Newsletter

Fall Issue—2014

Special Education

Department

Dear Staff,

We are off to a great start! The special education department is, as

always, dedicated to improving instruction for all students. Please use

this newsletter as a resource for ensuring that we continue to support

you and your students. The special education and curriculum depart-

ments continue to work collaboratively to ensure appropriate instruction

for all. Together we are, no doubt, making a difference.

Feedback to our students provides effective achievement gains. All

students need to know where they are, where they need to go, and

how to get there for the greatest achievement gains in all lessons.

Let’s work together and be the best district in the state. All students

can and will learn.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or if you need addi-

tional information in any area, please contact me or anyone in the de-

partment. The special education department will also provide the pro-

fessional development you need.

Together we will make the world a better place, one child at a time.

Respectfully,

Julie Gutman

Director of Special Education

www.theadventuresofeverydaygeniuses.com

Based on their knowledge of typical and atypical human develop-ment, medical conditions, syndromes, etc., therapists are re-sponsible for evaluating and treating students ages 0-26 years old with disabilities, maintaining daily session notes, writing pro-gress reports, attending IEP/IFSP meetings, and recommending adaptive equipment, environmental accommodations, or assis-tive technology. In addition to these services provided to stu-dents on their caseloads, occupational and physical therapists work collaboratively with teachers, other school staff and par-ents/guardians to serve the school community in a variety of ways. These include:

May participate in student support team meetings

Observations in classroom or other school environment

Consultation and collaboration with teachers and other pro-fessionals to offer classroom‐based strategies

Attending meetings that support student programming (e.g. school meetings, parent meetings)

Activities that support students in the natural environment or general education curriculum (e.g. social skills activities, classroom exercise routine, functional sensory motor activi-ties, handwriting program)

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER CONSULTANT

ROLES OF SCHOOL BASED OCCUPATIONAL

AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS

Lake Orion Teacher Consultants

provide district-wide support to

students, staff members and par-

ents. The Teacher Consultant

role encompasses data analysis,

team collaboration, assessment,

as well as developing academic

and behavioral intervention strat-

egies. In addition, the role in-

cludes networking, creating cohe-

sive student transitions, and

providing support to enhance stu-

dent achievement.

As the beginning of the school year arrives it’s important to help students both at home and in school, to recognize their own talents and learning styles. Sci-entists, educational consultants and psychologists agree that two things are especially important for children’s school learning: feeling emotionally validated and having a good awareness of one’s own learning. The following website provides information of some very child friendly and well written books about learning styles:

What Our

Department

Brings to the

Table . . . .

2

Areas of Expertise of School Based Occupational and

Physical Therapists

Registered/licensed Occupational therapists may provide ser-vices in several educationally relevant areas in which they can help promote student success, including, but not limited to:

Classroom Responsibilities – activities necessary for partici-

pation in various classroom activities, including adapting to routines, organizing materials, hand skills necessary for ma-nipulating classroom tools and producing written work

Functional Sensorimotor Skills-aiding the student to be able

to produce an appropriate motor, or movement response to be successful in daily tasks at school.

Activities of Daily Living – as it relates to self-care activities such as hygiene, toileting, feeding, dressing/undressing, managing personal materials and devices

School Based Physical Therapy

Licensed Physical therapists may provide services in various ar-eas of school function related to a student’s ability to access the educational environment, including, but not limited to:

School mobility – student’s ability to access various areas of

the school via walking, wheelchair or other means of mobility

Classroom activities – function related to participating physi-

cally and maneuvering within the classroom environment

Accessing (and participating in) the lunchroom, playground, bathroom, transportation, etc.

LO

Difference . . . .

Staff in-service and professional development (e.g. in-service) to kindergarten teachers on developing fine motor centers, transfer training for paraprofessionals)

Providing assistance in environmental modifications, and adaptive equipment or devices

Recommending appropriate positioning so students can ac-cess instruction

Linking parents/guardians to appropriate community-based resources

Designing home exercise programs and related activities for carryover

Supporting school compliance including school-based Medi-caid reimbursement program

Maintain records of annual renewal of prescriptions for ther-

apy services

SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS ROLES

Prevention of communication disorders including language, stut-tering, and articulation

Identification of students at risk for later problems

Assessment of students’ communication skills

Evaluation of the results of comprehensive assessments

Development and implementation of IEPs

Documentation of outcomes

Collaboration with teachers and other professionals

Advocacy for teaching practices

Participation in research projects

Supervision of graduate students and clinical fellows

Participation in school-wide curriculum and RTI groups

Combine communication goals with academic and social goals

Integrate objectives

Help students understand and use basic language concepts

Support reading and writing

Increase students’ understanding of texts and lessons

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

School social workers are educational service professionals who hold a master’s de-gree in social work and who have unique training and experience specific to working in schools and/or with children. This training includes special education law, school law, and systems theory. They understand the interrelatedness of various systems such as: education, family/children’s health, mental health and other related support services.

School social workers serve as a part of a multidisciplinary team that draft and imple-ment interventions in an effort to address external and internal needs that impact stu-dent learning, success, and school climate. Examples of these include but are not limited to: programs that address Response to Intervention (RTI), Positive Behavioral (Interventions and) Supports (PBIS), direct and consultative services to students, cri-sis intervention, and special education services.

School social workers assist teachers and other staff in meeting the desired educa-tional outcomes of diverse learners. They assist teachers by providing appropriate resources, interventions, and facilitate their understanding of the roles in the special education process.

School social workers support families to understand their child’s developmental and educational needs, to effectively advocate for their child in school, and to understand special education services.

School social workers serve as links to the home and community and coordinate com-munity agency/school collaborations in areas that include (but are not limited to): mental health, financial needs, transition planning, medical and behavioral programs.

Collaborate with teachers, administrators, parents, other school specialists and other health professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strength-en connections between home and school

Facilitate data team, student staffing, academic improvement plan, professional learning committee, student support team, building special education, special education program transition, Individual-ized Education Plan, and Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team meet-ings

Assist in developing, implementing and revising academic and be-havioral interventions, and assist staff in utilizing progress monitor-ing tools to determine the effectiveness of these interventions

Serve as leaders for the Early Literacy Program and Special Edu-cation Leadership Team

Provide behavioral support (preventive and reactive) at the student, grade, and building level, participate in behavior plan meetings and student transition meetings, and collaborate with building staff to implement school-wide anti-bullying initiative.

Serve as district data managers and facilitators for the Early Litera-cy Program, AIMSweb, and i-Ready

Have specialized training in both psychology and education which extends their expertise far beyond the most familiar role of conduct-ing evaluations to determine special needs, and are often called upon to provide professional development to educators, other school specialists and support staff, and parents

Provide crisis intervention and short-term mental health support. Assist students their families connect with community resources

School Psychologist are mandated participants in the following multidisciplinary evaluation teams: Specific Learning Disability, Cognitive Impairment, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Emotional Impairment

Can support the social, emotional, and academic learning goals of all students and provide services that impact learning at the individ-ual, small group, classroom, building, or school district level

School Psychologists serve in multiple roles and pro-vide a variety of services to help children and youth succeed academically, social, and emotionally

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

ACCESSIBLILITY IN WINDOWS 8

Windows 8 includes accessibility options and programs that make it

easier to see, her, and use your computer including Ease of Access

and Personalization options. The built-in assistive technologies in

Windows 8 work with both Windows 8 applications, and with desktop

software, to provide seamless access to the entire Windows experi-

ence.

New in Windows 8 One of the most exciting aspects of Windows 8 is the introduction of touch-only devices. With touch devices, you can directly interact with everything on your screen by touch, without using a keyboard or mouse, including managing accessibility options in the Ease of Access

Center. Make your PC easier to use In Windows 8, many of the most commonly used accessibility options are available right from the sign-in screen including Narrator, Magnifi-er, High Contrast, Sticky Keys and Filter Keys.

Click the Ease of Access button in the lower-left corner of your screen to choose the PC settings you want to have available each time you start your computer. You can find more settings on the Ease of Access page. From the Start screen, using the keyboard, open the page by pressing the Windows logo key+U. If you use a touch-enabled device, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. If you’re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search. Enter Ease of Access in the search box, tap or click Settings, and then tap or click Ease of Access in the results. Narrator Narrator, a screen reader that reads aloud the text that appears on screen, and describes events such as error messages, has been re-designed in Windows 8 to be substantially faster, and to support many new features. Whether you’re an individual who is blind, has low vi-sion, or, are fully sighted, you will be able to use Windows 8 from the first time you start your device. Magnifier Magnifier is a tool that enlarges your screen, or portions of your screen, making words and images easier to see. For users with low vision who have trouble seeing their devices, Magnifier makes it easier to see the screen and touch it too. If you use a touch-enabled device you can control Magnifier from the edges of your screen, and can easi-ly enlarge or reduce the size of the Magnifier window by touching but-tons on screen

On-Screen Keyboard On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) is an Ease of Access tool you can use instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data. You don’t need a touchscreen to use On-Screen Keyboard. OSK dis-plays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. You can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or you can use a physical single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen. Speech recognition With Windows Speech Recognition you can command your PC with your voice. Compose documents and email, and surf the Web by dic-tating and speaking the commands rather than using a keyboard or mouse. Change text size Make text and icons larger and easier to see without changing the screen resolution. Personalization Add a personal touch to your computer and make it more accessible by changing settings such as theme, color, sounds, desktop back-ground, screen saver and font size. Windows Touch With a touch-screen device, you can just touch your screen for a more direct and natural way to work. Use your fingers to scroll, resize win-dows, play media, pan and zoom. Keyboard shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts save time and multiple mouse clicks. Press two or more keys to quickly perform a task without using a mouse. Visual notifications Replace system sounds with visual cues, such as a flash on the screen, so system alerts are announced with visual notifications in-stead of sounds. Sticky Keys Instead of having to press three keys at once (such as when you must press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys simultaneously to log on to Win-dows), you can press one key at a time when Sticky Keys is turned on. Mouse Keys Instead of using the mouse, you can use the arrow keys on the nu-meric keypad to move the pointer. Filter Keys Ignore keystrokes that occur in rapid succession and keystrokes that are held down for several seconds unintentionally.

Important

Windows RT only

supports the installation

of apps through the

Windows Store.

Windows 8, or Windows

8 Professional, is

required for individuals

using assistive

technology software or

devices. Be sure to

check with your

assistive technology

manufacturer regarding

compatibility before

purchasing a new

Windows 8 device

For More Information Accessibility in Windows 8 www.microsoft.com/enable/products/ windows8/ Video demos www.microsoft.com/enable/demos/windows8/ Tutorials www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windows8/ Twitter Follow @MSFTEnable Assistive technology Assistive technology products are specialty hardware and soft-ware products that provide es-sential accessibility to computers for those with significant vision, hearing, dexterity, language, or learning needs. Many assistive technology products are compati-ble with Windows 8 and Windows 8 Professional. Select and shop for assistive technology products compatible with Windows 8 or Windows 8 Professional at www.microsoft.com/enable/at/.

“WHAT IS THE DIFFERENC BETWEEN AND INTERVEN-

TION AND AN ACCOMMODATION?”

Normally, I never like to get caught up in battles over the definition of specific words, but the distinction between these two words is an im-portant one. The key difference is INSTRUCTION. Interventions always involve instruction. If the student is not receiving additional instruction, then it is not an intervention. Accommodations are other adjustments we make to help students be successful. So.. some simple examples.. -- Moving a student up to the front of class... this is an accommodation because there is no additional instruction being given. -- A small group reading session - this is an intervention because in-struction is being delivered during the small group time. -- Giving the students the notes printed out - this is an accommodation because there is no instruction -- Having the student pulled out of class for some one-on-one instruc-tion... this is an intervention -- Shortening or adjusting the assignment - this is an accommodation -- Having a parent volunteer work with a student during independent work time - this one depends on what the parent is doing. If the volun-teer is just keeping the student "on task" then it is an accommoda-tion. If the parent is delivering extra instruction then it is an interven-tion.

As you can see.. distinguishing between the two becomes much easier when you use this definition.

Pat Quinn

I've posted about motivation many times, but I recently ran across this short and sweet recipe from Omar Periu, one of the world's top moti-vational speakers. The toplines are adapted from my conversation with Omar, but the commentary is my own: 1. Always act with a purpose. If you don't know why you're doing something, you're making that part of your life utterly meaningless. String together enough meaningless acts in your life and your entire life will be literally pointless--without a point. Starting every action with a review of your purpose, however, puts everything you do into context. Having a purpose for every act keeps you aimed at your life goals rather than cooling your heels. 2. Take responsibility for your own results. Most people misinterpret this concept. They think it means taking the credit when things go well and taking the blame when things go wrong. But taking responsibility is not about blame or credit; it's about what you do next. If you're responsible for your own results, you take ownership of what-ever future that emerges from those results. You continue to move forward towards your goals, even when you encounter setbacks. 3. Don't wait for perfection, just do it now! Perfectionists are the hugest losers in life because they either expect things to be perfect before they take action or, if they do take action, they can't enjoy whatever happens because it's not the perfect out-come. The real joy of achievement doesn't come from what you achieve but from your efforts in trying to achieve it. The only thing that's perfect in this world is that you're perfectly free to take action. Now, as in right now. 4. Eat wisely because success takes energy. Our civilization currently suffers from a self-induced plague of obesity, caused by the mass consumption of addictive food products that give people life-shortening diseases after first making them listless and rained. I'm not saying you don't eat the occasional donut. However, if you want the energy to act, the energy to achieve your goals, you need to give your body the kind of fuel that can create that energy. And it's not refined sugar. 5. Surround yourself with motivated people. Numerous scientific studies have shown that the people around you influence your behavior. They define what you consider "normal" and thereby either bring you up (or down) to their level. If you hang around people who are energized, purposeful and commit-ted to making a difference in the world, that's what you'll consider "normal." Being motivated will stop being something that you do and instead become who you are.

Lake Orion Special Education Department

Resource List

Name Skills Skills

Jennifer Antonelli Nonverbal children with Autism Early Language Skills

Mary Bogos Cognitive Impairment Modified Currriculum

Michelle Chappell Early Literacy/Fluency Reading

Comprehension

ASD/LD accommodations , Crisis

Response

Naomi Choinard Knowing Motor Skill Development Adapting Activities, Adaptive

Equipment

Renee DiGiorgio Understanding Data EI/CI/SLD Certification at Elemen-

tary Level

Nancy Floyd AAC Social Skills Groups

Lori Frohock Language and Literacy APPRAXIA

Stephanie Gardner EI Students at the Elementary Level Behavior Plans

Alison Gilreath Early Childhood Evaluations &

Interventions

LD Evaluations & Interventions

Stacey Glowacki Early Childhood Social & Emotional

Development; Parent Education/

Support

EI Students & Behavior Support

Plans ; Post Secondary

Keri Hickmott ASD Behaviors; Interventions Selective Mutism Information, Strat-

egies, Resources

Annette Collins Non-Verbal Crisis Intervention Behaviors

Teri Jacobsen Articulation, Language ASD Language

Jody Jock Private School Procedures Reading Achievement/Intervention

Lauren Kelly Behavior Plans Reading Interventions

Colleen Klosterman Fine Motor Skills, ADL for Elemen-

tary age children, sensory

Elementary age children

Jillian Knapp Early Literacy Reading Fluency

Kelly Lennox Teaching Vocabulary Using AAC

Lake Orion Special Education Department

Resource List

Name Skills Skills

Marianne Lewandowski Hand Skill Development Activities to Encourage Hand De-

velopment

Derek Mazur ASD Behavior Strategies Behavior Plan Development

Robert McClellan Autism Behavior

Jennifer Nuss ASD Consultation, Parent Support Anxiety Issues

Tamura Oberle-Lang LD Resources , Ideas, Multisensory

Reading Foundational Skills

Academic/Behavioral LD

Emily Prybys Vocab/Language/Critical Thinking &

The Curriculum

Special Education Reading for Se-

vere LD, CI

Heather Rutledge State Diploma Requirements Personal Curriculum

Brandee Sampson Early Childhood Language Strate-

gies

Development & Delivery of Lan-

guage

Martha Sarenius Out of District Center Based Pro-

gramming

Homebound Students, Private

Schools

Abbey Schwantes Behavior Plans Classroom Consultations

Michelle Showers Anxiety Disorders Reading Achievement

Ann Marie VanGessel Articulation, Language Fluency Disorders (Stuttering)

Julie White Articulation HI/AAC

Jared Wood Sport/Performance Psychology Motivation—Confidence, Goals,

Attitude

Christy Girvan-Bierl Social Emotional Strategies & Be-

haviors

EI Support

Kristi Wiegand Early Language Development/

Articulation

Birth—five Special Education Refer-

rals

Jody Jock Private School Procedures Reading Achievement/Intervention