Need help from elem/spec ed teachers

Well, going out on a limb here, I’ll say this child probably does not belong in this class. You do not mention cognitive function and that would certainly make a difference. I can see allowing this child to be in a regular classroom for some social interaction, but I’d question whether a regular teacher could really do anything for this child without neglecting the rest of the class. And putting him in there for babysitting is a sickening, in my opinion.

Janis

It’s probably most likely his parents want him in that class and are unwilling to budge. It probably has been suggested already but isn’t there anyway he can spend part of his day in the appropriate placement and then some part of his day in this Kdg. classroom? I also agree it would be helpful for your neice to find out where his cognitive functioning is (IQ). She doesn’t necessarily need an exact number but at least a range of where he is currently functioning…to determine what is appropriate for him.

It is probably a parent issue, but cognitive would have a big bearing. He should be given a FBA and many other services.

I have a friend who has a Downs’ Syndrome (41 IQ) in general ed, 5th grade.

I have to do a content area lesson with modifications, study guide and visual, auditory and kinesthetic lesson plan & activities. I need help with how i should go about preparing such a lesson with strategies for a sixth grade student with learning disabilities. The topic is life in the ocean or pollution. How should i go about writing it in narrative form the strategy i am going to use,etc. Please feel free to share any insights that you may have on how i should do this.

First I would prepare the other K students by telling them that everyone has a unique way of learning and I may not see yours but I know you have one. My job as a teacher is to find out what way you learn the best and teach you that way. This way the repeating child is not picked on by any of his peers.

Second I would attempt to solicite help from the school for a special education para-professional, the child’s parents or closest relatives or volenteers from my support group (peers, my family, church/club members)

Third after the child was in the class and you find out that your niece is unable to teach this child or find out what his talents are. Tell her to get this child a referral, have him assessed and find out some kind of instructional phases so he doesn’t get further behind.

Your daughter is entitled to a great deal more support than she is getting. She needs to start with a meeting with the school psychologist, principal, and a special education teacher. This student should already have an IEP, which should be reviewed with her. It is important for her to understand the goals for this student, which will be very different from the rest of the children in her classroom. She needs to be given strategies for how to work with him, and his aide. There may be resources for her within her district, such as an inclusion specialist, that can make visits to her classroom and meet with her on a regular basis. Sometimes principals are not as aware as they should be of what supports are out there for included students. She may want to contact the special education coordinator for her district directly.

I’ve been there and done this, so to speak and I don’t have pleasant memories. The case was also CP, older, unable to walk, talk, wore a diaper, drooled, grabbed and yanked hair, jewelry, tore papers and books…..all-in-all evaluations placed child generously in the 12 month range of human development.

Yes, this sort of thing happens when parents, who are struggling mightily to deal with the fact that their child is severely to profoundly handicapped, demand regular ed. placement.

That said, your daughter or niece (which was it?) needs to read the, probably thick, file on this child. He almost surely WILL have a special ed. casecarrier, possibly the school’s resource teacher (lucky her). He will have a 1:1 aide?

He, like all youngsters, must have an appropriate education. If his cognitive abilities are as low as your post lends me to believe they are, then there is little in the regular education classroom that will be appropriate for him. He will very likely like music and may “participate” in music activities.

I was not thrilled with the hands strapped down bit. He should be either sitting in an orthopedically designed chair that lends support or sitting in a wheelchair to work with his aide at a table.

If you do not find a good and reliable psychoeducational report, then make your own. First, establish a rapport with the student, then begin “assessing” with a developmental chart. The reason for this is that you want to know what he CAN do and what he needs to be TAUGHT to do. A good developmental chart will assist with this. Also, confirm that he can hear and see within normal limits. If he can, then go for it.

She and the special ed. case carrier (who will be responsible for creating the IEP) should receive assistance from a physical therapist, probably an occupational therapist and possible a speech and language therapist who has experience with low functioning students. There are communication skills that are taught to low functioning students.

This is just a beginning.

Now, I am a resource teacher, but I have had the one full-inclusion case that was similar (really did not help the child in any way at all) and I am tutoring a youngster on home/hospital whom I am concluding is functioning, at age 7, around the 2 year old level (also multiply handicapped, but much higher than the full-inclusion child we had several years back). This population needs functional skills, however their parents, in their struggle to deal with the many strong emotions that are part and parcel of parenting severe and profoundly handicapped children, may push for academics and insist that their child will benefit from learning to read and write. This does not make it so. When they get big and they must be carried about, washed, fed, etc. they will probably regret that the education did not focus upon teaching their child to be a little more independent.

Another thing. This population learns VERY SLOWLY, so slowly writing goals is challenging. It is necessary to chart the child’s progress regularly on the goals. The tendency is to overshoot what the child CAN do and learn, so the goals themselves may be way beyond what the child can accomplish.

Remember, classroom teachers and resource teachers are accustomed to working primarily with children of normal learning ability. Adjusting down to severely to profoundly delayed learning ability is not as easy as it might seem. My first student made roughly 1-2 months growth in a year, try writing annual goals and benchmark objectives for this learning rate.

I have found developmental charts online at these addresses:

www.wa.gov/dshs/iteip/chart4b.html

www.cicc4kids.org/dmc_Dev_Mile_Charts_5231.asp?c=5