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Ran/TN - Welcome everyone to the Special Ed Teacher's meeting. I am the moderator. Our guest for tonight's meeting is Dr Gary Sturgill. He is a school psychologist at a local school system in Tenn.
Ran/TN - We will be discussing evaluations and other questions you might have for a school psychologist.
GKS - Yeah, Randy good evening
Ran/TN - His handle is GKS. I thought we might begin by discussing evaluations and the role they play in placing a student in a special ed program.
Ran/TN - Who would like to start us off with the first question for gks?
GKS - I have been in the field for about 20 years.
connie - Does it seem to others that more and more students are qualifying for special services?
Ran/TN - Dr Sturgill would you like to start us off by explaining what the role of a school psychologists is?
GKS - Are evaluations an area of concern for anyone?
connie - In our district our numbers have gone from about 5% of the population to nearly 20%.
JPM - yes evaluations are a concern for me
GKS - JPM, what's the concern
jap47 - I do feel that we have an enormous number of students that are qualifying for special education services......our numbers are very high and we are near 20% or a little more
jap47 - Having a school psychologist would be great but in rural areas where I live and teach, such a "luxury" doesn't exist. Exactly what is your role? Do you provide the services of evaluation of children as our psychometrist does?
gks - Well, a sch psy is primary concerned with diagnosis
gks - That of course means a lot of testing
gks - I read the mention about rural settings and I can tell you a sch. psy was pretty special because they were so rare
gks - I have enjoyed working with rural, low ses families
gks - I pretty much engage in assessment activity but the field is getting more specialized I think
Ran/TN - What are some of the specific types of things you do as a school psych.
jap47 - The diagnostic evaluation that you give to each child consists of the WISCR-III and the WIPPSI and what other evaluations do you provide as a diagnostician?
gks - Testing, consultation with teachers and administrators. For me this often involves discipline issues.
gks - Yes the Wechsler scales are widely used.
gks - IQ testing or ability testing is an imp. part of an assessment.
Ran/TN - Tell us more about how you are involved in discipline issues.
jap47 - Our psychometrist will use the WISC-R III and then we know the battery of tests that we as sp. ed. teachers have to give.....these vary according to I.Q. and more specifically with the exceptionality that's presented.
gks - An issue for some time now has been how disabled vs. non-disabled are disciplined.
gks - The regs. to go along with IDEA 97 continue to be interpreted.
Ran/TN - Especially since the recent changes in IDEA.
gks - If an action is considered by an IEP team to be a manifestation of a student's disability then
lesjw - i myself have been an assistant in a special needs school for 3 yrs now and my question is ,how would you deal with a situation where a teacher doesn't agree with a child's placement?
gks - they cannot be disciplined in the same manner as students without
jap47 - What type of school setting are you working out of? Is it city or in a rural community?
gks - I would try to resolve the issues with the teacher but sometimes placements have to be made just to see how they work out.
gks - I work in a suburb of Nashville that is also somewhat rural.
gks - I take a very family-based approach to working with children with and without disabilities.
arley - do you have any thoughts on the rights of the regular ed kids?
kate - I am a spec. ed. teacher Kindergarten & 1st grade. What is the proper way to suggest a physician's eval. for med for ADHD?
arley - i have seen too many times when a kid has to be included, and 20 other kids have disruptions all day long...
gks - arley, I honestly work to see everyone is helped.
arley - and their learning is compromised because of 1 student
lesjw - i have working with this particular child now for 2 yrs and last year a decision was made to move him up which was done but then the behaviors came up and that teacher on the team felt it was too much of a change for this child but now i working with him i see my class doesn't have enough stimulation for him
gks - I hope you teachers are included in the decision making process on placements.
jap47 - What is your thoughts on inclusion?
momof4 - My oldest daughter has Down's Syndrome
lesjw - we are but unfortunately lets face it some teachers want a perfect class
gks - Kids always do better when they are in "normal settings"
arley - i am a sped teacher- i have done inclusion- now i have a self contained
gks - For kids with beh, problems they typically do worse in a self-contained setting I've found.
arley - i just think there are a lot of kids who just shouldn't be included, but no one ever wants to say it for fear of offending people
lesjw - i don't feel this child was given a chance last year i got him off ritalin and onto a behavior mod program and it worked but his skill are too high =for my class
momof4 - arley I know what you mean but the problem is where to draw the line?
gks - How old?
kate - I think inclusion is the best option. But to be successful takes the commitment, creativity, patience, of the entire staff. Esp. important is to have students in home schools so that normal distribution dictates that not too many children are in one classroom. I also think that the aide needs to be designated as an aide for the general ed. teacher. Special ed teacher provides support as needed.
momof4 - she is 12 in grade 7 (age appropriate)
arley - but i am from NY, where most of the kids are put in to specialized classes, which are specifically designed for a certain type of student, and have specific training...i think that is best
gks - That ability to make services centered in one location is preferred by many families.
arley - i just love the BOCES system
lesjw - BOCES , explain?
gks - Although it's really important to similarities vs. differences between kids.
jap47 - I also have done the inclusion route and unfortunately it split off into two or three separate groups because the diversity was too much in one classroom even with two teachers. Do you think that we were able to rely on assistance from those who say "it works!".......no, we just had to quit. I to have a self-contained classroom but progress is much better.
arley - BOCES- Board of Cooperative Educational Systems (i think)
gks - It's always harder to keep have a diverse group.
lesjw - us too in order to get any work done we need to split up in to group and we have a third party for 30 min period to help
arley - they are like a collaborative system with all the districts, provide training, services, money, hire the itinerant teachers, have sped classes etc..
gks - In early childhood SE it's really good to rotate teachers/assistance so that children go through a social routine.
lesjw - tell me about it now the psch for our team is telling me this child is going through a seperation anxiety because he is so use to me
kate - BOCES is to provide special ed services for districts who need to share ed. services with other districts when their specific population is not great enough to support a special class.
gks - helps with kids who have troulbe with transitions.In early childhood SE it reaaly good to rotate teachers/assistance so that children go through a social routine.
lesjw - my feelings were the child is going to have to move at one point so a transition now or later he will still have the behaviors
lesjw - he's 7
gks - That's true but the setting may be more supportive of those behaviors.
momof4 - My daughter went through it with an EA she had for 3 years in a row but I think i was more worried about the transition then my daughter.. It seemed to work out for the best that she had a chance to work with other e.a.s
lesjw - i guess but i'm trying to get him into team teaching because of his skills
gks - Try taking him to the new setting for a visit a couple of times if possible.
kate - I referred a parent to her child's physician for eval for behavior med. I sent a letter and a copy of the goals/ objectives that indicated that behavior is a major concern in ed. progress. Physician sent me a questionaire about behaviors. Should the child have any specific testing for ADHD before maKING such a referral?
gks - No, it sounds like the physician is doing what he/she should.
lesjw - well the problem is also me because our psch wants me to let go but i treat all my kids the same ,no preferences
gks - ADHD at present cannot be precisely diagnosed.
leslie - I have a question about a child in my PreK classroom who really does not talk or socially connect with the children or the teachers in the room
gks - It presents in of range of forms but usually true cases are pretty easy to spot.
leslie - we have given her choices in all activities and she chooses to not participate in any group, center or playground activities...child directed or teacher directed
gks - I suggest you work extra hard to make him feel secure in the setting w/o babying him.
kate - Thank you, I'll send back the questionaire which both the speech therapist and I answered.
leslie - this weeek she has stopped eating her lunch and she was a very good lunchtime eater up until this week
gks - Does she seem delayed in other areas.
leslie - the few times she has spoken has been at the urging of her peers and it has occured when she saw she could make them laugh
gks - Does this child have health concerns?
gks - That's encouraging.
leslie - no, the only time she drew andything was the first week of school and her drwing of herself was quite detailed and advanced
leslie - i've begun to this that what i thought was painfully shy is maybe more of a silent defiance and a need to control?
leslie - no health concerns
Ran/TN - I want to thank everyone for joining us tonight. Thank you very much GKS for being our guest tonight
momof4 - she may of had other expections for school
gks - There is a condition called elective mutism that can be difficult to treat because it allows the child to have such control.
leslie - true this is her first school experience, mom has indicated that her younger sister will wait for first grade before entering a classroom setting
gks - I'm glad to be here . I must have figured out the system.
gks - I also have a three year old at my side.
leslie - should i just keep allowing her to have her choices and not participate...she seems so sad
Ran/TN - Our next meeting wil be December 2, same time and place. Our guest in December will be a teacher and mother of a child with autism.
leslie - thanks for your input
gks - leslie, I would wait and let her initate.
lesjw - i have 3 kids in my class who are autistic
leslie - ok, i will keep on the track i've been on, thank you
gks - autism is a big challege.
Ran/TN - You did a great job gks. hope tha you may join us for future sessions
momof4 - My daughter with Down's has some Autistic behaviors.
gks - Well, I dont' know--this is a little new to me.
lesjw - how do you feel about the TEACH program?
gks - TEACH I feel is excellent because of it's emphasis on family/community.
Ran/TN - Sounds great everyone we will discuss atism in our next session in December.
gks - TEACH I feel is excellent because of it's emphasis on family/community.
gks - Thank you all.
