User:Heather Inglese/sandbox/Special Education Resources 2021

University of Phoenix Material

Categories of Disability in Federal Special Education Law

Research the federal special education categories in IDEA (Individuals with Disability Education Act).

Complete the following chart about the 14 categories of special education. The first row has been filled in for you as an example. List any references you used below the chart.

Federal Disability Term	Alternative Terms (if applicable)	Brief Description
Specific learning disability	Learning disability (LD)	A disorder related to processing information that leads to difficulties in reading, writing, and computing; the most common disability, accounting for half of all students receiving special education
Autism	autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).	developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engaging in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
Deaf-Blindness		Concomitant [simultaneous] hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.
Deafness		A hearing impairment so severe that a child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
Developmental Delay	Cognitive Disability Developmental Disability Intellectual Disability	Children from birth to age three (under IDEA Part C) and children from ages three through nine (under IDEA Part B), the term developmental delay, as defined by each State, means a delay in one or more of the following areas: physical development; cognitive development; communication; social or emotional development; or adaptive [behavioral] development
Emotional Disturbance	Affective Disorder Major Affective Disorder Emotional Disorder Mental Disorder Mental Disturbance Psychological Disorder	A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (a) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. (b) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. (c) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. (d) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. (e) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted,unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.
Hearing Impairment		An impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but is not included under the definition of "deafness."
Intellectual Disability	General Learning Disability	Significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time] with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Multiple Disabilities	Concomitant Impairments	Concomitant [simultaneous] impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.
Orthopedic Impairment	Spastic (very tight muscles occurring in one or more muscle groups that result in stiff, uncoordinated movements) Athetoid (movements are contorted, abnormal, and purposeless) Ataxic (poor balance and equilibrium in addition to uncoordinated voluntary movement) Mixed (any combination of the types)	A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term Includes: impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g.,poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g.cerebral palsy,amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).
Other Health Impairment		Having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that (a) is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome; and (b) adversely affects a child’s educational performance
Speech or Language Impairment		A communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
		An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
Visual Impairment including Blindness

References: http://sinche.uom.gr/sites/default/files/14_disability_categories_under_idea.pdf

Steps involved in creating an IEP:

Ø Pre-Referral:

1. Document and explain the child’s difficulties and challenges.

2. Test the effectiveness of classroom accommodations and modifications

3. Assess the success of at-home and in-classroom interventions

4. Monitor the child’s progress

Ø Referral

1. After it is determined that pre-referral interventions have been unsuccessful, the child is then referred for Special Education services

Ø Identification

1. Tests will then be conducted by a multi-discipline team with proven experience in any and all of the areas of concern

Ø Eligibility

1. Aggregated data from the assessments is then used to determine if the child has a disability that would then qualify them for Special Education services

Ø Development of the IEP

1. All pertinent stakeholders will meet to employ the data to identify resources needed for the child to access the General Education curriculum

2. Identify the appropriate goals for the child

3. Construct a reasonable and workable education program for the student

Ø Implementation:

1. The IEP now drives the student’s placement and participation in the general classroom

2. This will take into consideration the accommodations and services for both the instruction and testing.

Ø Evaluation and Reviews:

1. In order to make sure that the student is meeting their educational goals and making grade appropriate progress, all interested stakeholders will meet and review the needs of the IEP on an annual basis

2. The teachers are tasked with writing daily, weekly, and quarterly progress reports to help keep the specialists and the parents aware of the student’s progress, and the need for any additional help for the student to achieve their best possible outcome

Ø People who should be included in the IEP meeting:

1. Parents

2. Classroom teacher (at least one)

3. Special Education teacher (at least one)

4. Relevant professionals or specialists (who can interpret the evaluation results)

5. Representative of the school system

6. Other Specialists or advocates (who have knowledge or special expertise about the child

7. The child (when appropriate)

An IEP team member may be filling more than one role (if they are qualified)

Parents-

Parents are an integral piece of the IEP team. Their knowledge of their child is vital to exploring the student’s strengths and deficits. They are able to offer insights into ways that the student’s teachers can work to capitalize on their child’s interest and strengths. Parent’s suggestions often provide a window into the disability and how it affects the child at home during daily life. Parents are valuable partners who can reinforce what their child has been learning at school and can continue working with their child on vital skills while at home.

Teachers-

Teachers form the backbone of the IEP meeting. They see the student daily in an academic and social environment. The classroom teacher is able to shed light on the curriculum, the modifications, and accommodations that are being used on a daily basis in the general classroom with the student. The classroom teacher is also a great resource for suggestions on changes that would benefit the student’s learning and achievement. The classroom teacher is also ideally placed to give anecdotes on whether the student is making their goals and how they can be support to make great gains in their academics.

Special Education Teachers-

By the very nature of their specialized field of study, the Special Education teacher brings a wealth of experience and practical advice to the IEP meeting. The school may look to the child. The Special Education teacher can provide ideas on ways that all of the team could provide the student with the most effective scaffolding. The Special Education teacher is able to provide information on how to modify the general curriculum, provide the best level of services, what testing accommodation may be needed. The Special Education teacher is the perfect bridge between the classroom teacher and the parents when questions arise over the curriculum or best services to help the student.special education teacher to provide professional development for general education teachers, administration, and peripheral workers who may have contact with the exceptional

Relevant Specialists or professionals-

These specialists and professionals are the members of the IEP that are relied upon for interpretation of the evaluations results and then turning them into design elements that will be efficacious in helping the child toward their best outcome. By reading and interpreting the data these specialists and professionals can help paint a clear picture of how the student is doing in the general curriculum and where they may need to be supported further. The interpretation of the data is vital so that the parents and teachers can become aware of needs and deficits and how they are to be remediated. The entire role of the specialists and professionals is to provide guidance, through data, that will enhance the IEP for the benefit of the student’s best outcome.

Representative of the School System-

While this may seem an odd addition to an IEP meeting the representative of the school system has a great deal to offer. These people have specialized knowledge in Special Education services and in the education of exceptional children. They are intimately familiar with the resources that are available and they possess the authority to appropriate the necessary resources. They are there to ensure that the appropriate resources are offered to the student and that they are in fact dedicated to that student’s IEP and carried out in the classroom.

Others with Knowledge or Special Expertise-

Parents or the school system are equally welcome to include individuals that they feel will be beneficial to the creation of the student’s IEP. The school system has the option to bring in any service related professionals that they feel can shed light on how to best support the student’s goals. These can be, but are not limited to: occupational therapists, physical therapists, adaptive and general physical education teachers, psychologists, or speech and language therapists.

The Student-

This is seen more with older students who may be getting ready to create a transition plan. Younger students may be included if the parent and team determine that it may be in all of the stakeholders benefit. It is becoming more common for students to be involved in their own IEP meeting. When there are transition services that are to be offer/developed then the student must be invited to participate in creating a vision of their post academic life.

Ø Types of assessment and testing needed for the IEP

1. Cognition and intelligence assessment: looks at the ability to think abstractly, reason and solve problems. Assessments may include:

WISC-III, WAIS-R, WPPSI-R, Stanford-Binet, Differential Ability Scales

2. Verbal Intelligence Assessment: ability to use cognitive process which rely primarily on verbal language. Assessments may include: Wechler: Verbal Scales, Stanford-Binet: FE Verbal Comprehension Factor, DAS:

3. Non-Verbal Intelligence Assessment: ability to use cognitive processes, which do not rely primarily on verbal language. Assessments may include: Weschler: Performance Scales, Stanford-Binet: FE Nonverbal Reasoning/Visualization Factor, Stanford-Binet: FE Verbal Comprehension Factor, DAS: Nonverbal Ability, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) Nonverbal scale, Leiter International Performance Scale, Columbia Mental Maturity Scale, Raven’s Progressive Matrices

4. Receptive Verbal Language: ability to understand incoming spoken language. Assessments may include: Weschler: Verbal Scales, Test of Language Development-2 (TOLD-2) Listening Composite, Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language-Revised, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-R) Receptive Subtests, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised

5. Expressive Verbal Language: ability to convey ideas and relate information through oral language. Assessments may include: Weschler: Verbal Scales, TOLD-2: Speaking Composite, CELF-R: Expressive Subtests, Woodcock-Johnson: Revised-Rests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-R COG), Speech Exam and Language Sample

6. Reading and Phonics skills: ability to decode unfamiliar words, to recognize familiar words, and to understand written material. Assessments may include: Weschler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) Reading Composite, Woodcock-Johnson: Revised Tests of Achievement (WJ-R) Reading Subtests, Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (K_TEA) Reading Composite, Ekwall Reading Test, Informal Survey of Phonics Skills

7. Spelling Skills: ability to encode words in the written form. Use of spelling rules and visual recall, and auditory analysis skills in encoding words. Assessments may include: WIAT: Spelling, K-TEA: Spelling, Wide Range Achievement Test-3 (WRAT-3): Spelling Dictated Spelling Tasks

8. Handwriting Skills: Neatness, spatial organization, and knowledge of manuscript and/or cursive alphabets. Assessments may include: WIAT: Written Expression • Test of Written Language –2 (TOWL2) • Slingerland, Tests 1, 2, 5, 6 • Alphabet writing task • Classroom Writing Samples

9. Written Language Skills: Ability to organize and relate ideas in written form. Knowledge of written language mechanics skills. Assessments may include: WIAT: Writing Composite Written Language Skills Ability to organize and relate ideas in written form. Knowledge of written language mechanics skills. • Test of Written Language – 2 • Test of Early Written Language (TEWL) • Test of Written English • WJ-R, Achievement: Written Language Subtest.

10. Mathematics Skills: Ability to perform arithmetic computations and to solve problems involving mathematical concepts and reasoning. Assessments may include: WIAT: Mathematics Composite • Key Math-Revised • WJ-R, Achievement: Mathematics Subtests • K-TEA: Mathematics Composite • WRAT-3: Arithmetic

11. Self-Concept and Relationship with others : Assessments may include: Projective Drawing Tests • Apperception Tests (CAT, TAT, Roberts) • Piers-Harris Self Concept Scale • Sentence Completion Tests • Rorschach

12. Social Maturity and Appropriateness of Behavior: Assessments may include: Woodcock-Johnson Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) • Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale • Developmental Profile II • Child Behavior Checklist • Conners Parent & Teacher Rating Scales • Behavior Evaluation Scale – 2

REFERENCE: Author Lisa Lightner; IEP Testing and Evaluations: What Parents Should Know: Timelines: Initial Evals. Retrieved from https://adayinourshoes.com/iep-evaluations-iee-timeline/

Recommendations to help families gain a better understanding of the IEP process:

1. Share Educational Terms: All of the jargon and acronyms that teachers deal with, and sometimes find overwhelming, is often inexplicable to the parents of exceptional students. Teachers need to be very aware that parents will most probably not have a familiarity with these terms and that can cause confusion and resistance to the services that the student may require. Parents of ESOL students are doubly at risk because of language barriers. Having a translator in the meeting can help to alleviate these issues.

2. IEP MEETINGS: Parents need to be made aware their child’s IEP will be reviewed on an annual basis. Keeping an open line of communication about the topics that will be covered at the meeting is important. Parents should be encouraged to attend all of the meetings and should be made aware that they are able to bring anyone that they wish to the meetings. Parents need to be made aware that they have the ability to call a meeting anytime that they have concerns.

3. Evaluation: Parent are understandably concerned and nervous about their child being evaluated for Special Education services. The team should be very alert to the need for parents to be reassured that this is to help their child to succeed to the best of their ability. Parents need to know that they are an integral part of the process of creating an IEP and that they are the ultimate arbiters of what that document and its r have the right to refuse services if they so desire. The more information and involvement that the parents have tends to lend itself to a better outcome for the student.

4. Duration of Services: As students move from elementary to middle to high school parents need to be kept informed on how the IEP will continue and what form it will take as their child matures. Parents need to know that even if their child changes schools that that school will need to provide services. These services may look different as schools and districts have different levels of resources to commit to their students’ IEP’s.

5. Be Open to accommodating the needs of each individual family: Parents of our ESOL students may be in need of a translator. Working parents may need a time that will work into their busy schedule. Having a place for younger siblings to wait during the meeting would help take an obstacle out of the parent’s way to attending the meeting. The main thrust of this is to make the parent comfortable and show that your team is will to do their best to honor any reasonable requests that the family may have.

6. Cultural Consciousness: When dealing with other cultures teams need to be aware of cultural beliefs and traditions. Being sensitive to other outlooks, cultures, and traditions will go a long way to helping n parents feel more comfortable with the process and that they are an important part of the process and that they have a say in how the IEP process has been written to benefit their child.

7. Look to families for suggestions. All of the families want the best outcome for their child and are the best source of ideas what may work for their child. These insights are valuable to the team and have the further benefit of bringing the family in as an important part of the team.

8. Give parents an active role in the implementation of the IEP; Letting the parents know that they are a part of the team and that the things that they are able to do at home are a vital part of their child’s success. Taking the time to teach the parent a specific task with their child at home brings the parent and the child closer to the IEP process and implementation. By having the parents involved with a specific task helps the family to build an intimate understanding of the disability as it relates to their child’s education and shows them how they can be an important part of the remediation of that disability.

Information on Developing Appropriate Goals and Objectives for the IEP

1. Measurable Academic and Functional Goals: The goals of an IEP must be created to allow the student to have access to the general curriculum and to give the student basic skills that will ensure that they are able to be independent:

a) Among these skills that a child with and IEP should possess is the ability to communicate wants and needs to others and be able to advocate for themselves.

b) Social skills are and the ability to appropriately interact within societal norms.

c) Reading skills that will include being able to read directions and understand environmental print, read and be able to use schedules for transportation and other timely needs. Reading is the keystone for all other knowledge, the student must be able to recognize and understand what the words/print are expressing to them.

IEP’s are tasked with:

1. As a result of a child’s disability the IEP must meet each and every of a student’s educational needs.

2. Meet the student’s functional, academic and developmental needs as a result of their identified disability.

3. Ensure that the student is able to be placed in the general curriculum and be successful with making progress there.

4. IEP’s must be written as a specific statement about what a child can realistically be expected to accomplish in year.

5. IEP’s must be written to address where the child will be in their academic achievement and functional performance at specific milestones during the year, in relation to the standards of the general curriculum in the classroom.

6. IEP’s must be written with the identification of the whole student and their needs. It must be specific on what actions will be taken and by whom on the meeting of these needs.

7. IEP’s must be written to with specifications on how the student’s progress is able to measured in relation to the curriculum in the general classroom.

8. The IEP’s must be written to reflect the student’s present level of academic achievement while taking in their developmental needs, and focus specifically on their academic and functional needs through research based classroom instruction.

9. The IEP’s must be written to demonstrate measurable academic and functional goals to be valid and in alignment with FAPE.

10. IEP’s should begin with statements on what the standard curriculum and what is considered grade level academic achievement and then drill down on what it is that the student should know and be able to do. These statements should then be revised into goals that have been crafted to demonstrate specificity. They should be inscribed with measurable steps to be taken.

11. IEP’s must be written with proactive verbiage that shows that the specified goals are realistic and that they are under stated time constraints.

12. IEP’s should exhibit a delineation of each goal and then be broken down into a specified few steps that have been shown to be measureable. These steps should be of a short-term duration. These should exhibit what the student will be expected to know or what the student will be expected to achieve. The focus must be specifically on the behaviors that are measurable and are readily observable.

13. IEP”s must have included in them types of objective assessments and how often these objective assessments with be taken. A major component that needs to be addressed is how the achievement is to be measured.

14. IEP’s must be reviewed and if need be revised on an annual basis.

RESOURCES:

SMART IEPs (Step 2): Create Goals and Objectives. (2013, November 07). Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/smart-ieps-step-2-create-goals-and-objectives

Information on how the goals and objectives affect the curricular design

Objectives drive the goals through their specificity in relation to how the student will be asked to demonstrate an understanding or application of the goal set forth by the IEP. The goal of the objective is to focus on action verbs that reflect what it is that the students should know and be able to exhibit by the time that the class ends. Objectives are written to guide the learner through an instructor’s expectations and to front load what the student will be expected to have learned or to have mastered. Learning objectives are written to reflect a direct linkage to the anticipated outcome. From this point then they can be broken down into “chunked” activities and then routed into assessments.

RESOURCES:

Learning Worlds: Develop and communicate new ideas. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.learningworlds.com/

Types of service models for co-teaching and inclusion classrooms, and the pros and cons of them

Positive Behavior Supports, Differentiated Instruction, and Assistive Technology

Instructional implications of special education categories

Students with learning disabilities may require differentiation in the presentation of learning material. Working within the framework of best practices teachers will need to adapt how lessons of the standard curriculum are presented to the universal student population. There must be accommodations made for the student in regards to their assignments and the assessments that they will take. Often a reduction of work in the assignment is required. Teachers are tasked with deliberation and management of student responses in their own response. The teacher must be aware of this symbiotic sharing of responses in order to capitalize on the organic opportunities that are inherent in well-planned lessons and are imperative to the consolidation of the students’ responses.

Roles and skill sets of special education teachers

The most elemental role of the special education is teacher is to provide exceptional students with learning activities and experiences that are within the realm of best practices. All experiences and learning activities that are propounded by the special education teacher are for the sole benefit of helping the student with disabilities to reach their full potential in the areas of intellectual, emotional, social and physical growth. Special education teachers may be required to modify the existing curriculum, locate or develop materials or activities for exceptional students. The special education teacher is tasked with working in a variety of environments from the self-contained room, to team teaching, from push-in to pull-out. They are expected to be the bridge from the school to the parents. The special education teacher will be hands-on with students, will help to train and coach general education classroom teachers, will have the responsibility to ensure that the IEP is written to support the student and that all documentation is valid and correct.

Essential factors that contribute to a positive learning environment

SAFETY The foremost factor in successful learning outcomes is the safety of the students. This is not limited to the physical aspects but also is centered on the student being welcomed, supported, and respected. The prevailing school climate is incumbent upon from the administration to the paraprofessionals to work together to create a positive school environment that offers assurances that students are ready to learn and that the school and district codes encourage conduct that promotes appropriate and positive student/adult relationships that act as a bridge to keep students in school and actively learning.

Engagement for students requires that teachers are using best practices to ensure that all of the students’ individual learning needs are being met, and that they are being taught the skill sets and general knowledge that they will need to become fully functioning and successful in the real world. By joining best practices with a student-centered approach, teachers are able to capitalize on the unique strengths that the student possesses. This approach is also useful in getting students engaged in challenging, standards based academic content. A tailored approach such as this has been shown to foster critical thinking skills, building upon already held knowledge, and the use of knowledge and information in the solving of complex problems. Engagement allows students to work comfortably in a collaborative environment and show effective communication.

Connectedness All staff who have contact with students need to be aware of the connection that they need to build with all students. These connections can be fostered through an explicit focus on students’ social and emotional learning. Classroom Teachers, as the main conduit for connectedness, have the greatest impact on the learning environment that is endemic to their individual rooms. This connectedness is so imperative that it may mean the difference between academic and social success and a student who lacks the focus and enthusiasm to be successful.

Support A reiteration is appropriate here; all staff who have contact with students need to be aware of how that support can create a connection to their learning experience. All stakeholders in a student’s daily experience should have a shared expectation on what the school climate is to look like and how they can be supportive of the school climate to the betterment of all students.

Common techniques and approaches used in positive behavior supports

Tangible reinforcement is often a good route to follow to encourage positive behavior. In order for them to work well there needs it be clear guidelines and anticipation of any issues with how the reward is to be earned. Student must be given a realistic goal so that there a consistency in earning each reward. This is often a great motivator and students are more than happy to weigh in on what they would like to see as their prizes or rewards.

Proximity Works as a silent cue for the student to examine their behaviors. By moving closer to the student you are sending a nonverbal message that they can practice noticing and then self-regulating their behavior. This can help to refocus students and works well in conjunction with independent work and as students are transitioning from one task to another. Teachers should be circulating through the room during the teaching of a lesson.

Take a break Students can benefit from taking a “brain break” of 3-5 minutes. This short break allows them to reset and refocus themselves. This is especially true when transitioning to a new task.

State the behavior you want to see Brings the behavior into the open and works as an explicit lesson to the students. Teachers should develop a positive narration of which behaviors they want to see and those behaviors should be acknowledged when students exhibit them.

Routines are one of the best ways for students to feel comfortable in a classroom environment and with comfort comes more appropriate behavior. Routines must be clearly set and adhered to as much as possible. Routines must also be explicitly taught. This explicit teaching of routines must be done the very first day and first weeks of school. Students must be exposed to the routines on a daily basis and should be provided ample time to practice them. The teacher must be sure that they are providing support and rewarding student behaviors that reflect the students’ correct implementation of the set routines. The other side of routines is that there have to clear and appropriate consequences when the behavior does not support the explicitly taught routine. These consequences need to be explained and aligned with the correct behaviors so that student are aware that there is a difference between ignorance and defiance.

Quiet Corrections work well for students who exhibit attention seeking behaviors who may be off task. When you utilize quiet corrections you are able to maintain the focus of all the other students while resetting the behavior of the student who is off task. When the authority figure in the room avoids shaming or intimidation they are remaining in control of the room and keeping the behavior from escalating and becoming a “show” that then distracts the other students.

Positive phrasing works by maintaining the focus on the positive results of a behavior and minimizing the negative. Negative couching of the terms leads to a negative classroom environment and that equates to tension in the room. By highlighting the positive behavior, the student realizes that the consequences of the positive far outweigh the negative and they will begin to focus on getting the positive reinforcements.

Giving students a task when there is a challenging behavior can help that student to self-regulate and reset their mindset. When a student takes a leadership role, they are more likely to exhibit the behaviors that you are looking to foster in your classroom. Some students can benefit from being paired with a classmate who exhibits the appropriate behaviors can help model them for students who are struggling and it also can engender a feeling of community in the classroom.

Silent signals can be established for the general classroom and there can be different ones that are for specific behaviors and individual students. Silent signals have the benefit of not being disruptive in the classroom. Silent signals need to be explicitly taught to the class and to the individual students who may need them to refocus and stay on task.

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Evidence-based instructional interventions

Can be stated to be programs, a standardized curriculum and best practices that are research based and supported by the educational community. When using evidence based instructional interventions there must be corroborative evidence that the interventions come from a well-defined and executed body of research. There must be evidence of a sound research design and be firmly set upon the highest quality data analysis. It should be replicated by other researchers and should be published in a journal for peer review. Some examples of this include:

1. Clear lesson goals (what students should learn)

2. Show & Tell (sharing basic content information and knowledge)

3. Questioning to check for understanding (checking before moving on)

4. Summarize new learning in a graphic way (mind maps, flow charts, Venn diagrams, etc.)

5. Plenty of practice (not mindless busy work)

6. Provide students feedback (focus on student understanding and not just the current

7. task)

8. Be flexible about how long it takes (the goal is mastery learning but time can vary

9. for different students)

10. Productive group work (in productive ways)

11. Teach strategies not just content (encourage students to apply relevant practices regularly)

12. Nurture metacognition (help students think about options and choices)

REFERENCE (n.d.). Retrieved from https://justaskpublications.com/just-ask-resource-center/e-newsletters/just-for-the-asking/evidence-based-interventions/ EFERNCE

Accommodations and modifications for exceptional students

Presentation accommodations (changes the way information is presented)

Ø Listen to audio recordings instead of reading text

Ø Learn content from audiobooks, movies, videos, and digital media instead of reading print versions

Ø Work with fewer items per page or line

Ø Work with text in a larger print size

Ø Have a “designated reader” — someone who reads test questions aloud to students

Ø Hear instructions spoken aloud

Ø Record a lesson, instead of taking notes

Ø Get class notes from another student

Ø See an outline of a lesson

Ø Use visual presentations of verbal material, such as word webs

Ø Get a written list of instructions

Response accommodations (changes the way kids’ complete assignments or tests)

Ø Give responses in a form (spoken or written) that’s easier for them

Ø Dictate answers to a scribe who writes or types

Ø Capture responses on an audio recorder

Ø Use a spelling dictionary or digital spellchecker

Ø Use a word processor to type notes or give answers in class

Ø Use a calculator or table of “math facts”

Setting accommodations

Ø Work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions

Ø Sit where they learn best (for example, near the teacher)

Ø Use special lighting or acoustics

Ø Take a test in a small group setting

Ø Use sensory tools such as an exercise band that can be looped around a chair’s legs (so fidgety kids can kick it and quietly get their energy out)

Timing accommodations

Ø Take more time to complete a task or a test

Ø Have extra time to process spoken information and directions

Ø Take frequent breaks, such as after completing a worksheet

Scheduling accommodations

Ø Take more time to complete a project

Ø Take a test in several timed sessions or over several days

Ø Take sections of a test in a different order

Ø Take a test at a specific time of day

Organization skills accommodations

Ø Use an alarm to help with time management

Ø Mark texts with a highlighter

Ø Use a planner or organizer to help coordinate assignments

Ø Receive study skills instruction

Assignment modifications

Ø Complete different homework problems than peers

Ø Answer different test questions

Ø Create alternate projects or assignments

Curriculum modifications

Ø Learn different material (such as continuing to work on multiplication while classmates move on to fractions)

Ø Get graded or assessed using a different standard than other students

Ø Be excused from particular projects

REFERENCE

Morin, A. (2021, March 31). Common accommodations and modifications in school. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/articles/en/common-classroom-accommodations-and-modifications

Assistive technology tools and resources, and their purposes

Vision

Products for people who are blind or visually impaired, including AT used for daily living activities, accessing computers, wayfinding, and other needs. Examples include:

Ø magnifiers,

Ø talking devices such as a talking thermostat,

Ø Braille displays,

Ø screen reading software,

Ø text-to-speech systems using Optical Character Recognition (OCR),

Ø large print materials, and

Ø phones with large tactile buttons.

Hearing

Products for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, including AT used daily living activities, communication, and other needs. Examples include:

Ø Hearing

Ø Products for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, including AT used daily living activities, communication, and other needs. Examples include:

Ø personal amplification systems,

Ø wireless TV listening systems,

Ø vibrating alarm clocks,

Ø doorbell with flashing light alert,

Ø portable closed captioning system,

Ø face-to-face dual keyboard communication system,

Ø amplified telephones,

Ø phone with captioning, and

Ø mobile devices with texting or specialized apps

Speech communication

Products for people with speech disabilities who need assistance with speaking including face-to-face communication. Examples include:

Ø voice amplification systems,

Ø stuttering aids,

Ø artificial larynx,

Ø communication boards,

Ø speech output software,

Ø symbol-making software, and

Ø Speech generating devices

Learning, cognition, and developmental

Products for people who need assistance with learning, attention, memory, and organization. Examples include:

Ø memory aids,

Ø text-to-speech systems to support learning (not related to vision needs),

Ø reminder systems,

Ø notetaking systems,

Ø mobile devices with specialized apps, and

Ø audio books.

REFERENCE:

Types of AT. (2019, August 16). Retrieved from https://mn.gov/admin/at/getting-started/understanding-at/types/

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://justaskpublications.com/just-ask-resource-center/e-newsletters/just-for-the-asking/evidence-based-interventions/

Administrator. (n.d.). Part B (ages 6 through 21). Retrieved from http://www.ideapartnership.org/topics-database/idea-2004/idea-2004-part-b/1396-definition-of-child-with-a-disability.html

Engagement, C. A. (2021, July 13). Home. Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/

Evidence-Based Practices at School: A Guide for Parents. (2017, December 11). Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/evidence-based-practices-school-guide-parents

Kickboard. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kickboardforschools.com/

Learning, L. R., Posts, L. B., Newsletter, O. L., Webinars:, & @All4Ed:, T. F. (n.d.). Alliance For Excellent Education. Retrieved from https://all4ed.org/

Learning Worlds: Develop and communicate new ideas. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.learningworlds.com/

Lee, A. M. (2021, March 27). The 13 disability categories under IDEA. Retrieved July 12, 2021, from https://www.understood.org/articles/en/conditions-covered-under-idea

Morin, A. (2021, March 31). Common accommodations and modifications in school. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/articles/en/common-classroom-accommodations-and-modifications

Profiles of Disabilities Covered Under IDEA. (2015, August 23). Retrieved from https://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-profiles/

SMART IEPs (Step 2): Create Goals and Objectives. (2013, November 07). Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/smart-ieps-step-2-create-goals-and-objectives

Special Services / Explanation of 13 IDEA School Age Disability Categories. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mvsd.net/Page/50

Types of AT. (2019, August 16). Retrieved from https://mn.gov/admin/at/getting-started/understanding-at/types/

What should teachers understand in order to address student diversity in their classrooms? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/div/cresource/q2/p05/