Impact of Disability What is now required?

Impact of Disability What are the characteristics of this particular student’s disability? What impact do the characteristics have on this particular student’s educational performance?

Example One: MOID Adam is diagnosed with a Moderate Intellectual Disability characterized by delays in cognitive, academic, and adaptive behavior skills. Adam takes longer to learn new concepts or skills in school. He has trouble with understanding abstract concepts or with making inferences. He also has difficulty transferring a skill he has learned from one setting to another or even from one activity to a different activity. Moreover, he has trouble with skills typical peers learn through incidental learning. Adam lacks age appropriate daily living and communication skills. Academically, Adam is functioning on an early elementary grade level. His involvement in the general education curriculum is at an access/entry level at this time. Progress is measured in small increments and he requires frequent review over concepts.

Example Two: EBD Bee has been diagnosed with an Emotional/Behavioral Disorder characterized by thoughts and feelings that are inconsistent with actual events, situations, or interactions. In the school setting, she is showing external behavior problems such as refusal to comply with adults, yelling, throwing objects, and leaving her assigned area. Unstructured time is particularly difficult for her (such as cafeteria, playground, class changes, etc.). Problem behaviors often result in time away from the classroom learning activities due to discipline actions. In addition, this also results in Bee’s having difficulty with maintaining focus on the instructional task at hand. Because of time away from instruction as a result of discipline issues, Bee has fallen behind academically in the critical subjects of math and written language. She is functioning more than one grade level below her present grade placement. Her behavior problems also impact the learning of others in the classroom due to the disruptive nature and frequency of the behavior.

Example Three: SLD Stacy has been diagnosed with a Specific Learning Disability. Based on assessment results from January 2012, GWT and CRCT scores from Spring 2012, and current work samples from March 2013, Stacy shows weaknesses in Reading and Written Expression. Moreover, processing deficits continue to be evident in auditory discrimination, organization, and visual-motor integration. In Stacy’s particular case, her difficulties with auditory discrimination are evident in her independent written work which often contains misspelled words. In addition, her auditory discrimination problems have resulted in struggles with reading and written composition skills and she is currently performing below grade level. Organizational problems are evident in her continued trouble organizing her written ideas into proper paragraph form as well as her difficulties with keeping up with assignments and remembering to turn them in. Visual-motor difficulties are still evident in her written work; especially when she gets in a hurry to finish something, her handwriting becomes almost illegible.

Example Four: S/L Adam is diagnosed with a Speech/Language Disorder characterized by a moderate to severe language impairment. He often lacks understanding of underlying vocabulary or concepts needed for learning. He frequently has trouble understanding verbal directions or lectures. He also sometimes has trouble expressing his thoughts in an organized, understandable manner. Adam has difficulty processing the language used in the curriculum and in the presentation of the curriculum without extra time and additional supports. Sentence structures are decreased in length and complexity as compared to same age peers. Syntax errors are often present, especially with pronouns.

PLOP: Needs, Supports Using the Impact Tool provided, you can also find ideas for: Specialized instructional needs Classroom supports or accommodations to try

Impact/Needs Connection: ImpactNeeds Because he has trouble transferring skills from one setting to another, he needs extra practice in additional settings and in alternative formats. He also has difficulty transferring a skill he has learned from one setting to another or even from one activity to a different activity.

Needs/Supports Connection Needs Because he has trouble transferring skills from one setting to another, he needs extra practice in additional settings and in alternative formats. Supports Extra practice in additional settings to assist in transfer of learning.

Needs/Services Connection Needs Because he has trouble transferring skills from one setting to another, he needs extra practice in additional settings and in alternative formats. Services: CBE RATIONALE: Due to his difficulty with transferring learned skills across various settings or activities, Adam also requires specialized instruction in a variety of community settings in order to facilitate transfer of learning. Therefore, he will be provided special transportation to various community sites during the school day, accompanied by classroom teacher/paraprofessional.

Impact/Needs Connection Impact In the school setting, she is showing external behavior problems such as refusal to comply with adults, yelling, throwing objects, and leaving her assigned area. Needs Specialized instruction which is generally helpful for students with emotional/behavioral difficulties includes: providing positive behavior supports, teaching alternative/appropriate behaviors to replace inappropriate behaviors, use of reward/reinforcement systems, direct instruction on social skills….

Needs/Supports Connection Needs Specialized instruction which is generally helpful for students with emotional/behavioral difficulties includes: providing positive behavior supports, teaching alternative/appropriate behaviors to replace inappropriate behaviors, use of reward/reinforcement systems, direct instruction on social skills…. Supports Behavior Intervention Plan Prepare Bee in advance for anticipated disruptions/changes in her day or schedule. Provide social stories.

Needs/Services Connection Needs Specialized instruction which is generally helpful for students with emotional/behavioral difficulties includes: providing positive behavior supports, teaching alternative/appropriate behaviors to replace inappropriate behaviors, use of reward/reinforcement systems, direct instruction on social skills…. Services: Separate Class for Social Skills RATIONALE: She requires specialized instruction to learn alternative replacement behaviors for her disruptive behaviors.

Impact/Needs Connection Impact Visual-motor difficulties are still evident in her written work; especially when she gets in a hurry to finish something, her handwriting becomes almost illegible. Needs Giving her extra time (time and a half) to complete her classwork or tests has been helpful and allows her to take her time in writing and produce legible written work.

Needs/Supports Connection Needs Giving her extra time (time and a half) to complete her classwork or tests has been helpful and allows her to take her time in writing and produce legible written work. Supports Instructional Accommodation: Extended time: time and one half for homework/classwork Classroom Testing Accommodation: Extended time--time and a half

Needs/Services Connection Needs In the area of classroom work habits, data from teachers" grade books in March 2013 show that Stacy currently has three zeros in English Lit for work not turned in and one to two instances of assignments turned in late in each of her other classes. Stacy needs to develop more independent strategies (such as an electronic calendar) for keeping up with her assignments and deadlines, rather than relying on adults to remind her. Services: Study Skills Class RATIONALE: She requires specialized and direct instruction on independent organization and time management skills.

What if a student is displaying a behavior not usually associated with the disability? Some problem behaviors displayed by a student may NOT always be related to the disability. The problem behavior should still be addressed in some way on the IEP if it is affecting school performance.

Example  Problem behavior: Bee sleeps in class.  Looking at the Impact handout for EBD, I do not see sleeping in class on the list.  Theory: there must be some other reason why she is sleeping in class.  FBA: determines that Bee is not getting enough sleep at night.  IEP/BIP must address this.