Today’s Agenda Housekeeping/Updates Review Person-Centered Planning Entry/In-Class Activity Review Person-Centered Planning Ability Awareness Presentations from the Readings Families, Parents, & Culture Monday, April 4th we will have a guest lecturer, candidate for the SPED Department Chair position May 18th….Mark your calendars….No class because….

Graduate School of Education is hosting an Educator Recruitment Fair Where? Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom When? Wed. May 18th Why? Lila wanted to make sure you had the chance to join district representatives to: Review & refine your resume Participate in mock interview opportunities Cost? None…Free to PSU, GSE Teacher Candidates!

Strength-based shared understanding of : Ongoing Comprehensive Implementation: Wraparound Functional Assessment Person-Centered Planning Strength-based shared understanding of : Values, Long-term Goals, Current Programs, Possible variables influencing behaviors FBA Identifying: Routines, Setting Events, Antecedents, & Functions of Interfering Behaviors Collaboratively Outline Behavior Supports Plan that speaks with “One Voice” Consistently Implement, Monitor, Evaluate, COMMUNICATE

Characteristics in Common Focus person present and contributes to plan that will be meaningful for him/her. Focus Person empowered, not directed or controlled. Team members are invited as “guests” of the focus person The goal is to support focus person in developing capacities and finding a place in the community where they can belong in a meaningful way.

Characteristics in Common Facilitator guides the meetings Team of support is individualized Plan uses an open-ended approach Team members support focus person and ensure that plan is implemented Team of support = impt to identify how each member of the team fit into the student’s life

Graphic Frames Typically Used During a Person-Centered Planning Meeting 1. Developing a vision for the future. 2. Developing an understanding of where the team is now 3. Identifying who the important people are in the student’s life 4. Identifying where the student goes and what he or she does in a typical day 5. Discussing significant health concerns

Graphic Frames Cont’d 6. Reviewing positive and negative issues from the individual’s history 7. Examining the types of choices available to the student in the home, school, and community 8. Discussing the behaviors that cause the student to gain or lose respect among peers and adults 9. Identifying strategies that are effective and ineffective in supporting the student

Graphic Frames Cont’d 10. Clarifying the hopes and fears of the team members 11. Assessing barriers and opportunities that might affect the success of the team 12. Assisting the team to identify critical themes identified in the process and that must be in the future of the team 13. Facilitating the team to identify goals for the future that are positive and possible. 14. Supporting the team members to commit to some first steps in pursing those identified goals.

Establishing the student’s voice in the planning process Consider…? How student expresses needs, wants, choices during planning If extra time to comprehend information and communicate personal perspective is needed If support from another person(s) is needed to enhance communication If special arrangements are needed to participate Shorter meeting time or different non-meeting format Active role in meeting (e.g., facilitate, introduce team, etc.) Uses alternate form of communication (e.g., assistive/augmentative device, sign language/gestures, etc.) Yes/no response………………………. Initiate/respond to questions

Preplanning tools for students and their families/caregivers Life history map Highlights, events, milestones Life map “Who am I” in pictures (e.g., slide show, poster board, photo album) Pre-meeting interviews & observations Student-led meeting preparation NOW Birth My life NOW My life in 5 years

Putting it all together Community Home Goals School Work

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What can I do to integrate these strategies to design comprehensive supports? Think outside of the box (school walls) to support students within school walls! Collaborate with school counselor, school psychologist to connect with community agencies (Mental Health, Social Services, etc.) Encourage collaboration with family/agencies in school/classroom…invite them to classroom/meetings, etc. RESPECTFULLY EXPECT THEM TO BE INVOLVED When doing a comprehensive support plan work to get everyone on team speaking with “one voice” (linked function-based strategies) to student.

How can I incorporate Person-Centered Approaches for all of my students? Encourage students and their family/guardians to be involved in planning. Empower students to set goals and plans to attain them. They can track their own progress; outline supports, etc. Think “functionally” and from the student’s perspective (what is the student seeing/hearing) Provide structured choices and encourage students to take ownership and leadership within classroom/school.

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

Basic Idea around Ability Awareness Should emphasize that we are all people first & We all want to be treated fairly and have opportunities like everyone else

Teaching individuals to value similarities despite individual differences Abilities Appearance Culture Language Socioeconomic status (SES) Other differences (e.g., religious, sexual orientation, etc.)

Who conducts AA activity? Best case= Gen Ed teacher Default= special educator, speech therapist, OT, PT, VI specialists, Mobility specialists

Where & When to facilitate an AA activity When a student is moving to a new classroom New situation concerning the student (e.g., new wheelchair, new equipment, new life situation) Whole classroom, small group (e.g., social club, peer mentors), staff meetings, collaborative planning meetings with staff

Why? All students & staff should be taught expectations on how best to: Interact Work with Play with Advocate for & talk about people with disabilities in a respectful manner

Families, Parents, Culture Promote Family Involvement—Why? Ways that parents can be involved in the school community? Parenting: may be assisted with obligations & home support for learning Communicating: receive & respond to school info Volunteering: classroom, school events, support other parents Extending learning in home: extend learning in class/school to home Decision making: school governance, policy Collaborating in the community: community efforts & partnerships with school Encourage participation, but remember that it is their choice.

Establishing partnerships with families Should be a goal of yours as a teacher Consider definition of “family”…? Single-parent families? Siblings? No siblings? Live with extended family? Consider the entire family…they are a unit/system: all affected by one another

What parents want their children to learn Related to student’s age Severity of disability Functional skills….academic skills… Friendships Maximum potential Be sensitive to this…attempt to teach students those skills that are perceived by parents to have the greatest relevance.

Culturally Competent Instruction Develop awareness about your own cultural identity and recognize your own values, beliefs, and customs Appreciate the uniqueness of each family Try to understand the communication styles within different cultures Develop awareness of cultural norms Be aware of the nature of your influence Learn from families…..after all they are the experts!

Support to Parents Learn your families’ needs and recruit support (if desired by the family) Parent-to-parent support Sibling support Respite care Social support

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.

Conceptual Model Activity Please break into 4 groups (about 5 per group) Read the assigned article for your group Summarize the article and explain the conceptual model to the class

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

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

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

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

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

Sailor, 2008

Practice Guide for Self Determination Loman et al., 2010

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

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

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