Chapter 31

7 components of an IEP

1. Description with an assessment of the child’s current performance level and skill development

2. Annual goals (IEP meetings to review)

3. Short-term educational objectives

4. Statement outlining the involvement of the child in a regular education program (expectations)

5. Specific services to be provided with

6. supports/accommodations, including assistive technology

7. Evaluation criteria are used to see if educational objectives are met

Teacher’s Role in Assisting Children with Disabilities

Identify children with special needs

Work with speech clinicians, school psychologists, health professionals, and other resource persons to design individual programs

Teach children with diverse abilities providing a high-quality classroom

Share info with parents and suggest referrals

Base program decisions on input from parents, professionals, and observations

Encourage parents to participate (equal partners)

Ways for Teachers to Identify disabilities

1. Informal observation

2. Understand average development

3. Compare behaviors to peers

4. Study work (scales and checklists)

What to do after disabilities are identified

Alert center director

Director observation

Parent conference

Possible referrals

Hearing Disorders

mild/moderate = hard of hearing

Less vocab

Difficulty in groups, storytime, trips

Appear inattentive or distracted

Trouble in large groups

Stand face to face to read lips

May go undetected

Severe-profound, maybe deaf (total or partial)

Little understandable speech

Rely on vision, body language, and contextual clues for communication

Hearing aids: in-ear, Y-shaped over the chest, cochlear implant to amplify and magnify sounds

Teaching Suggestions for Hearing Disorders

Speak in normal volume/speed

Use the same sentence structure as you would for non-hearing disabled children

pause/wait for a response

Repeat, rephrase, and demonstrate

Encourage other children to do the same (get attention, look into eyes, normal volume/speed)

Use gestures and facial expressions for reinforcement

In group, let the child sit in front, and encourage them to watch your body language and lips as you speak

Adapt curriculum

Use a light switch to get attention

Use picture posters for transition

Stress visual activities

Use concrete materials

Select simple, large and uncluttered books

Communication disorders: Identification

Listening to sounds and content

Do sounds match the development age group?

Rate and fluency appropriate?

Is speech understandable?

Is amount average?

Does the child recall and repeat sentences correctly?

Observe children in different settings

Repeat observations

Share w/ director

Set up a parent conference

Referral to a speech pathologist for assessment

Articulation Problems

omissions (leaving words out), distortions (replacing letters), or substitutions of vowels, consonants, or both, “lazy tongue” and “baby talk”

Teaching Suggestions for Voice Disorders

React positively and encourage other children to do the same

Don't demand a response

Model good listening and speaking skills

Give total attention

Look directly in the face

Encourage talking (the less stress they have, the more they will talk)

Use developmentally appropriate language

Correctly expand speech

Provide various activities

Ask open-ended questions

Allow time for response

Visual Impairments

Smallest group of special needs children

Most defects are correctable, but if the brain or optic nerve is damaged, then not. Glasses, surgery, or treatment will correct most, but some conditions are not treatable

Visual Impairment symptoms

Excessive rubbing

Clumsiness

Adjusting head into awkward position

Holding materials close to eyes

Squinting, crossed eyes, crust on eyes, swollen red eyelids

Teaching Suggestions for visual impairments

Create a need to see

Help children understand vision

Dull finish chalkboard with yellow chals, colored markers on white paper

Hang work at eye level

Safe environment

Have students utilize all senses during activities

Guide children to ares and assist with everyday skills

Auditory reminders for transitions

Utilize auditory, tactile, and olfactory cues

Large print books with clear pictures

Physical Disabilities

grouped on functional ability

Most children in daycares are ambulatory, moving from place to place. In special needs daycares, there is more staff, and children’s needs must be met.

Classified Disabilities

Severe: can’t move independently, carries, pushes, or moves using a wheelchair.

Moderate: can do more but requires help, accessible facilities, and adaptations

Mild: can often do what others can, walking aids.

Teaching Suggestions for Disabililties

Modify chairs and raise tables

Provide space for assisted devices

Provide ramps

Use knobs on puzzle pieces

Secure carpeting

Provide 2 handled mugs and deep dishes

Serve finger foods often

Health Disorder

Chronic health needs: a child having an illness that persists over a period of time.

Allergies

most common

the body’s reaction to a substance in the environment

4 Catergoies of Allergies

inhalants (airborne substances)

ingestants (foods and drugs)

contactants (anything through touch)

injectables (chemicals or drugs injected into the body)

treatment for allergies

Avoid allergen

Desensitized by allergy shots

Medications to control symptoms

Anaphylaxis = EpiPen use and training

Eyes symptoms for Allergies

pink, puffy, red, burning, mucus, and dark circles

Mouth Symptoms for Allergies

constant dry cough, canker sores, wheezing, and mouth breathing

Throat symptoms for Allergies

tickling, and enlarged lymph nodes

Nose symptoms for Allergies

discharged, sneezing, itching, and can’t smell

Body symptoms for allergies

chills, fever, sweating, abdominal cramps, headache, and vomiting

Teaching Modifications for Arthritis

allow the child to move around, give extra time, adapt toys, minimize fine motor activities, and provide adapted toys

Symptoms of Childhood Arthritis

fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, aching joints, stiff joints

Symptoms for Asthma

coughing, wheezing, rapid/labored breathing, shortness of breath, chest tightness

Treatment for Asthma and Causes

Inhalers and nebulizers may be used and the teacher may have to administer the treatment

Caused by contact with allergen, extreme weather, intense emotions and actions

Cystic Fibrosis

a hereditary disease that occurs from birth; it is chronic and includes serious lung infections, failure to gain weight, and loose foul-smelling stools.

Digestive and respiratory tracts are affected

If enrolled, must have a lot of rest and fluids and urinate frequently

Symptoms for Diabetes

frequent urination, loss of weight, constant hunger, itching, and slow healing of cuts and bruises

Teaching Suggestions for Children with Diabetes

Talk to parents

Keep lunch and snack schedules consistent

Stay on top of eating, meds, and activities

Keep quick sugar sources ready

Take the child to the hospital if unconscious

Epilepsy

a convulsive disorder caused by damage to the brain, creating a disturbance of electrical rhythms of the CNS

Petit mal seizure

convulsion of body part

grand mal seizure

convulsion of full body

What to do if child has a seizure

Let the child stay on the floor

Remain calm

Cradle head in lap and tilt head to the side to drain saliva

Continues past 2 mins call for help

After consciousness, allow to lay or sleep

call doctor or parents for advice

Hemophilia

genetic blood disease where blood doesn’t clot regularly and extreme bleeding or bruises may occur from simple bumps.

Safety Precautions with hemophilia

Tag outdoor/indoor equipment that can be used

Ask parents what to do if injured

Carefully watch play to prevent accidents

Pediatric Leukemia

Form of cancer that affects the blood-forming organs and the blood, healthy white blood cells decrease and can be fatal.

Symptoms for pediatric leukemia

bleeding, bruising, fever, infection and weight loss

Intellectual or cognitive impairments

Intellectual functioning falls significantly below basic milestones

May not have specific cause

genetic/chromosomal disorder may cause: prenatal/postnatal injuries, environmental conditions

Varying degrees/ severity

Many potential causes

Down Syndrome

Most common intellectual disability

Genetic chromosone disorder

Diagnosed before/after birth

Distinct physical features: flattened face, pugged nose, small round head, protruding tongue, almond shaped eyes, small eyes, short fingers and neck, low muscle tone

Heart defects, immune disorders, obesity and sleep apnea

Behavior challenges

Learning Disabilities

Problem sotring, procesing, and producing information

Poor hand-eye coordination

ADD

having trouble focusing, staying on track, easily distracted

ADHD

overactive, restless, impulsive. May become hostile and fail to follow limits

Autism

Describes a set of developmental delays and disorders caused by differences in the brain

No cure

Causes significant social, emotional, behavioral, and communication challenges

Atyprical lanugage devlopment affects social interactions and communication skills, possible intellectual disability, mild to severe language development

Symptoms for Autism

Resistance to hugging/cuddling

Self-stimulating behaviors: rocking, hand-flapping, spinning, head banging

May be nonresponsive to others and unresponsive to danger

Changes in routines can easily upset

Some may have exceptional abilities in music, visuals, or academics

Difficulties making friends/ showing interest in others

Teaching Sugesstions for Autism

Consistency in classroom routine and environment

Simple, direct speech

Promote language, appropriate language, and interactions with others

Partnership with family and professionals

CDC: Learn the Signs Act Early, materials for caregivers to monitor the child's development to help determine the problem, and if additional developmental screening is needed.

Gifted Children are exceptional in

Creative or productive thinking, general intellectual ability, leadership ability, psychomotor ability, specific academic aptitude, visual or performing arts

Characteristics of Gifted Children

Early speech and advanced vocabulary, keen observation skills, long attention span for age, inquisitive nature

Flexible and adaptable, persistent, responsible, self-critical, perfectionist, good memory, awareness of others feelings

Negative: self-critical, isolated, inconsiderate to others, lack social skills

Teaching Suggestions for Gifted Children

Acceleration: a process where gifted children are assigned to a class with older children to move them through activities faster

Enrichment: The range and depth of experiences are broadened to provide a special curriculum through individual and small group activities and also open-ended.

Inclusion (mainstreaming)

Placing special needs children in natural settings

Team taught with regular and special education teachers

Assistant, volunteers, all staff members, and non-disabled children can all help with special needs children