1. Presented by Cynthia White-Botello, Ms Ed ATOM 2016
Using the Sensory Learning Guidebook and Assessments to Support Children with Multiple Impairments
Presented by Cynthia White-Botello, Ms Ed
ATOM 2016

2. Session Objectives: Who are the children we serve
Connections to the DLM & Iowa’s Alternate Assessments
Understanding the unique needs of a child with Multiple Impairments including Deafblindness (VIMI/DB)
Using “The Sensory Learning Kit Guidebook and Assessments”

3. Who are the children targeted for this session?
Functioning developmentally birth to 3
Multiply disabled, blind, visually impaired, cerebral palsy, rare syndromes and etiologies, premature, traumatic brain injury, etc.,.
Minimal receptive/expressive communication
“Behaviors”

4. Needed to extend the taxonomy of the cognitive processes within the assessment items to include all students. Communication Matrix was used as a tool to develop this new taxonomy

5. Foundation Node Example
Preintentionally expresses discomfort
F-31
Anticipates Consequences of Actions
F-99 Respond to stimuli
F-108
Preintentionally expresses
comfort
F-18
Seeks attention of others to get desired objects
F-55 Can seek objects
F-94 Expresses
Preferences
F-109
Preintentionally expresses
Interest in others
We now have an assessment that provides a clear pathway in supporting students through their development of foundational skills that are precursor to academic skill development 150 of these foundational nodes across each content area of ELA & Math
F-106 Selectively attends to stimuli
F-46 Expresses interest in people
F-68
Can respond to bids for attention from others

6. Understanding The Unique Needs of a Child with Visual & Multiple Impairments including Deafblindness

7. Etiology and Physiology trump everything!
*Sensory Learning Summary (file review) in the Sensory Learning Kit

8. “Building a relationship based on trust is the single most important aspect of facilitating learning for students with visual impairments and students with visual and multiple impairments.” “SLK Guidebook and Assessment Forms” by Millie Smith, 2005

9. Piaget’s Learning Theory
Learning involves discovery through the manipulation of objects and interaction with people, places and things.

10. Brain Plasticity
Neuroplasticity is the capacity of the nervous system to adjust and modify it’s organization
The brain is adaptable
If neurons are not used for a specific/assigned task they can be recruited for other tasks
The plasticity of the brain is highly responsive to the environment
Lecture Linda Alsop, “Brain Development and Sensory Loss” Utah State University Course on Deafblindness, Spring 2010

11. We Receive And Perceive Sensory Input Through Sights, Sounds, Touch, Tastes, Smells And Movement
Difficulty taking in, interpreting and modulating the constant flow of sensory input and output can lead to devastating consequences and challenging behaviors.

12. Tactile Strategy: Hand-under-Hand Guidance (Adult’s hand is under the Child’s hand)
The child retains control of his hand.
Useful strategy to
demonstrate an action (for example, reaching towards an object or feeling that a bowl is empty)
introduce an object (bring the object up and under child’s hand)
Video example at library/deaf-blind-videos/hand-under-hand/ (view Kailee)

13. Interacting with the Hands & Body
Use Tactile Strategies such as mutual tactile attention, tactile modeling, and hand under hand techniques
Watch the child’s hands and learn to read how s/he uses them
Think of hands as initiators of topics in conversational interactions, particularly with children who do not yet use words.
a few words about the hands and the importance of relationship with our most challenged learners…..Frequently we take too much control of their bodies without asking consent, giving a choice, some kind of notice, giving them the right to have a choice about their participantion. For all childrne the right to feel safe is CRITICAL for children with complex disabilites who have little sensory access to their environment it is CRITICAL we consider how our touch/smell communicates – promotes a positive relationship

14. The Golden Rule(s) of Communication
Quality Input before Quality Output
Understanding the student’s sensory and symbol preferences/needs
High interest (chosen/led by the student)
Experience based
Hands On….again
Watch and listen with more than just your eyes and your ears….

15. Using the SLK Guidebook and Assessment Forms to develop the Learning Media Assessment (LMA)
FREE Download at
The Sensory Learning Kit is NOT needed

16. The SLK Guidebook and Assessment Forms:
includes 5 assessments/tools used sequentially to create individualized, developmentally appropriate routines for children with visual and multiple impairments including deafblindness functioning developmentally from birth to age 2.

17. The SLK Routines Book:
contains routine templates to be modified to reflect the unique needs of individual learners

18. “SLK Guidebook & Assessment Forms” includes 5 assessments/tools:
Sensory Learning Summary (SLS) to help us understand how this child accesses information and support their health needs (file review)
Arousal State Profile (ASP) to determine when this child is available for instruction
Sensory Response Record (SRR) to determine appetites/aversions, instructional level
Appetite/Aversion List (AAL) a determined though the Sensory Learning Summary
Levels & Strategies Guide (LSG) to determine instructional level

19. The Sensory Learning Summary (SLS)
Purpose: to summarize the learner’s individual sensory needs which help educators understand how this child accesses information and unique sensory needs.
See SLK Guidebook
page 49-56
example page 81-88

20. The Sensory Learning Summary (SLS) includes information from the FVA
Part II: Sensory Functioning Needs
page 51-52
example page 83-84
Distance and size of pictures

21. Arousal State Profile (ASP)
Purpose: to determine typical patterns of arousal and understand when the child is available for instruction
See SLK Guidebook
page 57-64
example page 89-94

22. Sensory Response Record (SRR)
Purpose: to determine the child’s instructional level and preferred learning media (See “SLK Intervention Levels” handout)
information about responses to a variety of learning media in each sensory channel are recoded during structure presentations
See SLK Guidebook
page 65-71
example page 95-98

23. Appetite/Aversion List (AAL)
Purpose: as determined through Sensory Learning Summary. These appetites elicit positive/negative orienting responses (limbic sorting system)
See SLK Guidebook
page 73
example page 99

24. Levels & Strategies Guide (LSG)
Purpose: to determine appropriate instructional level and specific strategies to use for teaching (See “SLK Intervention Levels” handout)
See SLK Guidebook
page 75-79
example page 101

25. SLK Intervention Levels (handout)
Quiet Alert (attention): help the learner establish and maintain alertness
Active Alert (exploration): help the learner develop intentional behaviors as he interacts with media and partners
Partial participation (function): help the learner anticipate the next step in a sequence leading to a meaningful outcome
M. Smith, presentation on SLK Dec 2013

26. What are Routines?
An instructional strategy developed to increase consistency and repetition in order to learn. Any activity can be designed to be a routine, in fact most are.

27. Why Routines?
Provide an opportunity to communicate around a familiar topic
Help the child feel comfortable so s/he can use his energy and attention more efficiently
Develop a sense of beginning middle and end to an activity
Help weave a cluster of people, actions, objects and locations into a meaningful whole
Make use of natural cues, i.e., one step acts a cue for the next step
Can help a child anticipate an end to an undesired activity or recognize the beginning of a desired activity
Build a memory foundation for procedural learning
Provide an internal picture of an activity so the child can recognize when something changes
Linda Alsop, “Understanding Deafblindness; Issues, Perspectives and Strategies””

28. SLK Routines Book
Contains routine templates to be modified to reflect the unique needs of individual learners
Routines are organized into three levels: quite alert, active alert and partial participation (hand out “SLK Intervention Levels”
Goals for each level are in the areas of communication, cognition and motor functioning

29. SLK Routines Book Includes Routine worksheet/lesson plan page 13 & 15
example page 14 & 16

30. Routine Template (handout)

31. Within the Routine Use
Tactile strategies Touch Relationship Pacing Teaming Informal Observation – impeccable observer

32. Questions, Comments, Thoughts?