Supporting ECE Students with Special Needs

September 29, 2010

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Outcomes

• Understand the purpose and continuum of services in Special Education— and know your unique and critical role as an ECE teachers in it

• Share a common language for Special Education—understand what the common disabilities and their characteristics

• Gather quick, usable strategies for common challenges—brainstorm on how you’d apply these strategies (and other strategies) for your own groups of students

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Outcomes

Welcome! (7 min)

Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min)ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services

(15 min)

Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min)

Best Practices and Strategies (20 min)

Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min)

Closing (2 min)

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What is Special Education?

• A content, subject area, or place

Special Education is NOT…Special Education is NOT…

• A group of diverse services provided to students with disabilities to ensure they make meaningful educational progress

Special Education Is…Special Education Is…

PurposePurpose::

Special education services aim to minimize the impact of students’ disabilities, identify deficits and address them in targeted ways, and maximize students’ access to the general education curriculum. 

Special education services also aim to ensure students with disabilities are able to learn in the least restrictive environment and interact with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent possible.

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History

19971975 2001 2004

1975: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees students with disabilities

a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

Post-1975: Students with disabilities gained access to public school buildings but did not necessarily

have the opportunity to access the general education curriculum.

Pre-1975: School districts did not have to provide an education to a student with a disability if they claimed

an inability to accommodate them. About

one million students with disabilities were denied access to a free public

education and hundreds of thousands more were

denied appropriate services.

1997: Reauthorization of IDEA2001: No Child Left Behind

2004: Reauthorization of IDEAFocus on ensuring students with disabilities

are held to high academic standards and are able to access the general education

curriculum to the maximum extent possible.

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Current Reality of Special Education in the United States

The likelihood of a child being identified with a disability and receiving Special Education services is highly influenced by race and ethnicity

Black students were 3 times more likely to receive special education and related services for mental retardation, and 3 times more likely

to receive special education and related services for emotional disability than all other racial/ethnic groups combined.

Students with disabilities graduated at uneven rates and are at higher risk of dropping out

• 51.9% of students with disabilities graduated with a regular high school diploma vs. 73.2% of the national graduation rate in 2005

• 33.6% of students with disabilities dropped out

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The gaps are even starker in DC, especially when compared to another state with a lower level of poverty.

Reality of Special Education in Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia (2003)

New Hampshire (2003)

Percentage of children under age 18 below poverty level

26.4% 6.9%

Percentage of students educated in regular classrooms at least 80 percent of the day

14% 75%

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Reality of Special Education in the United States

Why is this happening nationwide? •Many students with disabilities do have academic challenges that may really keep them from mastering all skills to the highest level

•We don’t know enough about the most effective interventions to serve students with special needs

•IDEA is relatively recent. Many districts, even high performing ones, are figuring out best SPED practices and strong inclusion models that maximize learning for everyone

•Lack of resources

•Lack of skilled SPED and general education teachers to provide the in-depth, multi-layered support for students

Why is it worse in low-income communities? • Not all diagnoses are rooted in disability. It’s often led by years of poor instruction

•Students who do have disabilities may not get the early interventions and high-quality content their counterparts in HIC receive that would keep them from requiring SPED services at all or long-term•Greater lack of skilled SPED and general education teachers to provide the in-depth, multi-layered support for students

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Bottom Line

The vast majority of students with disabilities can and must achieve

at or above grade level.

When content and services are well provided, students with disabilities have startlingly

similar access to college and work as their peers.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to provide high-quality content and services to

students

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Your role in making this happen

What happens when we support students with special needs

really well in Pre-K and Kindergarten?

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Outcomes

Welcome! (7 min)

Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min)

ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min)

• Before school SPED services

• During school SPED services

Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min)

Best Practices and Strategies (20 min)

Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min)

Closing (2 min)

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Child Find: Birth to Five

Child Find: Part of federal IDEA. Requires all states to provide services to children who need early intervention services.

Assesses: • Cognitive: Ability to learn and how he/she learns

• Physical: Ability to move, see and hear

• Communication: Ability to understand language

• Social or Emotional: Ability to relate with others

• Adaptive Skills: Ability to dress, eat and take care of himself/herself

Supports:

• Family case manager

• Individualized education or family service plan

• Free and appropriate early childhood education and/or service providers (occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc.)

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Child Find: Contacts

From Birth to 3 years DC Early Intervention Child Find Program (202) 727-3665

Prince George’s Co.: Infants and Toddlers Program 301-265-8415

From 3 to 5 years DC Early Stages 202-698-8037

Prince George’s Co.: Child Find: 301-808-2719

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Legal Process of Special Education In School

1) Intervention Services

2) Initial referral

3) Consent to Evaluate

4) Evaluation

5) Eligibility

6) IEP Development Meeting- Placement Recommendation

- Consent to service

(See Page 6-7 for more information)

Typically provided by the General Education teacher and other members of

the school. Interventions and their impact must be documented

Can be done by the general education teacher, a parent, an agency or other school

staff

At least one general educator always sits on the IEP team to

share how the student is learning in a general

education setting

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Response to Intervention

Response to Intervention (RTI): Interventions (or teacher actions) that are designed to support students when they need additional support both academically and behaviorally

Tier 1: Universal, high-quality instruction for all children.

Example: General Pre-K 4 curriculum

Tier 2: More intensive learning opportunities for students who need more support. Slightly more frequent assessments to monitor progress. Families are looped in.

Example: Listening center where there’s a bell to remind students to turn the page and students are following along with their finger

Tier 3: More intensive, individualized and possibly one-on-one. More frequent assessments. Collaborate closely with families.

Example: Small-group phonics instruction with lots of practice drilling

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Response to Intervention Services

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Response to Intervention

Tier 1: Universal, high-quality instruction for all children.

Example: General Pre-K 4 curriculum

Tier 2: More intensive learning opportunities for students who need more support. Slightly more frequent assessments to monitor progress. Families are looped in.

Example: Listening center where there’s a bell to remind students to turn the page and students are following along with their finger

Tier 3: More intensive, individualized and possibly one-on-one. More frequent assessments. Collaborate closely with families.

Example: Small-group phonics instruction with lots of practice drilling

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Receiving Special Education Services

IEP: Individualized Education Plan

Instructors: General Educator and/or Special Educator

Service providers:

Speech Skills: Speech pathologist

Social/Emotional Skills: Counselor or psychologist

Gross or Fine Motor Skills: Occupational therapist

Physical Skills: Physical therapist

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Questions?

• Continuum of SPED Services?

• Response to Intervention?

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Outcomes

Welcome! (7 min)

Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min)

ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min)

Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min)

Best Practices and Strategies (20 min)

Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min)

Closing (2 min)

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Developmental Delay (DD)

Disability Label

Definition / A child qualifies if they:

Common Characteristics

Possible strategies

Developmental Delay (DD)

Don’t hit their developmental milestones when expected

Delays can occur in:

•Gross/Fine Motor Skill

•Language Skills

•Thinking Skills

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Intellectual Disability (ID)

Disability Label

Definition / A child qualifies if they:

Common Characteristics

Possible strategies

Intellectual Disability

Have significant limitations in both intellectual functioning (usually with an IQ below 75) and adaptive skills (conceptual, social, practical).

Students often struggle to learn and problem-solve.

Students may struggle to grasp abstract concepts (money, time), social skills (interpersonal awareness) and/or practical skills (daily living)

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ADD/ADHD (Other Health Impairment)

Disability Label

Definition / A child qualifies if they:

Common Characteristics

Possible strategies

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

Condition of the brain that makes it hard for children to control their behavior

Inattention:  These kids have trouble with paying attention, are disorganized or daydream too much.

Hyperactivity:  These kids are always moving, can't sit down or talk too much.

Impulsivity:  These kids act and talk without thinking, interrupt a lot or show poor judgment.

Combination:  The above symptoms can occur in different combinations.

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Speech and Language Delays and Disorders (SLD)

Disability Label

Definition / A child qualifies if they:

Common Characteristics

Possible strategies

Speech and Language Delays and Disorders

Language delay: Language is developing in the right sequence, but at a slower rate. 

Speech and language disorder: Abnormal language development. A child not meeting the speech/language milestones

Student struggles to speak or express him/herself like peers their own age

Stuttering

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Autism

Disability Label

Definition / A child qualifies if they:

Common Characteristics

Possible strategies

Autism To be diagnosed with autism, a child must have a specified number of symptoms in these areas:

•Social interaction

•Communication (including language delay)

•Restricted range of behaviors, activities and interests (often called stereotypic behaviors)

People with autism have differences in the development of their thinking, language, behavior and social skills.

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Learning Disability (LD)

Disability Label

Definition / A child qualifies if they:

Common Characteristics

Possible strategies

Learning Disability (LD)

Having a normal

intelligence but

problem in one or

more areas of

learning.

A learning disability is a neurobiological disorder; people with LD have brains that learn differently because of differences in brain structure and/or function

Spoken language—problems in listening and speaking

Reading—difficulties decoding or recognizing words or understanding them

Written language—problems with writing, spelling, organizing ideas

Math—trouble doing arithmetic or understanding basic concepts

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Outcomes

Welcome! (7 min)

Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min)

ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min)

Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min)

Best Practices and Strategies (20 min) Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges

(20 min)

Closing (2 min)

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Best practices for all students

• Stick to a routine: Illustrate it with pictures at your Meeting Morning– students with ADHD and/or Autism often need this level of concrete structure

• Set clear expectations and give tons of praise: Constantly narrate positive behaviors. Point to pictures of positive behaviors at the same time as praising a student. Each time they read a word correctly in a drill, give praise.

• Explicitly teach behavior and habits: Set clear expectations for behavior and share positive/negative consequences. Use pictures to narrate. Check for understanding. Give positive praise immediately to reinforce behavior. Do lots of practice. (Cheerios, raisins, etc.) Make an individual behavior tracker if needed.

• Family homework: Have students practice as many of the same behaviors and academic learning at home as possible

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Use pictures to illustrate what you/they mean

• Use a picture sequence to illustrate procedures (Photograph a student putting their backpack and jacket away in their cubby. Place the pictures by their cubby so they always remember what it looks like to do those tasks)

• Instead of verbalizing instructions, show a picture and then model it and have the student practice with you (Take a picture of a child reading quietly on the rug during Silent Reading. Demonstrate what it looks like. Have them practice with you. Praise the student)

• Allow non-verbal students to respond or choose by pointing to pictures. Once they point to the picture, praise them and articulate what the picture is. (When the whole class is doing Read Aloud, allow students to respond to your Check for Understanding questions by pointing to pictures. Praise and re-articulate for them. Encourage them to say it themselves when possible)

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Repetition of skills

• Lots of guided practice and independent practice (Practice reading –all words together as GP, then do 20 flashcard drills for students on more –all words)

• Do multiple CFUs during small-group or one-on-one lesson (When teaching students to add, have them tell you several times throughout the practice what they do when

they see the + symbol)

• Make it a daily structure to practice rote skills (Individual clipboards with the alphabet activity. Make it a timed drill)

• Offer multiple opportunities to practice same skill in a different setting. Encourage students to be engaged in the task (Tracing name in the air and then in the sandbox)

• Have students practice a new skill in a real-life scenario (Writing their name when signing attendance)

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More best practices

Multi-sensory learning:

• Allow students to move around

• Trace words in water

• Write on a clipboard

• Have a “magic” word during the Read Aloud– each time they hear the word, they stomp their feet

• Use songs to teach lessons– point to pictures illustrating the song while listening to it.

• Provide Play-Doh or flour balloons for students who need to fidget.

• Teach restless students to use a pacing strip.

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Outcomes

Welcome! (7 min)

Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min)

ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min)

Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min)

Best Practices and Strategies (20 min)

Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min)

Closing (2 min)

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Student 1

Dennis struggles to focus in class.

He always wants to help other students with their work and is eager to socialize, but he often struggles to understand the work himself. When he does spend time on his work, he becomes easily frustrated.

He’s easily distracted by other students talking and moving around. Sometimes he says that he just wants to run around the room and fly in the air. He tries to do just that at least three times a day.

Dennis’ parents don’t know how to help him at home either– he behaves the same way.

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Student 2

Aaron is very eager to play with other students his age, but many other students don’t want to play with him. He really struggles to process academic material and has a hard time retaining information. He doesn’t know his ABC’s or numbers yet.

He is communicative with others, but struggles to articulate words.

He also seems to struggle with interpersonal skills– he doesn’t recognize when others don’t want to play with him and often throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way in class.

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Student 3

Sheldon doesn’t speak or interact with other students or adults. He seems to be grasping the content in class pretty well, he prefers to work on his own and doesn’t want the teacher to sit by him.

Sheldon consistently forgets procedures in class– he doesn’t seem to know what to do when he gets in to class in the morning and he sometimes wanders off during the Morning Meeting.

When someone or something bothers Sheldon, he shuts down and cries loudly for extended periods of time. He loves Star Wars.

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Group brainstorm

Take 10 minutes in your groups to identify the strategies and interventions you’d employ to support and teach your student during:

• Morning Meeting when the whole class is together and sitting down as a group

• During centers when the whole class is at centers and moving around

• Small-group instruction when it’s the teacher and a group of 2 other students

• During transitions: Walking in the hallway, preparing for lunch, going to the bathroom

• When conferencing with their parents

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Outcomes

Welcome! (7 min)

Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min)

ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min)

Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min)

Best Practices and Strategies (20 min)

Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min)

Closing (2 min)

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Questions?

Questions?

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Thank you for coming!

Please take a minute to respond to the Exit Ticket: