BUILDING INDEPENDENCE IN STUDENTS WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS By Mindy Barberis & Jeremy Fowler 4/29/2015

Welcome! This is the development that nicely summarizes all of the other developments. This module will “connect the dots” between all of information that you have gathered to this point. The whole reason we do what we do is…… To graduate all students and help the student develop the skills to function independently, socially and productively in society. 4/29/2015

How it All Comes Together Building Independence Understanding Specific Student Interventions Data Collection & Needs Assessment Behavior Support/Classroom Management 4/29/2015

What it is Like for Our Students Video on F.A.T. City: Frustration, Anxiety and Tension is the reality for students with disabilities. Their immediate solution is to shutdown, give-up, or demonstrate some other behavior that distracts them from learning. FAT City is a video demonstration where different members of a school community (parents and teachers etc.) are asked to act like themselves, not students, while Richard Lavoie guides them through a lesson. He tries to let us know what it is like for students with learning disabilities in the classroom. 4/29/2015

FAT CITY 4/29/2015

So Now What? We Have Students Who Are Still Struggling… Here is how you can meet a student’s needs, being as least restrictive as possible. Things to consider: 1. Look at the assessment data and/or IEP (including goals) for the student. How do they qualify for Special Education and what are their needs/challenges? Do the supports that we are providing for the student make sense with the actual IEP/Student’s needs? 4/29/2015

Now What Continued….. 2. What different supports need to be provided so that the student is accommodated/supported without the use of an adult in the classroom just for them? 3. Does the team need to collect more data to make sure the supports are effective? 4. Can we use that data to fade the staff away during times where the student is already successful. 1. Can the student look at the environment for cues on what to do (including other students, seating position, fill in the blank, specific prompting, etc) 5. What supports can only be done with extra staff support? 2. Can we utilize existing staff members? Can the teacher give the supports if a para helps prepare them, but not actually be in the classroom? 3. Does the case manager (who organizes the IEP) have all the information they need in order to make sure the IEP reflects the needs from this point on?.... 4/29/2015

Here is How it May Come Together Our sample student: Name: Jeremy Barberis Age/Grade: An 8 year old Third Grader Setting: A general education classroom all day long Eligibility Areas: Autistic Like (Primary), Speech and Language Impairment (Secondary). Other Relevant Information: aversive to loud noises, tends to be OCD with his workspace, difficulty processing auditory information (auditory processing disorder), difficulty processing visual information, has the ability to do grade level work. 4/29/2015

The Problem… Jeremy Barberis is a bright student. He has recently transitioned from an SDC type class to a general education class all day long. He was assigned a paraprofessional to the general education classroom to support his needs. However, over time we have seen that he is developing an dependency towards this paraprofessional and he is using this paraprofessional under circumstances where would have previously been independent. The student was formerly doing the following tasks well: transitioning from one task to the next, taking cues from the teacher to get out materials needed, pick out his own free time activities, go to and from the bathroom or to service providers on his own. The team would like to work on fading this paraprofessional away over time and create a student that functions independently for as much of the day as possible. 4/29/2015

Our Toolkit of Options Here are the items that typically you want to look at first, and choose your appropriate supports and interventions from there. Also, see the handout attached to the back of your packet. 4/29/2015

Our Supports… Here is how we are going to support the Autistic-Like needs of the student: Color code materials to assist with organization Place chart on desk with pictures of items he needs for each subject area (pencil and eraser for math, etc) Provide a visual chart on his desk showing what he can do during his free time Place a specific peer next to him who will be good with peer assistance and partnering. Tell student to look at a specific peer in the classroom for cueing on what materials/behaviors he should have out or be demonstrating. 4/29/2015

Our Supports Continued… Here is how we will support the Speech/Language and auditory processing needs of our student: Ask facilitated questions (“what comes next”, rather than just telling the student what to do). Give the student extra time to respond before prompting a second time. Have the teacher prompt three times before the paraprofessional steps in. Come up with a special/unique cue as to when you are going to ask them a question (teacher stands in front of desk and taps desk with finger). Direct the student to answer the teacher, and when to listen to the teacher for specific directions (teacher develops a procedure to cue the student to pay special attention). 4/29/2015

Our Supports Continued… Here is how were going to support the aversion to loud noises: During loud activities, seat the student in the back of the classroom so that unexpected noises startle him less. Here is how were are going to support the OCD/organizational needs of the student: Near the student’s desk, place organizational bins so that the student has one bin for each subject matter. 4/29/2015

Our Supports Continued… Here is how we are going to support the visual processing needs of the student: Provide the student copies of notes when note taking is occurring. (this does not mean the student isn’t taking notes, it simply means that the student should not feel pressured to get every detail down since follow-up notes will be provided). Provide graphic organizers for writing tasks and taking lecture notes. 4/29/2015

Your Activity!! 1. Choose a group recorder 2. Choose a presenter 3. Choose a member to read the student profile Then…. A. Read the profile. B. Come up with a list of supports for each area of need. Please be brief. C. Use the toolkit provided as a base of interventions. Feel free to expand if you wish. D. Be ready to present the information you recorded on your big huge sticky note. You have 15 minutes to prepare and organize your supports. Then your speaker will be asked to present your information. 4/29/2015

In Closing… We are here to create independent functioning students. To the best of your ability, we need to give precise support to foster that independence. We need to give just what is needed…..just in time. Thank you so much for the turn-out these past few weeks. So many people are talking about how successful the development has been. That success is yours’ and yours’ alone. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of it. 4/29/2015