Transcript Special Education Diagnosis

Special Education
Disabilities
Characteristics &
Strategies
Missouri Accepted Disabilities
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Specific Learning Disability (LD)- Reading, Math, and/or Writing
Language Impairment (LI)
Sound System Disorder (SSD) (Articulation and/or Phonology)
Speech Impairment (SI) (Fluency or Voice)
Emotional Disturbance (ED)
Other Health Impaired (OHI)
Educational Autism (AU)
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Intellectually Deficient (ID) / Mental Retardation (MR)
Visual Impairment (VI)
Hearing Impaired (HI)
Multiple Disabilities (MD)
Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
Young Child with a Developmental Delay (YCDD) 3-5 years
Specific Learning Disability in Reading
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Basic Reading
Limited sight
vocabulary
Doesn’t recognize
letters or sounds
letter make
Cannot decode
words
Reads at an
unacceptably slow
pace
More time and effort
is placed on
decoding, no
comprehension
takes place
Refuses to read
Reading
Comprehension
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Reads fluently
but cannot pick
out details or
main idea
Cannot retell the
story
May “pretend to
read” silently
Refuses to read
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Reading Fluency
Interferes with
ability to pick out
details or main
idea
Cannot retell the
story due to slow
rate
May “pretend to
read” silently
Refuses to read
Strategies To Try
 Pre-reading-use materials that will tie into the student’s previous
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knowledge
Use advance organizers
Use reading materials that are simpler/ books on tape
Teach options for figuring out new words (context clues,etc)
Code the answers to Wh questions (who answers are in red)
Use minimal wording on test questions and gear at reading level
ProvideOral reading of test
Provide students with a story map that the student can fill in as
reading
Do NOT force students to read aloud in front of the class
Check often for understanding
Teacher summarizes information to ensure understanding
Specific Learning Disability in
Math
 Math Calculations
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Does not know peer
level established
math facts
Cannot retain basic
math facts
Has difficulty
counting
Poorly aligns
numbers resulting in
calculation errors
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Math Reasoning
Does not follow rules
for computational
order
Cannot pick out the
important concepts
in word problems
Has difficulty
understanding
charts, graphs, or
tables
Strategies To Try
 Give the student a math table for facts
 Give the student access to a calculator for basic functions
 Pre-teach formulas that could be used in science (volume) or social
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studies (measurement conversions on a map)
Pre-teach math vocabulary (sum, add)
Underline the main vocabulary in the word problem
Provide a reminder sheet that shows the order of steps to a problem
(Order of operations)
Be consistent with the way that a operation is taught and the
terminology used
Provide graph paper when calculating
Specific Learning Disability in
Written Expression
 All
sentences begin the same
 Has difficulty expressing ideas or meanings
clearly when writing
 Rules of grammar are not followed
 Refuses to complete written assignments
 Can verbally explain answers and add details
 Copies inaccurately
 Has difficulty proof-reading/editing work
 Sentences are simple- article, noun, verb
 Spelling is often an issue
 Sequencing is out of order
Strategies To Try
 Give options of oral reports (book report in a bag)
 Provide organizers for pre-writing (index card with sentence types)
 Allow student to have organizer of essay questions as part of the
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study guide
Provide the student with a blank organizer on the test
Reduce number of essay questions that the student answers
Allow student the opportunity to type some assignments/essays
Break reports into smaller pieces with a deadline for each piece
Provide a sample of what is expected
Provide note taking assistance
Provide list of sequence words
Fill in carrier phrases
Fill in stories
Alternate writing with peer or teacher
Provide site word list
Multiple choice spelling test
Language Impaired
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 Semantics
Limited sight
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vocabulary in reading
Cannot remember
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basic curriculum
vocabulary
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Sentences are
simplistic in nature
Doesn’t understand
word categories
May have word finding
difficulties “thingy”
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Cannot follow multistep directions
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 Syntax
 Pragmatics
Oral grammar is
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jumbled
Writing may be
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impacted
May appear as a 
Learning Disabled
Student except
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cannot express their
answers clearly
Doesn’t develop
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sequenced answers
Does not use
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referents “It”
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Doesn’t understand
social language
Doesn’t read social
cues
May not interact
with others
Behavior issues
occur because they
can’t interact
May appear rude in
conversations
Do not repair
conversations
May choose to
interact with
younger children
Additional Characteristics
 Most likely will impact ALL areas of
academic and social interactions
 Need to be taught basic concepts- they
don’t just learn these through
interactions (when their birthday is)
Strategies To Try
 Refer to any of the strategies that work for Learning Disabled
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Students
Allow student to have processing time during discussions- cue the
student that they will be speaking so that can collect their thoughts
Give concrete examples for words
Use strategies to relate definitions to previous knowledge base
Give directions in small and clear steps
Provide good peer models for the student
Provide multiple types of information- verbal, written, tactile
Provide a daily/ hourly routine
Use of social stories to explain social rules
Continue to review steps- language students need to hear
information multiple times to process
Provide visual pictures
Highlight important words in the directions
Check for understanding prior to beginning independent work
Sound System Disordered
 Phonology
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Specific processes are
consistent across speech
(Cluster reduction)
Child may be unintelligible
May appear shy or avoid
speaking
May affect spelling and/or
decoding skills
Student may opt to show a
person versus telling them
 Articulation
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Substitute one sound for
another
Omit sounds all together
Add in extra sounds
Distortion of sounds
Child may be unintelligible
May appear shy or avoid
speaking
May affect spelling and/or
decoding skills
Student may opt to show
a person versus telling
them
Placement errors
Strategies to Try
 Allow for extra time to correct pronunciation during discussions
 Ask for clarification if you are unable to understand the student’s
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verbalizations
Select a classmate that produces the sound correctly to be the
model and partner in group work
Watch to make sure that the student is participating in class
discussions and if not provide them opportunity to discuss/ask
questions in another setting
Allow the student to practice oral reports with someone before they
present to the class (SLP)
Allow the student the opportunity to present just to the teacher
instead of the whole class
Provide visual cue of the sound
Over articulate the sound
Slow pace of speech
Speech Impaired
 Fluency
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Sound, syllable, word
repetitions
Prolongations of sounds,
syllables, or words
Blockages
Hesitations
Secondary Characteristics
(body movements, facial
grimaces, gesturing)
Difficulty getting their message
across
Peer relationships may be
hindered
Low self concept
May choose not to participate
in the class
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 Voice
Shrill or guttural pitch
Breathy, hoarse, or gravelly
quality
Extra soft, loud volume
Nasal or denasal
Voice may be lost
completely
Difficulty getting their
message across
Peer relationships may be
hindered
Low self concept
May choose not to
participate in the class
Strategies to Try
 Voice
 Fluency
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Don’t interrupt the student and
finish their statement
Allow the student to have
enough time to finish their
statement
Provide a relaxed environment
for the students (don’t randomly
call them out)
Allow the student to practice oral
reports with someone before
they present to the class (SLP)
Allow the student the opportunity
to present just to the teacher
instead of the whole class
Watch for bullying or teasing
from peers
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Allow a water bottle in the
classroom
Verbally cuing if the student is
abusing or using inappropriate
voice
Watch to make sure that the
student is participating in class
discussions and if not provide them
opportunity to discuss/ask
questions in another setting
Allow the student to practice oral
reports with someone before they
present to the class (SLP)
Allow the student the opportunity to
present just to the teacher instead
of the whole class
Watch for bullying or teasing from
peers
Emotional Disturbance
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Does not understand or pick-up on other’s mood or feeling
Difficulty “joining in” with peer groups
Low self-esteem
Difficulty with self-control in frustrating situations or when given direction
Will cave to peer/group pressure
Has trouble setting realistic social goals (sees themselves dating a certain
person)
Is doubtful of their own abilities- low confidence level
Has trouble sharing their own feelings
May avoid certain circumstances (crowds, lockers)
May want to elope from the situation instead of working through it
Mental health stability may take precedence over academic achievement
Distorted sense of reality and fairness
Perseveration- of a thought or action
Lacking social responsibility
Socially immature
Unstable (emotional change is as fast as flipping a light switch)
Strategies to Try
 Assess the student’s mental health first thing in the morning and
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periodically throughout the day
Assign or allow the student to choose an appropriate “Safe” place
that they can go in the building
Have consistent expectations for the student
Remind the student daily or more frequently of expectations
Provide alternative ways to show understanding of the curriculum
Use a calm voice when addressing a student in crisis
Do not “hold” a student in the classroom if they need to be excused
Use each opportunity for social learning- discussion should happen
after the crisis is over
Use of card system
Use visual cue to escape situation
Minimize discussion to avoid power struggle
Strategies to Try (cont)
 Provide stress relief (manipulatives)
 Expectations are visually present
 Planned ignoring
 Remind of relaxation techniques (deep breathing)
 Post key words adults need to consistently use
Other Health Impaired
 Characteristics will vary from student to student depending on the medical
condition- the majority of OHI students in Wentzville are a result of Attention
Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity
 Characteristics
 Fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
 Struggles with multi-step directions
 Cannot organize or track their belongings
 Trouble following a schedule if it changes from the routine
 Avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort
 Loses things constantly
 Cannot lock information into long term memory
 Is easily distracted by internal or outside influences
 Makes decisions and hasn’t processed the consequences
 Cannot prioritize things that they need to do
 Poor organizational skills
Strategies to Try
 Assign the student a “peer buddy” and have them look to the buddy for
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expectations
Provide an organizational tool for essay questions to help organize thoughts
Allow the student to move around the classroom in an appropriate manner
to relieve energy
Be very clear and concise with directions and expectations
Use small steps when describing projects
Allow the student copies of notes to make sure that they have all of the
information
Prep the student if changes are going to be made to the routine schedule
Come up with a cuing system to refocus the student
Make check sheets that the student can reference when they are doing a
task (locker sign with what materials for each hour are needed)
Allow student alternate methods to showing comprehension
Make folder for student
Strategies to Try (cont)
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Encourage covering work
Blow up work
Reduce work load
Teach an organizational system
Provide weekly desk/locker clean out time
Consider handing in assignments at the beginning of
day/class
 Allow student to hand in work if finished
 Give one page at a time of a test
 Take worksheets and cut and recopy to reduce amount
student is looking at on each page
Educational Autism
 Autism is a spectrum disorder and the characteristics can be vastly differ
 Insistent on rituals and routines- prefers a static environment
 Do not know how to socialize with peers
 Concrete thinkers “My mom said she is going to kill me”
 Do not know how to express what they are feeling
 Does not understand personal space/boundaries
 Could be nonverbal
 May not agree with homework- school work is done at school, “I already
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understand why do I have to show you?”
May have sensory issues (art class-finger painting)
Will continue to struggle with new social situations through high school
May be frustrated with peers and their immaturity
Sees things in black and white
Has difficulty with small amounts of change
Does not understand emotions (their own or others)
Strategies to Try
 Visual Scheduling- especially if there is going to be a
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change
If the student grasps the concept- reduce the amount
of homework
Use very concrete and simple language when talking
about expectations and consequences
Teach social stories
Depending on the severity- strategies used with other
disabilities can and should be used with these students
Intellectually Deficient/
Mental Retardation
 Immature socially
 May not be able to perform self-care- need reminders and
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assistance
Not able to recognize unsafe situations
Does not understand complex or figurative language
May have similar characteristics of a language impaired
student
Once they gain a skill it typically stays with them as
opposed to a Learning Disabled student
Often appear as good readers but cannot comprehend
Strategies to Try
 Use a visual schedule
 State expectations clearly and simply
 Use multiple modes of learning to teach a skill
(visual, auditory, tactile)
 Use the “teachable moment” technique to
address behaviors and social skills
 Prioritize skills that need to be learned from the
curriculum
 Adapt the curriculum to the student’s cognitive
level
Hearing Impaired/ Deaf
 Typically have a normal IQ
 Are a visual learner
 May possess a smaller bank of knowledge than hearing
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peers
Have less extensive vocabulary
Need more time to process and understand spoken
language
May misunderstand social situations (not hearing
intonation of voice)
Depression if the hearing loss is progressive
May have equipment that needs care
Strategies to Try
 Wentzville has 3 hearing itinerant teachers who may be used as resources
 Arrange class seating so the student can hear a majority of the
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discussion
Use captioned films when possible
Use visual aids
Provide students with written expectation for the class
Provide a written summary of outlined material, homework, projects
Provide the student with a copy of the notes
Check often for understanding, make sure that you have the
student’s visual attention
Pre-teach vocabulary
Traumatic Brain Injury
 The characteristics may differ depending on what part of the brain was
injured
 May be impulsive
 Show signs of mental and physical fatigue
 Loss of memory or short term memory is not good
 Impaired concentration
 Poor social judgment
 Rapidly changing profiles
 Depression
 Lost of functional living skills
 Cannot problem solve
 Impaired motor abilities
 Not able to process information
Strategies to Try
 Use a visual schedule as a reminder
 Allow for shortening of assignments to fight mental fatigue
 Student may be recommended for a shortened days- work back up
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to a full day
Focus may be more on therapies than academics
May need access to someone to help with re-teaching of concepts
Use clear and simple verbiage
Reassess often to check for re-learning/recouping of concepts
Watch out for physical limitations of the student in regards to the
building/ schedule (stairs, PE)
Visual Impairment/Blindness
 Typically has a normal IQ
 Struggles with copying notes
 Not able to read text
 Not able to read community signs
 Not able to navigate the building especially during crowded passing
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times
Not able to read nonverbal language cues
Depression especially if the student has a progressive visual loss
Shows fear in some circumstances (climbing the bleachers for
assembly, crowded stairways)
No longer a visual learner- struggles with finding a new method
Strategies to Try
 Wentzville has a vision itinerant teacher- Mr. Dan Eads who may be used as
a resource
 Slant board/binder can be used to bring the writing closer to the student
 Provide auditory books/text for student
 Provide the student with a copy of all notes that are enlarged
 Allow the student to pick a buddy to help in transitioning from one class to
another or through the lunch line
 Allow student to access the counselor if they seem depressed or afraid due
to vision loss
 Allow the student to pass between classes early to avoid the crowds
 Allow student to orally answer questions for tests instead of writing
Multiple Disabilities
 Students will be impacted by the same
characteristics that are seen in the
Mentally Deficient population
compounded by the characteristics of
Deafness or Blindness
Orthopedic Impairment
 Difficulty with navigating the building safely (stairs, long
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hallways)
Very slow in transition between classes
Difficulties writing if hands or arms are impacted
Lack of body strength
Not able to participate in physical activities (recess)
Depression at realization that they are not the same as
peers
May miss school for corrective medical attention
May use adaptive technology for physical assistance
(canes, walker, braces)
Strategies to Try
 Make sure that the physical layout of the room is accessible and
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remains that way during the class period
Allow the student to transition ahead of peers
Assign a peer buddy to help with transitions
Make accommodations for recess or other physical activities (reward
days)
Provide copies of the notes
Allow student to reduce amount of paper pencil tasks if it is
physically taxing
Help student navigate the building and find alternative methods if
necessary (elevator)