Measurable and meaningful data collection must be established Identification of needs requires defined meaningful data collection that determines next steps in evaluations, research-based programing, & other areas of need. The IEP is designed in order to allow the child:
To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum. [34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(i)(A)]
To meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability. [34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(i)(B)].
To have all of the appropriate baselines determined
Grade level
Fluency
Rate of progress
The underlying skill deficit that is affected needs to be measured
Concept understanding
Independent Application
Quantitative or qualitative measurement methods must be clearly described
Environments
Across all environments
Dyad to Triad
Regular education environment with what supports
Evaluation of the need, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child’s customary/natural environments
Frequency of collection of data
Use of the how of data collection (what is actually being measured)
(Reading comprehension does not measure reading fluency)
Frequency
Documented baselines, and
What is considered mastery
It must include a description of how the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured. [34 CFR §300.320(a)(3)(i)]
For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards (in addition to the annual goals), a description of benchmarks (also for alternative assessments) or short-term objectives. [34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(ii)]
You cannot know what the educational needs are unless they are assessed.
AN ADVOCATE’S PURPOSE IS TO CREATE CHANGE BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEANINGFUL PROGRESS FOR STUDENTS.
Educational Need (skill set) Identification is done through:
Assessed skill in all areas of a category not just perceived needs
Defined areas of need and sub-skill sets
Areas of Need or Lack of Skill Sets include areas like:
Academic Skills (reading, math, spelling, writing)
Hyperlexia – can decode but can not comprehend
Assistive technology needs
Auditory processing
Behaviors
Perseverations
Ability to transition (average of 117 per day in middle school)
Behavioral disturbances/analysis
Difficulty tolerating making mistakes
Easily stressed due to their inflexibility.
Often very self-critical and unable to tolerate making mistakes
Can also be unaware of their own feelings
Repetitive non-functional behavior
Emotional modulation – meltdowns/ rage
Impulsivity
Cognitive flexibility - rigid thinking
Difficulty adapting to change or failure
Concept development – you end up doing by rote and can’t generalize
Executive function issues
Organizational ability
Memory Deficits
Rote memory does not equal comprehension
Poor concentration and sustained attention - often off task and distractible
Problem-solving
Processing fluency
Proficient in knowledge of facts yet demonstrate relative weaknesses in comprehension and abstract thought
Foundational Preschool and Developmental Skills
Functional skills
Fluency across environments
Gross and fine motor (physical ability/endurance)
Generalization of skills across settings
Learning something in one situation doesn't automatically mean remembering or generalizing the learning to new situations.
Intellectual (IQ)
ID
Gifted
Twice-exceptional
Language ability
Expressive
Receptive
Articulation
Pragmatic Language – non-verbal
Communicative intent – across environments!
Theory of mind - perspective-taking
Inferences and judgments
90% of communication is non-verbal
Semantics (not being able to recognize multiple meanings)
Prosody (the pitch, stress, rhythm & intent of speech)
Mental health needs
Low self-esteem
Depression (60-80%, spiking in teens with AS)
Often don’t have the emotional resources to cope with the demands of the classroom.
Low self-esteem
Anxiety/stress – an unpredictable world
Other health conditions
Functional Vision tracking ability
Sensory
Don’t stop stimulatory behavior – we redirect it in a socially acceptable way
Fluorescent lights
Hypersensitivity to sensory input
Lack of self-regulatory behavior
Proprioceptive (where are you)
Tactile, Taste, Sight, Hearing, Smell
Too much noise
Vestibular (balance)
Social Cognition /Social Skills including
Abnormal body posture
Are extremely egocentric
Difficulty initiating and terminating conversations
Difficulty switching to another topic.
Difficulty understanding the rules of social interaction
Difficulty understanding unwritten rules
Facial expressions interpret
Failure to understand emotions, gestures
Have difficulty with empathy,
Interpersonal relationships
Interprets literally
Lack of understanding of social customs
Lacks tact
Make irrelevant comments
May be naive
Misinterpret social cues
Narrow topic usage
Pedantic (overly formal)
Personal space - standing too close
Poor generalization across environments
Problems with social distance
Ridged literal communication – black and white
Don’t follow the rules of conversation
Socially awkward
Staring
Talk at people instead of to them
Talk incessantly about a favorite subject
Talk over the speech of others
Understanding intent and environment
Understanding jokes
Use monotone or stilted, unnatural tone of voice
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