Module 11 FBA and BIP

     This article is about using a BIP in a PE class. It explains how the procedure works, how the student is identified, how to do research, provide data, and develop an appropriate BIP for a specific student. It explains how a functional behavioral analysis was done, and Nick, was found to have behavior that can be inappropriate, off task, and disruptive to himself and the rest of the class. Based on those observations, the article goes on to discuss the procedure for formulating a BIP. The first step is to identify the target behavior. Some helpful questions to ask when identifying the behavior are: “What behaviors do I want Nick or the class to do?” “What behaviors will bring success to Nick or the class?” or “What do I consider inappropriate behavior? Based on those questions, it helps guide the next step. It is important that behaviors be observable to not only the PE teacher, but to anyone entering the classroom. The same is true for the goals. The goals need to be specific and measurable.

     I found this article helpful in walking through specific steps of developing a formal BIP based on one student, so it was easy to understand and relate to the process. This article will help me to remember what observable behaviors should be and how to make goals measurable. I liked the specific examples of questions to ask yourself to help formulate an appropriate BIP.

Citation:  Lavay, B., French, R., & Henderson, H. (2007). A Practical Plan for Managing the Behavior of Students with Disabilities in General Physical Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (JOPERD), 78(2), 42-48.

 

Module 10

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides guidelines regarding when services should be provided. Transition services may be provided to special education students beginning at age 14 or younger, when appropriate, but must be provided by age 16. According to the IDEA act, transition planning isn’t mandated until the age of 16. There has obviously been a need to begin services prior to that age and we now begin transitional planning around the age of 14 ½. The article I read discusses a rural community in Louisiana and how they began transitional services in middle school. The first year they began by inviting parents to participate in the planning process. Then they developed a unit to develop problem-solving skills, career awareness, an interest in future planning, and knowledge of community resources.  Parents were again invited to become involved in the process. As the group dove deeper into the process, they decided to bring people in to speak on specific careers to develop an interest and provide information on that career. Students created projects on a particular career, they role-played job interviews, participated in career focused field trips, and a career awareness week. The success of the program was hinged upon the participation of the parents to support their children in the quest for career readiness skills.

     I found the article informative, but not entirely surprising in the results. Students are typically more likely to be successful in most endeavors of their education when their parents are involved and engaged and supportive. I think it was beneficial to begin that type of career readiness programs early on by bringing guest speakers in and taking more career based field trips to encourage interest in specific careers.

Citation:

Carr, S. C., & Ratcliff, E. (1994). Partners for Transition: Preparing Students for the Future. 

Module 9

Module 9 Blog 10/31/14

IDEA Public Law 105-17 states that students with disabilities who are age 14 and above should be invited to their IEP meetings. This article discussed the benefits of involving students with high incident disabilities in their IEP meeting.  Most of the research included older students. There was a good sampling of students. One student had an IQ of 68 and classified as mildly mentally disabled, one learning disabled student, and one behavioral disordered student was included.  I wished the study would have been expanded to include elementary students as well. Having students identify what skills they feel they would like to work on is an important process to helping them gain independence. This helps increase their self-advocacy skills.  They have the chance to share their interests as well as their desires. A student that is involved in their IEP meeting is more likely to make improvements. They will be aware of what skills they are trying to achieve. They will take more ownership of their progress. It will give them the power to change their own future. The IEP meeting is not something done "to them", but "with them", and that changes the perception of everything. I have my students write out 3 goals each quarter and we revisit them at the end of the quarter to see how they did, what they could improve, etc. The students are more involved in their progress and take pride in participation of their own education.

 

 

 

Test D, Neale M. Using "The Self-Advocacy Strategy" to Increase Middle Graders' IEP Participation. Journal Of Behavioral Education [serial online]. June 1, 2004;13(2):135-145. Available from: ERIC, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 31, 2014.

OHI

In this article, speech disorders were discussed and how it not only impacts literacy instruction, but other areas of education as well.  In addition to academics, students with communication disorders sometimes have difficulty with social and behavioral skills that are required in school. To benefit from academic instruction, children with communication disorders must be successful with social and behavioral regulation skills such as following the classroom routine, managing time, and interacting with their peers. Social and behavioral regulation skills also play an important role in school success. To aid a student and the class in understanding the struggles in a student who stutters, it is helpful to use literature with students who stutter and their peers to better understand the disorder. This article supports both the reading and the video in the respect that it is important to address the stuttering issue and not minimize it. It is helpful to show the class how stuttering can be a problem, and then it would be helpful to open up the topic for discussion to allow the student a chance to explain how this impacts them and we can brainstorm ideas on how to best help them be successful in the classroom.

Citation: Thatcher, K. L., Fletcher, K., & Decker, B. (2008). Communication disorders in the school: Perspectives on academic and social success an introduction. Psychology In The Schools, 45(7), 579-581.

Autism and diet

A study was done with 72 subjects. There was a control group and the test group. The diets of the test group used a gluten- and casein-free diet as an intervention for children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.  Analyses indicated a positive response to dietary intervention in terms of symptom presentation.  Participants aged between 7 and 9 years seemed to derive most benefit from dietary intervention and children with ADHD also showed benefits in altering the diet to improve behaviors. I found this article very informative and definitely an intervention that is worth attempting before more severe measures of medication need to be evaluated.

Citation:
Data mining the ScanBrit study of a gluten- and casein-free dietary intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders: Behavioural and psychometric measures of dietary response. (2014). Nutritional Neuroscience, 17(5), 207-213.

Module 4-Improving Comprehension Skills

I chose an article that reviewed 9 different studies conducted by various companies between 2004 and 2009 to determine the best strategies for increasing reading comprehension in students labeled as EBD/ED. Residential students were excluded from the study as were children in a detention facility. Students in either a special education classroom or a self-contained setting were included. The article was noting the results of those 9 companies’ findings. The studies did not always relate the same exact information, but included such things as repeated reading strategies, use of comprehension maps, using text maps, listening while reading strategies and making predictions to increase reading comprehension in EBD/ED students. I find the visual strategies to help students connect to the story helpful in my classroom and we often times read the same passage out loud together and then split into groups to read to a partner to reread the same passage to help solidify the content. I think this article was helpful in presenting studies that related to students that I currently have in my classroom and directly supports the textbook by providing strategies to assist students with reading comprehension that often times fall behind.

Citation:

Garwood, J. D., Brunsting, N. C., & Fox, L. C. (2014). Improving Reading Comprehension and Fluency Outcomes for Adolescents with Emotional-Behavioral Disorders: Recent Research Synthesized. Remedial And Special Education, 35(3), 181-194.

 

Module 4 -Emotional or Behavior Disorder