Statistics, Rivers, and Bugs! Oh My!

Use descriptive words such as straight, forward, left, etc. in relation to the student's body orientation. Be specific in directions and avoid the use of vague terms with unusable information, such as "over there", "here", "this", etc.

Describe, in detail, pertinent visual occurrences of the learning activities.

Describe and tactually familiarize the student to the classroom, laboratory, equipment, supplies, materials, field sites, etc.

Give verbal notice of room changes, special meetings, or assignments.

Offer to read written information for a person with a visual impairment, when appropriate.

Order the appropriate text books for the students in their preferred medium.

Identify yourself by name, don't assume that the student who is visually impaired will recognize you by your voice even though you have met before.

If you are asked to guide a student with a visual impairment, identify yourself, offer your services and, if accepted, offer your arm to the student's hand. Tell them if they have to step up or step down, let them know if the door is to their left or right, and warn them of possible hazards.

Orally, let the student know if you need to move or leave or need to end a conversation.

If a student with a visual impairment is in class, routinely check the instructional environment to be sure it is adequate and ready for use.

When communicating with a student who has a vision impairment, always identify yourself and others who are present.

Do not pet or touch a guide dog. Guide dogs are working animals. It can be hazardous for the visually impaired person if the dog is distracted.

Be understanding of the slight noise made by a portable translator.

Also use an auditory or tactile signal where a visual signal is normally used.

It is not necessary to speak loudly to people with visual impairments.

Always notify changes of class schedule in advance.

Teacher Presentation

By verbally spelling out a new or technical word, you will be helping the student with a vision impairment, as well as for other students.

An enlarged activity script, directions, or readings of a detailed lesson can be used for a low vision person and for use in describing tactile 3D models .

Use an overhead projector to show step-by-step instructions. Mask all the instructions except the one(s) that you want to present.

Use an opaque projector whenever possible to enlarge a text or manual.

All colored objects used for identification related to a lesson, experiment, or other directions should be labeled with a Braille label maker or otherwise tacitly coded for most students with vision impairments.

Describe, in detail, visual occurrences, visual media, and directions including all pertinent aspects that involve sight.

Use a sighted narrator or descriptive video (preferably the latter) to describe aspects of videos or laser disks.

Describe, in detail, all pertinent visual occurrences or chalkboard writing.

Where needed, have lesson or direction materials Brailled, use an enlarged activity script, or recorded ahead of time, for class handouts.

Have tactile 3D models, raised line drawings, or thermoforms available to supplement drawings or graphics in a tactile format when needed.

Whenever possible, use actual objects for three dimensional representations.

Modify instructions for auditory/tactile presentation.

Use raised line drawings for temporary tactile presentations.

Use an overhead projector, chalkboard, graphs, or slides as you would normally, but provide more detailed oral descriptions, possibly supplemented with thermoforms where appropriate.

Allow student to use a tape recorder for recording classroom presentations or the text.

Make all handouts and assignments available in an appropriate form: e.g., regular print, large print, Braille, or on a cassette, depending on the students optimal mode of communication.

Use a monocular or a private eye (electronic miniature television) or similar devices for long range observations of chalk board or demonstration table presentations.

Emotional Disorder

Source: http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/passwd/trc/ttools/attach/accomm/emotbeha.doc

EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOR DISORDER

An emotional disability characterized by one or more of the following: Displayed pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression, consistent or chronic inappropriate type of behavior or feelings under normal conditions, inability to learn that cannot be adequately explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors, displayed tendency to develop physical symptoms, pains, or fears associated with personal or school problems, inability to build or maintain interpersonal relationships with peers and/or teachers.

Instructional Method /

Delivery

Accommodations

Discussion / Questioning

· Discuss the need to raise hand before speaking and listening to others.

· Reward the child for exhibiting good turn-taking skills.

· Limit questions to a small topic gradually increasing the scope of your questioning as the child’s ability to “stick to the topic” increases.

Independent Worksheets

· Break down tasks into very small steps that are clearly detailed, i.e., number tasks: 1, 2, 3 etc.

· Visually divide worksheet with lines, boxes, and different colored areas.

· Teacher should prioritize for the students which tasks need to be completed first, second, third, etc.

· Provide self-checking and/or self-monitoring experiences for their work.

Assessments

· Identify the behavior that needs to change and collect “data” on the

behavior.

· Develop a “hypothesis” or best guess for the reason for the behavior, and then develop an intervention to help change the behavior.

· Evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.

Centers

· Include activities for various skill/ability levels.

· Self-monitoring activities should be utilized within the center upon

completion of desired tasks.

· Provide list of carefully sequenced steps for student to follow to “move” throughout the center with a clear starting point, middle, and end.

Projects

· Encourage “mini projects” to familiarize the child with the “project”

concept of learning, providing the child with numerous guided practice activities until he/she has demonstrated to the teacher the necessary skills to independently and successfully apply these skills to a larger project.

· Limit the child’s “choices” for projects to ideas that he/she has had

prior experiences with (if necessary) until the child has shown an ability to assimilate, organize, and transfer new information so that the child may complete a satisfactory project with ease.

· Provide peer “editors,” self-checking/monitoring activities, at numerous points throughout the student’s work for the project.

Reports

· Follow suggestions under “WRITING” instructional method.

· Provide examples for the students to follow with step-by-step procedures stated for the student.

· Break the report-writing process into manageable blocks for the student.

EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOR DISORDER

Instructional Method /

Delivery

Accommodations

Reading

· Pre-Reading- Use materials that will tie into the student’s prior knowledge of a related subject.

· Use “advance organizers” to help the child transfer and maintain new skills.

· Initially choose shorter stories, then choose longer stories as the child’s skills improve.

· Choose stories with lower vocabulary requirements that are age and ability appropriate for the child that will present minimal frustration for the student.

Writing

· Pre-Writing-Help the students to think about what they are going to say (and express the idea to the teacher or a student “buddy”) before they write their ideas.

· Use graphic organizers, Venn diagram, web, brainstorm sheet, etc., to help organize student’s thoughts.

· If appropriate, teacher may partially complete the graphic organizers, specifically potentially “troublesome areas” for the student until the student has shown he can independently fill out these organizers.

· Have the student practice “SSSH”- S-sharpened pencil ready with

paper? S- straightened your work area? S-Sitting correctly? H-Have “listening” ears on?

Drawing

· If fine-motor skills are a weakness, use larger implements and/or grasps.

· Be flexible regarding the student’s response to the assignment, i.e., medium used, display type.

· Choose assignments with few steps, using only one type of medium at a time.

· Encourage thinking beyond “ there is only one correct way to draw” and anything other than that is a lesser work.

· Provide continuous feedback throughout the drawing process.

· Allow extra time if necessary to complete the task.

Groups

· Foster student interdependence within groups-natural support systems (“buddies”) within a larger group.

· Describe/rehearse rules of conduct and/or each student’s role within

the group expected to participate in the group.

· Allow each student his/her “physical” space within the group.

EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOR DISORDER

Instructional Method /

Delivery

Accommodations

Note-taking

· Give the student a teacher-developed “outline” to follow, blocking

off for the student “critical areas” the student needs to gather more

information about in his/her notes.

· Utilize a “peer editor” to go over student’s notes with the student.

· Show the student samples to compare his/her notes to so that the

student may then “revise” their own work.

Presentation

· Following a teacher-made “presentation checklist,” demonstrate and

model techniques to use during a presentation.

· Use guided practice with the student in small groups the child feels

comfortable in until the child’s presentation skills are developed.

· Break the presentation itself, into clearly defined, logical

components for the student before practicing their presentations.

Computers

· Present the skills that need to be applied into manageable chunks for the student.

· Present student with new information that has been linked to a previously learned skill.

· Allow the child sufficient time to learn task.

· Teach one software application at a time.

· Allow the child to explore numerous ways to accomplish a task, i.e., formatting a paragraph in a word processing program, if the child prefers to “discover” for him/herself solutions for the required activity.

* If the accommodations do not seem appropriate for the student, remember to check other disability areas.