SpEd 417/517

Course Objective: Demonstrate the ability to expand student awareness of the environment and to elicit appropriate student responses reflecting environmental needs

Life DomainsHome livingCommunityVocationalSchoolRecreation/leisure

Ecological InventoryDomain (D)Environment (E) - Setting within specific domain areaSub-environment (SE) - Specific environment where activity occurs with detailed description of settingActivity (A) - typical activity that may occur in the sub-environmentSkills (S)- detailed analysis of skills required to fully participate (considering non-disabled person)

Home Living Environment

Home Living InventoryD - Home livingE - HomeSE - Bedroom - Room kept at 70 degrees, lights off, TV on at pre-set time, glow and quiet sounds of TV, sound of birds outside, feeling of mattress/bedding on body, change of positions when turning and sitting upA - Waking up for the dayS - Open eyes and stretchS - Turn over to side and pull covers downS - Push up body from side lying to sitting on edge of bedS - Reach down for clothesS - Get dressed

Community Environment

Community InventoryD - CommunityE - Childs kindergarten centerSE - Activity center - Bright lighting, competing visual stimuli from posters and equipment, sounds of other volunteers working, feel of utensils in hands, dryness of boxes and boxes, movement of arms and hands to grasp and place booksA - Setting up book fairS - Grasp boxes and open with a utensilS - Grasp books one at a time or in stacks and place on tableS - Stack books in pilesS - Fill up each table with stacks of booksS - Place sign for each category on stand and place on table

Vocational Environment

Vocational InventoryD - VocationalE - Moorhead Junior HighSE - OT room - Low lighting, minimal florescent lighting, sounds of nearby classroom and students, sounds of myself and student interacting, smells of heat kicking on in the building, feeling of heat from the vents, feel of leather chair, movement of wheels on chair, feel of materials and effects of exercises on handsA - Conducting therapy sessionS - Sit down at desk and greet student S - Open drawer and grasp exercise materialsS - Demonstrate use of exercise materialsS - Extend reach and present materials to studentS - Grasp documentation sheet and record student activity

School Environment

School InventoryD - SchoolE - Conference center in MinneapolisSE - Assistive technology (AT) vendor booth - bright lighting of ballroom, competing sounds from many people walking by and other vendor presentations, view of computer and screen, feeling of sling chair, movement of hands to writeA - Listening to presentation on new AT softwareS - Sitting in directors chairS - Holding small note pad and catalog of products while listening to presenterS - Watching presentation on screen on the wall while presenter demonstrates on lap-top computerS - Writing notes about AT useS - Highlight important features of product by circling features in catalog

Recreational & Leisure Environment

Recreation/Leisure InventoryD - Recreation/LeisureE - Health and Physical Education building at MSUMSE - Racquetball court #3 - Bright lighting, white walls, sounds from other courts and opposing player, feeling of tense body position, grasping of racquet, movement of arms, feeling of impact when hitting ballA - Playing racquetballS - Standing with hips/knees bent and hand/fingers grasped on racquetS - Extending arm to prepare for hitting ball on first volleyS - Flexing and adducting arm to hit ballS - Hit ball with racquetS - Return arm to original position and shift weight to prepare for next volley

Curriculum & InstructionCurriculumDetermines strengths, interests, dreams, and nightmaresDetermine capabilities and challenges for childDecide the challenges to be addressedWrite activity-based goals and objectivesInstructionDetermine individual student plansDetermine individual teaching strategiesDevelop strategies for measuring progress

CurriculumWhat and Where?General education curriculumGeneral education curriculum adapted to focus on the most essential skillsSequenced functional skills curriculumEmbedded functional skills curriculum

InstructionHow?The intervention methods associated with each of the various disciplines, as well as the more multifaceted interventions designed by an educational team collectively.The goal is to enable students with disabilities to participate in a variety of home, school, and community routines, with a variety of people, using the supports and responding to the cues that occur naturally in those settings.

HowTeams need to consider appropriate adaptations and supports (ie. AT, related services) to allow student to benefit from special education.Due to unique learning needs, instructional stategies need to be designed in consideration of special physical, sensory, and health issues.Teams need to have the ability to determine the difference between specific impairments and behaviors. If behavior is identified as the issue, then teams need to implement strategies to reduce challenging behaviorsInstruction

Determine individual student planScheduling matrixensures meaningful inclusionopportunity to learn skills at naturally occurring time and in response to natural cuespractice skills in different situationsorganizing dayMethods for participation in regular education opportunitiesspecific adaptationscurriculum adaptation strategiesSame curriculum (S)Multilevel curriculum (ML)Curriculum overlapping (CO)

Scheduling Matrix

Determine individual teaching strategiesPrepare student for instructionpositioningtransition timeopportunities for movementawareness of daily routineDetermine individual learning styles - multi-sensory emphasis

Develop strategies for measuring progressWill it be useful or meaningful?Is it practical?Portfolio assessment

Stages of learningAcquisition - learn itMaintenance - use it routinelyFluency or proficiency - make it better or fasterGeneralization - use it anywhere and whenever possible

Creating Inclusive EnvironmentsInclusive environmentslegal rationalephilosophical rationaleeducational rationaleBenefits of inclusioninstructional benefitssocial interaction benefitsimpact on non-disabled peers

The Inclusive Education ModelFull inclusion - primary placement in general educationPrinciple of natural proportionsInclusion terminologyIdentify, evaluate, and implement supports and adaptationsLevel of inclusion is team decision

Inclusive InstructionFacilitating school acceptanceplacementawareness trainingteacher modelingcollaborative teamingcommunity/family involvementpeer programs

Inclusive InstructionEssential supportsTrainingAssistanceFacilitating peer acceptanceenvironmental arrangementteacher mediationpeer--mediated interventionspeer tutoringpeer interaction programspeer support networks

CollaborationRolesGeneral education supportCurriculum modificationsScheduling support personnel

Instructional ArrangementsBasic principlesfunctional skill instructionembedded instructionskill clusteringmultiple exemplarsnatural cues and consequenceschoice makingmeaningful environmentsIndividualized Peer interaction

Instructional ArrangementsInstruction in the general education settingImplementing inclusive instructioncooperative learninglarge-grouppeer instructioncommunity-basedactivity-based

Curricular and Instructional BarriersCurricular contentLevel of participationUse of materialsPresentation formatLevel of achievementEvaluative proceduresCooperative opportunities

Architectural BarriersSchoolHome LivingCommunityVocationalRecreational/Leisure

School BarriersSchool buildings groundsPavementTerrain of school yardPlaygroundEntrance

School BarriersBuilding destinationsEntrance doorsHallwaysDoorways/DoorsStairsBathrooms

School BarriersClassroomSeatingAccess to materialsMoving around in the classroomPresentation tools

School BarriersOther settingsLibraryMusic roomGymnasiumLunchroomTherapy room

Home LivingBarriersYard accessDriveway/sidewalkEntry/doorsHallwaysLiving room furnishingsKitchenBathroomBedroom

Community BarriersBuildings and groundsEntriesInterior mobilityTransportationentryseatingduration of travel

Vocational BarriersParking lotEntryNegotiating work environmentAccess to work stationAccess to equipment/materials

Recreation/LeisureBarriersAccess to physical environmentAbility to participate in activities independentlyNeed for adapted equipmentLeveling the playing field