76 Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

For those with ASD, school can oftentimes be difficult because of struggles in general instruction. Individuals with ASD will sometimes have special educational and instructional needs that are different than those of their peers because of how they process information and interact with others. As a result, specific instruction may be necessary for those individuals. If special instruction is not deemed necessary, this instruction can be provided within general education through a process known as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).

MTSS represents a framework for providing academic and behavioral strategies for students across a range of needs. MTSS derived from two evidence-informed, intervention-based frameworks: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). RtI was enacted subsequent to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004 with intent to identify students who would benefit from more intensive supports. The RtI framework was further broadened within the MTSS framework to encompass all students at every level across settings with key components including but not limited to:

• Universal screening of all students early in the school year and ongoing
• Successive tiers of intervention that can be implemented and changed in intensity in response to levels of need and/or response to interventions for students
• Ongoing data collection and continual assessment
• Adoption of schoolwide approaches and teaching to provide consistent expectations and supports
• Increases in parent engagement and involvement