Supplementary Aids and Services

Consideration Toolkit Overview

Jeannine H. Brinkley, Inclusive Practices Statewide Lead

PaTTAN

April 28, 2010

Pennsylvania’s Commitment to

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Our goal for each child is to ensure IEP teams begin with the general education setting with the use of Supplementary Aids and Services

before considering a more restrictive environment.

Training Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Cite the foundation for use of supplementary aids and services in general education classrooms by referencing legal and policy documents;

• Describe the use of supplementary aids and services to support students with disabilities as active learners and participants general education environments

• Discuss the purpose and role of the Supplementary Aids and Services(SaS) Consideration Toolkit

• Identify potential supplementary aids and services to support inclusive practices

Part 1: Legal and Conceptual

Foundations

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IDEA on Supplementary Aids and Services

• The term ‘supplementary aids and services' means aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes and other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate” [§300.42]

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IDEA on LRE

“To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular education environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”

IDEA sec. 612 (5)(A)

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Related Services

Specially Designed Instruction

Supplementary Aids and Services

The Service Piece…

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IDEA on Placement (b) The child’s placement – (1) Is determined annually; (2)

Is based on the child’s IEP; and (3) Is as close as possible to the child’s home;

(c) Unless the IEP of a child with a disability requires some other arrangement, the child is educated in the school that he or she would attend if nondisabled;

(d) In selecting the LRE, consideration is given to any potential harmful effect on the child or on the quality of services that he or she needs; and

(e) A child with a disability is not removed from education in age appropriate regular classrooms solely because of needed modifications in the general education curriculum [§300.116]

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IDEA on IEPs

• The IEP for each child with a disability includes “A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child to …attain annual goals, be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum…. To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section; [§300.320(4)].

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General Education Curriculum

Student Needs,

Goals and Objectives

Access to the General

Education Curriculum

The Curriculum Piece …

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Additional Resources

• Inclusion Basic Education Circular (BEC)

• Supplementary Aids and Services SaS Fact Sheet

• www.pattan.net - select “inclusive practices” and “publications”

Part 2: Defining and Using

Supplementary Aids and Services

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Supplementary Aids and Services

Collaborative

Adults working together to support students.

Instructional Development and delivery of instruction that addresses

diverse learning needs.

Physical Adaptations and modifications to the physical environment.

Social-Behavioral

Supports and services to increase appropriate behavior and reduce disruptive or interfering behavior

Source: Etscheidt & Bartlett, 1999

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SaS: Collaborative Examples

•Communication among adults

•Professional development related to collaboration

•Scheduled time for co-planning and team meetings

•Co-teaching; classroom consultation

•Scheduled opportunities for parental collaboration

SaS: Instructional Examples

• Using a keyboard/portable device

• Instruction in keyboarding skills

• Providing guided notes

• Using scaffolding to plan for written work

• Providing visual cues

• Modifying curricular goals

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• Arrange furniture differently or provide specialized furniture

• Adjust sensory characteristics of environment (e.g., light, sound)

• Provide access to specific areas of classroom or other settings outside of classroom

• Allow for water bottle or sensory object during instruction

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SaS: Physical Examples

SaS: Social-Behavioral

Examples

• Modify rules or expectations

• Peer supports (e.g., facilitating friendships)

• Individualized behavioral support plan

• Social skills training

• Counseling supports

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SaS: Role of the IEP Team

• The IEP team determines supplementary aids and services necessary for each child to receive specially designed instruction in the least restrictive environment.

• Placement determination must be the final component of the IEP development process.

• The IEP team decides the educational placement for an individual student.

Basic Education Circulars (PA Code)

Question #1 • What supplementary aids and services were considered?

• What supplementary aids and services were rejected?

• Explain why the supplementary aids and services will or will not enable the student to make progress on the goals and objectives (if applicable) in this IEP in the general education class.

*See Annotated IEP for additional details

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IEP Questions*

Question #2

• What benefits are provided in the regular education class with supplementary aids and services versus the benefits provided in the special education class?

*See Annotated IEP for additional details

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IEP Questions*

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Question #3 • What potentially beneficial effects and/or harmful effects

might be expected on the student with disabilities or the other students in the class, even with supplementary aids and services?

Question #4 • To what extent, if any, will the student participate with

non-disabled peers in extracurricular activities or other nonacademic activities?

*See Annotated IEP for additional details

IEP Questions*

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Through this consideration process…. • Begin consideration of student

needs within the context of the general education classroom.

• Consider the interaction between classroom expectations and student strengths & needs.

• Identify services necessary for educational benefit/progress.

• Determine placement/amount of time in general education

• For any instruction outside the general education classroom: – align services to support access

and participation in general education and

– provide SaS for students to interact with nondisabled peers in nonacademic and extracurricular activities

Placement in

general education to the maximum extent appropriate.

In order to achieve THIS!!!

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Part 3: The Purpose and Use of the Supplementary Aids and

Services Consideration Toolkit

What is the SaS Consideration Toolkit?

A student-specific process in which a trained facilitator assists the IEP team to:

Summarize and analyze the student and the general education setting(s)

Identify options to support the student’s learning and participation in general education setting(s).

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Our Thinking About the Design

Must begin with an understanding of the instructional context of the general education classroom

Universal design for learning work

Organize types of supplementary aids and services

Ecological Inventory approach/discrepancy analysis (environmental scan)

Identification of and elimination of curriculum barriers (CAST)

Instructional, social, physical, and collaborative domains from the literature (Etscheidt & Bartlett, 1999)

Why use the SaS Toolkit?

SaS Consideration Toolkit utilized by teams during:

planning and placement decision-making

problem-solving for supports within a new general education curricular area;

comprehensive planning for transition to a new school building, grade or other instructional setting.

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A Multi-Step Process

Identify Student Strengths and Needs

Develop Profile of General Education Classroom(s) Identify Potential Barriers to Curricular Access and

Instruction

Identify Strategies and Services to Eliminate Barriers Identify Viable Alternatives for Implementation

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Components of the Toolkit

A: Introduction and Preparation for Use -- Overview of the SaS consideration process, describing who does what at each step.

B: Student Profile: Summary of Strengths, Needs, and Learning Characteristics Helps the team organize student-specific information in a format designed to facilitate instructional planning and problem-solving to support inclusive placements.

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Components of the Toolkit

C: The Supplementary Aids and Services Consideration Tool

Teams then complete this four-step process that

results in the identification of student-specific, environmentally-referenced supplementary aids and services.

Components of the Toolkit

D: Supplementary Aids and Services Self-Check As teams move through the SaS consideration process, this self-assessment tool is a means of ensuring that all steps of the process have been completed with fidelity.

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Recommended Implementation Sequence

Highlighted graphic is second page of each toolkit component, identifying:

Task

Suggested personnel

Which component/ section

Flip Chart Resource Document

Supplementary Aids and Services

Consideration Toolkit—Component C

• what are demands of general

education setting?

•what are potential barriers to

learning and participation?

•what are our ideas for SaS to

bridge the barriers?

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Component C: Step 1 Develop Profile of General Education Classroom(s)

Instructional Method and Materials

Instructional Delivery and Social Routines

Setting Characteristics

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Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS) Consideration Tool1

Completed By: Identify classroom(s) used as a reference point for Step 1:

Date: Student:

2Coding Key: 1 = never; 2 = occasionally; 3 = frequently

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Printed Materials

Textbook

Workbook

Trade book

Worksheets

Newspapers/magazines

Other ____________________

Other ____________________

Frequency

of Use2 1.1 Instructional Method/

Materials

Identify Supplementary Aids and Services to

address potential barriers. Consider all

possibilities, consulting available resources

and support personnel.

Identify any difficulties you can

anticipate for this student (if nothing is

changed) based on his/her current

skills, needs, and learning profile.

Create a profile of the instructional

environment(s) by circling the number

that best describes the frequency of use

of identified materials and instructional

practices.

Step 3: Identify Strategies and Services

to Eliminate Barrier

Step 2: Identify Potential Barriers to

Curricular Access and Instruction

Step 1: Develop Profile of General Education

Classroom(s).

Component C: Step 2 Identify Potential Barriers to Curricular Access and Instruction:

Student skills

Student learning characteristics

Priority needs in the context of general education classroom.

*Completed by all team members

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Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS) Consideration Tool1

Completed By: Identify classroom(s) used as a reference point for Step 1:

Date: Student:

2Coding Key: 1 = never; 2 = occasionally; 3 = frequently

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Printed Materials

Textbook

Workbook

Trade book

Worksheets

Newspapers/magazines

Other ____________________

Other ____________________

Frequency

of Use2 1.1 Instructional Method/

Materials

Identify Supplementary Aids and Services to

address potential barriers. Consider all

possibilities, consulting available resources

and support personnel.

Identify any difficulties you can

anticipate for this student (if

nothing is changed) based on

his/her current skills, needs, and

learning profile

Create a profile of the instructional

environment(s) by circling the number that best

describes the frequency of use of identified

materials and instructional practices.

Step 3: Identify Strategies and Services

to Eliminate Barrier

Step 2: Identify Potential Barriers to

Curricular Access and Instruction

Step 1: Develop Profile of General Education

Classroom(s).

Component C: Step 3 Identify Strategies and Service to Eliminate Barriers

Support strategies should maximize participation and reduce instructional barriers

Use student strengths to address barriers

*Completed by all team members

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Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS) Consideration Tool1

Completed By: Identify classroom(s) used as a reference point for Step 1:

Date: Student:

2Coding Key: 1 = never; 2 = occasionally; 3 = frequently

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Printed Materials

Textbook

Workbook

Trade book

Worksheets

Newspapers/magazines

Other ____________________

Other ____________________

Frequency

of Use2 1.1 Instructional Method/

Materials

Identify Supplementary Aids and

Services to address potential

barriers. Consider all possibilities,

consulting available resources and

support personnel.

Identify any difficulties you can

anticipate for this student (if

nothing is changed) based on

his/her current skills, needs, and

learning profile.

.

Create a profile of the instructional

environment(s) by circling the number

that best describes the frequency of use of

identified materials and instructional

practices.

Step 3: Identify Strategies and Services

to Eliminate Barriers

Step 2: Identify Barriers to

Curricular Access and Instruction

Step 1: Environmental Scan of General

Education Classroom

Component C: Step 4 Identify Viable Alternatives for Implementation

What does the student need to be successful?

What do the adults need in order to be able to support the student?

How will we get there?

*Completed by all team members

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Component D Self-Check For IEP Teams

A self-assessment tool for teams to use as they move through the

SaS Consideration Toolkit

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Points to Remember

SaS Fact Sheet and Consideration Toolkit help structure team planning regarding SaS considerations

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Points to Remember

Participation of all team members, is critical to the process.

Families bring deep knowledge of student

Teachers bring knowledge of the curricular and instructional demands

Special education teachers bring knowledge of SaS

Administrators facilitate implementation of plan and are aware of school level resources

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References Cited

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/

Etscheidt, S. K., & Bartlett, L. (1999). The IDEA Amendments: A four-step approach for determining supplementary aids and services. Exceptional Children, 65(2), 163-174.

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Edward G. Rendell Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed.

Governor Secretary

Diane Castelbuono, Deputy Secretary

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

John J. Tommasini, Director

Bureau of Special Education

Bureau of Special Education

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

PaTTAN Contact Information www.pattan.net

Harrisburg: Sharon Leonard slleonard@pattan.net

Pittsburgh: Dori Anderson danderson@pattan.net

King of Prussia: Debbie Brown dbrown@pattan.net

Inclusive Practices Statewide Lead jbrinkley@pattan.net