First Day of School: Here We Go Again

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

Every year, it never fails. The last days of August go by and that tickly feeling in my stomach starts. Mine includes a little thud at the end of 20 seconds of elevated heart rate. The thud part is generally located in my mid-section. I have never seen a doctor for this phenomenon because I know it is an automatic healthy response to the coming of a new school year.

Over the years, I have developed a fail-safe to-do list that I review before I go in to the school building and tackle the job of putting my classroom back together again. Inevitably, well-meaning custodial staff have once again moved everything despite my explicit instructions not to. The floors will sparkle (careful here, they’re slippery). I’ve always wondered why they don’t mix sand in the wax; it would save many cases of sacroiliac joint dysfunction—this is a fancy medical term for “oh my aching back.” If you are smiling at this description, I have met my goal for the article.

The first day comes and goes, and not once have I experienced the cataclysmic disasters my fertile imagination produces each and every year. I don’t lose any students, the one-to-one aides are really great people and they don’t add work to my special education routine. We’re good to go.

At the top of my list are supplies (disclosure: this blog is a product of Achievement Products®, a wonderful one stop shopping site for all your classroom needs). This year, I’ve been taking a close look at allergen free products. Is it my imagination, or are kids coming to us with more violent allergies? Peanut allergies are common, and so many food products have been made in facilities where peanuts are used that it really pays to read labels carefully. Our kids have enough challenges without facing allergies in the classroom.

There are now all sorts of hypoallergenic markers, crayons, paints and glue for students to use. There are even hypoallergenic balls and other playground items. It’s going to become my practice to add the word “hypoallergenic” to every search I do for supplies no matter where I decide to shop. Better safe than sorry. And if you’re like me, the purchasing process in your district is so convoluted and difficult that you always use some of your own money to outfit your classroom.

It seems I see more and more kids with perceptual disorders. There are some thoughtful products for these kids at very reasonable prices. Here are some new arrivals for you to explore.

I’ve been adding to my collection of exercise items in the classroom. Even if I don’t have children with specific physical disabilities, I have many overweight children and students who rarely get outdoors for fresh air and exercise. It seems they are all playing video games. Video games can be good training for some children, but you must also get them up and moving.

Achievement Products has a carefully selected group of adaptive technology items for the classroom. There are also products for students with communication challenges.

So when you wake up on day one, don’t reach for Pepto-Bismol. You’re just having first day jitters—perfectly normal. I’ve put together some resources for new and experienced teachers as they face the all-important first few days of school.

New Teachers, New School

Checklist

Practical Advice for Jitters

Survival Guide for New (All) Teachers

Creating a Teacher Mentoring Program

Special Education Teacher Support

Add to our list of resources, help guide this blog and tell me about your challenges. I may feature your class or school in upcoming blog entries.

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Grant Name: Finish Line Youth Foundation Grants

Funded By: Finish Line Youth Foundation

Description: Giving on a national basis in areas of company operations, supporting organizations involved with athletics and youth development. Special emphasis is directed toward programs designed to promote active lifestyles and team building skills; and camps designed to promote sports and active lifestyles, and serve disadvantaged and special needs kids.

Program Areas: After-School, Disabilities, Health/PE, Special Education

Eligibility: Other

Proposal Deadline: Ongoing

Annual Total Amount: $200,000.00 – $500,000.00

Average Amount: $1,000.00 – $50,000.00

Address: 3308 North Mitthoeffer Road, Indianapolis, IN 46235-2332

Telephone: 317-899-1022 x6741

E-mail: Youthfoundation@finishline.com

Website: Finish Line Youth Foundation

Availability: All States

Do Video Games and the Internet Cause ADHD?

This blog article is a way to begin discussion about a topic of interest to many teachers. It is not presented as academic research, but the author has taken care to check sources cited.

The research cited here was performed at Iowa State University. The actual research paper, “Video Game Playing, Attention Problems, and Impulsiveness: Evidence of Bidirectional Causality” can be found here. It was published in Psychology of Popular Media Culture 2012, Vol. 1, No. 1, 62–70.

There has been discussion among teachers that a big uptick in SPED referrals is being caused by student use of computer games and the Internet. The research at Iowa State University shows that indeed, there is a measurable link. Green & Bavalier, 2003 noted that some visual attention could be improved for students who play video games, but it is noted that visual attention is not the same thing as attention that influences school and learning (62).

There are four hypotheses that may help us organize the study of increases in SPED referral and student use of electronic media.

1. Excitement hypothesis
2. Displacement hypothesis
3. Attraction hypothesis
4. Third variable hypothesis

Very briefly, the excitement hypothesis proposes that electronic screen media may make other activities (e.g., work or school) seem less interesting by comparison. Displacement hypothesis says exposure to electronic media may take up time that could be used for schoolwork. A third possibility is that individuals who have attention problems are more attracted to electronic media—the attraction hypothesis. The last suggests there is a third variable such as sex or age that may explain this association. However, studies included variables like sex and other factors, steering us away from the last hypothesis.

The study included 3,034 children from 12 different schools in Singapore with a 99% response rate. This is a reasonably large sample from which to derive good data. The measurement of average weekly video game playing as a benchmark showed strong test–retest correlations. Participants indicated how many hours they played video games during each of three times (morning, afternoon, and evening) on a typical school day and on a typical weekend. Then, they calculated the average weekly video game playing time.

Participants completed the Current ADHD Symptoms Scale Self-Report. Participants also completed 14 items from the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. Consistent with most previous research, this study found video game playing is associated with greater subsequent attention problems, even when earlier attention problems were statistically controlled.

It seems we have been witnessing a real phenomenon in increased special education referrals and placements. Based on my general observation, diagnoses of ADD and ADHD are on the rise. Diagnoses of conditions like Asperger’s and other forms of autism are also on the rise. For the past 30 years, most of the research on attention problems has focused on biological and genetic factors rather than on environmental factors. Many believe that there are other environmental influences. By identifying and studying those factors, we can create a more detailed picture of the problem to create effective solutions for schools.

More research needs to be done, but teachers must pay increased attention to student activities after school and in study halls. Those ubiquitous mobile devices may be part of the reason for increases in SPED referrals.

To read more about this:

• National Institutes of Health
• Linköping University, Sweden
• New York Times
• Child Mind Institute

The paradox: can we use video games to help treat attention deficits?

• Additude
• Psychology Today

Add to our list of resources, help guide this blog and tell me about your challenges. I may feature your class or school in upcoming blog entries.

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Grant Name: Dreyfus Foundation Educational Grants

Funded By: The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.

Description: Giving on a national basis to support museums, cultural, and performing arts programs; schools, hospitals, educational and skills training programs, programs for youth, seniors, and the handicapped; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and their programs. Organizations seeking support from the Foundation may submit a letter of request, not exceeding three pages in length, which includes a brief description of the purpose of the organization, and a brief outline of the program or project for which funding is sought.

Program Areas: After-School, Arts, At-Risk/Character, Disabilities, General Education, Health/PE, Math, Reading, Science/Environmental, Social Studies, Special Education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Eligibility: Public School, Private School, Higher Education, Other

Proposal Deadline: 11/10/14

Annual Total Amount: $2,800,000.00 – $4,000,000.00

Average Amount: $1,000.00 – $20,000.00

Address: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue N.W., Suite 414, Washington, DC 20007

Telephone: 202-337-3300

E-mail: info@mvdreyfusfoundation.org

Website: Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.

Availability: All States

IEP Strategies for Reading Support

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

One of the most common disabilities you’ll see in the new pile of referrals on your plate this fall will be a vague reference to “reading disorders.” The regular classroom teacher has many strategies for teaching reading in her domain, but there are always odd-man-out students whose reading skills are so low that they may require special education intervention—but do they?

Many SPED teachers I know, especially resource teachers, are often commenting on the number of students they have who are not really learning disabled, but are just behind in reading. Once a student falls behind, it may take strong measures to bring him up to grade level.

If a reading-challenged student has passed through committee and it is determined he will require your special skills, there are tactics you can use to help him right away. In general, you are not a reading teacher. You are always teaching reading, but it is not your specialty. So, how do you help these students?

Your goal should be to get these students out of the special education pipeline and back into their regular classrooms full time. You don’t have time to be a dedicated reading teacher for students who otherwise have no need of your services. In fact, in some schools the special education teacher has devolved into being an overqualified and specialized reading teacher.

Your first line of defense is the IEP. Within the confines of that document, you can construct a path for a return to regular instruction. You will be wise to make it the first goal in the learning objectives of the IEP. “Student will be provided targeted reading support for return to the regular classroom.” Or, if a student is being referred for the first time, work with your teams to prevent placement (RTI).

These days there are many ways to accomplish this. One of the reasons I became a special education teacher was to apply my love for educational technology to students at risk. There is an ever-growing list of reading instruction programs online to serve as additions to your district reading program. I’ve provided a list of resources for your perusal below. One of the positive things about digital instruction in this case is that students take to it almost immediately (in general). In addition, you can structure and schedule instruction to set you free to provide more sophisticated services like assessment and evaluation. You will have the time to fine-tune those skills. There are many tools for integrating distance learning in your classroom.

Resources for distance learning in your reading program (things that have been useful for me):

• Guide for Distance Learning (pdf)
• List of Programs
• Basic Article on What to Look For in Reading Programs
• Upgrades for Your Own Reading Instruction Skills
• List of Reading Websites for Kids
• Virginia Gets It All Together

Remember, reading instruction is part of what you do—not your entire life. I have found that tablet computers and mobile learning devices have greatly helped us provide the key resources needed to bring reading levels up to par so students can return to the regular classroom. The devices are right there at all times; students can tune in to their prescribed programs any time from school or from home.

Take a look at the virtual stack of IEP’s that have been given to you for study over the summer. I’ll bet more than half have targeted reading instruction for students who may not be truly disabled. You might start a task force in your district to study this issue to find early intervention for these kids so they aren’t referred for SPED services in the first place.

Add to our list of resources, help guide this blog and tell me about your challenges. I may feature your class or school in upcoming blog entries.

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Grant Name: Foundation Grants

Funded By: Patterson Foundation

Description: The foundation provides resources to programs and to nonprofit organizations in the areas of oral health, animal health, and occupational and physical rehabilitation. Funds are granted for: Health and Human Services programs related to the focus areas that benefit economically disadvantaged people or youth with special needs; and Education as it relates to the focus areas, especially programs that increase the number of underrepresented people in the dental, veterinary, occupational health and physical health fields.

Program Areas: At-Risk/Character, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, Disabilities, Early Childhood, Family Services, General Education, Health/PE

Eligibility: Public School, Private School, Higher Education, Other

Proposal Deadline: Ongoing

Annual Total Amount: $500,000.00 – $800,000.00

Average Amount: $5,000.00 – $75,000.00

Address: 1031 Mendota Heights Road, St. Paul, MN 55120-1419

Telephone: 651-686-1929

E-mail: information@pattersonfoundation.net

Website: Patterson Foundation

Availability: All States

Paraprofessionals in the SPED Classroom

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

Sometimes, an Ed Plan (IEP, Individual Education Plan) contains a mandate for a paraprofessional to accompany a child throughout the day (one-to-one aide). In Massachusetts the law states:

“Substantially separate programs operated by public schools shall limit class sizes to nine students with one teacher and one paraprofessional.”

So, there may be several paraprofessionals in a substantially separate classroom, the classroom paraprofessional and paraprofessionals assigned to a child whose Ed Plan requires it. The law is huge and complex, and some flexibility is built in to accommodate larger class sizes.

Classroom paraprofessionals in special education have historically been underpaid and hard to find. NCLB regulations have bolstered the federal 94-142 law by tightening regulations for paraprofessional training. A good discussion of these requirements would take another blog or two, but you can read more about this here. If you are a parent, and you are trying to secure a one-to-one-paraprofessional for your special education child, it’s often a case of be careful what you wish for. A good paraprofessional is a treasure for a child, her family, and a teacher. A bad one ……?

For a teacher, managing a classroom is sometimes the most difficult part of the job. Scheduling, behavior management, and routine activities must be carefully orchestrated. SPED children in particular, need a set routine. The good news is a one-to-one paraprofessional may work with other children in the classroom. If there is a group activity, the paraprofessional does not need to restrict her assistance to the one child in her care; she may pitch in and help the teacher with the group.

Many teachers have developed good rapport and excellent management protocols for paraprofessionals in their classroom. I have some resources for classroom management with paraprofessionals here:

• General description and responsibilities
• A handbook (pdf)
• Making the most of the paraprofessional experience
• Training and support of paraprofessionals (pdf)
• Case studies

The main goal that guides hiring decisions for paraprofessionals is staying within the intent of the IEP. Paraprofessionals come and go with frequency, and a parent may change her mind about the need for a paraprofessional if the classroom resources are sufficient to support her child without one. A well-meaning and well educated parent can be an asset for a classroom teacher. She can also throw a monkey wrench into a teacher’s well-crafted plans. Managing parents can be a full time job too.

I’m making this all sound impossible to orchestrate. “Regular” classroom teaching is difficult; special education management is an especially delicate balancing act because of legal realities. Experience will be the best teacher if you are patient. Learn about the law and IEP’s. If you are deft, you can arrange things so the paraprofessionals in the classroom are trained to pick up all the mundane duties leaving you with the fun part; the art of teaching.

If you find you have a difficult situation brewing with a paraprofessional, make sure your principal and district special ed coordinator are in the loop. Document every transgression, no matter how slight. Sit down with your aides often; evaluate them according to the rules in your district and state. Removing a paraprofessional is difficult, but if a principal is in agreement with your need to adjust your personnel situation, it will be easier to transfer one out. Also, your relationship with parents can help you guide your paraprofessional assignments through the IEP process.

• Guide to Writing IEP’s
• More about IEP’s
• How to request an paraprofessional (parents)
• Determining support needs

Add to our list of resources, help guide this blog, and tell me about your challenges. I may feature your class or school in upcoming blog entries.

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Grant Name: IWP Foundation Educational Grants

Funded By: Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation

Description: Giving on a national basis. The Foundation makes grants to organizations dedicated to serving developing innovative programs, disseminating ideas, or providing direct care or services for children with special needs, acute illnesses or chronic disabilities.

Program Areas: Disabilities, Early Childhood, Special Education

Eligibility: Public School, Private School, Other

Proposal Deadline: 12/31/2014

Annual Total Amount: $100,000.00 – $200,000.00

Average Amount: $1,000.00 – $10,000.00

Address: 4045 Sheridan Avenue, Ste. 296, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Telephone: 305-861-5352

E-mail: info@iwpf.org

Website: Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation

Availability: All States

Special Ed’s Alphabet Soup: ADHD

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

Every profession has its list of acronyms. As a writer, I hate them because they obfuscate meaning and signal that “an expert” is coming. There’s a very good website dictionary of acronyms across all fields here:

http://www.acronymfinder.com/ADHD.html

If you look closely at the URL, you can find any acronym by typing in the base address (acronymfinder.com) then / then the acronym followed by .html. Special Education seems to have more than its fair share of acronyms to muddy the waters of professional conversation.

In this case, ADHD stands for “Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder”. It is a condition standing in the way of a child’s ability to absorb information from books and understand what is said in the classroom. There are 6.4 million identified ADHD children in this country, or a whopping 11% of our kids.

Some of the symptoms of ADHD include:

• Difficulty concentrating, following directions and staying on task.
• Impulsiveness, interrupting, loss of emotional control.
• Hyperactivity – more than just squirming, a real inability to sit still for any length of time.

There are three distinct types of ADHD:

• Inattention
• Hyperactivity
• Combined

The diagnosis is often applied to kids who are making teachers’ lives miserable – you know who they are, they live in every classroom. There must be a rigorous professional evaluation with input from parents and family, school psychologists, physicians, and school administrators for accurate ID. The symptoms must be severe enough to cause disruption in learning, not the disruption of a teacher’s day. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, but it is imperative to make the distinction.

There has been a 42% increase in the incidence of the diagnosis from 2003 – 2012. Why? There aren’t more children, but there are now more sophisticated measures of behavioral markers and tests to document failure in academic achievement. Boys are two times more likely to exhibit symptoms than girls.

Causes vary; the most accurate description is still “we’re just not sure.” It seems to be a combination of brain injuries, genetics and environment. Many professionals point to alcohol and smoking during pregnancy as causative factors. For treatment, the most effective protocols seem to be combinations of behavioral therapy, social skills, and medication (psychostimulants and antidepressants.) Judicious application of medication for hyperactivity may be all that’s necessary to see improvement. This suggests a chemical imbalance is at work in some children.

We know that good teachers will apply some hard-earned wisdom to help the child succeed:

• Get organized, have supplies and books stored in the same place every day.
• Avoid distractions, be careful with computer use for ADHD children, they may become dependent on them.
• Limit choices; make directions and instructions very clear and consistent.
• Provide simple and clear communication.
• Use goals and rewards, contract learning can be very effective.
• Use timeouts and removal of privileges instead of yelling.
• Create a rigid routine, ADHD children thrive in a structured environment.

You may ask, if computers are such attractive learning tools for these kids, why not use them all the time? The answer is kids need many problem solving tools to get along.

As is my habit, I’ve created a list of quality resources to help teachers create great conditions for learning in their classrooms (acronym alert!):

UDL – Universal Design for Learning

RTI – Response to Intervention

CEC – Council for Exceptional Children

AACAP – American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Help4adhd.org – National Resource Center on ADHD

Additude – Living well with attention deficit.

Add to our list, help guide this blog, and tell me about your challenges and favorite acronyms. I may feature your class or school in upcoming blog entries.

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Grant Name: Teacher Art Grants

Funded By: P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education

Description: The P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education aids and supports teachers who wish to establish an effective learning tool using the arts in teaching children who learn differently. They look to support new or evolving programs that integrate the arts into educational programming.

Program Areas: Arts, Special Education

Eligibility: Public School, Private School

Proposal Deadline: 9/30/2014

Average Amount: $250.00 – $1,000.00

Address: 152 P. Buckley Moss Dr, Waynesboro, VA 22980

Telephone: 540-932-1728

Website: P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education

Availability: All States

Community Resources in the Special Education Classroom

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

I’ve talked often about costs for services to our special needs children. We can all agree that it is an investment in our future. In one lifetime, I have witnessed special kids who were once warehoused in government facilities, but are now assimilated into the general school community. Everyone benefits from this arrangement, even “regular” kids who learn tolerance and respect for others in the process.

Teaching can be isolating. We are in our classrooms all day, with huge responsibilities and very little help along the way (or so it can seem).

To banish this feeling of isolation we can tap in to community agencies. These rich resources are government and private organizations devoted to bringing the disabled citizen into active participation in community activities. There is nothing that says you can’t reach out for help running the day-to-day management of your classroom.

Be sure to bring your principal into the decision making process, but why not call the ARC in your city to see if there are volunteers who might be willing to come in and assist students in your class. The Salvation Army runs wonderful summer and after school programs for low-income children. Disability.gov has a clearinghouse of information for community resources for many disabling conditions. Did you know there’s a National Center for Accessible Instructional Materials? They can guide you and help you select appropriate planning tools and materials for your classroom situation.

The list goes on and on, but a place to start in your town might be the Chamber of Commerce. They have directories of agencies and organizations in your location. Another one-stop shop for directories of agencies that can help teachers with their disabled students is the United Way.

Assistance can take many forms, your local school of education or social work in a college or university can supply volunteers, teacher aides, and student teachers (who can’t use another set of hands?). Agencies might help to find computers for your students, or basic school supplies that are always hard to find. The assistance is only limited by your imagination and willingness to ask for help. Isn’t that what grant writing is after all, a willingness to ask for help?

I find that whenever I have that isolated feeling, it’s time to start eating lunch in the “teacher’s room” again. I usually avoid these repositories of gossip and useless chatter, but an occasional visit can renew alliances. It’s also a reminder that you are part of a community. It’s tempting to be sucked in to the drama of the moment in these rooms, but if you keep it occasional, you can learn about new resources that may be available to you.

When isolated, you may find that a refresher course or professional development class can be just the ticket to rebuilding a feeling of community in your school. Some resources for professional development for SPED teachers:

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASPET)

Education Week

Linguisystems

Professional Development Institute

Knowledge Delivery Systems

Add to our list, help guide this blog, and tell me about your challenges. I may feature your class or school in upcoming blog entries.

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Grant Name: USGA Alliance Grants

Funded By: National Alliance for Accessible Golf

Description: Grants support organizations which provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to learn and enjoy the game of golf and its inherent values. The Alliance and the USGA share the belief that the game of golf is exceptionally well-suited to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in a recreational or competitive activity with participants who have various types of disabilities as well as those who do not have disabilities. We encourage inclusive programming – opportunities that allow participants with disabilities and participants without disabilities to learn and play the game side by side.

Program Areas:   Disabilities, Health/PE

Eligibility: Public School, Other

Proposal Deadline: Ongoing

Average Amount: $1,000.00 – $20,000.00

Address: 1733 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Telephone: 812-320-1126

E-mail: grants@accessgolf.org

Website: http://www.accessgolf.org/grants/alliance_grants.cfm

Availability: All States

Intellectual Disability in the Classroom

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

I remember learning about the bell curve. There was a continuum shaped like a bell on which each child’s intellectual abilities could be placed. The most intellectually able children resided over to the right, and the least over to the left. The “average” kids were the biggest group so they fit in the middle where the bell is fat.

IQ tests are developed to help us find the exact placement for each child on the curve. The tests remain controversial even today; the environment plays such a big role in each child’s upbringing, it’s difficult to know what the causes of any child’s ability may be.

In September, we take time to assess and reassess students for this placement. The assessments are very different from the academic achievement tests we use in the spring that are aligned with learning standards. It always seems each year presents us with a new set of tests.

Once we determine the standard deviation measured for a child’s learning ability, we try to provide the best classroom placements for them. Children with significant deficits will remain in self-contained classrooms. Children with “learning disabilities” will stay in the regular classroom but perhaps be pulled out to be supported further in a resource room. Here, the emphasis is placed on reading instruction, but in some districts, students are given two resource assignments, one for general learning support, and a period each day with the reading teacher.

The costs for all these services are astronomical and rising every year. But no one has yet to develop a better way of meeting the needs of our increasingly diverse populations. We call it an investment in our future. Each child has a part to play in the nation’s economy; it is the role of the school to provide the best foundation for learning. By and large, we do a fairly good job, despite loud voices asserting the contrary.

Intellectual disability is complex, defining it is difficult. There are websites that describe the phenomenon, I’ve listed some here.

• Characteristics of Intellectual Disability
• Resource Guide
• Definitions and Tips
• Teaching Strategies
• Project Ideal – Texas
• National Association of Special Education Teachers

This is a very general discussion of a huge subject. In future blogs, I’ll try to expand on it and provide some resources for the regular classroom teacher who is struggling to find ways to work with their lowest performing children.

Help guide this blog, let me know what your challenges are. I may feature your class or school in upcoming blog entries.

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Grant Name: Foundation Grants

Funded By: Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation

Description: Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation supports innovative projects that help youth with disabilities develop the leadership and employment skills they need to succeed, particularly for careers in science, technology and the environment. MEAF will also consider projects to create tools that help break down barriers to employment and increase job opportunities for young people with disabilities entering the workforce, including returning veterans with disabilities.

Program Areas:   Disabilities, General Education, Professional Development, Science/Environmental, Special Education, Technology, Vocational

Eligibility: Public School, Private School, Higher Education, Other

Proposal Deadline: 6/1/2015

Annual Total Amount: $400,000.00

Average Amount: $1,000.00 – $10,000.00

Address: 1560 Wilson Blvd., Ste. 1150, Arlington, VA 22209-2463

Telephone: 703-276-8240

Website: Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation

Availability: All States

The Five Most Common Reasons for SPED Referral

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

Over the years, the labels we use to describe special education students have changed. When I was in Special Education 101 (I’m really dating myself), we used to call developmentally disabled children retarded. Even worse, we split the kids into Mild, Moderate, and Severe categories. This was happening at the same time as “mainstreaming”. We understood that the least restrictive environment for all children was the way to go, but we muddied the issue by splitting kids into groups.

To some extent, we still do that. It’s important to be able find language to describe our children. We can’t provide special assistance if we can’t inform people about why it’s needed.

We’ve found there are five types of learning problems that students have that cause us to take a second look and refer them for special education assessment.

• Specific Learning Disability
• Intellectual Disability
• Autism
• Disorders of Hearing, Sight and Physical Disability
• Emotional Disturbance

I am guessing at the order, there are probably numbers to tell us which of these is the most common, but I don’t have them handy. It really doesn’t matter; these areas of concern have created a bureaucracy of support for special education that is costly and complex. The bureaucracy has developed because of Public Law 94-142, the legislation mandating the least restrictive environment for educational services.

Today, most disabled students can be helped in resource rooms, or classrooms that pull students out for a period during the day for special education. There are however, substantially separate classrooms for students with severe problems. These are the students who have a one on one aide that help them with toileting, physical therapy, and other services we must provide by law.

School Committees all over the country bemoan the cost of these provisions, but at the end of the day, it’s an investment in our future. All students need the best we can give, regardless of cost.

Another part of the law is the requirement that parents be part of the team that outlines the type and duration of any services their children will receive. Schools may have different names for the teams, but it’s usually called the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team. When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004, there were changes regarding IEP team members. Parents must be included, but there are others invited to team meetings including the classroom teacher, district administrators and others who are charged with providing services. Meetings occur two times each year, and amendments are made to treatment plans (individual education plans). For instance, parents can request that their children have special equipment. A tool called “Kurzweill” is commonly requested. This software reads aloud for the student and assists struggling readers. Students may also have readers during testing.

I’ve talked a lot about behaviors in classrooms and the costs we incur in our efforts to help at risk students. We can’t forget about the students with the most serious disabilities. Even though we may have substantially separate classrooms for some, this does not mean marginalization. In modern schools, every attempt is made to pull these children into everyday activities in the community at large.

Do you have questions for me? My readers answer more questions than they pose, but I welcome your involvement in this blog.

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Grant Name: Serves Grants

Funded By: United States Tennis Association (USTA)

Description: Awarded to nonprofit organizations that support efforts in tennis and education to help disadvantaged, at-risk youth and people with disabilities. To qualify for a USTA Serves Grant, your organization must: Provide tennis programs for underserved youth, ages 5-18, with an educational* component OR Provide tennis programs for people with disabilities (all ages) with a life skills component for Adaptive Tennis programs.

Program Areas: Public School, Private School, Other

Eligibility: Disabilities, Health/PE

Proposal Deadline: 10/18/2014

Address: 70 West Red Oak Lane White Plains, NY 10604

Telephone: 914-696-7175

E-mail: materasso@usta.com

Website: United States Tennis Association

Availability: All States

Pre-Referral Strategies for Special Education

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

When I was in graduate school for learning disabilities XYZ years ago (years disguised to protect my vanity), I wrote a paper with the title “Overrepresentation of Minorities in Special Education.” It was a huge undertaking and the paper ended up asking more questions than it answered. The gist of my thesis was that behavior issues unfamiliar to the average middle class teacher were causing more SPED referrals for minority students than for others.

The professor took pity on me and gave me an A probably because I had the temerity to tackle the subject in the first place. As I was researching the topic, I realized one of the keys to success is to give teachers the support they need to identify and remediate difficult behaviors before the referral process is under way.

Since then, much has been written about the pre-referral process for students with behavior disorders. Teachers become frustrated with kids who are acting out. They have no way to mitigate behaviors before they escalate. In many cases, they don’t know how to set limits and provide options to students who are frustrated in their own right. Students have a way of behaving themselves into a corner from which there is no escape. Both teacher and student need strategies to de-escalate situations that can get out of control.

Many years after the ambitious paper was written, I have experienced difficult kids and have found ways to work with them to find viable solutions to problems. There are some wonderful resources available for teachers now, especially since the advent of the Internet (see the end of this article to find some of them). My favorite is a big red book called “Pre-Referral Intervention Strategies” by Stephen B. McCarney, Ed.D. There are hundreds of forms and checklists for teachers to use. The resources establish step-by-step behavior interventions that work.

Schools are developing a team approach to work through problems to prevent referral.

Team members:

• Work together to identify a child’s learning strengths and needs,
• put strategies into action, and
• evaluate the impact of the interventions so the child can succeed in the general education classroom.

Since public law 94-142 was implemented, the goal has been to mainstream children into the least restrictive environment, ideally the regular grade level classroom.

A team should include parents, psychologists, and other teachers who meet with the child in other classrooms, a special education administrator or behavior specialist. It’s not always possible to bring parents to meetings, but an interview with them is essential so you can know how they deal with behaviors at home. When strategies are finally developed, they work much better if they are delivered in a coordinated fashion at school and at home.

At a team meeting:

• A child’s strengths, interests, and talents are described.
• Reasons for referral are listed, including behavior and academic achievement.
• Interventions previously tried are discussed and if any success has been achieved. (Interventions may include accommodations, modifications, and behavior plans to try at home and in classrooms.)
• Interventions are shared to address immediate concerns.
• Interventions are carried out.
• Strategies are evaluated to see what works.

Here are some resources to help with developing a pre-referral team approach in your school.

Pre-Referral Intervention Manual
Strategies
RTI – Response to Intervention
Parents in the referral process
Other resources

As always, keep in touch and let me know how your school works with pre-referral teams.

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Grant Name: Family Service Community Grants

Funded By: Autism Speaks

Description: Autism Speaks seeks to directly support the innovative work of autism service providers in local communities across the United States. The focus of our Family Services Community Grants is three-fold: to promote autism services that enhance the lives of those affected by autism; to expand the capacity to effectively serve this growing community; and to enhance the field of service providers.

Program Areas:   After-School, Arts, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, Disabilities, Early Childhood, Family Services, General Education, Health/PE, Library, Math, Reading, Safe/Drug Free Schools, Science/Environmental, Social Studies, Special Education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), Technology, Vocational

Eligibility: Public School, Private School, Other

Proposal Deadline: 3/25/2015

Average Amount: $5,000.00 – $25,000.00

Telephone: 917-475-5059

E-mail: sselkin@autismspeaks.org

Website: Autism Speaks

Availability: All States

Becoming a Better Teacher

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

They say that experience is the best teacher of a teacher. That is certainly true in my case. When I first started teaching in a special education classroom, I was kind, giving, quite frankly, a sucker. Kids manipulated me into a corner every single day. So, over time, I learned to be less of a friend and much more of a guiding hand, sometimes a shoving hand.

There are some things that teachers can do though, above and beyond waiting for time to pass, and letting experiences teach lessons the hard way. One thing I have done religiously every year is to make home visits. It is the single most important thing I do – I set the end of October as my deadline to make sure I visit every student’s home (unless the family expressly forbids it – and that has happened.)

I learn so much about my students this way. I can observe family dynamics, see where my student fits in the family order, see how parents interact with their kids. Are they warm and loving and supportive? Are they stern, controlling? Are they protective (or over-protective) of their special education child? These characteristics and family interactions give me ways to approach the child in the classroom, I understand them better.

I can observe the home itself and I don’t mean for House Beautiful comparisons. For many years I worked in urban schools in inner cities. I saw poverty first hand, and also saw how tempting the street can be for students. When you don’t have much, it makes sense to join with a group of kids who also have very little. These bands of poor kids can, if guided by a mentor, do wonderful things. I have the utmost regard for organizations like the “Y”, Girl’s Clubs and Scouts, etc. If students have a sense of purpose, and a responsible adult to guide them, the negative effects of a gang mentality can be avoided. I also work closely with the police. The schools I have worked in were lucky to have community officers. They helped to prevent many bad decisions kids choose to make on any given day.

Another must for me has been taking advantage of every possible opportunity for professional development. Lately it has been attending workshops on Common Core State Standards curriculum integration for Special Education, and on technology. I haven’t decided yet exactly how I feel about distance learning; this is true of professional development as well as some of the new “courses” online for schools. For classrooms, asynchronous learning by itself is not sufficient. You need a teacher and interaction of some sort with other students. Some of the credit-granting schools for students who need more classes to graduate from high school may be helpful to some, but I worry about academic rigor. With SPED kids, there are many other factors to consider that an online solution may ignore.

Not all distance learning is suspect. I’ve discovered a website called Lynda.com. There are a slew of video based tutorials here on computer software programs like Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. These lessons are very helpful in bringing me up to speed on new products, too. There are other examples of this for teachers. This kind of online learning, no stakes informational presentations, will flourish and do well. I worry though about online degrees and online high schools.

There are so many new software products for managing the day to day operation of your classroom, including the automation of IEPs that I can’t list them all. I found an article that shows you how to choose an effective system.

And, hold on to your hats, I still grab a good book to stay up to date on what teachers are reading. A list here stays on the topic of becoming a better teacher.

So, out of the box, you are no doubt a great SPED teacher (or “regular” teacher). Just remind yourself that there are some specific steps you can take to brush up on new skills, and improve the ones you have.

Let us know some of your tips and tricks to be a great SPED teacher. I learn from my readers all the time.

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Grant Name: Lawrence Scadden Teacher of the Year Award in Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Funded By: Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Description: The recipient will be recognized at the annual National Science Teachers Association Convention, at the Science-Abled Breakfast, sponsored by SESD and Reaching the Pinnacle for Students with Disabilities. The winner of the Scadden award is expected to attend the NSTA conference to accept the award and a check for $1,000.00. The $1,000.00 stipend associated with the Scadden Award is provided to offset travel expenses to NSTA.

Program Areas:   Disabilities, Science/Environmental, Special Education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Eligibility: Public School, Private School

Proposal Deadline: 1/20/2015

Average Amount: $1,000.00

E-mail: pverones@brockport.edu

Website: Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Availability: All States