In order to monitor the educational progress of the students, numerous standardized tests were administered by the assessment team during the three-year study. In addition, information was collected from their teachers, specialists, parents, and consultants. The following table lists the instruments used to collect information regarding the students' progress and the frequency of administration of each instrument. A more detailed description of each instrument can be found following the table below.

Autism Screening Instrument for Educational Planning - ASIEP-2 (Arick, et. al, 1996).
This standardized instrument was used to monitor each subject's progress over time. The subtests of this comprehensive instrument have been shown to be a good monitor of progress, due to the lack of practice effects (Frye & Walker, 1998). In addition, the ASIEP subtests have been found to reliably and validly assess students with severe disabilities. (Turton, 1986). Four separately standardized ASIEP-2 subtests were administered: the Autism Behavior Checklist, a screening instrument for nonadaptive behaviors, used to see how an individual "looks in comparison" to others, 2) the Sample of Vocal Behavior, which evaluates expressive speech at the preverbal and emerging language level, 3) the Interaction Assessment, which elicits an individual's social responses in a controlled setting with stimuli presented in a systematic fashion, and 4) the Educational Assessment, which probes an individual's repertoire of adaptive language concepts and is designed to accumulate information that will be of direct value in curriculum placement. The Autism Behavior Checklist was completed at the baseline and then once a year by each subject's teacher or other specialist. The Sample of Vocal Behavior, Interaction Assessment, and Educational Assessment were administered at the baseline and then were administered after that on a quarterly basis during the school year by the Autism Outcome Project staff.

Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test (Brownell, 2000).
This norm-referenced test provides an assessment of an individual's English speaking vocabulary. Fourteen of the students in the study reached the ceiling on the ASIEP-2 Sample of Vocal Behavior subtest in the Spring of 2000, and were given the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test as an alternative measure of their expressive language. This assessment was administered on a quarterly basis during the school year to the students who had topped out on the ASIEP-2 Sample of Vocal Behavior subtest assessment by the Autism Outcome Project staff.

Extended Basic Academic Skills Assessment System (University of Oregon, 2000). This assessment was developed by the University of Oregon for the State of Oregon to assess a student's emerging skills in reading, writing, and math. Eleven students in the study reached the ceiling on the ASIEP-2 Educational Assessment and were given portions of the Extended Basic Academic Skills Assessment System as an alternative measure of their educational progress. This assessment was administered on a quarterly basis during the school year to students who had topped out on the ASIEP-2 Educational Assessment subtest by the Autism Outcome Project staff .

Battelle Developmental Inventory - Cognitive Domain (Newborg, et. al. 1984).
This standardized assessment was used to measure each subject's conceptual skills and abilities. If there were previous scores for the Battelle Developmental Inventory in the student's file, they were recorded as a baseline score during a file review at the beginning of the study. Additional Battelle Developmental Inventory (cognitive domain) assessments were administered on a yearly basis by the Autism Outcome Project staff.

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales -Survey Form ( Sparrow, et. al. 1984).
This standardized assessment was used to provide a general assessment of each subject's adaptive behavior. Surveys were completed each year by the subject's classroom teacher or other specialist.

Student Learning Profile (Arick, et. al., 2000).
This learning profile was designed by special education professionals for teachers to use in assessing and monitoring growth in areas taught in the students'curriculum based-instruction. Assessment areas included expressive language, receptive language, daily routines, pre-academics, play behavior, and social interaction behavior.

Program Implementation Checklist.
This checklist was developed by the study to gather detailed information from the teacher regarding each child's specific program. Information collected with this form included the total hours per week each subject received services, what type of services/teaching they received ( e.g., in a group or pull-out one-to-one), what type of one-to-one pull-out teaching they received (e.g., pivotal response training, discrete trial), and who provided the services (e.g., teacher, administrative assistant, related services staff).

Parent Survey.
A parent survey was developed by the study to gather information from the parents about their child's communication skills, social interaction skills, and behavior. In addition, the parents had the opportunity to comment on their satisfaction with their child's program, any special diet they were using with their child, and describe any additional services they were paying for with their own family funds. This survey was sent to parents at the end of each school year.

Classroom Observation Form.
An observation form was developed by the study to collect information regarding the child's program, the student's involvement level in classroom activities, the type of instruction the student received, and the observer's perception of the quality of instruction given. Special education professionals, with expertise in designing and implementing programs for children with autism, visited the classrooms in the spring of each school year. The classroom observation form was completed during their visits, and then a comment and suggestion sheet was given to the teacher at the end of the visit.