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Jill Winford
Participant1. Behavior: Meltdowns, panic attacks, refusal to go to school, extreme panic, and aggression. These behaviors occur at home and are related to school in general, homework in particular, and attendance.
Need vs. Want? These behaviors sound like they are due, not to the child’s disability, but to a difference in his ability to handle school day expectations.
How do I know? This is a six-year-old child.
Missing information? The expectations of homework may be unreasonable for a child of this age. Likewise, the expectations for his behavior during the school day may not be age/developmentally appropriate.2. Behavior: Failing reading, writing, and math despite average to above-average test scores.
Need vs. Want? These behaviors sound like they are due, not to the child’s disability, but to other stressors.
How do I know? This child sounds like he may be dysregulated, flooded with emotions. There may be unreasonable expectations in his classroom. Additionally, there may be a lack of exposure to school routines. Missing information? If a student is failing academically despite test scores demonstrating adequate ability, then it is reasonable to assume some other interfering factor. In this student’s case, his disability may effect his ability to complete work, but it seems more likely that other stressors are the cause of his failing grades.3. Behavior: Begs to be homeschooled using a Minecraft module.
Need vs Want? This behavior sounds like a natural outcome of his school-avoidant issues. It does not appear to be due to a disability.
How do I know? He has developed school-avoidant behaviors as a result of anxiety, aggression and panic. He sees the Minecraft module as an appropriate alternative to his unsuccessful school day.
Missing information? It is possible the parent is unintentionally reinforcing some of the school-avoidant behavior and may benefit from some coaching.Jill Winford
ParticipantJane will demonstrate understanding of basic patterns of book reading by turning book right side up and turning pages in correct sequence front to back in 4 out of 5 trials with 80% accuracy. as an Individualized Educational Plan goal, starting 5/17/2018 completed by 5/16/2019.
Measurability
1. No, although the target behavior has a beginning and an end and can be seen/heard, two or more people may NOT agree on how to measure 80% accuracy on page turning. What does 80% accuracy look like in this behavior?
2. No, until school staff can agree on what 80% accuracy looks like, they cannot measure the student’s performance over time.
Functionality
3. Yes, the student needs the target behavior to participate in activities of daily living requiring reading.
4. Yes, the student needs the target behavior to complete most activities of daily living.
Generality
5. Yes, the target behavior represents a general concept.
6. Yes, the target behavior can be generalized across a variety of settings, materials.
Instructional Context
7. Yes, the target behavior can be taught across daily activities.
8. Yes, the target behavior can be taught by various team members.Jill Winford
ParticipantStudent will read 100 words correctly per minute from a nationally normed reading passage at their current grade level on 4 out of 5 tries.
Measurability
1. Yes, the target behavior has a beginning and an end and can be seen/heard.
2. Yes, school staff can measure the student’s performance over time.
Functionality
3. Yes, the student needs the target behavior (reading fluency) to participate in activities of daily living requiring reading.
4. Yes, the student needs the target behavior to complete most activities of daily living. Reading fluency is a necessary element to reading comprehension.
Generality
5. Yes, the target behavior represents a general concept. Reading fluency serves as a building block to the goal of reading comprehension.
6. Yes, the target behavior can be generalized across a variety of settings, materials. Independent reading is a necessary skill in nearly all academic and functional activities.
Instructional Context
7. Yes, the target behavior can be taught across daily activities.
8. Yes, the target behavior can be taught by various team members.Jill Winford
ParticipantI agree. Thank you for your thoughtful response.
In reflecting on many of the math goals that I typically write for my upper-elementary students with mild learning disabilities, I find that many of these math goals are academic but not functional.
My experience developing academic and/or functional goals has primarily been that most students with a Learning Disability work toward academic goals in reading, written language, and/or math. Students with areas of need in their social/emotional development or their activities of daily living work toward functional goals.
Jill Winford
ParticipantGiven the definition, “Functional behaviors are those a child needs to participate in all/most daily activities, and those which will increase the child’s independence and ability to adapt to his/her environment” then there is NOT always a distinction between functional and academic goals. In fact, some academic goals will also be functional. However, personally, many of the goals I typically write are functional or academic, not both.
In reflecting on many of the math goals that I typically write for my upper-elementary students with mild learning disabilities, I find that many of these math goals are academic but not functional.
Here is a common math goal I write for many of my elementary students: “Student will solve single-digit by single-digit multiplication problems with 95% accuracy without the use of manipulatives or a multiplication chart.” Single-digit multiplication is probably not a skill a child needs in order to participate in all/most daily activities, nor will it increase the child’s independence and ability to adapt to his/her environment. Academic goals like this one are related to grade-level content standards. Functional goals however help a student to access (through their behavior) grade-level content.
My experience developing academic and/or functional goals has primarily been that most students with a Learning Disability work toward academic goals in reading, written language, and/or math. Students with areas of need in their social/emotional development or their activities of daily living work toward functional goals.
Jill Winford
ParticipantI agree with your comments. It is unlikely we can assess need from the goal statement alone; we need an accurate assessment of the student’s need in order to apply the steps of the Four Filters. Missing from the information we are given is data about the nature of the child’s disability, the child’s age in order to compare his progress to that of his peers. The team is unlikely to be successful without first assessing WHY the student is missing these skills. Further, we need to know his previous access to adequate instruction. This student may not be correctly pairing due to a variety of factors – receptive language delay, reading or math delay, behavioral delay. Correctly applying the Four Filters would help an IEP team to determine and/or rule-out potential needs of the student.
Jill Winford
ParticipantIf I’m understanding the Four Filters correctly, they are to be used in determining a student’s need; the step before creating a goal. It is unlikely we can assess need from the goal statement alone; we need an accurate assessment of the student’s need in order to apply the steps of the Four Filters.
In order to determine if this goal stems from the child’s disability, not from a common outcome or common expectations, I need to know what is the nature of the child’s disability.
In order to determine if this goal addresses an area of adverse impact on the child’s access, participation, and progress, I need to know his age in order to compare his progress to that of his peers. Each of these goals (or objectives if we broke them up) is likely to be important to a child’s access, participation, and progress across daily routines and activities (in addition to the general curriculum), but the team is unlikely to be successful without first assessing WHY the student is missing these skills.
In order to determine if this goal addresses a need requiring specially designed instruction, not just exposure, practice, or maturation, I again need to know his age and his previous access to adequate instruction. This goal addresses functional (or meaningful) skills, but potentially across a wide array of needs. This student may not be correctly pairing due to a variety of factors – receptive language delay, reading or math delay, behavioral delay. Correctly applying the Four Filters would help an IEP team to determine and/or rule-out potential needs of the student.
In order to determine if this goal can be addressed and accomplished within a year of “typical” development I again need to know this child’s age and severity of disability. Children succeeding in everyday routines and activities across settings, people, and time are better able to access the general curriculum.
Jill Winford
ParticipantHi. I agree with your comments. I marked them all as “red” because they were all missing significant pieces of information. I like the questions/comments you raised.
Jill Winford
Participant#1). Dayton prefers to play in isolation and becomes upset (e.g., cries and hits others) when another child comes too close. As a result, his peer interactions at playtime are limited.
Red
This Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance does not include:
Statements which are specific, measurable
Baseline information for each need so that so that goals, accommodations, modifications, supports, and services can be easily developed
Information from a variety of sources
Information that helps guide anyone in providing specially designed instruction
Child’s age/grade
Information about their strengths, interests, preferences
Family priorities and concerns#2). As measured on the EOWPVT-R, Carmen’s (48 months) expressive vocabulary is at 19 months and as measured by the ROWPVT-R her receptive vocabulary is at 26 months.
Red
This Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance does not include:
Statements which are understandable
Descriptions of how the child’s/student’s disability affects their performance in the general curriculum/appropriate activities
Information from a variety of sources
Information that helps guide anyone in providing specially designed instruction
Information about their strengths, interests, preferences
Family priorities and concerns#3). Elise is essentially non-verbal and uses many ways to communicate including: gestures, facial expression, eye gaze, vocalizations, word approximations, head nods for yes, head shakes for no, and use of a Dynavox 3100 augmentative communication device which she accesses with a head switch.
Red
This Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance does not include:
Descriptions of how the child’s/student’s disability affects their performance in the general curriculum/appropriate activities
Baseline information for each need so that so that goals, accommodations, modifications, supports, and services can be easily developed
Information from a variety of sources
Information that helps guide anyone in providing specially designed instruction
Child’s age/grade
Information about their strengths, interests, preferences
Family priorities and concerns#4). Damien’s attention problems result in failure to follow the teacher’s directions, talking out of turn and responding inappropriately during group activities.
Red
This Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance does not include:
Statements which are specific, measurable, and objective
Descriptions of how the child’s/student’s disability affects their performance in the general curriculum/appropriate activities
Baseline information for each need so that so that goals, accommodations, modifications, supports, and services can be easily developed
Information from a variety of sources
Information that helps guide anyone in providing specially designed instruction
Child’s age/grade
Information about their strengths, interests, preferences
Family priorities and concerns#5). Zung understands and remembers what he hears about a subject. Learning by reading or looking at pictures is difficult for him and doesn’t work as well.
Red
This Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance does not include:
Statements which are specific, measurable, and objective
Baseline information for each need so that so that goals, accommodations, modifications, supports, and services can be easily developed
Information from a variety of sources
Information that helps guide anyone in providing specially designed instruction
Child’s age/grade
Information about their strengths, interests, preferences
Family priorities and concerns#6). Mark doesn’t know his colors. He can count to 3 but doesn’t always remember the number 2. He can stack 3 blocks.
Red
This Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance does not include:
Statements which are understandable, specific, measurable, and objective
Descriptions of current academic and functional performance
Descriptions of how the child’s/student’s disability affects their performance in the general curriculum/appropriate activities
Baseline information for each need so that so that goals, accommodations, modifications, supports, and services can be easily developed
Information from a variety of sources
Information that helps guide anyone in providing specially designed instruction
Child’s age/grade
Information about their strengths, interests, preferences
Family priorities and concerns -
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