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FUNCTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP
By Bob DiDonato,
Supervisor of Special Education
7/01/2008
The Child Study Team (CST)
is an important and necessary component of the
Upper
Township
school district. The CST is involved in the assessment of students who are
identified by regular education personnel as failing to respond to scientific,
research based interventions delivered through the regular education program.
The CST uses formal (standardized) and informal assessment to determine
student eligibility based on the criteria established by the State of
New Jersey
. For students found eligible for special education, CST personnel are
responsible for developing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that target
student areas of weakness. This may include academic and/or behavioral
functioning. Once the IEP is developed and the student begins their
participation in special education programming, the CST assumes the
responsibility of progress monitoring. This is accomplished through reviewing
student progress on multiple measures (i.e. pre and post-testing; curriculum
based measurement), observing student performance in authentic learning
situations, consulting with staff members (certified and non-certified) who
deliver and/or support instruction, consulting with building administrators,
and maintaining parental contact as necessary.
Child Study Team personnel
are required to follow the rules and regulations set down in the special
education code developed by the State of
New Jersey
. State law sets clear timelines for required meetings and evaluations.
Documentation of all events is required and carried out by CST members.
Oversight of the completion of the required work is conducted by the
Supervisor of Special Education.
The Child Study Team is
involved in addressing the needs of all district students who display a
learning need. CST personnel act as consultants for regular education as
necessary. This consulting occurs with administrators and teachers. CST
personnel also may act as consultants to bulding level Intervention and
Referral Service teams. These teams are designed to assist regular education
teachers in addressing the learning and behavior needs of students who are not
keeping pace with grade level peers. The hope is that early intervention in
general education will result in preventing the need for special education
services for some district students.
The Child Study Team
recognizes its responsibility to conduct Child Find activities to insure that
students demonstrating academic and/or behavioral need are considered for
special education services. The school district assumes this role for students
ranging from pre-school age to the eighth grade. The CST responds to referrals
from teachers and administrators, outside agencies and physicians, and parents
of district students. For young children cared for through the Early
Intervention Program (EIP), the district participates in meetings to insure
that children are evaluated and if eligible, placed in an appropriate program
prior to their 3rd birthday.
The Child Study Team
recognizes that its responsibility is to educate students in the least
restrictive environment to the greatest extent possible. The CST actively
works with regular education to insure that inclusion and mainstreaming
opportunities are available. Students are provided with access to the general
education curriculum and program when it is determined that this is
appropriate. Instructional supports, modifications and accommodations are
developed and delivered to insure that special education students have
realistic opportunities to be successful in regular education placements.
The Child Study Team
recognizes that it can have a positive effect on the teaching methods and
strategies that are utilized in regular education. Students identified as
eligible for special education often present with unique learning and/or
behavioral issues that affect their performance in regular education settings.
CST members can provide information, support and encouragement to regular
educators as they participate in the instruction of students with
disabilities.
The Child Study Team meets
State of
New Jersey
requirements with regard to composition. The CST consists of School
Psychologists, Learning Disabilities Teachers/Consultants and Social Workers.
Speech and Language Therapists and an Occupational Therapist also participate
in the assessment and educational care of district students as necessary.
April 2008
PARENT PARTICIPATION IN THE IEP PROCESS
The spring of every school
year is the time when the
Upper
Township
School District
's special education department begins the process of developing new
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for special education students. This
is an important time because it represents our opportunity to analyze student
progress toward learning goals and objectives for the current year, and to use
that information to develop plans to help students in the future. It is also
an opportunity for school personnel and parents to come together to discuss a
child's strengths and weaknesses, and to set priorities for future educational
programming.
Parents are a very
important part of the IEP development process. They can provide information
about their child's functioning that may influence how a child performs in
school. This is particularly true with regard to student strengths. For
example, it may be beneficial for a teacher to know that a student is very
mechanical, artistic, athletic, dramatic, humorous, etc. By having this
information, the teacher could develop some instructional activities where the
student could utilize or display their talents and abilities. This would be
helpful information for a parent to present when participating in an IEP
conference.
Parents also get to see
their children complete homework and prepare for tests. They have an
opportunity to see where the child is having difficulty and where the child's
learning is
smooth and relatively effortless. It is helpful for a parent to share this
information with school personnel, particularly at an IEP meeting during the
discussion of a child's school performance. School personnel may be able to
provide suggestions on ways to address problems that exist. They may be able
to modify the work so that the child can be more successful and enjoy their
work to the greatest extent possible. Some of these ideas can be included in
IEPs so that all personnel involved are aware of ways to assist the child to
learn and to accommodate for specific areas of weakness.
IEP meetings can be
intimidating for parents. It may seem as if the professionals are there to
dictate what is going to happen, and parents are just spectators. This is not
what we want to occur. We will do our best to help you to feel comfortable.
IEP meetings are generally conducted by a child's Child Study Team case
manager. That person will insure that you have an opportunity to participate
as a member of the IEP team. A parent can always speak with the case manager
prior to the IEP meeting if they are more comfortable with sharing information
in this way. We encourage parents to use whatever form of communication works
for them.
Overall, IEP development
time is a wonderful opportunity for all those involved with a child's school
life to share thoughts and ideas, and to plan for the future. I hope that you
will participate with us, and be part of your child's educational future.
January, 2008
ATTENTION: A KEY FACTOR FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS
By Bob DiDonato, Supervisor of Special Education
Our ability to focus our attention on a task is usually a very important
factor in whether we successfully accomplish that task or not. This is
especially true for children when they are involved in school learning.
Without efficient attention regulation, learning becomes scattered and
inconsistent. Students with weak attention function will typically only
experience parts of instruction rather than experiencing the whole. This often
leads to them being a "step or two behind" most of the time. As we all have
experienced, most situations become challenging, if not impossible to manage,
when we are "out of step" with those around us.
Not all children with weak attention regulation look the same. Some have
typical activity levels, but simply cannot keep their minds focused for
adequate amounts of time. They may be very attentive for a brief period, but
then have difficulty sustaining their attention. They often allow other,
unrelated thoughts to interfere with their attention. It is as if their brain
cannot "filter out" those thoughts that are unrelated or less important in the
situation. An important skill to be successful in school is to recognize the
information or activity that is most important, and to stay focused on that
information or activity.
For some other students with weak attention regulation, they find it difficult
to regulate their body activity as well as their thoughts. These students are
often overactive. Teachers and parents report that the students are fidgety
and always on the move. Many of these students are also impulsive. They seem
to do things without really thinking them through. It is as if their brain has
not had the time to think about all the things that could go wrong if they
behave a certain way. As you can imagine, this makes participation in a
classroom quite challenging, but it also often makes social relationships and
interaction difficult as well.
Medical research has found that not all brains function the same way. For
students with weak attention regulation, there seems to be less activation of
one particular area of the brain that contributes to the attention
difficulties. Medication is sometimes an alternative for a student because the
medication helps the brain to manage attention more efficiently. We also know
that students with weak attention function benefit from behavioral training.
This often includes feedback to help students recognize when their attention
systems are working well and when they are not working well. Reinforcers, both
positive and negative, are frequently included in behavioral training. It is
essential that the student recognizes the importance of efficient attention,
and is motivated to improve their attention function.
Students with weak attention regulation create unique challenges for teachers.
Because students with attention difficulties are often "out of step" with the
learning activities and events in the classroom, teachers are challenged to
find ways to keep them actively engaged to insure that learning takes place.
We find that students generally have the ability to learn, but their weak
attention regulation does not allow them to learn the same way or at the same
pace as others. The challenge for the student is to channel their mental and
physical energies into learning within the structure and rules of traditional
classroom settings. Parents and school personnel can help by setting clear and
realistic expectations, providing a consistent environment where rules for
behavior are clearly stated, recognizing students for their talents and gifts,
and providing unconditional love and support on a regular basis. The challenge
is for the student and the adults in their lives to find a working balance
that respects the student, but also encourages attention functioning that will
eventually lead to school success.
October, 2007
THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE IN LEARNING AND SCHOOL FUNCTIONING
By Bob DiDonato, Supervisor of Special Education
There are many different brain functions involved in being a successful
student. Just as children develop and grow physically, we also know that it is
important that their brain functions develop so that they can handle more and
more complex learning situations. As parents and educators, we get to watch
our children progress through the different phases of brain development. We
hope that their brain development keeps pace with the changing demands of the
education experience so that our students can meet with success.
There are situations where students struggle with school demands from their
very first day. There are other situations where students are successful early
in their school experience, but begin to find things increasingly difficult
and frustrating as they encounter more complex learning.
As educators, we know that there are several key functions that affect
learning and school success. One of these key functions is language.
Classrooms require a considerable amount of language processing during every
school day. It is important that students can both receive and express
language so that communication occurs easily and accurately. Many students who
have difficulty with school achievement have difficulty in one or more areas
of language. They may not hear sounds as accurately as they need to. This
often affects early reading development. They may not understand what they are
hearing. This affects vocabulary development, and listening and reading
comprehension. Some students struggle to express their thoughts in an
organized and understandable way. This typically affects their writing ability.
School personnel use teaching methods and strategies to help students to
improve their language skills so that they can become proficient readers.
Teachers at the early grades stress the sounds (phonemic awareness) of the
English language, and how sounds correspond to the letters of the alphabet
(phonics). They use activities to help students understand the structure of
language so that they can read and spell with accuracy and fluency. Teachers
at all grade levels use literature and text to help students develop both
vocabulary and comprehension. These areas indicated in bold letters are
the key areas of reading , and the areas addressed through your child's daily
instruction.
For students who acquire these skills more slowly, instruction is used that
provides plenty of practice and repetition. Instruction also tries to get as
many parts of the brain working so that learning and mastery will occur. This
is often referred to as multi-sensory learning, and may include visual
(seeing), auditory (hearing) and tactile (touching) learning experiences..
Different activities are used so that students have an opportunity to
experience language skills in different ways.
As parents, you can help your child's reading and language development in many
ways. One is to enjoy literature together. When you are reading, it gives your
child a chance to hear what good reading sounds like. When your child reads to
you, it provides a chance for them to practice their developing reading
skills. Keep in mind that you want your child to enjoy the reading experience,
particularly when they are reading to you. It helps to select reading passages
that they can read independently or with very little assistance. If you need
assistance in choosing reading materials for your child, your child's teacher
may be able to provide suggestions.
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