Evaluation of Classroom Active Engagement in Elementary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The CMAE gives teachers a fast five-factor snapshot of how engaged elementary students with autism are during any class activity.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Sparapani et al. (2016) built a new teacher checklist. They call it the CMAE. It tracks how engaged elementary students with autism are during class.
The team checked that the tool really measures five parts of engagement. These parts are things like eye contact, following directions, and joining peers.
What they found
Students with autism showed low active engagement. The CMAE broke this down into five clear factors.
The five-factor model fit well. Teachers can now score each part quickly.
How this fits with other research
Garwood et al. (2021) also built a tool for kids with autism. Their CAM-C checks emotion recognition. Both tools are quick, valid, and made for the same age group.
Dudley et al. (2019) tried a game app to track attention at summer camp. Like the CMAE, it used digital tech and worked for kids with ASD.
Root et al. (2017) looked at twelve studies and ruled that computer lessons are evidence-based for teaching academics. The CMAE can now show if those lessons keep kids engaged.
Why it matters
You now have a free five-item checklist that takes two minutes. Use it before and after any lesson to see if your student is really with you. If the score drops, you can add movement, visuals, or peer helpers right away.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study evaluated the classroom measure of active engagement (CMAE), an observational tool designed to measure active engagement in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants included 196 students with ASD and their educators (n = 126) who were video-recorded at the beginning of the school year. Findings documented limited active engagement overall, with students spending less than half of the observation well-regulated, productive, or independent and infrequently directing eye gaze and communicating. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the structure of the CMAE was represented by a 5-factor model. These findings underscore the need for improved active engagement in students with ASD and show promise for a tool to measure behaviors associated with positive educational outcomes in students with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2016 · doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2615-2