What is the difference between a modification/adaptation and accommodation?
Although there are no legal definitions of the terms modification, adaptation, and accommodation, the following best practice definitions are widely accepted:
Accommodations - the provisions made in the delivery of instruction in order for a student to access and/or demonstrate learning in a content area.
Accommodations:
do not substantially change the instructional level or content;
provide students with equal access to learning;
provide students with equal opportunities to demonstrate what is known;
are based on individual strengths and needs; and may vary in intensity and degree.
Modifications - change in what the student is expected to learn and demonstrate in the content areas.
Modifications can change:
the instructional level;
the benchmark or time required to learn a skill or concept;
the number of key skills or concepts to be mastered within a time period, benchmark, or unit of study; and/or content.
Dec 9, 2007
Adaptations- Providing Direct Assistance
Adapting Instructional Materials -- Providing Direct Assistance
Providing one-on-one assistance to a student is perhaps the most demanding adaptation that needs to be made in an inclusive classroom.
Adaptations that demand the most time and resources may be those requiring direct interaction of the student with another person. From the perspective of teachers, parents, and students, one-to-one assistance in learning from instructional materials with a trained professional is ideal for students with extraordinary educational needs. Direct assistance in learning from instructional materials can take many forms:
Reading printed materials aloud to the student.
Providing guided instruction before, during, and after reading printed materials.
Adjusting the pace of instruction.
Teaching prerequisite information so that students can use materials independently.
Monitoring student understanding and mastery of the materials.
Reteaching if necessary.
However, providing such assistance is not an economic reality in most general education settings or, increasingly, in special education settings where the student caseload is unusually high. How else can teachers ensure that students have the intensity of instruction and support they need to be successful with the curricular materials? Teachers who are the most successful in providing direct assistance are those who collaborate constructively with other professionals, enlist and empower other adults, and promote positive peer instruction among students
ESP-Plus
E = Engagement, Expectations, Elasticity
Engagement – Both teachers need to be actively engaged in teaching using a variety of grouping patterns and techniques for monitoring student understanding.
Expectations – General and special educators may have very different expectations of their students. Issues related to expectations – especially as they pertain to grading and pacing of instruction – need to be discussed and negotiated.
Elasticity – Working collaboratively necessitates flexibility. It is a primary ingredient for coteaching success.
S = Skills, Support, Structure
Skills – Recognizing the skills of each professional and developing mutual skills (particularly communication and interpersonal skills) can enhance the working relationship.
Support – Administrative support is especially important for the coteaching partnership to succeed.
Structure – Classroom management issues can be more troublesome than philosophical issues related to curriculum. Constant communication about management issues needs to occur.
P = Planning, Preparation, Parity
Planning – Collaborative planning time is a must. Without time to make short- and long-range plans, the coteaching partnership cannot exist.
Preparation – Ongoing professional development is needed as teachers continue to prepare for new teaching situations.
Parity – If coteaching is to succeed, it must be founded on the premise that there are two professionals in the classroom.
For the entire article:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods/learning-disabilities/6730.html?detoured=1
Providing one-on-one assistance to a student is perhaps the most demanding adaptation that needs to be made in an inclusive classroom.
Adaptations that demand the most time and resources may be those requiring direct interaction of the student with another person. From the perspective of teachers, parents, and students, one-to-one assistance in learning from instructional materials with a trained professional is ideal for students with extraordinary educational needs. Direct assistance in learning from instructional materials can take many forms:
Reading printed materials aloud to the student.
Providing guided instruction before, during, and after reading printed materials.
Adjusting the pace of instruction.
Teaching prerequisite information so that students can use materials independently.
Monitoring student understanding and mastery of the materials.
Reteaching if necessary.
However, providing such assistance is not an economic reality in most general education settings or, increasingly, in special education settings where the student caseload is unusually high. How else can teachers ensure that students have the intensity of instruction and support they need to be successful with the curricular materials? Teachers who are the most successful in providing direct assistance are those who collaborate constructively with other professionals, enlist and empower other adults, and promote positive peer instruction among students
ESP-Plus
E = Engagement, Expectations, Elasticity
Engagement – Both teachers need to be actively engaged in teaching using a variety of grouping patterns and techniques for monitoring student understanding.
Expectations – General and special educators may have very different expectations of their students. Issues related to expectations – especially as they pertain to grading and pacing of instruction – need to be discussed and negotiated.
Elasticity – Working collaboratively necessitates flexibility. It is a primary ingredient for coteaching success.
S = Skills, Support, Structure
Skills – Recognizing the skills of each professional and developing mutual skills (particularly communication and interpersonal skills) can enhance the working relationship.
Support – Administrative support is especially important for the coteaching partnership to succeed.
Structure – Classroom management issues can be more troublesome than philosophical issues related to curriculum. Constant communication about management issues needs to occur.
P = Planning, Preparation, Parity
Planning – Collaborative planning time is a must. Without time to make short- and long-range plans, the coteaching partnership cannot exist.
Preparation – Ongoing professional development is needed as teachers continue to prepare for new teaching situations.
Parity – If coteaching is to succeed, it must be founded on the premise that there are two professionals in the classroom.
For the entire article:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods/learning-disabilities/6730.html?detoured=1
Dec 7, 2007
FCRR Reading Resources
The Florida Center for Reading Research has some excellent reading resources. They have ready-to-go pdf files of reading activities.
Here are links to the k-1 activities:
Phonological Awareness
• Rhyme
• Sentence Segmentation
• Alliteration
• Syllables
• Onset and Rime
• Phonemes
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/PA_Final_Part1.pdf
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/PA_Final_Part2.pdf
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/PA_Final_Part3.pdf
Phonics
• Letter Recognition
• Letter-Sound Correspondence
• Onset and Rime
• Word Study
• Syllable Patterns
• Morpheme Structure
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/P_Final_Part1.pdf
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/P_Final_Part2.pdf
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/P_Final_Part3.pdf
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/P_Final_Part4.pdf
Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension
• Letter Recognition
• High Frequency Words
• Letter-Sound Correspondence
• Oral Reading
• Word Identification/Words in Context
• Words That Describe/Word Meaning
• Word Categorization/Word Knowledge
• Word Structure/Word Analysis
• Sentence Structure and Meaning
• Story Structure
• Monitoring for Meaning
• Main Idea/Summarizing
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/V_Final.pdf
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/V_Final.pdf
http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/PDF/GK-1/C_Final.pdf
Dec 3, 2007
Tips for the Holidays
Holidays can be a stressful time, especially for children with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders. Following are some helpful tips to lessen the inevitable increased stimulation associated with the holiday season:
1. Try to establish as much of a routine as possible.
2. Try to limit the number of stores to which you expose your child/children.
3. Have your child/children help plan and organize the decorating process.
4. Some families find it helpful to only have one color of lights on the tree (the non-blinking variety may be less stimulating).
5. Holidays are associated with delicious smells; however; some fragrances are more calming then others: vanilla, chamomile, and lavender are best.
6. Add decorations to the inside and outside of your house slowly.
7. Use social stories as needed to prepare your child/children for upcoming events and/or changes in routine.
8. Limit the number of visible gifts.
9. Incorporate sensory activities into family functions (i.e., let them sit on a bouncy ball at the kid’s table for dinner, make snow angels, etc.).
10. Discuss realistic expectations for holiday events and family functions prior to their occurrence to avoid stress and disappointment.
11. It is all right to say “no” to anything that you think may cause undue stress to you, your family, and/or your child/children.
12. Enjoy the holidays!
This information was obtained from: Fraser
http://www.fraser.org
1. Try to establish as much of a routine as possible.
2. Try to limit the number of stores to which you expose your child/children.
3. Have your child/children help plan and organize the decorating process.
4. Some families find it helpful to only have one color of lights on the tree (the non-blinking variety may be less stimulating).
5. Holidays are associated with delicious smells; however; some fragrances are more calming then others: vanilla, chamomile, and lavender are best.
6. Add decorations to the inside and outside of your house slowly.
7. Use social stories as needed to prepare your child/children for upcoming events and/or changes in routine.
8. Limit the number of visible gifts.
9. Incorporate sensory activities into family functions (i.e., let them sit on a bouncy ball at the kid’s table for dinner, make snow angels, etc.).
10. Discuss realistic expectations for holiday events and family functions prior to their occurrence to avoid stress and disappointment.
11. It is all right to say “no” to anything that you think may cause undue stress to you, your family, and/or your child/children.
12. Enjoy the holidays!
This information was obtained from: Fraser
http://www.fraser.org
Nov 27, 2007
Early Signs of Autism Risk
Early Signs of Autism Risk
The following signs may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development and is in need of an evaluation, according to First Signs, a group promoting early diagnosis of developmental disorders.
No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by 6 months or later
No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by 9 months or thereafter
No babbling by 12 months
No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
No words by 16 months
No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
Any loss of speech, babbling, or social skills at any age
Peg Rosen, a mother of two, is a writer in Montclair, New Jersey.
Originally published in American Baby magazine, January 2005.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Five distinct areas of development are flagged for consideration. All parents should consider these "Big Five" if they suspect that their child may have autism.
1) Does the baby respond to his or her name when called by the caregiver? Within the first few months of life, babies respond to their own name by orienting toward the person who called them. Typical babies are very responsive to the voices of familiar people, and often respond with smiles and looks.
In contrast, infants later diagnosed with autism often fail to respond to their own name. That is, when called by name, they tend to turn and look at the person only about 20% of the time as found- in the videotaped one year-old birthday parties of children with autism. They also are often selectively responsive to sounds. They may ignore some sounds and respond to others that are of the same loudness. Thus, they may fail to respond to their parent calling their name, but immediately respond to the television being turned on. It is not unusual for parents to suspect their child has a hearing loss.
2) Does the young child engage in "joint attention"? Near the end of the first year of life, most infants begin to join with their caregivers in looking at the same object or event. To aid in this process of "joint attention", typical infants begin to shift their gaze from toys to people, follow other's points, monitor the gaze of others, point to objects or events to share interest, and show toys to others. These behaviors have a distinct sharing quality to them. For example, the young infant may point to an airplane flying over head, and look to the parent, as if to say, "do you see that!"
In contrast, young children with autism have particular difficulties in jointly attending with others. They rarely follow another's points, do not often shift their gaze back and forth from objects to people, and do not seem to share "being with" the caregiver as they watch and talk about objects, people, or events. They also tend not to "show" a toy to the parent.
3) Does the child imitate others? Typical infants are mimics. Very young infants can imitate facial movements (e.g., sticking out their tongue). As early as 8-10 months, mothers and infants say the same sounds one after another, or clap or make other movements. Indeed, imitation is a major part of such common infant games as pat-a-cake and So Big ("How big is baby? Soooo big!" as infant raises hands to sky).
Young children with autism, however, less often imitate others. They show less imitation of body and facial movements (waving, making faces, playing infant games), and less imitation with objects.
4) Does the child respond emotionally to others? Typical infants are socially responsive to others. They smile when others smile at them, and they initiate smiles and laughs when playing with toys and others. When typical infants observe another child crying, they may cry themselves, or looked concerned. Somewhat older infants may crawl near the person, pat, or in other ways offer comfort. These latter behaviors are suggestive of empathy and are commonly observed among children in the second year of life.
In contrast, children with autism may seem unaware of the emotions of others. They may not take notice of the social smiles of others, and thus may not look and smile in response to other's smiles. They also may ignore the distress of others. Several researchers have now shown that when an adult feigns pain and distress after hitting herself with a toy, or banging her knee, young children with autism are less likely to look at the adult, or show facial concern.
5) Does the baby engage in pretend play? Someone once noted that "play is the work of children." Young children love to pretend-to be a mother, father, or baby, to be a firefighter or police officer. Although children start to play with toys around six months or so, play does not take on a pretend quality until the end of the first year. Their first actions may involve pretending to feed themselves, their mother or a doll, brush the doll's hair, or wipe the doll's nose. Nearer their second birthday, children engage in truly imaginative play as dolls may take on human qualities of talking or engaging in household routines. Children may pretend that a sponge is a piece of food, a block is a hat, or a plastic bowl is a swimming pool that contains water.
In contrast, the play of children with autism may be lacking in several ways. The young child may not be interested in objects at all, paying more attention to the movement of his hands, or a piece of string. If interested in toys, only certain ones may catch his interest, and these may be used in a repetitive way that is not consistent with how most children would play with the toy. They may be more interested in turning a toy car upside down and spinning the wheels than pushing the car back and forth. Overall, pretend qualities are nearly absent in the play of children with autism under 2 years of age.
It is important to note that in each of the 5 areas we have flagged, we are most concerned with behaviors that are absent or occur at very low rates. The absence of certain behaviors may be more difficult to pinpoint than the presence of atypical behaviors. But concerns in any of the above areas should prompt a parent to investigate screening their child for autism. Several screening measures are now available, and information from the screener will help to determine if the parent should pursue further evaluations. If the parent is convinced their child has autism, then they should seek an evaluation with an expert in autism. Most likely, this evaluation will involve an interview with the parents to obtain a complete developmental history of the child, and direct observations of the child in different situations.
Five Early Signs of Autism
from The Exceptional Parent - December 6, 2002
For more articles visit www.bridges4kids.org.
The following signs may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development and is in need of an evaluation, according to First Signs, a group promoting early diagnosis of developmental disorders.
No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by 6 months or later
No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by 9 months or thereafter
No babbling by 12 months
No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
No words by 16 months
No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
Any loss of speech, babbling, or social skills at any age
Peg Rosen, a mother of two, is a writer in Montclair, New Jersey.
Originally published in American Baby magazine, January 2005.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Five distinct areas of development are flagged for consideration. All parents should consider these "Big Five" if they suspect that their child may have autism.
1) Does the baby respond to his or her name when called by the caregiver? Within the first few months of life, babies respond to their own name by orienting toward the person who called them. Typical babies are very responsive to the voices of familiar people, and often respond with smiles and looks.
In contrast, infants later diagnosed with autism often fail to respond to their own name. That is, when called by name, they tend to turn and look at the person only about 20% of the time as found- in the videotaped one year-old birthday parties of children with autism. They also are often selectively responsive to sounds. They may ignore some sounds and respond to others that are of the same loudness. Thus, they may fail to respond to their parent calling their name, but immediately respond to the television being turned on. It is not unusual for parents to suspect their child has a hearing loss.
2) Does the young child engage in "joint attention"? Near the end of the first year of life, most infants begin to join with their caregivers in looking at the same object or event. To aid in this process of "joint attention", typical infants begin to shift their gaze from toys to people, follow other's points, monitor the gaze of others, point to objects or events to share interest, and show toys to others. These behaviors have a distinct sharing quality to them. For example, the young infant may point to an airplane flying over head, and look to the parent, as if to say, "do you see that!"
In contrast, young children with autism have particular difficulties in jointly attending with others. They rarely follow another's points, do not often shift their gaze back and forth from objects to people, and do not seem to share "being with" the caregiver as they watch and talk about objects, people, or events. They also tend not to "show" a toy to the parent.
3) Does the child imitate others? Typical infants are mimics. Very young infants can imitate facial movements (e.g., sticking out their tongue). As early as 8-10 months, mothers and infants say the same sounds one after another, or clap or make other movements. Indeed, imitation is a major part of such common infant games as pat-a-cake and So Big ("How big is baby? Soooo big!" as infant raises hands to sky).
Young children with autism, however, less often imitate others. They show less imitation of body and facial movements (waving, making faces, playing infant games), and less imitation with objects.
4) Does the child respond emotionally to others? Typical infants are socially responsive to others. They smile when others smile at them, and they initiate smiles and laughs when playing with toys and others. When typical infants observe another child crying, they may cry themselves, or looked concerned. Somewhat older infants may crawl near the person, pat, or in other ways offer comfort. These latter behaviors are suggestive of empathy and are commonly observed among children in the second year of life.
In contrast, children with autism may seem unaware of the emotions of others. They may not take notice of the social smiles of others, and thus may not look and smile in response to other's smiles. They also may ignore the distress of others. Several researchers have now shown that when an adult feigns pain and distress after hitting herself with a toy, or banging her knee, young children with autism are less likely to look at the adult, or show facial concern.
5) Does the baby engage in pretend play? Someone once noted that "play is the work of children." Young children love to pretend-to be a mother, father, or baby, to be a firefighter or police officer. Although children start to play with toys around six months or so, play does not take on a pretend quality until the end of the first year. Their first actions may involve pretending to feed themselves, their mother or a doll, brush the doll's hair, or wipe the doll's nose. Nearer their second birthday, children engage in truly imaginative play as dolls may take on human qualities of talking or engaging in household routines. Children may pretend that a sponge is a piece of food, a block is a hat, or a plastic bowl is a swimming pool that contains water.
In contrast, the play of children with autism may be lacking in several ways. The young child may not be interested in objects at all, paying more attention to the movement of his hands, or a piece of string. If interested in toys, only certain ones may catch his interest, and these may be used in a repetitive way that is not consistent with how most children would play with the toy. They may be more interested in turning a toy car upside down and spinning the wheels than pushing the car back and forth. Overall, pretend qualities are nearly absent in the play of children with autism under 2 years of age.
It is important to note that in each of the 5 areas we have flagged, we are most concerned with behaviors that are absent or occur at very low rates. The absence of certain behaviors may be more difficult to pinpoint than the presence of atypical behaviors. But concerns in any of the above areas should prompt a parent to investigate screening their child for autism. Several screening measures are now available, and information from the screener will help to determine if the parent should pursue further evaluations. If the parent is convinced their child has autism, then they should seek an evaluation with an expert in autism. Most likely, this evaluation will involve an interview with the parents to obtain a complete developmental history of the child, and direct observations of the child in different situations.
Five Early Signs of Autism
from The Exceptional Parent - December 6, 2002
For more articles visit www.bridges4kids.org.
Nov 11, 2007
CARD Conference
CARD is holding their 15th annual conference in Lake Mary! Several excellent presenters will be there and we are really looking forward to it. We are lucky to have it in our own back yard this year. There is a free day for educators on January 25.
Read more about it here: https://secure.ucf-card.org/conference/conference.php
Nov 7, 2007
Oct 30, 2007
Prompts
The following infomation is about the use of prompts for students with ASD. Verbal prompts are the least intrusive of prompts. They can be ineffective for students with severe language delays. When using verbal prompts with students with ASD, less is more and the fewer words are used, the easier it often is for the child to process.
INDEPENDENT: The student knows how to do this task without any help from you.
INDIRECT VERBAL (IV): An indirect verbal prompt tells the student that something is expected but not exactly what. Example: "What next?" "Now what?" Start here when using the increasing hierarchy.
DIRECT VERBAL (DV): This is a direct statement of what we expect the student to do or say. Example: "Come here." "Put the glass on the counter." This level of prompt requires that the student be able to follow your direction. If the indirect verbal assist didn't work, move to this level.
GESTURE: Pointing, facial expression, mouthing words silently or otherwise indicating with a motion what you want the student to do.
MODELING: Modeling is simply showing the student what you want him or her to do. You do not physically touch the student. In order for modeling to work, the student must know how to imitate another person's actions.
PARTIAL PHYSICAL ASSIST (PPA): As the name suggests, a partial physical assist is less intense or intrusive than a full physical assist. If full physical assist is hand-over-hand, the partial physical assist can be visualized as providing minimal supportive guidance--touching the wrist to stabilize handwriting and encouraging the student to jump without actually lifting his or her body off the ground are two examples of providing PPA.
FULL PHYSICAL ASSIST (FPA): Hand-over-hand assistance to complete the targeted response. This is usually used when the target response is motor in nature. For example, a full physical assist might entail putting your hand on the student's hand and moving the student's hand through the action of writing his or her name. If the student is learning to jump up and down, providing a full physical assist would mean physically lifting the student up and down in a jumping motion. You will know before you start teaching if the student will need this type of assistance. If so, use the decreasing prompt hierarchy instead.
Information obtained from:
Homeschooling Kids With Disabilities. URL: http://www.members.tripod.com/~Maaja/
The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related ...
By Mary Barbera, Tracy
INDEPENDENT: The student knows how to do this task without any help from you.
INDIRECT VERBAL (IV): An indirect verbal prompt tells the student that something is expected but not exactly what. Example: "What next?" "Now what?" Start here when using the increasing hierarchy.
DIRECT VERBAL (DV): This is a direct statement of what we expect the student to do or say. Example: "Come here." "Put the glass on the counter." This level of prompt requires that the student be able to follow your direction. If the indirect verbal assist didn't work, move to this level.
GESTURE: Pointing, facial expression, mouthing words silently or otherwise indicating with a motion what you want the student to do.
MODELING: Modeling is simply showing the student what you want him or her to do. You do not physically touch the student. In order for modeling to work, the student must know how to imitate another person's actions.
PARTIAL PHYSICAL ASSIST (PPA): As the name suggests, a partial physical assist is less intense or intrusive than a full physical assist. If full physical assist is hand-over-hand, the partial physical assist can be visualized as providing minimal supportive guidance--touching the wrist to stabilize handwriting and encouraging the student to jump without actually lifting his or her body off the ground are two examples of providing PPA.
FULL PHYSICAL ASSIST (FPA): Hand-over-hand assistance to complete the targeted response. This is usually used when the target response is motor in nature. For example, a full physical assist might entail putting your hand on the student's hand and moving the student's hand through the action of writing his or her name. If the student is learning to jump up and down, providing a full physical assist would mean physically lifting the student up and down in a jumping motion. You will know before you start teaching if the student will need this type of assistance. If so, use the decreasing prompt hierarchy instead.
Information obtained from:
Homeschooling Kids With Disabilities. URL: http://www.members.tripod.com/~Maaja/
The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related ...
By Mary Barbera, Tracy
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