Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children

The University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program
AbbreviationTEACCH (for "Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children")
Formation1971
Location
Official language
English
Director
Laura Klinger
Parent organization
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Websitewww.teacch.com

The University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program creates and disseminates community-based services, training programs and research for autistic individuals of all ages and skill levels.[1]

The Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) approach does not attempt to "cure" autism.[2] Core tenets of the TEACCH philosophy include an understanding of the effects of autism on individuals; use of assessment to assist program design around individual strengths, skills, interests and needs; enabling the individual to be as independent as possible; and working in collaboration with parents and families.[3]

Typical interventions include making a visual schedules and maintaining consistent routines. Overall, it is effective at improving some skills and reducing parental stress.

Strategies

The emphasis on individualization means that TEACCH does not distinguish between people with very high skill levels and those with learning disabilities. Strategies used are designed to address the difficulties faced by all autistic people and be adaptable to whatever style and degree of support is required.[2] TEACCH methodology is rooted in behavior therapy, more recently combining cognitive elements,[4] guided by theories suggesting that behavior typical of people with autism results from underlying problems in perception and understanding. The strategies put forward by TEACCH do not work on the behavior directly, but on its underlying reasons, such as lack of understanding of what the person is expected to do or what will happen to them next, and sensory under- or overstimulation.[5] By addressing communication deficits, the person will be supported to express their needs and feelings by means other than challenging behavior.[6]

Example of a two-step visual schedule[7]
drawing of a toothbrush
First brush teeth.
drawing of Lego toy bricks
Then Legos.

Working from the premise that autistic people are predominantly visual learners, support strategies are based around physical and visual structure, schedules, work systems and task organization. Individualized systems aim to address difficulties with communication, organization, generalization, concepts, sensory processing, change and relating to others.[8] Whereas some other methods focus on addressing areas of weakness, the TEACCH approach works with existing strengths and emerging skill areas.[3][9]

Five basic principles

  1. It is important to create structured and supportive physical surroundings to support student success.
  2. It is recommended to display a physical schedule that can be accessed and referred to by the student throughout their day.
  3. The establishment of expectations and goals to support and encourage independence from the student with their tasks.
  4. A strong emphasis of a consistent routine.
  5. The incorporation of visual-cues for reminders.[10]

Effectiveness

In '...A Guide for Practitioners', Jordan describes the literature on TEACCH as providing 'very positive, but not remarkable, results'.[11] It is effective at improving some skills, such as social skills and fine motor skills, but studies disagree about whether it is effective at improving other skills, such as communication and daily living skills.[12][13] TEACCH programs also reduce parental stress.[13]

History

The TEACCH approach was developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, originating in a child research project begun in 1964 by Eric Schopler and Robert Reichler. In 1965, Schopler visited the Sybil Elgar School in London and drew inspiration from the method developed by Sybil Elgar. Later, the results of this pilot study indicated that the children involved made good progress,[14] and consequently state finance supported the formation of Division TEACCH.[2]

Founded in 1971 by Eric Schopler, TEACCH provides training and services geared to supporting autistic children and their families.[2][15] Gary B. Mesibov, a professor and researcher on UNC's TEACCH program since about 1979, was director of the program from 1992 to 2010.[16][17] It is a "pioneering" program for assisting with education, research and service delivery for autistic individuals.[17]

In 2003 Mesibov and Schopler described TEACCH as the United Kingdom's most common intervention used with autistic children. In Europe and the United States, it is also commonly used.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Our Mission and Vision | TEACCH® Autism Program". teacch.com. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
  2. ^ a b c d Mesibov GB; Shea V; Schopler E (2004). The TEACCH Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer. ISBN 978-0-306-48646-3.
  3. ^ a b Philosophy and Overview. TEACCH, University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  4. ^ Sallows, G. (2000). "Educational Interventions for Children with Autism in the UK". Early Child Development and Care. 163 (1): 25–47. doi:10.1080/0300443001630103.
  5. ^ Cox, R. & Schopler, E. (1993). "Aggression and Self-Injurious Behaviours in Persons with Autism – The TEACCH Approach". Acta Paedopsychiatrica. 56 (2): 85–90. PMID 8135116.
  6. ^ Watson, L. (1985). 'The TEACCH Communication Curriculum' in E. Schopler and G. Mesibov (eds) Communication Problems in Autism. New York: Plenum. ISBN 978-0-306-41859-4.
  7. ^ Jordy, Michelle (2025-11-19). "Visual Schedule". TEACCH® Autism Program. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  8. ^ Mesibov, G. & Howley, M. (2003). Accessing the Curriculum for Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Using the TEACCH Programme to Help Inclusion. London: David Fulton. ISBN 978-1-85346-795-0.
  9. ^ Watkins, A. (2001). 'A Home-based Applied Behavioural Analysis Programme' in J. Richer and S. Coates (eds) Autism: The Search for Coherence. London: Jessica Kingsley. ISBN 978-1-85302-888-5.
  10. ^ "What is the TEACCH Method?". Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  11. ^ Jordan, R. (2002). Autistic Spectrum Disorders in the Early Years – A Guide for Practitioners. Lichfield: Qed. ISBN 9781898873297.
  12. ^ Shi, Shanshan; Song, Shuang; Wang, Huitong; Li, Pengfei; Zhang, Xiaoying (2025-07-24). "Effects of TEACCH on social functioning in individuals with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis". BMC Pediatrics. 25 (1): 569. doi:10.1186/s12887-025-05921-0. ISSN 1471-2431. PMC 12288331. PMID 40702441.
  13. ^ a b Li, Junmin; Chen, Ming; Chan, Raffy C. F.; Chan, Jacqueline L. M.; Liang, Xiao; Wang, Lulu (2025-12-31). "The effectiveness of TEACCH-based interventions in improving adaptive skills in children with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Translational Pediatrics. 14 (12): 3263–3280. doi:10.21037/tp-2025-466. ISSN 2224-4344. PMC 12771134. PMID 41502886.
  14. ^ Schopler, E. & Reichler, R. (1971). "Parents as Co-therapists in the Treatment of Psychotic Children". Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia. 1 (1): 87–102. doi:10.1007/BF01537746. PMID 5172443.
  15. ^ Schopler to be honored with APF lifetime achievement award. Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine University of North Carolina Health Care. April 10, 2006. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  16. ^ Gary B. Mesibov. Hunter College. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Gary Mesibov to step down as director of UNC's TEACCH program. University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  18. ^ Fletcher-Campbell, Felicity. Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communications Handicapped Children (TEACCH). in: Review of the research literature on educational interventions for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. National Foundation for Educational Research. February 2003. p. 11.

Further reading

35°53′30.1″N 79°4′50.51″W / 35.891694°N 79.0806972°W / 35.891694; -79.0806972

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.