1. Curriculum & Assessment for Students with ASD/DD
SPED , CRN:43483
Sheldon Loman, PhD.
Winter 2014
Contact:

2. “Clearing a path for people with special needs clears the path for everyone!”

3. SWIFT swiftschools.org

4. This Afternoon’s Agenda
Why are you here?
Student Information Sheet
Course Syllabus & Assignments
Defining Severe Disabilities
Activity: Conceptual Models
COACH: A model for educational planning for students with disabilities

5. Why are you here? …specifically, pursuing the career of a special educator?

6. KWL for instructing students with multiple or developmental disabilities
What do you ….
KNOW
What do you…
WANT
to know
What you…
LEARNED

7. Steps in Ecological Assessment Process
Step 1: Plan with Student & Family
Person-centered Planning
Step 2: Summarize what is known about the student
Record Review, IEP Review
Step 3: Encourage Self-Determination/ Assess Student Preferences
Preference Assessment
Step 4: Assess student’s instructional program
Daily Schedule Analysis
Task Analyses
Other Assessments
Step 5: Develop ecological assessment report
To inform IEP: PLAAFP, Goals & Objectives, Interventions

8. Course Syllabus & Assignments

10. Who are students with significant disabilities?
In many respects, they are just like everyone else---heterogeneous group of people
From every part of society
Every ethnic and racial group
All socioeconomic levels
All faiths

11. When said to have a significant disability it means several things
Moderate, severe, or profound intellectual disability
-interaction between intelligence and adaptive behavior (i.e., daily living skills, communication, social skills; Grossman, 1983, Reschly, 1999)

12. 2. Disability is present throughout a person’s life
Not like catching the flu Person’s needs are lifelong and do not go away simply because he or she turns a certain age

13. 3. Importance of support from other people
Needed for all students, but amplified for students with significant disabilities. 1990’s American Association on Mental Retardation revised intellectual disability based on level of support needed. Intermittent, Limited, Extensive, Pervasive

14. IDEA, 2004… Does not define severe disabilities
13 distinct disability categories
Several can reasonably include students considered to have severe disabilities: e.g., autism, deaf-blindness, intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, traumatic brain injury.
2007 Change in Terms: intellectual disabilities rather than mental retardation

15. Less than 40 years ago…
People with significant disabilities did not have a legal right to attend public schools

16. Meet: Grace 6th grader, 12 years old
Lives at home with her family: Mom, Dad & 2 high school brothers
Recently entered neighborhood school
She has a cognitive impairment
She communicates wants/needs through gestures, pushing, screaming, & crying.

17. Meet: Jamar 10th grade, 15 years old English is his second language
Living in his 6th foster family with 4 other foster siblings.
Loves sports & music
Has difficulty with memory, writing, & organization due to a traumatic brain injury
Tries to get friends by teasing, interrupting, and inappropriate proximity

18. Meet: Earl Last year of school, 20 yrs old
Wants to work, get his own apartment, & manage his own bank account
His mother is the primary advocate for his needs.
Performs well when provided with choices.
Communicates mostly with gestures
Augmentative communication systems were unsuccessfully implemented at school
Has difficulty following directions at school -- if “pushed” to do things, he sometimes hits or pushes others (safety concerns)

19. Horner (2011)

20. Think of a student that is diagnosed as having a developmental disability
What supports does/will this student receive?
How are these supports determined?
Who is involved in this determination?

21. Intensive Needs Usually Evident in All Areas of Life (Life-long)
Supports must:
Address all contexts, people, situations related to student behavior (Contextual Fit)
Think outside the “box” OR
School Walls.
Involve family, professionals, community agencies outside of the school

23. Schools continue to struggle to support students with intensive needs (Lewis & Sugai, 1999; Office of Special Education Programs [OSEP], 2002; Rose & Gallup, 2005; Wagner et al, 2006)
These students’ needs are often complex & confounded with numerous dynamic variables:
Health condition
Home/family situation
Schooling history (failure/mobility)
Socioeconomic status
Culture
Other variables….

24. Left unchecked interfering behaviors negatively affect one’s quality of life:
Unsuccessful social relationships,
Social isolation,
Restrictive educational settings,
Limited independent work opportunities
(Dunlap & Carr, 2007)

25. Need for “One Voice”….
Fragmented supports that are not linked across systems…
Not based on function of behaviors…
Lack breadth and depth to effectively change behavior…
Implemented with low intensity, low fidelity = poor outcome…
Cynicism by student/family towards interventions…
Apathy by support providers…

26. External Community Supports
I hear “One Voice”
Academic Support System:
Response to Intervention
Social/Behavior Support System: School-wide PBS
Context for: Person Centered Planning, Functional Assessment & Wraparound

27. What is a conceptual model?
A mental model that represents “concepts” and relationships between them.
Formulation of a written description and visual representation of predicted relationships.

28. Dyadic Discussion Practice
Read the assigned article
(30 minutes)
Break into a group with 4-5 other people who read the same article and discuss (5 minutes)
Share out the conceptual model presented in your article

29. Sailor & Roger, 2005
In SAM, who guides instruction for students with special needs?

30. Sailor, 2008
Contrast the medical model vs “New Service Model” OR RTI as presented by Sailor

31. Thompson, Wehmeyer, & Hughes, 2010
Explain the person-environment fit model presented

32. Loman et al., 2010 What are the 3 dimensions of self-determination?
What were the 5 practices that met the conditions of self-determination?

33. Six Guiding Principles to Creating an Inclusive School
All instruction is guided by General Education
All school resources are configured to benefit all students
School Proactively addresses social development and citizenship
School is data-based learning organization
School has open boundaries in relation to its families and its community
District supports school-centered approach and extensive systems-change activities required to implement a school-wide model
Sailor & Roger, 2005

34. Sailor, 2008

35. Practice Guide for Self Determination
Loman et al., 2010

36. Practices Causal Agency/ Independence Proxy Agency Opportunities
Goal Setting
Set
Self-Monitoring
Self –instruction
Self-evaluation
Self-reinforcement
Self-feedback
Choice/Dec. Making
Prob. Solving
Self-Adv
Social Capital
Soc Inclusion
Enriched Environment
Dignity of Risk
Person-Centered Planning 
Teacher-Directed Strategies
Self-Directed Strategies
Family Supports
Organize Env. Systems

37. Person-Environment Fit & Schools (Thompson, Wehmeyer, & Hughes, 2010)

38. Change
When change occurs individuals are usually pushed out of their box, or their comfort zone. In the case of full inclusion, this change will effect the general education teacher and the special education teacher the most.
Incorporate notion of Team-Work where we can pull together, instead of pulling apart, each team member’s expertise into an inclusive educational program

39. Ability Awareness Alternatively called “disability awareness”
Lessons, activities, discussions that teach students & staff about individual abilities
Facilitates a dialogue about overall respect & dignity

40. Steps in Ecological Assessment Process
Step 1: Plan with Student & Family
Person-centered Planning
Step 2: Summarize what is known about the student
Record Review, IEP Review
Step 3: Encourage Self-Determination/ Assess Student Preferences
Preference Assessment
Step 4: Assess student’s instructional program
Daily Schedule Analysis
Task Analyses
Other Assessments
Step 5: Develop ecological assessment report
To inform IEP: PLAAFP, Goals & Objectives, Interventions

41. Person-Centered Planning
Strength-based shared understanding of :
Values,
Long-term goals,
Current programs,
Barriers to participation & success ,
Possible variables influencing barriers
Video:

42. Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH)

43. What planning looks like?
solutions.com/pcplanning.asp

44. Types of Planning Person-Centered Traditional
Focus person and those who know him/her make decisions
Programs individualized and focuses on strengths
Program adapted as need arises
Traditional
Experts made decisions about life
Placed in programs to overcome areas of weakness
Person expected to conform to program

45. Features of Person-Centered Planning
Intentional planning for success (pre-planning) – range of purpose for planning - stage
Focus on and driven by the student’s strengths, interests and preferences
Focus on capacities and opportunities - establishes a vision
The process is flexible, dynamic and informal
Requires collaborative teamwork with commitment to action
Requires an effective facilitator
Excerpt from Flannery, B., Slovic, R. & McLean Person-Centered Planning: How do we know we are doing it?

46. Putting it all together
Community
Home
Goals
School
Work

47. Person-centered Planning: Basic Beliefs
Every person has:
The right to plan a life for his or herself which is personally meaningful and satisfying.
Talents and strengths that can be developed

48. How would you set up a person-centered planning session for one of your students?
Who would be invited?
How would people be invited?
Schedule?
When/Where?
Remember: Person-centered…..think about the student

49. Team Members and Roles Adapted Physical Education (APE) Teacher
Provides adaptations to regular PE program to promote student participation
Audiologist: Identifies types and degrees of hearing loss and provides equipment guidelines
Family Members & Student: Experts in student and stakeholders in their future
General Education Teacher: GE content expert, collaborates to instruct student

50. Team Members and Roles
Nurse: information source for the team on student’s medical conditions, performs & trains staff to do specialized medical procedures (e.g., tube feeding, catheterization)
Occupational Therapist: Promotes optimal physical functioning (fine motor, sensory motor), suggests modifications/supports
Physical Therapist: Same, but gross motor, positioning

51. Team Members and Roles
Orientation & Mobility (O&M): specialized training in visual functioning in mobility
Psychologist: evaluator of student’s intellectual and adaptive abilities and interpreter of evaluation results, may provide suggestions for reducing student behaviors
Social Worker: facilitates access to services and establishing linkages between school and community programs

52. Team Members and Roles Speech-Language Pathologist:
Provides instruction in the area of communication, language, speech.
Provides suggestions and instruction with AAC devices.
Expertise in oral motor and feeding skills
Special Education Teacher:
Provides specialized teaching strategies, provides and implements adaptations

53. Connection to IEP Education/School a part of person’s life
Consistency across
Behavior support
Skills training (generalization/adaptation of skills)
Communication systems
Planning team members

54. PC-Planning Role in Support Planning
Personally valued outcomes that address contextual issues
Broader view of the student that takes into account larger issues that affect student (student/family/agency views, funding, disability, community supports)
Ensures interventions match students needs/values
Provide perspective on historical and present setting events
Increase buy-in on the plan from all stakeholders
Identify culturally relevant methods of support
Increases likelihood of the plan being effective

55. COACH Choosing Outcomes & Accommodations for Children
(3rd Edition): A Guide to Educational Planning for Students with Disabilities
Giangreco, Cloninger, Iverson (2011)
Brookes Publishing

56. What is COACH?
Planning tool designed to help teams determine the components of individually appropriate educational programs for students with intensive special educational needs.
Offers initial suggestions for implementing & evaluating students’ educational programs in typical classroom settings & activities

57. 2 Parts of COACH (pg. 4)
Part A: Determining a Student’s Educational Program
Family Interview
Additional Learning Outcomes
General Supports
Part B: Translating the Family-Identified Priorities into Goals & Objectives
4. Writing Annual Goals
5. Writing Short-term Objectives
6. Program-at-a-Glance

58. Principles Forming the Basis of COACH
All students are capable of learning & deserve a meaningful curriculum.
Quality instruction requires ongoing access to inclusive environments.
Pursuing valued life outcomes informs the selection of curricular content.
Family involvement is a cornerstone of educational planning.
Collaborative teamwork is essential to quality education.
Coordination of services ensures that necessary supports are appropriately provided.

59. Step 1- The Family Interview
Face to face with the family
1-2 parents & the student (when appropriate)
Purposely selected school personnel
Facilitator guides family through a process in selecting a small set of the most important learning outcomes from the family’s perspective

60. Introducing the Family Interview
Reminder of orientation to COACH (should have been occurred before Family Interview)
6 categories of information to share with the family prior to asking them questions (page 3)

61. Step 1.1: Valued Life Outcomes (pg. 6)
These set a context for the rest of COACH
Present/read to family before interview

62. Step 1.2: Selecting Curriculum Areas to be Explored During the Family Interview (pp. 7-13)
Family considers all 9 curriculum areas included in COACH and then make a decision about which subset of areas (up to 4) should be explored in greater depth during the Family Interview.
Helps parents become familiar with the curriculum areas and corresponding lists of learning outcomes included in COACH, given the understanding they are designed to extend learning outcomes included in the general education curriculum, not replace them.

63. Step 1. 3: Rating Learning Outcomes in Selected Curriculum Areas (pp
Provides lists for each of the 9 curriculum areas and corresponding learning outcomes considered in the Family Interview.

64. Step 1.4: Prioritizing Learning Outcomes in Selected Curriculum Areas
Prioritizing allows the family to consider which of the learning outcomes are their top priorities within each curriculum area reviewed.
Maximum of top 4 priorities
Consider strengths & interests of child, immediacy of the need, frequency of use, practicality, future use, and its potential affect on valued life outcomes.
Ranked priorities transferred to next step (pp )

65. Step 1.5: Cross-Prioritization (pp. 24-25)
Provides an opportunity for the family to select and rank overall priority learning outcomes for their child.
Using the same criteria in step 1.4, the family ranks a maximum of their top 6 overall priorities.

66. Step 2: Additional Learning Outcomes
Team members complete the Additional Learning Outcomes
This step recognizes that selecting priorities from the Family Interview are insufficient to comprise a complete educational program.
Subset of team members who know the student and who has knowledge of the general education curriculum.

67. Step 2.1: Additional Learning Outcomes from COACH (pp. 26-27)
Ensures that important selections made during the Family Interview, but not slated for inclusion as IEP goals, s well as learning outcome areas tabled in step 1.2 (Selecting Curriculum Areas to Explore during the Family Interview)

68. Step 2. 2: Additional Learning Outcomes from General Education (pp
Ensures that students with disabilities are provided with the same opportunities as their classmates to pursue a broad-based educational program and to be exposed to a variety of educational content.

69. Step 3: General Supports (pp. 34-35)
Simple method for documenting general supports that need to be provided to or for a student.
General Supports serve to allow access to, or participation in, the education program.
What other people need to do to assist the student.
Personal needs, physical needs, teaching others about the student, sensory needs, access & opportunities.