4/29/2015
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
Data Collection
& Needs
Assessment
Behavior
Support/Classroom
Management
Understanding
Specific
Student
Interventions
Building Independence
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.
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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…..
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.
2.
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)
What supports can only be done with extra staff support?
5.
2.
3.
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?
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.
2.
3.
Choose a group recorder
Choose a presenter
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.