday April 22 2010
Leighanne Spitzer
“I chose this particular topic because social skills are so important to teach to children with autism, and gaining the attention of another person is the foundation for most of the other skills,” Spitzer said. Throughout her research, Spitzer discovered how the smallest steps astounded and amazed parents of children with autism. “Even if it was a small step, it was huge to the parents,” she observed.
Spitzer hopes that through her presentation and research, students and faculty at Elizabethtown College and in the education field as a whole will realize that there is no set way of teaching and approaching education for children with autism. Each child is an individual and needs to be treated as such. “Although applied behavior analysis is the most researched approach, there are so many other approaches, and we really need to pinpoint which one, or ones, are the most effective,” Spitzer said.
She hopes to continue her research of successful techniques after college through working with kids with autism, especially in early intervention settings.
To learn more about Spitzer’s research, consider attending her Scholarship Day presentation.
Her project is: “Discrete Trial Training in an Early Intervention Program for Children with Autism: A Focus on Teaching How to Gain Attention.” Her faculty mentor is Dr. Carroll Tyminski.
Spitzer is one of several student scholars from Etown’s department of education who will present during Scholarship and Creative Arts Day 2010. A full schedule of the presentations and other events featuring the creativity and scholarship of Etown students can be found in the full event program, at www.etown.edu/scad.
The Etownian >> Features