How to deal with Parents Teela

Took a CDC certificate for pro-d

Aimed at Jr K. K. and grade 1 where they are likely not hitting milestones
● It’s important to catch these difficulties early

Communication is key with parents. Make sure its in a private setting and don’t get offended if
they get upset. They love their children so their reaction may not be surprising.

Start with strengths (2 stars and a wish)

Remember that YOU are the teacher

Don’t:
● Dismiss parents concerns
● Don’t use labels, jargon → can be intimidating to them
● Don’t be afraid to take their suggestions. They know the kid better than you

The goal is to reach a positive outcome! This is beneficial for all three parties (parents, yours,
and students)

Give the students and parents tangible checklists on goals or ways to approach

Reducing Stigmas:
● Important Note: learning disabilities occur/can effect anyone, regardless of age, gender,
nationality, race etc.
● Education: for you and your classroom
○ A lack of knowledge allows stigmas to hang around
○ Often teachers fear they will fail a child with a learning disability because they do
not know how to help their learning. This fear causes the teacher to aviod the LD
child
○ 1 diagnosed= one not diagnosed, more often when you are
differentiating/modifying for one student you are unknowingly helping another
learner in your classroom.
○ The more you educate yourself the more students will benefit, when they are
learning they are not seen as “stupid, by their classmates (stigma example)
● Classroom Culture:
○ “A common perception of students with LD’s who recieve accomodations, is that
faculty members are granting them an unfair advantage.” This misconception can
be corrected by creating an accepting classroom culture early on in the school
year.
 ○ Create the culture that normalises differentiation
○ Address the topic, dont avoid it
■ Discuss differentiation and different ways of learning in your classroom
■ Allows students to support other students

What are the critical issues and how can I help my students with FASD?

- Aaron

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-
tools/inclusive/fetal-alcohol-syndrome.pdf
FASD: made when there is a known exposure to alcohol and they exhibit these 3 major
characteristics:

1. Delayed prenatal and/or postnatal growth

2. Central nervous system involvement
- Head circumference below the third percentile
- Development delay or intellectual disabilities
- Learning disabilities or ADHD
3. Characteristic facial features (most noticed during early childhood)
- Short eye slits
- Elongated mid-face
- Long flat nose and upper lip
- Flattened facial bone structure

Cognitive functioning (can vary greatly)

Range from IQ 29-120
Comorbidity with: Learning disabilities, ADHD, difficulty sequencing, difficulty with
memory, difficulty understanding cause/effect relationship or weak generalizing skills

Social/Emotional Functioning
Can display frustration to unfamiliar situations
Increased anxiety can result in withdrawal, outbursts, or other acting out behaviour
Can see severe temper tantrums and find it hard to adjust

Many adolescents prone to depression, poor judgement and impulsivity.

Other responses commonly observed:
● stealing, lying and defiance,
● difficulty predicting and/or understanding the consequences of behaviour,
● easily manipulated and led by others,
● difficulty making and keeping friends,
● overly friendly and affectionate, easily approached by strangers, and/or
● perseverative or “stubborn.”
Physical functioning
Can be seen to have high threshold for pain,
no perception of hunger or stiation,
difficulty perceiving extreme temperatures and
difficulty with visual/spatial perceptions and balance

Other adverse health effects:

• difficulties with vision,
• difficulties with hearing,
• heart problems,
• growth deficiency,
• neurological conditions such as seizure disorders, and/or
• impaired bone and/or joint development.

NOT ALL NEGATIVES

The student with FAS/E can bring gifts to your classroom, including a sense of humor,
creativity, caring, a love of animals, determination, musical and artistic talent and a
desire to please. Through formal and informal assessments, you will be able to develop
a plan that draws on your student’s strengths to support his or her educational needs. It
is important to think about where the child has started from, where he or she is today,
and the long term goals for tomorrow. An essential ingredient throughout the process is
developing and supporting the student’s self-esteem. Nothing lights up a child’s face
more than achieving something through a learning experience. It is important to set up a
classroom where this can take place as often as possible.

Preparing to teach students with FASD

Step 1: Collect information
- Find out what the students learning strengths and needs are
Checking the student’s history may pr`ovide helpful insight to how the student learns
and what you may want to avoid in instruction.
- Previous report cards
- Medical reports available
- Medical background
- Previous IEP’s
- Talk to previous teachers

Talk to the student (informally), involve the parents and

observe the students behaviour and learning in the classroom.
What part of the day appears to be most productive for this student? Least productive?
• What skills and interests are most developed for this student?
• Which class activities does this student enjoy the most? Can these activities be
alternated with those he/she finds more difficult?
• To what extent is this student able to follow classroom routines independently? How
can he/she be assisted to develop more independence in this area?
• To what extent is this student able to work towards the learning outcomes of the
provincial curriculum? In which areas can the instructional strategies and assignments
be adapted to accommodate his/her needs? In which areas will modifications be
required?
• How does this student interact with his/her peers in the classroom? With which
students is he/she able to work most productively?
• What kinds of events or activities seem to cause the most anxiety for this student?
How can the student be helped to cope with these situations?

Step 2: Make a plan and carry it out!

Question: “What does the student need to achieve success in the classroom?”

Access resources
Consult with Peers
Try it out

Step 3: Evaluate the Plan

Question: “is the student achieving success in the classroom?”
If the plan is working:
Is the student comfortable?
How do the parents feel?
Will it be effective on its own?
Can these supports be paired or altered with others to lengthen the period of
effectiveness?
How often will the plan’s effectiveness be evaluated?

If it is not working:
Can it be adjusted?
Do you have other ideas?
Should you get assistance from the SST?
Should the student be referred to the School Based Team?
Should the student be referred to additional support?

Step 4: Make a referral

Strategies

Attentional Difficulties Teach the student self talk to stay

focused

Use concrete reinforcements or

reminders (Stop hand signals when
behaviour isn’t ideal)

Cause and Effect Thinking Consistent when imposing consequences

Help break down how the student came

to their solution.

Social Skills Give student direct and immediate

feedback on unacceptable behaviour

Negative behaviour may be a symptom of

unmet needs.
Personal Skills Phsyical Environment:
minimize distractions and clutter
Give student a quiet working area

Planning the day:

Consistent and predictable schedule
Prepare student in advance when
changing a routine

Memory Skills Simplify instructions one at a time

Provide examples in a concrete fashion

Language Development Simple material with illustrations

Use picture dictionary to aid in vocabulary

development

Reading and Writing Keep number of instructions and

explanations short

Check for understanding often

Motor Skills Reduce the amount of copying required

Use a buddy system for copying

Mathematic Skills Explore the use of number lines and

manipulatives

Reduce number of problems so the

student is not overwhelmed

Science Skills Adapt the pace of activities

Explore scientific ideas through the use of

concrete materials such as models
Fine Arts Multi-model teaching strategies for
delivery of instruction

Provide students with cooperative and

other forms of group learning
Resources:
https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/2016fallconference/fasd.pdf

https://www.fasdwaterlooregion.ca/at-school-1/fasd-in-the-classroom

http://www.nofas-uk.org/WP/wp-
content/uploads/2017/09/TeachingAStudentWithFASD_NOFASUK_2017_FIN.pdf

https://education.alberta.ca/media/385139/teaching-students-with-fasd-2004.pdf

Individual Education Plan

Tanner

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-
tools/inclusive/iepssn.pdf
http://www.fnesc.ca/publications/pdf/teachers_guide_IEP.pdf

If a student does not have a designation, how can we as teachers get them one and find them
the proper support?

Preplanning

Steps before you have determined if a student needs an IEP:

- Systematic assessment and evaluation by the classroom teacher

- Consultation between classroom teachers and school-based colleagues
- Introduction of alternate strategies and evaluation of their effect
- Referral to school-based team for specialized assessments and consultation

IEP Team
- Can include teachers, administrators, parents, school-based and community support
staff, and when appropriate the student.
- A case manager should be assigned to ensure there is a monitoring process, regularly
held meetings, and that records are kept.
- The person coordinating the IEP will usually be from the school staff such as the
classroom teacher, the learning assistance teacher, or the special education teacher.

Determining which students require an IEP

 An IEP is required when:

● the student with special needs requires more than just minor adaptations to educational
materials, or instructional or assessment methods, or
● the student with special needs is working on outcomes other then the prescribed
outcomes of the curriculum, or
● the student with special needs is working on the regular outcomes with little or no
adaptations, but receives 25 hours or more of remedial help from someone other than
the classroom teacher to meet the expected learning outcomes

An IEP is required whenever a student’s program has either been adapted or modified.

Purpose
● An IEP provides accountability for:
– individualized goals
– the means to achieve these goals
– additional services and how they will be delivered
– responsibility for various aspects of the IEP
● It assists teachers in monitoring growth and progress and creates an ongoing record
● It guides the use of learning support services in and out of the classroom.

Process

● Development of an IEP may be undertaken by one teacher in consultation with parents,

a small group or an expanded team, depending on the complexity of the student’s
needs.
● The process involves a cycle of planning, monitoring, and evaluating.
● Assessment for learning and assessment of learning precedes the creation of an IEP.
● Collaboration : By authority of the Individual Education Plan Order schools are required
to offer parents, and where appropriate, the student, an opportunity to be consulted on
IEPs. IEPs are usually developed by a teacher in collaboration with parents

SD68
https://www.sd68.bc.ca/edocuments/sss/guidebooks_/2005guidebook_/ieps-1/IEPs.pdf

STEP 1 – Gathering Information

The first step in the IEP process is the collection of assessment information. Team members
should come to the meeting prepared to share information they have observed or collected
either through informal or formal assessment. Information regarding the student’s strengths and
needs may be needed in each of the following areas: social, language/communication,
academic, fine motor, gross motor, personal care and life skills.

STEP 2 – The Team Meeting

The IEP meeting is a planning meeting where all members of the team are partners and have a
vital role to play in the process. The student’s strengths and needs are reviewed. The team then
sets priority goals that are based upon the student’s needs. From the goals, specific measurable
objectives will be developed, as well as teaching strategies and ideas to ensure that the
student’s individual goals can be met.

STEP 3 – The Written Plan

One person, usually the case manager, takes responsibility for producing the written IEP based
on information gathered from the IEP meeting, and seeing that it is distributed to the members
of the IEP team and a copy placed in the student’s “Blue File”. The school district requires the
use of a standardized format for IEPs by using the software called IEP Writer. Student Support
Services provides the necessary in-service in the use of the program.

STEP 4 – Implementation

IEP goals and objectives should be manageable from both the teacher’s and student’s
perspective. The number of goals and objectives should be realistic and throughout the year,
objectives may need to be changed, deleted or added according to the student’s progress.
Record keeping is important in helping to determine progress or a need to make changes.

STEP 5 – Review

The IEP is reviewed once or twice a year to update and evaluate the plan. The year-end review
can double as a transition meeting, whereby, in addition to the regular IEP team members, the
meeting includes the receiving teacher. The focus of this meeting is to discuss the student’s
successes of the past year and to identify priorities and make recommendations for the coming
year.

SMART

SMART IEPs are a way for parents to check that their children’s IEPs are the best they can be
to support their learning and behavioural and social/emotional goals.

● S Specific
● M Measurable
 ● A Active
● R Realistic and Relevant
● T Time-limited

How can I/what are strategies to support a

gifted child in my classroom? - Alex
Gifted children are, by definition, “Children who give evidence of high performance
capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership capacity, or specific
academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the
school in order to fully develop such capabilities.”

Biological Attributes

● Increased cell production that also increases synaptic activity→ Increased

thought process.
● More neurons→ more complex thought.
● More prefrontal cortex thinking→ more insightful and intuitive thinking.
● More frequent brain rhythms→ higher concentration, attention, investigation +
inquiry.

Common characteristics:

● Self-disciplined, independent, often anti-authoritarian.

●
Zany sense of humor
●
Able to resist group pressure, a strategy that is developed early
●
More adaptable and more adventurous
●
Greater tolerance for ambiguity and discomfort
●
Little tolerance for boredom
●
Preference for complexity, asymmetry, open-endedness
●
High in divergent thinking ability
● High in memory, good attention to detail

● Broad knowledge background

●
Need think periods
 ●
Need supportive climate, sensitive to environment
●
Need recognition, opportunity to share
●
High aesthetic values, good aesthetic judgement
●
Freer in developing sex role integration; lack of stereotypical male/female
identification.
● Gifted characteristics often differ between male and female children
Female gifted children
-often like school, particularly science, music and art.
○ Often like their teachers.
○ Regularly reads out of interest unrequired reading related to school.
○ Active in drama and musical productions
○ Does not go out on dates as often
○ Daydreamers
Male characteristics often include:

● He dislikes school.
● He dislikes teachers and thinks they are uninteresting.
● He does little homework.
● He dislikes physical education and seldom engages in team sports.
● He is regarded as radical or unconventional.
● He often wants to be a lone to pursue his own thoughts and interests.
Assessment:

● Ability and achievement tests provide numbers or scores to describe a student's

performance in relation to others.
● Tests should be used in conjunction with subjective assessment tools, as formal
tools are only one way in determining giftedness.
● Variety of characteristics that contribute to a gifted child and are federally
considered- intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, and specific academic
fields—require more than one assessment to identify.
● Achievement tests determine what the students already have learned and if
they are more advanced than their grade level peers.They may be academic
specific (i.e. Math or Language Arts) or standardized tests (such as SATs, ITBS,
SRA, and MATs). These assessments should not have a ceiling so students are
able to show all of what they know. Tests specifically designed for the gifted
population include Test of Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students or Screening
 Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students (SAGES)
Ability Tests

More helpful in identifying other characteristics other than IQ, such as these creative,
leadership, or other abilities, typical ability tests include:

Individual

● Stanford Binet (L-M)

● Wescher Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th Edition. Read NAGC's position
paper Use of the WISC-IV in Gifted Education.
● Woodcock Johnson
Nonverbal tests, such as the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test or the Test of Nonverbal
Intelligence, may be more effective for students from culturally and linguistically different
or low-income backgrounds to eliminate barriers.

Group

● CogAT
● Otis-Lennon
● Hemmon-Nelson
● Ravens Progressive Matrices
● Matrix Analogies Test
Who Should Test?

Testing is often used as a measurement tool to qualify for a specific program or when it
is suspected that a student's gifts and talents are not being recognized. School-age
children are typically tested using group testing methods through their school's gifted
and talented screening program. It is rare that any individual test of ability or
achievement will be offered to gifted students by their school or district. Tests should
always be administered by trained professionals.
When to Test?

While experts have differing opinions on whether to test young children, researchers
generally agree that it is difficult to make accurate IQ determinations at an early age
(under 6). For younger children, alternative measures of giftedness include
characteristic checklists, parent/teacher surveys and interviews, observations, and
portfolios.
What are some critical issues surrounding giftedness?
● Giftedness is often paired with learning disabilities.
● Because giftedness is often accompanied with learning disabilities, assessments
are usually not granted in schools, and parents are forced to get private testing,
which can be expensive.
● Assumptions: People are quick to assume because a child is gifted in one area,
 they should be ‘smart’ in all areas.
● Not enough funding for specialized giftedness; programs are dwindling and fewer
students are receiving formal identifications.
● Risk alienation and boredom, which can give way to underachievement and
behavioural issues.
● Education funding tends to go to students who are apparent in struggling most,
and gifted children display less of an outward need than other designations.
● The notion of extreme intellect as a special need seems like a stretch to some.
● Other designations bring in funding, whereas gifted designations don’t always.
For example, in Alberta a conduct disorder designation brings in $16,000 per
child, but a gifted designation brings in nothing, financially.
● Identification varies amongst jurisdictions, depending on the value they place on
it.
● Some districts’ criteria for exceptional students in considered too high, making
identifications few and far between.
● The parent is often the one identifying the giftedness, not the province.
Therefore, they often have to fight the school board to get the support they need.
● Gifted children need to connect with other gifted children in order to find their
place in society. They often feel isolated and alone without this community
support.
Tips for Teachers in helping gifted students:

Tip #1: Familiarize Yourself with the Characteristics of Intellectually Gifted Students
Tip #2: Let Go of "Normal"
Tip #3: Conduct Informal Assessments
Tip #4: Re-Familiarize Yourself with Piaget & Bloom (Particularly Piaget’s theory of
development and bloom’s taxonomy).
Tip #5: Involve Parents as Resource Locators
Tip #6: Learn About Distance Learning Opportunities
Tip #7: Explore Acceleration ~ It's Free and It Works!
Tip #8: Learning from the Experiences of Others
Tip #9: Utilize Outside Resources

Taylor
What are strategies I could use in the classroom to
accommodate those with specific learning troubles

Focus/attention control
Do one thing at a time: multitasking reduces concentration and diminishes our performance. For
very young children, you might simply sing the alphabet together while looking at the letters. For
children who are a little older, say 4th grade, you can complete one long division problem at a time
together. Don’t look ahead at all the other problems, just focus on one at a time.
Build in planned breaks: They will benefit from taking some time to rest and recharge, especially
during after-school homework time.
Break big tasks down into smaller, more manageable pieces: If your child is learning to tie her
shoes, make the first goal to master the initial knot, then move on to making two loops with the
strings until she knows exactly how to do that, and so forth. Another “piecemeal” strategy for building
concentration is to use a timer to help kids organize themselves, e.g., “Here’s a book about horses.
I’m going to set this timer for 15 minutes, and I want you to write down as many facts about horses
as you can in this time.”
Practice observing things in the moment: Kids can be distracted by “internal stimuli,” like physical
sensations or entertaining memories. While a child’s imagination is a wonderful thing, we also want
them to be able to clear away distractions and build the ability to concentrate. You can play “I spy
with my little eye…” and take turns making observations of various objects in the room, listen closely
to the lyrics of a song together, or do some yoga poses and pay attention to how it feels in the

Listen well to them: They might tell you the real problem without you knowing.

Prepare a distraction-free environment

Appeal to their interests

Play focus games

Ambience
Variety of learning methods (visual, kinaesthetic, etc.)
Prepare for the next task, let them know in advance that you’ll be switching activities.
Reward system

MEMORY
Work on visualization skills. Encourage your child to create a picture in his mind of what he’s just
read or heard. For example, if you’ve told him to set the table for five people, ask him to come up
with a mental picture of what the table should look like. Then have him draw that picture. As he gets
better at visualizing, he can describe the image to you instead of needing to draw it.

Have your child teach you

Play cards Simple card games like Crazy Eights, Uno, Go Fish and War can improve working
memory in two ways. Your child has to keep the rules of the game in mind. But he also has to
remember what cards he has and which ones other people have played.

Chunk information into smaller bites Write them down or give them one at a time

EMOTIONAL/SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Balance the negative and the positive.

It’s important to address negative emotions with your child. But it’s equally important to boost his
positive emotions.

Be specific about inappropriate behavior.

When possible, refer to specific situations with your child. Let him know exactly when he reacted
inappropriately in a social situation. Or when he behaved in a way that was not acceptable to you.
Don’t say thing like, “you always” do something or “you never” do something. You want him to
understand why you are concerned and to feel that he can make improvements.

Don’t be dismissive.

Avoid saying things like “get over it” or “you shouldn’t feel that way” when your child becomes upset
or misbehaves. If your child could just get over it or could easily change the way he feels, you
wouldn’t have concerns about his struggles with emotions. Similarly, dismissing his concerns with
“that’s not a big deal” will not get him to calm down or to see a situation more realistically. It is a big
deal to him. You won’t be successful if you try to convince your child that he doesn’t feel what he
feels.

Respond calmly to an explosive child.

When talking with your child about social problems, frame the conversation as positively as possible.
One way to do that is to listen before talking.

Only ask a few questions after your child tells you what’s on his mind. Ask if he’s done anything
about the situation. Compliment him on his effort even if what he did was not effective. And follow
that with a few questions that put him in control, such as “What else can you try?”
Acknowledge that his feelings are real, and show him that you’ve thought about them. You can say
something like, “It seems like you’re upset because….” That allows him to respond so the
conversation can continue. If you jump right to advice, you’ll shut down the conversation.

It’s natural to relate his experiences to experiences you had as a child. But try to avoid it. It’s critical
for you to think about what the social situations mean to him, not what they would have meant to
you.

Help your child brainstorm solutions to the problem. Ask him, “What could you do in situations like
this?” Follow up on each item with questions like, “What do you think would happen if you tried this
one?” After you have thought through most of the ideas with him, ask him to select the one he feels
is most likely to solve the problem for him. Remember it’s his choice, not yours.

Control Emotions in the Classroom

Avoid problem situations. Don’t place a child with ADHD next to someone who knows how to push
his buttons.
Give the child a plan for handling problem situations. “When you don’t understand an
assignment, I want you to raise your hand and say, ‘I think I need a little help to get me started on
this.
Give praise. Notice when a child shows good emotional control. You could say, “I saw how angry
you were, but you kept your cool. Nice job.”
Give your child coping strategies. She can say, “I need to go to my bedroom for a few minutes to
be alone” or tell you a break is needed. Other self-soothing strategies include holding a favorite
stuffed animal (for a younger child) or listening to relaxing music on an mp3 player (for an older
child).