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Ruhala Miah (OT)- Response to Gabrielle Dayan (School Psychologist) 

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Ruhala Miah (OT)- Response to Gabrielle Dayan (School Psychologist) 

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Communication is definitely important and we should all communicate our concerns, achievements , goals and so on for Benny. Constantly keeping the team updated on his progress and improvements. It is vital for the teacher and parent to have better communication so they can further help Benny as well understand each others perspective. I agree that the teacher should explore some workshops that can help her come up with more strategies/techniques to better accommodate Benny. Having sessions with Benny regularly seems like a great idea because this way you can find the reason why he seems so withdrawn and it can possibly help improve his social skills.

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Fraida Friedman (SpEd teacher)- Response to Gabrielle Dayan (School Psych)

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Fraida Friedman (SpEd teacher)- Response to Gabrielle Dayan (School Psych)

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I definitely agree with you that regular meetings should be made with all parties involved! I also think that there should be regular meetings with you, and Benny's therapists, to get a full assessment from everyone without it having to be an official IEP meeting. Alternatively, you could have your own meetings with his therapists and update them on his psychological state. I really like the idea of him having someone else to speak to about his personal life, that isn't his parent, teacher, or therapist. Benny clearly does not feel comfortable around his general education teacher. I feel that his Gen Ed teacher doesn't fully believe the details of his IEP, insisting further that he is less able than his IEP states he is, and therefore setting Benny up to fail.

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I believe that a Special Educator, such as myself, would be valuable to all parties involved in this situation - Benny, the General Education teacher, and the parents. A special education teacher can read Benny's IEP and see that he performs better in certain situations, such as when he is engaged in a sensory activity. Benny's parent clearly feels that he should be kept in the classroom situation he is in now, and that he does not need to be "pulled out" or put in a separate, non-mainstream class. As listed in the New South Wales case study, there are certain things that a special education teacher should be doing, including "plan, implement, model, monitor and evaluate personalised adjustments for learning, where required, with the classroom teacher, student and/or parent or carer". While jumping on a trampoline, like suggested in the IEP as something that stimulates Benny to stronger ability, is obviously not something that can occur in a classroom setting, a special education teacher may have more tools and creativity to work with than a General Education teacher who needs to take the entire rest of the class into consideration. Additionally, Benny's IEP says that he is able to carry on a conversation with his Occupational Therapist and calls the therapist by name, while the teacher feels that Benny is too withdrawn. The parent agrees that Benny can communicate in more ways than his general education teacher says he can. A special education teacher, who should possibly provide more than just three hours of 2:1 services in the classroom, may be able to forge a better relationship with him and create a more comfortable learning environment for him in the classroom, allowing him to engage more.

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I completely agree with you, Ida! I believe that Benny would only thrive in an inclusive classroom setting. Not only does it grant his mother's wish, but it will also benefit Benny in the best ways. Since Benny converses and communicates well already in a small group setting when he meets with his Speech Therapist, I think this type of inclusive classroom will only aid Benny's communication skills, and make him feel more at ease.

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I agree with Gabrielle. There is some miscommunication between the teacher and myself. We both view Benny differently and we don’t seem to agree on his capabilities. I feel like the teacher has a negative perception of Benny, and it is negatively affecting Benny’s development. The teacher describes Benny as withdrawn, although Benny is described to be doing well with occupational therapy. I also see Benny’s improvement and what he is capable of doing but I can’t seem to understand what exactly is causing Benny’s behavioral difference between being at home and at OT with being in the classroom. Benny’s “withdrawn” demeanor in the classroom may be a direct result of the teacher’s negativity towards him. As previously noted, I hope the teacher and I can meet with the OT about this distinction. I do believe the teacher and I need to compromise and get on the same page with the intention to put Benny’s interest ahead of ourselves.

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I think you raise a very good question and like you, I think his teacher should try to accommodate him in that manner, especially since she yearns for more vocalization from him. Providing him with materials in advance allows his mother to help him understand the work; thus making it easier for him to answer questions during class discussion. By him answering questions, not only does Benny and the teacher benefit, but the other students as well; they can learn from him. This is something worth considering, considering the outcomes and the purpose of inclusive education, helping all children learn.

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As Benny’s speech therapist, I think it is essential for Benny to remain in an inclusive setting because as stated in the Inclusive Practices for Children and Youths with Communication Disorders article, “Inclusive practices are well suited to the needs of students with communication disorders.” Moreover, his mother also agrees, “I want him there in a general classroom for the social role models, for the stimulation, for the chance to learn, even if it is a theoretical chance. I will never move him back to self-contained.” The benefits of Benny being in an inclusive setting are so fundamental that they are worth mentioning. For starters, being in an inclusive classroom can make him less dependent on verbal, visual and physical cues. As his mother initiated, his peers can act as a role model of how to communicate effectively without prompts. Second, being in an inclusive setting can strengthen the communication between Benny and his teacher if done correctly. If Benny’s teacher starts to recognize and appreciate all his strengths and contributions he brings to the classroom, their communication can blossom because children tend to communicate more to those who make them feel comfortable and valued. Lastly, being in an inclusive setting can help his mother’s vision of a normal life for Benny come true. In an inclusive setting, Benny has the opportunity to be accepted by peers, make friends and get invited to more parties. In an inclusive setting, it looks like everybody wins and nobody loses. Just in case you are wondering how the students benefit from having Benny in their classroom, they benefit by learning how to appreciate diversity, diversity in terms of respecting those who are different.

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Gabrielle Dayan, School Psychologist: Response to Nicholas Imbornone(the Parent)

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Gabrielle Dayan, School Psychologist: Response to Nicholas Imbornone(the Parent)

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I think that is an excellent question and point to raise. I have also read the article "Golden Rule", and I think that is a great reference to bring up during this conversation. I think that having a paraprofessional does counteract the purpose of an inclusive classroom, but I also think taking Benny away from his paraprofessional (so immediately and so regularly) would hurt him for the time being. For now I think it is best to keep providing Benny with a paraprofessional, but only for a few hours a day, a few times a week. Perhaps it would be best to slowly and gradually remove Benny from his paraprofessional until there are improvements on all ends.

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Hello everyone, I am Benny’s occupational therapist. After looking over Benny’s IEP, I believe that the next steps for him should be working on his fine motor skills. Since Benny has difficulty cutting with scissors and buttoning his clothing. Offering him scissors with grips and even pencil grips is way to help him with his fine motor skills. We can have him try cutting different types items with a scissor besides paper for instance clay or a foam board. Since Ben has trouble cutting along the lines we can work on his coordination skills as well with that.  I believe  that giving him sensory activities such as  play-dough, pipe cleaners with beads or poking straws into objects with holes will further improve his fine motor skills. He seems to be the most verbal and energetic when he participates in sensory activities. Incorporating more sensory activities in class will definitely be more beneficial for him.  I would also like to have “push in” sessions to work with him in the classroom to  help him better adjust to the classroom. As stated in Occupational Therapy in Full-Inclusion Classrooms: A Case Study From the Moorpark Model article that an OT’s “participation in these natural settings can assist occupational therapists in understanding and providing intervention that is sensitive to the occupational demands of the environment relative to the academic and social expectations for the student.” This way I can better observe what issues he might have so we can make the required adjustments so he can feel more comfortable in the class.  Offering him a sensory diet  which  is a personalized activity plan that provides  him with the sensory input that  he needs to help him stay focused throughout the day. Just a couple concerns I have is that we need to figure out the reason why Benny is withdrawn from class this year because from his report he seemed very engaged and social before. We need also need to help improve the communication  with the parent and the teacher to better help Benny, there seems to be some kind of disconnect/ miscommunication between them.

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After studying Benny's IEP, it is clear that there is a lot of miscommunication between the parent and the teacher. Before resolving anything else, this miscommunication needs to be resolved by coming up with a compromise that will benefit both sides, but most importantly Benny. Perhaps this  can be done by  keeping Benny in the same class (not restricting him to a self contained class), but also providing the teacher and in fact Benny with some aids on how to better navigate this situation.

As a school psychologist, it is my job to educate both the teacher and the parent on some new strategies that can address Benny's needs. I think one way of doing this is to have regular/consistent meetings between the parent, the teacher, and myself. The purposes of these meetings would be to check in on everyone's stance on the issues, and to see if things are improving for everyone involved. Additionally, I would recommend that the teacher observe how Benny interacts with his parents since this is something she can't see but might help her understand Benny's situation more. I think it will also be beneficial for the teacher to attend some sort of training that provide innovative strategies.

I would also like to comment on the fact that the IEP states that Benny is withdrawn. This might be due to several internal and external factors that should be noted and discussed. Using this information, I would suggest that Benny meet with me regularly as well. Perhaps something is bothering him in class or at home, perhaps Benny could explain why he is so withdrawn. After figuring out why he is withdrawn, I can provide him with suggestions on how to become more active.

One question I have for the teacher is: What does it mean when it states "Benny is withdrawn and disabled. This is confusing information for me because at the beginning of the IEP, it states that Benny is eager to learn, along with many other positive statements.

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Additionally, since he does have difficulty verbalizing concepts he is learning, which is why working with the speech pathologist benefits him, is there a way we can provide him ahead of time with the lessons he will be working on during each school day? I ask this because if he is allowed to work at his own pace instead of having to pick up verbal cues from the teacher, but still having the teacher check his work every so often, I think he will have an easier time figuring out what material he struggles with. Then, as a result, we would be able to constantly encourage him at home to ask the teacher or his partner for assistance on this material. Is it possible to provide him with differentiated instruction along these lines? I am convinced that giving him less individualized attention rather than more will yield more positive results.

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Hi. As we can see from Benny’s IEP, Benny is receiving a 1-1 aide, integrated co-teaching services, and 3:1 small group work in both speech/language therapy and occupational therapy. All these services are on a daily basis with the exception of speech language therapy being on a 3x6 day cycle, and occupational therapy being on a 2x6 day cycle. Based on Benny’s progress, do you believe each and every service is still required? Or Is it possible we can cut back on the amount of service time assigned each week? Also, I hear a lot of great things about the occupational therapist and the work done with Benny. I would like to talk to the OT and the teacher about what is working for Benny. I believe Benny’s progress with the OT can be helpful for the teacher in the classroom and for myself at home. I am open to any suggestions/strategies that work well with Benny so I could implement at the house. Lastly, I want to set up a plan on when and how the team can update me on Benny’s progress.

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I would like to thank those that suggested having Ben keep working with a paraprofessional 1:1 in his regular classroom for their willingness to help him succeed, but I do think that having him continue to work with a paraprofessional daily would be counterproductive. I recently read Julie N. Causton-Theoharis' work entitled "Golden Rule," and she makes clear that permanently relegating a student to paraprofessional assistance on a daily basis can cause the student to become overly dependent on adults and to feel like they are being segregated from the rest of the class, and doesn't that go against the primary purpose of an inclusive classroom? I think that pairing Ben with a select student for particular assignments would be much more fruitful as he will feel like a part of the class and will improve his social skills. In addition, he could potentially get help from his partner if he needs it, and would feel great about himself if he is able to provide assistance to his partner.