Assistive Tech.

This is my first year in a Preschool classroom as a teacher. In the past, I have not been introduced to many forms of assistive technology. In my classroom I have a child who is in a wheelchair, and her sister has an auditory device. On a daily basis I have help the child with the auditory device because she is unable to hook it on by herself. At times, she actually takes it off because she went two years without hearing and now she is having to get used to hearing sounds. When it gets noisy, she tends to unhook it by herself. In my room we do not have to use larger keyboards for visually impaired or anything like that. The books we are making that will include voice and easy access to click to turn the pages is an awesome idea. I look forward to using these in the classroom. I think that children would even like to be the "teacher" for the day to actually click the buttons while the class observes. It would also be great during center time. In the future I plan on using these books in several ways. I have thought about making books that just has colors with me stating the colors to help those children who do not know their colors yet. Computers are great for kids and they may be willing to work harder towards using them educationally if they start at earlier ages. In the future I hope to learn about additional assistive technology ideas so I can incorporate them into the classroom.

Reference:
Cook, Ruth E., Klein M. Diane, & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs (7th Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Task An.

The task that John has the hardest time completing is coming in from the school van and putting his belongings in his cubby including his jacket. John tends to throw his bag down at the door, then his coat down, then he starts playing. John always forgets to wash his hands first. My goal will be for John to get from the School Van to breakfast by following directions.

My picture cards will show:
1.John arriving on the van
2.John walking into the classroom
3.John putting his bag into his cubby
4.John putting his coat into his cubby
5. John washing his hands
6.John playing with manipulatives
7.John washing his hands
8John sitting down with his breakfast

The cards will help break down the morning for John to understand exactly what is expected of him when he arrives at school. My task is the arrival. I will take pictures of John so that John can see what he is suppose to do. I will have them velcroed on a communication board so that if John has forgotten a step I can walk him to the board and he can pull the pieces off one by one that he has completed.

Cook, Ruth E., Klein M. Diane, & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs (7th Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Communication

My case study child is developmentally delayed -(speech delay). Last year John only knew 4-5 words. This year John can label objects. John is starting to put sentences together but they consist of only 1-3 words. John tends to point to what he wants. When John points to something I try to initiate conversation. I do not allow myself nor my assistants to respond off of John pointing at objects. The three communication strategies that I feel are the best interventions for John are Manding, Commenting, and expanding. I think it is important that I as well as others ask John questions beyond just simple questions asking for a yes or no answer. John needs to learn how to respond with words not just yes or no. I think asking only yes and no questions inhibits his speech. I also believe that commenting is a strategy that works well for John. While talking with John, I try to talk about what he is doing. If John is playing with blocks I will talk about the color of blocks he is usin, the number of blocks he is using, etc. I think it is important for John to recognize that they are not just blocks they are red, green, blue, and yellow blocks. I also expand on what John says. If John says ball, I will try to say, Yes John, you have a big blue ball. If John says "thirsty" I say, "John are you thirsty? would you like some water? I feel like any added vocabulary can only benefit him. I make sure that I do not overwhelm him with wordy sentences. It is important to keep it basic but yet expand.



Reference:
Cook, Ruth E., Klein M. Diane, & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs (7th Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Motor/self help skills

My case study child is developmentally delayed. His main point of focus is his speech. To begin with, John was drinking out of a sippy cup in August. As of right now, John no longer has to have a sippy cup. John has learned how to hold a cup and drink from it. John can also use utensils correctly. John likes to work puzzles however he needs the puzzles with large pegs. He has not mastered being able to connect regular puzzle pieces. John likes to do lacing cards. John tries very hard and concentrates to the point that he hums while completing an activity. John loves to play with the manipulatives in my room, he can manipulate the unifix cubes very well. He likes to connect them and build towers. Right now I am working with John on cutting with scissors. In the book it list paying attention to Handedenss, and states that practice pays off. I have been able to switch the scissors in the opposite hand and he can cut better. We really have to do a lot of practice with John. We also have to work with John's eye-hand coordination. John has a hard time with this because he concentrates too hard on one activity. He doesn't do very well when catching the ball. He pays so much attention to the person throwing the ball that he forgets to catch it. John does work with the Occupational therapist for his motor/self help skills. John appears to do well with large motor skills but has more difficulty with fine motor skills.

Reference:
Cook, Ruth E., Klein, Diane & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs.

Social Story

My child that I am doing my observations on is developmentally delayed. He lacks the social skills needed for preschool which hinders his readiness for Kindergarten. He has learned to follow the daily routine however he cannot communicate what he needs. He points to most things, or he will act out being thirsty. I'm really wanting to improve his ability to converse. In his book I am going to put pictures of someone drinking a drink and it will say "I am thirsty", someone taking a nap that says "I am tired", someone mad saying "I am upset" etc. He knows what the pictures mean so I can let him bring the book to me, he can show me a picture of someone drinking a drink, I can say "John is thirsty." After he repeats the sentence, he will start to become familiar with the pictures and sentences that go along with it. These request will help him throughout the day by being more independent and stating his needs. It will also build his vocabulary. He is also a visual learner. I could also take a picture of him doing each of these things so that he can relate even better.

how goals of focus child will be embedded into activities

To begin with, my focus child is developmentally delayed. When he came to our center he barely spoke any words. He has accomplished the goal now to follow the daily routine and has been like a sponge in learning new words and how to communicate. The goal I am working with him now in is learning the 6 basic colors. I can start out the day with asking him what color shirt he is wearing, stating what I like that he is wearing. (John I love your new blue bookbag) Not only does this teach him more words, I can also use the language of colors when I talk. At group time we review the colors, throughout the day we review the colors. (Going down the hall I may ask him what color the cat on the wall is or what color ring he is holding on my ring line.) During lunch time, I can talk about the colors of foods that we are eating. Colors can be implemented into every activity throughout the day. The book states that play routines can be designed specifically to teach language and concepts and social skills. During play, I can sit in dramatic play area and request that John let me pretend to eat with the blue fork. I have also seen that children realize that I am working with John on his colors and they ask him about the colors during the day as well. I have one child that will praise John when he answers questions right and this motivates John with wanting to learn the other colors as well. Other children can be just as helpful as the lead teachers can be.



Reference:
Cook, Ruth E., Klein, Diane & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs.

The importance of collection process of IEP

During the IEP meeting, it is very important that each party representing the child, be ready to provide information in regards to the child's IEP goals. (Specialist, teachers, parents, etc.) As a teacher I would have documents dated that either shows progress or no progress being made. If a child is attempting to learn their colors I would write down what activities were being tried as well as how many trials were given to the child. I would make sure that it was done over an extended period of time to show the team as whole my opinion on rather or not the child knew his colors. Individual specialist will have their notes based on individual/group sessions that they held with the child throughout each week. Parents can bring notes or work from home to have a voice in what the child is performing at home. A collection of information will represent the child's progress towards the goals. If nobody keeps accurate information, nobody would be able to say accurately if the child has met or not met their goals. Once everyone discusses the information they have gathered, the team as a whole can come together to voice concerns of the child and continue goals being worked on, create new goals due to the other goals being completed, or the team may decide to simplify the goals. It is all done based on what the child needs.

I also believe that if everyone has information to share with each other, as a team everyone can come up with new ideas and ways to implement the goals. As a teacher I could make suggestions for parents to work on at home or I could let the therapist know what is working best for me. Everyone learns different and teaches differently. Everyone needs to be open minded to suggestions in order to provide the child with the best activities to help the child be the most successful.

Last week I experienced a parent who stated that the information on her child's progress report was wrong. She stated that her child does not know her colors. I was able to look through my notes and give her the dates in which assessments/activities were completed in order to back myself up on what I put in her child's progress report. I had the necessary paperwork to guide me in discussing the information with the parent. If I didn't have anything to show her, it would have looked like I really didn't know if the child knew her colors or not. As a professional, you can never OVER document!

Reference:
Cook, Ruth E., Klein, Diane & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs.

Importance of IEP and implementing it

The importance of the individual education plan and how it is used to implement services :

 

The IFSP is generated for infants, toddlers, and their families and the IEP is developed for preschoolers. Both of these plans are required because of IDEA. On page 123 of our text, it gives a list of individuals who are expected to attend the meeting where the IEP document is being developed. It includes professionals as well as a parent of the child. For more details of who is expected to be at the meeting, it can be found on page 123 and 124. The Interdisciplinary team meets to choose measurable IEP annual goals. The IEP is important because everyone will sign off on the document and everyone works towards helping the child work towards their goals. It is important to realize that each child has different goals and it is designed specifically for that particular child. The annual goals included in the IEP describe what a child with disabilities can be expected to accomplish within a specified period. The text also states that the IEP is intended to serve as a basis for the subsequent development of a detailed, individualized instructional program that encompasses the complete curriculum.

 Everyone involved in the child's plan is responsible for helping the child meet their goals. If the PT, OT, Speech, and lead teacher are part of the IEP then everyone must work together to implement the goals. Sometimes the child can work towards their goals during group time whereas other times they may need one on one assistance. The whole team has to decide how they are going to individually help the child succeed at the given goals. The IEP is the foundation and the team is the basis on how the goals are processed and learned. Everyone must have great communication, parents must have equal involvement, and the whole focus needs to be on the child learning what was put in place as the annual goals. If goals are not being accomplished, needs are not being met, the team can come together to determine what needs to be done differently.

 

 

 

 

 

Reference:

Cook, Ruth E., Klein M. Diane, & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs (7th Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Blog week 4

The importance of family involvement in the individualized plan:
To begin with, I believe that families are first and foremost when it comes to a childs individualized plan. Families need to be involved because they know their children more than anyone else. Families are extremely important during early intervention because the child doesn't have a past of IEP's to get information from. The book also states that their are relational or interactive subsystems. (Marital subsystem, parental subsystems, and extended family subsystems It important to know all of these subsystems in order to know how to best create a plan for a chid.
 Children always act different at school than they do at home. When teachers, family members, therapist, etc. work together to determine what needs the child has, it helps everyone stay on the same page with helping that child succeed to the best of their ability. Parents can be great teachers at home. When a child is exposed to working towards goals at home as well as at school, they are more likely to reach their goals more easily.

Families are a great support system. Children love to see that others are proud of them. At school, children are always excited about making pictures for their parents and they always say, "Mom or Dad would be happy." If a child feels that their parents are supportive and proud of them, they will be eager to work on their goals. I also believe that early familiy involvement will build up the confidence of the children.

Reference:

Cook, Ruth E., Klein M. Diane, & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs (7th Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Observation of Child with IEP #1

First of all let me introduce to you my 4-year old student named John. He has been in my classroom for 2 years although I was hired back in August. When he came to the center he didn't talk other than saying mama, daddy, and a few other basic words. John did not wear clothes at home and they had special locks on the doors at school because he was a "runner." John had no idea of how to interact with others nor did he know how to communicate with his teachers. This school year is has progressed so much! He has been like a sponge! John can now talk 2 or 3 word phrases! Not only does John wear clothes, he is almost fully potty trained. John is capable of counting to 13 and he can identify his name no matter where it is! I was contacting a parent this week and he got out the phone book and found his name in the book. Obviously the person had a different last name but that isn't the point. John concentrates so hard on his work because he is so eager to learn! John now will also take naps! In the past we had to allow him to do different activities to keep him busy just to keep him from screaming and waking the kids up. I chose to do my study on John because I have watched him grow so much and I can't wait to see the progress he makes over the upcoming weeks. This week he was only in school on Friday because he has been sick. If I haven't already mentioned, I am the lead teacher in this particular classroom. I will advise you of his actual IEP goals and diagnosis next week. I first wanted you to meet John through my eyes before meeting him through the eyes with the magnifying glass of a disability. I hope you enjoy learning about John and praise his success as much as I do.

IDEIA of 2004

    To begin with, IDEIA stands for Individuals with Dissabilities Education Imrpovements Act. It was signed into place On December3, 2004 by President Bush.It simply reauthorized the IDEA. IDEIA acknowledged that the amount of paperwork is a burden and streamlined the IEP's as well as other required documentation. It also makes sure that there are highly qualified teachers and increased the amount of accountability of students in the system. It was also put into place to reduce the amount of students that were placed in special education classes due to cultural and linguistic background reasoning. IDEIA ensured discipline for students by providing students with special education needs the right to free and public education. IDEIA also provided funding for professional development for special educators.

     The influence it has had on Special Education is the fact that it is making educators accountable for children with special needs. It is making sure that these children are being taught in the most appropriate environment and it is free for these children just like typical children have a right to free education. I feel like it is in place to protect those with special needs and to make sure they receive adequate education to meet their needs. It keeps children with special needs from "falling through the cracks." I believe that over time, there will be additional re-authorizations to this Act.

The Influence it has had on the general curriculum- In a child's IEP, it is mandatory that  it states how the child’s disability affects their involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. They must also have measurable annual goals.Any child with special needs must be able to have educational programs provided to them to be involved in and make progress with the general curriculum.

References:
http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=IDEA_2004&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=9&ContentID=3533


http://www.autism-community.com/education/idea/

All About Me!!

Hey Everyone! My name is Jennifer Murray. I am 24 years old and live in Mt.Airy, N.C. I enjoy spending time with my beauitful daughter Zoey and Fiance Eddie. Zoey is almost 10 months old. I never knew what life was until I had her. She is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me. I graduated from Lees-McRae College in 2008 with my Bachelor's of Arts in K-6 Elementary Education. Teaching jobs in Surry County are rare and I have been unable to find a K-6 job since I graduated. I finally accepted a position in August for a lead preschool teacher for LifeSpan Circle School. I have decided that God will take me in the direction that he has intended for me to go. I am taking courses so I can have my Preschool add on licensure and it should be finished by next Spring. I look forward to getting to know all of my classmates as well as the teacher. Good luck to everyone and if there is anything I can help anyone with...let me know!
God Bless,
Jen