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yvonne - Where is everyone from??
tom - Boston, just started as volunteer teachers assistant, 3 and 4 grade
noodles19 - Hi, I'll throw out a question. I am the Inclusion specialist for our district and we have a nonverbal autistic 8th grader whose Mom wants her included in all academic classes. She currently attends LA, Science and SS, but does work with a para in the back of the room- tracing her alphabet, matching colors, numbers, etc. Mom does not want her with any other disabled peers- Yet in order to provide her with a functional program next year at the high school this will be next to impossible, not to mention that the hs teachers are going to go nuts. Any thoughts?
tom - Can you get an assistant or volunteer to work with her one on one?
naneb - Has mom been to school and seen what the regular ed program is like and what her child is doing in these classes? Maybe she needs to visit and then do some person centered planning to plan for transition
yvonne - Wow! Does mom realize what she is throwing her daughter into? She is setting her up for great dissapointment.
noodles19 - Mom also thinks she is going to college.
naneb - I think this motehr is in big time denial, she needs to come to terms with reality
naneb - oops!!
tom - I agree with naneb
naneb - This girl needs to be in a functional skills, job related program to get her ready for her future life
naneb - but tracing letters and matching numbers and things is not really an appropriate curriculum either
yvonne - I have a child who is legally blind and the grandmother doe not believe that he has a disability. She refuses to insist that he learn braille or use any other device that will help him function in society.
noodles19 - Mom is not realistic! Unfortunately, when this went to due process back several years ago we got saddled with a consultant who is a staunch inclsionist. She is supposed to be helping us but unfortunately she has sided with Mom.
noodles19 - We are trying to set the ground work to have her in the functional class setting 3 periods next year but Mom is probably going to fight it.
naneb - Well, Good Luck!!
noodles19 - You'll probably hear her screaming out of the next PPT
yvonne - This is my first year teaching special ed. I am working with an out of field permit while I am working on my masters. I feel like I am way out in left field.
noodles19 - How much are everyone's students' included in the general classroom and how do you deal with modifying the curriculum to meet their needs?
noodles19 - It does get easier, LOL! This is my 19th year and I really do love it. It's the kids that make it all worthwhile.
yvonne - I have 16 kids. Three of them I have all BUT two hours in the day. Their regular ed teacher hates to have them in class. She is always begging for me to take them.
naneb - I teach 6th grade LD students, all of them are included for some classes, we have an inclusion teacher who goes into the classroom and they have her for tutoring. She works with the teachers to modify assignments. We just had progress reports and all but 2 are passing most of my kids have B's and C's in their regular ed classes with minimal modification
naneb - A good relationship with regular ed is the key
Diamondz55 - Hello
yvonne - One of the boys, has been awful and I don't know what to do with him. Mom says she doesn't know what to do with him either. He tells mom what to do and tries to do it with me. I am not sure who is more stubborn him or me.
naneb - what age is he?
Diamondz55 - I have one of those too
yvonne - 2nd grade. but he is a BIG boy.
Diamondz55 - I teach 9th and 10th grade LD
Diamondz55 - I teach 9th and 10th grade LD
noodles19 - We have no pull-out, except resource room to work on IEP objectives. Otherwise, all the special ed teachers co-teach or the kids are in classes w/ adult assist. I am trying to get the reg. ed to understand and implement differentiated curriculum. It's also tough when you have a middle school principal who thinks the modifications are the soul responsibility of the sped teacher.
yvonne - He is disrupting my whole class. He is not interested and he doesn't care about anything.
naneb - maybe, you could try giving him a specific job in the classroom. He may feel that he doesn't have any control over anything. He might really respond to being in charge of something
yvonne - He has been trying to "shoot" one of the girls ALL the time. He puts his pencil to her and BANGS. She has really settled down and now he has her bouncing off the walls again
noodles19 - HAve you tried a reward system, such as earning marbles in a jar and when he gets so many he can have something such as computer time or free time when he gets a certain number. Make it attainable for him and raise the bar as you go along. The marbles are very visible.
MSDTchr - hello
yvonne - Yes, But he says he doesn't care and laughs when he gets in trouble. He refuses to work on anything unless I or grandma is looking over his shoulder. He tears up his papers or scribbles all over them.
noodles19 - What is the consequence when that happens?
yvonne - He sits by himself, stays in at recess or goes to the other spec ed room for time out.
naneb - Does he get attention when he does this? Someone needs to do a functional behavior assessment and develop a plan for him
noodles19 - Does this seem to phase him?
naneb - does he get out of doing the work? First, you need to figure out what he gets from the behavior and then find something more rewarding for him
yvonne - no... He just is as hateful as ever. Then he starts arguing with the others in class. then they tell him to shut up and War World III starts.
noodles19 - Has the school psychologist been in to offer and ideas?
yvonne - His mom says that he acts like such a grown man at home and she can't control him.
noodles19 - any ideas, no t and
naneb - That is probably part of the problem, He is in charge at home. she needs to get control of him
yvonne - yes, and she doesn't support us. He thinks that he can tell me what he is going to do.
noodles19 - I agree. You can't control home but in school there are rules. Does Mom seem to follow thru or just seem hopeless and helpless?
meeha/ece/tx - Hi!
naneb - I would get a behavior specialist in to observe and offer suggestions
noodles19 - How about some discipline support from your administrator?
yvonne - See this is all new to me since I am not certified in Spec Ed. and the principal is not helping any. She is letting the parents run the school. We have had so many problems with parents this year. They are telling her what to do. And if they don't like something they run right to the Board office.
yvonne - We had a parent threaten to kill a kid and she didn't do anything.
noodles19 - Great! We have one of those in one of my buildings too.
naneb - How about the Special ed director, will they help?
yvonne - It doesn't help when she won't help.
noodles19 - Do you have access to the psychologist?
naneb - We have behavior specialists that will help assess students
yvonne - For me or the Kids? LOL
noodles19 - Both
yvonne - The counselor has talked to the boy but she hasn't said anything or offered any suggestions
naneb - What does he like to do?
noodles19 - Tell her you need her help and support. Ask her to help you develop and implement a plan. Teamwork! It's always easier if you don't feel like you're out there alone.
naneb - What is this boy's functional level, can he read, do math etc?
yvonne - He likes to play video games at home. I try rewarding him with the computer but he says "Oh, Goody I don't get to use it. I hate that thing"
naneb - Is he in a regular class for any amount of time?
yvonne - He can do more than he wants you to think. Lately, he has regressed in his work. He is in the regular class for about 2 hours in the day (not including Lunch and recess)
naneb - how does he behave in the regular class?
yvonne - He won't work. He sits and does nothing.
naneb - does he behave? or is he disruptive there too?
yvonne - The regular ed teacher comes to me and asks for work for him but then he won't do it. I had her separate him from the girl that he "shoots" and now he does better (behavior) but he won't work
naneb - Do you think it is too hard?
yvonne - no he was doing 2 digit addition and subtraction and now he won't even do subtraction facts (1-18)
naneb - this is a puzzle????
yvonne - he was making alot of progress and now he has back tracked.
yvonne - yes
naneb - Have you tried lots of praise and attention. I had a student who refused to work and I started really praising any small bit of work and now he is doing much better
yvonne - I will try anything. But the only thing he will do is put his name on his paper. Other than that he will do nothing
