I have been a SPED teacher for many years in the public school sector. Now, I am an intervention teacher in a private school. The teachers cannot understand why I cannot do more for the students who qualify for SPED services. The school district I am in only provides us with 1/2 hour a week or 52 hours a year. So, if a student qualifies across the ...See MoreI have been a SPED teacher for many years in the public school sector. Now, I am an intervention teacher in a private school. The teachers cannot understand why I cannot do more for the students who qualify for SPED services. The school district I am in only provides us with 1/2 hour a week or 52 hours a year. So, if a student qualifies across the board in reading, writing and math, then the student would only get one subject (like Reading and if could be reading skills/fluency or reading comprehension). Even though I am a certified SPED teacher, I am here as an intervention teacher. Since I have been here, I have held some meetings where I told the parents that their child would be best serviced in a public school setting at this time to get the help they need and that they are welcome to come back here later. This is very hard on some of the teachers that have worked here for a very long time and also belongs to the same parish, as the families. It is hard for them to separate them being professionals vs. being friends in the parish. That is why I have never worked in a school close to my house! The teachers cannot understand why I am not providing the other services the student qualifies for. I have told them why and told them that if I open those flood gates, it will never stop. I told them that an intervention teacher (like RTI) is different than a SPED teacher. An intervention teacher in a private/catholic school works with the teachers to provide strategies to those students that needs to get over the hump and to help those teachers with the students. It is an ongoing struggle and I am at my wits end. I have only been here for a short period of time. The other intervention teacher left last year after a few months.
When I suggested better services might be offered at a public school, I got reprimanded (not officially, but I got a nasty email). One of the principals even said to me that he had no idea "where all of these special ed kids are coming from", but that he had to take them because they needed tuition money. Most of the time, the kids just got passed along with very modified assignments (e.g. the girl in 3rd grade with a 60ish IQ who just colored while the rest of the class did 3rd grade stuff...parents didn't care so there you go).
I found myself in a lose-lose situation. I was told to not offer any more "service time" than 30 minutes per week, but what can any one person really do in half hour?! Not to mention that I never got to use any actual teaching methods or skills...it was ridiculous.
On 4/07/15, Susan wrote: > I have been a SPED teacher for many years in the public > school sector. Now, I am an intervention teacher in a > private school. The teachers cannot understand why I > cannot do more for the students who qualify for SPED > services. The school district I am in only provides us > with 1/2 hour a week or 52 hours a year. So, if a > student qualifies across the board in reading, writing > and math, then the student would only get one subject > (like Reading and if could be reading skills/fluency or > reading comprehension). Even though I am a certified > SPED teacher, I am here as an intervention teacher. Since > I have been here, I have held some meetings where I told > the parents that their child would be best serviced in a > public school setting at this time to get the help they > need and that they are welcome to come back here later. > This is very hard on some of the teachers that have > worked here for a very long time and also belongs to the > same parish, as the families. It is hard for them to > separate them being professionals vs. being friends in > the parish. That is why I have never worked in a school > close to my house! The teachers cannot understand why I > am not providing the other services the student qualifies > for. I have told them why and told them that if I open > those flood gates, it will never stop. I told them that > an intervention teacher (like RTI) is different than a > SPED teacher. An intervention teacher in a > private/catholic school works with the teachers to > provide strategies to those students that needs to get > over the hump and to help those teachers with the > students. It is an ongoing struggle and I am at my wits > end. I have only been here for a short period of time. > The other intervention teacher left last year after a few > months. > > Am I wrong in thinking this way?
I'm wanting to do more hands-on work with my kiddos. My kids are all Intellectually Disabled to some extent or another. I'm really interested in trying project-based learning. Anyone here have experience doing this?
Sensitively written and very thoughtful book about parenting child with autism. High marks for Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from my Silent Son. A short insightful read from University of Michigan Press.
Has anyone on here ever heard of someone getting in trouble with claiming to write an iep and not doing it? We have edmin and it lists who was there at the meeting and the dates of the new iep and due dates of other stuff.
I'm not sure how someone could get away without writing it. Our IEP'...See MoreOn 3/16/15, linda wrote: > Has anyone on here ever heard of someone getting in > trouble with claiming to write an iep and not doing it? > We have edmin and it lists who was there at the meeting > and the dates of the new iep and due dates of other > stuff.
I'm not sure how someone could get away without writing it. Our IEP's have to go home for review 5 days before the meeting. That has never happened in our school.
I have a student 2nd grade with autism that spits. He seems to spit for a variety of reasons: to get a reaction, to avoid work, frustration. Anyone out there have any interventions that have worked to eliminate this behavior? Thanks
I have a spitter as well--1st grade. She spits for the same r...See MoreOn 3/07/15, KT wrote: > I have a student 2nd grade with autism that spits. He seems > to spit for a variety of reasons: to get a reaction, to > avoid work, frustration. Anyone out there have any > interventions that have worked to eliminate this behavior? > Thanks
I have a spitter as well--1st grade. She spits for the same reasons. We have been using a behavior program called 1-2-3 Magic (or may be Magic 1-2-3) We also listed any behaviors that earn her an automatic 3----spitting is a 3. When she gets a 3 she is taken to a 'cool down room' (a room by herself where she doesn't have the ability to spit at us or other students) There are visuals for her to see that show -no spitting, hitting, kicking, nice hands, calm down, etc.
It's hard to say what will work without actually being there....See MoreOn 3/07/15, KT wrote: > I have a student 2nd grade with autism that spits. He seems > to spit for a variety of reasons: to get a reaction, to > avoid work, frustration. Anyone out there have any > interventions that have worked to eliminate this behavior? > Thanks
It's hard to say what will work without actually being there. The only thing I know for sure is that although it is a tough behavior to deal with, make sure your and your team know not to let the student see you make a big deal about it in front of him. Figure out a standard response (not words-- limited talking)from all of the adults and have everyone use that response. (Ex. redirect him to the work, give a favorite toy while not spitting, take it away for spitting, etc,)
Have you tried functional communication training? Teaching him phrases to say "I don't like that," or "I am done" or "I need a break." Honor his requests immediately at first, then honor them after 1 minute, 2 minutes 5 minutes ("Yes, you can have your break after we finish this last problem")