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Dear Emily Brandt,
Ben needs the best decision to be made in order for him to succeed in school. Students with different learning disabilities deserve an equal opportunity to learn in an inclusive classroom. It is important for Ben to feel comfortable in the class in order for him to learn. I am aware of Ben's capability of completing his school work with the right guidance. I have seen him progress and I am willing to share with you techniques I use at home so he can progress at school. Putting Ben in a separate school will un motivate him to learn. I hope we can both work together on making the right decision for Ben.

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Meliza Anzures (OT response to General Educator)

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Meliza Anzures (OT response to General Educator)

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I've noticed many others mention the environment of the classroom, and how it can be changed to better suit Ben's needs. I agree that maybe the lack of "comfort" in the class may have an effect on Ben's learning. I'd like to offer some suggestions for you to try out in regards to Ben's motor skills.

In regards to Ben's poor muscle tone, might I suggest Ben sit in an actual seat rather than on a rug during any rug time? I believe that this can help ease the strain on his trunk, as he has a hard time propping himself up. I would also like to suggest a wobbly chair for when he does his work as he is a more sensory type learner.

I'd also like to suggest another idea that might help with his writing. Since Ben cannot seem to understand the formation of letters, would you be willing to try letting him write with a smaller pencil and with a grip. I think that this can help him understand how letters form when he writes, but this also would work well with a letter strip taped to his desk as a reference (Allen & Kellegrew). I believe that this is also another area where a paraprofessional may be helpful as they can help to remind Ben of how letters are formed as he writes. I'd also suggest to maybe occasionally send worksheets with dotted letters in a grid for him to take home, and to work on. This can target both formation of letters, and also the grid may help with spacing issues as well.

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Hello! I am the Occupational Therapist for this IEP meeting. I completely agree with all the suggestions about a paraprofessional being placed in the classroom with Ben. I think that this relationship can give Ben a sense of security in the classroom, and that they can also help to encourage him to branch out to other students in the class. One other suggestion that I have that might help encourage his relationship with his classmates is giving him a special job that can launch those interactions (Van Hove, et al). I think that this can also greatly benefit his eye contact with the other students as well as the interactions.

I also agree on the importance of setting up a teacher-parent meeting (with other specialists if needed) to reevaluate what the perceptions of Ben's abilities are. I believe that this not only can benefit Ben, but also us as a team in that we can better work together to suit his needs.

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Hi again!
I definitely agree with what's been said so far about Ben not being put in a contained classroom. Like his classroom teacher said, I believe it would have the possibility of being a "self fulfilling prophecy."
I agree that a para-professional would be a good potential solution for Ben. I think sometimes it can be hard with a classroom full of children to devote all the attention we wish we could to each one. Having someone there just for Ben would not only make him feel supported, but also ease concerns the classroom teacher has had about adequately providing him what he needs.
I think the idea of having Ben work together in groups to practice his math is also a great one, as it allows him time to interact with his classmates and develop closer social bonds while also building up his skills. As Van Hove et. al write, our goal is to create "individualizing supports based on high expectations for the person's development." (129)

In terms of additional suggestions, I've made note of the fact that Ben is very creative and playful. I wonder whether he might also benefit from some kind of fidget tool or other kinesthetic activity which might help keep him focused.

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Response to parent and psychologist from the general educator: (Elizabeth Gahrman)

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Response to parent and psychologist from the general educator: (Elizabeth Gahrman)

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I agree with both the parent and psychologist, that it is important compromise is made between the teacher and parent. They must work together to ensure Ben’s growth. I find it interesting that the parent noted that he absorbs everything in the classroom, because I do not see this shine through on his assignments in class? As Zwiers and Johnson note, it is important to “Make Ben feel comfortable and engaged in the classroom”. I like the psychologist idea of using ideas that work at home in the classroom to make Ben more involved in his learning in the class. I also appreciate the note of him partaking in more outside programs so he can continue to develop his social skills and make friends.

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Hello all! I am Ben’s general educator and I believe it would be a mistake to put Ben in a self-contained classroom.. He is able to recognize the numbers 1-100 and I think through this he could improve his other math skills. Maybe he could work in a math group to help him recall his addition and subtraction facts? Maybe peers could provide him the help he needs opposed to an adult. He reads on grade level which is good, and he is able to write sentences. He is able to get his thoughts on paper. He smiles and works well with others. He is able to get his work done with assistance, but this could be provided to him through his aide in the ICT classroom.

His mom says he has good recall skills which may be useful in helping him with his math skills. His mom believes he has better social skills with peers through this setting. Putting him in a self-contained classroom might make him feel like an outcast with his friends, or make him develop some sense of the self-fulfilling prophecy that he is "dumb" or "not able" to do the work the other students do, even though he is more then capable of it. The mom feels the child is capable of the work with the right steps and sees his progress over the years. She does not want his progress to regress. Maybe the parent could tell the teacher about the learning environment Benny is able to complete work in?

I also was thinking of having a paraprofessional take notes. I like the idea of having another adult’s opinions on him. I think a paraprofessional should take notes on him several days over a few weeks to get an accurate representation of his behavior and skills because if she only monitors his behavior one or two days or one week and not a few they might not get the correct information they are looking for say Ben is not feeling well, or notices someone is monitoring him or etc... Maybe we could also go back to his previous teachers and see what changed since last year. We can ask them what worked well for him and what didn’t. We could also ask mom what works well at home. Maybe he needs a snack, or a walk around the hall or a stretch in between lessons.

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Hello, in response to your comment Emily Brandt (School Psychologist). I do fully agree that we set aside any conflicts to allow that we make the best decision that will benefit Ben. That being said, yes all students even those who do not fit or learn the same do deserve an equal and appropriate education in an inclusive environment.
Yes, I am open to sharing some of my techniques that I use at home to help Ben open up more and stay engage during class. Lastly, I do appreciate your suggestion of putting him in a program that is outside of school, perhaps it will help him especially in terms of his social skills.

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Hello, I am very happy that we are able to have this meeting keeping Ben’s best interest in mind. My little boy is such a wonderful  child and he has come a long way. My main concern is that Ben has the right tools, academically and socially in order to allow him to successfully navigate through this world. As his parent and as listed by IDEA federal law, I believe that is it extremely vital for me and his teacher to come to a compromise on what tools and resources might work best for Ben.
I have meet and spoken with other members of the IEP Team (1:1 Aide Teacher, the Co-teaching services, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy) and they have each re-assured me that he is progressing and improving, perhaps not at the speed that his teacher expects but nonetheless he is moving up especially in terms of his social skills.
Please do understand that as a parent I see my child in a different light, and have seen him- as stated in the report- play with the calculator and find pairs  of numbers sum to 100-1000, he remembers stories and events that took place when he was 2 years old. Although, Ben may  be different and does not show his emotions as his other peers in class does, he is truly a sponge and absorbs every information that is being taught in class. He may not fit into what she expects him to fit in terms of normal child behavior, or may not be in grade level, but that does not mean that he should be kept in a self-contained class.
If the teacher feels that she does not have the proper resources and tools to educate Ben then we must together come as a team and strategize on what tools she may need to properly create an inclusive environment for Ben. Connor and Valle states in Chapter 3 Expanding Notions of Diversity “To believe that homogeneity exists (presumably out there somewhere, in someone else’s classroom) is to forever be disappointed- and to miss the point of teaching . Somehow it seems that special educations conceptualization of normal/abnormal has influenced teachers to see students as either ‘belonging’ or ‘not belonging’… We must step back and ask ourselves what a free and appropriate public education for all children really means”. (52-53)
It is my duty as his parent to make sure that Ben is not being left out and that he is indeed part of an inclusive community and environment that welcomes his differences as opposed to casting him out. Furthermore, as both Connor and Valle mentions perhaps it is indeed time for Ben’s teacher to reflect on her on teaching, values, beliefs in terms of inclusivity in her classroom. I suggest that Ben gets a paraprofessional in his classroom that will give him the attention that he needs, such as constant redirection, re-focusing and lesson differentiations, while also keeping his Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy sessions. My main goal is to make sure that my son does not get removed from his general class because he has different attributes.

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Hello all! I'm looking forward to working with you on generating the best outcome for Ben.

What I'd really like to see accomplished, is finding a way to meet the desires of both Ben's parent and his classroom teacher, as I understand they are feeling conflicted at the moment about Ben's behavior and needs. I think it's also of great importance to try to set aside conflict for the sake of doing what's best for Benny, which I know is what everyone wants. Though this may be difficult, the ultimate goal is that "all students should receive a program that reflects their unique needs" (Zwiers & Johnson). I think we can find a solution that works for all parties.

In order to facilitate this, I think Ben might benefit from some additions to his classroom and social life. For instance, incorporating certain comforts found at home into the classroom might have the effect of making him feel more at ease and more open to participation. Ben might also enjoy an after school or weekend group where he could relate to peers in a more relaxed, social setting. A program of this kind would perhaps ease the potential discomfort he may be experiencing in interacting with his classmates.