Post by Amy Lombardi on Mar 31, 2009 12:12:18 GMT -5
Subject: Direct Instruction Classroom?
Name: Corrina Dahl
Date Posted: Nov 17, 08 - 10:52 AM
Message: Hello! Clifford's teacher was discussing her ideas for helping Clifford remain alert during class and the Vice Principal has decided to call and IEP meeting, which I believe is to put these things into the IEP to make sure they are followed, fine by me.
At any rate, she also wants to discuss moving him from the special education classroom to a direct education classroom. They believe this would offer more challenges to him and keep him more engaged.
At this point I'm not totally sure of the differences and wondered if anyone had any expirience with this?
Thanks
Name: Nori
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 6:36 AM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Corrina,
I'm so sorry you are going through all this with school. I remember it well, it was a constant battle.
Keep one thing in mind.... he doesn't need to be educated, he needs the experience of going to school, the socialization and just because that's what kids do! Anything that stresses him out just IS NOT worth it. Make sure you get what is best for him in this impromtu IEP and not what is best for some educator who knows nothing about what Batten's really is or what it does to Clifford.
My moto was: Make his life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible and forget the dumb stuff.
Name: Corrina Dahl
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 8:17 AM
Message: Thanks Nori and I so agree with you. One thing think they are thinking about is his socialization with this possible move. I don't know all the kids in his class but I think he might be closer to a typical 6th grader than many of them so it might actually be better for him to be with kids with similar skill/cognitive levels. Last year this seemed to be the case but this year he is in a different classroom than most of the kids he was with last year. I'm not sure why.
I do know he is happier with school this year. He has slightly less homework and his homework is more appealing to him. For example, he writes out the weather report each day. He loves that and it helps him practice his braille and spelling. He also has 6 spelling words and these are pratical words like months, days, colors etc and he seems to enjoy that.
Basically I want to keep him eager to attend and keep us from being stressed after school. I also don't want them to expect that he is capable of staying awake and altert all day everyday and accomodate his classes around that. For example, if he is sleepy this AM in band why can't he pratice later today? Stuff like that.
Name: Nancy Peterson
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 9:49 AM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Corrina,
David was what they call "mainstreamed" in the California Special Education system. He was in a regular classroom through 8th grade and socialization and his cognitive level was the reason. Through the IEP we lowered the homework expectations and noted that if he fell asleep to just let him sleep at his desk. He truly enjoyed just being one of the kids. He didn't realize that he wasn't doing the level of work that his peer did, so he wasn't upset. He always wanted to do the class projects. I made a fabulous relief map of France when he was in 6th grade!! We also built some really cool bachelor pads in a box in 7th & 8th grade. He would enjoy making decisions and being part of the process to his ability. Starting in 5th grade some of his day was spent in the resource room to work on his braille skills. By the way, the kids in his class had a very special experience having David in their class and helping him. I do recommend that the teachers is comfortable with it. Not all teachers are. We were bless that we only had one bad one. Trust your instincts and push forward. The school sounds like they are proactive, just concerned about about giving him the best education. Other than worrying about the sleeping, it sounds like they are making a program that works for Clifford. Good luck.
Nancy
Name: John Heuchan
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 1:24 PM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Healthy, Happy and Feel Successful!!!
That has been our goals. Nick was public mainstream until this year. Now he is at Md School for the Blind. Our school system, even though the 6th largest in the nation, could not accomodate Nick to the level that he needed in Braille and non-visual learning. We are lucky to have MSB 20 minutes from the house and they have had Batten Kids before. His classroom room size is now 6 not 28. He did lose the PA, but that can be afforded at the room size he is now in. They keep the kids busy and do not let them get bored. I think this is because they are not teaching in a visual arena and therefore the kids are kept busier and are applying themselves more.
I know the kids help and they will be there. Most of Nick's friend went to different schools this year for the magnet program they wanted to study.
Good Luck we understand where you are at on this.
John
Name: Mary Beth
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 5:59 PM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Your direct insruction sounds like our life skills class. Aaron 13 Jncl was moved there 2 yrs. ago and has been doing well. ( I fought not to put him there but his cognition had regressed to where we had no choice and at first I thought he would just fall through the cracks and be forgotten about) BUT.... We recently had an IEP meeting and I took him out of all regular ed academics. He gets adaptive science, math, reading spelling in this classroom as well as braille instruction, O&M, PT,OT,ST. There are only 8-10 kids in the class with multiple learning disablities. They are all kept busy with work at whatever level they are at. He also gets adaptive swimming,gym and art which is nice. He just started drum lessons and has peer readers and peer buddies where they come and socialize with Aaron in his comfort zone. In the past 7 yrs when Aaron was first diagnosed being blind( it's only a yr since dx with Battens) this is the first year that he has asked to go play with the other children! That's a pretty good comfort level. Don't get me wrong I'm not bragging it took years of fighting for every little thing and my realization that Aaron needed to be comfortable, happy, but challenaged in school. Good luck and you'll do the make the right choice.
Name: Corrina Dahl
Date Posted: Nov 17, 08 - 10:52 AM
Message: Hello! Clifford's teacher was discussing her ideas for helping Clifford remain alert during class and the Vice Principal has decided to call and IEP meeting, which I believe is to put these things into the IEP to make sure they are followed, fine by me.
At any rate, she also wants to discuss moving him from the special education classroom to a direct education classroom. They believe this would offer more challenges to him and keep him more engaged.
At this point I'm not totally sure of the differences and wondered if anyone had any expirience with this?
Thanks
Name: Nori
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 6:36 AM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Corrina,
I'm so sorry you are going through all this with school. I remember it well, it was a constant battle.
Keep one thing in mind.... he doesn't need to be educated, he needs the experience of going to school, the socialization and just because that's what kids do! Anything that stresses him out just IS NOT worth it. Make sure you get what is best for him in this impromtu IEP and not what is best for some educator who knows nothing about what Batten's really is or what it does to Clifford.
My moto was: Make his life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible and forget the dumb stuff.
Name: Corrina Dahl
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 8:17 AM
Message: Thanks Nori and I so agree with you. One thing think they are thinking about is his socialization with this possible move. I don't know all the kids in his class but I think he might be closer to a typical 6th grader than many of them so it might actually be better for him to be with kids with similar skill/cognitive levels. Last year this seemed to be the case but this year he is in a different classroom than most of the kids he was with last year. I'm not sure why.
I do know he is happier with school this year. He has slightly less homework and his homework is more appealing to him. For example, he writes out the weather report each day. He loves that and it helps him practice his braille and spelling. He also has 6 spelling words and these are pratical words like months, days, colors etc and he seems to enjoy that.
Basically I want to keep him eager to attend and keep us from being stressed after school. I also don't want them to expect that he is capable of staying awake and altert all day everyday and accomodate his classes around that. For example, if he is sleepy this AM in band why can't he pratice later today? Stuff like that.
Name: Nancy Peterson
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 9:49 AM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Corrina,
David was what they call "mainstreamed" in the California Special Education system. He was in a regular classroom through 8th grade and socialization and his cognitive level was the reason. Through the IEP we lowered the homework expectations and noted that if he fell asleep to just let him sleep at his desk. He truly enjoyed just being one of the kids. He didn't realize that he wasn't doing the level of work that his peer did, so he wasn't upset. He always wanted to do the class projects. I made a fabulous relief map of France when he was in 6th grade!! We also built some really cool bachelor pads in a box in 7th & 8th grade. He would enjoy making decisions and being part of the process to his ability. Starting in 5th grade some of his day was spent in the resource room to work on his braille skills. By the way, the kids in his class had a very special experience having David in their class and helping him. I do recommend that the teachers is comfortable with it. Not all teachers are. We were bless that we only had one bad one. Trust your instincts and push forward. The school sounds like they are proactive, just concerned about about giving him the best education. Other than worrying about the sleeping, it sounds like they are making a program that works for Clifford. Good luck.
Nancy
Name: John Heuchan
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 1:24 PM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Healthy, Happy and Feel Successful!!!
That has been our goals. Nick was public mainstream until this year. Now he is at Md School for the Blind. Our school system, even though the 6th largest in the nation, could not accomodate Nick to the level that he needed in Braille and non-visual learning. We are lucky to have MSB 20 minutes from the house and they have had Batten Kids before. His classroom room size is now 6 not 28. He did lose the PA, but that can be afforded at the room size he is now in. They keep the kids busy and do not let them get bored. I think this is because they are not teaching in a visual arena and therefore the kids are kept busier and are applying themselves more.
I know the kids help and they will be there. Most of Nick's friend went to different schools this year for the magnet program they wanted to study.
Good Luck we understand where you are at on this.
John
Name: Mary Beth
Date Posted: Nov 18, 08 - 5:59 PM
Email: Click here to Email
Message: Your direct insruction sounds like our life skills class. Aaron 13 Jncl was moved there 2 yrs. ago and has been doing well. ( I fought not to put him there but his cognition had regressed to where we had no choice and at first I thought he would just fall through the cracks and be forgotten about) BUT.... We recently had an IEP meeting and I took him out of all regular ed academics. He gets adaptive science, math, reading spelling in this classroom as well as braille instruction, O&M, PT,OT,ST. There are only 8-10 kids in the class with multiple learning disablities. They are all kept busy with work at whatever level they are at. He also gets adaptive swimming,gym and art which is nice. He just started drum lessons and has peer readers and peer buddies where they come and socialize with Aaron in his comfort zone. In the past 7 yrs when Aaron was first diagnosed being blind( it's only a yr since dx with Battens) this is the first year that he has asked to go play with the other children! That's a pretty good comfort level. Don't get me wrong I'm not bragging it took years of fighting for every little thing and my realization that Aaron needed to be comfortable, happy, but challenaged in school. Good luck and you'll do the make the right choice.