Hi,
Wondering if any of you have any advice as to how I can
help my son’s Teacher understand what my son’s abilities
are/aren’t!
I’m so frustrated. I need to help him through these two
large assignments. He’s 16 yrs. old.
Teacher is expecting him to complete two
different poster/research/speech/demonstration
assignments. We have explained his difficulty with
open ended and essay type assignments. I have asked
to allow him to perform the speeches after school and to
have some of the essay modified. She
believes he can perform the speeches during class. (Eye
contact is part of the grade.) He can not perform a
speech or demonstration without suffering a meltdown afterwards…
(Asperger Syndrome)
I need some help
to modify the demonstration & the speech. I sent her the Doctors recommendations for
teachers from his Case Report. (below) His IEP states that any difficult or large assignments will be modified by the teacher. I need advice to help her
understand without being ….adversarial? I want to work her….but she isn’t “listening?”
Here is what I told her in e mail:
In the interest of saving
> some time with explanations, I thought I would send you
> this information for you to better understand what we
> are up against. Then we can determine what kinds of
> modifications can be applied to these assignments.
> This is a brief explanation of the needs we have to
deal
> with:
> ~~~~~~~
> ” ***** will have difficulty understanding the
intentions
> of an assignment unless it is carefully explained to
> him. He will certainly need help during the start-up of
> any assignment or classroom task. Moreover, any
> classroom task that requires writing an essay or
> answering open-ended questions will be next to
> impossible for him. He will need much guidance and
> scaffolding to help bring him along step by step
through
> any essay questions, book report or open-ended
> assignment.
> *****’s teachers will need to break down assignments
> into parts and help him go through each assignment and
> project step by step. He should not be expected to
> prepare a term paper or long term report by himself.
> ***** is extraordinarily shame sensitive. His shame
> inhibits his productions and one will have to be very
> careful and delicate about the way one encourages him
to
> take risks. Criticism of his work will in general
> paralyze his production.”
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I am interested in finding out if he can perform his
> demonstration and poster presentation after school for
> you rather than in class.
> He will need help in organizing the demonstration and
in
> planning which one to do and how to set it up.
> Basically, he will need help with the demonstration
> through from beginning to end — step by step.
> It might be more appropriate to have him write
something
> for the “Science Demonstration Speech” unless he can
> perform it for you after school, and we would like to
be
> present as well if it’s alright with you.
> The Poster Project is more doable but again he will
need
> scaffolding through this assignment and he will need to
> give this presentation after school as well. His
> disability directly impacts his ability to make eye
> contact especially in stressful situations and this
> should be taken into consideration for his grade and
his
> presentation grade should allow for this aspect of his
> disability.
> I hope this will help you to work with *****’s
> limitations and I hope we can work out an appropriate
> way for him to perform these assignments.
> I look forward to speaking with you on Friday,
> Lori
Then she told me this:
I think that he can present his demonstration in front
of the class
as long as he is well preapred. He will need to pick
out a dmonstration to
do. I recommend picking up a science demonstration book
from the library
there are several good one-“Mr. Wizard and Janice
VanCleave”. They have
simple but good demonstrations in them. Once he picks
out the demo it will
be no problem helping him do the write up in school and
then you can help
him practice the speech at home. You are more than
welcome to come to class
the day he is presenting if you would like.
Thanks.
Re: help w/modification for my son
I don’t know if this would work, but what if he were allowed to do the speech as a videotape instead of “live”?
Re: help w/modification for my son
This is the sort of assignment that comes up frequently in middle and high school- how has it been dealt with before? I like the idea of the videotape:) Then he could watch it too, and do some self evaluation.
I think that this teacher feels that she/he has made modifications- wrong - but understandable I guess, if she has never had to deal with a child with Asberger’s. Is there time to have an IEP meeting with the Special Educator? Then you could ask the teacher what the modifications are- since the IEP mandates modifications on large assignments. You could also have a general conversation about what modifications work for your child. You should probably plan on doing this in the fall too- if he is going to have different teachers next year. Save your emails and good luck.
Robin
Re: help w/modification for my son
The videotape sounds like a good idea to me and worth running by the teacher. I have a television with a built-in VCR in my room but every teacher should be access to that kind of equipment.
Another idea might be to do a Power Point demonstration of some kind. Power Point is the tool that everybody in the real world is using these days to make presentations.
Robin’s post certainly had good suggestions in it about the right people to speak to to better plan for your son.
Re: help w/modification for my son
I was also going to suggest the idea of videotaping at home, then showing it before the class, or just before the teacher. This is assuming your son is comfortable with the idea - it could be very valuable for future reports if it works out, and could even be formally put into his IEP so that there would be less need to negotiate.
Re: help w/modification for my son
First of all was the teacher at the IEP staffing? General Ed. teachers need to be present. Next, if the modifications are in the IEP she must go along with them. If not, call for another meeting and make sure all his teachers are there, special ed. teacher, psy. counselor and principal. You can also get an advocant for you who will attend the IEP staffings. By the way where is the special education teacher? She should be making sure modifications are being met. (IDEA 97 guidelines)
Good luck
Mary
Re: help w/modification for my son
This is my first post to these message boards so please excuse my bluntness in saying what I strongly feel on this topic for my first post. I am a speech/language pathologist working in the public school setting. One of the major difficulties we have in our school district is regular ed teachers refusing or forgetting to follow modifications/accomodations for a special education student. This is a violation of the child’ IEP and you have the right to file an administrative complaint with your school district. If you can’t get it resolved at the local level then you have a right to file for a due process hearing to make sure the IEP is being followed.
I am attending an IEP meeting tomorrow morning where I anticpate a regular ed teacher is going to be in serious trouble because of their refusal to follow a child’s accomodations/modifications. We have a place on our IEP where each student serving the child must have signed off that they have read the child’s IEP. Since we hold IEP meetings throughout the year, it is extremely important the at the beginning of the school year the student’s new teachers read it and know the modifications/accomodations. You mentioned that your child has Asberger’s and presenting this speech without the modifications/accomodations could create a meltdown. What am I going to say next is a worst case scenario but I want to use it as an example. Suppose he started having a series of meltdowns that resulted in behavior that caused expulsion from school. After 10 days, they would have to conduct a functional behavior assessment ( if they haven’t already) and hold a manifestation determination meeting where a positive behavioral support plan is designed ( if not already in his IEP). I think you could legitimately determine that indeed his behavior was a result of his disability and their failure to follow accomodations/modifications. I think if something like this would happen then you certainly would have good cause for due process.
Re: help w/modification for my son
I was glad to read the last two postings, because my first thoughts reading this was HELLO!!!!!! The teacher needs to be rather forcefully reminded that an IEP is a legal document, one that binds the district to upholding it. I completely agree-request a Team and do look into getting an advocate. Good luck!
Re: help w/modification for my son
my son does oral presentations to the teacher after school. He is not required to perform in front of a class room of people. I think it is ridiculous that your son’s teacher is being so insensitive
I was rarely able to get any modifications for my son so I took the route of doing assignments with him and sometimes for him. If you need to, you can get the poster part and essay part of the assignments done with him or for him.
The speech in class is certainly a different matter. What would happen if you don’t allow him to do it? Would she fail him for the semester? Is there anyone in the school to whom you can turn for help? The school psychologist? A guidance counselor?
If all else fails, I would certainly go to class that day and let him know you’re there for him and be there for him before, during, and after. That might help to lessen the meltdown that usually occurs.
Good luck.