Power+Cards

Leslie Nelson SPED 843  Dr. Aronin  Spring 2011

 Power Cards __Description of Intervention Method __ Power Cards use a students special interest to teach and reinforce academic, behavioral, and social skills.

__Types of Students Who Benefit from the Method __ This strategy is mostly used for students who have very specific interests. It is commonly used by teachers who have students with Asperger Syndrome or autism.

__Qualifications for Using the Method __ There are no qualifications need to use this method. However, you should have knowledge of your student’s specific interest.

__Costs of Using the Method __ There is no real cost to create a Power Card. All the materials needed (paper, access to images of students interest, printer) should be available at your school.

__Potential Risks with Using the Method __ There are no real risks with using this method. Though, there is a potential that your student may not respond to this particular method.

__Benefits of Using the Method __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Students who use a Power Card are reminded of the appropriate academic, behavioral or social skills that they are suppose to use. The fact that the card is something that they can carry the card, it does not take up a lot of space on a desk, and has a visual cue also makes this an easy strategy to use in various situations at school and at home.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Settings for Method Use __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Power Cards can be used at school, home or in the community. Adults who are supervising the student using the Power Card should also be aware of how it works.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Field’s Attitude Towards the Method__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Power Cards are mostly used with students with Asperger Syndrome or autism of all ages. They are widely accepted by special education teachers as a way to teach academic, behavioral, or social skills.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: center;">Summary of Research Study

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Davis, K. M., Boon, R. T., Cihak, D. F., & Fore, C.,III. (2010). Power cards to improve conversational skills in adolescents with asperger syndrome. //Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25//(1), 12-22. Retrieved from @http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1088357609354299

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Description of Subjects__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The participants of this study were three high school males, Jack, Moe, and Manny, with Asperger Syndrome. All three participants had basic conversation skills and wanted to improve their interactions with peers. These students were in a general education setting and working on grade-level requirements.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Description of Research Design__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">A multiple-probe design was used in this study. The first probe was given during the baseline phase, followed by the intervention phase where the Power Card was introduced, and finally the acquisition phase. The intervention phase was staggered across the three students and not started until the previous student had reached the acquisition stage.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Dependent Variable__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The dependent variable is the initiation and maintenance of conversational skills that the students use.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Independent Variable__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The independent variable is the Power Card.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Summary of Results__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jack’s baseline of time engaged in other-focused conversations was 6.5% and went to 29.4% during the intervention phase. Moe’s baseline was at 16% and increased to 64% during the intervention, while Manny had a baseline of 24% and increased to 57.8% during the intervention.