Sensory Integration Disorder: Educational

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2012年10月8日星期一

Special Education - How to Use an Independent Educational Evaluation to Benefit Your Child

Do you have a child with a learning disability or with autism that is

not making academic progress, even though they are getting special

education services? Would you like to know what educational and

related services your child needs in order to learn how to read, or do

other academics? This article will discuss what an Independent

Educational Evaluation (IEE) is, and how you can use one to benefit

your child with a disability.

The definition of an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE) is:

An independent educational evaluation is an evaluation conducted by a

qualified person, who does not work for the school district. Parents

of children with a disability often get IEE's so that they understand

what educational needs their child has and what services they require.

Most independent evaluations are parent initiated and paid for by the

parent.

Once you have decided to get an IEE, there are several things to

consider about the evaluator:

a. Make sure that they are qualified to perform the educational

evaluation. For Example: a registered Occupational Therapist could

conduct an Occupational Therapy evaluation. If sensory processing

disorder (used to be called sensory integration disorder) is an issue,

make sure that you find a registered Occupational Therapist who is

SIPT certified. If your child has autism, make sure the evaluator

specializes in educational evaluations for children with all types of

autism.

b. Whether this person is now, or ever has been an employee of

your school district. Talk to the person, and make sure that they do

not have a relationship with your school district. Be careful, even if

they used to work for another school district, make sure they are

truly independent, and willing to make recommendations for what your

child needs.

c. Make sure that the evaluator is willing to write a detailed

report, to include recommendations for related and educational

services. Ask the evaluator if they are willing to recommend specific

amount of minutes of service and specific methodology for educational

and related services. If they are not, consider going to a different

evaluator.

Once you have answered these questions, make an appointment and take

your child. Bring up any concerns that you have, and make sure that

you understand what tests will be conducted on your child. When the

report is finished, have the evaluator mail a copy to you. If you have

concerns about what is written, you may contact the evaluator and tell

them your concerns. Make sure recommendations are specific for

minutes, #of times per week, goals, methodology, etc.

Call the school district and set up an IEP meeting to discuss the

results of the IEE. If they request a copy up front, you can give it

to them. If possible, set up with the evaluator, a time that she or he

can participate in the IEP meeting by telephone. By having the

evaluator participate, special education personnel will have a harder

time not including the evaluators recommendations.

At the IEP meeting, if the school personnel will not put the

recommendations in your child's IEP, they must give you prior written

notice (PWN), as to why they are not willing to accept, the evaluators

recommendations. This notice must include the reason that they are not

accepting the recommendations, and what evaluations they are using to

refuse. If at the IEP meeting the school personnel do include the

recommendations, ask for reimbursement of the independent educational

evaluation.

An independent educational evaluation can be invaluable to your child.

By understanding what your child's educational and related needs are,

you may be a more effective advocate, for needed educational and

related services. If your child does not receive an appropriate

education their future may be in jeopardy!

JoAnn Collins is the parent of two adults with disabilities, has been an educational advocate for over 15 years, an author, as well as a speaker. JoAnn's recently released book: Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game helps parents develop skills to be an assertive and persistent advocate for their child. For more free articles, press release, upcoming speaking engagements, go to http://www.disabilitydeception.com Can be reached at Phone Number 815-932-9263

You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as you include my full signature file, and my Web site address in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy E-mail to JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com.

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2012年10月6日星期六

Learner-Centered - Educational Opportunity for Schools

Certainly, learner-centered is not a new term. In fact, it has become trivialized or, at best, it has become anecdotal. Education gives the term a position in the school arena, but not a power position. To add insult to that injury, the term experiential learning has become an additional trivialized goal of value. The result, when it works, is a program which is an experiential learner-centered practice.

To convey the teaching/learning experience to an even greater level of understanding, one must recognize that Piaget (1763) defined intelligence as the ability to adapt to a new more current situation. In order to adequately adapt, a learner will need to have adequately gathered accurate information from a primarily verbal and visual environment. This environment, by its nature, is highly stimulating, sensorially enriched, and a primary deficit for the learner who suffers central processing deficits or sensory integration disorder.

The efficiency with which these learners must gather accurate information is so completely compromised that the anxiety resulting from performance expectations may even result in swift actions of medications to treat hyperactivity, anxiety, sleep concerns, depression, etc. "Intelligence" is now measurably compromised as the learner has not "gathered" enough age appropriate information in order to problem-solve verbally.

Learner-centered is the ideal, but experiential may be more difficult for this learner than may be expected. Often times, the "experience" in the classroom is audibly stimulating, noisy with movement, and fast paced thus giving little time for quality visual gathering. Notetaking is not a skill set the learner is born with, so to must be learned. Note-taking means auditory reception, processing, and discriminating with immediate interpretative encoding or spelling ability.

The learner-centered approach is a masterful attempt to optimize the implementation of a learner's intellect in the gathering of information skills, sociabilities, and tools of education. The challenge of early education efforts in schools is one that parents and providers must work as a team to succeed. Good parenting for schools success and good schooling for student success is the goal.

Nancy W. Alberts, M. Ed.
Reading Specialist/Academic Therapist
nalberts@iestutors.us
(904) 269-7377

http://www.albertseducationcenter.com | http://www.dsptn.com

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2012年4月20日星期五

The Importance of Good Visual Development For Educational Success

"It takes my son a long time to get dressed on his own. He gets very frustrated if he has to button his shirt or zip his jeans."

"Our son did not creep on his hands and knees, but pulled himself across the floor by his arms."

At first glance these descriptions may not seem so out of the ordinary but these statements and those that follow in this article paint a picture of what a preschool aged child with poor development of functional vision may look like and the difficulties they may face.

Let's take a deeper look at the development of vision. As you read this article you'll begin to understand that how we move, how we think, and how we develop is important for later learning skills.

When vision develops and matures as it should, both simple and more complex life skills become automatic. Eye movement control is necessary to develop good visual perceptual abilities. When balance and motor coordination are guided by vision we are better able to integrate what we are seeing with what our body is doing. When our eyes, body and mind work together our quality of life increases. The preschool years are the best time to guide and help your child with perceptual skills that will help them during their school years.

"My child is very clumsy, always tripping over her own two feet and running into corners. She falls down a lot and has many cuts and bruises."

What is Involved in the Development of Vision and Why is it Important?

The visual system begins to develop in the womb and continues to mature throughout infancy and into early childhood. There are many important things for your child to learn in the years between birth and entering school. A child learns more and at a faster rate during these years than at any other comparable period in their life.

This is a time for developing the basic skills of walking, talking, and learning how to learn. It is a time when your child is developing control of their body, their feelings, thoughts, and actions. We develop in a sequential, yet integrated way, using other sensory inputs as part of visual processing. You may hear the phrase "vision is movement", meaning movement guides our visual process and our visual process directs our movements.

Research tells us that the development of gross motor skills (skills that involve the large muscles of the body which help with functions such as crawling, sitting upright, walking, jumping, kicking, throwing, etc.) are extremely important to the development of visual perceptual skills (a set of skills we use to gather visual information from the world around us and integrate them with our other senses; they enable us to make sense out of what is seen). Therefore, the motor system is critical in the learning process.

"Ball games are the least favorite activity of my child. He avoids games that involve catching or throwing a ball."

What Causes Delays in Visual Development?

Vision is learned through a developmental sequence of movement and processing skills which starts in the womb. Many different factors can interfere with the development of the visual system. Complications during pregnancy or with the birthing process, childhood illnesses, head trauma or injury, inherited traits and environmental factors are all examples of factors that can contribute to visual-related learning problems in the future.

"When I ask my daughter to do a few things in a specific order, she can't seem to remember more than one or two and then asks, "What was I supposed to do next?"

Why Is Our Visual System Important for Learning?

What do we mean by "visual system"? Many think that how clearly we see an object is the answer; however visual acuity, or 20/20 eyesight, is only one part of our visual system. Vision involves much more than the sharpness of an image. We need many visual abilities in order to succeed in school and life in general. These include:

- the ability to change focus when shifting attention from near to far (as in copying from the board at school)

- the ability to keep things clear at various distances, to track or move our eyes as we follow a moving target or read across the printed page

- teaming, or using both eyes together (binocularity)

- the ability to judge depth

- visual-motor integration (the ability to guide our pencil or catch a ball)

- good visual-spatial skills (coordination, laterality and directionality, crossing the mid-line)

- perceptual skills, which are the brain's interpretation of the images taken in by our eyes, such as figure ground, visual closure and form constancy

- the ability to remember what we see (visual memory)

- the ability to create mental images--learning how to "see" visual concepts--(visualize) from the words we read or hear

All of these skills are learned and are necessary for reading and learning.

"My child doesn't make eye contact. I am constantly saying, "Please look at me when I talk to you!"

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Guidance in These Areas?

By the age of three (approximately) a child should have coordinated movements, begin to alternate feet when walking down steps, hold eye contact at near and by age four, from several feet away. They should be visually interested in simple pictures, hold a crayon and draw or color, follow a moving target with just their eyes without whole head movements.

If there is a lack of coordination and balance (clumsy), if the child does not cross the midline of their body (switches objects from hand to hand) when performing tasks, or if they have trouble learning the alphabet, these can all be symptoms of difficulty in the area of visual gross motor skills.

"My child has a hard time with body coordination. Activities like riding a bike, hopping, skipping, and even running are a challenge."

How Can I Help My Child's Functional Vision Develop Correctly?

There are many things that parents and caretakers can do during this time of early development to enhance and improve how the visual system functions. When there is a delay in one area of development, there is often a delay in other areas as well. School-aged children with visual disorders often face a lifetime of learning difficulties and frustration in the classroom and in everyday life.

We know that play affects visual development and visual development affects play; motor skills and perception are interdependent. Delays in gross motor skills skew our perception which reduces our ability to explore and learn from the environment. This will eventually affect other visual abilities.

Play helps children learn about their environment. While a child plays, he is strengthening not only his muscles, but also strengthening his perceptions, he is learning new skills, letting off excess energy, trying out different solutions to problems, and learning how to interact with others.

Therefore, it is important that your child spends at least one hour per day in play that involves visually-guided movements such as ball games and other eye-hand activities. Playing games that involve movement and imagination are very important, especially now that more children are sedentary while playing video games or working on a computer.

Dr. Lori Mowbray is the director of the Minnesota Vision Therapy Center ( http://www.minnesotavisiontherapy.com ), one of the most successful vision therapy centers operating today. To learn about her new home programs Primitive Reflex Training, Visual Development, and Vision Therapy at Home, go to. http://homevisiontherapyprogram.com.

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2012年3月13日星期二

Methodological and Didactic Aspects of Educational Design For Students With Disposition to ASD

In addition to the general objectives of teaching, for students with autistic behavior the following priority areas arise:

1. Generating interest and curiosity in issue-oriented discussion.

2. Development of specific skills such as coping with everyday life, social standards and norms.

3. Perception of reality: having a different picture of "here and now", for autistic students it is sometimes not possible to perceive situations in their complexity. They are limited in their perception.

4. Promotion of communicative behavior and different forms of expression, with non-verbal communication methods playing an important role.

o Learning characteristics

Based on the disability-specific manifestations of autism spectrum disorders, learning characteristics have to be considered and adhered against the background of school-academic learning. Students with autism reveal such an unusual learning behavior, that teaching requires specific content, spatial and methodological conditions.

o Limited communication capabilities

Many children with autism do not use any verbal language or do not use them for the purposes of communication.

Furthermore, most do not use alternative communication strategies such as facial expressions, gestures and body language. Thus the provision of teaching content and participation throughout the class is significantly impaired.

o Learning strategies

Children with autism often show learning strategies, being unknown to us, which they are only reluctant to give up in favor of pre-defined specified formal learning steps and which are difficult to integrate into a systematic school education.

o Enhanced and diminished perceptual processingMain differences between autistic and non-autistic exist in respect to their sensory experiences. Responses to sensory stimulation may range from hyposensitivity to hypersensitivity. The locally oriented visual and auditory perception as well as the perception of complex movements are often diminished.

o Action planning

There are anomalies in a way that students with autism on one hand need an increased level of training and practice in daily and actually simple dealings and on the other hand it can be determined that they cope unexpectedly good with complex processes.

o Motivation and social orientation

Students with autistic disorders often have a large interest in their own issues, but cannot cope with school program and curricula. One can consistently experience the ambivalence between adaptation for suitable models, and the resistance against repetition and practice phases of known lesson material.

o A different understanding of concepts and situations

Most students with autistic behavior are only limited capable to empathize with other people, roles and situations.

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2012年2月6日星期一

Educational Services For Aspergers Syndrome

Aspergers Syndrome is one of the conditions that belong to the autism spectrum of disorders. It is a broad spectrum of developmental delays, conditions, or disabilities that includes autism as one of its symptoms. Along with others, they belong to a spectrum of disorders because any of these symptoms could combine with other similar symptoms with autism.

This condition is generally uncommon; it is known to affect about four hundred thousand families in the United States alone. Although the diagnosis of this condition is generally difficult, it gets easier at an early age, typically about three years old. Treatment is similar to Autism with behavioral modifications and lots of therapy.

The number one characteristic that is typical of this condition is their poor social skills. They may show social interaction that is not typical of an average child--it may be inappropriate at times and also quite minimal. They may be able to communicate but in repetitive words and phrases, and their movements may be unusual. They tend to develop mannerisms and movements that are too awkward for a common child. They also lack cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and solving math problems, but most of these skills are combated when they go to a special needs school.

What makes them different from Autism is that these kids usually do not have any delays in language development, although they may have trouble using it in social context. There are also no obvious delays in activities of daily living. These kids can bathe, eat, and dress like any other normal kid. They may even have higher intelligence than most kids of their age.

These kids can become the best that they can be with proper education and therapy. The symptoms may differ from one child to the next so they need to have the best care possible that is suited to their individual needs. This condition varies a lot so the choice of service is essential in determining which works best with your child.

As a parent, we all know dealing with a child with special needs is very challenging. Therefore we need all the help we can get to help them grow to be the best that they can be. Nurture their skills and capabilities through schools that offer techniques for children with special needs. They may need several sessions of physical therapy ad occupational therapy to further promote their functional abilities.

Treatment for this condition may include a lot of specialized education intervention, training in social interaction, sensory integration, behavioral modification, and parent education. All these managements are being assisted by a professional that a parent needs to work with in order to bring out the best holistic approach.

In New Jersey, there are several facilities that provide services for children with this condition. Centers like The NJ ABC's Center for Autism offer Applied Behavioral Analysis for children with autistic syndromes. There are also support groups that may lend a hand to you such as Asperger Friends in North Flemington, New Jersey. Because with Aspergers, you need all the help you can get.

Learn more about how autism centers assist autistic children with aspergers syndrome at the New Jersey Autism Center.

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2012年2月3日星期五

Special Education - How to Use an Independent Educational Evaluation to Benefit Your Child

The definition of an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE) is:

Once you have decided to get an IEE, there are several things to

consider about the evaluator:

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2012年1月29日星期日

Autism and Educational Effects

Autism affects many aspects of a person's life. Education is one of the main areas that has to be modified in order for the child to learn what is necessary to lead a productive life. Autism and education isn't just about teaching academics, it includes various forms of therapy and approaches.

Learning Disabilities

Often, a child with autism suffers from other problems that affect the ability to understand important subjects such as reading or math. Dyslexia is often present in children with autism. This affects the ability to read, write, speak and even complete math problems.

Dysgraphia affects a child's ability to write correctly because it interferes with fine motor skills, as well as organizing thoughts well enough to put on paper. While not classified as a learning disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder directly affects a child's ability to learn information because the brain does not read and interpret information gathered from the senses correctly.

When a child with autism has learning disabilities, it makes teaching an even bigger challenge. Techniques that work for one disorder may not be affective for another. Receiving proper diagnoses is crucial in helping the school staff brainstorm ideas to work with all of the challenges the child faces. Therapy is beneficial to a child on the autism spectrum because it can reduce some of the symptoms, helping him understand his school work.

Therapy in School

Most schools offer some type of therapy to aide in the teaching process. These may include speech and language therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), sensory integration therapy and physical or occupational therapy. The types of therapy and the amount of time spent vary from one school district to another based on finances and availability of trained professionals.

Types of Classes Available

Another thing that may vary from district to district is how the school handles children with autism. Some schools keep these children in classrooms designed for those with special needs. There, they receive one on one attention and work on social skills as they interact with only a few children. This helps reduce the stress levels and possibility of too much sensory stimulation.

Other districts work to include the children in typical classes, removing them only for subjects they need extra help in. This often works well for children who are higher functioning, but may take extra time to include a child who is lower on the autism spectrum. Trying different therapies, teaching techniques and classroom situations are crucial when working with autism and education.

Maximum Potential specializes in online learning environments for ABA Therapy

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2012年1月18日星期三

Learner-Centered - Educational Opportunity for Schools

Nancy W. Alberts, M. Ed.
Reading Specialist/Academic Therapist
nalberts@iestutors.us
(904) 269-7377

http://www.albertseducationcenter.com | http://www.dsptn.com

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