Excerpt from the IGS Curriculum
"The IGS Curriculum was developed over the last 15 years specifically to be used in Applied Behavior Analysis educational programs for young children with autism and related disorders. Unlike curricula utilized in most schools, it serves not only as an educational tool, but serves also as an administrative tool designed to assist in the development and monitoring of individual child programs by facilitating management and supervision of programs. In addition, the curriculum provides a mechanism for continuous evaluation of child progress in achieving goals, and is an integral part of our computerized evaluation process.
The intent of the curriculum is not to constrain the user by requiring rigid teaching sequences. Instead, the curriculum was developed as an extensive reference which would enhance the choice of effective teaching strategies. Goals are typically selected from several areas and instruction across areas occurs in a parallel fashion. As stated above, this approach is consistent with the philosophy of a process curriculum. It is not uncommon to find that specific objectives are duplicated in various sections of the curriculum. This repetition is intentional as the generalization of newly acquired behaviors and skills is often difficult to achieve with this population. The continuity of tasks in different areas provides a safeguard for the maintenance of these particular skills and behaviors. The I.G.S. Curriculum contains 18 Areas of development. The Areas are then further subdivided in an outline fashion to further specify the process and sequence of goal attainment. The structure used is one of four gradations of specificity: Area, Level, Stage, and Task. There are approximately 2000 individual tasks presented.
We firmly recognize the importance of individual differences among children, even among diagnostic groups which are supposedly homogeneous. We also recognize the myriad of life situation variables that influence the selection of appropriate and realistic goals. Therefore, the curriculum is intended as a guide for the selection of appropriate goals in accordance with the individual needs and life circumstances. It is not expected that all children should master all tasks, nor that any given task or instructional sequence is appropriate for each child. The sequences of development presented are not to be rigidly followed, but rather they serve as a good framework to determine appropriate sequencing for each child. One must always choose goals in a context and take into consideration age appropriateness, level of functioning, and the criteria of ultimate functioning. Our curriculum is intended to guide, but not to dictate a rigid, mandatory sequence and priority."
