Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network Supporting Students with Disabilities within Inclusive Settings Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 Adapted.

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Supporting Students with Disabilities within Inclusive

Settings

Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3

Adapted from PaTTAN

PaTTAN’s Mission

The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network is an initiative of the Pennsylvania

Department of Education working in partnership with families and

local education agencies to support programs and services to

improve student learning and achievement.

PDE’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Recognizing that the placement decision is an Individualized

Education Program (IEP) team decision, our goal for each child

is to ensure IEP teams begin with the general education setting with the use of supplementary

aids and services before considering a more restrictive

environment.

District, IU, Preschool, Agency Policy

Your local district’s policies regarding paraeducator job descriptions, duties, and responsibilities provide the final word!

Agenda

• Rationale for Inclusive Practices

• Supports to Promote Independence

• Cues and Prompts

• Peripheral Supports

• Facilitating Peer Relationships and Interactions

Learner Outcomes

Participants will:• Describe the rationale for educating

students with disabilities in general education settings

• Define the role of the paraeducator in developing independence of students with disabilities

Learner Outcomes

Participants will:• Define and practice support strategies

that increase independence for students

• Identify ways to provide the least intrusive support in general education settings

• Identify strategies to facilitate relationships between students with and without disabilities

Why educate students with disabilities in general education environments?

A Question to Consider

Special Education

Is a SERVICE

Not a PLACE

The presumption is that IEP teams begin placement discussions with the consideration of the regular education classroom with the supplementary aids and services needed to benefit from educational services

Where Are We Now?

Classroom Supports

• Differentiating supports when working with a group

• Adaptations/Accommodations

Supports in the General Education Classroom

Classroom Supports

• Modeling Acceptance• Using Person First Language• Practice Disability Etiquette

Supports in the General Education Classroom

What can I do to develop student independence while supporting students in general education settings?

Supports to Promote Independence

• Is he/she as independent as he might be or as others?

• Is he/she ready to learn and does he take charge of his learning?

• Does he/she need prompts? Is there a plan to fade/reduce prompts?


Student

Why Build Independence?


The student can:

•Make progress and achieve•Have membership in the school

community •Be a lifelong learner


How do we build independence?

• Less intrusive supports• Less audible supports• Facilitating peer to peer

interactions


Less Intrusive

What do we mean by intrusiveness?

Less Audible

What do we mean by less audible?

Matching Supports to Student Needs * Some Samples

• Wait Time• Set Up and Walk Away• Reinforcers• Modeling• Shaping• Fading

Supports in the Regular Education Classroom

Matching Supports to Student Needs * Some Samples

• Partial Participation• Cues• Prompts



• Partial Participation

Cues

• Natural cues are sounds, smells, objects, visual or tactile representations that are consistently or predictably present in the environment.

• Emphasized or exaggerated cues are built up natural cues, but make the cue more obvious to the student.


Matching Prompts to Student Needs

• Draw attention to the natural cue in some way

• Ask a question about necessary action• Give an option• Tell the student what action to take• Physically guide the student through the

process.


Reducing Prompt Dependency

• Authentic responses that work– Watch proximity!– Limit eye contact.

• Allow time to respond


www.ed.utah.edu

Using Cues and Prompts

Let’s take a closer look

Cues/PromptsStudent will takeout math book

and prepare for lessonStudent will takeout math book

and prepare for lesson

Does the student

perform skill correctly?

Does the student

perform skill correctly?

Intrinsic reinforcer:Student participates in math lesson

Does student make connection between natural &

intrinsic R

Does student make connection between natural &

intrinsic R

Student demonstrates

behavior independently



Natural Cue: It’s 10:00

Math Time

•

YES

NO

YES

Gesture- Look at the clock or look at the other students. Point to another student’s math book or nod your head toward them

Hint- Ask a question that may lead to the student figuring out what to do

Option/Choice- Do you need to get out your math book or your writing journal?

Command- Get out your math book

Physical Assistance- Assist to retrieve the math book

Cueing, Prompting

Student will take umbrella when he/she goes outside


Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Intrinsic reinforcer:Student stays dry

Does student make connection between natural cue, behavior, and intrinsic reinforcer?






Natural Cue::It’s raining

outside

•Draw attention to the natural cue/prompt in some way “Look it’s raining outside”

•Ask a question about a necessary action “What do you need to take when it’s raining outside?”

•Give an option “ It’s raining outside, do you need to take a broom or an umbrella?”

•Tell the student what action to take “ It’s raining outside, take your umbrella”

•Physically guide the student through the process

NO

YES

NO

YES

ModelingStudent will take umbrella when

he/she goes outsideStudent will take umbrella when

he/she goes outside

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?









outside

• Point out someone who is doing the behavior correctly “ Look , Mark has his umbrella. He is ready for a rainy day. He won’t get wet.”

•Demonstrate the action that needs to be taken

Paraeducator models getting an umbrella….

NO

YES

NO

YES

ShapingStudent will take umbrella when


he/she goes outside

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?









outside

• Break the task/behavior into smaller steps

• Model steps

• Have student complete initial or final step

• Gradually add steps for student to complete

Paraeducator begins by asking the student to go to the window and identify the weather. If the student reports rain, the paraeducator helps the student locate his/her umbrella. Gradually the paraeducator would be doing less and less while the student gains independence

NO

YES

NO

YES

Wait TimeStudent will take umbrella when


he/she goes outside

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?









outside

• After questioning/modeling, the paraeducator allows adequate time for the student to respond

After asking the student, “What do you need on a rainy day?”, the paraeducator allows the student time to respond before providing any further cues or prompts

NO

YES

NO

YES

Intrinsic ReinforcersStudent will takeout math book

and prepare for lessonStudent will takeout math book

and prepare for lesson

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Intrinsic reinforcer:Student participates in math lesson







Natural Cue::It’s

10:00 Math Time

NO

YES

NO

YES

For some, completing an activity like finishing a book, may be intrinsically reinforcing

When someone responds to our greeting, we may be pleased and therefore, increase the rate of initiating greetings

Focusing on Intrinsic Reinforcers



Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?









outside

• Draw attention to the natural consequences of performing the behavior “ Good for you. You remembered to use your umbrella. You were able to stay dry.”

•Ask a question about what natural consequences resulted from performing the behavior “ Why did you stay dry? What did you take with you into the rain that helped to keep you dry?”

• Pair the intrinsic reinforcer with an extrinsic oneStudent receives a sticker every time he is appropriately dressed for the weather

Student is allowed to participate in free time activities or a preferred activity because he/she used the umbrella appropriately

NO

YES

NO

YES

Your Turn

Cues/Prompts

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Intrinsic reinforcer:







Natural Cue:

NO

YES

NO

YES

Intrinsic Reinforcers

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Does the student

perform the skill

correctly?

Intrinsic reinforcer:







Natural Cue::It’s

NO

YES

NO

YES

Peripheral Supports• Take notes for student for later review• Increase prominence of material (color

coding; increase size)• Provide pictorial/visual cues• Construct and promote the use of

visual supports (schedules, choice boards, reminder cards)

Adapted from How to be a ParaPro Starfish Specialty Pub. 2000


Peripheral Supports• Pair verbal cues with a gesture• Prepare and monitor use of organizational

tools (calendars, assignment sheets, etc)• Develop checklist to sequence the steps in

a task• Develop and use adaptations to materials

when needed


Peripheral Supports

• Promote and monitor the use of timers

• Seize opportunities to reduce the intrusiveness of peripheral support, where appropriate


“Fair does not mean that every child gets the

same treatment, but that every child gets what he

or she needs.”Richard D. Lavoie

Supports that Promote Independence

• Less intrusive

• Less audible

• Promote independent participation through cues and prompts

• Can be peripheral

51

Strategies to Facilitate Peer Relationships and Supports

52

Move “Beyond Benevolence”

Don’t make friendships a big deal

Respect personal boundaries

Model behavior

Merge respect and help

• Van Der Klift, E. & Kunc, N. (1994). Beyond Benevolence: Friendship and the Politics of Help. In J. Thousand, R. Villa & A. Neven (Eds.), Creativity and Collaborative Learning: A practical guide to empowering students and teachers (pp. 391-401). Baltimore: Paul H.Brookes.

53

Remember!

If the students with disabilities are always If the students with disabilities are always the ones receiving help, it impacts the ones receiving help, it impacts

negatively on the social relationships negatively on the social relationships that may have developed.that may have developed.

• ALL students should be given the opportunity to help others.

54

Setting the Stage for Friendship

– Treat all children in the classroom as capable learners.

– Model acceptance of, and delight in, every child.

– Structure seating arrangements, playground and extracurricular activities

– Provide factual information if teasing occurs

55

Setting the Stage for Friendship

Friendship Clubs – such as structured social skill lessons or lunch bunch

Shared Service Learning Experiences

Cooperative Learning Opportunities

Extracurricular activities

Opportunities for children to interact

56

The Most Successful Friendship Building Strategy:

People with disabilities engaging in a range of activities in which they have interest, and making natural connections with people in their schools, neighborhoods and communities.

Gee, Kathleen (2004) TASH Connections, Volume 30 (1/2), 3.

Strategies to support relationships

• Provide all students the opportunity to help each other

• Model acceptance of all students regardless of ability

Strategies to support relationships

• Look for opportunities where students can interact

• Be attentive to interests and natural connections

Social, Play, and Leisure Supports

Facilitating Peer Interactions and Relationships

Social, Play and Leisure Supports

• Use turn markers for games and sports activities

• Use environmental set-ups to promote social and communicative behavior

• Use social stories and social scripts

• Set up opportunities

Adapted from How to be a ParaPro Starfish Specialty Pub. 2000

Facilitating Socialization

Social, Play and Leisure Supports

• Be a coach

• Be proactive regarding ways to increase students’ involvement in activities and games

• Promote peer modeling

Facilitating Socialization

Building Independence

Together we can do it!!!

Facilitating Peer Interactions and Relationships

Whether student’s needs have been met is reflected not only by whether they have attained certain objectives, but by the impact the educational experiences have had on their lives. Michael Giangreco, 1994

Learner Outcomes

Participants will:

• Describe the rationale for educating students with disabilities in general education settings

• Define the role of the paraeducator in developing independence of students with disabilities

Learner Outcomes

Participants will:

• Define and practice support strategies that increase independence for students

• Identify ways to provide the least intrusive support in general education settings

• Identify strategies to facilitate relationships between students with and without disabilities

Contact Information www.pattan.net

King Of Prussia Office:Debbie [email protected]

Harrisburg Office:Sharon [email protected]

Pittsburgh Office:Elaine [email protected]

Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaEdward G. Rendell, Governor

Pennsylvania Department of EducationGerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed., Secretary

Diane Castelbuono, Deputy SecretaryOffice of Elementary and Secondary

Education

John J. Tommasini, DirectorBureau of Special Education

Patricia Hozella, Assistant DirectorBureau of Special Education

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network Supporting Students with Disabilities within Inclusive Settings Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 Adapted.

Documents

independence slide

disabilities slide

independence student

pattan slide

place slide

intrusive supports

general education settings

student independence