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Fall 2005 Edition of ISRC's biannual newsletter. Contents: Behavior Teams Established For D/HH Programs/Schools, ISRC Coordinates With ISTAC, Training Workshops Available, and Psychological Consultation Team. Topic of Pinup: Illinois State Board of Education Statewide Technical Assistance Centers.
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A Note from the Director:
It has been a busy fall and winter for the ISRC.
The ISRC experienced a roller coaster of events
last spring, from the threatened demise of the
agency to a restoration of full funding. Since
receiving the welcome news, on the cusp of the
new fiscal year, that ISRC would be allowed to
stay open, we have received an increase in
requests for service.
In addition to providing technical assistance/
consultation on behavioral issues for students with
a hearing loss, this year the ISRC has assisted in
the establishment of Behavior Teams in 21
programs serving students with a hearing loss.
Training on Functional Behavioral Assessments
and Behavioral Intervention Plans has helped
build the capacity of these programs to keep these
students in the Least Restrictive Environment.
The ISRC has been collaborating with other
statewide technical assistance grants to ensure
coordination of services and to participate in the
development and implementation of a common
data collection/evaluation platform.
We are grateful for the support the ISRC has
received this year, and the opportunity to continue
to provide service to the educational teams and
families working with the unique population of
students who have both a hearing loss and
behavioral challenges.
Cheri Sinnott, LCSW
ISRC Director
Ad grandmother
Illinois Service Resource Center A T e c h n i c a l A s s i s t a n c e C e n t e r o f t h e I l l i n o i s S t a t e B o a r d o f E d u c a t i o n
S e r v i ng Ch i ld r en W i th A Hea r i ng Los s And Emotional/Behavioral Challenges
8 4 7 - 5 5 9 - 8 1 9 5 V o i c e 8 4 7 - 5 5 9 - 9 4 9 3 T TY 8 0 0 - 5 5 0 - 4 7 7 2 H e l p l i n e ( 2 4 H o u r ) Em a i l : i s r c@ i s r c . u s I n t e r n e t s i t e : www . i s r c . u s
Fall 2005/ Winter 2006 Edition
Review
Behavior Teams Established For HI Programs/Schools
Programs and schools serving students with a hearing
loss were invited in the fall to establish Behavior Teams
to participate in quarterly training workshops provided
by the Illinois Service Resource Center.
These training workshops focus on Functional
Behavioral Assessments (FBA) and Developing
Effective Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP). The
Orientation/ Introduction Session was held on January 9,
2006 in Tinley Park. There were 21 teams from across
the state in attendance.
The next session, to be held March 13, 2006, will focus
on Data Collection and Interpreting Data. Subsequent
sessions are scheduled for September and November,
with the same quarterly schedule in 2007.
Scheduled presenters include Dr. Rick Van Acker from
the University of Illinois, Chicago, Dr. Terry Scott from
the University of Florida, Dr. Dale Mers from Oregon,
and Dr. Linda Mathias-Kaskel from Evanston, IL.
Feedback from the first training indicated an immediate
increase in participant knowledge base regarding FBA
and BIP. Several participants noted that they have been
developing BIPs without conducting FBAs beforehand.
Prior to the training, participants completed a
questionnaire to evaluate current levels of ability and
compliance with federal recommendations. This form
will be completed again after a year of training to
evaluate the progress of Behavior Team members.
The goal of this training effort is to build the capacity of
local schools and programs to meet the behavioral needs
of students with a hearing loss.
In This Issue
Page 2. ISRC Coordinates With ISTAC
Page 3. Training Workshops Available
Page 4. Psychological Consultation Team
ISRC Coordinates With IL Statewide Technical Assistance Center
The Illinois Service Resource Center has been collaborating with other Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
statewide technical assistance projects to ensure coordination of services and to participate in the development and
implementation of a common data collection/evaluation platform.
Four of the statewide technical assistance projects comprise the Illinois Statewide Technical Assistance Center
(ISTAC). These four agencies are Illinois Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Network (PBIS), Children
Have Opportunities in Inclusive Community and Educational Environments (CHOICES), Illinois Autism Training
and Technical Assistance Project (IATTAP) and Parent & Educator Partnership (PEP). The two other statewide
technical assistance projects are the Illinois Service Resource Center (ISRC) and Project Reach of the Phillip Rock
Center and School for Deaf/Blind Students. The Directors of these six projects meet quarterly with ISBE
representatives to review progress and establish future goals.
ISBE encourages local school districts to utilize the services of these statewide technical assistance grants to
achieve the goals of the State Performance Plan and improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
The grants are funded with federal discretionary dollars from Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
In December, 2005, ISBE submitted to the U.S. Department of Education the Illinois State Performance Plan, Part
B for 2005-2010. Improvement Activities cited in the plan include recommendations to:
• “Utilize technical assistance projects such as ISRC to provide training, technical assistance and support to
school districts to increase effective behavior support plans to increase ongoing access to education.”
• “Utilize ISTAC technical assistance projects to:
- Increase data-based decision-making about behavior interventions and supports across all school
settings in target schools and districts.
- Increase use and effect of research-based behavioral strategies among school staff at school-
wide, classroom, and individual levels.
- Reduce use of reactive discipline measures in schools (i.e., office discipline referrals, detentions,
suspensions and expulsions) for all students.”
ISRC Appreciates Support From Educators, Parents
Our thanks goes out to those of you who were among the hundreds who sent letters to the governor’s office
and state legislators last Spring in support of ISRC. Your efforts made the difference.
We are particularly grateful for the efforts of the following individuals:
Following the announcement of funding cuts in early March, 2005, Dr. Patricia Scherer, President of Mental
Health and Deafness, Inc. and the International Center On Deafness and the Arts, led a group of interested
parties to attend a meeting of the Illinois State Board of Education in Springfield. Her testimony, along with
that of parents and professionals, made an impact on ISBE and the governor's office.
Elliot Regenstein, Director of Education Reform for Governor Blagojevich, provided guidance and assistance
throughout the process.
Dr. Steve Vaupel of the ISRC led the letter writing campaign and traveled the state visiting with state
legislators.
- ISRC Review Page 2 -
ISRC Library Includes
Valuable Resources
The Illinois Service Resource
Center library offers over 500
items, including books, games,
video tapes, audio tapes and
psychological testing kits.
The materials are available at
no charge to individuals who
work with students who have a
hearing loss and face behavioral
and mental health challenges.
In addition, there is a wide
variety of resources for parents
and children.
Items are mailed, with return
postage included. Materials
may be checked out for a period
of three weeks.
Some categories of resources
include: AD/HD,
Administration, Autism,
Behavior Intervention,
Counseling, Deaf Culture,
Medication, Parents, Sensory
Integration, Sign Language and
Social Skills. Several of the
materials are available in
Spanish.
To view the entire library
bibliography visit:
www.isrc.us
Data On Illinois Students Published In American Annals Of The Deaf
Illinois students were highlighted in an article in American Annals of the Deaf, Summer 2005, Volume 150. The
article, Characteristics of the Population of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students With Emotional Disturbance in
Illinois was co-authored by Cheri Sinnott, Director of the Illinois Service Resource Center, and Thomas Jones,
Professor of Education at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
Information for this article was obtained from a database of the Illinois Service Resource Center that was established
to identify and track students in Illinois with both Hearing Impairment and Emotional Disturbance listed on their
Individual Educational Plans. Data was collected in the Behavioral,
Educational, Audiological and Demographic domains.
The data indicated that these students were more likely than students in the
general population of students with a hearing loss to have been born
prematurely, to have had a prenatal trauma, to have had a later onset of hearing
loss, to live in single-parent homes, to belong to an ethnic minority, to live in
an urban area and to qualify for low-income health care.
Training Workshops Available Through ISRC
The Illinois Service Resource Center offers a variety of training workshops
for educational teams and families of students with a hearing loss. Training
workshops are available on site at schools and agencies, at parent group
meetings, at the ISRC office or offsite at a variety of locations.
Some of the workshop topics available through ISRC include:
Designing Effective Behavioral Intervention Plans – Learn how to design
and write behavioral intervention plans that will not only help meet the
individual needs of your students, but will also meet the requirements of
state and federal regulations. You will learn how to conduct a functional
behavioral assessment, match intervention to behavioral function and write
effective behavioral intervention plans.
AD/HD and Deafness – This session reviews the various types of AD/HD,
along with accommodations and intervention strategies specific to students
with a hearing loss.
Anger Management – This workshop provides suggestions for the
classroom on techniques to resolve anger, for both student and teacher.
Autism and Deafness – An overview of the common characteristics of
autism, with discussion of teaching methods, strategies and
accommodations for students who have both autism and a hearing loss.
Sensory Integration Disorders – Participants will gain an understanding of
the six domains of sensation and ideas for intervention, i.e. sensory diets.
Social Skills Curriculum – This training reviews the new Illinois Learning
Standards for Social Emotional Learning and a variety of social skills
curriculum that may be used in the classroom.
Visual Strategies to Impact Communication and Behavior – Participants
will learn how visual strategies can assist with increasing student
understanding of the environment and teaching skills that impact behavior.
Additional workshops include: Transition Planning, Mental Health
Diagnosis, Understanding Psychological Evaluations, Syndromes Related to
Deafness, Structuring a Positive Classroom and others.
- ISRC Review Page 3 -
ISRC Staff
Cheri Sinnott
Director
Dr. Steve Vaupel Behavioral /
Psychological
Consultant
Chris Mayworm Consultant
Marilyn Medow Social Worker
Dr. Jim Vanderbosch Clinical
Psychologist
Alison Mansfield Data Specialist
Charles Snyder Data Specialist
Ann Sego Administrative
Assistant
Psychological Consultation Team
Available For Students Who Are Deaf
Many school psychologists have little experience testing students
with a hearing loss. When these students require psychological
testing, local school psychologists may have questions on
selecting appropriate tests for nonverbal students and interpreting
results of tests that do not have deaf norms.
The Illinois Service Resource Center has assembled a team of
psychologists experienced in testing students with a hearing loss.
These psychologists are available to provide telephone
consultation at no cost to the school district.
In addition, the ISRC has compiled a booklet, Guidelines for
Psychological Testing of Students With a Hearing Loss, and a
lending library of psychological testing kits appropriate for students with a hearing loss. To request a copy of the
booklet or a list of items available from the test kit library, contact us at [email protected].
Learn more about services and resources available from the ISRC
www.isrc.us
Illinois State Board of Education Statewide Technical Assistance Centers
Illinois Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project Kathy Gould, Director 1500 S Grace Street Lombard, IL 60146
630-889-7398 www.illinoisautismproject.org
Illinois Service Resource Center
Cheri Sinnott, Director 3444 W Dundee Road Northbrook, IL 60062
847-559-8195 www.isrc.us
Parent & Educator Partnership
Vicki Niswander, Director P.O. Box 381
Mahomet, IL 61853 217-586-7464
www.pepartnership.org
PBIS Network Lucile Eber, Director
Forest Road East School 928 Barnsdale Rd #254
LaGrange Park, IL 60526 708-482-4860
www.pbisillinois.org
Project CHOICES Ruth Henning, Director 1500 S Grace Street Lombard, IL 60148
630-629-0551 www.projectchoices.org
Project Reach / Phillip Rock Center
Tina Lechnick, Director 818 DuPage Blvd
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 630-790-2474
www.project-reach-illinois.org
Illinois State Performance Plan, Part B for 2005-2010
Improvement Activities cited in the plan include recommendations to:
• “Utilize technical assistance projects such as ISRC to provide training, technical assistance and support to school districts to increase effective behavior support plans to increase ongoing access to education.”
• “Utilize ISTAC technical assistance projects to:
- Increase data-based decision-making about behavior interventions and supports
across all school settings in target schools and districts.
- Increase use and effect of research-based behavioral strategies among school staff
at school-wide, classroom, and individual levels.
- Reduce use of reactive discipline measures in schools (i.e., office discipline
referrals, detentions, suspensions and expulsions) for all students.”