including children with special education...

Including Children withSpecial Education Needs

March 10, 2015: NJ Recreation & Park Association

40th Annual Conference

Michael C. Selbst, Ph.D., BCBA-DLicensed Psychologist (NJ #3779, PA #9320)

Certified School PsychologistBoard Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral

Director

Behavior Therapy Associates, P.A.Somerset, New Jersey

[email protected]

www.behaviortherapyassociates.com

732-873-1212

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.behaviortherapyassociates.com/

Overview

Symptoms of children who have special education needs

Providing a positive climate and culture

Effectively including children with special needs

© 2015 All Rights Reserved Behavior Therapy Assoc. 2

Symptoms of Children with Special Education Needs

Common symptoms of children with special education needs

Delays/Difficulties with: Social skills and peer relationships

Impulse control, sustaining attention, hyperactivity

Eye contact

Following directions and answering questions

Gross-motor and fine-motor skills

Communication/language; voice inflection/tone

Processing speed

Organization, planning, transitioning

Vision, hearing

Emotional regulation and anger management

4© 2015 All Rights Reserved

Behavior Therapy Assoc.

Common symptoms of children with special education needs

Delays/Difficulties with: Sensory processing

Self-injurious behavior

Repetitive behaviors (“self-stimulation”, stereotypy)

Hand flapping, toe walking, rocking, turning in circles

Some children may have different physical appearance (wheelchair, facial features different)

Child may not care for their own hygiene or dress (brushing teeth, bathing, using deodorant)

Self-help skills (toileting, feeding, dressing)



Functional Impact of Deficits

Social relationships

Control of emotions

Common sense reasoning

Compliance

Sports and Art skills

Cognitive and Academic difficulties

Trouble expressing oneself



Common Expectations: “All of my children must...”

Sit with their buttocks on the seat and their feet on the

floorchallenge: many children with disabilities have sensory

integration issues, hyperactivity, self-stimulatory behaviors, short-attention span, impulsivity, etc.

Raise their hand to speak and wait to be called upon

challenge: these are skills that involve attending to questions, providing relevant questions, responses, and comments, self-control, patience, awareness of each staff member’s expectations, accept when they are not called upon, and motivation to be recognized and reinforced by others (many children are indifferent to this)



Common Expectations Display organization skills “You’re 8 years old now. You

should know where your dirty clothes go” challenge: this involves sustaining attention, auditory processing,

desire to follow steps, adequate fine-motor skills, motor planning, spatial awareness, recall, etc.

Social / Pragmatic Language necessary for collaborative learning, and engaging in conversation with peers and staff

challenge: core deficit for children with Autism; some children have no desire to interact with others, while others have a desire but go about it in their own idiosyncratic way; problem-solving skills, turn-taking, consideration of multiple points of view, and acceptance of others’ opinions oftentimes delayed in children with Autism Spectrum disorders.



Executive Functions

Expectations

-Organize and categorize information and materials

-Complete tasks efficiently

-Remember sequence of events and the day

-Remain focused

Challenges

-May forget materials and/or cannot find them

-Performance may be inefficient, random, chaotic

-Limited strategies to recall sequences

-Easily distracted and trouble resolving issues



Executive Functions

Expectations

-Flexible thinking and handling changes

-Self-monitoring

-Concentration & participation

-Develop abstract reasoning & more advanced problem-solving skills

Challenges

-One-track mind; hyper-focused; rigid

-Impulsive & Egocentric

-Often uninterested in many tasks

-Trouble with word problems, estimating, inferential thinking



Self-Management

Expectations

-Comply with rules

-Request help

-To think & learn silently

-Monitor own intellectual understanding of topic

Challenges

-Trouble remembering & knowing rules

-Knowing how to ask for help

-Tend to think aloud while learning

-Do not know they are misunderstanding or misreading situation



Sensory Perception

Expectations

-Be aware of senses (sights, sounds, touch, taste, smell)

-Tolerate various (e.g., tactile, visual, auditory) sensations in school

Challenges

-May be hyper- or hypo-sensitive to lights, sounds, smells, tastes, physical closeness

-Impact observed during fire drills, school bells, lunchroom, air conditioning & heat, lighting, stimulation in class, seating arrangement



Motor Balance

Expectations

-To demonstrate typical gross motor skills (walking, running, throwing / kicking ball)

-Appropriate fine-motor skills

-Tolerating physical transitions

-Body awareness

Challenges

-May appear clumsy with various activities

-May get confused about directions, sequences, organization



Effectively Including Children with Special Education Needs

Inclusion

In the field of education, inclusion is animportant term. The Individuals withDisabilities Education Act (IDEA)requires that a continuum of placementoptions be available to meet the needsof students with disabilities.



Inclusion

"to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities ... are educated with children who are not disabled, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be attained satisfactorily.” IDEA Sec. 612 (5) (B).



Inclusion

Similarly, in recreational programs and summer camps, including children with special education needs is critical.

It is important to do so effectively with a good understanding of the child’s needs, a good plan, and to take steps to ensure that everyone is supportive and sensitive.



Start with something and integrateas much as possible

Jump off to a good and smart start

Have a plan!



Developing child’s Functional Communication

Communicating wants, needs, emotions, choices, need for a break

Total communication approach (especially for children with developmental delays): words, picture exchange, photographs, signs, gestures, augmentative communication device



Social-Emotional Supports

Social StoriesTM (Carol Gray)

Feelings Poster: students cut out photographs and label emotion

Picture Activity Schedule

Break Card

Visuals in classroom: Stop/Go sign on doors (hallway, outside, bathroom, toy box)

Video Modeling & Video Self-Modeling



Three most important things

Structure

Structure

Structure



Intervention strategies to maximize the learning experience (Kaufman & Larson, 2005).

Select work groups for the students

Use cooperative learning groups

Ensure tasks are manageable and within students’ attention span

Provide practice for new skills in different settings for generalization

Use various means of presentation



Intervention strategies cont’d

Use students’ special interests to motivate

Allow students to use their own methods

Maintain notebook of things they do not understand

Have regular check-ins with the child

Help child to comply with rules and expectations



Roles and Responsibilities

Supervision & Safety first

Knowledgeable of child’s IEP goals and objectives (if applicable)

Knowledgeable of the schedule and prompting to facilitate transitions

Gradually fading prompts to promote greater independence among students

Shadow by supporting & guiding, not hovering




You do not have to justify your position by always “doing” something; oftentimes observing, praising behavior, and recording data is much more effective than looking for opportunities to correct behavior

Remember that it is not necessary nor appropriate to “correct” all negative or extraneous behaviors (e.g., out of seat, calling out, hand flapping, whining)




Clarify all staff members’ roles and responsibilities

Clarify when staff should report something to a supervisor and what needs to be documented

Important to avoid: Rough play

Use of sarcasm

Joking around as child may take it literally



Providing a Positive Climate and Culture

Positive Climate & Culture

Sensitivity training to staff AND students

Understanding similarities & differences

Peer buddy program

Mainstreaming and reverse mainstream

A “Positive Peer Culture” should exist in which recognition is given for pro-social behaviors

Praise, awards, certificates, reward activities© 2015 All Rights Reserved

Behavior Therapy Assoc. 29


Collaborative work among staff members There should be regularly planned time

Ongoing training for staff

Consultation from experts behavior specialist, speech/language therapist,

physical/occupational therapist, psychologist, social worker

Consultation – observing student and meeting with staff and parents

Collaborate with previous staff




Parent-staff collaboration: avoid the tendency to only share news when there is a problem

catch being good phone calls, emails, notes home

use of daily or weekly scorecard focused on specific replacement social skills to strengthen




Modifications of demands, materials, activities, length of activity, visuals, etc.

Structured setting with flexibility and understanding

Incidental teaching (teachable moments)

Behavior specific praise (praise the behavior: “I like the way you…”; “Good job helping your teammate.”)




Procedures for monitoring students’ progress

social skills scorecards

behavior charts

observation

social-behavior skills rating scales

skill focused checklists



Maximizing Resources

Share resources to promote skill development and generalization (picture schedules, catalogs, websites, support groups, books, journals, software)

Help parents to become registered with local support groups, access services through Division of Developmental Disabilities, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, ARC of their county (for developmental delays and cognitive deficits), etc.

Copies of flyers/brochures for upcoming workshops

Extracurricular activities at school and in the community



Quick Tips



Quick Tips

Provide daily success for the child

Encourage and reinforce positive self-statements

Be active rather than passive: find out how to address the child’s needs and promote strengths

View helping the child with special needs as an opportunity to become a more effective staff member rather than a “problem I have to cope with”



RELATED RESOURCES

Asher, M. J. & Gordon, S. B. (1998). The AD/HD forms book: Identification, measurement, and intervention. Champaign, IL: Research Press* (to order, contact Research Press or Behavior Therapy Associates: 732-873-1212).

Asher, M. J., Gordon, S. B., Selbst, M.C., Cooperberg, M. (2010). The Behavior Problems Resource Kit: Forms and Procedures for Identification, Measurement, and Intervention. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Bauminger, N. (2002), The Facilitation of Social-Emotional Understanding & Social Interaction in High Functioning Children with Autism: Intervention Outcomes. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol. 32, Pages 283-297.

Bellini, S. (2008). Building Social Relationships. A Systematic Approach to Teaching Social Interaction Skills to Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Disabilities. Autism Asperger Publishing Co.

Bellini, S., Akullian, J. (2007) A Meta-Analysis of Video-Modeling and Video Self-Modeling Interventions for Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Council for Exceptional Children, 73(3), pp. 264-287.



RELATED RESOURCES

Bellini, Peters, Benner, & Hopf. (2007). A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Social Skills Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Remedial and Special Education, 28 (3) 153-162.

Broak, E., Cain, S.L., Dutkiewicz, M., et al (Eds.) (1994). The social story book: second edition. Jenison, MI: Jenison Public Schools (616-457-8955).

Committee for Children. (1997). Second Step: A violence-prevention curriculum.Seattle: Committee for Children. (1-800-634-4449).

Durand, V.M. (1990). Severe behavior problems: A functional communication training approach. New York: Guilford Press.

Elias, M.J. & Butler, L.B. (2005). Social decision making / social problem solving: A curriculum for academic, social, and emotional learning. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Elias, M. J. & Tobias, S. E. (1996). Social problem solving: Interventions in the schools. New York: Guilford Press.



RELATED RESOURCES

Elliott, S. T. & Gresham, F. M. (1991). Social skills intervention guide: Practical strategies for social skills training. Circle Pines: MN: American Guidance Service.

Freeman, S. & Dake, L. (1997). Teach me language: A language manual for children with autism, Asperger’s syndrome and related developmental disorders. Canada: SKF Books.

Gray, C. (1994). Comic strip conversations. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, Inc.

Gray, C. (2010). The New Social Story Book, Revised and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition: Over 150 Social Stories that Teach Everyday Social Skills to Children with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome, and their Peers. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, Inc.

Greene, R.W. (2001). The explosive child: A new approach for understanding and parenting easily frustrated, chronically inflexible children (Second Edition). NY: Harper Collins

Horner, R.H., Carr, E.G. (1997). Behavioral support for students with severe disabilities: Functional assessment and comprehensive intervention. Journal of Special Education, 31, 84-104.



RELATED RESOURCES

Mannix, D. (2009). Social skills activities for special children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Maurice, C., Green, G., & Luce, S.C. (Eds.) (1996). Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

McAfee, J. (2002). Navigating the social world: A curriculum for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and related disorders. Arlington, YX: Future Horizons, Inc.

McGinnis, E. & Goldstein, A. P. (1997). Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Patterson, G.R. (1975). Families: Applications of social learning to family life. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Patterson, G.R. (1976). Living with children: New methods for parents and teachers. Champaign, IL: Research Press.



RELATED RESOURCES

Schab, L.M. (2001). The anger solution workbook. Plainview, NY: Childswork Childsplay.

Schab, L.M. (2001). The you & me workbook: A book that teaches social skills and social awareness. Plainview, NY: Childswork Childsplay.

Schwartz, S. & Miller J.E.H. (1997). Teaching communication skills to children with special needs: A guide for parents and teachers. Woodbine House.

Wang, P., Spillane, A. (2009) Evidence-Based Social Skills Interventions for Children with Autism: A Meta-analysis. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, V. 44 (3), pp.318-342.

Zins, J. E., & Elias, M. E. (2006). Social and emotional learning. In Bear, G. G. & Minke, K.M. (Eds.). Children's needs (3rd ed.) (pp. 1-13). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.



including children with special education...

Documents