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Mark Dinelt
ParticipantMark Dinelt 5/9/2019
Part I: Comments Regarding Types of Patterns
Patterns of Quality
Quality is defined as a demonstration of a concept or skill in a way that, while allowing the child to accomplish a desired task, is done in such a way that it may hinder understanding of others, the accuracy of the performance, and/or may get in the way. Examples of quality include, issues around intelligibility, application of too much or not enough force, moving too quickly or too slowly, talking too loudly or softly etc. Patterns of quality don’t automatically suggest a concern; rather, they are an important consideration if they are interfering with interactions, physical health, and/or acquisition of future concepts and skills.
Comments: To me Quality refers to how good an action is done. Like a Performance, you want it to done “just right”. Many things can go wrong a little wrong or be a bit off and stil be acceptable, for many skills. Others need to be “just so” to work properly or safely.Patterns of Latency
Latency, as it relates to learning or development, is defined as the amount of time it takes for someone to act or “do” after a request or prompt. In other words, how quickly does a child respond? Examples of latency include issues around time to task or verbal responses to questions or prompts, and also include concerns around impulsivity. Patterns of latency may not always be a concern, however they are important to consider if they are negatively impacting learning, development, health, communication, and/or behavior.
Comments: Latency can be a very important issue or a minor annoyance. Sometimes an action has to happen in a timely manner or it is just too late. People have moved on, someone else has completed the task or, if you wait too long, you might forget what you were asked to do. Of course, responding too quickly might mean that didn’t listen carefully and missed some of the directions so that the wrong action is taken or is done incompletely. Depending on the complexity of the task you may require more or less time to respond appropriately. You might even do something before the person making the request is ready.Patterns of Assistance
Assistance is when an adult, a peer/sibling, or the environment performs part of the concept or skills under consideration. Assistance alone does not warrant concern or a higher tier of instruction (i.e., assistance might be expected based on what is known about developmental expectations); however, when a pattern of needing assistance (e.g., required under predictable circumstances/situations beyond what would be expected of a novice learner, for the child’s age/present level of ability/developmental readiness, culture, and/or prior exposure) emerges, a concern is noted.
Comments: I have noticed a particular pattern of assistance used for me when I am requesting help with my computer. Most often a helpful person will come over, hit a few buttons and say, “There you go”. Sometimes that’s ok. But usually I prefer, if someone has the time, that they walk me through the process, slowly. When they quickly demonstrate, I can’t follow or remember what they have done so it doesn’t help in the long run.
On the other hand, I have definitely had students who have learned to be “helpless” and can’t seem to do much on their own because someone always rescues them. I personally find this difficult to deal with because I have to be very conscious of waiting for them to help themselves and having the patience not to rush. Sometimes knowing how much they can actually do, given the opportunity, can be tricky to guess, also.Patterns of Interfering Behaviors
An interfering behavior is one that a child demonstrates instead of the desired or expected concept of skills. Not all interfering behaviors are aggressive or purposeful; however many times they are (e.g., hitting, biting, throwing). At times, behaviors can interfere given that the child (by choice or otherwise) is not able to maintain or establish attention, walks away from interactions or tasks, or even outright refusal to participate. Sometimes these are unconscious (sensory/biological); so this pattern has less to do with challenging behavior and more to do with a barrier to learning.
Comments: I have experienced this when facing what seems to be a very challenging task, either physically or mentally and which may be expected to take a long time, even if I could do it. At times like these, it seems everything is a distraction to me and I find myself doing a great variety of tasks, some useful, some not, and making little progress on the actual task at hand. I have had a few students who exhibit a great number of interfering behaviors and, apparently, random behaviors, some hurtful or dangerous, with no apparent useful function (from my point of view) for the student. How to get someone like that engaged in some activity that will provide them with some benefit is a great challenge.Patterns of Unexpected Performance
Patterns of unexpected performance represent instances where the child’s performance would not have been anticipated or expected according to typical development. For example, a child was demonstrating a later skill before demonstrating an earlier skill, or was emerging across early and later skills simultaneously. This pattern may also represent situations where children have a tendency to demonstrate inconsistent performance, to the extent that they may excel or struggle on the same skill without a clear explanation for the difference in performance.
Comments:Part II: Example of at Least One Pattern
(Remember, you only need to complete one, but feel free to complete as many as you like.)Patterns of Quality
List Patterns of Quality: I enjoy writing papers for classes. I have enjoyed writing on topics chosen for me or freestyle. I always did well in my Language Arts classes and continued to enjoy producing papers for my college classes. I don’t think I write as good as I used to, partly because I am older and don’t care to put as much thought into my writing and partly because writing skills have declined since the advent of the internet and texting. In a practical way, this has translated to fairly good communication skills with my parents and doing the necessary writing for my school work, especially the writing of IEP’s. I often do not do as well as I would like due to the time constraints of getting all of the work done in a timely manner.
I tend to be shy or slow to get to know people. I do much better with my students. But with other adults, I often come off as abrupt and not very communicative. I like to share things slowly over time, as natural situations develop and allow for more intimate interactions.
Pattern Considerations: What do the identified patterns mean? What does it tell you about yourself? What are the implications? When people just see my writing, they see someone competent and able to express themselves well. When they meet me personally, they may be unsure about my abilities and it may take some time before I can show the quality of my work.Patterns of Latency
List Patterns of Latency: For me, the biggest issue of latency is how I get to know people, which is usually very slowly. This is not true with most children that I work with. I am very comfortable with children and tend to be able to establish a good report with my students fairly quickly.
Pattern Considerations: What do the identified patterns mean? What does it tell you about yourself? What are the implications? I am usually able to demonstrate my skills in the classroom fairly quickly which helps supervisory staff and the people I work with directly evaluate me in a more positive light.Patterns of Assistance
List Patterns of Assistance:
Pattern Considerations: What do the identified patterns mean? What does it tell you about yourself? What are the implications?Patterns of Interfering Behaviors
List Patterns of Interfering Behavior:
Pattern Considerations: What do the identified patterns mean? What does it tell you about yourself? What are the implications?Patterns of Unexpected Performance
List Patterns of Unexpected Performance:
Pattern Considerations: What do the identified patterns mean? What does it tell you about yourself? What are the implications?STEP 4- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
I especially liked Olena’s observation on Latency in relation to Native Alaskan students. Coming from a “”hunting culture”, listening and observation are critical skills and may make “them” seem “slow” when observed by non-Natives.
I defiinitely related to the “interfering” behaviors mentioned by Dawn and cited by Andrea as “Latency”, which I believe is how I looked at it. Definitely some overlap but important to keep in mind, in any case.
I also related to Olena’s need to think about things before making a thoughtful reply and response in meetings. My thoughtfulness may help me develop good responses but not always in a timely manner, under the circumstances.
I appreciated Namomi’s observations about not being quick to identify students as qualifying for Special Services. I was also slow in Math growing up but really just needed more practice as I now have excellent, basic math skills. I also did well in Geometry, where memory was important, as I was very good at memorizing theorems which helped me earn my first A in math.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantMark Dinelt 5/8/2019
• STEP 1- Answer the following questions and explain why you feel the way you do:
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• Are all Tier 3 needs IEP worthy? Definitely not. Hopefully, we try a variety of strategies, if needed, to provide enough assistance to help a student catch up or get close to expected standards for most students. If it was hopeless and we knew it, we wouldn’t have a tier 3 (presumably). Many, perhaps most students, will improve, if for no other reason than that they have more individualized attention. Specialized help, looking at ways to increase understanding for particular concepts, should produce results for more students.
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• How would you define “the messy middle”? There are some students who tend to lag behind in one or more areas from their peers. Often they need more processing time which slows their progress but does not really impact their ability to pick up new skills, unless they are continuously left behind without extra help, specifically, time to process and work through, perhaps with extra practice. Some students may have “processing” issues with certain concepts which may hold them back at times but not in general. And sometimes, personal issues impact their ability to process new information at that time under normal classroom conditions. Any number of issues can affect a student’s progress at different times and it’s not always easy to tease out what is happening when a student is having difficulty.
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• Can a Tier 2 (targeted) need be IEP worthy? It may be but without trying more typical means of providing assistance, it is not possible to establish that a Tier 2 need is IEP worthy without a documented history of problems in a particular area that has been properly addressed in the past.
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• In what way can a child who is eligible for special education have Tier 1 needs? Abilities in different areas (even in related areas, such reading; vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, etc). Eligible for service in 1 or more areas certainly does not mean that services for all areas are needed. I have had a number of students who have large vocabularies but read so slowly that it seems to impact their comprehension of material read. Others read quite fluently and still comprehension problems (especially true for many “autistic” students.STEP 2- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
Dawn Fagenstrom – Great observations about Tier 3. I especially appreciated her observations on culture and language which are obviously issues for reading skills. I also like her observation that not all students in the middle are “messy”. I agree that we don’t always know why a learner is struggling and we certainly need to put in some effort to find out. Good observations on Tier 2 needs. Definitely need to see over time if a need persists and effects access, participation or progress. I especially appreciated her views on sped. Supports that may mask a student’s struggle. I have faced this issue a number of times with students who were “threatened” with loss of services because they were too successful, believing that they would suffer greatly if their supports were withdrawn.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantMark Dinelt 5/7/2019
STEP 1- As discussed in Module 4.1, often we have children who struggle and have real learning needs yet they do not ultimately qualify for Special Education, and hence an IEP. The video for Module 4.1 describes how to use the zig-zag process to support children’s learning needs both on an IEP and without. Consider your own district or agency. Are there supports or resources in place that would allow a child who struggles but does not qualify to receive high quality instruction to meet their unique needs? What steps could you take to ensure this child receives what they need, even if they do not get an IEP? Does district/agency policy allow you to work with general education teachers to help kids who are not on your caseload? Describe how you usually address this situation, and what you would do in an ideal world (with needed supports or resources).
Many of our schools use a “tier” system for teaching basic reading and math. All students are assessed to determine current level in math or reading and assigned to “tiers”, 1, 2 or 3, with 1 being at or above expected level, 2 being behind a certain amount and 3, behind more significantly. This is done quarterly and students are assigned reading and math groups based on their tier and may work with students a grade 1up or down from their current grade level. More assistance is provided to tier 2 students and more targeted assistance is provided to tier 3 students.
The various school teams discuss the progress of their students to determine if more assistance might be needed and what impediments different students may be facing to making progress. At some point, tier 3 students may be referred to Special Services for further testing. For these groups, “blended funding” is often used so that Special Ed. Aides, with particular training in math or reading, can be used to assist students who do not qualify for Special Services. Some schools use a similar method for a Special Ed. Teacher to work with Gen.Ed. teacher to assist all students in a single classroom that includes students who qualify for Special Services. Working with Gen.Ed. cannot be their main focus and they must continue to meet all the service requirements of any Sped. Students on their case list but they can provide significant assistance to some students who may be struggling “incidentally”.
For myself, I when I worked in an integrated public school, I was always available to consult with teachers informally to provide advice and suggestions when they experienced difficulties with a particular student. I have also worked in a school which used the “blended” inclusion model. I found that to be very successful. About that time, I did have some workshops done by teachers in another district who advocated for full inclusion of all students. We did not have an opportunity to visit or see videos or how things actually worked in their classrooms but they were very enthusiastic about the approach. I have known a few students whose parents insisted on a full inclusion model for their child. Over a period of a few years, I was mostly struck by the lack of progress the students seemed to be making. Socially, they were well accepted by peers but they were not making much gains in some areas especially important to them, namely functional skills, self-help skills and skills that could help them daily navigate more independently. The parents, in both case, opted for a more integrated but not fully included. The students themselves seemed happier with the change, I suspect because they had more access to other students closer to their ability and maturity level who they could relate to in ways not possible with more abled peers. I would suppose, in both cases, more or better assistance could have been provided but, without seeing it, I have a hard time imagining happening in a way that would be totally successful for all students involved. In these 2 particular cases we are talking about who faced serious academic, communication and physical challenges. They needed some very particular help in areas that most students never have to think about.
In an ideal world, I would like to see more options available for students, from full inclusion to rather “restrictive” classrooms for those few students whose needs require very intensive assistance to learn skills or may not, currently be able to function well around larger groups of students. The district I currently work for has these options but probably not enough to meet the needs of all the students. Money definitely is a limiting factor even though officially it can never be stated that way. But it is a fact of life. I would guess that we could use more “blended” classes and fewer pull-outs of students. Some of this is lack of training and experience on the part of teachers and some of it is the difficulty of making changes, wherever you are, even when many others are agreeable. Probably the biggest problem most teachers face is finding the time to prepare themselves properly for all that they are responsible for daily. More money, fewer students, less paperwork would be very helpful, along with more time to meet with Team members for productive meetings about what to do with and for students. Real training in difficult but important areas of teaching and working with students with proper follow-up would also be a great benefit.STEP 2– Talk about when, where, and under what context you have observed any of the seven (7) learning progressions, as well as what you would do in the future to address them.
7 Learning Progressions –
1. From single to multiple2. From simple to complex – one example would be toilet training severely impaired students. I have been fairly successful getting students who have never used the bathroom independently in the past, at various ages (7-20) to begin going to the bathroom, as needed, without any prompting at school. Getting that to transfer, even to different bathrooms at school, can be more of a challenge. At school, I have had success. Getting the skill to transfer at home has been a different case. I have had some success when parents were very attentive to the details I provided and they were able to help their child make the transition. But, generally, I have not had parents who could help with the more seriously involved students. I have not even been able to help fellow teachers when I have moved on. Time for home visits and 1on1 time with fellow teacher s would probably suffice but that is very difficult to arrange.
3. From concrete to abstract – teaching reading to students who are “autistic”. I have had some notable success helping students to achieve a fairly high reading level but moving from concrete understanding of what is read to understand more complex and abstract ideas is very challenging. Most often the reaction, besides the difficulty of getting the idea is a lack of interest in trying to understand. More time to research and plan for teaching particular “types” of abstract thought would be wonderful.
4. From global to concrete – One of my favorite memories is of a student who could get around nicely, rode the bus with our group on community trips and was very good with social skills, getting along with everyone she met. But for a graduation exercise with my 8th graders, we practiced specifically which buses (usually 2) to take to get from school to home. I had planned to have most of the students, with parent approval and a monitor following the bus, to choose their route and get off at their stop, without any assistance from me to go home at the end of the day. The whole group rode along but did not get off with the student on “their” day. The one girl I was not sure about, who was more seriously academically challenged, asked me if she could also “take the test”. Mom was seriously concerned but I explained how we would make sure she would be safe and she agreed. After help the girl plan and practice a few times, she was our last student to successfully take herself home on the bus. She (and Mom) were so happy, the next day she came in to school very excited about her achievement. It’s an experience I will never forget. Not much to improve on here except to look for ways to have similar experiences with more students.
5. From familiar to unfamiliar
6. From preferred to unpreferred – The classic for me is actually a bit reversed. After playing with at an activity for while and it is time to move on, I like to remind students, when they haven’t learned it yet, that first they must clean up before moving on to another, hopefully fun, but learning activity, they must clean up. I may have to remind them that if they want to activity later, it has to be put away now. They may need a further reminder that the activity is going away and that if I put it away, it won’t come back for a while. For some, “play time” may depend on how much “work” is done and how quickly the last fun activity is put away. There are a number of variations that work in different situations with different students but it basically comes down to “work first, then play”. When I worked with younger students who had serious challenges every day, I was always thinking about how to make the day more interesting for them. To present important things for them to learn in small or fun bits and give them time to “play” that was also meaningful for them and not just mindless escapism. More time for planning or team teaching with someone to split the responsibility with would be helpful.
7. Self vs. others – I have worked with a great number of students who have had difficulty establishing relationships with other people, peers or staff, some because of inborn challenges, others due to issues of abuse. It is always very gratifying when one starts taking steps to respond positively and more honestly with me, as a person and a teacher who tries to demonstrate that I care about them and their learning (for their own good).
It is also very touching when a student with autistic traits begins to gravitate towards you when they need help or feel uncomfortable as someone they can trust to help and protect them. It is also just fun to see students who may be “immature”, whose view was limited to what they wanted to do without consideration for how that might affect their peers, start to take think about their peers and communicate with them when playing. Always looking for ways to connect with students to make the classroom about more than learning certain facts.STEP 3- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
I appreciate what Dawn had to say about Title 1 referrals and how that works in her experience. I have seen the same thing happen in Fairbanks. I have also consulted with some teachers who request assistance and have offered suggestions to some while referring others to the schools support team. One year our Special Services team put together a “kit” of various activities and suggestions which any teacher could make use of and we took time to highlight a different one at each school wide meeting. However, I could not work directly with a Gen.Ed. teacher for the benefit of non-sped. Students formally. I could do so if it was incidental to being in the teacher’s classroom with one of my sped. Students.
I also like what she had to say about how we use language with our students. Having worked with so many who have major deficits, I find this is actually a critical skill for staff to develop. How we give directions and the words that we use can make a huge difference. I have often consulted with parents who have particular difficulty at home with behavior concerns about how to use language that is easier to follow, not-threatening and more suggestive rather than directive (especially when you don’t know if the person receiving the message really understand what you want).Mark Dinelt
ParticipantDiscussion 3.2
Directions: STEP 1- For each of the dimensions of behavior described in Lessons 3.1 and 3.2 (frequency, accuracy, latency, duration, endurance, intensity, and independence), provide one example of a behavior/skill that would be best measured using that technique. Provide a rationale for why you feel this is a sufficient example and why the other techniques would not be as useful for that behavior/skill.
Frequency: Extinguish “Blurting Out” random phrases from movies, books or excited speech student has heard at “Circle Time”/.
Student has been improving in participating in “Circle Time”. However, he still shouts out at random times phrases that are not appropriate in that setting. It is definitely not a case of accuracy, endurance or independence. Latency could be considered but the Team wants the behavior to disappear completely for the 30 minutes of Circle, not simply continue to appear at certain intervals. The outbursts are very short so duration is not an issue. They are loud enough to be considered too intense but again, the Team wants it to disappear at this time not simply become quieter (although that would be an improvement).
Accuracy: Cross street safely with 100% accuracy.
It doesn’t really matter how many times the student crosses the road, if it happens once unsafely, it could be the last time. Latency could be an issue if you do not cross at a safe time because that time can pass so quickly. But the accuracy is more critical. It’s ok to miss a few potential safe times to cross. It’s not ok to cross unsafely. The duration is short and does not tax the student’s endurance so these are not important issues at this time. I’m not sure how I’d measure the intensity of crossing the street unless it was determining the effort applied in focusing on the task. May be important but not critical for this student. Independence will eventually be important but first we must be sure for ourselves that the student can cross safely under a great variety of circumstances that he is likely to encounter.
Latency: Come to staff when called.
Frequency is certainly an issue. You want the student to come every time you call. But it is not as important as coming in a timely manner. Accuracy is not the issue. You either do come or you don’t (although, I suppose a student could come close and stay, in which case I would handle the situation differently). Duration is not the issue, again, as you either do or don’t do it. Duration might relate to how long a student stays in the area you want him/her to be in but, again, that is a different issue. It does not take any endurance (for this student) or particular intensity to achieve this action. We do want it to be “independent” but he/she can already do the action independently: the question is “how long” will it take.
Duration: stay at “Circle Time” for 30 minutes.
The student is able to get to “Circle” independently and does so every day quickly so Frequency, Accuracy and Independence are already covered. It does not need to be done with any special intensity and it does not take great endurance to sit and participate in minimally active ways.Endurance: run during PE time for 10 minutes.
The student likes to go to PE and participate in activities. He/she walks and runs adequately and joins in readily. Running, by definition, takes a certain amount of intensity but the real question is how long the student can run. So Frequency, Accuracy, Latency, Independence are not issues in this case. Because he participates happily in all PE activities, Duration is not the real issue. We want to help the student build up a tolerance to running for longer periods of time so he/she can fully participate with peers.
Intensity: say name loud enough for peers and staff and others to clearly hear him/her.
The student has no difficulty saying his/her name whenever required. It only takes a moment. He/she just says it so softly that others cannot hear him/her adequately. So frequency, accuracy, latency duration, endurance and independence are clearly not the issues in this case.
Independence: go to bathroom, as needed
We don’t really care how frequently the student needs to go (though we will do things that increase the need so that he/she gets more practice). Of course we do want the student to go “accurately” in the bathroom but that does not seem to be an issue. Latency could be considered an issue (wait too long and you obviously don’t make it) but it’s not something we can judge until after the fact. It doesn’t take much endurance (usually) and the duration has not been an issue. Hopefully, like endurance, intensity is not an issue. That might take us into other fields of specialty but it doesn’t seem to be an issue currently.
When I teach this skill to students who are significantly “behind” peers in developing independence of toileting skills, I do not ask them to signal me or ask. I simply teach them to go into the bathroom, as needed, to take care of their business. This saves a teaching step, which can come later, and helps ensure that they do make visits to the bathroom in a timely manner.STEP 2– Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
Dawn Fagenstrom:Frequency – greeting is a familiar topic of concern for many students I have worked with. Looking at frequency is certainly one of the ways I would approach this.
Accuarcy – can’t go wrong ensuring accuracy with numbers. Later on when you are talking about money it will be critical. And, of course, many job activities will involve counting out materials to be used and counting supplies for inventory. Definitely important to be accurate.
Latency – I have dealt with this exact skill, getting ready for recess in a timely manner. Great choice. Very practical in most of Alaska.
Duration – Very similar to my choice and exactly like skills I have worked on with many students.
Endurance – Many PE activities take a certain amount of endurance to participate with peers. Very similar to my choice.
Intensity – Appropriate volume for students in a variety of situations (inside/outside, to person next to you/across the room) is definitely an area of concern for many of my students. And, in this case, almost exactly like mine.
Independence – Same goal as mine. Definitely a priority for me whenever I encounter a student who is not yet “toilet trained” (and not just “trip-trained”), whether they are late preschool or post high school. I do save the “indicate need” till later, after going independently has been well established but otherwise I agree with her reasoning.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantMark Dinelt – 5/3/2019
Module 3 – Lesson 3:
STEP 1- When you think about a PLAAFP, what criteria really “matters” in determining an IEP goal?
Of course, we must first refer to a student’s evaluation and the need identified in that evalauation. So we are not just plucking goals out of a grab bag of possibilities. Once an area is identified, we do need to “paint a picture”, as others have expressed it. Many factors can influence how we address an area of need which is why we do a PLAAFP. Just putting in numbers from tests or surveys does not help inform us about how we might best address the need. It would help to know how the student approaches area of need. Is it something he/she enjoys or engages in spontaneously. Does he/she engage in the area of need at home or in the community? Does he/she try or would it help him/her? Do parents or other family members help or assist. If we are talking about reading, do we need what his interests are. Can we provide reading material related to his interests. If we are talking about math, does he/she enjoys playing games that involve counting, money, etc. Of course, many games involve reading also and can be adapted by adding more reading components. If social skills is an area of, games can be a great tool for practicing such skills. Even though some skills may have to be taught directly, much practice can be introduced incidentally through other activities. We could probably write a book describing any particular student but for the PLAAFP, the real trick is getting useful information from all Team members about the student’s current performance, strengths and weaknesses and interests and interactions with others that might impact addressing the Need.
In what ways can or should families priorities and concerns be a component of that criteria?
It would be important for parents to have a good idea of what an Evaluation can cover and discuss potential areas of need for their child before areas of Evaluation are chosen and parents are asked to give Consent for Evaluation. This way parents can come to an IEP meeting with a clear idea of what the parameters are for choosing goals for their child. As the people who know the student best they are in the best position to inform the Team about what works well for them and their child at home and in the community. Obviously, school is not like a “home” situation but their information could save a lot of trial and error and guess work in getting to know what works for a particular student. Unless they are teachers themselves, they are also likely to try things that a classroom teacher might not think of. Of course, things are not always smooth at home so sharing what works in the classroom can be just as useful for parents to know about. To be sure, family input is just as, if not more, important as input from any other Team member. After all, most parents have a vested and lifelong interest in their child. Having said that, we also have to recognize that parents have greater leeway at home in dealing with their child then teachers will have in the classroom.To what extent should we consider a child’s perspective as part of that criteria of “what matters”?
I think the child’s perspective is critically important, especially as they get older. Younger children may not have the idea of how important it may be for them to develop certain skills but they know what they like and don’t like to do and if they are not engaged in the learning the outcome is not likely to be what we would hope for. Students who commit to learning a skill are so much more likely to be successful there is no comparison to the unwilling or uncooperative student. Involving them in the process is certainly to be preferred over making plans for them without their knowledge or participation. Whether or not they formally participate, as part of the Team or included by careful observation, conversations with other Team members and engagement in activities designed to help us get to know them better depends very much on their age and maturity level but to be sure, their perspective must be included in the Team discussion.
Finally, how does the ABC formula help us in getting to the bottom of what may be IEP worthy and ultimately “what matters”?
Knowing the A (antecedent) certainly helps choose an appropriate B (behavior). If you don’t know what comes before, it’s hard to know if they are ready for the target behavior you choose. And without the C (criteria) you may never know when the goal has been achieved or whether you should change course and try new tactics to achieve the goal.STEP 2– Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
Namomi Buck makes a good point starting with identified needs from the ESER. If we forget that, we are lost and on untenable legal ground. And, obviously, we must consider weaknesses and strengths in regard to particular needs to help us determine exactly how we are going to address a need. But I especially liked Andrea Colvin’s comment about “painting a picture” of a child with words.
Naomi went on to identify parent input as integral and “family” as where the students daily life truly unfolds but possibly needing to be tempered by the professional experience of trained teachers. I think that captures well the potential working relationship of the Team members.
I also agree with her assessment of the changing character of a student’s input depending on their age, maturity and personal bias.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantModule 3 – Lesson 1: What Will Convince You
Directions: STEP 1- Consider how we can document behaviors either qualitatively or quantitatively. Provide an example of a situation where measuring qualitatively would seem to be the best approach, as well as an example of a situation where measuring quantitatively would seem to be the best approach. Be sure to explain your reasoning. STEP 2- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.I chose these 2 Goals/Objectives because they are actually ones I am currently using with a student. I am working with older students who are, mostly, more academically oriented. These 2 related reading skills demonstrate the interconnectedness of Quality vs. Quantity. In the first one, increasing the number of words the student recognizes and can read is obviously about increasing the quantity of words he can effectively use for reading. At the same time, I have included “quality” criteria for success, as I was taught to do when I first went to college (so many years ago).
The second one, is designed to improve fluency of reading and is most concerned with the quality of the skill. However, quantity is also specified (35 short passages) to ensure the consistency of the skill. I pair these skills because, together, they will help most students to improve their comprehension of material read, which is actually the third part of this goal.
These goals were written with the idea of providing a sharp focus on what was being counted. It does make it look like the skills are being taught in isolation, which can certainly be part of teaching strategy but, for the sake of generalizing the skill, obviously cannot be the only strategy used. After going through the first few less, I would probably add some more details to make it clear that these skills can be monitored and taught in a variety of locations and classes, such as, English/Reading/Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Math.
Quantity: Student will improve basic reading skills, as demonstrated by the following objectives 3.FS.3] read 200 new words, 10 at a time, within 30 seconds, 100% accuracyQuality: Student will improve basic reading skills, as demonstrated by the following objectives 3.FS.3] read at least 35 short passages (1/2 to 1 page) at 3rd grade level, 1 at a time, within 1 minute, with 3 or fewer errors
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Andrea Colvin – Participant• Qualitatively-One example that I have been using qualitative data for recently is having a student come in each morning and use the bathroom and brush her teeth. Using qualitative data is the best approach for this because it is something that needs to happen every morning. It is not something based on the number of times she does it, it is purely just a thing that needs to be done every morning and it only happens once a day during that particular time.
• I have had considerable experience with these 2 skills and quality is the obvious focus here. I would urge consideration of Indepence for toileting, however, in addition to having particular times to use the bathroom. These 2 skills can work together nicely by providing an appropriate time to go to the bathroom (to brush teeth after breakfast, snack, lunch) which put an “untrained” student in proximity to the toilet very naturally. To be sure, we want to help students stay dry at school as the changing of clothes and cleaning up can take up a lot of productive time. Then again, if that is where the student is at, having difficulty mastering toileting, it also provides great teaching moments with natural consequences. I have had students who were well “trip trained” at school but had accidents at home or when out in the community. So, definitely a skill to monitor and talk to family about to be sure the skill is effectively used consistently, outside of school.
• As for brushing teeth, it is true, it only, usually, happens a few times a day. It is certainly worth arranging for it to happen at school, depending on the length of the students day at least once, and possible up to 4 times (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack). I usually include additional quality standards with some quantity criteria when I teach this skill. These would include brush: left side, front, right side, top, bottom, backs of teeth and tongue (so often overlooked) and brushing each section a certain length of time or number of brushes.
Quantitatively-An example of of a quantitative behavior goal that I have for a student is for him to work on a task for 5 consecutive minutes. He currently works in about 2 minute periods and then needs a break. I would like to measure quantitative data for this goal because I am wanting to increase his stamina for minutes of work. I can only know if he is making progress by timing how long he works for a consecutive amount of time.
This sounds so familiar. I have had many students whose attention spans are so short, especially for “productive tasks”. Here it is important to consider a variety of activities that they can do and perhaps pair less favored or even “unpleasant task” with desired tasks, like playing with a particular toy or person. Variety is helpful because it helps prevent “burn-out” and gives the student positive feedback for doing things they like paired with less favored activities.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantModule 2 – Lesson 2: Data-Driven Decision-Making
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Ashley Lyons – Keymaster
Directions: STEP 1- To what extent have you or the IEP teams you have been on engaged in the DDDM process? If you have, do you or your team engage in DDDM in a continuous manner? What steps of the process have you or your team struggled the most with and which step is a strength? If you have not engaged in DDDM specifically, describe how the decision-making process you have been a part of and how that compares to DDDM. STEP 2- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
I have never been directly involved in a team looking at pre-school children who might qualify for special services. The first place I worked at, while I was a senior in high school, in 1972, except for it’s director, was staffed by “non-professionals” who received their training directly from the director. She was highly trained and specialized in brain damaged and autistic children. At this time, there was no pre-school or even Kindergarten (until the following year), for students with special needs.
We had students from financially poor homes and students with a wide variety of disabilities, from ages 2 – 7, and later to age 5. I can’t really speak to how these students were chosen but, under the circumstances, we provided some very fine and needed services to them
As for my public school employment, I worked with K-3 (mostly) students and had a number of students who identified in pre-school as needing special services during my 8 years there. My biggest impression of the preparation work that was done (without my assistance), is that there rarely seemed to be enough time properly assigned to do all of the chores one must do to do a really good job. So, of course, most teachers spent a lot of time after the work day to get everything done. The biggest plus I saw was the commitment of teachers to give that extra time to provide quality services. The biggest challenge I saw was maintaining a Team from year to year. It seemed, all too often that they had to “create the wheel” all over again. A second challenge is finding the team to meet, including with parents, that was convenient and during working hours. Perhaps a bigger challenge would be for students in Kindergarten and 1st grade who did not qualify but continued to struggle. Having the resources to provide to general ed, teachers was often hit and miss. I very much sympathized with their calls for ideas to try with struggling students while maintaining effective assistance to a large classroom of less challenging but still needy younger students. It seems there were more changes in the team designed to help in these situations from year to year than in the pre-school programs.
From my position, it is very difficult to know if the Teams went through all of the steps of the DDDM but of all the steps, I would guess that gathering sufficient information from parents would have been the weakest since the emphasis seemed to be on how the difficulties with the child were affecting school work, unless the concerns were coming from parents, which present their own types of challenges.•
Dawn Fagenstrom – Participant
Here in my school we work with data driven decisions when qualifying most students. I feel that a great weakness in my school is the referral process. I feel that most teachers do not present their data for referral a child very well. Generally, it is… this child is struggling, he is failing, I’ve tried a couple of things (sometimes) and he just isn’t getting it. I feel that it is one area that as a school we really need to develop better. The veteran teachers are the worst at the referrals, the new teachers create the most complete referrals. Once testing in completed, I use the testing data, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and parent input to support eligibility determination. I feel that the sped teachers in my building follow the process continually and make informed decisions based on information gathered. I feel that a strength in my school is that we work well together as a team. There are three sped teachers in the building (1 preschool and 2 resource rooms). I feel that we support each other, discuss transitioning through the school, and work together to create the best programs for students with the varying needs. I feel that once the referral process is completed and the evaluation is started that the classroom teachers are happy to contribute more information when questions are asked.
These observations are a good match for the experiences I had. Generally, I did not fault the Gen.Ed. teachers, having been in that position myself, I understand the challenges of preparing lessons, especiall at the elementary level and, for many schools, the challenge of keeping a “proper pace” of progress”.
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OLENA KYSELOVA – Participant
I believe that our assessment team follows the steps and engages in DDDM process. We start the process with reviewing parent information from application packet and questionnaires. The parent information includes family’s concerns and parent description of child’s strengths. And we always enjoy reading positive things parents share with us about their kids. I agree that screening is one of the most important part of referral process and it should be a diligence process. During file review process, our team consisting of special education teacher, speech pathologist, school psychologist, and IEP clerical, analyzes, summarizes and interprets the information gathered, and then makes decisions whether to gather more information (i.e., video for speech therapist) or refer a student for special education evaluation. We sometimes determine that no assessment is needed, and a team member will call parents to deliver good news that their kid is on track and that a lack of certain skills, per parent report, is normal and age appropriate. We often find that some parents are happy with our recommendation. They share that they just want to make sure that their child is making progress and meeting developmental milestones, and they actually do not want special education services. We keep data about number of students who qualified and did not qualify for services and evaluate screening process on a regular basis.
Wow! I would have wanted to work at her school. Sounds like she has a great team to work with. I doubt that this is typical though there are many great people in the system. There is not often proper training for how to work as a team in such situations. For most of us, our training focuses on our own specialties with a little talking about working with team members but very little actual study or practice.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantModule 2 – Lesson 1: Needs vs Wants
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Ashley Lyons – KeymasterDirections: STEP 1- Consider the case study below. What aspects of the child’s case are needs, and which are wants? Explain your reasoning. STEP 2- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
o Spencer is a 6 year old boy in 1st grade who has autism and asthma. Spencer tends to behave well in school for the most part, but at home he experiences numerous meltdowns and panic attacks, often related to school in general and homework in particular. For the past several months, Spencer has begun to refuse to go to school in the morning. While his mother can sometimes get him out the door eventually, other days Spencer’s mom calls him off. She does this when his asthma becomes triggered from extreme panic, and sometimes when his aggression is just too much for her to handle. Spencer performs above grade level in most subjects and “specials”, with the exception of reading, writing, and math. In the latter three, he went from Bs/Cs to Ds/Fs. His test scores are well above average in reading and writing, and average in math. Spencer begs to be homeschooled and says his schooling should all be done in his favorite game (Minecraft- he has met other children in the gaming environment who are taught within this framework), but his mother does not believe that would be helpful as he has difficulty with follow-through without some level of accountability to other adults.
Given what you have been told, what in this story strikes you as a potential need for Spencer? What seems to be more of a want? How do you differentiate between wants and capitalizing on a child’s interest? What other information would you need in order to sort through needs and wants, and how would you analyze such data to make a determination about the distinction between each?
Most obviously, Spencer WANTS to play Minecraft and it sounds like he wants to stay home to play. He is smart enough to suggest homeschooling using Minecraft. He was doing fine in his academic classes and his behavior continues to be mostly fine at school, suggesting that current declines in grades is more about motivation than ability, assuming there has been no major changes in teaching staff or styles. This , make it seem like his “addiction” to Minecraft at home is affecting his work at school. It would be typical for an autistic person to become seriously attached to an activity, like Minecraft, which is not a need but could be used at school (sounds like it is not, at this point) and restricted at home, if it is not already (again, more information is needed).Since there was apparently not a problem going to and from school at one time, with good grades and behavior, it seems likely that his attraction to Minecraft, is the major factor here to be addressed. A meeting with parents to share information and discuss possible solutions looks critical. Likely, parents need some pointers on how to manage behaviors effectively at home with school staff providing support, perhaps be providing limited access to minecraft at school, especially if it can be used to supplement school lessons.
Of course, the information provided also leads to another important question for this student. If behavior at school is generally fine and he tests and can perform at or above grade level in reading, writing and math, why does he have an IEP. One can only assume that he qualified services in Pre-school and Kindergarten for some noted underperformance at that time but, given good models and practice, was able to mature sufficiently to outgrow his need for “special” assistance. It is also possible that he is one of those students who is able to maintain “grade level” expectations only with special support, which makes it difficult to justify those supports and yet, can leave such a student floundering when supports are withdrawn. Support through a 504 plan might be what is needed in the end, which his diagnosis of Autism should help him access. Definitely, more information is needed to provide the proper help for this student. But, at this point, homeschooling would be at the bottom of my list.•
OLENA KYSELOVA – Participant
I believe Spencer can be a good candidate for Section 504 plan rather than special education services at this time. He is performing above grade level and on grade level academically and will continue to benefit from general education curriculum. Additionally, his was reported to be well-behaved most of the time at school.
(Great observation about 504.)
It is very common for children with autism to have difficulty with transitions and change. Spencer’s refusals to go to school represent his wants. He does not want to go to school. He resists transitioning from home setting where he can play computer games all day, his highly preferred activity. At this time, school is his non-preferred academic setting where he is expected to follow teacher’s directions and participate in non-preferred activities.
As part of autism patterns of behaviors, Spencer’s social skills are his relative weakness. He does not need to have eye contact and “read” social cues while playing his favorite game (Minecraft) with others. He prefers to meet others in the gaming environment, not school environment, and it is his want, not need.
(I would disagree that transitions here are an issue. They could be but more information would be need to determine that. He was doing fine until Minecraft became an issue. And he continues to behave well at school, mostly. But the observation of why Minecraft has become a favored activity certainly fits the “autism” profile.)
I would like to have more information about his sensory needs. Is Spencer bothered by loud noises and large groups? Does he take a bus to school and if he does, how long does it take him to get there? Does Spencer is expected to wait outside (in a busy, crowed and unstructured setting) before the bell rings in the morning? If this is a case, I would ask school occupational therapist observe him and give his teacher suggestions how to help him be successful. In this case, Spencer may have a need, not a want, and he should be accommodated by school staff and allowed to enter the building earlier to help his transition and start his school day on a positive note.
(this could be important information but, again, because things seemed to be going well until Minecraft became an issue, it seems unlikely to be a major issue.)
Spencer would probably benefit from developing visual schedule and learning how to use it before classes start. Additionally, in the school setting, his teachers could reinforce his appropriate behaviors by providing him opportunity to play board games with peers of his choice. In Anchorage, we have a program Big Brothers Big Sisters when a student is matched with a Big Brother, a mentor, who comes to school at assigned times and spend time with students who require attention and support.
(Again, considering things seemed to going well before Minecraft became an issue, this is not the first thing I would look at. But to be sure, when more information is available many options might be considered to improve the situation. But, we also want to be careful not to take steps backwards when providing help to move forward.)•
Dawn Fagenstrom – Participant
I believe that Spencer needs to go to school so that he is held accountable to adults and completes his studies. I also think that he needs to have a social connection beyond his gaming system. The description states that he “tends to behave well in school for the most part”. This leads me to believe that he enjoys being at school for the most of the day. I believe that if he really didn’t want to be there he would have more meltdowns and panic attacks causing aggression and the asthma.
(Very good observations. We totally agree on these points.)
Spencer also needs to learn how to accept rejection when he is told no or when instructed to do something that he doesn’t want to without being aggressive or creating a self induced asthma attack.
I believe that Spencer wants to play Minecraft. I don’t believe that he really understands what homeschooling through Minecraft really looks like. He just wants to play the game.
(Again, I am in total agreement with Dawn’s assessment here.
I think that wants help teachers create learning environments that children are willing to attend to and learn. If we can use the child’s wants to engage his learning, without taking away from the value of the task, I believe it is worth the investigation. It may be in this circumstance the team needs to make coming to school more rewarding than staying home.
(I very much agree here but would also want to explore with Parents what Spencer is doing at home and how they are dealing with behavior concerns.)
Information I would be interested in learning: 1) Why does he have the panic attacks at home about school and homework? Is it that it is taking time away from something he enjoys? 2) What happens on days that Spencer gets excused from school due his refusals to go? 3) What does Minecraft learning look like and is it something that could be implemented into his learning at school? 4) Why are his grades dropping? 5) If his test are well above average, why does he only have average grades in his stronger core classes? And below average grades in his math class that he scores average in during testing?
(These are all great questions. We might also explore how things work for Spencer at school and see what might be done at home to make the learning experience more similar, although, again, at this point, Minecraft use at home seems to be the major issue.)
With the information one would possibly understand the purpose for the meltdowns and readdress the triggers. With the information it is possible that Spencer’s team to re-evaluate his day and set in place Spencer’s wants to alleviate the aggression and the asthma attacks.
(Nicely summed up.)Mark Dinelt
ParticipantModule 1 – Lesson 4: Measurability
Directions: STEP 1- Either write a hypothetical IEP goal or use an existing IEP goal for a student you know (but please change the name or any other identifying information). If you write a hypothetical goal, be sure it is as complete as you would make it on an actual IEP. Write or copy/paste the goal into your discussion response. STEP 2- Using Appendix A in the R-GORI, rate the goal using all 8 criteria. STEP 3- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.demonstrate effective social communication across school settings [SHL.B.2] as measured by mastery of the following objectives
respond to social greetings and farewells 7 out of 10 times in 5 days
contribute 3 reciprocal comments based on a topic initiated by another on 4 out of 5 days
initiate social greetings and farewells 7 out of 10 times in 5 days
1. Yes, generally, social greetings can be seen and heard, if you are watching and looking for them. Likewise for reciprocal comments, though you must be close enough to hear conversations, if you are not involved yourself.
2. Yes, in 5 day sets, over a quarter (and year), there are likely to me many opportunities for greetings and farewells and conversations.
3. Yes, this skill is important in almost all social situations, at school, home and community.
4. Yes, this really is a precursor skill to being around other people. Without these skills, it will be difficult to make appropriate social contacts for completing almost any kind of work and getting along with other people.
5. Yes, this is definitely a general concept that works everywhere that helps encourage acceptance and a good working relationship with others.
6. Yes, what is learned at school can be transferred to community activities and practiced at home, if needed.
7. Yes, this definitely can easily be practiced throughout the day during changes in activities.
8. Yes, this is definitely best if practiced by everyone who has contact with the student throughout the day.One additional comment, if I had written this one myself, I would probably have put objective 2 in the 3rd spot and put the 3rd objective in the 2nd spot as that seems to put the skills in better hierarchical position. Generally, it will be easier to respond than to initiate and easier to initiate a simple greeting than a 3 part conversation.
Dawn Fagenstrom – Participant
Given a set of objects, Sammi will count them and write the corresponding number, without prompts, for number sets to 30, in 4/5 opportunities by April 22,2019.
Measurability question 1- yes Counting can be heard and the number written can be seen
question.
I would agree.
2 – yes this goal is easily measured by any taking data, prompting should be faded as the child becomes more independent with the skill.
Sounds good. Nice point about fading of prompts.Functionality question 3 – yes counting, recognizing, and writing numbers are a life long skills. Definitely a helpful skill in so many situations.
question 4- yes.
There are many opportunities daily for counting and knowing that we have enough or the right amount (of things or people).Generality question 5 – yes counting, number recall, and formation are gateways to higher level math instruction.
Definitely an important skills to more complex skills in math.question 6 – yes this skill is easily adaptable to all materials and across settings
Instructional context question.
Definitely. Materials for various activities or number of people involved in activities being just 2 examples.
7 – yes this skill can be practiced across multiple activities using multiple manipulatives.
Again, very true.question 8 – yes anyone could measure this skill.
Anyone with basic math skills!
If I understood the questions correctly I have written an IEP worthy goal.•
Daniel Kaasa – Participant
Goal: When presented with two objects, one high preferred and one neutral, John will use eye gaze to choose preferred object in 8 out of 10 recorded trials per week.
1, John’s purposeful gaze upon an object can be observed by familiar staff.
Definitely need someone who knows the student. Could be used to teach a “choosing skill”.2. The expected level of performance is stated based on frequency.
Preferred and neutral objects would have to be well delineated or known to presenter.3. Because John does not have other communication skills, he is learning to use eye gaze to make choices. The target behavior will be needed throughout his day and is his way of interacting with materials and communicating his wants to others.
Very true. This could be a critical skill for someone with limited communication skills.4. Without eye gaze, John would rely on staff to select objects for him to play with/use for activities throughout the day.
Definitely important for student to be able to make choices for self.5. John’s eye gaze will be able to generalize across settings and is a precursor to communication about other topics beyond desired objects.
Very true.6. This behavior will be able to be generalized in multiple settings and with all staff interacting with John. It can also be used in the home setting.
Yes, and with proper equipment, could possibly be used in some public settings.7. John will have the opportunity to use eye gaze selections throughout daily activities and everyday items can be used.
Critical that it be used in as many settings as possible.8. John interacts with his speech therapist, teachers and paraprofessionals. The goal is clearly so that all will be able to teach the skill.
To be sure, everyone who comes into contact with this student should learn to be aware of and use this method of choosing things.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantAshley Lyons – Keymaster
Directions:
STEP 1- Consider whether the IEP goal meets all four filters as discussed in Module 1.2. For each of the four filters, describe how the goal meets or does not meet the filter.
STEP 2- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
o “During a variety of daily activities, (insert child’s name) will correctly pair a label/name, a symbol, and/or an action of one object, person, and/or event to another. The child will correctly pair five different labels, symbols, or actions each day for two consecutive weeks. For example, the child will correctly pair number tags with corresponding objects by counting, child will select a buddy to read with when directed to “find a friend”, child will pair matching letter tags with letter sounds, child will name each animal in a story, child will give each child a napkin during snack, child will hang their backpack on a hook).”Filter 1: Of course, we don’t have the Present Levels before us, so we can’t properly judge for Filter 1. We can hope information was collected that makes these skills look important for this child. What I can say, though, is that the skill is rather broadly written, covering both self-help and academic type skills. I probably would have written it as 2 different goals.
Filter 2: These are skills that would increase the child’s direct participation in the classroom and likely, at home, also. They would help the student to become more independent. Learning to take care of his/her own backpack would certainly help with self-regulation.
Filter 3: We don’t really know if temporary supports or changes in the environment would be helpful for this particular student but the expectations are certainly relevant and appropriate. We can only assume that age and experience have been accounted for making this an appropriate goal.
Filter 4: These skills look like they would align with common outcomes. We don’t really know about the uniqueness of this particular child or family/cultural values but they seem like skills that would be agreeable in most families/cultures. We can’t really tell from the information provided whether specialized instruction is needed versus simple exposure and opportunity.
I would like to add that the goal, as written does not actually align “will correctly pair a label/name, a symbol, and/or an action of one object, person, and/or event to another.”
The first example actually pair 3 things; symbol to object by counting.
Two of the example match object to person.
And, as mentioned earlier, the goal actually has academic skills mixed with social and self-help skills. These are all good things to work on but I would likely separate them out, at least the academic from the social/self-help skills.Dawn Fagenstrom
Participant
Filter 1: Not having the PLAAFP makes it hard to determine if the need comes from the child’s disability. I also feel that this goal is very broad and crosses over several different areas. The examples include pairs in academics to social skills to self help.
Good observations. Almost identical to my comments.
Filter 2: Not being able to match in the academics content would impacts his progress to the curriculum. Not recognizing the social cues and prompts would impact your access to socialization. Not understanding purposes for materials we use would impede a child’s inpedendence. Therefore, broken down into smaller objectives this goal would encourage the child to have greater access, participation, and progress in the different content areas.
Strongly agree with these observations. Nicely broken down. I would definitely want to break this down to smaller objectives, also.
Filter 3: Being able to pair in different situations may require more individual prompting or practice then typically considered appropriate so this goal my require specially designed instruction to meet the needs of the child.
Sometimes I think that I am so used to modifying, adapting and designing situations to meet the needs of children I have worked with that I have a hard time identifying specially designed instruction. Otherwise, not really knowing where this student is at, Dawn’s observations seem quite correct.
Filter 4: Depending on the child’s baseline ability this goal may be accomplished over a year’s time in specific areas.
These do seem like tasks that can be accomplished in a year. Definitely not obviously “too much”.• Daniel Kaasa Participant
Hi Ashley,
I’m really pleased to have the Four Filters! It will clarify the discussion at future individual student-based meetings. Here is my Step One assignment for part two of module one:
Filter One: This goal does not designate disability determination so does not connect with Filter One.
We certainly agree on this one.
Filter Two: There is an inference in this goal that the student’s need is impacting their access to the learning environment at as the examples are for active participation in components of the school day.
I agree, you have to guess that the writer is basing the goal on real needs.
Filter Three: There is the assumption that the activities related to this goal would require specialized instruction. The skills involved with pairing in the related tasks would require direct instruction and ongoing supports to master them.
Again, a good assumption but we don’t really have the information to judge accurately.
Filter Four: Because IEPs are written annually, there is the understanding that this is a need that can be accomplished within that year.
Again, I agree. As a best guess, this goal looks similar to ones I have written for students I have known. They do look reasonable without having more detailed information.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantDirections: STEP 1- In your own words, consider whether there is always a distinction between functional and academic goals. Does an IEP goal need to be one or the other, or both? Provide at least one real or hypothetical example to bolster your argument. STEP 2- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
I believe, traditionally in ECE, functional relates to basic living skills that we need to take care of ourselves, such as feeding, cleaning up after ourselves, moving around our environment, dressing and toileting skills, including bathing. But functional also means, in a more general sense, knowledge or abilities that help us do something meaningful for ourselves. In the broader sense, many, if not most, academic goals, do help us to take care of ourselves, personally, socially, at home, in the community and/or at work.
There are many examples that could be cited. For instance, reading allows us to use many objects at home from vacuum cleaners to washers, to microwaves that may come with written instructions. Obviously, at most jobs there will be a variety of written communication, from directives from “management” to instructions for performing particular job duties that most of us will need to be able to read for ourselves.
Similarly, having the ability to write will increase the number of people we can communicate with without needing to see them face to face. And, with sufficient talent, some people can even make a living at writing, whether it is informational, journalistic, writing novels and many other forms of writing.
Math skills, of course, are some of the most functional skills we can learn to help us manage our money. Algebra skills can help us develop thinking skills for solving problems, whether mathematical or not. Geometry skills can help us recognize the many forms around us that people will reference when communicating with us (and vice versa). If we are involved in building things, both types of knowledge will be critical to our performance.
I love learning new things but my poor brain is somewhat limited. I do understand how many students complain that they will never use some higher mathematics or science information, especially when it is so difficult for some of us to understand. So I wouldn’t say that all academic skills are functional, though they might be for some people.
So, I would say that a Goal doesn’t have to be exclusively Functional or Academic. I would say the important thing is to keep in mind how the skill can be used, both specifically in a limited way and more generally. Which reminds me of a thought I had when listening to and watching the video lesson. When talking about the balance beam, I have certainly seen such goals written, usually by Physical Therapist or the Sound Production goal, usually written by SLP staff. And I’ve probably written a few goals in a similar vein. I have also written a few myself, I’m sure. What struck me while watching was the similarity between such nonfunctional goals and academic goals I have seen that specify a particular program for teaching a skill. These have always bothered me because I might prefer a different approach or may not have access to the program written into the IEP. The real point is to help a student master a goal, which might mean using a balance beam, teaching particular vocal sounds or using a certain program that works for a certain children. I might include information about what has been effective in working on a goal in the Present Levels section or even in the Notes at the end of the IEP. But I think it leaves the door open to more creative (and possibly more fun/engaging for students) to focus on the bigger, broader goal rather than listing an isolated skill as a goal.Andrea Colvin – Participant
From what I learned from this lesson, functionality and accountability go hand in hand. We must analyze our goals and think about the functional application of each goal. We must think about the what, why, and how of each goal. We want our students to be working on goals that increase their participation and independence in most daily activities. To write a measurable goal, the wording can be discrete, but if we know the what, why, and how behind it, we can get at the function of the goal. Each goal will increase participation and independence with the function lense of writing and IEP.
When I think of a purely functional goal, I think of a goal written for adaptive skills, behavior, or social skills. I think that when considering academics, many if not all of these include a functional component. An example of this could be a student recognizing the sounds of each letter in the alphabet, this not only helps the student within the school, but helps them in all areas of their daily life. A potential non-example could be learning long division. This doesn’t have an obvious functional goal (helping the student participate in all/most daily activities), but it is teaching the student to use their brain to solve problems and know the step by step procedures that are a base for other mathematical functions.
To write a measurable goal, the wording can be discrete, but if we know the what, why, and how behind it, we can get at the function of the goal. I think this idea is perfectly expressed!
Strongly agree with assessment of functional vs. academic skills We just need to keep in mind the bigger picture and not focused on an individual skill.Gwendolyn Hill – Participant
In your own words, consider whether there is always a distinction between functional and academic goals. Does an IEP goal need to be one or the other, or both? Provide at least one real or hypothetical example to bolster your argument.
I do not see how there could ever be a definitive ALWAYS or NEVER answer to the above question about goals: functional, academic, or both. My opinion is that, if needed, both academics and functionality can be present in a goal, but by far the functionality part is most important. And, whether academics are even functional skills for a particular child/student depends solely on the developmental level and needs of that child. Case in point: I was just discussing with a co-worker (sped teacher for intensive students) an IEP that we inherited from another school district. The child is on the Autism spectrum, is 8 years old, but functioning right now more like a 3-year old. She had been one of our students the year before, but taken away for foster care in another city. Her IEP had a couple very academic goals for reciting the alphabet, and saying the sounds for so many letters. The IEP had only one apeech/communication goal which was an articulation goal…the child is not even able to communicate she wants to eat. Reintroducing this child to using an AAC device so she can communicate again is the most functional and most humane course of action right now. Reciting the alphabet…not so much.My opinion is that, if needed, both academics and functionality can be present in a goal, but by far the functionality part is most important.
Well said. I totally agree. I also strongly agree with her assessment of returning student. I have had the very same kind of experience. Very frustrating.Mark Dinelt
ParticipantSTEP 1- Review the following statements from a real-life PLAAFP
• Determine if the statements are “good” (green) or “bad” (red)
• Are there instances where the statement is both “good and bad”? How would you fix those that you rated as “bad”?STEP 2- Reply directly to this post.
STEP 3- Respond to at least one colleague’s posting.
•Green or Red? 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.•Green or Red? 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.
G/R: How close do others have to get, does he ever approach others, what type of play does he engage in, are you sure he prefers to play alone?•Green or Red? 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.
R: what is EOWPVT-R, ROWPVT-R; do scores matter here (parents may ask what age level they are on, good to know if they ask, what kind of things are said, What is responded to, what are interests, is Hearing ok?•Green or Red? 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.
G: but, any medical/social-emotional/physical indications for condition. What does essentially? What words does she say, under what conditions•Green or Red? Damien’s attention problems result in failure to follow the teacher’s directions, talking out of turn and responding inappropriately during group activities.
R: what are attention problems? Hearing ok? What is inappropriate?•Green or Red? 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.
Mostly R: what is reading level? Can he talk about pictures? How does he demonstrate understanding?•Green or Red? Mark doesn’t know his colors. He can count to 3 but doesn’t always remember the number 2. He can stack 3 blocks.
Mostly R: what is reading level? Can he talk about pictures? How does he demonstrate understanding?Comments on colleague:
Dawn Fagenstrom – Participant
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. Green
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. These are test results and doesn’t really tell me how the child communicates. We need to know how the differences in the two affect the child’s ability to communicate.
Strongly agree with this comment. Generally, test scores probably not needed here. They are usually listed below in ESER scores. Parents sometimes ask about age/grade level so it is good to be able to answer when it comes up but not really helpful in statement about what student can or cannot do.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. Green
Mostly I agree but there are still some questions, particularly about underlying causes which may make a difference in what approach is taken to assist student.Damien’s attention problems result in failure to follow the teacher’s directions, talking out of turn and responding inappropriately during group activities. Red/Green, how is it affecting his education? or is it a classroom behavior issue
I think she missed the bigger point here. What is “attention problem”. What does it look like. She did get the big questions – how does it affect education and is it a “local” , classroom issue?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. Green/Red- What does “doesn’t work as well mean”? Does it mean he has to work hard and then gets it or he doesn’t learn it.
I gave this a mostly Red. No information about how he demonstrates understanding and what might make visual (both written word and pictures) challenging for student?Mark doesn’t know his colors. He can count to 3 but doesn’t always remember the number 2. He can stack 3 blocks. Green/Red: What are the expectations? What colors has he been taught? What is the expectation for counting and stacking blocks?
I think that statements can be green and red. I feel that some of the statements that I labeled in this grey area started off solid then read a phrase left me wondering how? so? and?
I agree with assessment. Definitely need more information about what is being asked and what can student do with these concepts.This was hard for me because I don’t feel that I had enough information and needed to read the rest of the PLAAFPs to really decide if they were green/red. However, I think I’m probably over thinking the task and the real question is… did the author know the student and how the task affects his involvement.
Definitely agree with statement here. Hard to make judgments without more info. about students.Daniel Kaasa, Participant
As I read the PLAAFP statements, I seem to be a “both red and green” sort of person. If I were to see the entire section for each student, I may have different responses. The concept of using the PLAAFP to document baseline information to be used as a road map for the rest of the IEP, really makes sense to me! Here are my thoughts:
Totally agree.Dayton: Doctor K.D-F. indicates that the PLAAPF should identify areas that the student has difficulty with. The statement on Dayton does this in a clear, concise manner, therefore could be coded as a green statement. I would want to make sure that it stays in that status by including positive statements related to his ability to play independently and perhaps by providing specific baseline information on the frequency and duration of his upsets.
Not so clear to me but agree that some positive statements need to be included and good baseline info.Carmen: The green part of this statement is that it contains current, specific and measurable information. However, I would recommend a red status fix of clarifying what the abbreviated assessments are and what they are designed to measure. The IEP document should be easily interpreted by all members of the IEP Team.
Disagree that info. is measureable in classroom terms. Don’t really need test scores here. Definitely agree that info. should be understandable for all Team members.Damien: I feel this is a fully green statement. When I read it, I get a clear impression of this aspect of this student. To complete the statement section, it might be expanded to include the last portion of Dr. K. P-F’s “Formula for Success” by describing how this “affects access, participation and/or progress.”
I also get a picture in my head about this student but I’m not sure at all that it would agree with Daniel’s idea (or anybody else’s. I gave this one a Red.Zung: This statement about Zung could be considered to be green as it seems to be a part of an Authentic Assessment completed by a member of the IEP Team. To maintain its green status, I would anticipate that additional, more specific baseline information be collected and documented. This information could clarify what his actual reading skills are as compared to those of his typical peers.
I gave this one a red. Some info. but not enough to be very useful. Agree that student’s reading level in this case could be important.Mark: Partially achieving a green status this statement does relate to skills that may correspond to those that the Team would want to see the child doing. However, to move it away from red status, I would modify the negative wording. It could also be greatly expanded to include information on what related areas of learning are being worked on with Mark and the impact of his current foundation skills
We are closer on this one. I rated it Red but I like his ideas to improve info. on Mark.–Dan Kaasa
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