Homework Strategies

There are numerous strategies that can be used at home to connect classroom learning to home learning:

1. meet with teacher after school to discuss specific goals for homework in conjunction with general goals for the classroom

2. integrate all family members into child's learning at home: reading to siblings, reading to parents, parents reading to siblings etc

3. differentiated learning can be incorporated into homework, by giving harder or easier worksheets,  and activities that are tailored to the student's needs 

4. weekly newsletters that the students help create to show their progress in the classroom, and then weekly notes from the parents back to the teachers, to show the child's progress at home

5. READ, READ, READ! incorporate reading any way possible

6. if note taking is part of the homework, provide different ways to show that knowledge gained from the text through activities in addition to the notes

These are just a few examples.  There are many other options.

Community Resources

These are available for more information on the special education process, types of disabilties, and general information:

Special Education in Montgomery County:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/specialed/

CLASP (center for law and social policy) and the recovery act:

http://childcareandearlyed.clasp.org/2009/03/expanding-early-education-services-in-montgomery-county-public-schools.html

A study of the special education placement procedures in Montgomery County, MD:

Link to full text version:

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED113888&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED113888

Instructional Strategies

There are many techniques that teachers can include in their classroom, to help the learning of students with disabilities, while not hindering the learning of other students.  They can also benefit the students with out disabilities.

1. use hands on activities

2. use positive and specific reenforcement

3. pair visual cues with auditory cues

4. have students restate the directions for the activity

5. teach explicitly study skills and organization skills

6. use different types of assessments

7. use age appropriate curricula

8. integrate community based instruction

9. involve family members

10. use behavior modification strategies

11. scaffold the students in their learning

12. activate prior knowledge

There are many other techniques that can be incorporated into your classroom, these are just a few instructional strategies. You may need a few, all, more than these, or even a combination.  

Special Education Referral Process

To grant a child an IEP, there are several steps that must be taken, involving many people in the process including the teacher, the parents, trained evaluative specialists, principals, psychologists, doctors, and special education professionals.  

1. parent, professional, or school personnel identifies a child as possibly needing special education and/or services.

2. Within 5 school days of the referral, the district must notify the parent and seek consent.  THE PARENT MUST GIVE CONSENT, OR THE PROCESS GOES NO FURTHER!

3. Within 30 school days of the parental consent, trained specialists evaluate the child.

4. Within 45 days of the parental consent, the referral team determines the eligibility.

5. If the team finds the child eligible for special education, then within 45 days of the parental consent for the evaluation, the team will develop an IEP

6. After the IEP is written, the IEP meeting is held to determine placement. THE IEP MEETING SHOULD INCLUDE THE PARENTS!

7. Within in 30 days of the IEP , the parents have to give consent and placement determined, before going further

8. During the allotted time for the IEP, professional provide the services detailed in the IEP

9. At least annually, the team reviews and rewrites the IEP

10. At least every 3 years, the school reevaluates the child

The parents must provide consent at each step of the process, must be involved in the decisions of their child, and if at any point they do not provide consent, the process is stopped, and can go no further.

3 descriptions of disabilties

There are many types of disabilities a child can have.  3 examples that are prevalent in schools are mental retardation, ADHD, and learning disabilities.  Short summaries of each are provided below.

Mental Retardation:

Mental Retardation is defined by substantial limitations in present functioning; significantly sub average intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with related limitations in two or more adaptive skill areas.  It must manifest before age 18.  Mental retardation can be classified by severity: intermittent, limited, extensive, and pervasive.  1-2.5% of students are identified with mental retardation and its causes can be linked to cultural-familial, nature vs. nurture, and genetic factors.  In the past there has been an overrepresentation in ethnic minorities, so criteria was set up to counteract this.  These criteria are: adaptive skills limitations, intellectual function of a minimum around 70, and a condition that is not improving.

 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:

ADHD has diagnostic criteria in 3 areas: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.  For inattention it has to be at least 6 of the criteria, including often does not seem to listen, or often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.  Some of the hyperactivity criteria are often fidgets or squirms, often talks excessively, and often on the go, or as if driven by a motor.  Finally some of the criteria for impulsivity is often blurts out answers, and often has difficulty waiting turn.  ADHD has to have an onset before age 7, with evidence of the criteria in 2 or more settings, and impairs the functioning of the child.  3-5% of school age children are diagnosed with ADHD and this is typically associated with other disabilities, including learning disabilities, and emotional disorders.  A medical doctor can only diagnose ADHD, but the parents and teachers to help with the diagnosis can collect data.  The causes of ADHD are linked to areas of brain function affected, hereditary, and medical factors. 

 

Learning Disabilities:

A child with learning disabilities means the child has a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language.  It can manifest itself in an imperfect ability to read, listen, speak, write etc.  Learning disabilities includes brain injury, brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and aphasia.  The child’s IQ is within normal range, but there is a significant discrepancy between academic achievement and expected potential.  The causes for learning disabilities are organic and biological factors, genetic factors, and environmental factors, but are not linked to cultural differences, educational opportunities, poverty, or other disabilities.  There are a number of assessments to diagnose a learning disability, including standardized tests, reading inventories, formative evaluation, and authentic assessment.  3-10% of the school population can have a learning disability, and this large range can be attributed to the criteria used to diagnose.