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Supporting Students with High-Incidence Disabilities in U.S. Schools(50)

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Supporting Students with High-Incidence Disabilities in U.S. Schools(50)

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The extent to which students with high-incidence disabilities (SWDs) are afforded effective and specialized instruction depends, in large part, upon the support their teachers receive.

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In this report, researchers explore the extent to which supports are available to both general and special educators who teach students with high-incidence disabilities. Research has established the importance of a supportive school culture, collaboration and planning time, resources and training, and data, but little is known about teachers' nationwide access to them and how school-level factors influence the prevalence of such supports.

Research Questions

1. To what extent do general and special educators in U.S. schools report that they have sufficient access to support for serving students with high-incidence disabilities including a supportive school culture, collaboration and planning time, access to data and tools for using data, and training and resources?

2. How does teachers' access to support for serving students with high-incidence disabilities vary by aspects of school context, particularly grade-levels taught?

The extent to which students with high-incidence disabilities (SWDs) are afforded effective and specialized instruction depends, in large part, upon the support their teachers receive. Certain teacher supports are essential for effectively serving SWDs, including a supportive school culture, collaboration and planning time, resources and training, and access to data and tools for using data. In this report, we explore the extent to which these supports are available to general and special educators, based on the results of the Measurement, Learning, and Improvement Survey to the RAND American Teacher Panel, a survey administered to a nationally representative sample of teachers. While research has established the importance of these supports, little is known about teachers' access to them on the nationwide level and about how school-level factors (such as grade levels served, percentage of minority students, and poverty level) influence the prevalence of teacher supports. Overall, teachers' access to support for serving SWDs varied by type of support, teacher role, and school level. General educators and teachers at the high school level were significantly less likely to report having sufficient access to support. Planning and release time were among the supports least often deemed sufficient by both general and special educators.

Key Findings

Teachers report that their schools have a culture of shared responsibility for serving students with disabilities, but they have less access to relevant training, resources, planning time, and student data

General educators were less likely than special educators to report having sufficient access to support for serving students with high-incidence disabilities (SWDs).

Most teachers reported that their schools had a culture of shared responsibility for the success of all students, but fewer reported sufficient leadership support for serving SWDs, particularly general educators.

Most teachers reported having access to staff with specific expertise regarding students with disabilities, but fewer - particularly general educators - believed that collaboration was emphasized in their school models or that they had sufficient time for planning.

General educators reported significantly less access than special educators to data and records for SWDs as well as tools for using data.

Both general and special educators reported relatively low access to training and resources for serving SWDs; general educators report significantly less access than special educators.

Educators were significantly less likely to report sufficient support for serving SWDs at the high school level.

Recommendations

Future research should explore the specific supports teachers need to effectively serve SWDs, particularly general educators and teachers in high schools.

Principals and district leaders should consider the needs of general educators - particularly related to training, materials, and time for planning - when designing and allocating teacher supports for serving SWDs.

Principals and district leaders should provide more opportunities for enhanced collaboration between general and special educators, related to issues of effective teaching and learning for SWDs.

State and local education agencies should consider investing in training and support for principals that would help them to improve teachers' working conditions for serving SWDs, and integrate supports for SWDs into existing school initiatives and frameworks.

The research described in this report was conducted by RAND Education and Labor and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

This report is part of the RAND Corporation Research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. All users of the publication are permitted to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and transform and build upon the material, including for any purpose (including commercial) without further permission or fees being required.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.

Citation

Format:

Stelitano, Laura, Rachel Perera, and William R. Johnston, Supporting Students with High-Incidence Disabilities in U.S. Schools: National Findings from the American Educator Panels. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2019. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2992.html.

Stelitano, Laura, Rachel Perera, and William R. Johnston, Supporting Students with High-Incidence Disabilities in U.S. Schools: National Findings from the American Educator Panels, RAND Corporation, RR-2992-BMGF, 2019. As of May 30, 2023: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2992.html

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Do Educators Have What They Need to Teach Students with Disabilities?

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To serve students with high-incidence disabilities, teachers need a supportive school culture, collaboration and planning time, resources and training, access to data, and tools for using data. Survey data sheds light on the extent to which these supports are available to general and special educators in U.S. schools.

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Teaching Students with High Incidence Disabilities(49) 

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Teaching Students with High Incidence Disabilities(49) 

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To ensure that all students receive quality instruction, Teaching Students with High-Incidence Disabilities prepares preservice teachers to teach students with learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity, and high functioning autism.

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Welcome to the SAGE edge site for Teaching Students with High-Incidence Disabilities, First Edition.

The SAGE edge site for Teaching Students with High-Incidence Disabilities by Mary Anne Prater offers a robust online environment you can access anytime, anywhere, and features an impressive array of free tools and resources to keep you on the cutting edge of your learning experience.

To ensure that all students receive quality instruction, Teaching Students with High-Incidence Disabilities prepares preservice teachers to teach students with learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity, and high functioning autism. Focusing on research-based instructional strategies, Mary Anne Prater gives explicit instructions and strategies for teaching students with special needs, and includes examples throughout in the form of scripted lesson plans. Real-world classrooms are brought into focus through teacher tips, embedded case studies, and technology spotlights to enhance student learning. The book also emphasizes diversity, with a section in each chapter devoted to exploring how instructional strategies can be modified to accommodate diverse exceptional students.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Mary Anne Prater for writing an excellent text. Special thanks are also due to Nancy Burton of Concord University, Lisa L. Sigafoos of The University of Texas at Austin, Gavin W. Watts of The University of Texas at Austin, and Veda Jairrels of Clark Atlanta University for developing the resources on this site.

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Teaching Students with High-Incidence Disabilities: Strategies for Diverse Classrooms

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Welcome to the Companion WebsiteWelcome to the SAGE edge site for Teaching Students with High-Incidence Disabilities, First Edition.The SAGE edge site for Teaching Students with High-Incidence Disabilities by Mary Anne Prater offers a robust online environment you can access anytime, anywhere, and features an impressive array of free tools and resources to keep you on the cutting edge of your learning experience.

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This website is a descriptive link that helps individuals find resources and other tools to help them learn.

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Review CityTutor DC's growing list of high-impact tutoring research and resources to implement this for students in your own school or program.

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This website has videos made by students and are for students to help teach students with high incidence disabilities

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“A Day in the Life” Latham’s video for students, by students Welcome to Latham Centers’ Virtual Tour! Join Katrina Fryklund and Ashley Pouliot, Admissions Team, for a virtual tour of Latham Centers. Step inside the classrooms, venture through a suite and learn about life at Latham Centers clip-by-cl…

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Virtual Tour

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Although this website gives facts. the website is actually an opportunity to help and provide participants with the strategies, resources, and best practices needed to make inclusion possible across all settings, in all activities, for children with and without disabilities.

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We start this session by analyzing the term "Inclusion", using person first language & reviewing other disability etiquette or suggested interactions when considering participants with disabilities. Next, we'll break down the different models on how your programs can be offered: Specialized, Adaptive, Integrated, or Authentic Inclusion - what are the core elements, benefits & challenges to each model. Wrap it up with a discussion on the word "Special" and its impact on how people with disabilities are supported to be valued members of our community.

Presenter: Lisa Drennan - Founder of MERGE Diverse Abilities Inclusion Consulting- has a 36-year career supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be active and engaged within their community. At New England Village in Pembroke, MA, she gained experience in working as a Direct Support Worker and eventually as the Director of The Sollar Wellness Center specifically designed for this population.

In 2014, she joined the South Shore YMCA as the first-ever Association Director of Inclusion, creating innovative programs and comprehensive staff trainings to build a culture of inclusion. In 2018 Lisa started her company, MERGE Inclusion Consulting where she provides consultation, staff training and systems implementation to community entities committed to recreation, sport and social program inclusion.

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Power of Play Virtual Conference On-demand access to 40+ sessions through May 2022 $75 JOIN NOW Are you ready to LEARN, ADAPT and INCLUDE? Join the Power of Play Conference! Sessions are available thru May 2022 and provide participants with the strategies, resources, and best practices needed to make inclusion possible across all settings, in all activities, [...]

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The website talks about how ADHD can't be prevented or cured. But spotting it early, plus having a good treatment and education plan, can help a child or adult with ADHD manage their symptoms.

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What Is ADHD?

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . It's a brain disorder that affects how you pay attention, sit still, and control your behavior. It happens in children and teens and can continue into adulthood.

ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder in children. Boys are more likely to have it than girls. It's usually spotted during the early school years, when a child begins to have problems paying attention.

ADHD can't be prevented or cured. But spotting it early, plus having a good treatment and education plan, canhelp a child or adult with ADHD manage their symptoms.

ADHD Types

Symptoms are grouped into three types:

Inattentive. A child with ADHD :

Hyperactive-impulsive. A child with ADHD:

Combined. This involves signs of both other types.

ADHD Symptoms in Adults

Symptoms of ADHD may change as a person gets older. They include:

ADHD vs. ADD

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is the old name for ADHD. It was officially changed in the 1990s. Some people still use both names to talk about this one condition.

ADHD Causes

Experts aren't sure what causes ADHD. Several things may lead to it, including:

Genes. ADHD tends to run in families.

Brain chemicals. These may be out of balance in people with ADHD.

Brain changes. Areas of the brain that control attention are less active in children with ADHD.

Sugar doesn't cause ADHD. ADHD also isn't caused by too much TV, a stressful home life, poor schools, or food allergies.

ADHD Risk Factors

Studies have found that a number of risk factors may play a role in the development of ADHD. Some of them affect a baby's brain development during pregnancy:

Poor nutrition

Infections

Smoking

Drinking

Substance abuse

Other things may affect a child's brain development after birth. Some of the things researchers have looked at include:

Being born prematurely

Toxins, such as lead

A brain injury or a brain disorder. Damage to the front of the brain, called the frontal lobe, can cause problems controlling impulses and emotions.

"Western" diet. One study found that children who ate a diet high in added sugar, fats, and sodium and low in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids had a greater chance of ADHD.

Nutritional deficiencies

Food additives . There may be a link between food coloring additives and preservatives and ADHD, but this may only be for children who are already at a high level of risk for the condition.

Family income. Children from low-income families or families that have a drop in income have a greater chance of having ADHD.

ADHD Diagnosis and Testing

It can be hard to diagnose ADHD, especially in children. No one test will spot it. Doctors diagnose ADHD in children and teens after discussing symptoms at length with the child, parents, and teachers and then observing the child's behaviors.

Doctors use the American Psychiatric Association's guidelines, which are based on how many symptoms a person has and how long they've had them. They'll also rule out other things that may be causing the symptoms, such as health conditions or problems in daily life.

To confirm a diagnosis of ADHD or learning differences, a child may take a series of tests to check their neurological and psychological status. The tests should be given by a pediatrician or mental health professional with experience in diagnosing and treating ADHD. Your primary care doctor might refer you to a specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. The tests may include:

A medical and social history of both the child and the family.

A physical exam and neurological assessment that includes screenings of vision, hearing, and verbal and motor skills. More tests may be given if hyperactivity may be related to another physical problem.

An evaluation of intelligence, aptitude, personality traits, or processing skills. These are often done with input from the parents and teachers if the child is of school age.

A scan called the Neuropsychiatric EEG-Based Assessment Aid (NEBA) System, which measures theta and beta brain waves. The theta/beta ratio has been shown to be higher in children and adolescents with ADHD than in children without it.

Several studies have compared ADHD in children of different racial and ethnic groups and found that Black, Hispanic, and Asian children are much less likely than white children to be diagnosed with the disorder.

There are many reasons for this. Many of these children may not have access to the care they need because of income or racial discrimination. If you fear discrimination or negative treatment, you may be less likely to talk to a health care professional about your child's symptoms. Cultural and family values may also play a part in how adults respond to their children's symptoms and whether or not they opt to seek treatment.

We need more research to better understand all the issues behind these disparities. If you have questions about your child's symptoms, it may help to learn more about them and what may be causing them. From there, you can plan your next steps. You can get more information about ADHD and other learning and thinking differences at:

Understood ( understood.org )

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ( aacap.org )

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (chadd.org )

ADHD Treatment

There are several approaches to treating ADHD . But research suggests that for many children, the best way to manage symptoms is a multimodal approach. This involves multiple methods of treatment that work together. Many symptoms of ADHD can be managed with medication and therapy. Close cooperation among therapists, doctors, teachers, and parents is very important.

Medication for ADHD. Although there is controversy about their possible overuse, stimulants are the most commonly prescribed medications for treating ADHD. They can help control hyperactive and impulsive behavior and improve attention span. They act on the brain chemicals, like dopamine, that can make impulsive behavior worse.

They include:

Amphetamine (Adzenys XR ODT, Dyanavel)

Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin)

Dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine)

Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)

Methylphenidate (Aptensio, Cotempla, Concerta, Daytrana, Jornay PM, Metadate, Methylin, Quillivant, Ritalin)

Stimulant medications don't work for everyone with ADHD. People older than 6 may take nonstimulant medications such as:

Atomoxetine (Strattera)

Clonidine (Catapres, Kapvay)

Guanfacine (Intuniv)

In some cases, doctors may prescribe antidepressants, such as drugs called SSRIs, bupropion (Wellbutrin), or venlafaxine (Effexor).

Side effects of ADHD medicines can include:

Most side effects are minor and improve with time. In some cases, doctors may lower a dosage to ease side effects.

In rare cases, stimulants can have more serious side effects. For instance, some are linked to a higher risk of heart problems and death in children with heart disease. They may also make psychiatric conditions like depression or anxiety worse or cause a psychotic reaction.

Before your child starts an ADHD medicine, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits. Remember that it can take some trial and error to find the right medicine and dose.

Therapy for ADHD . These treatments focus on changing behavior.

Special education helps a child learn at school. Having structure and a routine can help children with ADHD a lot.

Behavior modification teaches ways to replace bad behaviors with good ones. Let your child know what behaviors you expect of them. Make simple, clear rules. When they lose control, have them face consequences that you've set up, like time-outs or losing privileges. Keep an eye out for good behavior. When they keep their impulses in check, reward them.

Psychotherapy (counseling) can help someone with ADHD learn better ways to handle their emotions and frustration. It could help improve their self-esteem. Counseling may also help family members better understand a child or adult with ADHD.

Social skills training can teach behaviors, such as taking turns and sharing.

Medical devices for ADHD. The FDA has approved the Monarch external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) System for children 7 to 12 who aren't taking ADHD medications. It's about the size of a cellphone and is attached to electrodes on a patch that you put on a child's forehead. It sends low-level impulses to the part of their brain that's thought to cause ADHD. The device is usually worn at night.

ADHD support groups of people with similar problems and needs can help you learn more about ADHD and how to manage your symptoms. These groups are helpful for adults with ADHD or parents of children with ADHD.

Education and ADHD. Educating parents about the disorder and its management is another important part of ADHD treatment. This may include learning parenting skills to help a child manage their behavior. In some cases, the child's entire family may be involved.

Natural Remedies for ADHD

Dietary supplements with omega-3s have shown some benefit for people who have ADHD.

Living With ADHD

A few lifestyle changes can also help you or your child manage symptoms:

Eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean protein.

Get some exercise every day. Studies find that exercise helps control impulses and other behavior problems in kids with ADHD. Think about signing your child up for a sports team, such as basketball, soccer, or baseball. Playing a sport not only gives kids exercise, it teaches them important social skills, such as how to follow rules and take turns.

Limit time spent on electronic devices.

Get plenty of sleep.

Simplify your child's room to lessen distractions, like toys, and improve organization.

It's common to get frustrated when you're raising a child with ADHD. You'll feel more in control if you take an active part in your child's treatment. It may help for you to:

ADHD Outlook

Without treatment, ADHD can make it hard to deal with the challenges of everyday life. Children may have trouble learning or developing social skills. Adults could have problems with relationships and addiction. The disorder could also lead to mood swings, depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, risk-taking, and conflicts with people around you.

But many people who have ADHD live happy, full lives. Treatment helps.

It's important to keep track of your symptoms and see your doctor regularly. Sometimes, medication and treatments that were once effective stop working. You may need to change your treatment plan. Some people's symptoms get better in early adulthood, and some are able to stop treatment.

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adhd is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder in children. find out the symptoms in children and adults

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

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What Is ADHD? ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . It's a brain disorder that affects how you pay attention, sit still, and control your behavior. It happens in children and teens and can continue into adulthood. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder in children.

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Many people experience inattention and changes in energy levels. For a person with ADHD, this happens more often and to a greater extent compared with people who don’t have the condition. It can have a significant effect on their studies, work, and home life.

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition that can cause unusual levels of hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors.

People with ADHD may have trouble focusing their attention on a single task or sitting still for long periods of time.

Many people experience inattention and changes in energy levels. For a person with ADHD, this happens more often and to a greater extent compared with people who do not have the condition. It can have a significant effect on their studies, work, relationships, and home life.

Both adults and children can have ADHD. It's a diagnosis the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognizes. Learn about types of ADHD and symptoms in both children and adults.

A wide range of behaviors is associated with ADHD. Some of the more common ones include:

having trouble focusing or concentrating on tasks

being forgetful about completing tasks

being easily distracted

having difficulty sitting still

interrupting people while they're talking

Signs and symptoms can be specific to different aspects of ADHD, such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, or difficulty focusing.

A person who is experiencing hyperactivity and impulsivity may:

find it difficult to sit still or remain seated in class

have trouble playing or carrying out tasks quietly

talk excessively

find it hard to wait their turn

interrupt others when they're speaking, playing, or carrying out a task

Someone who is having difficulty focusing might:

make frequent mistakes or miss details when studying or working

find it hard to maintain focus when listening, reading, or holding a conversation

have trouble organizing their daily tasks

lose items frequently

be easily distracted by small things happening around them

If you or your child has ADHD, you may have some or all of these symptoms. The symptoms you have will depend on the type of ADHD you have. Explore a list of ADHD symptoms common in children.

To make ADHD diagnoses more consistent, the APA has grouped the condition into three categories, or types. These types are predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactivity-impulsive, and a combination of both.

Predominantly inattentive

As the name suggests, people with this type of ADHD have extreme difficulty focusing, finishing tasks, and following instructions.

Experts also think that many children with the inattentive type of ADHD may not receive a proper diagnosis because they don't tend to disrupt the classroom. suggests this is more common among girls with ADHD.

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type

People with this type of ADHD primarily show hyperactive and impulsive behavior. This can include:

fidgeting

interrupting people while they're talking

not being able to wait their turn

Although inattention is less of a concern with this type of ADHD, people with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive ADHD may still find it difficult to focus on tasks.

Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive type

This is the most common type of ADHD. People with this combined type of ADHD display both inattentive and hyperactive symptoms. These include an inability to pay attention, a tendency toward impulsiveness, and above-average levels of activity and energy.

The type of ADHD you or your child has will determine the treatment method. The ADHD type you have can change over time, so your treatment may change, too. Learn more about the three types of ADHD.

Despite how common ADHD is, doctors and researchers still are not sure what causes the condition. It's believed to have neurological origins. Genetics may also play a role.

suggests that a reduction in dopamine is a factor in ADHD. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that helps move signals from one nerve to another. It plays a role in triggering emotional responses and movements.

Other research suggests a structural difference in the brain. Findings indicate that people with ADHD have less gray matter volume. Gray matter includes the brain areas that help with:

Researchers are still studying potential causes of ADHD, such as smoking during pregnancy. Find out more about the potential causes and risk factors of ADHD.

There's no single test that can tell if you or your child has ADHD.

A highlighted the benefits of a new test to diagnose adult ADHD, but many clinicians believe an ADHD diagnosis cannot be made based on one test.

To make a diagnosis, a doctor will assess any symptoms you or your child has had over the previous 6 months.

Your doctor will likely gather information from teachers or family members and may use checklists and rating scales to review symptoms. They'll also do a physical exam to check for other health problems. Learn more about ADHD rating scales and what they can and cannot do.

If you suspect that you or your child has ADHD, talk with a doctor about getting an evaluation. For your child, you can also talk with their school counselor. Schools regularly assess children for conditions that may be affecting their educational performance.

For the assessment, provide your doctor or counselor with notes and observations about your or your child's behavior.

If they suspect ADHD, they may refer you or your child to an ADHD specialist. Depending on the diagnosis, they may also suggest making an appointment with a psychiatrist or neurologist.

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, more than 60 percent of children with ADHD still show symptoms as adults. For many people, hyperactivity symptoms often decrease with age, but inattentiveness and impulsivity may continue.

That said, treatment is important. Untreated ADHD in adults can have a negative impact on many aspects of life. Symptoms such as trouble managing time, forgetfulness, and impatience can cause problems at work, home, and in all types of relationships.
Find out more about the signs and symptoms of ADHD in adults and how they can impact your life.
According to the CDC, around 8.8 percent of people ages 3 to 17 years in the United States have had a diagnosis of ADHD at some point. This includes 11.7 percent of males and 5.7 percent of females.

For children, ADHD is generally associated with problems at school. Children with ADHD often have difficulties in a controlled classroom setting.

Boys are more than twice as likely as girls to receive an ADHD diagnosis. This may be because boys tend to exhibit hallmark symptoms of hyperactivity. Although some girls with ADHD may have the classic symptoms of hyperactivity, many do not.

In many cases, girls with ADHD may:

daydream frequently

be hyper-talkative rather than hyperactive

Many ADHD symptoms can be typical childhood behaviors, so it can be hard to know what's ADHD-related and what's not. Learn more about how to recognize ADHD in toddlers.

While ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, it's not considered a learning disability. However, ADHD symptoms can make it harder for you to learn. Also, it's possible for ADHD to occur in some people who also have learning disabilities.

To help relieve any effect on children learning, teachers can map out individual guidelines for a student with ADHD. This may include allowing extra time for assignments and tests or developing a personal reward system.

Although it's not technically a learning disability, ADHD can have long-term effects. Learn more about the potential effects of ADHD on adults and children and resources that can help.

People with ADHD sometimes have other mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Some of these conditions result from the challenges of living with ADHD.

Anxiety

People with ADHD can find it hard to keep up with daily tasks, maintain relationships, and so on. This can increase the risk of anxiety.

People with ADHD are also more likely to experience an anxiety disorder than those without ADHD, according to the .

Anxiety disorders include:

separation anxiety, when you are afraid of being away from loved ones

social anxiety, which can make you afraid of going to school or other places where people socialize

generalized anxiety, when you're afraid of bad things happening, of the future, and so on

Depression

If you or your child has ADHD, you're more likely to have depression as well. In one study from 2020, around 50 percent of adolescents had major depression or an anxiety disorder compared with 35 percent of those who did not have ADHD. Other research suggests that up to 53.3 percent of adults with ADHD may also have depression.

Though there can be added challenges in managing more than one condition, treatments are available for both conditions. In fact, the treatments often overlap. Talk therapy can help treat both conditions. Also, certain antidepressants, such as bupropion, can sometimes help ease ADHD symptoms.

Of course, having ADHD does not guarantee you'll have depression, but it's important to know it's a possibility. Find out more about the link between ADHD and depression.

Conduct and behavior disorders

Behavior and conduct problems are more common among children with ADHD than those without the condition. These disorders can arise when a person does not feel understood by those around them.

Someone who does not feel understood may argue a lot, lose their temper, or purposely annoy others. These may be signs of oppositional defiant disorder.

Some people find they cannot help breaking rules or behaving aggressively toward others, maybe fighting, bullying, or perhaps taking things that do not belong to them. This is called conduct disorder.

Treatment is available for people who face these challenges. Experts recommend starting treatment early and making sure the treatment fits the needs of the person and their family.

Learning disorder

Some children with ADHD have a learning disorder that can make it additionally hard to carry out their study tasks. Examples include dyslexia, which makes reading difficult, or presents difficulties with numbers or writing.

These challenges can make it hard for a child to cope at school. They can also worsen feelings of anxiety and depression. Getting help early is essential in trying to minimize the effect of these challenges.

If you or your child has ADHD, a consistent structured schedule and regular expectations may be helpful. For adults, staying organized can be helpful. Here are some ways that can help with getting organized and maintaining it:

making lists

keeping a calendar

setting reminders

For children, it can be helpful to focus on writing down homework assignments and keeping everyday items like toys and backpacks in assigned spots.

Learning more about ADHD in general can also help you learn how to manage it. Organizations like Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or the Attention Deficit Disorder Association provide management tips as well as the latest research.

Your doctor can provide more guidance on ways to manage your ADHD symptoms. Here are some tips for helping your child with ADHD.

For children and adults, untreated ADHD can have a lasting effect on your life. It can affect school, work, and relationships. Treatment is important and can help lessen the effects of the condition.

Many people with ADHD enjoy fulfilling and successful lives. Some even express appreciation for the benefits of the condition.

If you think you or your child may have ADHD, an important first step is talking with a doctor or another healthcare professional as soon as possible. They can help determine if ADHD is a factor for you or your child.

If you or your child receives a confirmed ADHD diagnosis, the doctor can also help you create a treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms and live well with ADHD.
Read this article in Spanish.

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If you live with ADHD, you know that it's a complex condition. Here's a top-to-bottom look at it, from causes and testing to natural remedies and tips for coping.

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Families are the ones who know your students best—their strengths and needs, their likes and dislikes, their hopes and dreams. And the more effectively you work with and support the families of your students, the more your students will benefit.

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Families are the ones who know your students best-their strengths and needs, their likes and dislikes, their hopes and dreams. And the more effectively you work with and support the families of your students, the more your students will benefit.

It's important to form powerful partnerships with all families, but today's post focuses on building a supportive relationship with families of children with disabilities. Excerpted and adapted from Eight Paths to Leadership by Belva C. Collins, these 12 practical suggestions will help you gain new insight into families' needs, connect them with valuable resources, and welcome them as respected members of their child's school team.

Conduct a reflection exercise. Reflect on the last educational planning meeting you attended as a teacher. What do you think went right in the meeting? What specific things could have improved it? Write down your responses and use them as a guide to improve your next meeting.

Interview a family. Conduct an interview with a family of a child with a disability. How do the family members feel about the educational process for their child? Do they see their relationship with the teacher as a true partnership? Why or why not? Use the insights you uncover to strengthen your work.

Learn more about the effects of poverty. Socioeconomic status can affect the performance of students with disabilities and the educational participation of their families. Do some internet research on the various ways poverty may affect the families in your community. Find data on the prevalence of poverty in your community and demographics about who is affected. Have the prevalence and/or demographics changed in the past 10 years? If so, how? Find and read literature on educating students who experience poverty, such as this free resource from the National Education Association .

Make IEP meetings a positive experience. Are your IEP meetings as comfortable and welcoming to families as they could be? Here are some things to do:

Provide a summary or an agenda ahead of time

Create an IEP draft that includes goals that the family values

Meet in a setting that's comfortable for the family and greet them warmly on arrival

Arrange seating so that all parties have equal status

Provide an interpreter, if necessary, who is familiar with the family's culture, language, and any jargon that may be used in the meeting

Hand out helpful supplementary materials-a chart to summarize the discussion, a "cheat sheet" of terms

Follow up afterward to see if the family has additional thoughts or questions

Communicate regularly. Families often express frustration when they're not kept in the loop about their child's progress. Be sure to communicate often with families, and ask them which mode they prefer-telephone calls, letters, email, or occasional face-to-face meetings. If one mode isn't working well, give another one a try. And when you communicate, challenge yourself to listen as much as you speak, so that families know you respect their views and knowledge about their child.

Make it easy for family members to get involved. Share information with families on how to become involved in school activities and take on leadership roles. Point them to resources on how to join and participate in the PTA, volunteer activities, and family councils.

Offer families evidence-based practices (EBPs). Tell families how important and beneficial it is to use EBPs with their children, and ask family members if they'd like you to share these practices with them. Explain that consistently using the same strategies at home and school can help their children learn faster and apply their new skills in environments where they are needed. (Be careful not to pressure families to use EBPs.)

Help families find high-quality resources. Some of the resources that families find on their own may not reflect best practices. Make a list of legitimate websites and other trusted resources that present EBPs, so you can easily share reliable information with families. Directing them to online learning modules, for example, can save families the cost, time, and travel associated with face-to-face training.

Point families to support groups. Use the internet to find professional organizations (e.g., The Arc, Autism Society, Down Syndrome Society, TASH) that offer support groups for families. Are support groups affiliated with these organizations offered in your community? Is support offered online (e.g., through discussion groups)? Create a list of valid support group networks to share with families and help them benefit from these valuable connections.

Think beyond parents. Remember that many families consist of more than the child's parents. When you're developing family partnerships, make an effort to include siblings, extended family members, and other caregivers who wish to be involved. (This gives you some starter suggestions for involving siblings.)

Respect each family's culture. There are complex issues at play in the lives of each of your students. Recognize that each family is unique, even within a specific culture. Instead of making generalizations and assumptions, use data on each individual family to guide you in your work. Respect the position of families who cannot or choose not to be involved in their child's school.

Set an example. Lead by example in your school-model positive ways of speaking with and interacting with families, so that other teachers and staff members will follow suit.

In this empowering professional development resource, Belva Collins shows special educators how they can pursue eight different paths to leadership so they can make a powerful difference in schools, communities, and the lives of their students. Explore the description, reviews, and table of contents for Eight Paths to Leadership !

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12 Ways to Support Families of Students with Disabilities - Brookes Blog

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Families are the ones who know your students best-their strengths and needs, their likes and dislikes, their hopes and dreams. And the more effectively you work with and support the fami­lies of your students, the more your students will benefit. It's important to form powerful partnerships with all families, but today's post focuses on building [...]

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School-age children develop and learn within all types. This lesson shares perspectives for understanding families and provides an introduction to family-centered practice.

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Explore own assumptions about working with families of school-age children with special needs.

Identify variables that may challenge or support family-centered practice.

Develop effective ways to support families of school-age children with special needs.

Know

Families of School-Age Children with Special Needs

School-age children with special needs are members of our community, programs, and families and it is our responsibility to provide the same enriching before- and after-school care that their peers receive. While families with children with special needs often experience challenging situations and stressors, they have hopes, dreams, and goals for their children just like other families. You can positively impact families with school-age children with a disability by empowering them with knowledge, empathizing with their feelings, and collaborating with other support professionals in their lives.

Within the VLS, the terms special needs and disability are often used interchangeably. It is important to note that while the two terms have similar meanings, the word disability is generally used to refer to a long-term condition or impairment that impacts the way a child or youth learns, participates, or interacts with the world around them. The term special needs often refers to additional supports or assistance a child or youth may need within an educational, developmental, behavioral, or health context. Language is a powerful tool that can create a sense of identity, purpose, and pride and is particularly important to consider when working with children and families. One critical way to empower families of children with special needs is to have a dialogue with them around their preferred language when referring to their individual child's unique needs and abilities.

Working with Families of Children with Special Needs

Establishing meaningful relationships with families is a critical part of your work, and your communication is especially important when working with families with school-age children with special needs. While many families with school-age children are familiar with their child's learning needs and the types of support available, they can still be overwhelmed by what feels like a constant flow of suggestions, therapies and appointments to help their child learn and develop. Families' and children's needs evolve as children with special needs grow older, and families may turn to you, or others in your program, for assistance with connecting to services or agencies outside of your program. It may be helpful to form relationships outside agencies so you, or trainers and administrators in your program, have up-to-date information on how to make a referral and the types of services offered and available. Positive interactions with families and other professionals can decrease families' stress and improve their well-being, as well as improve their confidence in you as their child's care and learning program.

Families with school-age children with disabilities may be collaborating with a variety of other support professionals such as intervention specialists (i.e. special education teachers), related services personnel, and behavior analysts. Families may access support and services for school-age children through schools, medical facilities, and community organizations. Children who receive special education through their school will have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Center for Parent Information & Resources provides more information about IEPs and special education services. You, or someone in your program, may be asked to collaborate with other professionals to create consistency between the support children receive at home, in school, and in before- and after-school care. Working with professionals from outside agencies and programs helps things run smoothly for families and ensures that all the professionals and caregivers in a child's life are communicating. This lessens family stress by reducing the need for primary caregivers to act as the in-between messenger of important information, goals and expectations.

The first step in establishing strong relationships with families of children with disabilities is to spend time discussing and learning their wishes and concerns for their children and to learn about the meaningful activities and routines they participate in at home. It can be helpful to ask families for input on how they support their children, especially for children with special needs. Through your interactions you can build trust so both you and families feel comfortable sharing children's strengths and concerns. Before communicating concerns with families, it may be helpful to discuss with a coach, trainer, or administrator your plan to share this information using family-centered practice. Be prepared for families to interact in a variety of ways, and know how you can support if they choose to seek assistance from other agencies and resources. Ongoing communication with families and the supportive professionals in their lives creates consistency between the various environments children spend time.

In your collaboration with families, it is important to acknowledge and respect their strengths and unique background, while realizing their ability to make the decisions that are right for them (Hanson & Lynch, 2004). This means that when a family's wishes and decisions are different from what you would recommend, you respond to the family's decisions with respect. Ultimately, meaningful communication and relationship-building will enrich the process for both yourself and the families you serve.

Take a look at the following guidelines that reflect family-centered practice. You may remember some of these from Lesson 1. Then, think about which of these you can use in your work with families of children with special needs:

Recognizing the family as a constant in the child's life; caregivers and service systems may often change

Facilitating collaboration between families and professionals

Honoring and respecting family diversity in all dimensions (cultural, racial, ethnic, linguistic, spiritual, and socioeconomic)

Recognizing family strengths and the different approaches that families may use to cope

Sharing unbiased and honest information with family members on an ongoing basis

Encouraging family-to-family support and networking

Acknowledging and incorporating the developmental needs of the child and other family members into your practice

Designing and implementing services that are accessible, culturally and linguistically respectful and responsive, flexible, and based on family-identified needs

See

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Watch this video to learn about addressing the needs of families who have children with special needs.

Do

There are many ways you can demonstrate respect and consideration for families of children with special needs or disabilities in your program. Consider the following:

Acknowledge that families know their child best and ask them questions about services, resources, or typical routines that may be helpful to you.

Establish ongoing communication between home and the school-age program. Communication journals are a great way to maintain communication. These are usually sent home with the child and returned the next day. Staff can share noteworthy observations, events, or daily challenges and families can respond to those or share their own news or reflections. Journals can be an especially valuable tool in establishing consistency between home and school-age program environments for children with special needs.

Incorporate children's books in your program library that reflect consideration of multiple abilities and differences.

Modify daily activities so that all children can participate in their own way.

Invite children to share about their disability if they feel comfortable. For example, a child may feel comfortable talking with you or a few friends about her use of adaptive equipment (e.g., braces, wheelchair, or a communication device). This also promotes acceptance of differences.

Be a team player! Work collaboratively with families and other professionals who may be involved in the delivery of services to children with special needs.

If disagreements or miscommunication arise, consider the following:

Remind yourself that your role is to support families' hopes and dreams for their child.

Be patient. Raising a child with special needs may be challenging at times, and family members need time to navigate this experience at their own pace.

Avoid making judgments of families and their children.

Consider difficult times as opportunities to build trust between yourself and families.

Question your assumptions about working with families of children with special needs and urge other professionals you know to do the same.

Talk with your trainer, supervisor, or coach when in doubt about any aspect of your work with families.

Barrera, I., & Corso, R. M. (2003). Skilled Dialogue: Strategies for responding to cultural diversity in early childhood. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Center for Parent Information & Resources. (n.d). Supporting the Parent Centers Who Serve Families of Children with Disabilities. Retrieved from https://parentcenterhub.org/

Hanson, M. J., & Lynch, E.W. (2004). Understanding Families: Approaches to diversity, disability, and risk. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Harry, B., Kalyanpur, M., & Day, M. (1999). Building Cultural Reciprocity with Families: Case studies in special education. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Harry, N., Rueda, R., & Kalyanpur, M. (1999). Cultural reciprocity in Sociocultural Perspective: Adapting the normalization principle for family collaboration. Exceptional Children, 66(1), 123-136.

Howard, V.F., Williams, B.F., Port, P.D., & Lepper, C. (1997). Very Young Children With Special Needs: A formative approach for the 21st century. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Johnson, B. H. (1990). The changing role of families in health care. Children's Health Care, 19(4), 234-241.

Kalyanpur, M., & Harry, B. (1999). Culture in Special Education: Building reciprocal family-professional relationships. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Lynch, E. W., & Hanson, M. J. (2004). Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: A guide for working with young children and their families, 3rd ed. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (2011). NAEYC Position Statement: Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/ethical_conduct

National Association for the Education of Young Children. Engaging Diverse Families.

Peck, A., & Scarpatti, S. (2002). Special Education around the world. Teaching Exceptional Children 34(5).

Poston, D., Turnbull, A., Park, J., Mannan, H., Marquis, J., & Wang, M. (2003). Family Quality of Life: A qualitative inquiry. Mental Retardation, 41(5), 313-328.

Salend, S. J., & Garrick-Duhaney, L. M. (2002). What Do Families Have to Say About Inclusion? How to pay attention and get results. Teaching Exceptional Children, 35(1), 62-66.

Trivette, C. M. & Dunst, C. J. (2005). DEC Recommended Practices: Family-Based Practices. In S. Sandall, M. L. Hemmeter, B. J. Smith, & M. E. McLean (Eds.). DEC Recommended Practices: A comprehensive guide for practical application (pp. 107-126). Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

Turnbull, A. P., Turbiville, V., & Turnbull, H. R. (2000). Evolution of Family-Professional Partnerships: Collective empowerment as the model for the early twenty-first century. In J. P. Shonkoff & S. J. Meisels (Eds.). Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention (pp. 630-650). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R., Erwin, E. J., & Soodak, L. C. (2006). Families, Professionals, and Exceptionality: Positive outcomes through partnerships and trust. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Consider your view on families with children with special needs and think about your role in their lives

Consider the language families prefer to use to discuss their child's disability.

Use these resources to learn more about supporting families with children with special needs.

Understand the emotional impact a family can experience when they learn about their child's disability

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Working With Families of Children With Special Needs

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Explore own assumptions about working with families of school-age children with special needs. Identify variables that may challenge or support family-centered practice. Develop effective ways to support families of school-age children with special needs. School-age children with special needs are members of our community, programs, and families and it is our responsibility to provide the same enriching before- and after-school care that their peers receive.

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Protect, foster, develop and advance the rights and interests of people with developmental disabilities. (41)

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Protect, foster, develop and advance the rights and interests of people with developmental disabilities. (41)

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A place where Adults with Developmental Challenges Thrive

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Valley Village Where Adults With Developmental Challenges Thrive

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Our mission is to protect, foster, develop and advance the rights and interests of people with developmental disabilities.

Where Adults with Developmental Challenges Thrive

Register today and run with Team Valley Village in the LA Big 5K, the LA Marathon, or the Charity Challenge! When you join Team Valley, you support Valley Village programs that help women and men with developmental and intellectual challenges thrive.
Register today

Valley Village has been a community leader in the San Fernando Valley for 50 years, providing programs and services that help adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities live independently as possible. In 2021, we are excited to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our founding.
Learn more about Valley Village's history

You can purchase items on Valley Village's Amazon Wishlist that our programs need to care for the people we serve. Every item you buy and donate to Valley Village will be shipped directly to our office and distributed accordingly. When you visit Amazon Smile, designate Valley Village as your charity of choice. Amazon will contribute a portion of each purchase to Valley Village. View our Wishlist

Our mission is to protect, foster, develop and advance the rights and interests of people with developmental disabilities.

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Home - Valley Village Where Adults With Developmental Challenges Thrive

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Our mission is to protect, foster, develop and advance the rights and interests of people with developmental disabilities. Register today and run with Team Valley Village in the LA Big 5K, the LA Marathon, or the Charity Challenge! When you join Team Valley, you support Valley Village programs that help women and men with developmental and intellectual challenges thrive.

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Assistive Technology (AT) is any device, piece of equipment or software that helps a person to more easily tackle daily challenges at school or at work. It makes learning and communication simpler and more functional.

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LDRFA | Learning Disability Resources and Tools

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Learning Disability Resources Foundation provides LD resources & helps educate, inspire, & empower individuals with Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and ADHD.

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PWS Awareness Month at Latham Centers(39)

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PWS Awareness Month at Latham Centers(39)

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This website gives examples about how Students share PWS Awareness Fact-of-the-Day throughout the month of May.

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PWS Awareness Month at Latham Centers

Uplifting Facts About Prader-Willi Syndrome

Students share PWS Awareness Fact-of-the-Day throughout the month of May
May 2021: Latham Centers created another innovative celebration for Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month! Patrice Carroll (Director of PWS Services) and Katrina Fryklund (Director of National Outreach) created an incredible awareness campaign, filming a daily video clip of students from Latham Centers and our Virtual PWS Community. Kudos and thanks to all of the students who shared a fact-of-the-day - they were phenomenal!

"We all know that there are some challenges that come along with Prader-Willi syndrome, but we don't spend enough time talking about all of the amazing things that people with PWS bring to the world. We hope that we have shared some of the good by highlighting some of the amazing kids we work with every day!" - Patrice Carroll

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PWS Awareness Month at Latham Centers Uplifting Facts About Prader-Willi Syndrome May 2021: Latham Centers created another innovative celebration for Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month! Patrice Carroll (Director of PWS Services) and Katrina Fryklund (Director of National Outreach) created an incredible awareness campaign, filming a daily video clip of students from Latham Centers and our Virtual Click for more.

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We know that lasting individual and social change come about when we work together to achieve a common goal. That’s why, supporting families when parents have intellectual disabilities is our cause. Every day we work side-by-side with researchers, practitioners, and self-advocates to ensure that all parents have a chance to parent.

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A Chance to Parent

With a focus on research, education and service, TASP works to build the capacity of communities and families to support parents with learning difficulties.

We believe that the population of families in which one or more parents have an intellectual disability has not only been under-served, but discriminated against and repeatedly denied a chance to parent.

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TASP - The Association for Successful Parenting

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A Chance to Parent With a focus on research, education and service, TASP works to build the capacity of communities and families to support parents with learning difficulties. We believe that the population of families in which one or more parents have an intellectual disability has not only been under-served, but discriminated against and repeatedly denied a chance to parent.

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Social skills are critical for long-term success. Sometimes referred to as Emotional Intelligence, it is a combination of the ability to understand and manage one's own emotional state.

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Social skills are critical for long-term success. Sometimes referred to as Emotional Intelligence, it is a combination of the ability to understand and manage one's own emotional state (Intra-personal Intelligence in Howard Gardner's " Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences") and the ability to understand and respond to other people. Although social skills include understanding and using social conventions, it also includes the ability to understand the "Hidden Curriculum," the ways in which peers communicate and interact reciprocity, and the ability to build interpersonal relationships.

Difficulty with social skills and deficits in social skills are found to different degrees across abilities as well as disabilities. Both children with disabilities and children from low socio-economic groups may not have an extensive understanding of social conventions and may need instruction in conventions such as:

Appropriate greetings depending on relationships: i.e. peer to peer or child to adult

Appropriate and polite ways to make requests ("please") and express gratitude ("thank you")

Addressing adults

Shaking hands

Taking turns

Sharing

Giving positive feedback (praise) to peers, no put-downs

Cooperation

Difficulty managing one's own emotional state, especially tantrums or aggression in response to frustration, is common in children with disabilities. Children for whom this is the primary disabling condition are often diagnosed with an emotional or behavioral disorder, which may be designated as "emotional support," "severely emotionally challenged," or "conduct disorder." Many children with disabilities may be less mature than their typical peers and may reflect less understanding of how to manage their own emotions.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders commonly have difficulty with emotional self-regulation and understanding emotion. Difficulty with social situations is a component of the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders, which reflects deficits in understanding and expression of their own emotional states.

Emotional Literacy needs to be explicitly taught to students, especially students with emotional and behavioral disorders and children with autism spectrum disorders. This requires teaching the ability to identify emotions by looking at faces, the ability to identify cause and effect for emotions and scenarios, and learning appropriate ways to deal with personal emotional states.

Behavioral contracts are often useful tools for students with poor self-regulation skills, both to teach and self-monitor difficulty with self-regulation as well as teach and reward appropriate or "replacement" behavior.

The ability to understand others' emotional states, wants, and needs are critical not only for success in school but also success in life. It is also a "quality of life" issue, which will help students with and without disabilities to build relationships, find happiness, and succeed economically. It can also contribute to a positive classroom environment.

Appropriate interactions: Children with disabilities, especially Autism Spectrum Disorders, often need to be taught appropriate social interactions, such as making requests, initiating interactions, sharing, exercising reciprocity (give and take), and turn taking. Teaching appropriate interactions can involve modeling, role-playing, scripting, and social narratives. Successfully learning and generalizing of appropriate interactions requires lots of practice.

Understanding and building relationships: Children with disabilities often do not have the skills to initiate and sustain mutual relationships. In cases with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, they need to be explicitly taught the components of friendship or relationships.

Students with disabilities have problems both with acquiring and applying social skills. They need lots of practice. Successful ways to learn and generalize social skills include:

Modeling: The teacher and an aide or another teacher enact the social interactions you want students to learn.

Video self-modeling: You videotape the student performing the social skill with lots of prompting, and edit out the prompting to create a more seamless digital recording. This video, paired with rehearsal, will support the student's effort to generalize the social skill.

Cartoon strip social interactions: Introduced by Carol Gray as Comic Strip Conversations, these cartoons let your students fill in the thought and speech bubbles before they role-play a conversation. Research has shown that these are effective ways to help students build social interaction skills.

Role-playing: Practice is essential for maintaining social skills. Role-playing is a great way to give students an opportunity not only to practice the skills they are learning but also to teach students to evaluate each other's or their own performance of skills.

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Why Success in Social Skills Leads to Academic and Functional Success

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Social skills are critical for long-term success. Sometimes referred to as Emotional Intelligence, it is a combination of the ability to understand and manage one's own emotional state (Intra-personal Intelligence in Howard Gardner's " Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences") and the ability to understand and respond to other people.

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Social skills are a critical element to helping kids succeed socially, emotionally, personally, and even academically. These are the skills are the behaviors that help kids join in conversations, collaborate with peers, develop lasting friendships, self-advocate when they need help, and so much more.

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Social skills are a critical element to helping kids succeed socially, emotionally, personally, and even academically. These are the skills are the behaviors that help kids join in conversations, collaborate with peers, develop lasting friendships, self-advocate when they need help, and so much more. It would be ideal if all learners walked into classrooms equipped with strong social skills ready for success. The truth is, though, that kids are kids; they are still developing, learning, growing, and trying to make sense of the social world around them. As adults, the biggest impact we can have to help kids learn social skills is to teach them.

Quite often, I get asked, "But doesn't everyone need social skills? Why do you target kids specifically?" To me, the answer is obvious. If we teach kids and young adults these social skills from an early age, they will have the foundations they need as adults. So, when kids need social skills, let's teach them!

To help highlight how important these social skill are, I created a complete set of Social Skills Visuals. You can use them as a bulletin board, post them as reminders all around, or use the pages to highlight a few skills each week. And if you're looking for even more ways to teach social skills, feel free to check out my social skills activities for elementary and social skills lessons for older kids.

Here are 12 basic social skills and strategies for teaching them:

Following Directions. This is having the ability to listen, understand expectations, and follow through in a timely manner. Learners need to learn how to follow directions to help them complete tasks, whether it is an assignment in class or instructions from a future boss.
Strategies to teach following directions:

Play games for following directions, like Simon Says and Freeze.

Practice giving both verbal and visual directions.

Teach and practice how to read directions BEFORE starting an assignment.

Have learners highlight or underline directions on assignments before starting.

Have learners make a checklist for following directions for any task (like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich) to help them see why directions should be clear and followed well.

Using Manners. Our manners are the courteous behaviors to we to show we are kind and respectful. All kids need to understand manners so they can be socially appropriate in a variety of settings, such as a restaurant, at the library, or even answering the phone.
Strategies to teach using manners:

Post visuals of "manner words," such as please, thank you, and you're welcome as reminders.

Make it a habit to model and say these words with students and colleagues.

Explicitly teach about manners and discuss what manners we use in different settings.

Having a Positive Attitude. A positive attitude is the first step to having a growth mindset. By having a positive attitude, kids can learn to be more optimistic and see the bright side of things.
Strategies to teach having a positive attitude:

Model having a positive attitude, even when things don't go as planned (ex: "I was really looking forward to outdoor recess today, but now I am excited to play some chess instead!").

Practice and discuss positive self-talk.

Read picture books about a positive attitude: Ish by Peter H. Reynolds and Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein.

Working with Others. All learners need skills to positively work with others by listening, collaborating, helping, and doing their fair share.
Strategies to teach working with others:

Explicitly teach skills for working well with others.

Make a list of "group ground rules" for how to work successfully with others (listening to each other, staying with the group, staying positive, etc.).

Give lots of practice in partners and small groups.

Make sure students are frequently working with different people.

Sometimes give learners the chance to pick their partners, while assigning students at other times.

Keep a list of sentence starters kids can use in groups to collaborate such as, "I really like how you..." and "Can we try..."

Good Hygiene. Proper self-care means keeping yourself well-groomed and neat. This is an important skill because not only is it about being clean, but it helps everyone make a positive first impression.
Strategies to teach good hygiene:

Talk about what good hygiene means, such as washing hands and showering/bathing daily.

Give reminders for hygiene, depending on age level.

Talk to the school counselor or social worker about coming in for a lesson on hygiene.

Using Polite Words. Using kind and polite words is just another way to spread kindness to others. Sometimes, I call this "using kind words only."
Strategies to teach using polite words:

Teach about kindness and why it matters.

Discuss polite and kind words.

Teach about using a social filter, including thinking about how our words impact others.

Taking Turns. Learning to turn-take involves alternating between two or more people. This is an important skill to show courtesy and respect during conversations and other activities.
Strategies to teach taking turns:

Explain what it means to take turns and discuss scenarios, such as in sports, conversations, games, and more.

Practice turn-taking with board games.

Practice turn-taking with conversations (whole class and small groups).

Have students hold a special tangible (a ball or stuffed animal) when it is their turn to talk.

Greetings. Welcoming others and making them feel valued is an important social skill. By teaching kids and young adults how to properly greet others, it can help create a positive community for all. This is also an important lifelong social skill for the workplace and beyond..
Strategies to teach greetings:

Model greetings each morning with each student as they walk in.

Teach different greeting and allow students to choose how to greet each other.

Start the day with a morning meeting and a greeting.

Waiting and Having Patience. Developing patience is a critical skill during times when we have to wait. Kid and young adults might have to wait in line at the pencil sharpener or wait for their turn to speak in a group, just to name a few. By having patience, they show that they are courteous and respectful to all.
Strategies to teach waiting and showing patience:

Teach strategies for what to do when waiting (doing something else, using positive self-talk, etc.).

Discuss scenarios when kids have to wait and discuss how they can handle it.

Read picture books about patience: Waiting by Kevin Henkes and Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat.

Use social scripts to help teach skills for how to wait in social situations.

Being a Good Sport. Learning to be a good sport can help kids and young adults be respectful when they engage in games and activities. It can also help them positively cope with losing by focusing on having fun instead of winning.
Strategies to teach being a good sport:

Teach and discuss expectations for being a good sport.

Focus on having fun, playing, and learning rather than winning.

Give reminders about being a good sport before activities.

Use social scripts to remind about being a good sport before activities.

Practice being a good sport during games (anything from board games to outdoor sports during recess).

Practice and discuss having a growth mindset to help when students lose.

Listening to Others. Skills for listening are critical to building positive relationships with others. Kids and young adults should learn how to focus their attention to others, put away distractions, and really think about what someone else is saying.
Strategies to teach listening to others:

Start the day with a morning meeting and give time to share thoughts.

Teach the basics for listening: making eye contact, putting distractions away, thinking about what someone is saying.

Give discussion time in your content area subjects.

Practice listening with discussion times.

Teach students how to summarize what they heard: "So what I heard you say is that...".

Understanding Personal Space. Having a good understanding of personal space helps everyone feel more comfortable in social situations. It also gives way to teaching that consent is needed to be in someone else's personal space.
Strategies to teach personal space:

Teach students that they have an invisible bubble around them called their personal space. Explain why having personal space is important.

Teach and discuss expected behaviors with personal space such as standing an arm's length away while talking and keeping hands to self.

Act out what personal space looks like in different scenarios.

Teach students how to ask permission if they would like to give a friend a hug.

Read picture books about personal space: Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook.

If you have more suggestions or ideas for teaching these skills, feel free to share! I would love to add to the list. Be sure to also check out all of my social skills resources to get started teaching these important skills right away!

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Social skills are a critical element to helping kids succeed socially, emotionally, personally, and even academically. These are the skills are the behaviors that help kids join in conversations, collaborate with peers, develop lasting friendships, self-advocate when they need help, and so much more

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Importance of teaching social skills(35)

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Importance of teaching social skills(35)

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The average adult typically doesn’t give much thought to the process of teaching social skills. Most adults naturally understand how to communicate effectively with others, manage their own emotions and reactions, and read verbal and nonverbal social cues. What many do not realize, however, is that the foundation for these skills is laid in the classroom.

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The Importance of Teaching Social Skills | PBIS Rewards

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Teaching social skills is a critical part of preparing students for a successful future. A PBIS initiative naturally helps with teaching social skills, since the focus is on positive behaviors.

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20+ EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR HOW TO TEACH SOCIAL SKILLS(34)

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20+ EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR HOW TO TEACH SOCIAL SKILLS(34)

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The most important skills to teach your children would be emotional self-regulation skills, it's certainly no secret that it's important to be teaching social skills to our kids as well.

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How to Teach Social Skills, Step by Step(33)

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How to Teach Social Skills, Step by Step(33)

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Before you can help pupils enhance their social skills, you must first convince them of the importance of these abilities. Start by asking your students to consider challenges they've encountered while working in groups, such as team members who don't listen to each other or who don't take turns

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Many students struggle to learn important social skills, like interacting positively with others and starting conversations. The time spent on lecturing in schools means that kids don't always have the time to use these skills in the classroom.

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Many students struggle to learn important social skills, like interacting positively with others and starting conversations. The time spent lecturing in schools means that kids don't always have the time to use these skills in the classroom.

A lack of social skills can contribute to poor academic performance, causing problem behaviors in class and dropping grades. We'll show you how to teach social skills just as you teach math, science, and writing using evidence-based SEL techniques.

1. Work with Peer Mentors

Kids develop similar social skills to those around them as they observe others' actions and behaviors. Pairing students with peer mentors of the same age makes learning social skills feel less like a lesson.

You can pair students of the same age and go over which social skill you want to work on that day so that the peer mentor can effectively guide their students toward developing the desired skills.

2. Adopt a Research-Based Program

A research-based program like Positive Action creates a unique curriculum suited to specific grades that helps with teaching social skills in the classroom.

Positive Action focuses on social skills instruction and overall personal development through six units. These lessons don't take much time out of your school day, but they have a significant impact on kids, teachers, and parents.

The Positive Action program promotes a social emotional learning curriculum that encourages responsible decision-making, self-management skills, social behaviors, and following directions. It is designed to guide kids through social encounters and encourage them to make their own decisions, become independent, and improve their overall well-being.

Studies show its effectiveness in schools, citing that Positive Action has helped students raise their grades, interact positively with peer s, and improve overall socialization skills.

3. Model Social Skills with Videos

Video modeling demonstrates social skills and allows students to observe an action before putting it into practice for themselves.

Videos are one of the most effective strategies for teaching social skills in class. You can use different kinds of video modeling, including:

Basic: Students watch a video of people performing certain social behaviors.

Point-of-view modeling: The video plays from the point of view of the learner.

Prompting: The video demonstrates an action and then offers a prompt for an activity.

Self-modeling: Someone records the student doing a social activity so that they can watch themselves.

They and other students then point out what the student did well and how they can improve.

4. Use Film and Video Clips

Apart from video modeling, you can have students give feedback about characters in video clips. Ask them to describe what the character did wrong in a specific situation first. For example:

Were they talking too close to someone and invading personal space?

Did they not make eye contact?

Were they not listening?

When you teach social skills, it's important for students to recognize problem behaviors in others and themselves. Using video clips will boost their awareness of these behaviors.

5. Have Students Create Videos

Try having students create their own videos while they practice social skills. You can use this activity for homework assignments so that kids can use their skills outside the classroom.

Creating videos lets children have fun with learning social skills. They also help each other learn by viewing their videos and offering feedback.

You might try choosing a single social skill to practice, like nonverbal communication. In this case, students create silent films. Ask the rest of the class to guess what happens in the films based on each person's body language and nonverbal cues.

6. Imitate and Model Other Students

Much like with video modeling, kids often use imitation behaviors to learn new social skills. When you ask them to practice these techniques in the classroom, you can create situations where students model body language and other behaviors you want to encourage.

Use prompting while teaching social skills, so children get used to imitating and improving upon their skills. Kids may think they imitate well, but with instruction, find out where they can do better.

7. Construct Social Narratives

During a social narrative, you describe a situation to your students. For example, telling a short story about a student arguing with their teacher and getting in trouble presents a situation that does not demonstrate positive social skills.

With this exercise, children learn empathy when they consider how the person in the situation feels and how they would act differently. This skill allows them to explain why certain behaviors are or are not appropriate. The educator can also describe the best response after kids have thought about it themselves.

8. Create Lunch Groups

Break kids into small groups for lunch or activities. You can use topic boxes to prompt them to talk about specific subjects or use a particular skill.

Lunch groups can help students learn to talk about different subjects and relate to others by learning their interests. It also guides kids toward having appropriate conversations.

9. Form Structured Social Situations

In structured social situations, you teach a social skill to students before putting it into practice. You might have kids learn something on their own, in a one-on-one environment, before they go into a classroom to use their new socialization skills with others.

Structured social situations involve defining a behavior and the expectations that come with it first. For example, if a student has trouble standing too close to someone while talking, you might go over respecting personal space and have them practice it after.

10. Encourage Communication with Joint Action Routines

Joint action routines create predictable routines for skills that kids can repeat. You show them a skill and then have them repeat it to practice.

Joint action routines minimize distraction and confusion when you teach one skill at a time. They show students exactly what to do in social situations to form habits and become independent as they get comfortable with the behavior.

11. Create a Classroom Management Plan

A classroom management plan helps children develop a routine and meet expectations. It also helps with problem-solving, as kids learn that they must complete a certain task with or without help, as well as how to ask for help politely.

Children develop an understanding of a behavior through repeated situations. They learn how they can improve and behave in different classroom environments based on their assigned tasks.

12. Encourage Teamwork

Activities, such as cooperative games or decision-making tasks, particularly those that don't just encourage but require teamwork for success, lead children to get to know one another, work together, and learn the fine intricacies of forging friendships and presenting well-reasoned debates to have their voices heard.

Avoid creating long-term teams to keep students continually interacting with new groups and practicing new social skills as different personalities collide!

13. Social Role-Play Activities

Social role-play activities allow students to use their new skills creatively. Give your class a scenario and ask them to come up with a short skit to act out in front of their peers.

You can make the scene specific to a single social skill, and other students will give feedback after the actors finish their demonstration. Kids come up with their own scripts, which allows them to think about the actions that do and don't work.

Conclusion

When you use evidence-based methods to teach social skills, you help students learn new social techniques more quickly and effectively. Use a combination of these practices to determine how your students respond best and see which ones they enjoy.

Positive Action can help with SEL in any learning environment.

Contact us to schedule a webinar and talk about how our program can benefit your classroom.

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13 Evidence-Based Ways to Teach Social Skills in 2023

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Many students struggle to learn important social skills, like interacting positively with others and starting conversations. The time spent lecturing in schools means that kids don't always have the time to use these skills in the classroom.

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Different ways to Teach Social Skills(31)

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Different ways to Teach Social Skills(31)

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Essentially, inclusive classrooms are representations of the real world where people of all backgrounds and abilities co-exsist. In fact, there are school disctricts with curriculum specifically for social and emotional development.

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Research and experience has told us that having social skills is essential for success in life. Inclusive teachers have always taught, provided and reinforced the use of good social skills in order to include and accommodate for the wide range of students in the classroom.

Essentially, inclusive classrooms are representations of the real world where people of all backgrounds and abilities co-exsist. In fact, there are school disctricts with curriculum specifically for social and emotional development.

Here are some ways in which you can create a more inclusive classroom and support social skill development in your students:

1. Model manners

If you expect your students to learn and display good social skills, then you need to lead by example. A teacher's welcoming and positive attitude sets the tone of behaivor between the students. They learn how to intereact with one another and value individuals. For example, teachers who expect students to use "inside voices" shouldn't be yelling at the class to get their attention. In other words, practice what you preach.

2. Assign classroom jobs

Assigning classroom jobs to students provides opportunties to demonstrate responsibility, teamwork and leadership. Jobs such as handing out papers, taking attendance, and being a line-leader can highlight a student's strengths and in turn, build confidence. It also helps alleviate your workload! Teachers often rotate class jobs on a weekly or monthly basis, ensuring that every student has an opportunity to participate. Check out this list of classroom jobs for some ideas!

3. Role-play social situations

As any teacher knows, it's important to not only teach the students a concept or lesson but then give them a chance to practice what they have learned. For example, if we teach students how to multiply, then we often provide a worksheet or activity for the students to show us their understanding of mulitiplication. The same holds true for teaching social skills. We need to provide students with opportunities to learn and practice their social skills. An effective method of practice is through role-playing. Teachers can provide structured scenarios in which the students can act out and offer immediate feedback. For more information on how to set-up and support effective role-playing in your classroom have a look at this resource from Learn Alberta.

4. Pen-pals

For years, I arranged for my students to become pen-pals with kids from another school. This activity was a favorite of mine on many different academic levels; most importantly it taught students how to demonstrate social skills through written communication. Particularly valuable for introverted personalities, writing letters gave students time to collect their thoughts. It levelled the playing field for students who had special needs or were non-verbal. I was also able to provide structured sentence frames in which the kids held polite conversation with their pen-pal. Setting up a pen-pal program in your classroom takes some preparation before the letter writing begins. You want to ensure that students have guidelines for content and personal safety. This article, Pen Pals in the 21st Century, from Edutopia will give you some ideas!

5. Large and small group activities

In addition to the academic benefits, large and small group activities can give students an opportunity to develop social skills such as teamwork, goal-setting and responsibility. Students are often assigned roles to uphold within the group such as Reporter, Scribe, or Time-Keeper. Sometimes these groups are self-determined and sometimes they are pre-arranged. Used selectively, group work can also help quieter students connect with others, appeals to extroverts, and reinforces respectful behavior. Examples of large group activities are group discussions, group projects and games. Smaller group activities can be used for more detailed assignments or activities. For suggestions on how to use grouping within your classroom, check out this article, Instructional Grouping in the Classroom.

6. Big buddies

We know that learning to interact with peers is a very important social skill. It is just as important to learn how to interact with others who may be younger or older. The Big Buddy system is a great way for students to learn how to communicate with and respect different age groups. Often an older class will pair up with a younger class for an art project, reading time or games. Again, this type of activity needs to be pre-planned and carefully designed with student's strengths and interests in mind. Usually, classroom teachers meet ahead of time to create pairings of students and to prepare a structured activity. There is also time set aside for the teacher to set guidelines for interaction and ideas for conversation topics. Entire schools have also implemented buddy programs to enrich their student's lives. Here is an article that offers tips on how to start a reading buddy program.

7. Class stories

There are dozens of stories for kids that teach social skills in direct or inadvertant ways. Find strategies to incoporate these stories in your class programs. You can set aside some time each day to read-aloud a story to the entire class or use a story to teach a lesson. Better yet, have your class write their own stories with characters who display certain character traits.

8. Class meeting

Class Meetings are a wonderful way to teach students how to be diplomatic, show leadership, solve problems and take responsibility. They are usually held weekly and are a time for students to discuss current classroom events and issues. Successful and productive meetings involve discussions centered around classroom concerns and not individual problems. In addition, it reinforces the value that each person brings to the class. Before a class meeting, teachers can provide the students with group guidelines for behavior, prompts, and sentence frames to facilitate meaningful conversation. Here is a great article, Class Meetings: A Democratic Approach to Classroom Management, from Education World that describes the purpose and attributes of a class meeting.

9. Explicit instruction

Finally, teachers can carve out a time in their curriculum to directly teach social skills to their students. Research-based programs such as Second Step provide teachers and schools with explicit lessons for social development. These programs can provide schools and classrooms with a common language, set of behavior expectations, and goals for the future. I have used programs such as Second Step in my classrooms with much success!

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9 Ways to Teach Social Skills in Your Classroom

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Research and experience has told us that having social skills is essential for success in life. Inclusive teachers have always taught, provided and reinforced the use of good social skills in order to include and accommodate for the wide range of students in the classroom.

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These upcoming social emotional (SEL) professional development workshops focus on developmental relationships and Developmental Assets.

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Anyone can join us for these engaging, action-orientated open-enrollment professional development workshops held live online or at various locations across the United States. Check below to see what's coming up!

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Our Upcoming Professional Development Workshops - Search Institute

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Anyone can join us for these engaging, action-orientated open-enrollment professional development workshops held live online or at various locations across the United States. Check below to see what's coming up!

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Girls need to start early building skills for their future careers. But many girls lack access to role models who can inspire them to imagine all that they can achieve — from academic success to amazing careers.

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Career Girls brings together hundreds of accomplished women working in cities across the United States - Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Boston, New York City, Detroit, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and countries around the world. Through a series of videos, each role model shares the story of her career journey, in her own words and in an easily accessible format. What skills from her childhood does she still rely on today? What is a typical day like in her career? What obstacles has she overcome? Who are her heroes?

Our role models answer these questions and many others to provide an engaging and comprehensive look at wide-ranging careers. Role models also share favorite subjects in school, discuss the education they pursued to achieve their goals, suggest reasons to consider different careers, and offer helpful advice for getting there.

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Career Girls brings together hundreds of accomplished women working in cities across the United States - Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Boston, New York City, Detroit, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and countries around the world.

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Stride On! Riding A Bike Improves Social Skills In Children! (28)

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Stride On! Riding A Bike Improves Social Skills In Children! (28)

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Social skills are the skills we use every day to interact and communicate with others. They include verbal and non-verbal communication, such as speech, gesture, facial expression, and body language. A person has strong social skills if they have knowledge of how to behave in social situations and understand both written and implied rules when communicating with others.

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Stride On! Riding a Bike Improves Social Skills in Children!

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When a child learns how to ride a bike, they gain a whole new set of skills, one of those being confidence, confidence in social skills.

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Stride On! Riding A Bike Improves Social Skills In Children!

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Inclusive classroom and why is it important! (27)

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Inclusive classroom and why is it important! (27)

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Inclusive classrooms are becoming more important as our awareness of people, cultures, and societies grow. Because of this, we are provided with a lot of information, but this information is not always good.

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Inclusive classrooms are becoming more important as our awareness of people, cultures, and societies grow. Because of this, we are provided with a lot of information, but this information is not always good. What people think they know can be misinterpreted and can lead to stereotypes, prejudice, and judgments on certain people, causing them to run the risk of isolation from accessible and general education. But with inclusive classrooms on the rise, comes the need for a solution on how to best accommodate so many different types of students in the easiest and most efficient way possible. Accessible EdTech is just the solution we need! Continue reading to learn how you can make your classroom more inclusive or see ViewSonic's education solutions page for more classroom ideas!
Inclusive classrooms typically mean including more students with special needs, impairments, or disabilities only. However, we are seeing a shift for inclusivity to focus on more than just those with certain needs.

Sometimes inclusive classrooms can refer to taking the initiative to ensure that your classroom includes people of diverse races, economic backgrounds, varying cultures, and sexual orientations. It is to ensure that all these students are treated fairly and have access to technology and general education. Inclusive classrooms aim to close the gap between the have and have-nots and the prejudices we may have among each other.

What is an Inclusive Classroom?

Inclusive classrooms are typically defined as classrooms designed so that students with specials needs, disabilities, or impairments can learn among peers (who may or may not have certain needs) in age-appropriate, general education environments. While this is the most common use, inclusive classrooms are evolving to make sure that they are inclusive for different reasons, not just special education.

For example, inclusive classrooms may involve students with certain needs, but it is also to be considerate of students with different social and economic backgrounds, those who speak minority languages, have different religions as well as sexual orientations. Making sure a classroom is truly inclusive is important for healthy and prosperous student development.

If you would like to learn more about inclusive education and its benefits, here are 7 benefits and more that will show you why your class needs to be inclusive.

Who is Included in an Inclusive Classroom?

Inclusive classrooms are great because it means that everyone is included! Because inclusive classrooms encompass everyone, we can use their experiences, cultural knowledge, and personalities to build upon non-formal forms of education. Remember, inclusive classrooms are not intended to demoralize anyone but rather to expand and grow upon majority cultural norms.

When researching about inclusive classrooms, you may also hear inclusive classrooms referred to as multicultural education. Multicultural education just means that everyone, regardless of religion, sexual orientation, and so on are included in general education and are part of the curriculum.

Special Education

Students who receive special education benefit greatly from inclusive classrooms. This is because many students with special needs, disabilities, or impairments are perfectly capable of being included in regular classes. Many of these students face perceptions that they are severely mentally disabled even if they have no learning deficits at all. This can cause teachers and even other parents to feel that they do not belong in general classes because of misconceptions.

Allowing these students into general classes ensures that they are on the correct path for educational expectations. They may not necessarily be on the same pace in the beginning, but that does not mean they are not capable of becoming so.

Some students, however, do have developmental disabilities or other situations that may mean that they cannot be included in an inclusive classroom due to specialized needs or pacing that the curriculum cannot adapt for. In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) implements what are called least restrictive environments (LRE). This states that learning or thinking differences should not keep a child from general education unless it is so severe that supplementary aids and services cannot provide the child with an appropriate and progressive education.

Racial Diversity

Racial diversity in an inclusive classroom means that the classroom is a multicultural space for students of all races and ethnicity. While there have been many court cases and laws passed to prevent segregation and other forms of discrimination in education, there are often microlevel prejudices that may segregate students into classrooms or with certain teachers. This can be because of behavior issues, economic associations, and other forms of prejudice.

Making sure you give students the chance for multicultural education has many different benefits. Some of these benefits are things like having a more open mind, exposure to different cultures, building empathy in the classroom, and building better communication skills.

Having racial diversity in the classroom also allows you to use more resources. You can easily provide more literature, movies, concepts, and games by people of varying racial backgrounds to help students become more well-rounded. If you have young learners and want to help them share their culture, check out Here Wee Read's 2020 ultimate list of diverse children's books.

Religious Diversity

Most school districts remove religion from core curriculum in general education classes so that no bias can happen. However, that does not mean that there cannot be religious diversity in the classroom. This can be as simple as acknowledging not all students celebrate Christmas, for example.

More so, it is important to not hold prejudice against students who practice other religions especially if they signify it by wearing religious garb like a hijab, for example. This also means being aware that certain foods or content may be deemed unacceptable for them. What is important is finding the happy middle ground so that no student feels left out but other students who follow the majority religion also do not feel left out or isolated for their views. Again, an inclusive classroom is for building and growth, not for shaming.

If you want to help your students learn more about the world's religions, Education World provided lesson planning ideas for grades 6-12 to bring about more awareness. Check them out!

Sexual Orientations

Including lessons and materials that demonstrate different sexual orientations is important for teaching students to be open-minded. By no means does this content have to be explicit content like you may find in health class, but it could include education on different types of families, varying literatures, and other scenarios that students with different sexual orientations experience is important. Even more so is explaining how these can result in hardships and how to deal with them. Results from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that 33% of LGBT students had experienced bullying on school property while 27% experienced cyberbullying.

Students who are experiencing bullying will have poorer academic performance, lower self-esteem, and more likely to become bullies themselves. Even more so, students who are LGBT are more likely to experience homelessness and suffer from abusive situations. Making sure all students feel safe in their classroom is one of the many ways you can help your LGBT students.

Also keep in mind that LGBT students are not the only ones who can experience bullying. Any student may be bullied. Bullying is a major problem that can affect a student's academic performance, surprisingly both for the bullied and the bully as well.

How Can I Become More Inclusive?

Creating a more inclusive classroom can be difficult if you are underprepared or do not have enough resources. Thankfully, modern classrooms are much easier to make inclusive than those in the past. This is because of technology. Educational technology, also referred to as EdTech, is an easy solution to help create this inclusive classroom.

EdTech allows teachers to easily breakdown barriers that can hold students back. Whether this is assistive technologies for students with certain needs or using video-assisted learning to help students understand minority traditions, all of this is much more accessible than ever before.

But also keep in mind that not every student has access to technology and the internet. Provide a solution for these students by talking to your administrators to provide city library cards or laptops so that the student can learn in a safe and comfortable environment.

How to Implement Strategies for Inclusive Classrooms

There are quite a few different strategies you can use to make your classroom more inclusive. However, with the use of EdTech, it is much easier to use diverse materials and share among different students.

Once you understand your student's cultures and personalities, you can consider some different strategies and tech to add diversity and accessibility.

Video-Assisted Learning

Video-assisted learning is a great way to help your classroom be more inclusive. This is because many videos were made with diversity in mind, so it is easy to find videos starring casts of children with different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Videos are also a tool to show situations to help students get a better perspective on their peers' cultures and traditions.

Even better, there are great free resources and paid platforms like myViewBoard Clips, available for teachers. If you feel that videos may be helpful in teaching your students about one another, this article provides you with tips, insights, and a 6-step guide on how to use effective educational videos in the classroom.

Hybrid Learning

Hybrid Learning implements synchronous lessons taught simultaneously in-person and online. This means that some students are in the physical classroom, while others are at home or other educational institutes. Hybrid learning is a great option for inclusivity as it helps break down geographical barriers.

Whether they are students with special needs, from lower economic backgrounds, or students with other needs, hybrid learning allows everyone to be present in the classroom, even if they are not physically there. It also allows for students to develop self-scheduling and self-confidence due to the need to collaborate and be fully engaged in the classroom.

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology (AT) is defined as any device, piece of equipment, or system that helps to enhance lives and accommodate people with special needs, impairments, or disabilities. While assistive technology can be low-tech or no tech at all, blending assistive technology with EdTech can help your classroom become more inclusive.

Using assistive EdTech can make it easier for you to accommodate and include students in that many of these tools act as supplements for students with certain needs. For example, augmentative and alternative communication like text-to-speech for students who are hearing impaired is an easy way to include those students in general education courses.

Promoting Collaboration Between Students

Promoting collaboration between diverse students is one of the best ways to make your classroom more inclusive. It makes students put aside any differences and work together for a common cause. However, effective collaboration can be difficult to achieve without the proper tools.

Digital whiteboarding is a great solution to this. Digital whiteboarding refers to the software used that includes whiteboarding functions like writing, drawing, and annotating. Oftentimes, this software is part of a software suite that also includes online and offline abilities for sharing and collaboration.

Education software solutions like myViewBoard give students the power to collaborate and share without the hassle of non-intuitive features. Not to mention, when it is paired with the ViewBoard, students are able to have a completely active and engaging lesson accommodating for all students.

Conclusion

Inclusive classrooms are important for several reasons. However, they are also apart of a large set of strategies that teachers can use to not only give all students better education but more opportunities for all students to use technology.

If you would like to learn more about our complete education solution, check out ViewSonic's inclusive classroom solution for more information on how an inclusive classroom is just a fragment of your education ecosystem.

Also, check out our article 5 benefits of technology in the classroom to learn how technology can do more than just make your classroom more inclusive.

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What is an Inclusive Classroom? And Why is it Important? - ViewSonic Library

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What is an inclusive classroom? They are expanding and becoming more important than ever as diversity and inclusivity are key to success!

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What does an inclusive classroom look like (26)

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What does an inclusive classroom look like (26)

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If you are reading this blog you probably are searching for information to make sure that your child or someone very special to you is receiving the best educational services possible to meet their individual needs, so thank you for being an advocate for effective inclusive practice.

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What Does an Inclusive Classroom Look Like?

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If you are reading this post, you are probably searching for information to make sure that your child or someone very special to you is receiving the best educational services possible to meet their individual needs. Thank you for being an advocate for effective inclusive practice. What is inclusion, and…

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Inclusive learning environments are ones in which students feel that their contributions and perspectives are equally valued and respected. The following pages offer ideas and strategies on how to create and sustain inclusive classrooms.

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Inclusive learning environments are ones in which students feel that their contributions and perspectives are equally valued and respected. The following pages offer ideas and strategies on how to create and sustain inclusive classrooms.

Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom is an online course open to any Cornell instructor, from any discipline and with any level of diversity expertise. Learn more about this course and the next course offering.

Classroom Climate

Influence the classroom climate to enhance student learning.

How to respond to incidents that impact the climate in teaching & learning.

Connecting with Your Students

Build trust and rapport by connecting with your students to improve the classroom learning experience.

Establishing Ground Rules

Establish ground rules to ensure that all students understand and practice respectful and productive classroom communication.

Global Learning

Incorporate meaningful global learning experiences for your students.

Icebreakers

Effectively use icebreakers in your class to create a sense of community.

Inclusive Teaching Strategies

Use inclusive teaching strategies to ensure that students with a wide range of backgrounds, characteristics, and expectations have productive learning experiences in your class.

Universal Design for Learning

Utilize universal design for learning to insure that your teaching approach meets the needs and abilities of all learners to eliminate unnecessary hurdles in the learning process.

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Inclusive learning environments are ones in which students feel that their contributions and perspectives are equally valued and respected. The following pages offer ideas and strategies on how to create and sustain inclusive classrooms. Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom is an online course open to any Cornell instructor, from any discipline and with any level of diversity expertise.

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An inclusive classroom climate refers to an environment where all students feel supported intellectually and academically, and are extended a sense of belonging in the classroom regardless of identity, learning preferences, or education.

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Examples

A thoughtful diversity statement in the syllabus offers support to students by welcoming identities into the classroom, making visible disability, student support, and academic strategy services on campus, and inviting students to share any concerns with the instructor. The instructor also takes time to focus on the diversity statement during the first class meeting.

Instructors in the humanities and social sciences explore diverse readings and social examples that engage with often-marginalized experiences. They remain attuned to contemporary political and social issues, and provide opportunities for students to freely share their thoughts and perspectives from all sides, with civility and respect.

A course integrates various methods of assessment in order to reflect different ways to demonstrate learning. This approach, while eschewing the notion of learning styles, visibly performs acknowledgement that each student in a class pursues their own learning path with unique struggles and successes.

On the first day of class, and / or the first few minutes of each class, an instructor gets to know students, asks what they are thinking, and invites them to contribute their hopes and learning goals for the course or session.

Recommendations

To maintain an inclusive classroom climate, the instructor can:

Structure classroom conversations to encourage respectful and equitable participation - Instructors can establish ground rules or specific guidelines for appropriate behavior early in the semester (including confidentiality, respectful disagreement, and civil debate); as a strategy to promote student buy-in, instructors can enlist students to help create and maintain these rules. Alternatively, students might be offered a quiet minute to think of responses to key questions or to write down new questions before responding. Instructors can also establish specific guidelines about how students should signal that they want to speak and contribute to a discussion, and intervene when students violate classroom norms.

Use small groups to encourage non-competitive ways of learning and encourage cross-cultural communication - If patterns of seating segregation in the classroom are tied to patterns of nonparticipation, instructors can assign small groups across racial/ethnic or gender lines. If some students are hesitant to speak up in class, they might contribute in small groups first. Instructors should pay careful attention to group dynamics, and intervene if some students become excluded from full participation and/or more assertive students begin to dominate. Beyond classroom strategies, instructors can set up study groups or assign collaborative projects that require meetings outside of class, such as peer editing, group papers, laboratory assignments, or presentations that enable students to work with each other.

Anticipate sensitive issues and acknowledge racial, class or cultural differences in the classroom when appropriate - When discussing controversial issues, instructors should expect emotional responses or even conflict. Such emotion is not necessarily negative, unless it makes students unduly upset, inhibits class discussion, or causes students to behave rudely. In such cases the instructor may need to intervene and remind students of the rules for classroom discussion. Establishing shared guidelines can help to mitigate disrespect and hostility, or prevent it from arising in the first place.

Model inclusive language - As an element of developing a respectful, inclusive environment, instructors can be aware of the language practices they model. Common beneficial practices include: avoid using masculine pronouns for both males and females; when using American idioms, explain them for the benefit of non-native English speakers; and avoid using falsely inclusive terms or statements like "women" for European or European American women or "all women/men" for heterosexual individuals. To assist in this strategy, instructors can vary the concrete examples and case studies used to include a variety of social characteristics, such as race or gender.

Use multiple and diverse examples - Expanding on the idea of varied examples above, instructors can include multicultural examples, visuals, and materials as much as possible in lectures. These should include multiple perspectives on the syllabus, in class discussion, and in assignments, when possible. If including course material or examples that place a group in the position of an oppressed victim, instructors should be sure to provide examples of empowerment for balance. Other ways to involve multiple perspectives include playing devil's advocate, engaging in a debate about the possible interpretations of a text, and assigning the work of relevant minority scholars.

Personally connect with students - Instructors can use a diversity statement or teaching philosophy statement in the syllabus as a way to welcome all students and model openness and honesty. Extending this policy, instructors should feel free to discuss personal learning experiences and challenges whenever appropriate - studies show that students appreciate and learn from metacognitive moments where they can reflect on their or other peoples' thinking. Where appropriate, instructors can even encourage students to meet one-on-one during the semester for conversation.

Provide alternative means for participation - To signal awareness of different emotional and social conditions in the classroom, instructors should allow student participation opportunities via online discussions in addition to the classroom. Instructors can also collect journal entries, reading logs, or other reflection pieces, and should avoid a single homogenous strategy for the entirety of term.

Respectfully communicate with students - Instructors should take care to pronounce students' names correctly and in the proper order: this includes not shortening or simplifying a student's name without his/her clear approval; being aware that some ethnicities may arrange their given and family names in various orders; asking students for their preferred gender pronouns, and avoiding gender binaries by using plurals instead, such as "they" instead of he or she; and being aware of contemporary terms for cultural identities. If unsure of an appropriate address or cultural form of identity, the instructor can ask in a non-threatening context. In contrast, instructors should not ask any student to be a representative spokesperson for his or her perceived group, or look pointedly at or away from these same students when discussing issues of race, class, gender, etc. Neither should they ask or expect students to be knowledgeable about their ethnic heritage, history, language, or culture unless they volunteer such information.

Address offensive, discriminatory, and insensitive comments - As part of an inclusive classroom environment, instructors should respect all students' honest expressions and thoughts. If a student's response indicates an emotional investment in the subject, instructors should not let other students dismiss their contribution as "irrational" or "unscholarly" reactions; rather, they can address blatantly offensive and discriminatory comments and hold students accountable for their behavior.

Perform a Self-Assessment - Instructors can explore any number of teaching inventories to assess habits and classroom practices, reveal gaps in approaches, and consider strategies for revision. The "Downloads" section at the bottom of this page includes an assessment for considering the degree of inclusivity in the syllabus and course design.

The downloads section (bottom) also features a printable handout version of this web page.

References and Additional Reading

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M.W., DiPietro, M. & Lovett, M.C. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Armstrong, M.A. (2011). Small world: Crafting an inclusive classroom (no matter what you teach). Thought and Action, Fall, 51-61.

Creating Inclusive College Classrooms - UMichigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching

hooks b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge.

Kaplan, M. & Miller, A. T. (Eds.). (2007). Special Issue: Scholarship of multicultural teaching and learning. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (111).

Salazar, M., Norton, A., & Tuitt, F. (2009). Weaving promising practices for inclusive excellence into the higher education classroom. In L.B. Nilson and J.E. Miller (Eds.) To improve the academy. (pp. 208-226). Jossey-Bass.

Tanner KD. (2013). Structure Matters: Twenty-One Teaching Strategies to Promote Student Engagement and Cultivate Classroom Equity. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 12: 322-331.

University of Virginia. Center for Teaching Excellence. Teaching a Diverse Student Body: Practical Strategies for Enhancing our Students' Learning.

Watson L et al. (2002). How Minority Students Experience College: Implications for Planning and Policy. Stylus.

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This gives special education students the support they need while they stay in a general education classroom.

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By The Understood Team

At a glance

In an inclusive classroom, general education teachers and special education teachers work together to meet the needs of students.

This gives special education students the support they need while they stay in a general education classroom.

All students can benefit from inclusive classrooms.

This is key. As Carl A. Cohn, EdD, executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, points out, "It's important ... to realize that special education students are first and foremost general education students."

Inclusive classes are set up in a number of ways. Some use a collaborative team teaching (or co-teaching) model. With co-teaching, there's a special education teacher in the room all day.

Kids with special education needs who are in inclusive classes are absent less often. They develop stronger skills in reading and math. They're also more likely to have jobs and pursue education after high school.

Read on to learn more benefits of inclusive classrooms.

1. Tailors teaching for all learners

All students learn differently. This is a principle of inclusive education. In an inclusive classroom, teachers weave in specially designed instruction and support that can help students make progress. These strategies are helpful for all students. Kids may be given opportunities to move around or use fidgets. And teachers often put positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in place.

Some classrooms may have an interactive whiteboard. On it, kids can use their fingers to write, erase, and move images around on the large screen. This teaching tool can also be used to turn students' work into a video, which can be exciting for kids and help keep them engaged.

2. Makes differences less "different"

Inclusive classrooms are filled with diverse learners, each of whom has strengths and challenges. Inclusion gives kids a way to talk about how everyone learns in their own way. They may find that they have more in common with other kids than they thought. This can go a long way in helping kids know that difference is just a normal part of life. It can also help kids build and maintain friendships.

3. Provides support to all students

In more traditional special education settings, many kids are "pulled out" for related services like speech therapy or for other specialized instruction. An inclusive class often brings speech therapists, reading specialists, and other service providers into the classroom.

These professionals can provide information and suggestions to help all students. If kids aren't eligible for special education but still need some extra support, they can get it informally.

4. Creates high expectations for all

In an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a student's goals should be based on the academic standards for their state. Those standards lay out what all students are expected to learn in math, reading, science, and other subjects by the end of the school year.

In some schools, only certain classrooms are designated as inclusive. In that case, schools may assign general education students randomly to inclusive or noninclusive classes. Other schools may choose students who benefit from the emphasis on meeting the needs of all learners at all ability levels.

Key takeaways

All students benefit from the resources available in an inclusive classroom.

The special education teacher can help all kids in an inclusive classroom, not just students who need special education support.

In an inclusive classroom, teachers often break students into small groups and teach them based on their specific learning needs.

Tell us what interests you

About the author

About the author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Ginny Osewalt is a dually certified elementary and special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience in general education, inclusion, resource room, and self-contained settings.

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In an inclusive classroom, general education teachers and special education teachers work together to meet the needs of students. This gives special education students the support they need while they stay in a general education classroom. All students can benefit from inclusive classrooms. This is key. As Carl A.

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An inclusive classroom is a general education classroom where students with and without learning differences learn together. Inclusive classrooms are welcoming and support the diverse academic, social, emotional, and communication needs of all students.

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When inclusion is done well, everyone in the class benefits. It strengthens the ability of all kids to work together, understand and value different points of view, think critically, and be successful learners.

Inclusive classrooms also reduce stigma. Imagine this kind of learning community:

Understanding inclusion

Is it inclusion?

This chart, developed by inclusion expert Nicole Eredics, can help you understand what inclusion is and isn't.

Child spends the majority of the day in the general education classroom.

Child spends the majority of the day in a special education classroom and goes to a general education classroom for one or two periods.

Child's desk is included with the other groups of desks in the classroom.

Child's desk is away from the other desks in the classroom.

Child has access to and is included in classroom lessons and activities that are adapted or modified to meet his/her special needs.

Child works on his/her own curriculum.

Child attends outside activities with the class including assemblies, field trips, enrichment classes, and recess.

Child is given alternate activities and options with other special education students.

Child is an independent, valued, and respected classroom member.

Child is looked upon as helpless, needy, and dependent.

The child's paraprofessional facilitates access to the curriculum and classroom activities.

The child's paraprofessional determines access to the curriculum and classroom activities.

The paraprofessional encourages child to complete work as independently as possible, while providing support when needed.

The paraprofessional does not provide many opportunities for the child to complete work independently and "hovers."

Child receives specialist support (therapy, speech, and language) with minimal disruption to the class routine and program.

Child is pulled from the classroom lessons and activities for specialist suport without consideration for what the child will miss.

The teacher can identify your child's strengths and areas for improvement.

The teacher refers to the specialists and paraprofessionals to identify child's development.

Child can name classmates and has many common classroom experiences.

Child does not know classmates and does not have many common classroom experiences.

The trend toward inclusive general education classrooms

Can special education students thrive in general education classrooms? Watch Carl Cohn, a former superintendent, talk about the trend toward inclusive classrooms (also called inclusion classrooms). Hear his tips on what to ask if a school suggests your child should be in a separate, self-contained classroom. Learn more at Understood, 4 Benefits of Inclusion Classrooms.

Read about a New York City public school program called ASD Nest in this article from The Atlantic: What School Could Be If It Were Designed for Kids With Autism.

Inclusive Learning: Everyone's In

This video overview is part of the Edmonton Public Schools' "Inclusive Learning: Everyone's In" initiative. The District was selected as a change agent for Alberta's "Action on Inclusion" initiative - to share information about best practices to welcome, include and support students' needs in the classroom and community. (Edmonton Public Schools, Alberta, CA) View all of the "Inclusive Learning: Everyone's In" video >

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Inclusive Classrooms: A Primer for Teachers

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When inclusion is done well, everyone in the class benefits. It strengthens the ability of all kids to work together, understand and value different points of view, think critically, and be successful learners. Inclusive classrooms also reduce stigma. Imagine this kind of learning community: "Inclusive classrooms are filled with diverse learners.

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This Year's Lesson Planning: How Universal Design for Learning Can Help(21) 

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This Year's Lesson Planning: How Universal Design for Learning Can Help(21) 

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Even when we use consistent, well-planned tactics, each student has a unique experience with instruction. When we value our students' diversity of experience and acknowledge that what works for some may not work for others, we may plan many pathways for participation, representation, and expression, allowing more kids to succeed.)

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How Universal Design for Learning Can Help With Lesson Planning This Year

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The core concepts of UDL are particularly helpful for teachers moving between remote, hybrid and in-person teaching.

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The goal of UDL is to use a variety of teaching methods to remove any barriers to learning and give all students equal opportunities to succeed. It’s about building in flexibility that can be adjusted for every student’s strengths and needs. That’s why UDL benefits all kids.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): What You Need to Know

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that helps give all students an equal opportunity to succeed. This approach offers flexibility in the ways students access material, engage with it and show what they know.

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UDL principles call for varied and flexible ways to Present or access information, concepts, and ideas (the "what" of learning),

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What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? (18)

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What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? (18)

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed.

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What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a teaching approach to help all learners be successful. Read about UDL principals and the benefits of UDL for students.

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Strategy instruction used to support learning in the classroom(17)

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Strategy instruction used to support learning in the classroom(17)

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Learning the different strategies and identifying the best time and way to use them allows students to learn independently, improving their self-esteem and confidence.

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Research shows that students' academic performance is enhanced when teachers implement Strategy Instruction in the classroom. Strategy Instruction involves teaching students various skills that can facilitate learning. Students are taught to choose the strategy that is best suited for the material and content that they have to learn and to make this part of their routine.

Chunking, visualization, PQ4R techniques, taking notes are some examples of strategies that are taught as part of Strategy Instruction. Therefore, through the use of Strategy Instruction, students are equipped with the skills required to become good learners.
Benefits of Strategy Instruction
Learning the different strategies and identifying the best time and way to use them allows students to learn independently, improving their self-esteem and confidence. They are able to explore new directions in problem solving, to reflect and introspect on outcomes and mistakes, and to experiment with various strategies in order to choose the one that work best for a particular lesson. Thus, Strategy Instruction facilitates self-directed learning within the classroom.
Teaching Strategy Instruction
Strategy Instruction can be taught through these simple steps:

Good learning: What is good learning? Explain the concept of good learning to the class and mention the strategies that it requires. Encourage them to discuss their thoughts on this. Generating questions about good learning will help students identify the core strategies that they rely on while studying.

Learn the strategies: Teach your students the different cognitive, memory and visual strategies that can make learning fun and easier. It is essential that different strategies are taught so that students can choose one with ample knowledge. Along with the strategy, it is important that they learn to relate the strategy with the content. For example, when a student is taught technique visualization, he or she should also understand how visualization works and the type of content it works for.

Model the strategies: Demonstrate to the class how you would use a strategy and when. Explain the process of reasoning to help the students learn better. Consider a scenario where the teacher is teaching the strategy of chunking. The students can write down a list and the teacher can chunk the material and repeat the list to the class. However, this would be more effective if the teacher explained how the chunking took place, i.e. chunking information into objects, facts, dates, etc. This will help them try it out and get better results.

Practice and generalization: Encourage the students to practice the strategies. Initially, it may be helpful if the teacher questions them on the possible strategies that can be used. As students get familiarized with the different strategies, it will be easier for them to generalize it at all phases of learning.

Self-evaluation: As students practice the strategies, encourage them to evaluate their choice of strategy and reflect on whether it was the optimal choice. Encourage them to try out different strategies in a particular situation and compare the results. In this way, students are taught to self-evaluate their work and strengthen their knowledge on the strategies.

Knowing more about Strategy Instruction would, therefore, help students be efficient and self-directed good learners and advance their academic performance.
Learn More... Take a course
Discuss Here: What are the different strategies that can be taught through Strategy Instruction?

About PLB

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How can Strategy Instruction be used to Support Learning in the Classroom?

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Research shows that students' academic performance is enhanced when teachers implement Strategy Instruction in the classroom. Strategy Instruction involves teaching students various skills that can facilitate learning. Students are taught to choose the strategy that is best suited to the material and content that they have to learn and to make this part of their routine.

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It is a comprehensive, evidence-based adolescent literacy program that empowers teachers and enables students to better succeed in school and beyond.

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The Strategic Instruction Model™ is a comprehensive, evidence-based adolescent literacy program that empowers teachers and enables students to better succeed in school and beyond.

Why SIM?

SIM provides students with tools to solve problems independently.

SIM emphasizes teaching routines that allow teachers to organize and present curriculum content in straightforward, easy-to-learn ways.

Our research confirms that quality teaching materials greatly enhance teachers’ ability to provide quality instruction in their classrooms. Our long-standing commitment to and investment in developing these instructional supports—teacher manuals, student learning sheets, scoring rubrics, and technology supports—underscore the importance we place on this aspect of our work.  For more than 40 years, we have worked directly with classroom teachers to develop materials that improve the learning experience for students and the teaching experience for teachers. As a result, we have the research, success stories, and the proven track record to help school succeed in meeting the needs of their students.

SIM Overview Brochure

LEARN MORE

Comments from Educators

~ SIM has opened up a whole new world for me as a teacher and as a professional.  Xtreme Reading was my introduction to SIM, and after I saw the impact of the program on students in my room, I knew I wanted to share Xtreme and SIM with others...I have learned so much in the last two years.  I would venture to say that I've learned more through the SIM PD than any other PD I've ever attended.
~ I enjoy the simplicity of implementing. Unlike other professional development that is not immediately applicable, I can come back from training and immediately begin using the strategy with my kids.

~ We are using the Framing Routine and have noticed a great improvement in our student notes because of it.

~ I find that the strategies are extremely successful and that students do begin to take personal responsibility for the quality of their schoolwork as a result of implementing the strategies.

~ I find the SIM materials to be especially beneficial for my students with specific learning disabilities and other low achieving students.

~ I love how versatile the each strategy is and how you can connect one strategy to the next.  These strategies really have the power to transform classrooms...from the teachers to the students...I am excited to see where this journey takes me, teachers, and students!

SIM News

February, 2022 - Listen to the New SIM StoryCorps: How SIM Opens Doors, with Helen Barrier, Dana McCaleb, and Whitney Miller (VA)

January, 2022 - New Article from SIM Professional Developer Chris O'Brien (et al.) in North Carolina: High School Success: A Learning Strategies Intervention to Reduce Drop-Out Rates

December, 2021 - There's a new SIOP and SIM Crosswalk on the Integrating SIM with Other Programs, Strategies, and Initiatives Website

October, 2021 - Twelve additional SIM Learning Strategies are now listed on the NCII’s Academic and Behavioral Interventions Tool Charts

August, 2021 - KUCRL was Awarded a 2021 OSEP Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individualswith Disabilities, Stepping-up Technology Implementation Grant

July, 2021 - New Article: Accelerating Student Growth through the Strategic Instruction Model: Effective for Decades, Needed Now More Than Ever

June 2021 - Check out all the 2021 Virtual SIMposium has to offer!

May 2021 - Listen to the May 2021 SIM StoryCorps #2: SIM Goes to Harvard Medical School, with Richard Goldhammer and Sue Woodruff

April, 2021 - Listen to the new SIM StoryCorps: Ignited by Student Success and Fueled by Shared Passion, with Rosemary Tralli and Jocelyn Washburn

March, 2021 - Watch the Evidence-based Practices for Adolescents with Literacy Challenges webinar, with Drs. Irma Brasseur-Hock & Jocelyn Washburn, presented to middle and high school teachers, school and district administrators, and instructional coordinators and coaches across Missouri in March.

February, 2021 - New article from SIM researchers Brasseur-Hock, I. F., Miller, W., Washburn, J., Chroust, A. J., & Hock, Michael, F. (2021). The effects of  a comprehensive and supplemental middle school reading program. International Journal of Research in Learning Disabilities. 5(1), 25-41. https://doi.org/10.28987/ijrld.5.1.25

February, 2021 - Check out the new SIM Alignment with Other Practices website at: https://sim.ku.edu/sim-alignment-other-practices

January, 2021 - NEW SIM Content Enhancement Routine! Dr. Janis Bulgren's new routine, Teaching Cross-Curricular Argumentation, is now available in the CRL online store: www.shop.kucrl.ku.edu

November, 2020 - A new article has been accepted for publication on the Question Exploration Routine, Effects of Multmedia versus Live Professional Development on Teachers'a nd Students' performance related to the Question Exploration Routine.

November, 2020 - Please check out our new resouce pages at: Technology-Enhanced SIM™ Learning Strategy Instructional Delivery  &  Technology-Enhanced SIM™ Content Enhancement Routine Instructional Delivery

September, 2020 - We are pleased to share a new resource: A Crosswalk: High-Leverage Practices in Special Education and Strategic Instruction Model (SIM™) Instructional Tools and Interventions.

September, 2020 -  Jocelyn Washburn, Director of Professional Development for the SIM Network, presented a webinar,  SIM in Inclusive Classrooms, to more than 70 teachers in India and Singapore.  The Webinar was hosted by Lalitha Ramanujan, SIM Profesional Developer and Founder of the Alpha to Omega Learning Centre.   Watch the Webinar.

August, 2020 - SIM Professional Developers Michael Fagella-Luby and Endia Lindo (et. al) published the following article: A University–Lab School Writing Partnership Project: Benefits of Curriculum‐Based Measures and Intervention for Students With Learning Differences  in peer-reviewed journal, The Reading Teacher (Aug. 31).  This article provides a data-informed instructional model for writing, using SIM writing strategies as the primary intervention selected. Their work is timely and relevant to the theme of access.

August, 2020 - With many of the SIM Learning Strategies (and student materials) now available as PDF files, tools like TextHelpReader https://pdf.texthelp.com/ make it easy for students to complete their Learning Sheets online. Learn more about enhancing your work with technology at: https://sim.ku.edu/sim-tech-enhanced-ls

June, 2020 - Sustaining a SIM Initiative in Montana to Improve Student Outcomes

Big things are happening in Montana! Funded by the Educational Promise Foundation, SIM Professional Developers in Montana will build capacity to support SIM professional learning and implementation to improve student outcomes.

May, 2020 - Check out this video about how to use a Unit Organizer in a Digital Classroom from RAISEup Texas.

MORE NEWS

SIM Events

Professional Learning Sessions for Educators:

Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and Summarizing Strategy (Canvas Online Session - available anytime)

Possible Selves Strategy (Canvas Online Session - available anytime)

June 27-29, 2022 - Xtreme Reading Institute for Educators

Aug. 1, 2022 - Concept Trilogy Series: Concept Mastery Routine

Aug. 3, 2022 - Concept Trilogy Series: Concept Comparison Routine

Aug. 4, 2022 - Concept Trilogy Series: Concept Anchoring Routine

Aug. 9, 2022 - Academic Vocabulary Series: Vocabulary LINCing Routine

Aug. 10, 2022 - Academic Vocabulary Series: Clarifying Routine

Aug. 16 or Aug. 22, 2022 SIM Sentence Writing Strategies (combined with Canvas Online Session)

Aug. 16, 2022 - Executive Functioning Series: LINCs Vocabulary Strategy

Sept. 19 & 21, 2022 - Executive Functioning Series: Word Mapping Strategy

Oct. 18 & 20, 2022 - Executive Functioning Series: FIRST-Letter Mnemonic Strategy

Nov. 8 & 10, 2022 - Executive Functioning Series: Paired Associates Strategy

​Webinars for Educators:

University Faculty SIM Webinar Series

Aug. 12 or Sept. 8 - Webinar #1: Do You Need SIM Instructional Tools? Probably!

Nov. 10 or 11 - Webinar #2: Work SMARTER, Not Harder with the Course andUnit Organizer Routines

Jan/Feb. 2023 - Webinar #3: TBA

Free Q&A Webinar: Getting Started With SIM - More 2022 dates will be posted soon

​SIM Update Conferences for SIM Professional Developers and Specialists:

June 1 - July 19, 2022 - Northeast Virtual SIM Update Conference (hosted by VA TTAC)

June 14 & 15, 2022 - Upper Midwest SIM Update Conference, in St. Cloud, MN

SAVE THE DATE - 45th Anniversary Conference, July 11-13, 2023

Content Literacy Leadership Institute for Prospective SIM Professional Developers:

June - October, 2022 (Applications due March 1, 2022)

Purchase SIM Materials

Click here for links to printable order forms

Request for SIM Professional Learning

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The Strategic Instruction Model is a comprehensive, research-validated approach to adolescent literacy that addresses the needs of students to be able to read and understand large volumes of complex materials as well as their need to be able to express themselves effectively in writing.

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The Strategic Instruction Model is a comprehensive, research-validated approach to adolescent literacy that addresses the needs of students to be able to read and understand large volumes of complex materials as well as their need to be able to express themselves effectively in writing.

SIM Content Enhancement Routines are dynamic teaching tools that use powerful teaching devices to organize and present curriculum content in an understandable and easy-to-learn manner. Teachers use Content Enhancement Routines to plan for and impart content to academically diverse classes in ways that all students can understand and remember key information. All of the routines promote direct, explicit instruction to facilitate problem-solving and critical thinking skills for students.

SIM Learning Strategiesare teaching tools that gradually release control from teacher to student to help students understand information and solve problems effectively and efficiently. SIM Learning Strategies have the necessary breadth and depth to provide a well-designed scope and sequence of strategy instruction. Strategies are divided into strands, or categories of skills: acquisition of information, storage and retrieval of information, and demonstration of competence.

Reading Programs have been developed for adolescents that empower learners while promoting adolescent literacy. They focus on student motivation while engaging students and their teachers in explicit instructional patterns.

SIM tools, when used in combination with additional interventions to affect schoolwide change, may be implemented through tiered systems of support. One systematic approach, developed at the CRL, is called the Content Literacy Continuum(TM) (CLC). CLC is a coordinated, schoolwide approach to improving literacy for all students in secondary schools, enabling them to meet higher standards. Based on five levels and focused on helping schools use their data to develop and sustain a comprehensive and integrated approach to literacy, CLC's goal is to ensure that schools are empowered to develop the infrastructure necessary to identify, develop, and offer the multitiered resources, services, and supports essential to a literate, successful school community.

Related:

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The Strategic Instruction Model is a comprehensive, research-validated approach to adolescent literacy that addresses the needs of students to be able to read and understand large volumes of complex materials as well as their need to be able to express themselves effectively in writing.

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Strategy instruction is a method of instructing pupils on how to learn the knowledge or skills they require.

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Strategy instruction is a teaching practice that shows students how to learn the content or skills they need to acquire. It provides students with clear strategies (such as note-taking or thinking aloud) to help them process, remember, and express the information they learn.

Think back to the last time you made a checklist for yourself, took organized notes during a meeting, or made up a mnemonic to memorize important information. Whether you knew it or not, you were using cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Those same strategies can help students become independent learners.

Strategy instruction is all about teaching students how to learn. They need strategies that help them acquire information (like how to ask questions), remember information (like note-taking ), and express information (like creating an outline).

In other words, you teach students the what of your content-area curriculum - math facts, grammar rules, and so on. Strategy instruction is how students learn, remember, and use that information. These are strategies that students can use throughout their lives.

Of course, students don't just magically acquire these strategies. They must be explicitly taught. You can do this by explaining the strategy, modeling the steps in the correct sequence, and then allowing students to practice. This kind of explicit instruction is especially important for students who learn and think differently. But it can also help all students be effective, flexible, self-reflective learners.

Strategy instruction is a powerful, lifelong tool that boosts students' cognitive and metacognitive abilities. It also boosts their confidence as learners. Here are some reasons why you might want to try it in your classroom.

It can help English language learners (ELLs) learn content. English language learners face the challenge of learning content and language at the same time. Strategic instruction can help them access, organize, and synthesize new information, freeing up space in the brain to learn content in the new language.

Strategy instruction can help students learn important social-emotional skills. Just as you can teach content-area strategies, you can also teach social strategies such as listening and interpreting nonverbal signals .

There are two main types of strategies you can teach students: cognitive and metacognitive. Cognitive strategies are the tools students can use to acquire, remember, and express information, such as note-taking , mnemonics, or using a checklist. Metacognitive strategies are tools students can use to "think about their thinking," or understand the way they learn. These tools can vary from self-assessments to self-regulation techniques.

Students use cognitive strategies to reach a learning outcome, such as solving an addition problem. They use metacognitive strategies to determine how to approach a learning goal, if they were successful in reaching it, and what they did to make that happen. Students typically use metacognitive strategies before or after a cognitive strategy.

What it is
Helps students reach a learning outcome (like solving a math problem)

Helps students to think about their thinking

Examples

Organization, like teaching students how to use an academic planner

Note-taking and study skills, like creating outlines and making drawings of the content

Advanced thinking, like organizing information sequentially or finding the cause and effect

SEL skills, like the active listening strategy called SLANT

Self-assessments, like reflecting on what they've learned

Self-instruction, like thinking aloud or modeling a process

Self-monitoring, like using a rubric to self-access whether they have completed all the expectations of the assignment

Strategies in the content areas

Reading: Determining the main idea and supporting details

Writing: Developing and organizing an outline in response to a prompt

Math: Using tools like a fraction number line

Science: Using a mnemonic to remember the order of the planets

Reading: Self-monitoring by asking, "Did I understand what I just read?"

Writing: Self-editing using a checklist

Math: Thinking aloud while doing a math problem with a peer

Science: Self-reflecting on what they learned during a lab and what is still unclear

Using strategy instruction in your classroom requires some planning. Whether you're focused on helping your students use cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, or both, there are five main components to putting them into practice.

3. Explicitly and sequentially model the strategy. Introduce the strategy to students and briefly describe its specific steps. Explain why it can help them so that they're motivated to learn the strategy. Then, model each step using explicit instruction .

As you model, name, and explain each step, do a think-aloud of what's going through your mind. For students who learn and think differently, it's helpful to break the strategy into parts and practice each part separately. This reduces the likelihood of overwhelming students.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) note: Model the strategy using multiple forms of representation, like creating a visual to go along with your think-aloud. Make sure to also invite students to express their understanding of the strategy in varied ways, like doing a call-and-response chant, creating a song, or drawing their own visual.

For instance, you might extend your mnemonics strategy to science and ask students to come up with their own sentence to memorize the order of the planets. As they practice, provide quick feedback that is specific, positive, and corrective to help students become fluent with the strategy. You can also ask students to reflect on and assess their use of the strategy.

5. Support the strategy. Teaching the strategy once won't be enough for some students. Plan to reteach, remodel, and remind students about the steps involved in the strategy. Continue to give corrective feedback. At this point, you might also talk about ways to use the strategy in other subject areas or in general life tasks.

Actively encourage students to use the strategies for various activities and assignments. That way, you'll help them transfer the strategy in different learning and life situations.

Watch this video of a student using a self-monitoring strategy he learned. Think about these guiding questions as you watch:

What tool is he using to self-monitor?

What do you notice about the tool?

What steps do you think his teacher took to explicitly teach this strategy?

There are many ways families can support strategy instruction at home - even if they don't use the technical term "strategy instruction." You can suggest different ideas at parent-teacher conferences or by email or phone call.

Create a homework editing checklist for their child to reference. For example, you can send home a COPS checklist ( Capitalize, Organize, Punctuate, S pellcheck) to remind students to review their finished homework.

Use dinner conversations to ask them about what they're learning, what's going well, what's more difficult, what strategies help them with their learning, and what they do when they get stuck. These kinds of conversations help children think about their thinking.

Post reminders of important mnemonics or acronyms in the place where they do their homework.

Help their child set up organizational routines, like using a backpack checklist to make sure they have everything they need for school.

Students need to manage their learning more than ever during distance learning. Strategy instruction can help students navigate this new learning environment. Work with families to help students develop strategies for how to:

Keep track of log-in information for platforms and apps

Manage schedules and set reminders for classes, group work, and assignments

Reduce distractions at home, if possible

Use brain breaks, physical activity, or fidgets to increase focus

Monitor their learning with checklists, goal trackers, self-questioning, and rubrics

Now that you know the basics of strategy instruction, try it out with your students to help them become more independent learners.

About the Author

About the Author

Kyle Redford, MA has been an educator for more than 30 years. She writes extensively about teaching and learning.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Donald Deshler, PhD is a professor in the school of education. He is the former director of the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning (KUCRL).

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Strategy instruction: What you need to know

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Strategy instruction is a teaching practice that shows students how to learn the content or skills they need to acquire. It provides students with clear strategies (such as note-taking or thinking aloud) to help them process, remember, and express the information they learn.

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How Instructional Technology Can Improve the Learning Process (1)

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How Instructional Technology Can Improve the Learning Process (1)

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The theory and practice of using technology in education is known as instructional technology. Instructional technology encompasses the design, development, usage, management, and assessment of technology in education and can take various forms. Instructional technology includes everything from electronic whiteboards to online courses to virtual reality classrooms.

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Almost 90 years ago, an overhead projector was used to display images in a classroom for the first time. A few decades later, Texas Instruments invented the handheld calculator. In the 1980s, schools started introducing Apple Macintosh computers to the classroom. The ratio of computers to students in U.S. schools at the time was 1-to-92.

Today, technology is widespread among schools. Access to computers has become so ubiquitous that digital devices are replacing the use of pen and paper in many classrooms. While public opinion on the use of technology in schools has been divided, experts have found that technology has the ability to create profound changes in teaching and learning, creating opportunities for unprecedented collaboration, engagement, and support. The key is knowing how to use technology in meaningful ways-a skill some education degree programs are bringing to the forefront of their curricula.

What Is Instructional Technology?

Instructional technology is the theory and practice of using technology for education. Encompassing the design, development, use, management, and evaluation of technology in education, instructional technology can take many forms. Anything from electronic whiteboards to online courses or even virtual reality classrooms can be considered instructional technology.

While the applications and benefits of instructional technology vary widely, all instructional technology shares one main purpose: to create engaging and effective learning experiences. And many applications of instructional technology have proved effective at achieving this goal. Experts widely agree that instructional technology provides many benefits to the education process, including better access to information, more opportunities for collaboration, and better capabilities for meeting diverse learners' needs.

The Role of Technology in Modern Classrooms

Just a couple of decades ago, teachers used very little (if any) technology in the classroom. Today, technology is a fundamental part of the education process. A recent study conducted by MidAmerica Nazarene University reports that students complete less than 42% of their work, both in and out of the classroom, using paper and pencil. In addition, the study found that 73% of teachers said that their students use tablets or laptops every day.

The increasing prevalence of technology in the classroom reflects a broader cultural shift. As the modern world becomes more digitized, tech literacy is becoming increasingly important. Teachers who use technology to support learning in meaningful ways can help prepare students for success in the digital era.

Uses of Instructional Technology

According to the U.S. Department of Education, schools can use educational technology to support both teaching and learning by infusing the classroom with valuable digital tools, expanding course offerings, increasing student engagement, and accelerating learning. Instructional technology offers nearly endless applications, but experts have identified three key areas where integrating technology can have a significant impact.

Collaborative Learning

Instructional technology provides unparalleled opportunities for collaborative learning. Advances in technology have made sharing information easier than ever before. Today, educators have access to digital tools that allow students to work collaboratively outside of the classroom, discussing ideas or completing projects remotely and eliminating constraints such as standard classroom hours or geographic location.

Instructional technology also provides opportunities for students to work collaboratively with teachers, discussing ideas or asking questions outside of the physical classroom. For example, teachers could hold digital office hours, making themselves available via instant messaging or video chat to support students as they tackle the day's homework.

Virtual Classrooms and Online Learning

Virtual classrooms can be a useful tool at every level of education. One common challenge of the traditional classroom environment is that students learn at their own pace, so teachers need to find a way to tailor their lesson plans to the average learner, rather than addressing each student's unique needs.

Online courses level the playing field and provide students with the time and resources to develop the skills they need. For example, students could listen to a lecture for a second time if they didn't immediately grasp the subject matter or move ahead to the next one if they grasp a particular subject quickly. On top of this, online learning provides access to a wider array of topics, giving students opportunities to enrich their education by taking courses that their schools might not offer.

Real-Time Feedback

Instructional technology provides better capabilities for gathering or providing feedback compared with more traditional methods. Teachers can use a variety of digital tools to gauge where their students are in a particular lesson. For example, teachers might conduct an online survey of students' current understanding of a topic to gain insight into where they should focus the next lesson. Or they might opt for using digital education software so they can provide immediate feedback to students on lessons and homework, which could help keep students on track with learning objectives. Some schools have even been piloting virtual reality classrooms, where teachers can rehearse lessons or work through professional challenges in an artificial environment, helping them hone their abilities without negatively impacting real students.

Learn More About Instructional Design

Technology in the classroom can have impressive benefits-but only if educators understand how to harness these new capabilities in meaningful ways. LSU Online's Master of Arts in Education with a specialization in Educational Technology is designed specifically with this goal in mind. The program's cutting-edge approach to technology integration, digital transformation, and online training helps teachers transform their expertise into innovative educational leadership.

Recommended Reading
Make the Most of Educational Leadership Conferences What Can I Do With a Master's in Educational Leadership In the News: Dr. Sasha Thackaberry Recently Interviewed by Inside Higher Ed

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How Instructional Technology Can Improve the Learning Process

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Educators are finding innovative ways to use technology in the classroom. Explore how instructional technology is transforming education as we know it.

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Instructional Technology Frequently Asked Questions? (2)

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Instructional Technology Frequently Asked Questions? (2)

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The website explains that instructional technology is the science and practice of designing, developing, implementing, managing, and evaluating learning processes and resources.

Through the application of research and best practices from instructional technology, it is utilized to improve educational and training systems in organizational settings, school systems, and institutions.

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The following are some questions asked by many prospective and incoming students. Click on the question to see the answer, or just scroll down to read the entire page.

What is Instructional Technology?

Instructional technology refers to the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management and evaluation of the processes and resources for learning. It is used to improve educational and training systems in organizational settings, school systems, and universities through the application of research and best practices from instructional technology. We believe that Instructional Technology is much more than hardware and computer software development. Instructional Technologies also encompasses the instructional design process, which includes analysis, design, development, evaluation, and implementation of instructional systems and other learning environments. Related areas of study include educational psychology, organizational development, communications, message design, multimedia development, electronic distance education, management and consultation, technical writing, information systems design, to name a few.

Graduates of our program typically assume design/development roles in public or private organizations-both in education and corporate organizations.

What can I do with a degree in Instructional Technology?

Active professionals with degrees in Instructional Technology (or instructional design) are highly regarded in many varied educational and training settings. Examples include computer-based learning, online learning via the World Wide Web, instructional videos, or "just-in-time learning" modules used in government or businesses. Other examples include:

Developing instruction/training for government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Coast Guard, or Department of Defense (DoD), higher education, and business and industry.

Managing training programs for medium to large businesses or corporations, higher education, health organization, and public or private education.

Creating custom learning solutions for various clients in an instructional design or consulting firm.

Supporting teachers and students at K-12 or college/universities as incorporate technologies into their curricula.

Developing instructional or educational software using multiple and combined media.

Who hires instructional technologists?

These are places where are alumni are currently working (these are a few of many just to give you an idea of how far our alumni network spreads):

Corporate:

Cisco System
Lockheed Martin
Booz Allen Hamilton
AT&T
SAP
Bank of America
Cone Health
Kindred Healthcare
Infina
DST Health Solutions
Proficient Learning
US Bank
Exxon Mobile
SunTrust banks
Fuji Film
PPD
3D Robotics
GAP/Old Navy/Banana Republic Corporate
American Institute for Certified Public Accountants
American Express
New Hanover Regional Medical Center
*Many branches of the military and government
*We also have alumni working internationally

Education:

Duke University
UNCW
Burlington School District VT
New Hanover County Schools
Pender County Schools
Brunswick County Schools
NC State University
University of Louisville
Warner University
University of VA
Penn State University
Raleigh-Durham Schools
Charlotte Schools
North Carolina Virtual Public School
*Many more school districts and universities throughout the US

Are there currently any jobs in this field?

Yes! As in any profession, the economic cycles and shifts create a dynamic work search environment. During "booming" times the jobs seem to be looking for you, at other times you have to search long and hard for the right opportunity, but the field of instructional design is well recognized as adding value to teaching and learning.

Examples of job postings include:

Instructional Design/Course Engineer

Instructional Designer/Writer

Instructional Designer/Trainer

E-learning Instructional Designer & Project Manager

Instructional Designer/Product Development Specialist

Sales Instructional Developer

E-learning Curriculum Developer

Training Analyst / Instructional Designer

Director of Training

Training Specialist

Learning Consultant

Performance improvement specialist

Instructional Technologist

Instructional Systems Designer

Project Manager, Product Training

Academic Director

Instructional Services Specialist, Technology Specialist

Can I earn a teaching license in the Instructional Technology program?

The Instructional Technology program will not fulfill state teaching and licensure requirements. Licensure programs offered through the Watson School of Education. The graduate licensure programs are listed at https://www.uncw.edu/ed/degrees.html

Is there a teacher license or certification to teach computer skills in the classroom?

Currently there is not a teacher licensure program in North Carolina for teaching computer related skills. Teachers must fulfill state teaching and licensure requirements. Licensure programs offered through the Watson School of Education. The graduate licensure programs are listed at https://www.uncw.edu/ed/degrees.html

Do you offer courses online?

All MIT courses are offered both live and online.

What computer skills will I need for this program?

Students enter our program with a wide range of technology skills, ranging from beginners to very advanced. Our program is designed to teach you the skills you need to succeed so all skillsets are welcome and there are no prerequisite technology requirements.

How long will it take me to complete my degree?

Most IT students are part-time; they work during the day and attend class at night. Students typically take one or two classes per term, and attend year-round.

Full time Master's students typically complete their degree requirements in two years. Full time Instructional Technology Specialist students complete their certificate in one year. (University policy allows six years for completion.)

Part time students tend to take three years to complete their coursework and qualifying exams.

Can I transfer credits from another institution or program?

Yes. For the Master's Degree and Instructional Technology Specialist Certificate, the College of Education may accept a maximum of six credits of graduate work from an accredited university. Certain conditions may apply. In case of transfer credit, a Request for Transfer of Credit form must be completed and approved. Consult an advisor for specific issues in transferring credit and for the request form.

Can I get credit for life/work experience?

No. Although your relevant life/work experience will help you in completing the program, UNCW does not give credit for your life/work experience. However, those who enter the IT program with extensive design experience may have some degree requirements replaced with more useful course work.

Will I need to own a computer?

It's not a requirement, but you will find it helpful to at least have access to a computer. There are labs with computers available for use here, but obviously you would need to travel to campus every time you want to use them.

This is as good place as any to point out that as a student, you qualify for academic pricing on many software packages. Visit the campus bookstore to see what is available, or search the Web.

Where can I find the upcoming schedule of classes?

The university publishes a schedule of classes three times a year (for the Fall, Spring and Summer terms). You can find the schedule online.

How do I register for classes?

You will register Via the web at https://seanet.uncw.edu/ (you will need your UNCW Access ID and password)

Instructions can be found online or here. Note that during Early Registration, scheduled days and times vary according to the first letter of your last name.

What are the deadlines for class registration?

Check https://seanet.uncw.edu/TEAL/twbkwbis.P_GenMenu?name=homepage/ for current information. You can also check the upcoming academic calendar.

How many students are currently enrolled in the program?

Approximately 30 graduate students are enrolled in MIT courses each semester. Typically, the program offers 6 courses each semester, with an average enrollment of 7-15 students per class.

Is there assistance with finding a job after graduation?

Your faculty advisor will provide guidance and feedback about your professional portfolio. Additionally, the MIT program supports an informal network of alumni through relationships among faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The MIT Alumni network supports students in various ways, including providing ways to network with other instructional design professionals, especially in the Area. For more information about MIT Alumni, consult the Alumni of the MIT Web site

Finally, UNCW provides employment assistance through the Career Center, located in Room 104/106 in the University Union.

Is there someone I could speak or meet to learn more about the program?

Contact the IT Program Coordinator, Dr. Ray Pastore, at 732.766.1140 or pastorer@uncw.edu.

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FAQ: Instructional Technology Program, Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington

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The following are some questions asked by many prospective and incoming students. Click on the question to see the answer, or just scroll down to read the entire page. What is Instructional Technology? Instructional technology refers to the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management and evaluation of the processes and resources for learning.

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Definitions of Instructional Technology (3)

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Definitions of Instructional Technology (3)

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What is instructional technology, according to the website?

What is the definition of instructional design?  It also goes over the question is it true that the terms instructional technology and educational technology are interchangeable?

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What is instructional technology? What is instructional design? Are the term Instructional Technology and Educational Technology considered synonymous?

Instructional technology is the branch of education concerned with the scientific study of instructional design and development. The main purpose of instructional designers is to create engaging, effective learning experiences.

There are a variety of models (e.g., ADDIE, Backward Design, ASSURE etc).

Instructional Technology

1963

Audiovisual communications is the branch of educational theory and practice concerned with the design and use of messages which control the learning process. It undertakes: (a) the study of the unique and relative strengths and weaknesses of both pictorial and nonrepresentational messages which may be employed in the learning process for any reason; and (b) the structuring and systematizing of messages by men and instruments in an educational environment. These undertakings include planning, production, selection, management, and utilization of both components and entire instructional systems. Its practical goal is the efficient utilization of every method and medium of communication which can contribute to the development of the learners' full potential [2] - Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)

1970

Instructional technology ... is a systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communication and employing a combination of human and non- human resources to bring about more effective instruction [3] - President‟s Commission on Instructional Technology (PCIT)

Instructional Technology is the Development (Research, Design, Production, Evaluation, Support-Supply, Utilization) of Instructional Systems Components (Messages, Men, Materials, Devices, Techniques, Settings) and the Management of that development Organization, Personnel) in a systematic manner with the goal of solving educational problems [4]

1982

Instructional technology] is concerned with improving the effectiveness and efficiency of learning in educational contexts, regardless of the nature or substance of that learning. ...Solutions to instructional problems might entail social as well as machine technologies [5]

1994

Instructional Technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning [1] - Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)

1995

The systemic and systematic application of strategies and techniques derived from behavioral and physical sciences concepts and other knowledge to the solution of instructional problems. [6]

2013

Instructional technology includes practical techniques of instructional delivery that systematically aim for effective learning, whether or not they involve the use of media. It is a basic purpose of the field of instructional technology to promote and aid the application of these known and validated procedures in the design and delivery of instruction. [7]

References

1. Seels, B. B. & Richey, R. C. (1994). Instructional technology: The definition and domains of the field. Bloomington, IN: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

2. Ely, D.P. (Ed.). (1963). The changing role of the audiovisual process in education: A definition and a glossary of related terms. TCP Monograph No. 1. AV Communication Review, 11(1), Supplement No. 6.

3. Commission on Instructional technology. (1970). To improve learning: A report to the President and the Congress of the United States. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

4. Silber, K. H. (1970). What Field Are We In, Anyhow?. Audiovisual Instr, 15(5), 21-4.

5. Cassidy, M. F (1982). Toward integration: Education, instructional technology, and semiotics. Educational Communications and Technology Journal, 20(2), 75-89.

6. Gentry, C. G. (1995). Educational technology: A question of meaning. In G. Anglin (Ed.), Instructional technology: Past, present, and future. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

7. Gagne, R. M. (2013). Instructional technology: foundations. Routledge.

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Definitions of Instructional Technology - Educational Technology

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What is instructional technology? What is instructional design? Are the term Instructional Technology and Educational Technology considered synonymous? Instructional technology is the branch of education concerned with the scientific study of instructional design and development. The main purpose of instructional designers is to create engaging, effective learning experiences.

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Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) (4)

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Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) (4)

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Children with delayed skills or other disabilities may be eligible for special services that offer families free specialized education programs in public schools. Parents who know how to get this assistance can be more effective advocates for their children.

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What's an IEP?

Students who need extra help and support in school may be eligible for special education services in the form of anindividualized education program (IEP). This program is offered free of charge to families of kids in public schools and outlines the goals and any support services that may be needed for a child to succeed in school.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) says that parents and guardians of students with disabilities or special health care needs are important members of their child's education team. They should work with educators to develop a plan that helps kids succeed in school.

Understanding how to get and use these services will help your child be as successful as possible in school.

Who Needs an IEP?

Students who are eligible for special education services need an IEP. While there are many reasons that students could be eligible, some common conditions include:

How Are Services Offered?

In most cases, the services and goals outlined in an IEP can be offered in a general school environment. This can be done in the regular classroom (for example, a reading teacher helps a small group of children who need extra help while the other kids in the class work with the regular teacher.) The small group serves students with similar needs who are brought together for help.

Every effort is made to help kids learn alongside their peers who do not have disabilities. But sometimes the level of support needed can't be met in a general classroom, so students are educated in a specialized learning classroom that is more appropriate for their needs. These classes have fewer students per teacher and allow for more one-on-one instruction. The teacher usually has training in helping kids with special educational needs. Students spend most of their day in a small group classroom and join the regular classes whenever possible - for example lunch, gym, or the arts.

What's the Referral and Evaluation Process?

The referral process begins when a teacher, parent, or doctor is concerned that a child may be having trouble in the classroom, and the teacher notifies the school counselor or psychologist.

The first step is to gather specific information about the student's progress or academic problems. This may be done through:

a conference with parents

a conference with the student

watching the student in class to assess performance (attention, behavior, work completion, tests, classwork, homework, etc.)

This information helps school officials decide the best next step. Sometimes new classroom strategies are all that's needed to help a child become more successful. If this doesn't work, the child will get an educational assessment, which can find a specific learning disability or other health impairment.

Note: The presence of a disability doesn't automatically guarantee a child will get services. To be eligible, the disability must affect how the child does at school. To decide on a child's eligibility, a team of professionals will consider their observations, as well as how the child does on standardized tests and daily work such as tests, quizzes, classwork, and homework.

Who's On the Team?

As a guardian, you can decide whether to have your child assessed. If you choose to do so, you'll be asked to sign a permission form that will detail who is involved in the process and the types of tests they use. These tests might include measures of specific school skills, such as reading and math or developmental skills, like speech and language.

The professionals on the evaluation team can include:

When the team finishes the assessment, a comprehensive evaluation report is developed. This report includes an educational classification and outlines the skills and support the child will need.

You can review this report before an IEP is developed. If there is something that you don't agree with, work together with the team to come up with a plan that best meets your child's needs.

How Is an IEP Developed?

The next step is an IEP meeting with you and the team to decide what will go into the IEP. A regular teacher should also attend this meeting to offer suggestions for how the plan can help your child progress through the standard education curriculum.

At the meeting, the team will discuss your child's educational needs - as described in the evaluation report - and develop specific, measurable short-term and yearly goals for each of those needs. You can take an active role in developing the goals and determining which skills or areas will receive the most attention.

The cover page of the IEP outlines the support services your child will get and how often they will be provided (for example, occupational therapy twice a week). Support services might include:

Services might also include transportation, test help or modifications, participation in special programs, and the inclusion of transition planning beginning at age 14.

If the team recommends several services, the amount of time they take in the child's school schedule can seem overwhelming. To ease that load, a professional may talk with your child's teacher to come up with strategies that help but won't offer hands-on instruction. For example, an occupational therapist may suggest accommodations for a child with fine-motor problems that affect handwriting, and the classroom teacher would incorporate these suggestions into the handwriting lessons taught to the entire class.

Other services can be delivered right in the classroom, so the child's day isn't interrupted by therapy. The child who has trouble with handwriting might work one-on-one with an occupational therapist while everyone else practices their handwriting skills. When deciding how and where services are offered, the child's comfort and dignity should be a top priority.

Your child's IEP should be reviewed annually to update goals and make sure your child is getting the support that's needed. However, IEPs can be changed at any time on an as-needed basis. If you think your child needs more, fewer, or different services, you can request a meeting and bring the team together to discuss your concerns.

What Are My Legal Rights?

Guidelines (sometimes called procedural safeguards) outline your rights as a parent to control what happens to your child throughout the IEP process. For example, timelines ensure that the development of an IEP moves from referral to providing services as quickly as possible. When your child is referred, ask about this timeline and get a copy of your parents' rights.

The parents' rights also describe how you can proceed if you disagree with any part of the evaluation report or the IEP - mediation and hearings are some options. You can get information about low-cost or free legal representation from the school district or through early intervention programs.

Attorneys and paid advocates familiar with the IEP process will provide representation if you need it. You also may invite anyone who knows or works with your child whose input you feel would be helpful to join the IEP team. Federally supported programs in each state support parent-to-parent information and training activities for parents of children with special needs. The Parent Training and Information Projects conduct workshops, publish newsletters, and answer questions by phone or by mail about parent-to-parent activities.

What Else Should I Know?

Parents have the right to choose where their kids will be educated. This choice includes public or private elementary schools and secondary schools, including religious schools. It also includes charter schools and home schools.

But parents should know that the rights of children with disabilities who are placed in private elementary schools and secondary schools are not the same as children with disabilities who are enrolled in public schools.

Two major differences that parents, teachers, school staff, private school representatives, and kids need to know about are:

1. Children with disabilities who are placed by their parents in private schools may not get the same services they would get in a public school.

2. Not all kids with disabilities placed by their parents in private schools will get services.

The IEP process is complex, but it's also an effective way to address how your child learns. If you have concerns, be sure to ask about the evaluation findings or the goals recommended by your child's IEP team. You know your child best and should play a central role in creating a learning plan tailored to their specific needs.

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individuals with disabilities education act

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Some kids may be eligible for individualized education programs in public schools, free of charge. Understanding how to access these services can help you be an effective advocate for your child.

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Special Education: A Glossary of Terms and Acronyms (5)

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Special Education: A Glossary of Terms and Acronyms (5)

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There are a number of terminology and abbreviations in special education that you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand special education, we've selected some of the most common ones you'll hear. This material is drawn from a How-to Guide for Special Education.

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Special Education - Glossary of Terms & Acronyms — Exceptional Lives

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Common Words & Phrases Used When Working With & Caring For Children With Special Needs. Understand Jargon & Learn How to Effectively Communicate.

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The website covers the fundamentals, so if you're new to IEPs, you'll probably hear about a lot of things you're not familiar with. You'll almost certainly have a lot of questions. Who is eligible for an IEP? What's the difference between a 504 plan and an IEP?

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An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written education plan designed to meet a child’s learning needs. Read about IEPs.

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The website goes over some key statistics, such as the fact that 8.4% of children and 2.5 percent of adults have ADHD.

When disruption in the classroom or problems with homework occur, ADHD is frequently detected in school-aged children.

It is more prevalent in boys than in girls.

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Almost everything related to ADHD is covered on the website.

It discusses how It is common for children to have difficulty focusing and behaving at some point in their lives. Children with ADHD, on the other hand, do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms persist and can be severe, causing problems at school, at home, and with friends.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood.

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The website explains what attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is. Attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control are all affected in people with ADHD due to abnormalities in brain growth and activity.  ADHD can have an impact on a child's schoolwork, home life, and friendships.

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What Is ADHD?

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a medical condition. A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control. ADHD can affect a child at school, at home, and in friendships.

What Are the Signs of ADHD?

All kids struggle at times to pay attention, listen and follow directions, sit still, or wait their turn. But for kids with ADHD, the struggles are harder and happen more often.

Kids with ADHD can show signs in any or all these areas:

Inattentive. Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating, and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details, and may not finish what they start. They may daydream or dawdle too much. They may seem absent-minded or forgetful, and lose track of their things.

Hyperactive. Kids who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless, and easily bored. They may have trouble sitting still, or staying quiet when needed. They may rush through things and make careless mistakes. They may climb, jump, or roughhouse when they shouldn't. Without meaning to, they may act in ways that disrupt others.

Impulsive. Kids who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking. They often interrupt, might push or grab, and find it hard to wait. They may do things without asking for permission, take things that aren't theirs, or act in ways that are risky. They may have emotional reactions that seem too intense for the situation.

Sometimes parents and teachers notice signs of ADHD when a child is very young. But it's normal for little kids to be distracted, restless, impatient, or impulsive - these things don't always mean that a child has ADHD.

Attention, activity, and self-control develop little by little, as children grow. Kids learn these skills with help from parents and teachers. But some kids don't get much better at paying attention, settling down, listening, or waiting. When these things continue and begin to cause problems at school, home, and with friends, it may be ADHD.

What Causes ADHD?

It's not clear what causes the brain differences of ADHD. There's strong evidence that ADHD is mostly inherited. Many kids who have ADHD have a parent or relative with it. Kids also can be more at risk for it if they were born early, are exposed to environmental toxins, or their mothers used drugs during pregnancy.

ADHD is not caused by too much screen time, poor parenting, or eating too much sugar.

How Is ADHD Diagnosed?

If you think your child has ADHD, make an appointment with your child's doctor. They will do a checkup, including a vision and hearing check, to be sure something else isn't causing the symptoms.

To diagnose ADHD, doctors start by asking about a child's health, behavior, and activity. They talk with parents and kids about the things they have noticed. Your doctor might ask you to complete checklists about your child's behavior, and might ask you to give your child's teacher a checklist too.

After gettng this information, doctors diagnose ADHD if it's clear that:

A child's trouble with paying attention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity go beyond what's usual for their age.

The behaviors have been going on since the child was young.

The behaviors affect the child at school and at home.

A health check shows that another health or learning issue isn't causing the problems.

Many kids with ADHD also have learning problems, oppositional and defiant behaviors, or mood and anxiety problems. Doctors usually treat these along with the ADHD.

The doctor can refer you to a child psychologist or psychiatrist, if needed.

How Is ADHD Treated?

Treatment for ADHD usually includes:

Medicine. This activates the brain's ability to pay attention, slow down, and use more self-control.

Behavior therapy. Therapists can help kids develop the social, emotional, and planning skills that are lagging with ADHD.

Parent coaching. Through coaching, parents learn the best ways to respond to behavior problems that are part of ADHD.

School support. Teachers can help kids with ADHD do well and enjoy school more.

The right treatment helps ADHD improve. Parents and teachers can teach younger kids to get better at managing their attention, behavior, and emotions. As they grow older, kids should learn to improve their own attention and self-control.

When ADHD is not treated, it can be hard for kids to succeed. This may lead to low self-esteem, depression, oppositional behavior, school failure, risk-taking behavior, or family conflict.

How Can Parents Help?

If your child is diagnosed with ADHD:

Be involved. Learn all you can about ADHD. Follow the treatment your child's health care provider recommends. Go to all recommended therapy visits.

Give medicines safely. If your child is taking ADHD medicine, always give it at the recommended time and dose. Keep medicines in a safe place.

Work with your child's school. Ask teachers if your child should have an IEP or 504 plan. Meet often with teachers to find out how your child is doing. Work together to help your child do well

Parent with purpose and warmth. Learn what parenting approaches are best for a child with ADHD - and which can make ADHD worse. Talk openly and supportively about ADHD with your child. Focus on your child's strengths and positive qualities.

Connect with others for support and awareness. Join a support group like CHADD for ADHD to get updates on treatment and other information.

ADHD can improve when kids get treatment, eat healthy food, get enough sleep and exercise, and have supportive parents who know how to respond to ADHD.

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ADHD is a common medical condition that can affect kids at school, at home, and in friendships. This article is for parents who want to learn more about ADHD and how to help kids get the best diagnosis and care.

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What is a High Incidence Disability? (7)

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What is a High Incidence Disability? (7)

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It's crucial to understand that today's special education kids are mostly affected by high-incidence disabilities. Specific learning problems affect approximately 36% of the students with disabilities serviced under IDEA.

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What Is A High Incidence Disability? - 1430 Words | 123 Help Me

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What is a High Incidence Disability? High Incidence disabilities are mild disabilities that affect most of the special education students in schools today....

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Chacteristics of Students With High-Incidence Disabilities Broadly Defined - Nicholas A. Gage, Kristin S. Lierheimer, Lisa G. Goran, 2012

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Characteristics of Students with High Incidence Disabilites. (12)

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Characteristics of Students with High Incidence Disabilites. (12)

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This website helps describes to the audience's that its critical to recognize that today's special education children are disproportionately affected by high-incidence disabilities:  The three domains that fall under the category of high incidence disabilities include learning impairments, moderate intellectual disabilities, and emotional/ behavioral difficulties.

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Students with high-incidence disabilities are the most prevalent among children and youth with disabilities in U.S. schools. This group typically includes students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (E/BD), learning disabilities (LD), and mild intellectual disability (MID). However, students with other disabilities, including high-functioning autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and speech and language impairment are now being identified at higher rates and occupy an aggregate "other" category within high-incidence disabilities. Yet, little research has examined similarities between students identified in the traditional high-incidence group (emotional disorder, LD, MID) and students in the growing "other" category. This study was designed to examine similarities and differences between students with high-incidence disabilities broadly defined. Using an extant database, cognitive ability, academic performance, and behavioral performances were examined across disability categories. Findings indicate that, other than for students with E/BD on behavior, very few differences were evident. Policy implications are forwarded to facilitate discussion of inclusion and intervention practices for high-incidence disabilities broadly defined.

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Characteristics of Students With High-Incidence Disabilities Broadly Defined - Nicholas A. Gage, Kristin S. Lierheimer, Lisa G. Goran, 2012

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Students with high-incidence disabilities are the most prevalent among children and youth with disabilities in U.S. schools. This group typically includes students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (E/BD), learning disabilities (LD), and mild intellectual disability (MID).

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Low and High Incidence Disabilities (11)

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Low and High Incidence Disabilities (11)

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Students with high-incidence disabilities account for 80% of all students with disabilities. According to the website, students with High-Incidence impairments have different traits.

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Low-Incidence Disabilities reflect in students that make up 20% of all students with disabilities. Friend and Bursuck (2012) say students with low-incidence disabilities: have received some type…

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According to the website, it's often difficult to tell the difference between disabled kids and non-disabled pupils, especially in non-school contexts. When carefully structured interventions are implemented, kids with disabilities can meet the same criteria as students without impairments.

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Students with high-incidence disabilities make up 80% of all students with disabilities. Friend and Bursuck (2012) say students with High-Incidence disabilities share these characteristics:

1. Often hard to distinguish from students without disabilities, especially in non-school settings.

2. Often display a combination of academic, behavioral and social problems.

3. Can meet same standards as students without disabilities when highly structured interventions are put into place.

High-Incidence disabilities include the following IDEA categories:

Speech and Language Impairment - communication disorder that adversely affects a child's educational disorder. Includes:

stuttering

impaired articulation

language or voice impairment

Learning Disabilities - disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language. May manifest in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. Does not apply to learning problems primarily the result of visual, hearing, motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. DOES Include:

perceptual disabilities

Brain injury

minimal brain disfunction

dyslexia

developmental aphasia

Foster listening skills - praise for good listening skills to reinforce concept. Teaching listening skills is a great way manage socialization and behavior and it also creates a respectful atmosphere. In addition, the teacher can model appropriate language.

Make changes to classroom environment - each child is different. Changes in seating arrangement and availability of resources may be a factor in keeping students on task

Engage students in meaningful tasks - Students who are motivated engage in learning more often

Create opportunities for social interaction - This not only gives an opportunity to students with language issues to practice, it allows for students to learn from each other.

Create a behavioral management system - set rules, set consequences, and follow through.

Emotional Disturbance - condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, adversely affecting educational performance. (DOES NOT INCLUDE students who are socially maladjusted):

an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors

an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers

a general or pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression

inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances

tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

schizophrenia

Mild Intellectual Disabilities - below average functioning (IQ 55-70)

General accommodations and modifications for students with High-Incidence disabilities:

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High-Incidence Disabilities - Inclusion Resource

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Students with high-incidence disabilities make up 80% of all students with disabilities. Friend and Bursuck (2012) say students with High-Incidence disabilities share these characteristics: