Social Communication Resources and Services
A support program within AISD
SCORES is an instructional resource and service that supports students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (AU) and/or other disabilities who demonstrate impairment in social, communicative, and behavioral functioning.
Primary Goals of SCORES
SCORES support staff are highly trained and experienced specialists in the field of autism and other disabilities. There are two types of SCORES support staff: campus-based and itinerant staff. Campus-based staff are assigned to one campus, whereas itinerant staff may serve many campuses.
One of the primary goals of SCORES is to teach and facilitate social communication by:
- developing appropriate communication skills,
- maximizing academic success,
- developing social relationships,
- adapting to new situations, and
- developing a variety of interests.
We believe that emotional connection provides both the motivation and context for development in social cognition, academic concepts, communication, behavior, play, leisure, community and life skills. Based on this philosophy, the following guiding principles for behavior are recommended.
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Guiding Principles
AISD's Behavior Intervention Philosophy for Special Education
- All behaviors have a purpose or satisfy a need.
- Individuals grow and change when they are free to
- experience reasonable, natural and logical consequences.
- Proactive Intervention Approaches along with consequences are essential.
- Interventions that detract from the primary goal include:
- Power struggles
- Enabling
- Inconsistency
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The Amount and Type of SCORES Support Is Defined By The Needs Of Individual Students
Campus-based and Itinerant SCORES staff build school capacity by:
- training staff on aspects of the disability,
- facilitating collaboration between general and special education staff,
- providing a SCORES program guide as a supplemental resource for instructional teams,
- planning and implementing effective IEPs,
- assisting in transitioning students to the least restrictive environment, and
- developing materials and strategies that are effective.
In addition, SCORES staff supports general and special education staff / faculty by:
- fostering social interactions between peers and adults in a variety of settings (i.e., school, home, and community),
- fostering communication,
- monitoring and adapting their behavior to the needs of the situation,
- adapting the learning environment (i.e., schedule, routines, content, teaching style),
- implementing strategies and techniques to facilitate student independence, and
- developing and implementing modifications and adaptations to the general curriculum.
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