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RE:Patrica
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this and pinpointing one of the most important conversations that we need to have for Ben, which is his lack of self confidence. Maybe the best way to go about addressing the concerns is to embrace Ben's individuality and complimenting every time he participates, whether that is in a small group setting or a conversation with professionals. For example, according to Ben's mom, Ben actually relays the material when he goes home, therefore he definitely retains the information. Maybe during his time when he is in the classroom, we can compliment him with positive reinforcement with a comment such as "I like the way Ben is being such a good listener."

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(special educator)

Hi everyone. I am looking forward to working with all of you guys to help create the most positive environment for Ben as possible, so he can take away the most from being in a General Ed Classroom. Audrika and Carmen mentioned letting Ben use calculators to enhance his abilities and I completely agree with that sentiment. This goes along with the other comments both Carmen and Jenna made about centering Ben and conversing with him to figure out what works best for him. Although I do believe that it is important that Ben's parents are there to be part of the conversation re: How can we best help Ben, I think it is even more crucial for us to center Ben and opinions as well. In the article,

Supporting students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms, Orville Ingram mentioned the necessity of speaking directly to the child that we are all trying to help because, " While it is great to tap in to the experts, just remember that the person at the center of all this is the student. Students, especially those who are old enough to understand their disabilities, can be the best source of understanding how to support them." We should speak directly to ask and something as simple as " What can I do to help?" Can be such a powerful question that immediately makes Ben feel he is a space where people aren't only trying to decide what is the best way to help him by consulting with each other, but his personal voice is also taken into consideration.

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Parent

Carmen, as a special educator, I think you present some practical and important ideas. I do think collaborating with the general ed. teacher will be fruitful since she has a huge responsibility for just one person and might possibly be overwhelmed. I also like your idea about allowing Ben to use a calculator since he uses one at home. And as Jenna stated, you brought up that we should ask Ben himself. I do not know why none of us thought of that any sooner so thank you for that suggestion.

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Patrick Okyere            Re: Adrika Rahman

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Patrick Okyere            Re: Adrika Rahman

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As an occupational therapist , one of the major challenges that I identified from Ben was his lack of confidence in at the initial stage of the program. This in my opinion, could be attributed to continues criticism of the child which can in a way degrade their self confidence. Most students feel reluctant to participate in class because of the fear of being criticize in class, and that does not facilitate in building their self confident. This will create some form of inferiority complex in the child, especially, with children with disability.
In view of this, I will discuss this concern with special educator and Ben teacher, to enable them know the right way of correcting Ben rather than criticizing him constructively.

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Hi everyone , it is a great honor to be working with such a great group opf specialists. For now, as Ben's occupational therapist, a tremendous improvements have been determine over the last years. Ben has now improved with his capitalization skills and he can now pronounce words correctly. He is also able to pronounce my name correctly. Previously, Ben used to engage in a non-purposeful vocalization and self stimulation behavior. However, due the effective implementation of the computerized instructional strategies, and the adjustment of his sitting position in the classroom, Ben has improved in the area vocalization.
furthermore, since Ben continually has problem with spelling some world correctly, I will be capitalizing on his strength to create a new intervention mechanism that aimed at helping Ben improve his spelling abilities. Ben is usually animated when engaging in sensory activities like jumping. Therefore, a  kinesthetic learning instructions will be recommended to Ben's special educators to enable Ben engage in lessons that involves more physical activities. This will help Ben to efficiently learn what is thought in the classroom.
Lastly, we will continue to use technology in our instructional methodologies. This will be done by incorporating spelling games in the lesson plan, since Ben is interested in games.
In conclusion, if this is well implemented, Ben will be able to improve on his spelling abilities, as well as any other curriculum based activities.

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The different strategies that many of us are bringing up to point seem to be a great way to start a right path from Benny's success. The benefit from another classroom teacher is always a great option but in my opinion shouldn't always be the first rushed accommodation for any student. With the approval of the parents we will be able to start with a re evaluate of Benny and see his performance through a different lens, rather than jumping to a straight conclusion! His comfort and academic success is our priority.

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Hello everyone!

I am looking forward to working as a collaborative team today to see what there is that we can do to help our Benny succeed. As a school psychologist, I believe creating a strong support system for Ben both in and out of school will be a vital part to his accomplishments. Working as a team and bringing to the table strategies and modifications that lead us to believe that Benny will improve is our goal. There are multiple options that can be implemented towards improving Benny’s academic standpoint and his behavior. The evaluation of Ben in his classroom setting would be the start of the evaluation process needed to further continue. We will be able to walk into the classroom, without placing the full attention on him so there is no alteration in his behavior during the lesson. A next step after observing him in an uncontrolled classroom setting may be putting all of this into an evaluation, which will include the collection of test results, with written explanations of the results. As for Ben’s behavior, we can use a behavior plan with a reward system to praise good behavior and disregard other unfitting behavior, as long as it isn’t disruptive to the class. Another accommodation that will most likely ensure that Benny may not be giving the best of his ability is the disruption of the classroom setting he may be in. We have to make sure he feels safe and is able to show the best of his ability in the classroom he is in. In this case we may need to remove Benny from that classroom and place into another comforted classroom environment. This is where changes and improvements may be given to Benny as the appropriate academic support that he needs in order to succeed. In relation to the Zwler’s and Johnson article, the cooperation and support of the family, in particular the Ben’s mother, and the classroom teacher- must be working in sync to help Benny work to the best of his ability. These strategies will ensure that the appropriate assessments are carried out on Ben in the areas that require extra attention, as we use them to create behavioral plans that will ensure Benny accomplishing his IEP goals!

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Jenna MacVicar Response to Carmen's suggestions

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Jenna MacVicar Response to Carmen's suggestions

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After reading through all of the suggestions brought to light during this meeting, what struct me the most was Carmen's idea of asking Ben what would help him feel more comfortable in class when  he is asked to participate. Sometimes we get caught up in our own ideas of how to help someone that we forget to go right to the source, BEN!

Of course our professional knowledge and collaboration should not be taken for granted. Everyone has offered up wonderful ideas that should help Ben on the road to progress. I agree with Audrika that there must be clear and steady communication between Ben's teacher and his parent. A strong and trusting relationship between these two parties will only bolster Ben's ability to succeed.  I hope that we can all continue to put our heads together and supply Ben, his General Education teacher, and all of us, with helpful ideas to lead Ben on a path of emotional, social, and educational success!

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Hi Everyone! Looking forward to this opportunity to reevaluate Ben's IEP to create the most comprehensive plan to support his personal learning growth as a student. A consultation model (cf. ASHA, 1991; Coufal, 1993; Nelson, 1993; Schetz, 1990) may benefit Ben because his goals are so specific that they do not apply to other students in the classroom.

I also think Ben will benefit from emotions being worked into his communications. For example, cognitive empathy could be a focus question during read alouds. The classroom teacher may ask students why do you think this character is feeling this way or behaving this way. How do you think they will behave next? I think this will allow for higher level thinking for Ben while focusing on the empathy aspect that his classification may lack.

I look forward to your feedback and to getting the ball rolling for Ben this new school year! Many thanks to all the hard work.

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(General Educator)
I really like Jenna's idea of having a theatrical play, because it is something I think would really engage Benny and improving his speech at the same time. Benny loves working with his classmates so a play would be a fun way for Benny to do that without getting nervous. We could first have him rehearse in a small group and then have him perform with his group to the class. This activity might make him feel more comfortable with whole class discussions by showing Benny that it is a welcoming and inclusive environment.

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(General Educator)
Hello, I look forward to working with you all. I hope I can come up with suitable suggestions to help Benny. First, I think it would best to do as Carmen and make him feel comfortable. He has difficulty with answering questions in whole group discussions, but his mother says he can answer questions at home. According to the article, "Supporting students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms" article suggests to conference with students so we know how to best support them. Secondly, Benny's IEP states he works well in groups so that may help him perform better. Moreover, the article mentions relying on help from professionals such as paraprofessionals to monitor students and collecting data on them, which is something hat can be done with Benny.

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Hello all,

I am excited to be working with you all as Ben’s speech therapist. As a speech therapist we should all work collaboratively to get the best possible outcomes for Ben. As we’ve read in his IEP, ben has trouble focusing on classwork and when he does he only works for a few minutes. He has issues answering Wh questions but is very engaged in physical activities: jump rope, etc. Ben also has trouble keeping up with the teacher as she’s speaking. I agree with Jenna, that she should slow down and maybe should have a word chart for him to approach with simplified words. I also think that maybe hand signals should be used if Ben is able to participate physically.

With Ben, he should have a supportive classroom that’s helps all students engage. Ben needs this in order to grow and be comfortable creating a positive atmosphere.

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Hello everyone. I am looking forward to the feedback and collaboration about Ben's IEP. As the designated Special Ed on Ben's case,  I am responsible for putting Ben's IEP together but we must submit all ideas and concerns of how he can progress in class.
I noticed that socially, he is having a hard time connecting with his teacher. I can collaborate with the General Ed teacher and possibly have him placed in a small group during class time. This takes off the pressure of opening up to the whole. We have to make a small goal in order to see progress.
Related to socializing, we need an open communication between the parent and the Gen Ed teacher. In the article by Stranberry, it is mentioned that the parent plays a vital role during IEP meetings because they are more knowledgeable about the child then any professional.
The mother mentioned that Ben enjoys using the calculator at home. We can put in his IEP to temporarily use a calculator device during class time and testing for a few months. I was thinking until our next IEP meeting when we have to revisit his goals.

Jenna, I agree that Ben is not pushed to speak in a rushed fashion. I believe it will result in a negative reverse effect. Possibly you or all of us can speak to him to find out what would make him feel more comfortable in class when he has to participate.

I am looking forward to hearing all feedback, questions, and concerns.

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Hey everyone! I am looking forward to working with you all on creating the best IEP for Ben. In Kristin Stranberry's article 'Playing a Role in the IEP Process', she indicates that parents play a crucial role in IEP meetings because they are most knowledgeable about their child. In accordance with that, I want to fulfill my responsibility as Ben's parent by informing everyone at this meeting about Ben's progress. A few years earlier, doctors believed Ben to be autistic and retarded. They did not think he could ever function in a classroom. He was very disruptive until he was put on medication. The medication keeps him quiet but does not stand in the way of his capabilities. Ben has fantastic memory and is able create sums of 100 and 1000. His general education teacher has mentioned to me that he does not display the same mathematical abilities at school and that he is distant. I just want to inform everyone that I want Ben to continue his education in inclusive classrooms. I think Ben could benefit from a more personal relationship with his gen. ed teacher to become more comfortable in class. Maybe parental visits to the classroom can help.

I think Ben can flourish in an environment that is accepting and so I like both Jenna and Katerina's ideas about turning and talking, theatrical read-a-louds, and the teacher being a speech model. Jenna's recommendation that Ben should be given time to collect and articulate his thoughts sounds quite helpful. I agree that he should not be pushed or pressured. Maybe he feels pressured right now. Maybe he can benefit from another teacher in the classroom. I am eager to hear the ideas of the other educators on how to engage Ben and help him perform in class.

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Hi everyone! I am looking forward to working with all of you on Ben's challenges has with speech as well as coming up with a pan in his IEP that could help Ben improve with his speech. After looking at Ben's IEP, I noticed he struggles with answering Wh questions and he relies on physical and verbal prompts for his speech. Recently, I observed in a second grade ICT classroom and there were a couple of students in the room that had trouble with speech and other subjects. The classroom I observed in has workshop periods to help students improve on academic subjects. One of the prompts that are used that I agree with Jenna is the turn and talk approach. I think this is an acceptable start for Ben to work on his speech because he will be interacting with the students and expressing his thoughts on what he read. He could also communicate with the students as well as the teachers in the classroom. Overall, I am excited to be working with everyone on coming up with approaches to help Ben with his speech as well as show improvement in his IEP.

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Hello everyone!  I am looking forward to collaborating with each and every one of you to create the most comprehensive and realistic IEP plan that both challenges and supports Ben in accomplishing his academic and social goals.  As the speech therapist I noticed that Ben  struggles with answering questions posed to him by his teacher.  I agree with  Salend (1998), when he recommends that the teacher should be a good "speech model" (pg. 57).  In order for this to occur, the teacher can slow down their speech rate, pause at appropriate times when speaking, and simplify language and grammatical structure when appropriate.  Having the teacher slow down and use clear and direct speech will benefit not just Ben, but every child in the classroom.

In addition, I believe Ben would benefit from "turn and talks" with his fellow classmates after a question is posed to the class.  This way Ben can communicate with one or two of his fellow classmates without the stress of answering a question in front of the entire class.

I want to also suggest that a 'theatrical read aloud" in which every student gets the opportunity to become a character in the story being read occurs once a week in Ben's classroom.  This way the students have the opportunity to embody the emotions of a character that can lead to enhancing their language learning.  This would help Ben to foster his abilities of speaking with correct tone and inflection.

Lastly, I recommend that Ben is not pushed to speak in a rushed fashion.  Salend (1998) explains, "Do not hurry students when they speak, criticize or correct their speech, or force them to speak in front of others" (pg. 57).  Giving Ben time to collect his thoughts and articulate what he wants to say may take time, but it is time well spent.

I am greatly looking forward to working with everyone's suggestions to structure a useful and successful IEP for Ben.