There is an extensive online training available regarding FASD. Check it out:
http://fasdcenter.samhsa.gov/educationTraining/courses/FASDthecourse/intro.aspx
or google ‘SAMHSD FASD Training’
Back from the Alaska State Special Education Conference
From keynote presentation by Jo Mascorro, M. Ed.
When working with students experiencing developmental disabilities we have two jobs; to educate the child and to educate others around us. We educate others around us by treating our students according to their chronological age. We send the wrong message when we hold the hands of our students (unless we are still doing that with their same age peers) when they are going down the hall. We send the wrong message when we talk using a baby voice to our students, even if they appear to have a much lower developmental age. We must respect their chronological age in order to respect our students and to send that same message to others around us.
Never talk about a student when that student is present.
Don’t allow adults to come into your room and have a casual dialogue in a learning environment. Your class is always for learning and teaching and that must be clear to everyone.
Respect the personal space of your students. Always approach them from the front and avoid touching them (to guide their work) unless absolutely necessary.
If a Student Has Difficulty, Try This!
| If student has difficulty … | Then try this… |
| Becoming interested | + Tell stories + Establish relevancy + Provide concrete experiences + Read story or article aloud to stimulate interest + Seat student close to teacher |
| Getting started | + Give cue to begin work + Give smaller amounts of work + Provide immediate feedback + Sequence work + Provide time suggestions + Check on progress + Peer tutor |
| Keeping track of materials and assignments | + Use a notebook + Use large envelope for each subject + Give extra assignment sheets to resource teacher and parent + Write assignment on board + Give incentives for bringing supplies |
| Completing tasks on time | + Reduce amount to be accomplished + Allow more time + Provide checklists + Provide closure at points along the way + Break tasks into smaller parts |
| Staying on task | + Reduce distraction + Increase reinforcements + Provide checklist + Reduce amount of work + Give break |
| Understanding cause/effect; anticipating consequences | + Use concrete examples + Use real life situations + Teach cause and effect directly, such as role playing, brainstorming, and/or simulation |
| Seeing relationships | + Directly point out relationships + Draw arrows on worksheets or test to show that ideas are related + Provide direct practice + Provide headings or a partially filled in charts, for example |
~Thanks to KPBSD school psychologist, Dr. Terese Kashi for providing the information for this series of newsletter articles
Instructional Adaptations
“Rules for Keeping Track of Assignments.” Display these in the classroom:
- Write your assignment exactly as your teacher gives it.
- Write the word “book,” “workbook,” or “worksheet.”
- Write the page number.
- Write all important information, such as “Part A, numbers 1 – 10.”
- Write the day and date (and class period if applicable) the assignment is due.
- Have parent initial the assignment planner / sheet.
Note Taking
- Provide a skeleton outline that includes the main ideas so students fill in supporting details
- Copy a reliable student’s notes to supplement the student’s notes.
- Allow time at the end of class for students to compare notes with peers or the teacher.
- Use a handout or class instruction to show a model set of notes before note taking is completed.
- Have students skilled in note taking sit near a student with special needs. Encourage note sharing.
- Provide drill in finding subheadings to determine if students noted all main ideas. Show completed notes during class.
- Allow students time to correct notes, review concepts, or read another student’s notes to check for note completeness.
- Highlight important sections of class notes.
- Encourage students to balance their notes with images and words, and to take notes in colored pencils.
- Explicitly teacher note taking and shortcuts in note taking.
- Consider accepting a set of rewritten and illustrated notes as an alternative to an assignment.
~Thanks to KPBSD school psychologist, Dr. Terese Kashi for
providing the information for this series of newsletter articles
Effectively Shortening Assignments
When students have learning difficulties, it often takes them more time to complete assignments. Shortened assignments that still provide necessary practice allow the student to complete work in a reasonable period without undue pressure and frustration.
- Identify terminology, concepts, and skills that are most important and require that these items be completed first.
- Star the essential items, allowing bonus points for other items completed.
- Reduce the number of questions or problems to be done at one time. Shorter assignments made more frequently provide the same amount of practice.
- Shorten time spent by allowing alternate formats to showing work. Allow the student to tape responses or give answers to a classmate who can write them for the student.
- Give slower readers modified or related stories that teach the same concepts.
- Cut a long worksheet into smaller segments and give the student one segment at a time. When one segment is completed, hand out the next. Follow this procedure until all segments are completed. When tasks are long or complex, many students have difficulty completing them,
- Create a card file for the student that contains definitions of frequently used words.
- Providing photocopies with fill-in-the-blank tasks can shorten assignments as well as promote learning of new words.
- Have student create a mind map / graphic organizer as an alternative to one or more assignments. This is an especially effective strategy for concept association.
- Look for alternative ways to assess student learning. For example, have students create a piece of art or write a poem that gives evidence for a level of understanding.
Always determine the purpose of shortening assignments for a particular student first in order to determine the most effective way to provide that accommodation.
~Thanks to KPBSD school psychologist, Dr. Terese Kashi for providing the information for this series of newsletter articles.