Theories and Approaches to Working with Students with Mild Disabilities

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Theories and Approachesto Working with Students
with Mild Disabilities

• Week 09 Week of 26 March, 2001The Role of
  Theory in Facilitating Teaching and Learning for
  Students with Mild Disabilities The Relationship
  between Theory and A Classification of Teaching
  Methods
• Read Lerner, Chapter 4 (pp. 118-140 only)and all
  of Chapter 6.
• Do the sixth set of postings (Week 09).

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Week 09 Advance Organizer
The Role of Theory in Facilitating Teaching and
Learning for Students with Mild Disabilities The
Relationship between Theory and A Classification
of Teaching Methods

• When these reading assignments are completed, the
  student will be able to

1. Classify teaching methods according to analysis
   of the student, analysis of content, and analysis
   of environmental conditions.
2. Discuss the role of theory in planning services
   for students with learning disabilities.
3. Understand the relationship between theory and a
   classification of teaching methods.

Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition
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Week 09 Chapter Summary
The purpose of theory is to bring form,
coherence, and meaning to what we observe in the
real world. Theory serves as a guide for
activities and for structural thought. Theories
are meant to be working statements, not eternal
truths. Theory building implies the development
of conceptual frameworks that take into account
the shortcomings of earlier theories.
Continued
Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition
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Week 09 Chapter Summary
Developmental theories of learning disabilities
stress the relationship of the natural
progression of child growth to the sequential
development of cognitive abilities. A state of
readiness is needed before the child can acquire
certain abilities. Forcing a child to learn
before he or she has reached the state of
readiness can lead to academic failure and create
learning disabilities.
Continued
Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition
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Week 09 Chapter Summary
Behavioral theories of learning disabilities
emphasize direct teaching and mastery of academic
skills. These theories analyze each academic
task in terms of the subskills that lead to
achievement of that task and of explicit and
direct instruction in each of the
subskills. Cognitive psychology deals with the
way human beings learn, think, and know.
Concepts in cognitive psychology have been
broadly elaborated over the years, and ideas in
the field of learning disabilities reflect these
changes. Theories of psychological-processing
and information processing models, and cognitive
learning theories are reviewed.
Continued
Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition
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Week 09 Chapter Summary
Learning strategies instruction teaches students
with learning disabilities how to use the
learning approaches used by good learners.
Students learn how to learn. The methods involve
metacognition (or directing ones learning).
Styles of learning and the social context of
learning are also discussed.
Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition
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Week 09 A Classification of Teaching Materials

• Type of Analysis

Approaches to Teaching
Cognitive Processing
Stages of Child Development
Analysis of the Student
Learning Strategies
Mastery Learning
Teaching Methods
Special Techniques
Analysis of the Curriculum
Materials
Behavioral
Psychotherapeutic
Analysis of the Environment
Pedagogical
Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition, p. 42
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Week 09 Controlling Instructional Variables

• Difficulty Level
• Space
• Time
• Language
• Interpersonal Relationships

Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition, p. 43
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Week 09 Theories of Learning

• Why theory is important
• Developmental psychology and maturational
  theories
• Behavioral psychology and direct instruction
• Cognitive psychology psychological-processing
  and information-processing models
• Metacognition and learning strategies

Adapted from Lerner, 8th edition, p. 62
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Week 9 Stages of the IEP Process
Referral Stages
Assessment Stages
1 PrereferralActivities
2 Referral and Initial Planning
4 Case Conference or IEP Meeting Writing the IEP
3 MultidisciplinaryEvaluation
Instruction Stages
6 Monitoring the Students Progress
5 Implementing the Teaching Plan
Adapted from Cases in Learning and Behavior
Problems A Guide to Individualized Education
Programs, by J. Lerner, D. Dawson, and L.
Horvath, 1980.
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Week 09 Components of the IEP Addressed in
Chapter 3
Before the midterm exam (in week 7)we looked at

• Present Level(s) of Performance (PLOPs)
• Annual Goals and STOs/Benchmarks
• Participation in Statewide and District
  Assessments, and
• Progress Toward Annual Goals

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Week 09 Components of the IEP Addressed in
Chapters 4 and 6

• Special Education and Related Services,
  Modifications, Accommodations and Supports
• Frequency, Location and Durationof Services
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

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Week 09 Services, Modifications, Supports

• Each IEP must include a statement of the
  special education and related services and
  supplementary aids and services to be provided to
  the child, or on behalf of the child, and a
  statement of the program modifications or
  supports for school personnelthat will be
  provided for the child to

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Week 09 Services, Modifications, Supports

• Advance appropriately toward attaining the annual
  goals
• Be involved and progress in the general
  curriculum and to participate in extracurricular
  and other nonacademic activities and
• Be educated and participate with other children
  with disabilities and nondisabledchildren in
  extracurricular andnonacademic activities.

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Week 09 Support Services
Materials/Equipment Tape recorders / head
phones Computers, Calculators Augmentative
communication devices Braille writers, Large
print books Books on tape, Videos NCR paper,
Highlighted textbooks Wheelchair trays, Adapted
desks /tables Switches, Accessibility
products Specialized microscopes, etc.
Arrangements Groups Partners Peer support Study
carrels Seating arrangements Reduced time in
class Plan for movement Aisles widened
Individualized Personal care Facilitator(communica
tion, movement, focus) Assignments shortened,
modified, eliminated Alternate activity
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Week 09 Curriculum Modifications

• Writing - Skeletal outlines, graphic organizers,
  copy dictated responses, writing process aids,
  fill-in the blank options, note cards.
• Reading - Highlighted documents, books on tape,
  peer-readers, picture cues, vocabulary lists,
  study guide, skeletal outline, choral reading,
  read questions first, power phrasing, main idea
  summaries.
• Mathematics - Manipulative, scientific
  calculator, process cue cards, labs, use pictures
  or graphics, put into words.
• Listening - Pre-written notes to follow,
  not-taking format, semantic mapping,
  verbal/visual association strategies, tape
  recorder.
• Labs / Group Activities - Steps outlined, picture
  sequences, pair assignments, assigned jobs.
• Oral Presentations - Use of visuals,
  tapes,videos, or over-heads.
• Organization - Responsibility checklists,assignme
  nt calendar, unit outlines, rubric,color coding
  notebooks, learning logs.

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Week 09 Components of the IEP Addressed in
Chapters 4 and 6

• Special Education and Related Services,
  Modifications, Accommodations and Supports
• Frequency, Location and Durationof Services
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

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Week 09 Frequency, Location, Duration

• Each IEP must include the projected date of
  the services and modifications described in
  special education and related services,
  supplementary aids and services, and program
  modifications or supports and the anticipated
  frequency, location, and duration of those
  services and modifications.

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Week 09 Frequency, Location, Duration

• Each IEP must include the projected date of
  the services and modifications described in
  special education and related services,
  supplementary aids and services, and program
  modifications or supports and the anticipated
  frequency, location,and duration of those
  servicesand modifications.

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Week 09 Components of the IEP Addressed in
Chapters 4 and 6

• Special Education and Related Services,
  Modifications, Accommodations and Supports
• Frequency, Location and Durationof Services
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

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Week 09

• Least Restrictive Environment
• (LRE)

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Week 09 3 Primary Areas to Consider

• Placement

• Appropriate Program (IEP)

FAPE

• Written document
• Details
• Special ed and related services

Procedural Safeguards

• Parental Participation
• Notice and Consent

• Gather datahealth,vision/hearing, social
  emotional, general intelligence, academic
  performance, communication, motor abilities
• Determine eligibility

• Evaluation and Identification

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Week 09
Rita Case Study / IEP Part III pp. 178 - 179