The Nuts and bolts of special Education

1. The Nuts and bolts of special Education Jennifer Bates Elementary Special Education Interventionist Special Services Dorchester District Two

2. Mission and Vision Mission: Dorchester School District Two leading the way, every student, every day, through relationships, rigor, and relevance. Vision: Dorchester School District Two desires to be recognized as a “World Class” school district, expecting each student to achieve at his/her optimum level in all areas, and providing all members of our district family with an environment that permits them to do their personal best.

3. What is Special Education?A service, not a Place • A service provided to students with mild, moderate or severe disabilities • Individualized instruction • Provided by Special Education Teacher or Speech Therapist • Student should have been referred by general education teacher, interventions attempted, and placed in special education to receive services

4. Labels for School – Age Disabilities • SP = Speech ID = Intellectual Disability • LD = Learning Disability (Mild, Moderate, Severe) • OHI = Other Health Impaired • ED = Emotional Disability OH = Orthopedically Handicapped • AUT = Autism • VI = Visually Impaired • HI = Hearing Impaired • DD= Developmental Delay • TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury

5. Types of School Based Special Education Services Consultation ~ Special education teacher consults with regular education teacher about student, no direct services Itinerant ~ Special education teacher works with student a minimum of 30 minutes a week Resource ~ Special education teacher works with student between 250-750 minutes a week Co-Teaching ~ Special education teacher team teaches with the regular education teacher while all children all learning in the classroom during a particular content area Self-contained ~ Student spends a least 51% of every school day being taught by special education teacher using an alternative curriculum

6. What is an IEP? • Confidential document • Must be reviewed on an annual basis • Parents can request IEP meetings at any time • All students who receive speech or special education must have an IEP IEPs include: • Disabling Condition (Label), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) • Present Levels of Performance • Accommodations/Modifications • Services, Long Range Goals, Short Term Objectives • Behavior Intervention Plan

7. What is an IEP Meeting? • A team meeting called to review a student’s IEP, review present levels of performance, review updates and make changes. • A legally binding, working document is created and signed by the IEP team at the meeting. • The team members required to attend the IEP meeting include: • Local Education Authority (LEA): Administrator, School Psychologist, G. Counselor • Special Education Teacher(s) • General Education Teacher(s) • Speech Therapist • Parent/Legal Guardian • Student (when appropriate) An IEP meeting CANNOT be held if all required members of the team are not in attendance.

8. What are Accommodations? • “A change in the environment, procedures, or presentation that does not alter what a test measures or the content being taught.” WHO receives ACCOMODATIONS? • Students with mild disabilities in resource and students mainstreamed for content areas and fine arts receive accommodations. Types of Accommodations Setting (Small Group, Individual) Oral Administration Timing Devices (Calculator, Communication)

9. Who is responsible for accommodations? • The Special Education Teacher and the General Education Teacher are both responsible for providing students with documented accommodations on the IEP. • Prior to the first day of school or implementation of an IEP, the Special Education Teacher informs all General Education Teachers and Adult Support about each student’s accommodations. These staff members sign the accommodation form and receive copies for each student.

10. What is a 504 plan? • Students who are not eligible for an IEP may meet the requirements for a 504 plan. • Students who receive a 504 plan must have a disabling condition that substantially limits a major life function and negatively affects their ability to benefit from or access education. • The plan includes accommodations that will be needed for a student to perform at the same level as their peers but do not require an IEP.

11. Conditions that may qualify for a 504 plan • ADD/ADHD • Mental Illness • Diabetes • Physical Impairments • Health Impairments • Asthma • Sickle Cell • Chronic Illnesses • Injuries • Others

12. Who is involved in the 504 Process? • Parent/Legal Guardian • Regular Education teacher • Guidance Counselor • Administrator • Support Staff (if necessary) • Student (if appropriate)

13. 504 Accommodation Examples • Changes in location • Preferential seating • Extra set of textbooks for home • Changes in schedule • Nursing services (health issues) • Ramps, structural changes • Many others

14. How is a 504 plan different from an IEP • Does not include long range goals and short term objectives • Student does not receive services from special education teacher • Student is not tested by school psychologist and given school based label • Not as intensive General Education teacher is responsible for being aware of and implementation of all accommodations!

15. How is a 504 plan different from an IEP? • Does not include long range goals and short term objectives • Student does not receive services from special education teacher • Student is not tested by school psychologist and given school based label • Not as intensive General Education teacher is responsible for being aware of and implementation of all accommodations!

16. How Do I Get a Student Tested for Special Education? • DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT • Data from classroom performance • Anecdotal Records for Behavior • Documentation of Interventions • Student Support Team Meeting (SST) • Referral for Assessment Just because you do all of this, it does NOT mean the student will receive services

17. Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) • Plan included in the IEP for students who exhibit behaviors that interfere with learning • Includes observable and measurable methods for changing a targeted behavior • May include specific tasks to be completed by student, special education and regular education teacher • If time-out or restraint are used they must be on the plan • Must also include a crisis plan • Once plan is included in IEP, school staff is required by law to implement the BIP

18. Foundations for Understanding Behaviors (so that we can “teach” better ones) • (nearly) All behavior is learned. • Behaviors continue to be shown because there is a benefit to doing so. • Behaviors can be built, modified, or extinguished by skillfully manipulating the events and circumstances that surround them. We are one of those “events”.

19. Contact Information Jennifer Bates Elementary Special Education Interventionist jbates@dorchester2.k12.sc.us 843-875-4161

20. Session EvaluationParticipants are asked to complete a session evaluation for each session attended. Credit (attendance, renewal, and/or technology) will be added following evaluation completion. For each question, use 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree. Your responses will assist us in planning future professional development in Dorchester School District Two. • The instructor was well prepared for the workshop. • The materials for the workshop were appropriate. • The concepts presented were appropriate to my job. • I will benefit from attending this session. • I would recommend this training to others.