Since motivation is such a challenging problem in the treatment of autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, educators use positive reinforcement to help their students understand what behaviors to continue exhibiting. If an item is delivered immediately following a response, and that response increases in the future, we can re- fer to the reward as… Read More Using Reinforcement to Engage Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Behavior: How Do We Measure Up?
Over 1,500 schools, confirmed incidents occur within the classroom, with defiance and disruption as two of the most frequent types of behaviors that result in office discipline referrals. The first step in crafting an intervention for any behavior is to operationally define the behavior in measurable, observable, and objective terms. Research Dealing with the… Read More Behavior: How Do We Measure Up?
Designing Instruction That Moves Students Toward Grade Level Math Standards What Does It Look Like in the Classroom?
To design instruction that allows a diverse class of students to move toward grade level standards, Marian Small (2009) suggests two core strategies. First, use open questions. Secondly, use parallel tasks, that are designed to meet the needs of students at different developmental levels. Research Confident, engaged math students are contributors to classroom discourse because… Read More Designing Instruction That Moves Students Toward Grade Level Math Standards What Does It Look Like in the Classroom?
News You Can Use: Standards-based IEP’s
A standards-based IEP should indicate how the student is performing in relationship to the Standards of Learning (SOL) at the enrolled grade-level. As noted in the VDOE guidance document (2011), standards-based IEPs identify specific skills and knowledge that will allow the student to work towards current grade-level standards. Since many IEPs will be written… Read More News You Can Use: Standards-based IEP’s
Moving From Emergent Literacy to Conventional Reading: Assistive Technology Supports for Nonverbal Students
Teaching a successful reading curriculum which includes five components: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension challenging for educators of students who have complex communication needs. Research Once students have gained emergent literacy skills, it is essential to begin a comprehensive reading curriculum (Erickson, Hanser, Hatch, & Sanders, 2009). A successful reading curriculum will… Read More Moving From Emergent Literacy to Conventional Reading: Assistive Technology Supports for Nonverbal Students
Switching Up Your Instruction
Visit a classroom for students with intellectual and physical disabilities, and you are likely to see a variety of switch activated toys and devices. The types of switches are as plentiful as their uses. This article explores a variety of switches, their uses, and offers several resources. Research Differentiating instruction to meet the wide… Read More Switching Up Your Instruction
For Future Reference: Writing Standards-Based IEPs in Preschool
Incorporating these standards into each child’s IEP poses new challenges for educators who are more accustomed to writing goals on basic developmental skills. However, standards-based IEPs become a necessity when we consider that a primary goal for early education is school readiness. In 2007, the Virginia Department of Education released the Foundation Blocks for… Read More For Future Reference: Writing Standards-Based IEPs in Preschool
