Journal Assignment 3

Topic 1: Prereferral Interventions

Discussion
Prereferral intervention strategies are those utilized by teachers in the classroom on
a daily basis in an effort to manage the behaviour of a difficult student. From the
time a student displays disruptive behaviour or academic struggles, an effective
teacher will exhaust the strategies available to him/her before they refer a child for
further assessment. Hallahan et al. (p.200) outlines six areas for educators to
consider as they plan intervention strategies to assist children in their classroom.
They are as follows: instruction, expectations, tolerance, reinforcement, consistency
and models.
Effective teachers know that sound instructional practices are the first step in
creating an environment to support a student experiencing difficulty. The curriculum
should be taught in a manner that engages children, provides a multi sensory
approach to learning and links knew knowledge to real life.
Establishing clearly defined and consistent expectations that are appropriate for the
level of the child is also essential. Hallahan et al. suggest that Expectations that
are too high for a students ability lead to constant feelings of failure; expectations
that are too low lead to boredom and lack of progress.
Teachers need to be mindful when establishing classroom rules. Though the
consistency of structure and routine provide comfort and predictability for students,
too many rules that restrict individuality can be stifling.
All students, particularly those with learning disabilities, require positive feedback
and reinforcement when they are behaving appropriately and/or working
successfully. Focusing on what a student is doing well is usually more effective than
focusing on the negative or managing behaviour with punishment or corrective
methods.
Teacher modeling is an important part of instruction. However, student modeling
can be equally as effective when utilized properly. Students learn from their peers,
particularly when they observe a student who learns in a similar way and is working
at a level close or slightly above their own. This way, students see themselves as
capable of imitating this behaviour and reaching an attainable goal.
New Learning and Relevance
Though these six strategies are presented as interventions, they are also effective
strategies to use in all classrooms with all children. They are simply good teaching

practices. I believe that these are areas that a teacher should consider prior to the
beginning of a school year and be ready to implement them and tweak as needed
throughout the school year.
An interesting point in the text refers to the fact that Critics of special education
have sometimes charged that teachers refer students too quickly, typically for
minor behavioural rather than for serious behavioural or academic reasons.
Hallahan et al., reports that the research does not support this claim and, from my
personal experience, I agree. Though there are exceptions to every rule, in most
cases I believe that teachers try many strategies to assist their students before
seeking additional assistance. In fact, I believe that the opposite could be true, that
teachers are more likely to wait longer than they should to refer a student, in the
hope that trying another strategy or giving them a little more time will make the
difference that is needed.
Topic 2: Self Instruction
Discussion
Learning disabilities are often associated with cognitive and metacognitive
problems. Strategies to help students in this area are advocated by professionals to
help support students with their learning and memory needs. Self instruction is one
cognitive training technique that can be used with students who have learning
disabilities. It originated with the work of Luria and Vygotsky and was developed
further by Meichenbaum and Goodman. It involves verbally working through the
steps in a task. It begins with observing the teacher complete the task in
conjunction with verbal instruction, the child then works through the task with
teacher guidance. Following the practice with teacher support, the child then
completes the task independently while verbalizing the steps as s/he goes. The
ultimate goal is to then have the child complete the task without verbalizing each
step orally.
Ten Guidelines for developing self-instruction programs are outlined on page 241 of
the Hallahan text. It is important to note the preliminary work required by the
teacher in order for self-instruction to be effective. Teachers must analyze the
behaviour that needs to be changed and document the strategies that the student
is currently using to determine their appropriateness. Suitable training tasks should
be considered prior to beginning self-instruction, however involving the student in
the planning process helps him/her take ownership.
New Learning and Relevance
I think self-instruction is a useful strategy as it helps students take control of their
own learning as they gain greater independence with the task. This technique is
somewhat like Direct Instruction (I do, we do, you do) with the exception, from
what I understand, that it involves the teacher and one student and it does seem to

require more guided practice and subsequently more independent practice to reach
mastery. I do wonder if the pull out model is used for lessons involving self
instruction or if the classroom teacher is able to coordinate this within the regular
classroom, particularly when the preliminary planning work is taken into
consideration. It does appear to be quite time consuming with the focus on one
student.
Hallahan refers to a say, ask, check technique on p.239 that is part of seven step
self instruction strategy for solving math and word problems. This is similar to
techniques that are used in student self-assessment where the teacher might
prepare a checklist for students to ensure they have completed all the steps to be
successful with a given assignment. This is helpful for all students as they work
toward becoming independent, self-directed learners. It is also quite simple for the
teacher to utilize regularly in the classroom.
Topic 3: Assessment of ADHD
Discussion
The Hallahan et al. text suggests that a diagnosis of ADHD should include a medical
examination, a clinical interview or history, and the administration of teacher and
parent rating scales.
The medical exam would be the first step in the process. It would help determine if
there is any physical reason to explain the childs hyper and/or inattentive
behaviour and can establish whether or not medication is an appropriate option for
the child if or when medication became an option. The second step is the clinical
interview. The purpose of this interview is for the medical professional to get a
picture of the whole child, to learn more about the child and the family and to gain
an understanding of the family dynamics. The third step is the completion of rating
scales by the childs parents and teacher to gather further data about the child. The
text mentions Connors Teacher Rating Scale-Revised as a common choice among
professionals.
New Learning and Relevance
Assessment of ADHD is an area that I was not very familiar with. Though as a
classroom teacher I have completed rating scales upon the request of a doctor, I
have not known much more about the process involved in reaching a diagnosis.
Hallahan discusses the doctors office effect as the observation that children with
ADHD often do not exhibit their symptoms when seen by a clinician in a brief office
visit. I find this to be extremely interesting. I can recall two particular occasions
where administration and the classroom teacher had together crafted a letter to the
childs pediatrician outlining the schools concerns about the child only to have the
parent return to say that the doctor didnt observe anything concerning during the

appointment. Are all professionals aware of the doctors office effect

phenomenon? Can anything be done to reduce this effect?
I do know of some cases where a medical professional or psychologist has come
into the childs classroom to observe them in this setting. I think that this can
provide valuable information in the assessment of ADHD. Rating scales are
sometimes difficult for teachers to complete and they cannot provide the same
picture of the child that direct observation can. Behaviour that may not be
observable in a doctors office would likely be observable in a classroom of
students. I think this should be a mandatory part of the assessment process.