• Children with low SES backgrounds often attend underfunded schools with high turnover rates which affect their academic performance and limit opportunities. The children are more likely to be affected by illness and disease and lack medical care. Sometimes affected by hunger, poor diets, lead poisoning, child abuse, neglect, enter schools with fewer skills than others, and are often placed in special education programs or drop out.
• Full-service schools are school family community partnerships that offer integrated comprehensive services that address a variety of needs for children and their families.
• The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act guarantees the right to education to homeless students, but many still do not attend school because of transportation needs, inappropriate class placement, lack of clothes or school supplies, poor health, hunger, and residency and immunization requirements.
• Children of Migrant workers face difficulties due to changing schools often, having to make new friends, differing curriculums, cultural expectations, and discrimination. There are several portable high school equivalency programs to help migrant students earn degrees.
• Wealthy students face challenges in school because they often feel a sense of entitlement and lack personal accountability.
• Immigrant students go through phases of adjustment, curiosity, shock, anxiety, and assimilation sometimes giving up their cultural values to become part of mainstream culture. Incorporate aspects of the student’s native language and culture in to the classroom to make them feel valued and educate other students.
• Plyler vs. Doe states that undocumented students have rights to public education. School personnel have no legal obligation to implement immigration laws and cannot prevent students from attending school because they lack documentation.
• Bilingual education employs the native and new language in the classroom. As students acquire more English more content is taught in the new language. Students are given access to the curriculum and maintain knowledge and pride in their native language. Two-way bilingual education programs mixes students who speak other languages with English speaking students. All students learn to speak both languages and understand different cultures.
• Cultural differences affect the way individuals process, organize, and learn material. Students must be observed and the teacher must adjust behaviors to match diverse learning styles. Cross-cultural differences in movement and behavior may affect students’ academic and behavioral performance in school.
• Language assessment must compare the student’s performance in both languages. Language proficiency is the degree in skill in speaking and includes receptive and expressive skills. Language dominance refers to the language in which the student is most fluent. Language preference is the language the student chooses to communicate in and can change in different settings. Code switching refers to the habit of using words or phrases from one language while speaking another.
• Basic interpersonal communication skills – social language skills that guide students in developing relationships in engaging in casual conversation. Cognitive/academic language proficiency – language related to literacy, cognitive development, and academic performance. Involves more complex grammar and vocabulary ad takes years to master.
• Help English language learners by providing a safe space, a risk free environment, and focus on communication rather than correct grammar. Acknowledge and respond to attempts to communicate.
• Racial discrimination is often subtly displayed in schools. Schools are becoming more segregated with inequalities in funding, class sizes, physical facilities, resources, remedial services, instructional materials, licensed teachers, technology, and expectations of student performance. Students internalize perceptions of themselves based on interactions with educators and other people. Often curriculum, teacher behavior, assessment instruments, and family involvement procedures cater to white middle class students only. This causes underachievement and loss of cultural identity.
• There is a self-esteem gap in the way society and schools respond to girls and boys. Often women and men of non-dominant cultural backgrounds are most susceptible to gender bias because of traditional views of gender roles. African American males are more likely to be placed in special education programs or to be suspended or expelled from school than African American females.
• When dealing with suspected abuse, in some cases confronting families will cause difficulties to increase for the student. Carefully consider what the best outcome will be for the child. Give the student choices to allow them to experience a sense of control and provide a safe and supportive learning environment.
• Multicultural education helps teachers acknowledge and understand diversity in society and to see that students’ diverse backgrounds are an asset to student learning. Focuses on human relations and harmony, justice and empowerment for all students. Helps students understand their backgrounds as well as the perspectives of others.
Resources
Gender Bias in the Classroom
Two-Way Bilingual Education Programs in Practice
Understanding Prejudice
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Ch. 1 (Friend) - Planning Instruction by Analyzing Classroom and Student Needs
• The INCLUDE strategy proposes that student performance is the result of an interaction between the student and the instructional environment. What Happens in class can minimize or magnify the impact special needs on student’s learning. It also says that teachers can reasonably accommodate (without taking too much time from the teacher or disrupting the education of other students) most students with special needs in the classroom by analyzing the students’ leaning needs and specific demands of the classroom.
• The steps of INCLUDE are: Identify classroom demands, note student learning strengths and needs, check for potential areas of success, look for potential problem areas, use information to brainstorm ways to differentiate instruction, differentiate instruction, and evaluate student progress.
• Classroom management is all the ways which a teach promotes order and engages students in learning; physical organization, routines, classroom climate, behavior management, and use of time.
• Instructional accommodations provide students with full access to the curriculum and help them demonstrate what they know. Instructional modifications are when content and performance outcome expectations are altered. When differentiating instruction chose modifications that are age appropriate, reasonable for the general ed teacher to provide, you believe will help the student, and allow the students to make choices to be responsible for their own learning.
• Using a variety of grouping arrangements facilitates differentiated instruction. Whole-class instruction is good because it allows all students maximum time receiving instruction from the teacher. Same-skill groups sometimes become permanent, isolating students with special needs from others. And students who are in a low-achieving group in one subject will often be placed in a low-achieving group in another subject when they don’t need to be. Mixed-skill groupings provide special needs students with positive social and academic role-models and often results in them receiving individual instruction without being singled out.
• Use a variety of materials. Textbooks are print based and uniform in format often presenting barriers to students with disabilities. Manipulatives and models can help students make connections between concrete and abstract concepts. When using manipulatives make sure they are developmentally appropriate, allow the students to interact with them not just observe, and encourage students to explain how they are using the objects so they can express and understand what they are experiencing.
• Indirect learning is when students in an appropriate instructional environment construct their knowledge through explorations and problem solving. Inquiry learning is when the student is placed in a situation where they identify questions and use their background knowledge and exploration to discover a solution.
• Independent practice is important for students to refine and strengthen their skills. Learning centers can provide students with special needs opportunities to be more engaged in their learning, practice new skills, increase proficiency in skills, and apply knowledge. Learning centers should be designed carefully to provide meaningful activities that can be accomplished independently. Homework should be considered carefully and modified to allow participation by all students.
• When evaluating students with special needs consider how tests and assignments may interact with learning needs and that skill and content is being evaluated, not the student’s disability.
Resources
Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Interventions: What parents need to know. Dixie Jordan.
Differentiated Reading Instruction: Small group alternative lesson structures for all students. Marcia Kosanovich, Karen Ladinsky, Luanne Nelson, Joseph Torgesen
Creating a Positive Classroom Climate (tips and video)
• The steps of INCLUDE are: Identify classroom demands, note student learning strengths and needs, check for potential areas of success, look for potential problem areas, use information to brainstorm ways to differentiate instruction, differentiate instruction, and evaluate student progress.
• Classroom management is all the ways which a teach promotes order and engages students in learning; physical organization, routines, classroom climate, behavior management, and use of time.
• Instructional accommodations provide students with full access to the curriculum and help them demonstrate what they know. Instructional modifications are when content and performance outcome expectations are altered. When differentiating instruction chose modifications that are age appropriate, reasonable for the general ed teacher to provide, you believe will help the student, and allow the students to make choices to be responsible for their own learning.
• Using a variety of grouping arrangements facilitates differentiated instruction. Whole-class instruction is good because it allows all students maximum time receiving instruction from the teacher. Same-skill groups sometimes become permanent, isolating students with special needs from others. And students who are in a low-achieving group in one subject will often be placed in a low-achieving group in another subject when they don’t need to be. Mixed-skill groupings provide special needs students with positive social and academic role-models and often results in them receiving individual instruction without being singled out.
• Use a variety of materials. Textbooks are print based and uniform in format often presenting barriers to students with disabilities. Manipulatives and models can help students make connections between concrete and abstract concepts. When using manipulatives make sure they are developmentally appropriate, allow the students to interact with them not just observe, and encourage students to explain how they are using the objects so they can express and understand what they are experiencing.
• Indirect learning is when students in an appropriate instructional environment construct their knowledge through explorations and problem solving. Inquiry learning is when the student is placed in a situation where they identify questions and use their background knowledge and exploration to discover a solution.
• Independent practice is important for students to refine and strengthen their skills. Learning centers can provide students with special needs opportunities to be more engaged in their learning, practice new skills, increase proficiency in skills, and apply knowledge. Learning centers should be designed carefully to provide meaningful activities that can be accomplished independently. Homework should be considered carefully and modified to allow participation by all students.
• When evaluating students with special needs consider how tests and assignments may interact with learning needs and that skill and content is being evaluated, not the student’s disability.
Resources
Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Interventions: What parents need to know. Dixie Jordan.
Differentiated Reading Instruction: Small group alternative lesson structures for all students. Marcia Kosanovich, Karen Ladinsky, Luanne Nelson, Joseph Torgesen
Creating a Positive Classroom Climate (tips and video)
Website Reviews
CP Parent - http://www.cpparent.org/index.html
This website is a resource for parents, caregivers, teachers and other adults who work with children with cerebral palsy. It runs a list serve for adults to share stories about dealing with cerebral palsy; it strives to provide a family like supportive dialogue. A variety of topics are discussed such as medical and physical therapy information, educational information, and stories of successes and difficulties. The website also features FAQ about cerebral palsy, a dictionary of cerebral palsy related terms, and links to other resources. It also has a useful section where it explains cerebral palsy, its effects, and treatments in language that kids can understand. This website is most useful for families and other caregivers.
Cerebral Palsy-Ask the Doctor - http://www.about-cerebral-palsy.org/
This website provides a large amount of information about cerebral palsy including the different types, treatments, therapies, and statistics. The focus of the website is how to recognize if a child developed cerebral palsy as a result of a medical mistake during birth or pregnancy. The “ask the doctor” section doesn’t ask questions about what to do for a child who has cerebral palsy but if the some already happened to the child which resulted in cerebral palsy. The website also features legal information concerning the disability, but the legal advice if focused on lawsuits against doctors and not making sure the legal rights of the individual are being met. If a parent is considering a lawsuit, this website may have useful information. But for a parent who is trying to find information that will help them making sure they provide their child with the best life they can would probably be better off getting their information somewhere else.
New Horizons for Learning: Students with Special Needs - http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/
This website compiles many articles by educators for other educators. They cover topics including teaching reading strategies, teacher collaboration, model inclusive school programs and more. There are so many articles on the website it can be hard to find what you are looking for. There are articles which deal with specific special needs. One article explains Augmentative Communication Devices and how they help children with cerebral palsy communicate. It describes a few different products, briefly describes how they work and what abilities are essential for their use (some require more fine motor skills than others). There are links available to the manufacturers of each product. This website has lots of information; much of it can be useful for teachers. But some of the articles do not cite references and may not be research based.
Project Participate - http://www.projectparticipate.org/
Project Participate is a program for educators, administrators, therapists, and community members to encourage the full participation of individuals with disabilities in school programs. They provide resources to help educators create inclusive environments that accommodate individuals with disabilities. The website provides advice for adapting curriculum, information on assistive technology, tips on creative an inclusive environment, training materials, and advice on using technology with students with disabilities. One of the most useful features is a section that has inexpensive ideas on how to adapt normal classroom materials so they are accessible for students with disabilities. This resources has easily accessible materials for educators who are looking for inclusion strategies.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: Cerebral Palsy - http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs2.pdf
This website provides a comprehensive introduction to cerebral palsy. It gives a brief account of a child who is born premature and at six months is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It explains the condition and symptoms in language that is detailed but still easy to understand. It explains the rights that individuals with cerebral palsy have under the law including early intervention and special education and related services. It describes the different therapies recommended to children with cerebral palsy and what kinds of accommodations are typical in schools. There are also tips for parents and teachers and links to other resources. This website is a useful resource for adults who are just beginning to learn about cerebral palsy and how it affects the lives of individuals.
How Can I Help? - http://members.iinet.net.au/~scarffam/cpa.html
How Can I Help? is a the reproduction of a booklet online for relatives and friends of a family affected by cerebral palsy. It explains the kind of social, emotional, and physical needs that a family with a child with cerebral palsy might have and how to provide for those needs in a sensitive manner. It stressed that it is important to talk with the family openly, ask questions, and listen to their concerns. This booklet encourages friends and family members to be actively supportive, not to be afraid of sensitive subjects and not to have sympathy for the family. There is lots of good advice about what kinds of feelings the parents might be having and the difficulties that parents of children with disabilities go through. This resource has many important things to consider for people who are close to a family with a child with cerebral palsy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Cerebral Palsy - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/detail_cerebral_palsy.htm
This website is a comprehensive guide to the medical and neurological aspects of cerebral palsy. It explains early medical opinions on cerebral palsy in history and more modern research on the condition. It provides detailed descriptions about what is happening physiologically to the individual affected by cerebral palsy. It describes the causes, risks, and therapies. Treatments are described that are recommended for individual symptoms of the condition. It also discusses difficulties facing adults with cerebral palsy because it can affect people throughout their whole lives. It also explains some current research being done in the medical field in hopes to prevent cerebral palsy. This website would be helpful for parents or educators looking to learn more about the condition, but it doesn’t provide techniques for parenting strategies or educational settings.
Teachnology: Cerebral Palsy in the Classroom - http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/cp/
This website gives an overview of what teachers can expect with a child with cerebral palsy in the classroom. It describes how children with cerebral palsy are labeled and what therapies they are often provided with: occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech. It addresses when children will need to be pulled out of the classroom or when an assistant will be in the classroom. It advices teachers on how to modify instruction and classroom setting to meet the child’s physical needs. It also mentions that teachers should have access to assistive technology if the student needs it. The website also has links to other resources. Overall, it gives a good introduction to cerebral palsy for the teacher, but it doesn’t answer more specific questions.
Our Kids - http://www.our-kids.org/
Our Kids hosts an e-mail list for parents and caregivers who provide for children with special needs. The list is open to discussing all kinds of physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. It provides a network for sharing stories about dealing with specific concerns such as schooling, medical care, and dealing with the larger community. The website has links to other resources and a section for recommended books. It also has a useful section featuring homemade equipment that can be helpful to children with disabilities. This website and list-serve can be useful and encouraging for families of children with disabilities who want to be part of a community with other parents who are facing similar situations.
Bright Hub - http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/
Bright Hub is a website that collects short articles by experienced professionals in a variety of fields. There are several articles which discuss how to include children with cerebral palsy in a general education classroom and also in physical education classes. They list ways to accommodate children with physical disabilities in sports and outdoor games. They also give suggestions about how to create an effective system of signals to communicate with students. Each article has links to other related articles that might be helpful. Each article offers information on a very specific subject, so educators and parents can both find something that will be helpful to them.
This website is a resource for parents, caregivers, teachers and other adults who work with children with cerebral palsy. It runs a list serve for adults to share stories about dealing with cerebral palsy; it strives to provide a family like supportive dialogue. A variety of topics are discussed such as medical and physical therapy information, educational information, and stories of successes and difficulties. The website also features FAQ about cerebral palsy, a dictionary of cerebral palsy related terms, and links to other resources. It also has a useful section where it explains cerebral palsy, its effects, and treatments in language that kids can understand. This website is most useful for families and other caregivers.
Cerebral Palsy-Ask the Doctor - http://www.about-cerebral-palsy.org/
This website provides a large amount of information about cerebral palsy including the different types, treatments, therapies, and statistics. The focus of the website is how to recognize if a child developed cerebral palsy as a result of a medical mistake during birth or pregnancy. The “ask the doctor” section doesn’t ask questions about what to do for a child who has cerebral palsy but if the some already happened to the child which resulted in cerebral palsy. The website also features legal information concerning the disability, but the legal advice if focused on lawsuits against doctors and not making sure the legal rights of the individual are being met. If a parent is considering a lawsuit, this website may have useful information. But for a parent who is trying to find information that will help them making sure they provide their child with the best life they can would probably be better off getting their information somewhere else.
New Horizons for Learning: Students with Special Needs - http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/
This website compiles many articles by educators for other educators. They cover topics including teaching reading strategies, teacher collaboration, model inclusive school programs and more. There are so many articles on the website it can be hard to find what you are looking for. There are articles which deal with specific special needs. One article explains Augmentative Communication Devices and how they help children with cerebral palsy communicate. It describes a few different products, briefly describes how they work and what abilities are essential for their use (some require more fine motor skills than others). There are links available to the manufacturers of each product. This website has lots of information; much of it can be useful for teachers. But some of the articles do not cite references and may not be research based.
Project Participate - http://www.projectparticipate.org/
Project Participate is a program for educators, administrators, therapists, and community members to encourage the full participation of individuals with disabilities in school programs. They provide resources to help educators create inclusive environments that accommodate individuals with disabilities. The website provides advice for adapting curriculum, information on assistive technology, tips on creative an inclusive environment, training materials, and advice on using technology with students with disabilities. One of the most useful features is a section that has inexpensive ideas on how to adapt normal classroom materials so they are accessible for students with disabilities. This resources has easily accessible materials for educators who are looking for inclusion strategies.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: Cerebral Palsy - http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs2.pdf
This website provides a comprehensive introduction to cerebral palsy. It gives a brief account of a child who is born premature and at six months is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It explains the condition and symptoms in language that is detailed but still easy to understand. It explains the rights that individuals with cerebral palsy have under the law including early intervention and special education and related services. It describes the different therapies recommended to children with cerebral palsy and what kinds of accommodations are typical in schools. There are also tips for parents and teachers and links to other resources. This website is a useful resource for adults who are just beginning to learn about cerebral palsy and how it affects the lives of individuals.
How Can I Help? - http://members.iinet.net.au/~scarffam/cpa.html
How Can I Help? is a the reproduction of a booklet online for relatives and friends of a family affected by cerebral palsy. It explains the kind of social, emotional, and physical needs that a family with a child with cerebral palsy might have and how to provide for those needs in a sensitive manner. It stressed that it is important to talk with the family openly, ask questions, and listen to their concerns. This booklet encourages friends and family members to be actively supportive, not to be afraid of sensitive subjects and not to have sympathy for the family. There is lots of good advice about what kinds of feelings the parents might be having and the difficulties that parents of children with disabilities go through. This resource has many important things to consider for people who are close to a family with a child with cerebral palsy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Cerebral Palsy - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/detail_cerebral_palsy.htm
This website is a comprehensive guide to the medical and neurological aspects of cerebral palsy. It explains early medical opinions on cerebral palsy in history and more modern research on the condition. It provides detailed descriptions about what is happening physiologically to the individual affected by cerebral palsy. It describes the causes, risks, and therapies. Treatments are described that are recommended for individual symptoms of the condition. It also discusses difficulties facing adults with cerebral palsy because it can affect people throughout their whole lives. It also explains some current research being done in the medical field in hopes to prevent cerebral palsy. This website would be helpful for parents or educators looking to learn more about the condition, but it doesn’t provide techniques for parenting strategies or educational settings.
Teachnology: Cerebral Palsy in the Classroom - http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/cp/
This website gives an overview of what teachers can expect with a child with cerebral palsy in the classroom. It describes how children with cerebral palsy are labeled and what therapies they are often provided with: occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech. It addresses when children will need to be pulled out of the classroom or when an assistant will be in the classroom. It advices teachers on how to modify instruction and classroom setting to meet the child’s physical needs. It also mentions that teachers should have access to assistive technology if the student needs it. The website also has links to other resources. Overall, it gives a good introduction to cerebral palsy for the teacher, but it doesn’t answer more specific questions.
Our Kids - http://www.our-kids.org/
Our Kids hosts an e-mail list for parents and caregivers who provide for children with special needs. The list is open to discussing all kinds of physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. It provides a network for sharing stories about dealing with specific concerns such as schooling, medical care, and dealing with the larger community. The website has links to other resources and a section for recommended books. It also has a useful section featuring homemade equipment that can be helpful to children with disabilities. This website and list-serve can be useful and encouraging for families of children with disabilities who want to be part of a community with other parents who are facing similar situations.
Bright Hub - http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/
Bright Hub is a website that collects short articles by experienced professionals in a variety of fields. There are several articles which discuss how to include children with cerebral palsy in a general education classroom and also in physical education classes. They list ways to accommodate children with physical disabilities in sports and outdoor games. They also give suggestions about how to create an effective system of signals to communicate with students. Each article has links to other related articles that might be helpful. Each article offers information on a very specific subject, so educators and parents can both find something that will be helpful to them.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Ch. 2 - Understanding the Diverse Educational Strengths and Challenges of Students with Disabilities
• When a student is found eligible for special education under IDEA, a comprehensive planning team develops an Individualized Education Plan based on strengths and needs, current assessment data, and the concerns of the family.
• Prereferral is a problem solving process to assist teachers in gathering information about students and their difficulties, before a referral for special education is considered. The goal is to intervene so students can be successfully educated without special education services.
o Prereferral interventions include embedding students’ cultures and languages into the curriculum, establishing collaborative relationships, offering meaningful and relevant programs, understanding how cultural and linguistic backgrounds affect learning, and involving families.
• Labels locate problems within students, not within the educational system. Labels limit the way teachers and students interact with the individual, disabling the students academically and socially.
• IEP must include – statement of current levels of performance, measurable goals, services that will be provided, explanation of the extent the student will not be included in gen ed activities, testing accommodations, description of how progress will be measured, date services will begin and their frequency and duration.
• Transition services address the process of helping an individual transition to life after school, including career services, continuing education, and independent living skills.
• Students can be involved in planning their IEPs offing their perspectives on their strengths, challenges, preferences, interests, talents, career goals, effective teaching strategies, and materials. Can be empowering and motivate students to reach their goals.
• High incidence disabilities – mild disabilities such as learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, mild emotional/behavioral disorders, and speech/language impairments.
• Specific learning disability is a disorder in one or more basic processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language. Students show a discrepancy between ability and performance in the classroom.
• Teachers can help students with anxiety about speaking in the classroom by not focusing on their need to speak, fostering their use of nonverbal communication, systems, such as gestures and symbols, providing opportunities to engage in activities that do not involve speaking, and using buddies and small group instruction.
• For students with emotional and behavioral disorders – use positive behavioral supports, social skills instruction, behaviorally based interventions, peer-based techniques and differentiated instruction. Wraparound planning provides counseling, medical, and vocational services outside of school.
• ADD – associated with constant motion, impulsivity, and distractibility or disorganization that is mainly inattentive, or a combination of both.
• Low incidence disabled students can benefit from a functional curriculum, which teaches them skills to function independently in inclusive schools, their homes, and in the community.
• A competency-oriented approach focuses on the abilities and strengths of the students to create a learning environment that supports integration, participation, and growth.
• For students with Autism Spectrum Disorder – minimize their sensory overstimulation using simple visual supports, pictures of rules and schedules, tactile cues, auditory cues, and environmental changes. Provide students with a safe place that is an alternative to stressful or over stimulating environments.
• Traditional methods of referrals and intelligence testing for gifted programs have limited the participation of student from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Many educators are broadening the concept of intelligence, ex. Gardeners multiple intelligences. Accommodate gifted students by providing all students with varied learning activities and multiple ways of demonstrating their understanding and mastery. Create a learning environment that encourages students to develop their creativity and take risks.
Resources:
A handbook about gifted students with disabilities or twice-exceptional students
How to use “comic strip conversations” to help improve the social skills of students with ASD
Assistive technology for students with Cerebral Palsy
• Prereferral is a problem solving process to assist teachers in gathering information about students and their difficulties, before a referral for special education is considered. The goal is to intervene so students can be successfully educated without special education services.
o Prereferral interventions include embedding students’ cultures and languages into the curriculum, establishing collaborative relationships, offering meaningful and relevant programs, understanding how cultural and linguistic backgrounds affect learning, and involving families.
• Labels locate problems within students, not within the educational system. Labels limit the way teachers and students interact with the individual, disabling the students academically and socially.
• IEP must include – statement of current levels of performance, measurable goals, services that will be provided, explanation of the extent the student will not be included in gen ed activities, testing accommodations, description of how progress will be measured, date services will begin and their frequency and duration.
• Transition services address the process of helping an individual transition to life after school, including career services, continuing education, and independent living skills.
• Students can be involved in planning their IEPs offing their perspectives on their strengths, challenges, preferences, interests, talents, career goals, effective teaching strategies, and materials. Can be empowering and motivate students to reach their goals.
• High incidence disabilities – mild disabilities such as learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, mild emotional/behavioral disorders, and speech/language impairments.
• Specific learning disability is a disorder in one or more basic processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language. Students show a discrepancy between ability and performance in the classroom.
• Teachers can help students with anxiety about speaking in the classroom by not focusing on their need to speak, fostering their use of nonverbal communication, systems, such as gestures and symbols, providing opportunities to engage in activities that do not involve speaking, and using buddies and small group instruction.
• For students with emotional and behavioral disorders – use positive behavioral supports, social skills instruction, behaviorally based interventions, peer-based techniques and differentiated instruction. Wraparound planning provides counseling, medical, and vocational services outside of school.
• ADD – associated with constant motion, impulsivity, and distractibility or disorganization that is mainly inattentive, or a combination of both.
• Low incidence disabled students can benefit from a functional curriculum, which teaches them skills to function independently in inclusive schools, their homes, and in the community.
• A competency-oriented approach focuses on the abilities and strengths of the students to create a learning environment that supports integration, participation, and growth.
• For students with Autism Spectrum Disorder – minimize their sensory overstimulation using simple visual supports, pictures of rules and schedules, tactile cues, auditory cues, and environmental changes. Provide students with a safe place that is an alternative to stressful or over stimulating environments.
• Traditional methods of referrals and intelligence testing for gifted programs have limited the participation of student from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Many educators are broadening the concept of intelligence, ex. Gardeners multiple intelligences. Accommodate gifted students by providing all students with varied learning activities and multiple ways of demonstrating their understanding and mastery. Create a learning environment that encourages students to develop their creativity and take risks.
Resources:
A handbook about gifted students with disabilities or twice-exceptional students
How to use “comic strip conversations” to help improve the social skills of students with ASD
Assistive technology for students with Cerebral Palsy
Ch. 5 - Creating an Environment that Fosters Acceptance and Friendship
Many students enter schools with misconceptions and stereotypical views about people they perceive as different. There are instruments and questionnaires available to help assess students’ attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. You can also use individual differences probes to assess students’ feelings about differences and factual knowledge/stereotypes about various groups. Have students draw pictures or complete a peer nomination sociogram, etc.
Classrooms should reflect all students to prepare students to be citizens of a diverse world. You can foster positive attitudes by using attitude change and information sharing strategies.
o Promote the view that similarities and differences are natural and positive, foster sensitivity no sympathy, establish collaborative interactions and equal status relationships
o Use individual first language that focuses on the person rather than their differences
o Expect all students to participate academically and socially, hold high and appropriate standards
o Offer all students choices and ask them about their preferences
o Give students responsibilities and speak to them in an age appropriate manner, do not engage in care giving and parenting behaviors
o Talk to students directly, encourage them to speak to one another directly
o Help students understand that fairness and sameness are not the same. Provide all students with varied learning activities. Ask all students to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and what helps them succeed.
o Use disability simulations so students can experience how it feels to have a disability. Study individuals with disabilities who are highly accomplished, have guest speakers.
Use an antibias curriculum to foster understandings and appreciation related to differences of race, language, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, and disability.
o Make cultural diversity activities an ongoing part of the curriculum instead of a special onetime visit.
o Teach students about various ways of life within all cultures and emphasize that individuals experience culture in personal ways and have multiple identities.
o Use cross cultural literature, stories, poems, folktales, to focus on multicultural issues. Encourage you students to connect to characters’ feelings and situations.
o Students and families can be resourced for teaching about cultural diversity.
o View language diversity as a resource and support bilingualism.
o Help male and female students expand their options in terms of behaviors, feelings, interests, career aspirations, and abilities. Raise awareness of how gender bias has negative effects on all individuals.
o Teach respect for all religions by presenting them in a factual, respectful, neutral, and balanced manner that does not endorse, promote, distort, or denigrate any religion. Be sensitive and prepared to address misconceptions and disagreements.
o Frame assignments in an inclusive manner considering family differences.
o Counteract ridicule of students from low SES by teaching about these circumstances in a way which avoids stigmatisms.
o Teach about stereotyping. Discuss and critique how language, books, TV, commercials, jokes, toys and other items create and contribute to stereotypes. List and discuss stereotypes that students may have or recognize.
o Teach students how to recognize discrimination, confront it and be aware of its effects.
Teach about friendship, offer social skills instruction, create a friendly environment and foster communication among students.
Resources:
Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction. Tandira Callins, University of North Florida.
Cultural Identity and Teaching. Kim Kennedy White, Metropolitan State College, Shelley Zion, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Elizabeth Kozleski, Mary Lou Fulton College of Education, Arizona State University.
Teaching Social Skills. Christine D. Bremer and John Smith.
Classrooms should reflect all students to prepare students to be citizens of a diverse world. You can foster positive attitudes by using attitude change and information sharing strategies.
o Promote the view that similarities and differences are natural and positive, foster sensitivity no sympathy, establish collaborative interactions and equal status relationships
o Use individual first language that focuses on the person rather than their differences
o Expect all students to participate academically and socially, hold high and appropriate standards
o Offer all students choices and ask them about their preferences
o Give students responsibilities and speak to them in an age appropriate manner, do not engage in care giving and parenting behaviors
o Talk to students directly, encourage them to speak to one another directly
o Help students understand that fairness and sameness are not the same. Provide all students with varied learning activities. Ask all students to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and what helps them succeed.
o Use disability simulations so students can experience how it feels to have a disability. Study individuals with disabilities who are highly accomplished, have guest speakers.
Use an antibias curriculum to foster understandings and appreciation related to differences of race, language, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, and disability.
o Make cultural diversity activities an ongoing part of the curriculum instead of a special onetime visit.
o Teach students about various ways of life within all cultures and emphasize that individuals experience culture in personal ways and have multiple identities.
o Use cross cultural literature, stories, poems, folktales, to focus on multicultural issues. Encourage you students to connect to characters’ feelings and situations.
o Students and families can be resourced for teaching about cultural diversity.
o View language diversity as a resource and support bilingualism.
o Help male and female students expand their options in terms of behaviors, feelings, interests, career aspirations, and abilities. Raise awareness of how gender bias has negative effects on all individuals.
o Teach respect for all religions by presenting them in a factual, respectful, neutral, and balanced manner that does not endorse, promote, distort, or denigrate any religion. Be sensitive and prepared to address misconceptions and disagreements.
o Frame assignments in an inclusive manner considering family differences.
o Counteract ridicule of students from low SES by teaching about these circumstances in a way which avoids stigmatisms.
o Teach about stereotyping. Discuss and critique how language, books, TV, commercials, jokes, toys and other items create and contribute to stereotypes. List and discuss stereotypes that students may have or recognize.
o Teach students how to recognize discrimination, confront it and be aware of its effects.
Teach about friendship, offer social skills instruction, create a friendly environment and foster communication among students.
Resources:
Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction. Tandira Callins, University of North Florida.
Cultural Identity and Teaching. Kim Kennedy White, Metropolitan State College, Shelley Zion, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Elizabeth Kozleski, Mary Lou Fulton College of Education, Arizona State University.
Teaching Social Skills. Christine D. Bremer and John Smith.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Ch. 4 - Creating Collaborative Relationships and Fostering Communication
- Comprehensive planning teams engage in a wraparound process, a student and family focused process for collaboratively designing individualized, culturally sensitive, school and community based educational, counseling, medical, and vocational services for students and their families. Teams include
o Family members – provide information on the students adaptive behavior and history
o Administrators –coordinate meeting, in charge of delivering services.
Ensures legal guidelines of due process and confidentiality are followed.
o General educators – can identity strengths and weaknesses of the student of well
as the effectiveness of specific teaching methods
o Special educators – provides information on the student’s skills and responses
to different techniques and materials
o Paraeducators – identifies instructional strategies and goals for the
educational programs
o School psychologists, Speech and language clinicians, social workers,
counselors, vocational educators, school nurses, physical and occupational
therapists, community agencies, ESL or bilingual educators
- For affective collaboration, all members need to work towards a common goal, are held accountable, share their expertise and perceptions. Understand their role and the roles of others.
- Co-teaching – one teaching/one helping, parallel teaching, station teaching, alternative teaching, and team teaching
o Difficulties of team teaching: lack of time to plan and implement programs, no
administrative supports, limited resources, unclear roles, resistance from
colleagues, and increased responsibilities.
- Collaborative consultation –working together to solve problems and implement solutions to prevent and address learning and behavioral difficulties and to coordinate instructional problems for all students. Gives general ed teachers improved knowledge and skills through working with a consultant, an experiences specialist. The steps involved are:
o Clarifying and identifying the goals and problems, observing and asking
questions, focus on one problem at a time
o Analyzing the features related to the goals and problems, planning an
appropriate intervention strategy
o Implementing the plan – outline in detail and determine responsibilities and
time lines
o Evaluating the plan – checking the effectiveness periodically, getting feedback
- Congruence – making sure there is a logical relationship among the curriculum, learning goals, teaching materials, strategies used in the general classroom and in supportive services. Based on common assessment results, goals, and objectives
- Communicate and collaborate with families
o Gain trust – offer a broad range of flexible, usable, and understandable
services addressing a variety of needs. Interact in a variety of settings, in
the community, and respect cultural values
o Advocate for students and their families – communicating with others and
participating in committees that influence decision making, join professional
organizations
o Resolve conflicts constructively – avoid miscommunication, recognize differing
views on educational matters and identify the factors that might explain their
perspectives. Commit to what is best for the student.
o Address the diverse needs, background, and experiences of families
o Offer open houses, orientation sessions, and workshops on specific issues to
educate families. Allow them to access information at their convenience and
select material that is useful to them.
Resources
Collaboration Between General and Special Education: Making it Work. NCSET
The continuing trouble with collaboration: Teachers talk. Current Issues in Education
The Access Center Strategies to Improve Access to the General Education Curriculum.
o Family members – provide information on the students adaptive behavior and history
o Administrators –coordinate meeting, in charge of delivering services.
Ensures legal guidelines of due process and confidentiality are followed.
o General educators – can identity strengths and weaknesses of the student of well
as the effectiveness of specific teaching methods
o Special educators – provides information on the student’s skills and responses
to different techniques and materials
o Paraeducators – identifies instructional strategies and goals for the
educational programs
o School psychologists, Speech and language clinicians, social workers,
counselors, vocational educators, school nurses, physical and occupational
therapists, community agencies, ESL or bilingual educators
- For affective collaboration, all members need to work towards a common goal, are held accountable, share their expertise and perceptions. Understand their role and the roles of others.
- Co-teaching – one teaching/one helping, parallel teaching, station teaching, alternative teaching, and team teaching
o Difficulties of team teaching: lack of time to plan and implement programs, no
administrative supports, limited resources, unclear roles, resistance from
colleagues, and increased responsibilities.
- Collaborative consultation –working together to solve problems and implement solutions to prevent and address learning and behavioral difficulties and to coordinate instructional problems for all students. Gives general ed teachers improved knowledge and skills through working with a consultant, an experiences specialist. The steps involved are:
o Clarifying and identifying the goals and problems, observing and asking
questions, focus on one problem at a time
o Analyzing the features related to the goals and problems, planning an
appropriate intervention strategy
o Implementing the plan – outline in detail and determine responsibilities and
time lines
o Evaluating the plan – checking the effectiveness periodically, getting feedback
- Congruence – making sure there is a logical relationship among the curriculum, learning goals, teaching materials, strategies used in the general classroom and in supportive services. Based on common assessment results, goals, and objectives
- Communicate and collaborate with families
o Gain trust – offer a broad range of flexible, usable, and understandable
services addressing a variety of needs. Interact in a variety of settings, in
the community, and respect cultural values
o Advocate for students and their families – communicating with others and
participating in committees that influence decision making, join professional
organizations
o Resolve conflicts constructively – avoid miscommunication, recognize differing
views on educational matters and identify the factors that might explain their
perspectives. Commit to what is best for the student.
o Address the diverse needs, background, and experiences of families
o Offer open houses, orientation sessions, and workshops on specific issues to
educate families. Allow them to access information at their convenience and
select material that is useful to them.
Resources
Collaboration Between General and Special Education: Making it Work. NCSET
The continuing trouble with collaboration: Teachers talk. Current Issues in Education
The Access Center Strategies to Improve Access to the General Education Curriculum.
Ch. 1 - Understanding Inclusion
Special education – delivering and monitoring comprehensive instruction and assessment and related services to students with learning, behavioral, emotional, physical, health or sensory disabilities. Address individual needs to insure access to all aspects of society.
Inclusion – brings students of diverse needs into schools and social institutions to provide equal opportunities and foster community. Provides fairness, not sameness, giving all students the support they need.
Principles of effective inclusion: All learners and equal access, individual strengths and challenges and diversity, Reflective practices and differentiated instruction, community and collaboration.
Least Restrictive Environment – requires schools to educate students with disabilities in general classrooms as much as possible. This is determined based on the students individual need not by the disability.
Educational services – General ed. classroom with no supportive services, general ed. Classroom with collaborative teacher assistance, general ed. Classroom with specialist assistance, general ed. Classroom with resource room, special ed. Classroom with part time in general classroom, full-time special ed. Classroom, special day school, residential school, homebound instruction, hospital or institution.
Normalization – provides students with opportunities for social interactions and experiences parallel those of individuals without disabilities
Early intervention programs reduce the likely that students will be in special ed. programs, empower families to promote their child’s development and increase the individual’s autonomy as an adult.
Civil rights cases support the rights of disabled people as citizens; it is unlawful to segregate individuals based on their abilities. IDEA mandates a free and appropriate education be provided to all students with disabilities. Individualized Education Program recognizes the needs of each student.
Inclusion benefits all students, teachers and families, promotes understanding and community and reduces negative ideas about disables individuals.
Resources:
•Boosting Inclusion in After School Activities with AT and Supplemental Services. National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing Technology in Education (2006)
•On infusing disabilities studies into the general curriculum.
•Principals of Inclusive Schools.
Inclusion – brings students of diverse needs into schools and social institutions to provide equal opportunities and foster community. Provides fairness, not sameness, giving all students the support they need.
Principles of effective inclusion: All learners and equal access, individual strengths and challenges and diversity, Reflective practices and differentiated instruction, community and collaboration.
Least Restrictive Environment – requires schools to educate students with disabilities in general classrooms as much as possible. This is determined based on the students individual need not by the disability.
Educational services – General ed. classroom with no supportive services, general ed. Classroom with collaborative teacher assistance, general ed. Classroom with specialist assistance, general ed. Classroom with resource room, special ed. Classroom with part time in general classroom, full-time special ed. Classroom, special day school, residential school, homebound instruction, hospital or institution.
Normalization – provides students with opportunities for social interactions and experiences parallel those of individuals without disabilities
Early intervention programs reduce the likely that students will be in special ed. programs, empower families to promote their child’s development and increase the individual’s autonomy as an adult.
Civil rights cases support the rights of disabled people as citizens; it is unlawful to segregate individuals based on their abilities. IDEA mandates a free and appropriate education be provided to all students with disabilities. Individualized Education Program recognizes the needs of each student.
Inclusion benefits all students, teachers and families, promotes understanding and community and reduces negative ideas about disables individuals.
Resources:
•Boosting Inclusion in After School Activities with AT and Supplemental Services. National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing Technology in Education (2006)
•On infusing disabilities studies into the general curriculum.
•Principals of Inclusive Schools.
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