Supporting ECE Students with Special Needs

1. Supporting ECE Students with Special Needs September 29, 2010

2. Outcomes • Understand the purpose and continuum of services in Special Education— and know your unique and critical role as an ECE teachers in it • Share a common language for Special Education—understand what the common disabilities and their characteristics • Gather quick, usable strategies for common challenges—brainstorm on how you’d apply these strategies (and other strategies) for your own groups of students

3. Outcomes Welcome! (7 min) Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min) ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min) Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min) Best Practices and Strategies (20 min) Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min) Closing (2 min)

4. A content, subject area, or place What is Special Education? Special Education Is… Special Education is NOT… • A group of diverse services provided to students with disabilities to ensure they make meaningful educational progress Purpose: Special education services aim to minimize the impact of students’ disabilities, identify deficits and address them in targeted ways, and maximize students’ access to the general education curriculum.  Special education services also aim to ensure students with disabilities are able to learn in the least restrictive environment and interact with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent possible.

5. History 1997: Reauthorization of IDEA 2001: No Child Left Behind 2004: Reauthorization of IDEA Focus on ensuring students with disabilities are held to high academic standards and are able to access the general education curriculum to the maximum extent possible. 1975: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees students with disabilities a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). 2004 2001 1997 1975 Pre-1975: School districts did not have to provide an education to a student with a disability if they claimed an inability to accommodate them. About one million students with disabilities were denied access to a free public education and hundreds of thousands more were denied appropriate services. Post-1975: Students with disabilities gained access to public school buildings but did not necessarily have the opportunity to access the general education curriculum.

6. Current Reality of Special Education in the United States The likelihood of a child being identified with a disability and receiving Special Education services is highly influenced by race and ethnicity Black students were 3 times more likely to receive special education and related services for mental retardation, and 3 times more likely to receive special education and related services for emotional disability than all other racial/ethnic groups combined. Students with disabilities graduated at uneven rates and are at higher risk of dropping out • 51.9% of students with disabilities graduated with a regular high school diploma vs. 73.2% of the national graduation rate in 2005 • 33.6% of students with disabilities dropped out

7. Reality of Special Education in Washington, D.C. The gaps are even starker in DC, especially when compared to another state with a lower level of poverty.

8. Reality of Special Education in the United States Why is this happening nationwide? • Many students with disabilities do have academic challenges that may really keep them from mastering all skills to the highest level • We don’t know enough about the most effective interventions to serve students with special needs • IDEA is relatively recent. Many districts, even high performing ones, are figuring out best SPED practices and strong inclusion models that maximize learning for everyone • Lack of skilled SPED and general education teachers to provide the in-depth, multi-layered support for students • Lack of resources Why is it worse in low-income communities? • Not all diagnoses are rooted in disability. It’s often led by years of poor instruction • Students who do have disabilities may not get the early interventions and high-quality content their counterparts in HIC receive that would keep them from requiring SPED services at all or long-term • Greater lack of skilled SPED and general education teachers to provide the in-depth, multi-layered support for students

9. Bottom Line The vast majority of students with disabilities can and must achieve at or above grade level. It’s everyone’s responsibility to provide high-quality content and services to students When content and services are well provided, students with disabilities have startlingly similar access to college and work as their peers.

10. Your role in making this happen What happens when we support students with special needs really well in Pre-K and Kindergarten?

11. Outcomes Welcome! (7 min) Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min) ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min) • Before school SPED services • During school SPED services Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min) Best Practices and Strategies (20 min) Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min) Closing (2 min)

12. Child Find: Birth to Five Child Find:Part of federal IDEA. Requires all states to provide services to children who need early intervention services. Assesses: • Cognitive: Ability to learn and how he/she learns • Physical: Ability to move, see and hear • Communication: Ability to understand language • Socialor Emotional: Ability to relate with others • Adaptive Skills: Ability to dress, eat and take care of himself/herself Supports: • Family case manager • Individualized education or family service plan • Free and appropriate early childhood education and/or service providers (occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc.)

13. Child Find: Contacts From Birth to 3 years DC Early Intervention Child Find Program (202) 727-3665 Prince George’s Co.: Infants and Toddlers Program 301-265-8415 From 3 to 5 years DC Early Stages 202-698-8037 Prince George’s Co.: Child Find: 301-808-2719

14. Legal Process of Special Education In School Typically provided by the General Education teacher and other members of the school. Interventions and their impact must be documented • Intervention Services • Initial referral • Consent to Evaluate • Evaluation • Eligibility • IEP Development Meeting- Placement Recommendation - Consent to service (See Page 6-7 for more information) Can be done by the general education teacher, a parent, an agency or other school staff At least one general educator always sits on the IEP team to share how the student is learning in a general education setting

15. Response to Intervention Response to Intervention (RTI):Interventions (or teacher actions) that are designed to support students when they need additional support both academically and behaviorally Tier 1: Universal, high-quality instruction for all children. Example: General Pre-K 4 curriculum Tier 2: More intensive learning opportunities for students who need more support. Slightly more frequent assessments to monitor progress. Families are looped in. Example: Listening center where there’s a bell to remind students to turn the page and students are following along with their finger Tier 3: More intensive, individualized and possibly one-on-one. More frequent assessments. Collaborate closely with families. Example: Small-group phonics instruction with lots of practice drilling

16. Response to Intervention Services

17. Response to Intervention Tier 1: Universal, high-quality instruction for all children. Example: General Pre-K 4 curriculum Tier 2: More intensive learning opportunities for students who need more support. Slightly more frequent assessments to monitor progress. Families are looped in. Example: Listening center where there’s a bell to remind students to turn the page and students are following along with their finger Tier 3: More intensive, individualized and possibly one-on-one. More frequent assessments. Collaborate closely with families. Example: Small-group phonics instruction with lots of practice drilling

18. Receiving Special Education Services IEP: Individualized Education Plan Instructors: General Educator and/or Special Educator Service providers: Speech Skills: Speech pathologist Social/Emotional Skills: Counselor or psychologist Gross or Fine Motor Skills: Occupational therapist Physical Skills: Physical therapist

19. Questions? • Continuum of SPED Services? • Response to Intervention?

20. Outcomes Welcome! (7 min) Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min) ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min) Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min) Best Practices and Strategies (20 min) Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min) Closing (2 min)

21. Developmental Delay (DD)

22. Intellectual Disability (ID)

23. ADD/ADHD (Other Health Impairment)

24. Speech and Language Delays and Disorders (SLD)

25. Autism

26. Learning Disability (LD)

27. Outcomes Welcome! (7 min) Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min) ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min) Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min) Best Practices and Strategies (20 min) Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min) Closing (2 min)

28. Best practices for all students • Stick to a routine: Illustrate it with pictures at your Meeting Morning– students with ADHD and/or Autism often need this level of concrete structure • Set clear expectations and give tons of praise: Constantly narrate positive behaviors. Point to pictures of positive behaviors at the same time as praising a student. Each time they read a word correctly in a drill, give praise. • Explicitly teach behavior and habits: Set clear expectations for behavior and share positive/negative consequences. Use pictures to narrate. Check for understanding. Give positive praise immediately to reinforce behavior. Do lots of practice. (Cheerios, raisins, etc.) Make an individual behavior tracker if needed. • Family homework: Have students practice as many of the same behaviors and academic learning at home as possible

29. Use pictures to illustrate what you/they mean • Use a picture sequence to illustrate procedures (Photograph a student putting their backpack and jacket away in their cubby. Place the pictures by their cubby so they always remember what it looks like to do those tasks) • Instead of verbalizing instructions, show a picture and then model it and have the student practice with you(Take a picture of a child reading quietly on the rug during Silent Reading. Demonstrate what it looks like. Have them practice with you. Praise the student) • Allow non-verbal students to respond or choose by pointing to pictures. Once they point to the picture, praise them and articulate what the picture is. (When the whole class is doing Read Aloud, allow students to respond to your Check for Understanding questions by pointing to pictures. Praise and re-articulate for them. Encourage them to say it themselves when possible)

30. Repetition of skills • Lots of guided practice and independent practice (Practice reading –all words together as GP, then do 20 flashcard drills for students on more –all words) • Do multiple CFUs during small-group or one-on-one lesson (When teaching students to add, have them tell you several times throughout the practice what they do when they see the + symbol) • Make it a daily structure to practice rote skills (Individual clipboards with the alphabet activity. Make it a timed drill) • Offer multiple opportunities to practice same skill in a different setting. Encourage students to be engaged in the task (Tracing name in the air and then in the sandbox) • Have students practice a new skill in a real-life scenario (Writing their name when signing attendance)

31. More best practices • Multi-sensory learning: • Allow students to move around • Trace words in water • Write on a clipboard • Have a “magic” word during the Read Aloud– each time they hear the word, they stomp their feet • Use songs to teach lessons– point to pictures illustrating the song while listening to it. • Provide Play-Doh or flour balloons for students who need to fidget. • Teach restless students to use a pacing strip.

32. Outcomes Welcome! (7 min) Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min) ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min) Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min) Best Practices and Strategies (20 min) Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min) Closing (2 min)

33. Student 1 Dennis struggles to focus in class. He always wants to help other students with their work and is eager to socialize, but he often struggles to understand the work himself. When he does spend time on his work, he becomes easily frustrated. He’s easily distracted by other students talking and moving around. Sometimes he says that he just wants to run around the room and fly in the air. He tries to do just that at least three times a day. Dennis’ parents don’t know how to help him at home either– he behaves the same way.

34. Student 2 Aaron is very eager to play with other students his age, but many other students don’t want to play with him. He really struggles to process academic material and has a hard time retaining information. He doesn’t know his ABC’s or numbers yet. He is communicative with others, but struggles to articulate words. He also seems to struggle with interpersonal skills– he doesn’t recognize when others don’t want to play with him and often throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way in class.

35. Student 3 Sheldon doesn’t speak or interact with other students or adults. He seems to be grasping the content in class pretty well, he prefers to work on his own and doesn’t want the teacher to sit by him. Sheldon consistently forgets procedures in class– he doesn’t seem to know what to do when he gets in to class in the morning and he sometimes wanders off during the Morning Meeting. When someone or something bothers Sheldon, he shuts down and cries loudly for extended periods of time. He loves Star Wars.

36. Group brainstorm • Take 10 minutes in your groups to identify the strategies and interventions you’d employ to support and teach your student during: • Morning Meeting when the whole class is together and sitting down as a group • During centers when the whole class is at centers and moving around • Small-group instruction when it’s the teacher and a group of 2 other students • During transitions: Walking in the hallway, preparing for lunch, going to the bathroom • When conferencing with their parents

37. Outcomes Welcome! (7 min) Intro to Special Education in DC (7 min) ECE Teachers’ Roles in the Continuum of SPED Services (15 min) Common Disabilities and Characteristics Seen in ECE (15 min) Best Practices and Strategies (20 min) Problem-Solving Brainstorm Around Common Challenges (20 min) Closing (2 min)

38. Questions? Questions?

39. Thank you for coming! Please take a minute to respond to the Exit Ticket: