2. What is an IEP? Kids with delayed skills or other disabilities might be eligible for special services that provide individualized education programs in public schools. Parents of students are crucial members of the IEP team!
3. Who Needs an IEP? A child who has difficulty learning and functioning and has been identified as a special needs student is the perfect candidate for an IEP. Kids struggling in school may qualify for support services, allowing them to be taught in a special way, for reasons such as: learning disabilities attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) emotional disorders mental retardation autism hearing impairment visual impairment speech or language impairment developmental delay
4. What is ADHD? ADHD is a common behavioral disorder that affects an estimated 8% to 10% of school-age children. Boys are about three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with it, though it's not yet understood why. Kids with ADHD act without thinking, are hyperactive, and have trouble focusing. They may understand what's expected of them but have trouble following through because they can't sit still, pay attention, or attend to details. The good news is that with proper treatment, kids with ADHD can learn to successfully live with and manage their symptoms
5. Does my child have ADHD?Here are the symptoms: Type 1-Inattentive type -inability to pay attention to details or a tendency to make careless errors in schoolwork or other activities. -difficulty with sustained attention in tasks or play activities. -apparent listening problems. -problems with organization. -avoidance or dislike of tasks that require mental effort. -difficulty following instructions. -tendency to lose things such as notebooks or toys. -distractibility -forgetfulness in daily activities.
6. Symptoms cont. Type 2- Hyperactivity/Impulsive type Fidgeting and squirming. Difficulty remaining seated. Excessive running or climbing. Difficulty playing quietly. “On the go” Excessive talking. Blurting out answers before hearing the question. Difficulty waiting for turns or in line. Difficulty with interrupting or intruding. *Type 3- A combined type - The most common type.
7. Core Strategies for Innovative and Reform in Learning To help teach our students the core concepts the following six strategies should be applied: Integrated Studies Comprehensive Assessment Project Learning Teacher Development Social and emotional Learning Technology Integration * These strategies are beneficial to all students, not just those with learning disabilities! For more in-depth information on strategies, please visit: http://www.edutopia.org/core-concepts
8. Why do I need to know how to teach students with learning disabilities? Research shows that students with disabilities accomplish greater educational gains in there least restrictive environment, and in most cases, that is inclusion in the general classroom.
9. Assistive Technologies: What are they? Assistive technologies refers to “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
10. Assistive Technologies: How should they be selected? Best done as a team process, a six step process is outlined below: Step 1: Collect child and family information. Begin the discussion about the child’s strengths, abilities, preferences and needs. What strategies have been found to work best? Step 2: Identify activities for participation. Discuss the various activities within the environments that a child encounters throughout the day. What is preventing him/her from participating more? Step 3: What can be observed that indicates the intervention is successful? What is his/her current level of participation and what observable behaviors will reflect an increase in independent interactions? What changes (e.g., number of initiations, expression attempts, responses, reactions, etc.) will you look for? Step 4: Brainstorm AT solutions. With the activity and desired outcomes established, you are now ready to discuss possible solutions with educators, family members, physical therapist, and other people with whom the child interacts on a weekly basis. Do the child’s needs include supports for movement, communication and/or use of materials? Start with what is available in the environment (what other children use) and consider adaptations to those materials. A range of options that address specific support areas should be considered. *The TAM Technology Fan, a new resource focused on identifying AT items for young children with disabilities, helps to facilitate this step. See below for more information. Step 5: Try it out. Determine when the AT intervention will begin and create an observation plan to record how the child participates with the AT supports. Step 6: Identify what worked. Selecting AT interventions is a continuous learning opportunity. Reflect on your plan and discuss what worked. What didn’t work? What should be done differently? Make modifications as needed and try again. Only by trying the AT can certain factors such as technology placement, amount of force, mounting, number of choices, etc. be determined and adjusted.
11. Where can we find products for students with disabilities? http://www.synapseadaptive.com/edmark/prod/tw/default.htm http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm http://www.gpat.org/resources.aspx?PageReq=GPATImp
12. Other References: http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088
