Early Childhood Special Educator

[healthy11]

Futureteacher, welcome to Millermom's forum. Over the years, we've had several other future teachers ask similar questions as part of their class assignments. If you don't mind my asking, what college are you attending?

Although my child is older now, I'm willing to give you a summary of our school experiences, but I'd rather do it via email than just posting here. Do you have an email address I send it to?

I know other parents might have different opinions, and you probably just copied the list of questions from your instructor, but one of the things that really stands out and bothers me is question #7...making reference to a child's "illness." While a few children might have contracted some type of disease like meningitis that can cause learning problems, the majority of children with learning differences are "born with them," stemming from issues during pregnancy or the birthing process. Their brains may be "wired differently," but it doesn't mean they can't learn. In particular response to question 14, one of the biggest misconceptions many teachers have is that all children who have LDs and/or ADHD have low IQs...that's absolutely not true, and in fact, kids can actually have exceptionally high intelligence, and still have learning difficulties. (The term for them is "2e," or "twice exceptional," and my son falls in that category. You can learn more at millermom.proboards.com/thread/9972/twice-exceptional-gifted-adhd-resources )

For some useful general information on what helps to make a good teacher, you might read millermom.proboards.com/thread/10203/good-teacher

[healthy11]

I forgot to mention that we actually have several members who are, themselves, studying to work as special education teachers, psychologists, and other school professionals. I've sent my son's "summary" to your email address listed above.

Recently, another individual posted some questions similar to what you're asking, and maybe this information will also help you: millermom.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Education&action=display&thread=11438


(For the benefit of other Millermoms, who may be reluctant to discuss their children's stories, I wanted to give them encouragement about sharing what they've been through, to help "educate future educators." Futureteacher, I hope you don't mind if I reprint your thank you note: "Thank you so much for your prompt reply and taking the time to be so thorough. I actually have a presentation in another class on ADHD and with this interview I definitely got a more in-depth understanding of ADHD and exploring the social/emotional issues. The interview really gave me a lot of insight on a personal level that a textbook of course doesn't! I do appreciate your help and I wish more parents were more involved as you are with your son because I've been observing in classrooms of students in a public schools in New York that are in self-contained special education classrooms and a lot of their parents are neglected and some parents are in denial and I really feel awful everyday that I am there that they aren't getting the extra help from their parents at home to help with their development of certain skills. Some schools also lack so much funding that there aren't enough paras or help to give students the individualized attention they need. I recently learned about how lot of teachers just copy and paste IEPs which is why they all look the same which is also terrible ! My professor just taught us how important it is to be detailed and individualize IEPs so that there are set goals that you can follow and if a substitute teacher were to fill in then they know where you left off exactly. Thank you again for answering my questions and for your time! I wish you and your family the best!")

[kewpie]

>I wish more parents were more involved as you are with your son because I've been observing in classrooms of students in a public schools in New York that are in self-contained special education classrooms and a lot of their parents are neglected and some parents are in denial and I really feel awful everyday that I am there that they aren't getting the extra help from their parents at home to help with their development of certain skills.<

I had to comment on this because this comment strikes such a nerve. As the parent of 3 children with assorted learning differences with normal IQ's, I have had to fight years of legal battles to keep my children OUT of the situation you describe. Because I was an "vigilant" parent, the school thought I was great until I started having to point out that the schools had been extremely ineffective in teaching my child.

Parents can only do so much at home. If a child cannot learn to read at school who have been taught by the "educated and highly trained staff at school, how is a parent supposed to teach the child to read? I had to go out and spend $80 per hour for a LiPS tutor to teach my son more in 3 months than he had learned in 4 years at school. That was only the beginning.

My point is, parent participation has its "limits". The parent can make sure the child does his homework, but frequently, children with learning problems cannot DO the work that is sent home which frequently leads to arguments and resentment. If a parent truly advocates for their child and points out the shortcomings in his education, the parent can and does become the target for nasty remarks and retailiation.

It depends on the school culture and how much they truly want to help the child. It is not all about budget, it costs the same to pay a poorly trained teacher as it does to pay a highly trained one. The sad thing is many teaching colleges do a very poor job of training teachers. This has been a hot topic with the International Dyslexia Association for years. Its not fair to our future teachers and is definitely not fair to the kids.

[dihicks6]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents regarding homework. My dd had severe short-term memory deficits and homework was a nightmare, which is not unusual for sped students. I went round and round with the school and finally had a 1 hr. limit for homework placed on her IEP. Even that sometimes wasn't enough as she had many learning disabilities, so many nights I simply wrote on the homework that she didn't understand it and that they needed to either re-teach, using a different method, or it wasn't going to stick. I did use some different methods at home, depending on what was being studied, but it's truly a trial and error situation for the parent.

[dihicks6]

The issues you've outlined happen as a result of dumping sped kids into self-contained classrooms without regard for differing levels of ability, different specific disabilities, emotional/mental illness and sheer numbers. I know most parents/districts have abandoned the self-contained model, however, done right, it can be a god-send to a sped student. For schools, it comes down to money, not what's best for the students with differing abilities. My dd did very well in a unusual program developed by our cooperative school here. It was middle-school level, had 10-12 students who were grouped by whatever grade level they were on, led by a sped teacher with specifically-trained sped paraprofessionals. They offered Wilson Reading (it was in this program that my dd truly learned to read -- in 6th grade), self-contained core subjects if the students needed it, or they could attend gen ed classes with the para. It was such a flexible program and I'm sure she learned the most in those years. I did, however, have to bang my shoe on the table for 7 mos. before they made this placement (from elementary school).

[ceratops]

Nov 6, 2013 13:05:36 GMT -5 futureteacher said:

...
Also, there are some kids that would always come in and their nails would be filthy. It was apparent that they don't seem to have much support at home and that was really disheartening for me to see.

...some schools have too many children in a self-contained classroom, and not enough paras. I've seen how it is difficult for the teachers to manage a classroom such as this because each child was in a different grade level, and needed to be taught a different lesson. I've observed a teacher under so much stress when a class couldn't be moved along when a child that has a behavioral issue will be turning off the lights in the classroom, hit or kick other students, constantly get up and touch things and randomly start throwing things in the classroom which may hurt other students. It's definitely a trial and error for the teachers as well as they are working with different students each year and having to learn to adapt their curriculum and lesson plan constantly throughout the day. I hope I can learn to become a teacher that does not disappoint parents like any of you.

I have to chuckle at the dirty fingernails as a sign of parental non-involvement. My middle child frequently has dirty fingernails -- he's active, likes playing outdoors, and does not like to have me clip his fingernails (maybe a sensory thing) -- so his nails don't get clipped/cleaned as often as they probably should be. This isn't real high on my list of priorities, so, honestly, I let it slide. I wonder if people at his school are judging DS's family circumstances based on the appearance of his fingernails...

Keep an open mind; things may not be as you first assume .

I applaud your concern for your students, and your willingness to learn.

[michellea]

futurerteacher -

I have heard from friends that work in large urban districts - some very low income districts that parent involvement is lacking and that many students come to school tired, poorly clothed and poorly fed. These students are disadvantaged from the start. Add to it, learning or emotional issues and it sometimes hard to imagine that they can even survive. My sense is that these occurrences happen most often in poverty stricken or lower income areas. This is one of the costs of poverty - a cycle of struggle and stress that hampers learning and growth.

I don't have the answer, but the more I live (I'm 54), the more I realize the tremendous struggles that some people face. And while I agree that parents should keep their children fed, clean, rested and ready for school, the pressures of working, dealing with emotional and health issues, money issues, cultural differences, hunger, poor medical help, and poor living environments make it difficult for even the best intentioned parents to do the very difficult job of parenting well.

Regarding self contained vs inclusion settings - I agree with dihicks. Both have their place. My son could not even survive in an inclusion setting - even though it was a class of 15 students and he had a para. His reading disabilities were so profound that it took 5 years in a specialized school to give him the skills he needed to navigate the school day, read and write. Thankfully, my school district was willing to pay for his special education. Their investment paid off - he is now an honor roll student, in the top 15% of his class and only needs an aide in ELA and Math. He will be applying to colleges next fall. I would bet my house if he remained in the inclusion setting during elementary and middle school, he would not be where he is today.

The IEP is an INDIVIDUALIZED program. It is too bad that schools don't always have or use the resources needed to truly meet the individualized needs of the student. Instead, they often try to fit the student into a preexisting program.

Good for you for entering Special Ed and thinking critically. You'll see that it is complex with no easy answers and limited resources. In fact, you could say the same for education in general.

[SharonF]

futureteacher--

In some ways, nearly every student has special needs. Many get "labeled"--but often in ways that are not productive. "Discipline problem," "immature," "lazy," "slow learner," etc. Even kids who are being bullied, whose parents are going through divorce or have a parent with a severe illness can have special needs.

Self-contained are not the only classes that are dumping grounds. My kids ended up in several inclusion (co-taught) classes, especially in high school. I found Inclusion to often be a dumping ground for a wide range of harder-to-teach kids. Some might be behind because of years of poverty or parents who just couldn't keep up. Some kids might have behavioral issues that had never been successfully identified or addressed. Some kids had 504s and IEPs, but "placement" rarely equals FAPE.

As others have noted, many schools don't have the knowledge or resources to provide INDIVIDUALIZED education for kids with IEPs. They try to meet unique needs by shoving kids into existing programs and existing placements. Sometimes it works. Often, it doesn't.

You asked some wonderful questions. My best advice is to admit when you don't know something, to promise not to tell half-truths or untruths to parents, and to realize that there is no "quick fix" to educating most kids with special needs. It can be an exhausting, frustrating, expensive, complex and contradictory journey.

But you CAN make a difference. I'll share an example, if you don't mind.

My dd graduated from college in May of this year and is now preparing to apply to grad school. And a special teacher--one I misjudged--visited from another state just to attend dd's college graduation.

Our daughter had done fine until middle school when she hit an academic, then an emotional, brick wall. The school denied services. I had fought that same middle school to get services for our older child, so our relationship was not good. The school made it even more difficult to get services for our daughter.

Our daughter had extremely unusual IQ and achievement score patterns, with bizarre scatter. She was failing some classes. The school denied IEP eligibility, wrote her off as a "slow learner" and told me she should not take college-prep courses in high school. I had private testing done which showed she had traits of severe auditory processing disorder, nonverbal learning disability, focal dystonia and ADHD-inattentive type. But a really strange and hard-to-define mix of all of those.

IEP meetings were heated. We finally agreed on an SLI IEP, which was inadequate. But it was a start.

Because of that IEP, a SpEd teacher began working with my dd in pullout sessions. This teacher had been one of the difficult ones at IEP meetings, arguing against eligibility and specific services. But she apparently was very, very good to my dd. At the time, this teacher's husband was dying of cancer. My dd drew strength from watching this teacher deal with her pain and adversity. The teacher sensed my dd's empathy. They bonded.

This teacher was apparently controversial at IEP meetings because that's what her supervisors told her to do. They didn't want more kids with IEPs. They didn't want kids who struggled. They wanted my husband and me to pull our kids out of this public charter school and go somewhere else.

After middle school, dd went to a different high school where we got an OHI IEP and much better services. School was not easy for dd, but she was hard working and determined. The middle school teacher who had bonded with my dd did lose her husband to cancer, married someone else a few years later and moved to another state.

But she and my dd stayed in touch over the years via Facebook. And this former teacher INSISTED on coming all the way to my dd's college graduation. Very, very special.

I wish that politics and dollar signs could be removed from the IEP process. I wish all caring teachers could openly advocate for FAPE at IEP meetings without feeling the wrath of supervisors who are more interested in pinching pennies or worried about setting new precedents.

My advice: do what you know is right. Even if it's not the popular or easy thing to do.

By doing so, you may change many kids' lives for the better. And some day, you may be applauding as your former students cross that high school or college stage to get that cum laude diploma!

[michellea]

SharonF - what a story. This is part of the story that I had not heard until now - and something I"ll keep in mind as I make assumptions about teachers. Thank you for sharing.

[SharonF]

michellea--

I was SO WRONG about that SpEd teacher. I knew my dd really liked her. But that teacher had been so pointedly difficult at IEP meetings. So honestly, I didn't like her.

That former teacher sat next to me at dd's college graduation. She kept telling me what a role model I was for parents whose kids struggled in school. She praised me for never giving in, never giving up, always vigorously believing in both of my kids and insisting that the school do the same. Despite every obstacle the school tried to put in my path.

I was stunned. Her words and attitude toward me at those many IEP meetings definitely did not convey respect or appreciation.

That conversation was another reminder that IEP eligibility and services are often not based on the child's needs. IEP decisions can be heavily influenced by the school's internal politics and culture. To keep their jobs, teachers must sometimes toe the company line at IEP meetings. But through determination and innovation, caring teachers might be able to still meet the children's needs in the classroom.

About a month after college graduation, dd was going through boxes of old papers from middle and high school. She found an essay she had written in about 7th grade--where the students were asked to describe someone they admired and why. She had written about that SpEd teacher. She described how that teacher smiled, was encouraging and positive every day, despite knowing that her husband was dying of cancer and the teacher's two daughters would soon be without a father.

As I read that essay, I cried. That teacher had been so coldhearted at the IEP meetings. But her true colors came through when she interacted with my dd. My dd was able to see that teacher for who she really was. And I had not. I misjudged her.

But life has a way of correcting our errors, if we give it enough time. That former teacher was there for my dd in middle school when dd needed her most. And she made DARNED sure she was there for dd's college graduation. In the end, that's what matters most.

[michellea]

Nov 8, 2013 11:11:21 GMT -5 SharonF said:

michellea--


That conversation was another reminder that IEP eligibility and services are often not based on the child's needs. IEP decisions can be heavily influenced by the school's internal politics and culture. To keep their jobs, teachers must sometimes toe the company line at IEP meetings. But through determination and innovation, caring teachers might be able to still meet the children's needs in the classroom.

That's for sure!

[healthy11]

Futureteacher, I urge you to even be "flexible" for how kids sit... my son struggled to sit with his hand folded or both feet on the floor (he preferred having one foot tucked under him) and so long as he wasn't disturbing or interfering with children around him, it was acceptable. For young children, it might even help to put masking tape around their chair or desk, to help identify what is "their space" instead of their neighbors....