• Hats Off To Columbus Area Support Group and Bartholomew Community School Corporation: Partnership
• Hats Off To Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Services Cooperative: Movie Day
• Hats Off To South LaPorte County Special Education Cooperative and Autism Society of Central Indiana: Start a Walk in Your Community
• Hats Off To M.S.D. of Wayne Township: Creating Building Level Autism Teams
• Hats Off To Johnson County Special Services
• Hats Off To Switzerland County Middle School Autism Team
• Hats Off To MSD of Lawrence Township: Training via District Website
• Hats Off To MSD of Warren Township: S.A.F.E. Supporting Autism for Everyone
• Hats Off To MSD of Martinsville: Camp Discovery: A Place for Kids to Have Fun!
• Hats Off To An Autism Team Working in Indiana: First Responder Training
• Autism Teams: Building Capacity Across Indiana
• Hats Off to Noblesville Schools for Creating Training Classrooms: Using Evidence-Based Practices of Visual Supports and Work Systems
• Hats Off To Asperger Autism Group of Goshen
• Hats Off to East Centeral Indiana Autism Society of America Chapter: Interlock
• Hats Off To Greater Lafayette Area Special Services Autism Team

The Noblesville Schools Special Education Director, Mark Booth, saw a need for professional development for teachers that would impact the classroom environment for all students. The focus was to make a sample classroom using the evidence-based practices of visual supports and structured teaching including schedules, designated and organized spaces within the classroom, and work systems. The idea was to help teachers become more aware of evidence-based practices that are effective for all students, not just those on the autism spectrum.

Mark presented this idea at a principals meeting. Principal Phil Harrold from Hinkle Creek Elementary School (kindergarten through fourth grade) stated his desire to have this training classroom set up in his school. With approval, Kristie Lofland and Erin Diefendorf, Autism Consultants for Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Education Cooperative and the Autism Consulting Team of Noblesville (ACT–NOW), started designing an elementary professional development classroom called the Autism House. The structure of the classroom (Hume, 2007) has many clearly defined areas including teacher instruction, independent work, small group, calming or sensory, play, and a place for coats. The classroom includes visuals to support transitions (e.g., waiting at the teacher’s desk for help), daily individual schedules and work tasks, and visuals to supports other areas of need.

Noblesville Schools also decided that all staff needed to have easy access to the visuals and materials used in the model structured classroom. With the use of Indiana stimulus funds, Boardmaker software (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/) was purchased for every school within the district. The licensed copy was placed in the media center making it accessible for all teachers. Training was provided on how to use the software.

Visual and sensory lending kits were created for teachers to borrow. The idea is for teachers to have visuals already created to try with individual students. When the strategy is successful, teachers can go to the website (www.hbmcoop.org) through the Autism Resource Team link, to download the visuals they found effective. These can then be printed, laminated, and used with the student. Having these available, saves teacher’s time from designing visuals.

Mark wanted all teachers in the elementary schools take a tour of this sample classroom. Unfortunately, budget cuts were a challenge. There wasn’t money for substitutes for the many teachers in Noblesville Schools. With the support of the Superintendent, Dr. Libbie Conner, and the scheduling by the elementary principals, a plan was developed. Teachers started the hour long training at 8 a.m., contracted time, and continued until 9 a.m. This meant coverage was only needed for a half hour (from 8:30-9:00 a.m.) for the teachers. Principals set schedules whereby each day of the week a different grade level of teachers would attend the training. With the help of teaching assistants and coverage from other teachers, no substitutes were hired for the trainings.

Mark Booth and the autism team members have received lots of positive feedback thanking them for the training. One teacher said, “I tried one of the visuals to calm a student and it really worked.”

Kristie Lofland expanded the idea by creating another classroom at Hamilton-Boone-Madison (HBM) Special Services and called it the Visual Supports Center. This enabled the HBM Professional Development Team the ability to provide professional development to teachers within the entire Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Services Cooperative. The Visual Support Center is getting ready to go on “tour” and will be available in the other six school districts so teachers can access to the center. Each district autism resource team will assist with providing training in their respective districts.

Another Autism House was created in the spring of 2010 at Noblesville High School Freshman Campus. Middle and high school staff were provided professional development at this site starting with the department head personnel and team teachers. This fall, the staff utilized teacher work days in August to train the remaining teachers. Using surveys, the results have been positive. The emphasis at this site reflects what is needed for a more mature student body with an academic focus involving organization, planning, working memory, time management, and breaking down complex or abstract concepts.

Mark Booth and the ACT-NOW team receives many calls for tours of the Autism House to help other districts create a similar model or to have teachers trained. Some of the interested districts include Evansville, Kokomo, Lebanon, Westfield, Hamilton-Heights. School districts from Texas and other states have shown interest as well. A virtual tour of the Autism House has been created and is available at this website http://www.noblesvilleschools.org (click on “student services” link at top of page; then, under “virtual tours” click Autism Room). For anyone that would like to set up a tour for your district or learn ideas on how to implement a model classroom, please call Mark Booth at (317) 773-3171 or email at mark_booth@mail.nobl.k12.in.us. Mark shared, “I could never have anticipated the impact of Autism House with our teachers, students and all kids in our district”.

Davies, C. (2008). Using visual schedules: A guide for parents. The Reporter, 14(1), 18-22.

Hume, K. (2007). Clean Up Your Act! Creating an Organized Classroom Environment for Students on the Spectrum. The Reporter 13(1), 15-18.

Hume, K. (2006). Get engaged! Designing instructional activities to help students stay on-task. Reporter 11(2), 6-9.

Hume, K. (2008). Transition Time: Helping Individuals on the Autism Spectrum Move Successfully from One Activity to Another. The Reporter 13(2), 6-10.

Dubie, M., (2010) Hats off to Noblesville schools for creating training classrooms: Using evidence-based practices of visual supports and work systems http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php!pageID=3287