Abstract
To develop a comprehensive educational program for children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome and children and adolescents with high-functioning autism, goals and objectives need to be identified in those areas of development that support social communicative competence. The role of a child's social partners, however, is often neglected by relying on curricula that focus solely on prioritizing these child-specific objectives. Thus, it is important to consider that how a partner interacts with a child and how an environment is adapted with learning supports has a significant and long-term impact on that child's development. This article provides a description of the SCERTS Model, a comprehensive educational approach that includes a curriculum-based assessment designed to prioritize developmental objectives for the child as well as that child's partners. In this approach, the role of a child's partners in fostering more sophisticated language forms, the social conventions for appropriate behavior in different social situations, greater sensitivity to others' perspectives and emotional states, and the ability to plan and prepare for experiences is emphasized.