1. Unique Characteristics of Kids!

2. Situation: Student’s grades take a nose dive!!!!  Student hits the “wall”  Ask the student if anything is bothering them. Talk to the student and ask if he/she finds the work harder than in past years? Someone close may have died or is sick. Parents not getting along. Everything alright at home?

3. Situation: Student’s grades take a nose dive!!!!  Student may be experiencing verbal or physical abuse.  Use the interview forms in Accessing the General Curriculum to determine the learning style.  Talk to parents. Under R.S. 14.403 must report abuse. Be very careful here. Look at learning style

4. Situation: Student’s grades take a nose dive!!!!  There may not be a good match between teacher and student.  This really can happen. Sometimes as adults we don’t want the student to “get off the hook.” It is just their future….. If you are in a job where you are unhappy, what are your options? We as adults have options. Talk to parents.

5. Situation: Student tilts head consistently toward one side or appears to cover one particular ear with hand.  Hearing problem  Have hearing screened by speech therapist or school nurse.

6. Situation: Student has colds or allergies often  Fluid in ear  Hearing screening, if fluid is present, contact parent  After Dr’s care, screen again  If student has difficulty hearing, following directions, refer to SBLC. May be experiencing intermittent hearing loss

7. Ways to Help Them Adapt  Organization!

8. Legal Cheat Sheets  Rewrite notes using lists and mnemonics  Study only from your rewritten notes for a test  Before the test, ask the teacher to give you one or two blank sheets of paper. Suggest the teacher write their name on the sheets, or initials so the teacher is sure the same sheets of paper are turned in when test is over.  Before looking at the test, even to put your name on the test, rewrite your notes as much as you can remember on the 2 sheets given to you by the teacher.

9. Legal Cheat Sheets Continued The problem with retrieving information is the panic button gets pushed when you read a question for which you have no answer. Placing information on your “legal cheat sheets” helps relieve the anxiety and supplies you with information needed for the test.

10. Legal Cheat Sheets Continued The year 1860 1861 Number of entries per year 3 10 14 8 9 7 Code for the entries N D F M A6 J2 J F M2 A2 M JJ A S3 D J M M J2 S N2 M3 J J S O D2 J A5 M

11. More Ways to Adapt  Color code covers for textbooks  Use a plastic envelope to put all notes, homework assignments in. Make it a bright color so it can be seen in the book bag.  Color code notebooks to match the textbook covers

12. SBLC Action  Parent brings in a Dr’s prescription  Parent requests a full evaluation –Procedure if parent request is denied  Suspects the student of being exceptional

13. Academic Issues  Comprehensive questioning????  All areas should be touched through questions regardless of the referral issues. What do I mean!  Talk about what the student can do.  Why the referral?  How is this student doing in the class compared to other students?

14. Academic Issues cont.  School history – attendance  Test history – LEAP, iLEAP  Family background  Medical history  What is the meta-cognitive style of this student?

15. Behavior Issues BBehavior issues –P–Patterns –O–Outside influences –D–Discipline files

16. Interventions conducted at the school level WWhat was done? DDid it address the concerns? AAre there pre and post tests (measurements) RTI? (Often not reports) IIf not available, then an intervention needs to be developed to address the issue.

17. Who Should NOT be referred to SBLC? AA student already exceptional (such as) –S–Speech or Language Impairment students –A–A student with additional concerns RREASON – because? –H–Has an IEP Team

18. Who Should be referred for Support Services?  Students who are NOT suspected of being exceptional.

19. Who Should be Referred to the 504 Committee?  Students NOT suspected of being exceptional.  Students who have been evaluated by Pupil Appraisal and found to be non-exceptional.

20.  Patricia McElroy  State Supervisor of Educational Diagnosticians  225-342-0564  patricia.mcelroy@la.gov

21. Questions?