Special Education » Child Education

Knowing the ABC’s of Behavior Can Benefit Your Child in Special Education

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:45:31 +0000

Does your child with autism or another disability have difficulty with their behavior at school? Are you trying to figure out why your child is misbehaving at school? This article will introduce you to the ABC’s of behavior. It is the first place to start, in trying to figure out why your child has behavioral difficulty.

The process for figuring out what the behavior is and what to do about it involves 6 steps:
Step 1. Determination of what the behavior is.
Step 2. Finding out what the ABC’s of behavior are.
Step 3. Conducting a appropriately performed functional behavioral assessment (FBA), to determine what function the behavior has for your child.
Step 4. Consider the use of Positive Behavioral supports.
Step 5. Use the hypothesis from the FBA to develop a positive behavior plan.
Step 6: Reviewing the positive behavioral plan to see if it is working, and change if necessary.

This article will discuss step one and step two; determining what the behavior is and finding out what the ABC’s of behavior are.

Before step three can be done, you and special education personnel must understand what the behavior is that your child is having. The behaviors need to be defined in concrete terms that are simple to measure, and should be included in your child’s individual educational plan (IEP).

For Example: Mary hits children while at recess, when she does not get her own way. Johnny makes animal sounds in class when his teacher is paying attention to other students.

The ABC’s of behavior are;
A. Stands for antecedent: Which is what is occurring in the environment before the behavior happens?
B. Stands for behavior: Specifically what the behavior is
C. Stands for Consequences of the behavior: What happens in the environment or to the child because of the behavior.

In the above examples the ABC’s for Mary and Johnny are listed below:

Mary;
A. Mary is at recess, playing with other children
B. Mary hits other children when she does not get her own way. If another child picks the game, if she wants a ball that is being used by another child etc.
C. The children usually give in to her and give her what she wants. If the teacher sees it she has to sit down for the rest of recess.

Johnny;
A. Johnny’s class is doing individual work, and Johnny’s teacher is helping another child.
B. Johnny starts making animal sounds.
C. Johnny’s teacher comes over to him

If your child is having negative behavior at school, ask special education personnel to track the behavior for several days or a week, using the ABC’s of behavior. This will help you and school personnel be prepared for the next step which is conducting a functional behavioral assessment, to determine what your child is receiving from the behavior.

By: JoAnn Collins

4 Benefits Your Child In Special Education Can Receive From FERPA

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:47:11 +0000

Do you wonder if your child’s right to privacy in their educational records, has been violated? Would you like to learn how FERPA can help your child? This article will discuss the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which applies to all educational institutions to which receives funds from the Department of Education. Also discussed are 4 benefits that your child can get from FERPA.

Benefit 1: Use FERPA to review your child’s school record to see if it is accurate, and if it contains items that you have not seen. It is amazing, what you can find in your child’s school record. Also look for items that may support your case.

For Example: If your child has behavior difficulties, that special education personnel want to suspend them for, look for evidence that the behavior has been happening for a while. School personnel are supposed to work to prevent the behavior, rather than continuously punishing the child for it.

Ask for a copy of any item that you have not seen, or supports your case. Special education personnel may charge a reasonable copying fee, though you should ask for the school policy on parents receiving free records.

Benefit 2: Use FERPA to have removed anything in your child’s school record that is inaccurate, misleading or violates your child’s right to privacy. Once again, it is amazing what you will find in your child’s school record. If something is written about your child or family that you disagree with, ask that it be taken out. If the school district refuses, they can file for a due process hearing, to prove to the hearing officer that the school’s records are accurate.

Benefit 3: Use FERPA to ask for items that you may not think about, as part of your child’s school record. You have the right to review everything that has your child’s name on it; permanent record, temporary record, e mails, internal memos, testing materials and protocols, audio recordings, video recordings, etc. If your child has difficulty on the bus, ask and see if your child’s bus contains a camera. If it does, ask for copies of any day that you are concerned about.

Benefit 4: If you feel that your child’s confidentiality has been breeched by special education personnel, file for a FERPA complaint. This complaint can be filed with the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) at: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC 20202.

Your child has the right to confidentiality in their educational records. You have the right as their parent to access their school records. Good luck in your fight for an appropriate education for your child with a disability, the fight is worth it!

By: JoAnn Collins

Special Education – How to Determine What the Function of Your Child’s School Behavior Is!

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:13:08 +0000

Does your child with autism, ADHD, or another disability, have problems with negative school behavior? Have you driven yourself crazy trying to figure out why your child is behaving badly? You can relax, this article will discuss a process which is known as a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) that can help you figure out what your child is gaining from their school behavior. You can use this information to develop a positive behavioral plan, and increase your child’s good behavior.

Before special education personnel can conduct the FBA on your child, they must pinpoint what the behavior is and describe it in concrete terms. For Example: Mary hits other children when she cannot be first in line.

Next you must determine what the ABC’s of a specific behavior are. A stands for Antecedent; what is occurring in the environment at the time of the behavior. B stands for the specific behavior. C stands for the consequence of the behavior;what happens in the environment or to the child because of the behavior. Have special education personnel track the ABC’s of the behavior for one week. This information can be used to develop the FBA.

Now special education personnel are ready to conduct the functional behavioral assessment, on your child. The definition of an FBA is: A process for collection of information. The data the team collects is used to help determine why problem behaviors occur.

Once you determine why the problem behavior occurs, the information from the functional behavioral assessment will be used to develop a positive behavioral plan. A positive behavioral plan is not punishment for negative behavior, but a plan to increase positive behavior, which will in turn decrease negative behavior.

Appropriate steps for conducting a FBA:

1. Identify the problem behaviors that most need to change. Isolate them and describe them in concrete terms.
2. Determine where the behavior occurs and where it does not.
3. Identify what may contribute to the behavior. Is the child ill, are the child’s academics too hard, avoidance of something, attention getting etc.
4. What is unique, about the environments where behaviors are not a concern.
5. What is different, in the places where the problem behaviors do occur.
6. Is the work that a child is asked to do cause the problem.
7. Could the time of day affect your child’s behavior.
8. Is the problem linked to a skill deficit?
9. Come up with a list of new positive behaviors that can be taught to the child, that have the same function as the negative behaviors.
10.Develop a theory about why the behavior is occurring! Some people call this a hypothesis, about why the behavior is happening.
11.Test your theory. Develop a positive behavioral plan and track to see if your child’s behavior is improving.
12.Occasionally meet with school personnel and evaluate whether the positive behavior plan continues to be effective, or if the plan needs to be updated.

By following these steps in conducting the functional behavioral assessment, you will finally understand what your child is gaining, from the negative school behavior. After you and special education personnel develop a positive behavioral plan, your child will be well on their way to improving their school behavior.

By: JoAnn Collins

Successfully Overcoming Special Education Deny Or Delay Tactics

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:57:28 +0000

Does your young child with autism need applied behavioral analysis (ABA) treatment? Are special education personnel delaying making a decision or totally denying needed educational services? This article will discuss, how you can successfully overcome deny or delay tactics, by some school personnel.

Many research studies have shown how important early intervention is for all children with disabilities. But if you waste time waiting for special education personnel to give your child the educational and related services that they need, your child’s life will be negatively affected.

Below are a few ways, to stop the deny or delay tactics, of some school personnel:

1. Make school personnel accountable for IDEA time lines. Learn about the time lines because a lot of delays that some school personnel try and get away with, are because parents do not understand the time lines, or do not make special education personnel accountable for the time lines. After you learn about the time lines are, write school personnel a letter, telling them that you know what the time lines are, and you will be holding them to the time lines.

Some things are not covered by time lines. For these I usually use 14 days. For Example: I would like a written response to my letter. I expect to receive it within 14 days. On the 15th day I write them again, and give them a shorter time frame, 5 days. If they refuse to answer my letter in writing, I would file for a state complaint. Your complaint would be, that you school district is preventing you from being an equal participant in your child’s education and Individual Education Plan (IEP) process.

2. Get an independent educational evaluation (IEE) of your child. This evaluation will give you evidence of what services your child requires. The evaluation should include, testing on academic and functional progress, educational and related services that your child needs, and what placement they require. Once you receive the in depth report from the independent evaluator, set up an IEP meeting to discuss the results. Make sure if possible, that the independent evaluator can participate in the IEP meeting by telephone. This will increase your chances of have special education personnel accept the evaluation.

3. If the school district refuses to give your child the recommended educational and related services, consider filing for a due process hearing immediately. By getting an IEE before you file for a due process hearing, you will be able to use the independent evaluators report, as evidence at a due process hearing.

Some parents wait for months, negotiating with school personnel, only to find out that the school district refuses to give the child what they need. Do not waste your child’s precious time! File for a due process now!

While due process is not an easy thing and can be adversarial, the special education personnel will continue to delay a decision, if they know that you will let them get away with it. I have heard from some parents that have waited for years, while school personnel delayed a decision.

By using these advocacy strategies you will be stopping the deny or delay tactics, of some special education personnel. Remember all the time that you waste, waiting for a decision on whether needed services are going to be given to your child, will negatively affect your child’s life. Keep up the fight!

By: JoAnn Collins

New Teacher Tips – How to Set Up a Special Education Classroom

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:07:01 +0000

If your child is in a special education class, it is imperative that several things should be in order in order to maximize the learning conditions and subsequently their achievement.

In order to facilitate the learning, the classroom should have a special desk arrangement. Desks should be arranged in rows in order to minimize the amount of distractions caused by group and paired learning.

Another way to cater to the various levels is to set up a learning center around various stations that allow for hands-on fun or educational experiences depending on the educational background of the student. Learning centers should also provide a variety of activities and themes which ultimately makes the learning purposeful.

An additional set-up arrangement is to put the teacher’s desk in front of the class which allows for individual eye contact and body language.

In some special education classrooms, restroom facilities are located within the classroom. However, not all special education are set up in this way. However it can be a consideration should other arrangements be unsatisfactory.

As a new special education teacher, you’ll want a classroom setup that encourages an effective engagement with minimal distractions. With children who need to deal with special learning adjustments, try for a new setup that is not too overwhelming for him/her to function. You’ll want to also maintain control with the rest of the class as well.

Consider the kinds of activities that are systematic enough to help these kids thrive under a minimal number of classroom arrangement. Kids do not thrive well under too many unanticipated situations.

So what are you waiting for? Try it!

By: Dorit Sasson

Can Special Education Personnel Pick And Choose Services And What About Waiting Lists?

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:37:48 +0000

Have you been told by special education personnel that they do not provide Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, for children with autism? Have you been told that your school district only provides certain services, due to money issues? Is your child on a waiting list for educational or related services? This article will discuss whether the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), allows special education personnel to only provide certain services to children with a disability. Also discussed, are children put on waiting lists for related and educational services.

IDEA defines special education as: specially designed instruction at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability…

The purpose of IDEA is to provide an education that meets a child’s unique needs and prepares the child for further education, employment and independent living.

Special Education Personnel cannot pick and choose which services that they are going to offer to children with disabilities. That having been said, many school personnel do try and limit what services that they will give children. This is the reason why it is critical that you stand up to special education personnel, who may ruin your child’s life by not giving them the services that they need.

If special education personnel try and limit your child’s services, ask them to show you, under what authority they have the right to deny your child needed educational services (there isn’t any). Remember what special education is-special designed instruction to meet the unique needs of your child.

Also, consider getting an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) of your child to prove what services that your child needs. The evaluator can participate in an IEP meeting by telephone, when the evaluations recommendations are discussed.

Waiting lists are also not allowed under IDEA. The difficulty is that when special education personnel state that they are putting your child on a waiting list, it sounds like it could be reasonable. It is not until you find out that waiting lists are not allowed, that you realize that you have been deceived. Always ask special education personnel to prove to you in writing, that what they are saying is the truth. If they cannot show you in writing that what they said is truthful; it probably is not.

For Example: Your 3 year old child with autism needs Applied Behavioral Analysis Treatment. The special education personnel, tells you that the class is full, and that they are waiting for additional funding for a new class. But in the mean time, your child will be put on a waiting list. Write them a letter, documenting what they said, and ask them to show you where it states in federal or state law, that they are allowed to have waiting lists (they aren’t). File for a state complaint for violation of your child’s rights.

By understanding what special education personnel can and cannot do under IDEA, helps you in your advocacy efforts for your child. Do not give up fighting for an appropriate education for your child, or their life may be forever ruined!

By: JoAnn Collins

What Makes Special Education So Special

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:59:35 +0000

Special education is defined as specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. These types of students can range from partially to severely disabled. Until you have a child requiring special education you can not appreciate the tremendous job the educators who work with these kids do.

Most schools provide some level of special education if your child has a learning disability on any particular area. Some have a full time staff who specialize in various areas to help children. Depending on the severity you may be faced with enrolling your child in a special needs school. This is something you will have to discuss with your teachers and school administrators.

There are many excellent online resources for parents to research and learn things they can do to help their child as well. Just Google searching the keyword phrase “special education” will bring up thousands of results to get you started. Most parents want to be involved in helping their kids and the internet is becoming a big help in this area. One thing you can do is sign up for as many free email newsletters on the subject of special education to easily be kept up to date on a weekly and monthly basis.

One of the primary problems parents and kids both face, when it comes to educating their kids who require special needs, is how to let them interact with other kids. Social development is certainly important to the growth of a child, many times as much so as education itself. It is generally in the best interest of your child to interact with other kids as often as possible.

Of course a common problem is how to deal with insensitive comments made to you child by other kids. As a parent it is only natural to try and protect your child, when it fact it may be better to let them learn how to handle things themselves. Most kids will seek out and want to play and be around other kids who accept them for who they are.

This is an important step in the development in the education of your child. Overall it is important to let your child interact with other kids as early and often as possible. Only step in when you feel it is really necessary and in the long run you are doing your child a favor.

This has been a quick overview on special education and what you can do as a parent to be more involved. The development of special needs children in many ways is more rewarding than other children and knowing you played a role in that is a feeling you will never replace.

By: Lester Lee

5 Reasons Why Your Child Receiving Special Education May Be Misbehaving

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:20:06 +0000

Does your child with autism have increased behavioral difficulty at school? Do you sometimes wonder, why your child misbehaves at certain times of day at school, or while doing certain activities? To determine what your child is receiving from the behavior a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) must be conducted. But this article, will give you a few things that could be causing your child’s behavior.

Reason 1: Your child could be having difficulty with their behavior, due to a health concerns. When my daughter Angelina was younger she would have behavioral outbursts that seemed to be tied to not feeling well. I would take her home, she would go to bed, and wake up and do just fine.

Also if your child has seizures, the behavior could be seizure related. Keep track of the behavior and check with your child’s doctor, if you think there could be a health reason for the behavior.

Reason 2: Many children with autism or other disabilities have sensory integration dysfunction; which can negatively affect their behavior. Some children misbehave, because they are wanting, sensory stimulation. Or some children are trying to avoid sensory stimulation.

You can learn more about sensory integration dysfunction, by reading a book about the disorder. Or search the internet for treatments and things that can be done in the classroom to help your child.

Reason 3: Your child could be trying to escape hard academics, or a situation that they cannot handle.

Investigate and make sure that your child is being taught academics at their level so that they do not get frustrated.

Reason 4: Some children misbehave because they are trying to get attention, from other students or special education personnel.

Reason 5: If your child is not receiving an appropriate education in the right type of placement, they may experience a lot of behavioral difficulty.

When my daughter Angelina was younger, she would throw herself on the ground to avoid hard academics. Also if a child is unable to learn academics, it might be time to consider functional skills training. In my advocacy I have seen many children positively respond to functional skills, without behavior. Angelina also responded very well to increased functional skills training rather than a focus on academics.

By learning if any special circumstances are causing your child’s behavior difficulties, you will be able to try some different things to see if they help! Good Luck!

By: JoAnn Collins