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Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions: EDUCATION How Do I find out if my child with ADHD qualifies for an IEP? You should request that the school intervention team conduct an eligibility evaluation, which includes testing, parent interviews, record reviews, and observations. Not all children diagnosed with ADHD qualify for an IEP. Only children who have a disability that impedes their ability to learn will qualify for an IEP. When is mediation appropriate? If you have contacted your child’s teacher, met with the IEP team, and/or the principal or director of special education and you continue to have concerns, you can request mediation from the Utah State Office of Education. Refer to a copy of your parental rights for steps to follow in seeking mediation. If you do not have a copy of your parental rights, ask your child’s teacher for a copy. What is mediation? Mediation is a process that helps parents and schools resolve disagreements related to special education. It is a step for resolving concerns before pursuing due process. In mediation, an impartial, trained mediator helps parents and schools communicate their concerns and work towards a solution that is acceptable to both and that is in the best interests of the child. Mediation is a voluntary process. All discussions in mediation are confidential—they can not be used as evidenced in future hearings. Can a school refuse to evaluate my child? Submit a written request to the principal saying that you are requesting an eligibility evaluation for your child, and list the reasons why you are requesting the testing. When you ask for testing, the IEP team meets to consider the request and to plan general education interventions. The IEP team will attempt to solve school problems first by making adjustments in the general classroom. What is Special Education? Special education is part of the public school program which provides specially designed instruction to meet the individual needs of students who have disabilities or developmental delays. What is the timeline for completing an evaluation for eligibility for Section 504? There is no set timeline. Unlike Special Education, Section 504 allows for a reasonable time frame. Ask for the evaluation in writing. Keep a copy of your request. If you do not hear back from the Special Education Director within 30 days, call and write him/her again. Sometimes you may need the assistance of an advocacy organization (such as Allies with Families) to speed this along. Must children thought to have ADD be evaluated by school districts? Yes. If parents believe that their child has a disability, whether by ADD or any other impairment, and the school district has reason to believe that the child may need special education, or related services, the school district must evaluate the child. If the school district does not evaluate the child, the school district must notify the parents of their due process rights. Resource: United States Office of Civil Rights Can parents request a due process hearing if a school district refuses to evaluate their child for ADD? Yes. In fact, parents may request a due process hearing to challenge any actions regarding the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of their child with a disability, whom they believe needs special education or related services. Resource: United States Office of Civil Rights. Is a child with ADD, who has a disability within the meaning of Section 504 but not under the IDEA, entitled to receive special education services? Yes. If a child with ADD is found to have a disability within the meaning of Section 504, he or she is entitled to receive any special education services the placement team decides are necessary. Resource: United States Office of Civil Rights. I had my child tested, but the school says I am not eligible for any support or services. What can I do? The federal guidelines are fairly rigid in terms of criteria that must be met to qualify for special education services. In my experience, the most questionable qualifiers apply to children with ADD or ADHD. Frequently these children do not meet the federal guidelines for the handicapping conditions most commonly associated with ADD or ADHD. However, I have found that these children can qualify as other health impaired because ADD or ADHD are medical diagnosis. It is becoming more common for schools to use the other health impaired label but there are still a lot of schools that are reluctant to do so. If your child still doesn’t 2qualify, then I would turn to 504. This is a federal law that preceded the special education law and many educators believe the special education law replaced 504. This is not true. Qualifications of 504 are that “the student has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of his/her major life activities.” Therefore if you feel that the child’s learning, social development, health, physical development, etc., are limited by impairment, the child qualifies for services under Section 504. Check in to a 504 Plan. Your local mental health services may be helpful also. I had my child tested and I don’t agree with the results. What should I do? This answer is sort of complicated. What did you have your child tested for? Sometimes we don’t ask the right questions when we ask for testing. If you asked for testing only for special education eligibility, you may also need to ask for testing for Section 504 eligibility which covers a much broader arena of services and supports. If your child has a documented history of school failure, your child may very well qualify for services under Section 504. Documentation can include school attendance records, failed tests, report cards, standardized test scores, etc. You must keep or collect your records and examine them to determine if you have a pattern of school failure. Then ask for consideration under Section 504. You may also ask Allies with Families staff to assist you if your child’s’ needs fall in the arena of emotional or behavioral disabilities. You may ask the Utah Parent Center to assist you if you need help in the area of physical or developmental disabilities. Source: Lori N. Cerar, Executive Director, Allies with Families Before making any decisions as to how you will respond to an evaluation, make sure that you first have a meeting alone with a psychologist who gave your child the test. They should be able to show you a copy of the test and explain the results as well as what those results mean. Be proactive about this process. Ask lots of questions about the test and how it was given. How do they come up with the results? Did they spread out the test session over several days? Was the child tested in an area free from distractions? You may even ask how long this person has been testing children for the school district. If you feel the child has a particular problem which is not being appropriately addressed in his educational setting, you can ask if there is some test which will help to examine that problem or give the teacher a clearer idea of the extent or nature of the problem. Keep in mind that there is a particular battery of tests which are given for a full evaluation. Sometimes school departments are reluctant to even tell you what a full battery of testing consists of. But most of the time you will find school psychologists open to any suggestions you may have for testing to pinpoint your child’s difficulty. If your child has ADD or ADHD, then regardless of how the testing comes out, he is eligible for services under “other health impaired”. Of course, if your child has no academic or behavioral problems, you will not get services unless you can prove a need. You may ask for an outside evaluation if you feel the test results are inaccurate or inconclusive. If your child is truly ineligible for services, then you may request a 504 Plan. This will basically give your child the same services he would have with an IEP. The other piece of the puzzle, especially for kids with Behavior Problems (BD, SED, etc.) is to have a behavior plan in place. This plan should include clear steps for levels of bad behavior. It should outline in definite, easy to understand steps how each level of behavior will be dealt with. Most importantly, it should be followed and if necessary, fine-tuned. (Example: Child is not comfortable with going to the office. Is there another teacher’s room where he would do better as a cooling off place? What about the library? Or Calling mom or Dad?) If implemented properly, this kind of plan will help the child take responsibility for his own action, and give teachers some practical help in dealing with these children. Parents must keep the line of communication with the school open at all times. One of the ways you keep your child out of trouble is to present, if possible, a united front with the school. Always seek to have justice tempered with mercy, as this seems, in my experience, to work best. What type of information must e included in an IEP? According to the National information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, an IEP is required by law to include the following statements regarding your child:
Parents may encounter stipulations presented by school personnel that may not necessarily be supported by the provisions of the IDEA. Some schools have stated rules such as: “IEPs must be [a predetermined number of] pages,” “IEPs are to be completed without parental input,” or, “only a certain number of goals and objectives are allowed on the IEP.” Parents should not accept misinformation concerning the IEP. There is nothing in federal law that states “the IEP cannot be more than two pages,” or, “the IEP can have only three goals a year,” or, “this IEP was appropriate for John Doe with autism, so therefore it’s appropriate for your child as well.” This does not mean that the parent/school relationship must e approached in an adversarial manner. It is in everyone’s best interest to remember that both parents and teachers share a common goal: to develop a program that will be appropriate for the child with autism. Although the IEP goals and objectives should be child-centered, the IEP may also contain information regarding teacher/staff training. If the IEP team decides that additional training is required for a student’s teacher, this information must be included in the text of the IEP. What can I do when the IEP is not being followed? The school and school staff must follow the IEP. Document all instances in which the IEP was ignored. IEP concerns should be discussed at an IEP team meeting, or you can call the Special Education Director for your district. Who can I contact if I do not agree with the outcome of an IEP meeting? You can contact either or both of the following administrators: the school principal and district’s Special Education Director. Ask the administrator to hold an IEP review meeting to address your concerns. Be prepared to discuss your specific concerns and the actions that you would like to see take place. Put your concerns in writing. It is important to make sure you have a copy of your Parental Rights (________web site). This document identifies steps to take if there are problems with an IEP. How is the Individuals with disabilities Education Act (IDEA) different from Section 504? There are a number of differences between the two statutes, which have very different, but complementary, objectives. Perhaps the most important is that Section 504 is intended to establish a level playing field”—usually by eliminating barriers that exclude persons with disabilities. IDEA is remedial—often requiring the provision of programs and services in addition to those available to persons without disabilities. By distinction, IDEA is similar to an “affirmative action” law: as some have asserted, school children with disabilities who fall within IDEA’s coverage are sometimes granted “more” services or additional protections than children without disabilities. The “more” and “additional” denote another important difference between Section 504 and IDEA. While IDEA requires “more” of schools for children with disabilities, it also provides schools with additional, if insignificant, funding. Section 504 requires that schools not discriminate, and in some cases undertake actions that require additional expenditures, but provides no additional financial support. The eligibility-based approach of IDEA makes students protected by Section 504 something of a square peg in a round hole. Often these students, because of their special needs, were put off by “regular” education, but they weren’t encompassed by “special” education because they could not be counted for the funding that drives IDEA. Particularly in these days, there is little incentive for funding that drives IDEA. Particularly these days, there is little incentive for schools to take responsibility for students who come with no funding. A distinction between IDEA and Section 504 is that the former applies to education agencies who seek to obtain funds under that specific statute, while the latter applies to education agencies if even a single one of their programs or activities receives financial assistance from any Federal source. For educational institutions, the term “program or activity” includes any of the operatons of a State education agency (SEA) and local educational agency (LEA) receiving federal funds, regardless of whether the specific program or activity involved is a direct recipient of the federal funds. A fourth important difference between the two statutes is in regard to who is protected by them. The definition of a disability under Section 504 is much broader than the definition under the IDEA. As a practical matter, this means that not all children with disabilities are entitled to services under IDEA, only those who are “eligible” under the specified disability categories. Section 504 is less discriminatory: it protects all persons with a disability who:
There is some legal gloss to this apparently straight-forward text. To fall within the protection of Section 504, a person’s physical or mental impairment must have a substantial limitation (permanent or temporary) on one or more major life activities—functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning or working. Insofar as school children are concerned, the critical question is whether a student’s impairment substantially limits the ability to learn. It is not true, as some school personnel responsible for administration of Section 504 have contended, that the impairment must be of a life activity other than or in addition to learning. Interpreting Section 504’s coverage too narrowly has resulted in many districts being found out of compliance for failure to identify students protected solely by Section 504. Following are examples of students who may be protected by Section 504, but who may not be eligible for services under the IDEA:
Federal regulations under Section 504 are remarkably similar to those under IDEA. The primary difference between the two federal statutes is that Section 504 requires reasonable accommodation to ensure non-discrimination, while IDEA provides affirmative action for students who qualify under the Act. You have the right to:
What is due process? Due process is a procedure to ensure fairness of educational decisions and accountability of parents and education professionals. The rights of the child in regard to special education are guaranteed by law and regulations. What is the least restrictive environment for these students? The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the setting that best meets the needs of the student. The term is often interpreted as a mandate that students with disabilities be mainstreamed in regular classrooms. For students with behavioral disorders, regular classroom placement is often the environment where the most learning can take place. For some students, however, resource room programs are determined to be the LRE, and for others, self-contained special education classrooms may be required. Determination of the LRE is a primary component of all placement decisions. The determination is not made by one individual and the decision is not based on any one specific criterion. A multidisciplinary team, often comprised of a special education teacher, the student’s regular education teacher, school psychologist, parents, and other professionals associated with the student makes decisions regarding the program that will best meet an individual student’s needs. In determining the LRE, the following points should be addressed:
Source: Timothy J. Lewis, Juane Heflin, Samuel A. DiaGangi. Teaching Students with Behavioral Disorders. What is assessment and evaluation? The purpose of assessment and evaluation is to determine the most effective instructional interventions for specific students. Assessment involves gathering information by means of conducting observations, administering tests, and recording interview responses. The questions addressed in this section promote a functional approach to assessment of student behavior. Evaluation is the process of comparing the student’s behavior to a standard and noting the discrepancy. The standard serves as the desired behavior, representing what the evaluator feels the student “should be doing”. The evaluator’s standard is influenced by factors such as the behavior of other students, societal beliefs, classroom norms, and categorical definitions. For the purpose of comparison and evaluation, the standard should represent the level of functioning required for the student to be successful at specific tasks. Two types of decisions can be made from assessment information: classification decisions and treatment decisions. Classification decisions include the assignment of categorical labels such as “behaviorally disordered,” “mentally retarded,” “learning disabled”; placement in special service programs, assignment to grade levels; and so forth. Treatment decisions include “what to teach” and “how to teach” decisions. The decisions addressed in this section focus primarily on assessment and evaluation for the purpose of making treatment decisions and the types of decisions made by teachers. The procedures detailed here can be applied when evaluating academic as well as social-behavioral concerns. In essence, effective evaluation and remediation incorporate tenets of task-analysis, data-based decision making, curriculum-based assessment, and applied behavior analysis. The result is a series of approaches that can be employed in the classroom to address student learning and instruction effectively and efficiently. The responses to each of the questions reflect the belief that all students can learn when provided with effective instruction. Source: Timothy J. Lewis, Juane Heflin, Samuel A. DiGangi. Teaching Students with Behavioral Disorders. Who decides if my child is eligible for special education services? You must ask to have your child evaluated. Once evaluated, a school team will decide if special education services are needed. This team may include you, classroom and special education teachers, speech teacher, school psychologist, principal, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and other professionals. This team will study your child’s test results, school records, classroom behavior and success, and medical history. The team may also interview you. You are part of the team and have the power to help make decisions about your child. Source: How do I know if my child needs an IEP? An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a special education planning document. Your child may need an IEP if he/she is experiencing educational, emotional, or behavioral difficulties (i.e., failing grades, teacher expressing concerns, child is upset or avoiding school). If you think your child is failing, you should talk to your child’s teacher. Source: What are my rights as a parent under Section 504? Parents, guardians, or school personnel may refer students suspected of having a handicap to the Section 504 coordinator or similar personnel. Potential candidates for 504 services include children with cancer, communicable diseases, medical conditions, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Information about rights: Parents and guardians should be provided their rights under Section 504:
Evaluation procedures: The school’s procedures for evaluation must ensure that the tests are appropriate for the child’s specific educational need, are administered by qualified personnel, and are comprehensive. Right to a hearing: If the parents or guardians disagree with the identification, evaluation, or placement of their child, they have the right to an impartial hearing with school personnel. Rights of due process: Under 504, parents have the rights of due process. These include the right of notification, the right to inspect records, the right to participate in a hearing with representation and the right to a review procedure. Services under 504: If a child is found eligible under 504, services are primarily provided in the regular education classroom. The types of services offered might include the use of behavioral management techniques (e.g., a token economy), adjusting class schedules, modifying tests and tailoring homework assignments. Home-school collaboration: parents can help increase the likelihood that 504 plans are effective by working closely with general educators and other school personnel to implement intervention programs both at school and at home. Regular parent-teacher conferences are likely to help. Source: Wisconsin Family ties, Inc., Summer ’99 newsletter, Volume 15, Issue 2. Wisconsin Family Ties (WFT) is a statewide organization begun by families in 1987 for families with children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. Section 504-Definition What is Section 504? Section 504 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and applies to all institutions receiving federal financial assistance, such as public schools. The law essentially places an obligation on public schools to provide a “free appropriate public education” to children with disabilities, along with related services such as transportation and counseling. The main purpose of 504 is to prohibit discrimination while assuring that disabled students have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to non-disabled students. Although Section 504 took effect in 1973, many states have not developed policies or guidelines on 504. Section 504 is anti-discrimination legislation, not a federal grant program. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) monitors compliance under 504. Unlike special education laws, Section 504 does not provide financial support to schools. When is a student considered to be handicapped? A student is considered to be handicapped under 504 if he or she 1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or 2) has a record of such impairment, or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment. Limiting a major life activity is an important part of this definition and includes handicaps that limit taking care of oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, or learning. The last example, learning, is the one frequently considered in 504 cases in the school. Section 504 requires school districts to offer services to some children who might not qualify for special education benefits under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA – this federal act funds special education services). For example, children who have AIDS, Asthma, and diabetes all may be covered under Section 504. Can I request that my child be evaluated for 504? Although schools are not necessarily required to evaluate children based only on a parental request for evaluation, the school must still inform parents of their rights to dispute their decisions. Schools must notify parents of their rights regarding identification, evaluation, and placement of children with suspected handicaps prior to starting a Section 504 evaluation. In addition, students who are not found eligible under IDEA should be considered for possible eligibility under Section 504. In a 504 referral, the school often tries to determine 1) Does the student have a physical or mental impairment? 2) Does the impairment affect one of the major life activities? If the answers to these questions are yes, the student may be entitled to a Section 504 accommodation plan. Accommodations must be based on a child’s educational needs and may include curricular, classroom, school, and grading modifications. Section 504 requires school districts to develop detailed procedures for identifying and serving children with disabilities. Under Section 504, school districts must annually publish public notices stating that they do not discriminate, with the notice specifying the person selected to coordinate the district’s efforts to comply with Section 504. Most school districts are required to have a 504 coordinator. The coordinator is usually selected from local district personnel, such as superintendents, guidance counselors, and special education directors. Like other special education laws, 504 requires schools to conduct activities that will help locate and identify children who have disabilities and who are not currently receiving needed special services. A notice of these activities should be sent to parents, or put in places where parents of children with disabilities are likely to see them. Source: Wisconsin Family Ties, Inc., Summer ’99 Newsletter, Volume 15, Issue 2. Wisconsin Family ties (WFT) is a statewide organization begun by families in 1987 for families with children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. Are all children with ADD/ADHD protected under Section 504?
No, not all children with ADD/ADHD are covered by Section 504. Some may have a disability within the meaning of Section 504; others may not. Children must meet the Section 504 definition of disability to be protected under the regulation. Under Section 504, a “person with disabilities” is defined as any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity (e.g., learning, concentrating, and interacting with others). Thus, depending on the severity of their condition, children with ADD/ADHD may or may not fit within that definition. Only when the ADD/ADHD affects their learning does Section 504 protect the child at school. Documentation to show learning is affected may include poor grades, absences, frequent tardies, patterns of failure to learn (report cards, test scores, work samples), and behavior reports which demonstrate the symptoms of the diagnosis. Only when the life activity “learning” is impacted will Section 504 protect the student. Source: United States Office of Civil Rights My child hates school and won’t go! What can I do? I would start by asking the child what is going on, or have an educator the child trusts visit with her. Next, I would ask the parent the same question. We would check to see if the child has an IEP. If she does not, she should be referred for pre-assessment. If there is an IEP, convene the team and make sure that the parent and the child are available to be at the meeting. Dr. Larry Dixon, USD #475 Associate Superintendent, Junction City, Kansas Prior to age 18, school attendance in Kansas is not a choice. Investigate what is going on in the child’s life that is making her refuse. Rule out safety issues at home and school. Be sure the student is physically safe. If the student is in real danger contact the building administrator and or law enforcement. Secondly, check out potential fear factors. Is she being taunted or ridiculed by other students? Teachers and administrators can be allies here. Third, review the academic load. Is the student intellectually capable of doing the work required? Teachers, school psychologists and school counselors can help with this determination. Fourth, examine her requirements at home. Does the student prefer being home because no demands—or very few—for acceptable performance are there? Can she watch television, play computer games, or hang out with friends all day if allowed not to go to school? Making the time spent at home, rather than at school, less desirable is important. The key is to establish an atmosphere of clear, open communication with the school. When home and school work together, students are the winners. Dr. Bob Fanning, USD #253 Director of Federal Grant Programs, Emporia, Kansas Children’s complaints of headaches, stomachaches or generalized fears about school are called “school phobias.” Some children may have actual fears of school-related issues: a bullying child, a loud bus ride or maybe a fear of the unknown at school. Many young children are experiencing separation anxiety. It is very important to listen to your youngster and her anxieties in refusing to go to school. It is equally important, however, to get the child to school every day. Gently reassure the child and put them on the bus or bring them to school. In the vast majority of cases, the child is just fine once engaged in the typical school day. The longer a child is able to stall coming to school, the more difficult it will be to help her get over her anxieties. You may need to enlist someone at school to help bring the child and in add to the reassurances you have given them. The school psychologist, counselor, or principal will always help the separation along and make the transition to class comfortable. Dr. Jim Wheeler, Executive Director, northeast Kansas Education Service Center, Lecompton, Kansas I suggest both parents and teachers together identify the child’s interests and provide educational activities around these, i.e.,: computer games, outdoor activities, arts, etc…Often if you start with what the child likes to do, or is very good at doing, then you can engage their minds as well a their hands. We call this strengths-based planning. Staff at the mental health center are experts in this. As Commissioner, I have encouraged each community mental health center to work closely with the school. Connie Hubbell, Former Commissioner of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, SRS, Topeka, Kansas When this happens there is usually something going on at school, academically, socially or both. The student may feel rejected, which can cause anger and violence. The family and school must meet and ask the question of, “What do you see going on?” and then provide a level of support to keep the student in school. Barbara Huff, Parent, Past Executive Director, Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland A multitude of factors contribute to a child’s dislike of or refusal to go to school. Many children display behavior patterns that indicate poor self control, negative self-esteem, distractibility, disorganization, off-task behavior, and negative attitude. Others withdraw from people, cry often, and avoid social contact. When trying to decipher the reasons behind a child’s refusal to go to school, no single typology prevails. For many children, mental health issues can contribute to avoidant behavior. Dr. Susan Hendrich, Therapist, ComCare of Wichita, Kansas I feel the school can benefit me by rewarding me for going to school. They can have more activities for me to participate in, and the choices should be mine and my fellow peers. They should also have attendance benefits like a grab bag or CD’s or discounted prices for attending school four out of five days, or offer dances or assemblies. They could also add time to lunch or passing time for attending regularly. My parents should let me go hang out with my friends to go shopping when I get good grades. Shaunel’le Page, Youth, Topeka, Kansas How are social skills best taught? Social skills, deficits or problems can be viewed as errors in learning; therefore, the appropriate skills need to be taught directly and actively. It is important to base all social skill instructional decisions on individual student needs. In developing a social skill curriculum it is important to follow a systematic behavior change plan. During assessment of a student’s present level of functioning, two factors should be addressed. First, the teacher must determine whether a social skill problem is due to a skill deficit or a performance deficit. The teacher can test the student by directly asking what he or she would do or can have the student role play responses in several social situations (e.g., “A peer on the bus calls you a name. What should you do?”) If the student can give the correct response but does note display the behavior outside the testing situation, the social skill problem may be due to a skill deficit. More direct instruction may be required to overcome the skill deficits, while a performance deficit may simply require increasing positive contingencies to increase the rate of displaying the appropriate social response. In addition, during assessment, it is important to identify critical skill areas in which the student is having problems. Once assessment is complete, the student should be provided with direct social skill instruction. At this point, the teacher has the option of using a prepared social skill curriculum or developing one independently. It is important to remember that since no published curriculum will meet the needs of all students, it should be supplemented with teacher-developed or modified lessons. Social skill lessons are best implemented in small groups of students and optimally should include socially competent peers to serve as models. The first social skill group lesson should focus on three things: an explanation of why the group is meeting, a definition of what social skills re, and an explanation of what is expected of each student during the group. It also may be helpful to implement behavior management procedures for the group (i.e., contingencies for compliance and non-compliance). For each social skill lesson, the “lead-model-test” approach is recommended. The following sample lesson outlines this format. The sample lesson is the first of four in teaching lesson outlines this format. The sample lesson is the first of four in teaching students to manager anger (Stop, Pick an Action, Go with action, and Check). LEAD *Identify the skill for the lesson, “what to do when you’re angry.” *Define the skill “When I get angry my heart pounds”. *Ask each student to state what happens when he or she gets angry. *Define the prosocial response “when we feel angry the first thing we should do is stop what we are doing.” *Ask each student what is the first thing to do when he or she is angry. *Define possible ways of stopping (e.g., count to 10). *Ask student for possible ways to stop. MODEL *Demonstrate ways of stopping by setting up role plays in which you are the one who becomes angry. Prompt students to observe, and, following the role play, ask student whether or not you became angry and whether or not you stopped. Give several appropriate and inappropriate examples (e.g., yelling instead of stopping). *Be sure to include all students by asking them whether or not they observed you stopping. *Have the students practice role play examples. *Be sure to include all students by asking them whether or not they observed the students stopping. TEST *Set up new examples for each student to role play. *Ask the students to state the skill learned (e.g., “What do you do when you get angry?”). It is important to prompt the students to use newly learned skills throughout the day and across settings to promote maintenance and generalization. It is also important to reinforce the students when they use new skills. Source: Timothy J. Lewis, Juane Heflin, Samuel A. DiGangi. Teaching Students with Behavioral Disorders. What does a good Individualized Education Plan (IEP) look like? At their best, IEP’s are a marvelous invention and every child in school should have one. The very best IEP’s look like this:
Resource: Wisconsin Family Ties, Inc., Summer ’99 Newsletter, Volume 15, Issue 2. Wisconsin Family ties (WFT) is a statewide organization begun by families in 1987 for families with children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. What can I do to make sure the IEP addresses my child’s educational needs? You are on your child’s IEP team to help guide the team so that the child’s needs are met. The IEP is flexible; as a parent, you have a right to study the IEP and ask for changes. You also have the right to speak your opinions and concerns and to have these written into the IEP. All of your child’s areas of need should be addressed in the IEP. If you do not feel comfortable talking about educational or behavioral issues, you may ask other people to come to the IEP meeting with you (i.e., an educational advocate, a therapist, social worker, other family members, etc.). If you think that the final IEP does to meet your child’s educational needs, you have the right to refuse to sign the document and to request another IEP. Source: What are the purposes of the IDEA? The major purposes of the IDEA are to:
In June, 1997, amendments to IDEA strengthened it in a number of ways, including the addition of the goal to ensure that schools are safe and conducive to learning. Toward that end, the IDEA amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105-17) outline procedures for schools to systematically address behavior and discipline problems exhibited by students with disabilities. That includes procedures for changing a student’s placement, as ell as for proactively addressing the behavior itself by creating a behavior intervention plan. Such a plan should be based on a functional behavioral assessment and should consider positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address a student’s behavior needs. In addition, the behavior intervention plan should clearly state each student’s behavioral expectations and the consequences of not meeting them. How do functional assessments benefit the school? Positive behavior plans for challenging students will include adaptations to support desired behaviors, access to varied and meaningful school activities, opportunities for choice and control, and positive social relationships. These will create a safe and healthy school environment and move toward a reduction in conflicts which result in disciplinary actions by administrators. These plans benefit the child by providing behavior modifications based on extensive knowledge gathered about him or her, and tailored for his or her individual success. What students need a functional assessment? Students who receive special education services which require the use of a restrictive behavioral intervention should have a behavior management plan which includes a functional assessment. Any student whose behavior warrants long-term suspension or expulsion must have a functional assessment done if one is not already part of their behavior management. What is the purpose of functional assessment? The purpose of functional assessment is to gather information about when, where, and why problem behaviors occur. That information is then used to design programs that will work for individual students who have a history of behavioral problems or who might otherwise need extra support. What is a ‘Functional Assessment’ of my child’s behavior? A parent writes: “My child, Tom, receives special education services at our junior high school, but is in a regular classroom for most of his school day. He receives detention or in-school suspension several times a week for being disruptive in the regular classroom, and has even been sent home for a cooling-off period several times over the past few months. His teachers have tried to be helpful, and are willing to do what they can, but they say that he refuses to do his work, gets angry for no apparent reason, and sometimes just leaves the classroom. They want to send him to another school where he can get more services. I’ve had many meetings with the school staff to change his program, but I still do not understand why he is having usch problems in the first place. Tom’s problems are not so severe at home or in the neighborhood. My friend told me to ask the school to do a functional assessment of his behavior. Is that different from the assessment that school’s typically do?” A functional behavioral assessment, or analysis, is a process which seeks to identify the problem behavior a child or adolescent my exhibit, particularly in school; to determine the function or purpose of the behavior, and to develop interventions to each acceptable alternatives to the behavior. The process is as follows:
The first step in conducting a functional behavioral assessment is for the school team to identify and agree upon the behavior that most needs to be changed. Since children and youth can exhibit a spectrum of difficult behaviors, it will be important to develop a prioritized list, so that the most severe behaviors can be addressed first. There will be times when the most appropriate response to irritating but non-dangerous behaviors is planned ignoring, particularly when the student is working on correcting more severe behaviors. The second step is to collect data on the occurrence of the targeted behavior, identifying not only its frequency and intensity, but examining the context (the when, where, and how) of the behavior. Consider:
The third step is to develop, from the data collected, an hypothesis about the function or purpose of the student’s behavior and to develop an intervention.
After the intervention has been tried over a period of time, it will be important to test the hypothesis. Does the intervention need to be paired with other modifications or rewards to increase its effectiveness? Did the intervention reduce the problem behavior? If not, what other strategies can be considered? Is it necessary to reevaluate the hypothesis, or to develop another best guess about the reason for the behavior, or to collect more information? Conducting a functional assessment of a child’s behavior may take a bit more time initially to complete. Yet, for those students for whom typical interventions have not been successful, developing an understanding of the cause of behavior may be key to helping them learn new behavioral skills. Functional assessments have been used for many years with students who have severe disabilities, to help parents and teachers understand the function of inappropriate behavior, and to plan effective interventions. Functional assessments are also a useful approach to evaluating the reason for inappropriate behaviors for students who have milder disabilities, when their behaviors do not improve with the use of typical school interventions. It sounds as though you and the school staff are both frustrated by your son’s lack of behavioral improvement assessment may be a very good idea. Source: © 1994. PACER Center, Inc., 4826 Chicago Ave., S., Mpls., MN 55417-1098; (612) 827-2966 What do I do to get the school to test my child? You will have to write a letter to the director of special education. Below is an example of what this may look like. Feel free to print it and use it: Date Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. ____________________, I believe that my child, _____________________________, may have a learning disorder or emotional behavior covered under IDEA or Section 504. I would like to have him tested under these laws. Sincerely,
(Your name here) BEHAVIOR What are some factors that can increase the risk for violent behaviors? Numerous research studies have concluded that a complex interaction or combination of factors leads to an increased risk of violent behavior in children and adolescents. These factors include:
Can anything prevent violent behavior in children? Research studies have show that much violent behavior can be decreased or even prevented if the above risk factors are significantly reduced or eliminated. Most importantly, efforts should be directed at dramatically decreasing the exposure of children and adolescents to violence in the home, community, and through the media. Clearly, violence leads to violence. In addition, the following strategies can lesson or prevent violent behavior:
What causes the student’s problem behavior? Even though the source of a student’s problem behavior may be related to the identified or underlying “disorder,” attempts to validate this assumption may be of limited educational relevance. If rigorous assessment procedures resulted in the identification of a disorder that “explains” the student’s behavior, the next step would be to remediate the behavior. Research has shown that the most effective way to remediate academic and prosocial deficits is through direct instruction of the target skill. The effective approach to remediation of behavioral problems is to pinpoint the area of concern, generate an operational definition, and conduct the evaluation procedures detailed here. Students with behavioral disorders exhibit behavior that is different from that of our standard, or the curriculum. The behavior problem may or may not be caused by an internal deficit disorder. Addressing and remediating the problem ultimately involves efforts to identify it, teach the necessary sub skills or strategies, and measure student performance toward mastery of those skills and strategies. Source: Timothy J. Lewis, Juane Heflin, Samuel A. DiGangi. Teaching Students with Behavioral disorders. Why is my three-year-old acting out so much? According to Dr. t. Berry Brazelton, children of this age are getting into all sorts of new and exciting situations. Your child has probably become mobile and “on his own” most of the day. Driven by the excitement of learning, your child gets himself caught in more than he can handle. It builds up and builds up until your child must release some of that energy by falling apart. Some of that behavior may include doing things he knows you don’t or won’t allow. Your intervention gives him an opportunity to “throw a fit” or have a tantrum. The child then can relax once he knows you mean business and you’ve drawn the line. Also, children of this age have so many skills that go beyond their ability to discuss them. For example, a child may be able to do many things with his hands, body, and mind, but may not be able to tell you about them effectively yet. He knows what he wants to accomplish, but may not have the refined skills to do them, and therefore becomes frustrated. He may throw a toy or break it in an out-of-control moment. It’s a frustrating time for both the child and the parent. Although it will be tempting to avoid the conflict by allowing improper behavior, this is a time when parents must make the rules clear to the child and enforce them. If your child seems to be acting out more than other children his age, speak to your child’s doctor, teacher or a child counselor. Your child may have strong emotions, fears or stresses that need to be dealt with. How can I get my child to behave? Paying attention to the behavior you like and ignoring the behavior you don’t like generally works. Children, like adults, want to know when they’ve done something right and they enjoy praise. Praise can be given in many ways. Saying “good job” or using stickers on charts are two good ways to reward desired behavior. Look for every opportunity to recognize and reward positive behavior. We cannot ignore all poor behavior, but we can ignore much of it. As parents, we sometimes have to “bite our tongues” and move on. This doesn’t mean we accept the poor behavior, we just choose not to respond to it, if it doesn’t involve safety or other critical issues. Source: Rosemary Tuggle, Director of Clinical Programs at family Service and Guidance Center of Topeka, KS How should I respond to my child’s awful behavior? Patience is the best way to respond to a toddler’s awful behavior. Whenever you are thinking about behavior or misbehavior, or even discipline in general, you need to think about whether you have taught your child the behavior you want. Toddlers are great mimics, and very smart, but we need to remember they have limited experiences. Sometimes, we are expecting them to behave when we haven’t really taught them how to act in this situation! You might say they have been going to the store since they were infants, but as they get older they need to be taught new expectations. A great way to teach a toddler is by practicing—or by playing—going to the store, whispering at the library, or even staying in our bed at night. Another great way to teach a toddler is by modeling. He is always watching you! So model how to handle getting mad or frustrated! Use your words and show him how to be patient. Give him other words to use when he starts whining. “Mom, may I have a cookie?” is a good way to ask me, and the answer can still be “no”. You may want to stop and figure out when and why your toddler is misbehaving. Once you have figured out if there are always certain times of the day or certain activities that cause your child to misbehave, you can come up with a plan. You can change our behavior and/or reaction. You can change your routine or build in stress busters for you and your child. Stress busters for your child will include making sure he gets to do a variety of things: some large motor activities like running, jumping, climbing, throwing and dancing; some messy activities like play dough, painting, and playing in a sand box or water; and some quiet activities like book reading, singing, pretend play, building with blocks/duplos, and puzzles. Variety may be a stress buster for you too, as well as talking to other adults! Returning to the idea that you need patience, knowing what to expect from toddlers may help. It is a toddler’s job to test and become independent! It is healthy for a toddler to tell you “no”. it is your job to teach him nicer ways to say it. You can give your toddler choices. And the two choices are always what you want him to do. Toddlers have a hard time switching gears or making transitions. Part of the reason is that their brains have not developed enough for them to switch from one activity to another. So give them a warning and a choice—“Do you want to run to the door or hold mom’s hand?” So, the choice is not “whether” they come inside but “how” they come inside. And if they throw a fit, then they are choosing for mom to carry them. Remember that toddlers will always throw more tantrums when tired, hungry or overwhelmed. Toddlers are also good at acting out what is going on in their houses – they will act out stress or worry that the adults in the family are showing. So when your toddler is being awful think about if you have been being awful too! What are the danger signs of potentially explosive situations? What consequences are appropriate for aggressive behavior? Often, escalating, aggressive, or explosive behaviors occur in a predictable pattern or chain. Certain events or activities often come before the behavior outburst. It is therefore important for the teacher to identify potential “trouble spots” through direct observation. Common trouble spots for students with behavior problems include the following:
When observing the teacher should try to identify events that occur early in the sequence or chain; for example, noting what occurred just prior to the student’s first signs indicating that his or her behavior might escalate to an outburst. Common behaviors that often occur early in the chain include the following:
The first step, then, should be one of prevention. The teacher can either rearrange the environment to avoid the trouble spots or provide the student with a prompt or verbal reminder of what behavior is expected during that time. Through social skill instruction, the teacher should also provide an appropriate alternate behavior for the student to engage in when confronted with trouble spots. Once the student becomes upset and is displaying a behavior that could escalate, it is important for the teacher to intervene immediately to break the chain. The teacher should model appropriate anger control and avoid aggressive confrontations with the student. Ways to intervene include the following:
Give the student a choice in selecting an option. If the student’s behavior continues to escalate and becomes aggressive or out-of-control, it is important to protect all students in the classroom. Try to avoid physical confrontations with the student when possible. An alternative to confronting the student in an attempt to remove him or her from the room is to remove the other students. This, of course, requires at least two adults, one to supervise the students who leave and the other to deal with the target student. A set of consequences for behavior outbursts or aggressive behavior should be determined and in place before any instances actually occur. The procedures for handling out-of-control students and consequences should be put in writing and given to all school personnel and parents. Source: Timothy J. Lewis, Juane Heflin, Samuel A. DiGangi. Teaching Students with Behavioral disorders. MENTAL ILLNESS What are real mental health services for kids? Mental helath services include an array of services which include respite care, crisis intervention, case management, family preservation, individual and group therapy, educational support, supportive counseling, and prescribed medications. When these services don’t work, inpatient treatment needs to be included, preferably for a short period of time. Mental health services should also include wraparound services. How many children in Utah have serious emotional disturbance? How do you help children with SED who are disruptive? There really seem to be two major groups of children who present problems for educators. The relatively small number of children who present very severe and chronic behavioral difficulties and the much larger number of children who are problems at least to some people (such as teachers) in at least some settings (such as school). Each group requires different kinds of educational provisions. The first might be considered truly emotionally disturbed; the second, disturbing. Most children in the disturbed category may require some form of special educational services. Depending upon their individual needs, some will benefit from part-time or full-time placement in specially designed programs geared to accommodate, treat, and remediate their extremely discrepant behavior patterns. Most children who present mild or moderate problems, however, neither require nor will benefit from such segregated, specialized settings and should be educated in regular educational programs. This does not mean that they do not present teachers with serious problem behavior in their classrooms. This does mean that teachers should expect very serious problem behavior in their classrooms. This does mean that teachers should expect behavioral variability among their students just as there is variability in physical size and academic ability. This also means that it is a primary responsibility of teachers to effectively handle many of the behavioral and emotional problems in their classrooms. Even the most dedicated, concerned, and competent teacher will encounter children with behavioral problems, and no teacher has the resources to single-handedly solve all of them. Many of children’s problems develop and are aggravated by experiences beyond the classroom. Nevertheless, a number of relatively straightforward strategies for dealing with behavioral problems are available to teachers. Prevention of behavioral problems should be a priority. Teachers can frequently foresee and head-off many problems before they develop. A basic requirement for avoiding or preventing many troublesome behaviors is an underlying structure which is either implicit or explicit. Structure involves the teacher’s familiarization with her curriculum and instructional materials, and an ability to organize and sequence learning activities. One of the most successful systematic methods for “heading off” many behavioral problems is individualization of instruction. A majority of behavior disordered students experience academic problems. A history of school failures leads to a fear and expectation of school failure. Being forced to compete in situations where he can rarely succeed frequently drives a child to engage in behavior in which he can excel—disruption, resistance, belligerence or withdrawal from classroom activity. Both structure and individualization can serve to allay the appearance of disturbing behavior, while also concentrating on the academic remediation needed by so many students. Effective education approaches also have been developed which include activities such as class meetings that stress understanding feelings and motivations of oneself and classmates, as well as group cooperation. Such programs can be helpful both in promoting positive kinds of behavior and providing a systematic way for dealing with problem behavior when it occurs. Examples of other methods that have been found to be successful for dealing with existing problems in regular classrooms include a variety of behavior modification techniques that can be employed both with individual students and with groups. The use of peer models and peer tutoring can help children learn more appropriate or acceptable behavior. Contracting between students and teachers for certain kinds of behavior can also be a useful technique to include a child in his own behavior modifications program. Finally, when facing a difficult or perplexing problem of student behavior, teachers should not hesitate to consult with special education personnel, counselors, principals, etc. No one has all of the answers for dealing with disturbing behavior, but different experiences and perspectives may be able to provide useful suggestions. What about the child with serious emotional disturbances (SED)? WATCH FOR AND ATTEND TO
BE SUPPORTIVE BY
AT SCHOOL
Source: Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland Is mental illness treatable? The short answer is yes. Just as other diseases have specific symptoms and treatments, mental illnesses can be accurately diagnosed and effectively treated. However, these treatments have varying effects, and do not necessarily “cure” the patient. Mental illness is a very broad term, and the way each disorder is dealt with differs greatly. Modern medicine has shown that mental illnesses are treatable medical conditions. Just like diabetes, epilepsy and asthma. All it takes is the correct treatment. Some of the most common mental illnesses and expected treatment: Attention Deficit Disorder No single treatment has been completely effective with all children, although medications combined with behavioral and cognitive therapies have the greatest control on symptoms. The most crucial aspects of a treatment plan are parental attitudes and cooperation. The use of behavior modification has been advocated as an alternative to stimulants for the following reasons:
Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: Educational interventions are often necessary and should be individual accommodations to the person’s needs. Because these students generally do well with memory tasks, teaching in a rote fashion may help the individual to retain the information presented. Deficits in social skills may be remediated in small groups usually led by a mental health professional or speech and language pathologist. Depending on the presence and extremity of associated symptoms, psycho-pharmacological interventions may help. Examples of associated symptoms that may be effectively treated with medication are hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention, mood instability, temper outbursts, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Bipolar Disorder: Most people with Bipolar Disorder can be helped. Medications are available to help with both the overly “high” and sad and hopeless feelings. Other treatments include electroconvulsive therapy and psychotherapy. Anyone with Bipolar disorder should be under the care of a physician, preferably a psychiatrist, who is skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of this illness. It is important to realize that Bipolar Disorder will not go away, and treatment is needed to keep it under control. Family and friends can help by encouraging a person with an illness to seek and remain in treatment programs. Depression: Depression can be treated by psychotherapy, medicine, electroconvulsive treatment or photo therapy (the use of fluorescent lights for some people who have recurrent depressions in the winter months. For more than 80 percent of individuals suffering from depression, treatments will bring relief and a return to normal participation in daily activities and enjoyments usually in a matter of weeks. Dissociative Disorder: Since dissociative disorders seem to be triggered as a response to trauma or abuse, treatment for individuals with such a disorder may stress psychotherapy, although a combination of psychopharmacological and psychosocial treatments if often used. Many of the symptoms of dissociative disorders occur with other disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and can be controlled by the same drugs used to treat those disorders. A person in treatment for a dissociative disorder might benefit from antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication. Eating Disorders: Anorexia nervosa is usually treated in two phases—short-term interventions to restore body weight, stabilize the person’s condition and save her life; and long-term therapy to improve personality and family problems. A combination of family therapy, group therapy, individual psychotherapy, assertiveness training, dietary counseling, and antidepressant medications also may be recommended. Treatments for bulimia are relatively new. More severe cases have generally been treated by psychiatrists with antidepressant medications. Less severe cases have been treated by psychologists using behavior therapy. A combination of family therapy, group therapy, individual psychotherapy, assertiveness training, dietary counseling and antidepressant medications may also be recommended. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Drugs that affect the serotonin can significantly decrease the symptoms of OCD, but often if the medication is discontinued, relapse will follow. Although traditional psychotherapy is generally not helpful for OCD, most patients can benefit from a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. Panic Attacks: Panic disorder can be controlled with specific treatments including several effective medications and also specific forms of psychotherapy. Often, a combination of psychotherapy and medications produces good results. Improvement is usually noticed in a fairly short period of time—about six to eight weeks. Thus appropriate treatment for panic disorder can prevent panic attacks or at least substantially reduce their severity and frequency—bringing significant relief to 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. People with panic disorder may need treatment for other emotional problems. Depression has often been associated with panic disorder, as have alcohol and drug use. Personality Disorders: A combination of psychotherapy and medication appears to provide the best results for treatment of BPD. Medications can be useful in reducing anxiety, depression, and disruptive impulses. Relief of such symptoms may help the individual deal with harmful patterns of thinking and interacting that disrupt daily activities. However, medications do not correct ingrained character difficulties. Long-term outpatient psychotherapy and group therapy (if the individual is carefully matched to the group) can be helpful. Short-term hospitalization may be necessary during times of extreme stress, impulsive behavior, or substance abuse. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: PTSD often can be treated effectively with psychotherapy or medication or both. Behavior therapy focuses on learning relaxation and coping techniques. This therapy often increases the patient’s exposure to a feared situation as a way of making him or her gradually less sensitive to it. Cognitive therapy is therapy that helps people with PTSD take a close look at his or her thought patterns and learn to do less negative and nonproductive thinking. Group therapy helps many people with PTSD by having them get to know others who have had similar situations and learning that their fears and feelings are not uncommon. Medication is often used along with psychotherapy. Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications may help lessen symptoms of PTSD such as sleep problems (insomnia or nightmares), depression, and edginess. Schizophrenia: Although no totally effective therapy has yet been devised, many schizophrenic patients improve enough to lead independent, satisfying lives. Although not curable, it is an eminently treatable disease.
Sleep disorders: Treatments:
Tourette’s Syndrome: Not everyone is disabled by his or her symptoms, so medication may not be necessary. When symptoms interfere with functioning, medication can effectively improve attention span, decrease impulsivity, hyperactivity, tics, and obsessive-compulsive symptomology. Relaxation techniques and behavior therapy may also be useful for tics, ADD symptoms, and OCD symptoms. Source: http://www.nami.org/illness/. |
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