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Supporting Students to

Reach Their “MAX”imum

Potential

START Spring Conference

April 28, 2014

Presented by the

Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District

Jessica Clark – Special Education Teacher

Angela Craven – School Social Worker

Ann Carey – Speech and Language Pathologist

Carrie Carr – Autism Consultant

More >> << Less

General Education

Classroom 80%+

Target 63%

MI CIMS Thresholds for Restriction

SPP Indicator 5: Educational Environments 2013-14 Targets

Continuum of Services

Restrictive

General Education

Classroom 40-79%

Target 20.3%

General Education

Classroom <40%

Target 11.9%

Separate Facility

Target 4.8%

Meet Max

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Baby Max

Toddler Max

• Early On

• Infant/Toddler Group

• PECS/Sign Language

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Preschool Max

• ECSE Preschool

Program; March 2003

• Stereotypical behaviors

• Minimal interest in social

interaction

Diagnosis

• Neurological specialists

– August 2003; No ASD diagnosis

• Psychologist

– September 2003; ASD diagnosis

– Mom wasn’t shocked when she left the office

because of her research

Same behaviors at both doctors offices

• Speech and OT services;

school/outpatient

• Increased language &

school readiness skills

• Eye contact increased

• Potty trained

• Some aggressive

behavior towards self

ECSE Preschool; 3-5 years old

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MCI Classroom – First Year

• 5-12 year old students

• Typical kindergarten

classroom routine

• Behaviors escalated

– Pinching when frustrated

Behavioral Challenges

• Max frustrated by:

– Non-preferred tasks

– Schedule changes

– Under/over stimulated?

• A “great day” meant that no restraints

were required

Limited Inclusion

• Only attended Gym and Art

– Parapro support; same aged peers

• Wanted more; not sure how to accomplish it

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Behavior Plan

• Three Star strip system

– Losing all three stars = no swimming

– Could earn stars back by doing non-preferred

activities

• Restrained on average 3 times per week 30

seconds to 60 minutes

MCI Classroom - 3rd Year

• Same Kindergarten Classroom routine as year one

• Wasn’t interacting with his peers – no inclusion

Parents - Frustrated!

• Mainly concerned that he wasn’t getting an

education

– Wasn’t pushed to do a higher level or work than

when he started in the program 3 years ago.

– The schedule and routine was the same as it had

been for 3 years.

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And we quote

“I like to jump to cursive

over manuscript because

‘these kids’ need to know

how to sign their disability

checks soon enough”

MCI Classroom - 4th Year

• Inclusion “returns” (by parent request)

– Art, gym, and music…with parapro

• Physical aggression and behaviors still an

issue

– ABC assessment done by psychologist

– Behaviors triggered by behaviors of adults’ - high

staff turnover • Ineffective prompting with picture cards in face

• Verbal reprimands for slight noises

• Verbal communication discouraged - “use your cards”

• Inclusion not going well - barriers

• Every time there was a really bad day, there

was a new plan

– No plan was left in place

– Parent meetings at least once a week to discuss

behaviors

– Parents were called daily to pick him up because

of his aggressive behaviors Did he behave that

way because he knew it would get him out?

• Day shortened to 3 hours

MCI Classroom - 4th Year (cont.)

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The worst of the worst

• Max was moved to a segregated desk and

area in the kitchen with 1:1 para

– Parapros who wanted to approach him could only

approach him with PECS in hand

• No interaction with other adults or any peers.

– weightlifting gloves

– umpire style chest protectors

Max is still 8 yrs old!

Parents politely resigned Max

from School

+

Side Note –

During this WORST year

• Well deserved family trip for a week-Oct 2008

• Went to Disney World

– NO BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

– long lines

– extra wait at the airports

– long car ride

– four course meals

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09-10 New Teacher

• Classroom more organized

• Consistent staff

• Some of the same behaviors but fewer

• Max went back to a full day within a few

weeks

– Action team meetings once a month

– Continue to try and find new ways to discuss

what worked and what didn’t work for Max’s

behaviors

• Still no Inclusion

New Year

And, Another New Teacher!

“So you used to be a gen ed teacher?”

A closer look into THEN – 2010 We’re not proud…

• Daily incidents of pinching and hitting

himself and others – no behavior plan

• Worked on coin recognition, recognizing

basic K-2 sight words, telling time, counting

to 100

• Behavioral outbursts were attributed to

“significant sensory needs”

• No interaction with typical peers

• No time spent in front of general education

curriculum at his grade level

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START Intensive Training

Comes to the U.P.

• Breaking News from this Training…

– IDEA ‘04 – LRE; Maximum access to general

education curriculum with typically developing

peers.

– 80%/80%

– Indictor of post-secondary employment is Time

Spent in front of the General Education

Curriculum (Easter Seals)

More Breaking News from this

Training…

• Behavior is communication

• We have to work with the Autism (use Max’s

strengths to involve him in the curriculum)

• Utilize what the student CAN do

• Adults aren’t cool - Peer to Peer Mediation is

where it’s at.

• We needed to educate all staff (special

education and general education)

• Building an “A-Team”

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The Bottom Line… Daily Opportunities for Inclusion Are No Longer Negotiable

Not a Reward; Not a Readiness Model

On our side…

• Art was Max’s strength

• Positive previous

experiences with the art

teacher

• Family support for inclusion

Barriers

• A Ravine! (Separate school

buildings)

• Paraprofessional Support

• No 5th grade friends

• General Education

Staff/Center Based Staff -

“My Students”/”Their

Students”

• Need more rigorous academic content

• Need for participation in a structured

classroom community – not just art

• Less adult support to promote independence

• The answer…

LINKS

More barriers…

Developing a Peer to Peer

Program • Jumped in Blindly - No idea how to start

• Initially just targeted Max and one other 5th

grade boy

• Asked for administrative forgiveness

• Teacher Training and Support

• Gaining Peer Interest

• Funding - Grant

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LINKS PROGRAM

TURNER HOWSON ELEMENTARY

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Meet Max

5th Grade

•great artist

•shooting baskets

•Helping

•playing the drums

•Social studies (maps)

•old cars

•Drawing

•Swimming

•Tubing

•Basketball

•Pizza

•drums

•frustrated when he

doesn’t understand

something

•sometimes makes

noises

•speaking

People with Autism Have Challenges in Three Areas…

Social Interactions

Behaviors

Some Quick Information…

•Autism Spectrum Disorder is sometimes called ASD

•Most students with ASD are born with it

•Autism is NOT contagious

•There are more boys than girls with autism

•Some students with autism talk, and some do not

•Most students with autism have strong interest areas

•Most students with autism have a difficult time understanding social situations

•Students with autism often need to learn in different ways

•Kids with an ASD are often very knowledgeable in certain areas

Many of Max’s challenges occur because he has…

Autism, really, is just a different way of thinking…a different way that a brain works!

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Teachers and staff are working really hard at the Rudyard Center to assist the

students who have autism. But…many, many, many smart people have done a

lot of research and studies and found that the people who can best help kids with

autism learn and grow are…

PEERS! (other kids their age!)

That’s right!

You could be one of Max’s strongest LINK S to success!

So, you are wondering, just what is a LINK?

•A LINK will be a student who is about Max’s age who will support him.

•Most importantly – a LINK is a good friend!

•A LINK will play and talk about things that Max is interested in, and help him

discover other fun things, too!

•A LINK might work next to Max on a classroom assignment.

•Max will need a LINK in the classroom and perhaps eventually during lunch or

specials

•The LINKS will meet sometimes to talk about what is going well with Max, where

he’s struggling, and discuss how YOU can help. The LINK meetings are usually pretty

fun and treats or special lunches are often involved

•You can volunteer if you are interested. We have applications and permission slips

for you to fill out if you are.

•We’ll let you know when the first LINK meeting will be very soon!

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Teacher Training – General

Education Staff

• Team put together a training for our school

staff and administration

• Focus on the law

• Overview of Autism

• Educational Strategies

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Get on the bus or…

• 80/80 Rule:

– 80% of our students

with disabilities need

to spend 80% of their

time in general

education.

– Center Based

Programming…

One Curriculum

• There is one curriculum- The General

Education Curriculum

• Special education is not a place…

– It is a service

– It is a support

Scary Statistics • Only 21% of people

with disabilities are

in the workforce.

• Only 7% of people

with Autism are in

the workforce.

• What can we do to

make our students

social and

independent so we

can make a change?

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We need to switch our thinking

Outcomes from LINKs - year one…

• Finally an appropriate “label”! – fifth grader

• First time students from the self-contained special education

program spent time involved in the general education curriculum

in academic areas (and with success at that!)

• Established strong core group of Peer LINKS

- Community Night

- End of the Year BBQ

- T-Shirts!!

• Initiated “A-Teaming” with Center based program staff and

elementary school staff

• Realized we needed to improve our systems that allow for

Differentiated Output

• Knew we needed to increase opportunities

Words from General Education Teacher

As promised my views on the LINKS program and Max.

I have known Max for many years in the Physical Education setting. In

this environment we were moving around a lot, using loud music, and

playing with several different types of equipment which had a tendency to

travel in a variety of paths. As an autistic child this was a difficult

environment to be in. Max survived P.E. with the right adult aide to help

him cope and learn.

In Max's formative years he was a yeller and pincher. When I was

approached and asked if he could join my fifth grade classroom I was

apprehensive. Knowing what I knew about Max and not seeing him for a

few years, I wasn't sure this would be a good idea, but decided to try with

the understanding that if this didn't work then he would no longer come

to my room.

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The LINKS program was introduced to my students with a short 101

presentation about Autistic students. We quickly received several

applications to be LINKS students. Most of the students I recognized as

good candidates. A few others I was concerned about. But, as it turned

out all of my students have helped Max adjust and succeed in a regular

general education class. Keep in mind this is only for an hour per

day. Small steps for transitions is the key. Most of the LINKS students

have excelled tremendously. Others have done well, but have more to

learn about helping autistic students. I have found you can not pick LINK

students they have to volunteer and really want to work with autistic

students.

My students even figured out what type of lunch Max likes and

wanted him to experience the lunchroom and recess with them. Not only

were they concerned about his educational experiences but his social

experiences as well.

This has proven to be a useful program for the autistic students as well

as the general education students!

Janet Paquin - Fifth Grade Teacher

Sixth Grade

• Middle school schedule – same building as

“self-contained” classroom program

• Focus on increasing opportunities in the

general education setting/curriculum

Specific Strategies

Designed to Promote Success Rooted in Evidence Based Practice

• Peer to Peer Supports

• Visual Strategies

• Differentiated Output

• Self-Management

• Reinforcement System

• Computer Aided Instruction

• Teaming Process

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Expanded Peer to Peer Program • Middle School and High School

– Reverse Inclusion LINKS; every single day

– Inclusion LINKS; every single day

– PRIDE Program; every single day

• Went from 10 5th Grade LINKS to 80 MS/HS

LINKS

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Keeping LINKS Motivated

• “Mrs. Clark” vs. Jessica

• Regular Case Conferences

• M&M LINKS Awards

• Estimation Jar

• LINKAPALOOZA

• T-shirts

• Celebratory Trips

• Evening Activities

– Bowling Event

– Tubing Event

– Movie Night

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Case Conferences/ASD Education

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Visual Supports

Adults – We’re Just Not Cool

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Classroom alarm clock

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Self Management System

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Accommodations &

Differentiated Output

Open Ended

Visual Organization

Closed

Choice

Yes/No

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Folder System

General Education Teacher (expert in

curriculum content) puts classroom

work to be modified in a folder.

Blue Folder – Work that will need

to be modified by next week.

Orange folder – Work that will need

to be modified in the next 2-3 days.

Red Folder – Work that will need to

be modified by tomorrow.

Special Education teacher (expert in

Max’s learning strengths and

necessary modifications) modifies

work.

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Accommodation – Music Class

Accommodation – Bookshare

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Computer Aided Instruction As a “pre-teaching” strategy

Computer Aided Instruction

As a “remediation” strategy

Teaming Process

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The Big Picture

2010

Autistic 10 year old

Full Day Self-Contained Special

Education Class with paraprofessional

support

Special Education Bussing with restraint and

paraprofessional

2014

7th Grade Student

Participates in FIVE general education classes with LINK

support only

Rides the General Education Bus with

friends

The Power of Peers

Max the Drummer

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Questions?