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Dr. Phyllis B. Harris, Executive DirectorOakland Unified School District

Programs for Exceptional Children

One out of ten special education students in the United States lives in California.

What about teachers matters most? The quality and depth of their

knowledge base, their own values, their attitude and their philosophy about

teaching their students …

Claremont Graduate UniversityTeacher Education

Seminars on Special Education18 February 2006

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THIS MONTH'S BOOK CLUB SELECTIONIS CONTROVERSIAL AND QUITEREVEALING. SOME OF YOU MIGHT EVENFIND IT SHOCKING.

CLUB MEMBERS PREPARE TO READ “EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK."

How to Include, Integrate and Work with Learning Disabled Students in…General Education

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13 Eligibility Categories

LSD Language/Speech Disordered Also referred to as “CH” Communicatively Handicapped

AU Autism Has varying levels including Asperger or PDD-

NOSOHI Other Health Impaired

Includes medical diagnosis such as Sickle Cell Anemia, Cancer, and sometimes ADHD

OI Orthopedically ImpairedTypically refers to Cerebral Palsy or other

medical condition which impacts motor movementsED Emotionally DisturbedHOH Hard of Hearing

Students may have only itinerant services to check on hearing aid care, etc.

D DeafDB Deaf BlindVI Visually Impaired

Does not typically include students whose vision is corrected with glasses.

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13 Eligibility Categories…

TBI Traumatic Brain InjuryMR Mental Retardation MD Multiple DisabilitiesSLD Specific Learning Disability

Includes a variety of processing disorders Newest category under this condition is Non-

Verbal Learning Disabilities

The catch is that having one of the listed disabling conditions does not automatically

qualify a student for special education.

The second element in determining eligibility is that it must adversely impact

educational performance.

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What is Autism?Spectrum Disorder: diagnosis of Asperger, PDD-NOS,

Autism or autistic-like, depends on the number of features exhibited. The Diagnostic Manual lists 12 possible features.

Education Code uses the term ‘autistic-like’ and has 7 main areas of symptoms:

Inability to use oral language for appropriate communication

History of extreme withdrawal or impaired social relationships

Obsession to maintain sameness (rule-bound) Extreme preoccupation with objects or

inappropriate use of objects Extreme resistance to external controls Peculiar motor mannerisms or motility

patterns Self-stimulating, ritualistic behavior

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What features are there in Emotional Disturbance?

IDEA definition includes one or more of the following:

Inability to learn that is not explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors

Inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers

Inappropriate types of behaviors and feelings under normal circumstances exhibited in several situations

General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depressionTendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated

with personal or school problemsThese features must be exhibited over a long period of

time

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What are Learning Disabilities?

Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, defines a specific learning disability as . . .

". . . a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.“

Learning disabilities do not include, "…learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.“

New regulations also include “not due to lack of or

poor educational opportunities”

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What is a Non-Verbal Learning Disorder?

NVLD is an invisible disorder which causes a disruption of information processing in 3 areas, the first is

Organizational Skills and Executive Function

How the brain organizes and stores information; primarily impacting the links between bits of information;

Executive Function which is the ability to disengage from current action, formulate plans, and take action on those plans or changes because this function utilizes the ability to integrate information.

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NVLD also affects…2. Visual-Spatial and Sensory Motor

Integration Deficit…has an effect onBody PostureProcessing Visual InformationTactile and Auditory SensitivityDysgraphia (writing problems)Directional ConfusionStaying Calm and Staying Involved

(alert and engaged)Physical Exploration of the World

3. Social Skills and Perspective Taking The inability to adopt the perspective of another person

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NVLD details… Primary symptom is an inability to

attend to, assess, or appropriately respond to non-verbal aspects of communication (facial cues, tone and volume of voice, interpersonal space, body language, etc.)

Often demonstrates trouble with visual-spatial organization (writing, difficulty keeping math columns straight, walking into people, etc.)

Sees the details, but not the big picture (processes information linearly and sequentially, not conceptually)

Currently diagnosed as <1% of the Learning Disabled population

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What is ADHD?Careless mistakes in schoolwork, work or other activities. Has a hard time sustaining attention in tasks or play Often does not seem to listen to what others are saying Often does not follow through on instructions and often fails to finish homework Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities Often avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort Often loses things Is often distracted by other things that go on in a room Forgetfulness

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Hyperactive-Impulsive Symptoms

Fidgets and squirms with hands or feet in seat Inability to stay seated Climbing on things when inappropriate Often acts as if "motor driven"- difficulty with leisure

activities Often talks excessively Difficulty waiting in lines Often interrupts others

Detail There must be a history of this disorder before age 7

Symptoms are present across settings. Symptoms must significantly reduce an individual's

ability to work or learn. Not diagnosed when a person is depressed, anxious or

when the person has another disorder that can explain the ADHD-like behaviors.

Symptoms must be present for at least 6 months before a diagnosis can be made.

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CHRONIC FOLLICALLY VERTICALLY COLORSHOPPING IMPAIRED CHALLENGED BLINDSYNDROME

CONGRESS AUTHORIZES ADDITION OF FOUR NEW DISABILITY CATEGORIES TO THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.

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FAT CITYFrustrationAnxietyTensionOR “How hard can this be?”VIDEO CLIP

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Accommodations

Accommodations do not alter the concept being taught or measured

Accommodations must be used in the general education setting in order to be used during any district or state assessments

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Assignment Accommodation

Change the size of the assignment—if a student fatigues or quits after completing a few math problems—reduce the number required.

It is better that the student do 10 problems correctly than to complete 50 problems incorrectly.

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ModificationsModifications substantially

change the standard being taught or measured

Modifications may result in modified grades on report cards and progress reports

Modifications must be clearly spelled out in the IEP in order to be used

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Assignment Modification

Change the writing assignment from writing a paragraph to writing a sentence.

Question: If a student dictates his paragraph into a tape recorder, then listens to it and writes it from the tape….is that an accommodation or a modification?

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Accommodation!

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Task AnalysisWhere is the student having

difficulty?Goal: Read a simple sentence.

Skills Needed:*Performs left to right eye movement.*Associates sounds with symbols.*Blends sounds into words.*Reads words in isolation.*Reads words in context.

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Use your talents to provide solid Instructional Intervention to address the skill breakdown…

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Recommended… Break tasks into smaller steps, check progress

at each step and then give the next direction Provide directions both verbally and in writing; if

possible, provide a sample or model problem Let student with reading struggles have text

read to him by a peer or other staff Directly teach student how to take notes and

organize information Directly teach students about use of bold or

italicized print in texts and the relationship to key concepts

Directly teach students how to use chapter review questions to identify key concepts for chapter tests and how to scan for bold and italicized print to find answers.

Establish a positive working relationship with the student's parents, perhaps through email or communication notebooks or weekly homework schedules sent home in backpack.

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and… Allow student who cannot far point copy to copy from

sheet at desk OR change assignment so it does not require copying. Keep in mind, some students need to verbalize when copying as a memory strategy.

Reduce the visual input by providing more space to work problems, reducing the number of items per page. It is often helpful to use graph paper for math problems as this assists students in keeping the work in the correct columns

Reduce the number of paper and pencil tasks during the day for students with motor and visual-spatial concerns. Provide breaks and other types of instructional tasks between laborious writing tasks.

Provide a student with copies of overheads or peer notes instead of having to listen and take notes (you could also provide a copy of the teacher’s overhead or notes with ______)

When appropriate, allow the student with writing difficulties to use a computer for written work, including spell checks and grammar checks.

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and… Provide and directly instruct students in the use of

graphic organizers as part of the writing process Partner with a skilled peer for any tasks requiring a

combination of following verbal/written directions and fine motor coordination. Many LD students will require extensive assistance with either retaining the directions or completing the motoric tasks.

Allow the student to have extra time to finish schoolwork or take tests. Many LD students need longer time to process and synthesize information, and this need is increased under pressure (test, time factors, etc.)

When appropriate, utilize cooperative learning situations with "good role models“ grouped with struggling students. The child with the learning disability should not be expected to be the "scribe" or primary reader in a cooperative grouping; however, they can contribute verbally and may be able to “report” to the larger group.

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Check for understanding frequently before and during an assignment. Present information and directions in clear, simple terms (i.e., "spell out" everything).

All expectations need to be direct and explicit. Don't require this child to "read between the lines" to glean your intentions. Avoid sarcasm, figurative speech, idioms, slang, etc., unless you plan to explain your usage.

Allow “thought time” between directions and response or between questions and response. For the LD child, even if you are repeating the same information, they have to begin the processing step all over again.

Keep schedules and routines as predictable as possible. Prepare students in advance for changes in routine, such as assemblies, field trips, minimum days, vacation days, finals, etc.

and…

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and… Practice “being ready to learn” and what “listening

looks like” with your students. Use the same terms and expectations throughout the day as you begin tasks or when students are distracted.

Prepare students for transitions between activities with a warning that we will be moving to ______in 3 minutes, etc. Include in that transition warning, if you are not finished with this, then you should __________(do what) with that work.

Use transitions consistently. Some teachers prefer to use a transition routine that breaks from one task to another such as moving from table to carpet, or putting one set of books on the shelf and getting another, etc. These and similar transitions also allow students to add movement to their day, which helps with focus and attention.

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And yet more… Explicitly teach strategies for what to do when students

are unsure of what to do. "I shouldn't have to tell you" does not apply - assume you do have to tell this student. Prompt them to look at peers, ask them “what are your classmates doing?”, then “what should you be doing?”; If the child is still unsure, teach them to ask for help.

Verbally teach (don't expect the child to observe) cognitive strategies for the skills of conversational pragmatics (the ‘give and take’ and comfortable beginnings and endings of a conversation, how and when to change the subject, formal versus informal conversational idiosyncrasies, tone and expression of voice, etc.) and nonverbal body language (facial expressions, correct social distance, when the limit or cut-off point has been reached, etc.).

Many LD children will not perceive that they are trying someone's patience until that person verbally explodes! Give him some explicit verbal cues before the boiling point because he does not sense tension or displeasure. Label emotions.

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Social Skills and the LD Child

Every environment, including classrooms, are social environments.

LD students can compensate for the lack of reading or math skills (partner read, books on tape, calculator) but cannot compensate for a lack of social skills.

Social Skills are very challenging for teachers to teach because it is intrinsic to us—we understand social cues and unspoken social rules; LD kids make mistakes we would never conceive of.

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LD students often lack Social Skills…

Ability to ask questions!

80% of your first encounter with a new

person consists of questions. This is how you gather information about

similar interests, abilities, etc. They are the basis for all social interaction,

even for children: “Do you want to play basketball?” “Did you watch X-Men?” “Can I see your Yugio card?”

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How does an LD kid ask a question?

If mom says, “ask your dad if he wants ice cream”, the LD child will likely go to dad and say, “Mom wants to know if you want ice cream”. Not a question form…

If the LD child wants to play basketball, he will just join in without asking or grab the ball, etc. This interaction style creates many social problems.

Eventually, when turned away often enough or when student becomes an adolescent and “embarrassment = death”, they stop trying to participate socially.

If the General Education child gets stuck on a math problem , he asks for help “Can you help me?” LD kid says “I can’t do this” or “I hate reading”. The students have the same struggle but often get different responses from the teacher because the LD child is not asking for help in a question form.

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LD Students and Social Skills…

The ability to focus and attend to

the instructional material (ADHD).

There are 2 primary types of attention problems:

the child with little or no attention span— this child can’t attend to anything; typically seen with lower cognitive functioning kids

The child who attends to everything with equal attention

Example: in trouble for pulling the fire alarm story

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The ability to suppress inappropriate thoughts

and comments…

We all have thoughts that we do not say. For many LD kids, this is reflected with the phrase

“On the mind and out the mouth.”

Imagine the social faux pas that occur with other kids!

Inhibition…

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Impulse control…

Many LD kids live by the motto, “If I can’t do it right, I’ll do it fast!!” They need help to figure out where it went wrong and to work through it step by step (especially with class work).

For social skills, students need help to do a social autopsy—what did I do wrong and what should I have done? For example:

Robert borrows John’s ball for recess and

does not bring it back; John is angry and Robert doesn’t understand what the true problem is. If you ask him what he did wrong, he is likely to say “I shouldn’t have taken John’s ball”, not that he loaned the ball to someone else and did not keep an eye on it at recess.

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More on Social Skills…Inability to understand the ‘hidden

curriculum’ of the school: this is the unwritten, unspoken rules that vary from school to school and situation to situation

At John Smith Elementary, students don’t enter the cafeteria for breakfast through the side door because the tough kids hang out at that door or the cafeteria staff don’t like it.

OR At John Smith Elementary School, students never go into

the office before 10 because the secretary is busy with attendance, lunch count, etc.

OR At John Smith Elementary School, the first grade teacher

bases grades primarily on homework but the second grade teacher bases grades primarily on chapter tests. LD students can’t figure that out just by observing what teachers’ value. They must be told.

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Other Hidden Curriculums

Does student understand the physical plan of the school? Does he know the shortcuts or can only find the office from the classroom? Does he know how to use the cafeteria, library, etc?

Does the student understand the social environment of the school? Who works for who? Who does which jobs? (Custodian, Office Manager, etc.) Who is the Office Manager? Who is the Principal?

Remember: the overriding factor is not to be embarrassed—if the student missed the day the cafeteria process was explained, he will likely never eat a hot meal, etc.

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Effective Habits that Make Inclusion Successful:

Listening Following directions Staying on task Knowing how to get help Ability to get started on a task Ability to finish a task on time Word attack/reading skills

The first 6 are the hidden curriculum of general education.

We have to help our studentswith these tasks…

SEVEN

so…

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Teach the Hidden Curriculum

ListeningGive directions in a variety of ways—

speak it, write it, do it

Structure work to build in supports—peer tutors, group work, send directions home, check and help often

Make sure the directions are given with vocabulary the child understands

Gain student attention first—call their name, touch their shoulder, point to first problem or direction on the page and only then speak.

Exp

licit

ly

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Art of the Explicit con’t…

Following directions Have student practice on non-academic tasks

(games, clean up, readiness and transitions, etc.)

Have student repeat directions Provide directions one step at a time Provide student with a model—part of the

work is already completed

Staying on Task Reinforce for attempting and completing work

based on what the child can complete; gradually increase work expectations.

Shorten the assignment – break 20 problems into sets of 5 with a break between

Reduce distractions—study carrels, seat near the front/away from windows, etc.

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Practice raising hands and remind students of this expectation

Provide an alternate way to ask for help (card on desk, etc.)

Acknowledge student request for help and let them know when you will be there “Thank you for waiting quietly. I’ll help you after I help Sarah”

When student says “I can’t do this” ask if they need help and model how they can ask for your help.

Knowing how to get help

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Ability to stay on task…

Provide student with a signal for when to begin a taskStart the task with student then fade supportGive praise to students who start without remindersMonitor student to keep on taskWork a few problems with the studentRemind them of what work should be complete and by when

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Resources ldonline.com Complete Guide to ADHD: Help for Your

Family at Home, School and Work (2000) Thom Hartmann

Frustration, Anxiety and Tension (video), Richard Lavoie

Last Picked, First One Picked On, (video) Richard Lavoie

The Pre-Referral Intervention Manual, Stephen McCarney, Hawthorne Educational Services, Inc.