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The issue that raised concern to me was the use of paraprofessionals and the student with a disability. Although their work may be beneficial, it may at the same time hinder the progress of the student. At times, the support the student will need may be left in the care of the para instead of the student accessing the needed support from the teacher. Counselors need to advocate for these students so that they are not just "physically integrated in the classroom "but rather part of the classroom .

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Reading about bullying and social rejection was big for me because bullying is something we see so deeply integrated in our schools and it even continues into the late hours of the night due to social media and online platforms. Knowing at risk students and interventions make me feel like I have the ability to make a difference. The text mentions the first intervention is prevention which is ideal but also does not sound like something that could ever truly be possible. The text also mentioned working individually with the bullied and bullies to create a safe environment for all which is where I think we would spend a majority of our time to make a serious difference. Including bystanders and educating them can also help create a safe space in areas we can't always be in or for populations we may not be looking for. Knowing how to spot bullying is what makes this possible. Students with disabilities tend to be a target and we can spot signs through absenteeism, depression and physical symptoms. We need to keep our eyes open to the act as well as the outcome.

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I think from this weeks readings the thing that stuck out to me most was the stats for those with disabilities and sexual abuse. I found this horrifying. Being a new school counselor this is appalling. I think it is definitely something I can teach a classroom guidance lesson on, social skill and how they can speak up if something does not feel right.

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One take away for me was the alarming numbers of students who are involved with juvenile delinquency and the connection to a disability. The fact that students with ED are about 50% likely to be a juvenile delinquent is so high. These are important statistics as a counselor to know, so that you are taking the extra time and care to give these students the support they need to avoid becoming a statistic. It makes sense to me know why these statistics exist, but not something I knew off the top of my head. It is very important information to know working in a school setting. It seemed to me I already knew that students with disabilities were more likely to be bullied. However, it was interesting to see it broken down by each disability and what type of bullying typically occurs. It definitely made me more aware of something to look out for as the counselor.

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One thing that stuck out to me in this weeks reading was how high the dropout rate was for students with disabilities. Hearing that students with disabilities have a 2x higher rate of dropping out is astonishing. Sighting that disengagement is the main reason for dropping out as well is interesting. Are the programs that students with disabilities engaged in not meeting their needs or do the programs need to be redeveloped to address changing needs? I also thought that it was interesting that they used a report from 1999-2000. That study would be 20 years old this year and 10 years old when the book was published. Im curious if they have not done another study or if that is the best data to represent the dropout rate.

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A big takeaway from me from this week's readings was the extent to which bullying occurs and how it can have lasting impacts on not only a child/adolescent's mental or emotional well-being but their physical well-being, too. This does not completely surprise me but to read about specific impacts such as headache, stomachache, fatigue, and poor appetite really speaks volumes (to me) about how much distress is caused by being the victim of bullying. The other reason I feel this is a fact worth highlighting is that there continues to be a stigma among some that kids (or people at large) should "toughen up" or "get over it" when thinking about something like bullying; however, when you add in that there are also physical ailments/manifestations I wonder if this could get more people to take the issue as seriously as it deserves.

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The statistics on sexual abuse for students with special needs is horrifying. I think back to our ACC classrooms. We have some incredibly passionate, and empathetic teachers and I always wondered how they did it. They provide structure, teach lifeskills, and most importantly teach them from day one the difference between inappropriate (red) and appropriate (green.) When talking to the 3-5 ACC teacher, she explained that if she doesn't teach her students that it is inappropriate for someone to touch them in a private part of their body, then they may grow to think that it is okay.  She utilizes social stories, and reiterates the concept regularly.

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What stuck with me the most from this week was the section on students with disabilities and risk-taking. It very true that sometimes we see people with disabilities and "baby" them or shelter them from society in fear of the lack of ability to handle failure or what comes along with facing the real world. In reality, overprotecting students in general, with or without a disability, is more harmful than beneficial. I like how the book highlights the importance of students with disabilities taking risk . I thought it was vital to mention ways to help students look at mistakes as something positive because you can learn something form the outcome. I thought the steps that were included were helpful as well.

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When reading through the Substance Abuse section, it was crazy to see how many people there are with a substance abuse. I think this is something overlooked. I never gave thought that people who have a disability are at a higher risk for substance abuse than their peers. As school counselors we should be aware and be able to recognize the connection between the two.

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I was shocked when I read that there are 4.7 million Americans with a substance abuse problem and a co-existing disability. I think it is important to look at the correlation that substance abuse can have to unwanted pregnancy and sexual abuse, or dropping out, or juvenile delinquency. I was shocked that students with disabilities are 3 times more likely to be sexual abused. I was also disgusted that 20-50 percent of adolescents in juvenile delinquency programs struggle with ADHD. If we were proactive in addressing these students the outcomes of their lives could be changed for the better.

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Something that really stuck with me were the statistics about sexual abuse. Being three times more likely to be sexually abused is terrifying to think about for anyone but it is especially hard to think about when it comes to students who might not realize what is happening. The thought that a lot of this could come from a lack of education worries me as someone who wants to work in a school because it means that we are failing to protect our students at a basic level.

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https://www.autismspeaks.org/transition-adulthood
this is a great resource for families who have a child with ASD. They give links to other websites based off of different concerns. it is a great base website.
https://www.phillyautismproject.org/transition-toolkits/

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Something that stood out to me in the reading on AHA was the heightened risk of sexual abuse for students with disabilities. Upon reflecting, this could be due to the fact that these students are frequently targeted as weak or easily preyed upon. Coupled with the finding that often these students are uneducated on essential information about their sexuality puts them at great risk. The statistic that students with disabilities are three times more likely to to be sexually abused compared to other children without disabilities is staggering.

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The drop out rate for students with emotional or behavioral disabilities is approximately twice that of general education students. This statistic highlights the amplified needs of students with disabilities and makes it even more important as an elementary school counselor to put interventions in place for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities way before they reach the drop out age.

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Similar to Meghan, I was very sadden and shocked to read the risky sexual behavior among SWD may be due to the lack of information. As educators, we often define success in terms of academics and peer relations but we steer clear of addressing students' sexual needs. I have to imagine it is uncomfortable to have 🤬 talks with students (and depending on the district we work at, we might be limited to what we can address at school). I wonder what it would look like to partner with a community agency to host a parent night where we equip them to have these conversations at home with their kids that way there is no shortage of information!

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One aha moment I had while reading and reflecting on bullying and high risk activities is about who I may partner with. I realized that the list is almost endless as to who I can partner with in order to ensure all students are safe when bullying occurs. Classroom teachers, SLPs, Social Workers, Administrators, and even more! It reminded me how each staff member in a school works together to the benefit of all students, especially those with disabilities.

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While reading the section on High Risk Activities: Juvenile Delinquency I was startled because I never thought of delinquent behavior as being acceptable or expected of any group, however the authors stated that ‘juvenile delinquent behavior and disability is widely accepted.’ I also found the statistics for the juvenile corrections environment population to be quite alarming amongst students with disabilities.
My thought from beginning to end is how do we as counselors along with other stakeholders help to flatten or even eradicate these statistics? This group needs an intervention that has been proven to work, or new strategies on how to make it work for the success of students with disabilities.

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Prior to the reading on high-risk activities I did not consider the prevalence of these activities and students with disabilities. It seems that there are not programs put in place for children with disabilities who have substance use issues, or have been sexually abused which is why as school counselors we need to continue to advocate for students with disabilities. When reading about juvenile delinquency, I wasn't too surprised that children/adolescents with emotional disturbance make up 50% of the population. It is very sad, because if those children/adolescents had early interventions to manage their disability, it could possibly prevent negative behavior which caused the outcome of juvenile corrections.

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Reading the sextion on High Risk Activities, espically the section on Unwanted Pregancy and Sexual Abuse, made me very sad that not enough is being done to effectivly address this issue. It's not only kids with disabilies that are suffering from lack of knowledge, education, and and openess to communcate what is happening sexually, it is also kids wihout disabilities. The U.S. remains one of the top countries that has a high level of teen pregancny and sexually transmitted dissease. Its a shame that there is still such a huge debate in schools about how best to communicate neccessary and vital information to students on reprodcutve health, safe 🤬, and having a discussion surronding unwanted pregancny or sexual abuse. I hope this will change, and that some counties will allow for full inclusion of information and knowledge to its students.

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After reviewing and reading the information in the book, I realized there are many stakeholders involved in bullying prevention and remediation. I feel that every staff member, student, and parent has a specific role in addressing these issues. Unfortunately bullying continues to be a major issue in schools and it is up to each school to come up with a prevention and remediation plan that uses each member of the school to reduce the issue. I would love to learn more information about schools that have reduced bullying issues and how they did so.

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The first resource that I'd share with families would be a panel of former students who are currently enrolled in college or in the work force to talk and answer questions about their personal experiences with transition planning. The second resource I'd share is https://www.multiculturalfamilies.org/

"Open Doors for Multicultural Families is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to ensuring that families with family members with developmental/intellectual disabilities and special health care needs have equal access to culturally and linguistically appropriate information, resources, and services."

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Easterseals | Navigating the Workforce with Disabilities

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This resource connects families and students with ASD to different colleges that offer specific supports or programs, free of charge, to students. The resource links out to the college site so that you can read more about the specific programs that interest you.

https://www.myautism.org/informational-kits/college-programs-for-students-with-autism

This next resource provides students with ADHD or ASD internship opportunities to help prepare them for the transition to college or work. They aim to build skills through the internship so that students will be more prepared when they take the leap into their next steps.

https://info.cipworldwide.org/cip-overview?utm_term=autism%20college&utm_campaign=Autism+%26+Aspergers&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_tgt=kwd-1055989915&hsa_ad=208591020663&hsa_acc=6481837925&hsa_grp=31116741425&hsa_mt=b&hsa_cam=107646545&hsa_kw=autism%20college&hsa_ver=3&hsa_src=g&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtqL-BRC0ARIsAF4K3WE9UIxoMd6QnH6kPIsOyIRQNA8uEGYBa7dOyyCYG2m_DF7tQ-5nzTIaAvZ2EALw_wcB

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I thought that this first resource was very helpful because it goes through some frequently asked questions that some parents might have regarding their own child. These questions cover a variety of things but are also general enough in helping a range of students.
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transitionguide.html

This second resource I found helpful because it offers some personal experiences as well as some challenges and opportunities that students with disabilities will face during their transition to college.
https://www.ncld.org/research/state-of-learning-disabilities/transitioning-to-life-after-high-school/

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https://www.foothillsacademy.org/community-services/parent-education/parent-articles/life-after-high-school

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCM8Gqc-jns

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCM8Gqc-jns

https://www.foothillsacademy.org/community-services/parent-education/parent-articles/life-after-high-school

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The first link is a step by step guide on transitioning from high school to college. It provides compare/contrast information on knowing the difference on how things work with students with disabilities in both environments.
https://www.vmi.edu/media/content-assets/documents/disabilities-services/Assisting-Students-Making-the-Transition-to-College.pdf

The second link is a non-profit organization that helps students succeed successfully beyond high school college and career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHdlo7-3pbc&feature=emb_logo

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https://gearup.wa.gov/file/preparing-students-disabilities-postsecondary-education-resource-guide-use-gear-school-staff

This site provides a powerpoint presentation including how high school classes and assignments compare differently to what is expected in college. There is a list of what schools, students and parents could be doing at each high school grade level to prepare for transition. The presentation presents different ways for students with disabilities to obtain accommodations at the college level as well.

https://researchautism.org/parents-help-your-student-transition-to-college/

This website is geared towards parents with a great overview and checklist of how to prepare a student once they are ready for the college transition. It focuses on what questions parents should consider when assisting their child choose a college. It also provides a checklist of independent living skills their child will need to have if they do not live at home. The site also lists skills the student will need in the classroom such as organization skills, and social skills.

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https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/students-with-disabilities/
This site provides an overview on the types of supports that may be available to a student in college and then goes on to include an FAQ-esque section that may help families think about what to consider when searching for a college for their child with a disability.

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transitionguide.html
From the Department of Education this site is dense with information so I will say that it can be a lot to digest; however, the information here can help a student and their family know what to look for in college programs and what other considerations they should have in mind.

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https://www.naviance.com/

The first resource is Naviance. This website is used to research colleges across the united states. It gives you all the necessary information, like deadlines, requirements, and information about student support services about a particular school a student is interested in attending.

https://www.careeronestop.org/
The next source is career one stop. I first learned about this source during my summer class, and it is extremely useful. It gives information about nearly every occupation a person is interested in. Also, it gives you a brief description of the job, educational requirements, and how much one would make.

I think both sources combined would be for students to create a clear plan for themselves.

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https://www.careeronestop.org/ResourcesFor/WorkersWithDisabilities/gain-skills.aspx
This link takes you to CareerOneStop; in particular, this resource can help school counselors and parents create a transition plan for a student with disabilities. It can also be a great tool for the student him/herself!
http://www.ep-magazine.com/
This is a magazine specifically written for parents of children with disabilities. Depending on the particular issue, the magazine may include resources for families to help their student transition to more independent living, which may include college or the workforce.

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The following article provides information regarding attending college with Autism. Tips & Tricks for the transition.
https://childmind.org/article/going-to-college-with-autism/

College Autism Network provides outside resources, network of families, and allows for students to meet alumni and future college students.
https://collegeautismnetwork.org/

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While I know there was some discussion on controversy over "Autism Speaks," I found this resource to be user friendly and well organized for users. It is a "Transition Tool Kit"  designed to assist families of individuals with autism on the journey from adolescence to adulthood.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/Transition%20Tool%20Kit.pdf

Another resource that would be helpful was put out by the autism society. This focused on the post secondary transitions and had many helpful links included:

https://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/academic-success/transitions/

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So the two articeles that I found and perused, I found on Wrightslaw. Its a great website full of resources that parents and counselors can utlize. The first articel that I listed is about transitioning from high school to post-secondary education and why the   transition from the IEP to a 504 plan in the
freshman or sophomore year is important.
https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/bartlett.transition.504.pdf
The second article that I found details a students experiences transistioning from high to college with either a 504/IEP plan. It goes on to explain how college living experiences teaches academic,
independent living and social skills to students from across the country. https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/college.disabilities.pdf

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This site gives scenarios that may cause a meltdown for a child with autism. They also give a tool kit for autism transition and also share information on how to parent a child with an impairment.
https://www.themomkind.com/autism-transitions/

This site helps parents and families to plan for life beyond high school for ADHD students. It also guides parents with students who are interested in a trade or vocational program.
https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/planning-for-life-beyond-high-school-with-adhd/

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The Transition Tool Kit is designed to assist families of individuals with autism on the journey from adolescence to adulthood. This resource kit shares information on self-advocacy, developing independence, living skills, planning for transition, legal matters to consider and lots more. The Transition Tool Kit can be really beneficial for families dealing with the transition process.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/Transition%20Tool%20Kit.pdf

This article provides families with two checklists and good advice on how to help their child make a successful transition from school to employment or further education.
https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/trans.plan.graham.htm

This resource was quite interesting because of the section entitled ‘Your ADHD Toolbox’ which comprises of a compilation of videos, ADHD resources for families (Tips on talking to the teacher, ADHD checklist, IEP’s and Section 504 Plans, etc.). There are also shared strategies for home and school that parents can use to help their child; accompanied by other educational supports for Parents.
https://www.moretoadhd.com/adhd-resources/#coping-tips-for-parents

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https://opwdd.ny.gov/community-involvement/school-transition-students-developmental-disabilities

The first resource is from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities in NY. It has some well organized information and resources for the transition process. It talks about life after high school, facts about the transition planning process, and also has parent/guardian letters in a variety of languages.

http://www.mcie.org/blog/5-ways-to-support-youth-with-disabilities-in-transition-planning

The second resource is from the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. It talks about the 5 ways we can support our youth with disabilities in the transition process. It includes the 5 ways and also examples of how that can be implemented for both parents and counselors.

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I found this helpful site with information for families with a student with cerebral palsy. This site gives insight on transition from preschool to post secondary. https://www.cerebralpalsy.org/information/education/transitions

The second resource I found addresses parents and families of students with disabilities more broadly, but it provides a lot of helpful information about how to prepare a student for various big transition throughout their life, not just in school. It includes conversation topics, flow charts, and checklists for parents to reference and help their child adjust to many life events. https://www.esc1.net/cms/lib/TX21000366/Centricity/Domain/99/what_parents_need_to_know_about_transition_planning.pdf

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School counselors use assess these students observable behaviors by collecting data using students records and also through interviews all with the help of FBA. BIP can also be used by school counselors to teach the identified students problem solving skills on a regular basis. With the plan in place ,counselors in collaboration with other stakeholders will have to monitor these students regularly to help them make necessary changes if needed.

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School counselors play an important role when it come to the implementation of FBA's and BIP's. They have to do with behavioral problems when working with a student who has ADHD, CD, ODD, and DMDD. School counselors must work collaboratively with teachers when trying to figure out the plan they should implement for that particular student. I also liked checklist that was provided for us. It breaks it down and it will be helpful in the future when I have my own caseload.

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Creating a positive and engaging place for student to learn is a key goal of the school counselor and other staff within the school. Through FBA's and BIP's school counselors are able to implement positive behavior practices that help students learn in school rather than be disciplinarians. Often we see students with ADHD, CD, ODD, and DMDD at the forefront of behavioral challenges but these students are not the only ones who require FBA's and BIP's. Using the A-B-C's of FBA's were able to formulate why a particular behavior is happening. Once that is determined we can then formulate a BIP to help foster more positive behaviors in students. While school counselors are involved in this process we are not the only ones. It is important to get all faculty members that support a students learning involved (i.e. teachers, special educators, and other stakeholders). I think that the BIP checklist is a great resource for counselors to use, whether they are new counselors or seasoned veterans. This just adds a piece that verifies all steps were covered and nothing was missed that way the best possible plan can be produced.

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It is important for school counselors to be involved in the process of BIP's and FBA's. This is another example of the collaborative component of school counseling. It is not uncommon for there to be behavioral issues among students with ADHD, CD, ODD, and DMDD. However, it is not necessarily in the realm of the school counselor to be involved in the discipline of these student's behavior. Instead, we are there to be a support for them and provide them with services to help them succeed. As ASCA says, we are a resource to provide systems to assist with positive behavior in the school, but not to act as disciplinarians. I am currently working with a student that has ADHD and I reviewed his BIP just recently with his special educator. As the counselor, we provide him with short term counseling and check-in with him regularly to see how he is doing with utilizing his preferred coping strategies. His reinforcement items are bean bag chairs, cow tails, using the sensory room, and stuffed animals :)

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Students with ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and Dysregulated Mood Disorder tend to present with behavioral concerns. Using an FBA/BIP can ben incredibly useful when working with these students. Discovering what the specific triggers for our students with those disorders are will allow us to put into place supports for those students which will increase their ability to succeed in the classroom. As a school counselor we should be actively involved in the process of the FBA and developing a BIP. Supports specifically to those students we could provide would be a de-escalation or safe zone in our office. We could also provided individual counseling to students to work with them on recognizing their specific triggers and utilizing the supports being provided to them.

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In thinking as a student, I wonder how it feels to a student with an IEP and then have a meeting where people discuss adding a BIP to my educational plan—I imagine students might feel singled out or targeted and this might further isolate the child if not socially, maybe academically. Keeping this in mind, my goal as a future school counselor would be to make sure a BIP for a student with an IEP or 504 doesn’t feel punitive or like a punishment.  Thinking about secondary students, it will be important to be transparent and explain that a BIP is supposed to be a way to help and not to hurt the child. We can include the student in the conversation about what the timeline can be for the BIP and how would we (the adults) and he (the child) could work as teammates and not rivals.  At the elementary level, making sure that a teacher/adult in the building doesn’t ‘out’ the student as having a BIP might be important to establish that one-on-one relationship/partnership to get the student’s buy-in. In short, as helpful as FBA/BIP interventions are, we need to make sure that we explain them to the students using language they understand and in a way they know this is an aid and not a bad thing.

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Continuing with the theme of collaboration it is evident school counselors are a part of a collaborative team when supporting students through BIPs. One of the things that really stuck out to me when working with students managing a plan is that it is critical to ignore the behaviors that are unwanted but to never make the child feel ignored. There are many moving parts to these plans and at the end of the day it all comes down to the child and ensuring they are feeling supported and valued from start to finish. The video about ADHD really opened my eyes to some aspects of ADHD that I never knew before for instance individuals with ADHD can focus on things they genuinely find interesting but no amount of outside force can make them find that intrinsic motivation to focus if it is not there. I also learned that students and people with ADHD struggle to regulate sleep and emotions and this no only impacts school but also has a great impact on their daily personal lives.

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I like the BIP check list that was provided in one of the PowerPoints. The checklist is resourceful because it allows you to follow step by step without missing any important steps. The counselors role is being the person to assess students. During the assessment, looking at what the triggers are and breaking down the behavior with specifics and how this is interfering with the child ability to learn.

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As Baditoi and Brott cited, as school counselors we will serve the important role of not just advocating for students but also collaborating with the general education and special education teachers to be sure we are all on the same page in promoting best practices in meeting the needs of our students. An FBA looks at the antecedents, the behaviors, and also the consequences to determine why a particular behavior is happening. This is usually done by someone the school hires who has a background in applied behavior analysis like a school psychologist or a behavior specialist. This will hopefully identify triggers (or causes) for the behavior and any skills the student needs to learn or become stronger in. The BIP is then designed based on the FBA to help the student use more positive behaviors. FBA and BIP are Tier III interventions, and it is likely that school counselor will be on a team planning for these students.  This most definitely includes students with ADHD, CD, ODD, and DMDD, as all of these disorders center around behavioral issues. School counselors are expected to take an active role in the educational and social emotional well-being and support of students in special education programs, therefore we should be aware, educated, and involved in the planning and development of these practices.

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A functional behavioral is a strategy  that identifies a target behavior that  interferes with a student's education and learning. This type of process aims to identify the factors that support the behavior, and determin the purpose of the behavior. Behavorial Intervention plans is simply a plan that is going off the results of the FBA - it explains a description of the problem behavior, some idea's as to why the problem behavaior is occuring, and comees up with various intervention strategies that include positive behavioral supports. Some examples of BIP's are routines, taking breaks, reminding student's of the behavior that they want to see, and positive phrasing. Students with either ADHD, CD, ODD, or DMDD can benefit from BIPS and FBA's because they look at a student's obervable behavior and develops plans to curtail that behavior. All school counselors, administrators, parents, and faculty including teachers need to be aware of FBA's and BIPS so that if a student has a plan they know of the plan and will stick to it.

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I think FBA's and BIP's are important when working with students with emotional disabilities. However, it is so important that all stakeholders are aware of how the process works and are trained to be able to implement the BIP and understand the FBA. Sometimes teachers and other stakeholders aren't even aware that a student has an FBA or BIP. This lack of awareness can cause more harm to students. School counselors are important in the collaboration and implementation of FBA's and BIP's. As a person who knows the whole student and works to support the family. There is information that school counselors have that a teacher or school psychologist doesn't about the individual student and is so helpful to the student when shared with the Team that is creating an FBA and/or BIP. The school counselors role includes being at the table to create an FBA and/or BIP, providing data, speaking to the student's strengths and interventions that have worked in the past or could work in the future, providing skills training for the student, check-ins, group counseling, advocating for parent workshops and trainings, supporting the Team, providing training for teachers to promote positive classroom environments for all students and how to interact with students with challenging behaviors.

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Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA's) and Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP's) are interventions put in place for students that present behavioral challenges in the classroom, such as ADHD, CD, ODD and DMDD. The school counselor as always wears many hats when developing a FBA and BIP. School counselors will collect data, collaborate with teachers, parents and administrators and assist with development of the plan. When creating a plan, the focus is on the students behavior. School counselors will then consult with teachers to develop the best interventions that specifically suit the students needs. The intervention plan can be modified to continuously meet the needs of the student.

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Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA’s) and Behavioral Intervention (BIP’s) are intensive individualized interventions that are significant components to positive behavioral supports for students. The purpose of each tool is to create positive support to students with long term effects such as lifelong behavioral change. These strategies are tailor made to fit the needs of the students that are affected by such disorders (ADHD/ CD/ ODD/ /DMDD) and are created with “observable and measurable” steps at the core. The role of the school counselor would be collaborator (as part of the IEP team), educator (teaching students about the relevance of the interventions: social skills and relationship building), and advocate (for all stakeholders) amongst other responsibilities. 

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When going over the readings and videos many things stood out. For one FBA is to identify the purpose of a behavior. School counselors play an important role in creating an FBA. However, parents, behaviorists, and other teachers can help as well. When it comes to ADHD and other disorder, positive reinforcement is helpful.

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As many of my peers have identified, Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are tools that can be beneficial to the school counselor and others on student support teams. There are a couple primary benefits to utilizing these tools - first, these tools can help discern a specific students' needs so that we, as counselors and school staff, do not take a "one size fits all" approach to a student with one type of disability or another (ADHD, CD, ODD, DMDD, or otherwise); and second, the tools can help us to modify the interventions in place so that we find a solution that best promotes the success and welfare of each individual student.

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School Counselors play a vital role as contributors, consultants and some times facilitators when it comes to creating an FBA (and later a BIP.) However, it is always important that a school counselor does not do this on his or her own. A student services team should work together on these tasks. It is common for a school counselor to get asked to do these things, and dangerous if it becomes his or her sole responsibility. How can one create an FBA for a student, if they have not spent enough time providing direct services for students?

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FBAs and BIPs are Tier 3 tools for students whose disability impacts their behavior in school. Students with ADHD, CD, OD, and DMDD may benefit from FBAs and BIPs as well as counseling and social skills lessons with the school counselor. It is important for us as school counselors to understand the vast differences between the manifestation of these disabilities in students: behavior and emotion disabilities look so different in different students. As a result, our role will be different in help each student succeed. The ASCA article on School counselors and discipline highlighted many important roles that counselors can play including collaborating, mediating, educating, and advocating for students, families, and school staff.

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FBA's/BIP's are great tools for counselors to assist teachers with positive behavior interventions and to decrease disruptions and negative behaviors in the classroom. Even though counselors aren't disciplinarians, they are a great resource for consultation, collaboration, and advocating for students with disabilities that affect behavior. Counselors can help identify problem behaviors, observe the antecedents and consequences of those behaviors, and assist in creating interventions and teaching replacement behaviors. Positive reinforcement and therapy are helpful tools in working with students with these disorders (ADHD, CD, ODD, and DMDD).

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School counselors have an important role when it comes to properly serving students with disabilities. Counselors are expected to collaborate with other school staff, including special educator, school psychologist, teachers, etc. In addition, the counselor should be a support to parents and be a part of the 504 process. The counselor can assist parents in understanding the 504. In addition, the counselor can be written into an IEP if the student needs specific counseling services, if appropriate. School counselors should be an advocate for students with disabilities and help in any way they can to remove an barriers to their success. In addition, school counselors should model what authentic inclusivity is within the school and ensure their comprehensive school counseling plan serves students with disabilities. Counselors may also help students with disabilities feel more included with their peers by facilitating peer groups, lunch bunches and other opportunities to create connection. Essentially, the school counselor has many different roles in this sector of their job, while some are mandatory and some are ethically important.

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School counselors are a vital member of the school when it comes to working with students with disabilities. School counselors work with both stakeholders (teachers, parents, and other support staff) as well as the student. The top priority of counselors should be to advocate for the student in all settings. With stakeholders, IEP's and 504's can be developed to help remove barriers that may limit the students learning. With the student the counselor may help them with their social/emotional needs as well as career planning. Something I learned from the videos was that students with disabilities must have a career plan starting at 16 and it must continue until they graduate high school. While the success of the student with disabilities is a collaborative effort, the school counselor can be considered a Swiss army knife with all of the roles they fulfill.

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The school counselor fits into the mandates and structures governing services for students with disabilities because they can contribute in a variety of ways. As an advocate for the student we ensure that all voices are being heard. We also attend to the impact that the disability may have on the student's social-emotional wellbeing (building self-esteem, addressing issues they may face in our curriculum and school counseling plans), career development, and overall success. We can also help create plans to help the student be successful and provide the student with skills and strategies. We also collaborate with staff to help them understand what the student may experience as a result of a limitation/disability. We help parents understand the Team process. Finally, we complete classroom observations.

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School counselors have a very important role to play when it comes to students with disabilities. There is a balancing act that comes with knowing the legal structures and upholding them with the student in mind instead of what is convenient for yourself. Our top priority should be that we are acting as advocates for the students without speaking over them or assuming we know everything that is best for them. This is why it's important that we are in IEP meetings with parents and children. This collaboration helps to keep the children involved and at the forefront of everyone's minds. I think the most important part is that we use our knowledge to educate others and let the families of the student and the students themselves educate us on what they need from the legal structures we provide.

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Going through the material and reading the book I kept thinking how important it is for a school counselor to understand the legal structures and mandates for serving students with disabilities. As school counselors we are not overly educated in working with students with disabilities and I think it is incredibly important we make sure to educate ourselves in the legal structures and mandates as well as the accommodations and supports schools provide. I also think it is important that we advocate for ourselves to take a more active role in the special education process. I found in the school I was working in I was never informed of IEP meetings, of changes in accommodations or even of students who had accommodations.  We are in the classrooms and should be aware of what services our students need to excel so we can support them and provided those services. As school counselors we have to take an active role in special education in our buildings. I also think it is incredibly important that we demonstrate inclusion when we are forming groups or working with selected populations of our students. Just because some has a disability does not me they should be excluded from a girls group and during those groups we need to continue to provided the supports the student requir3es for success.

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I found this section really insightful since it seems like school counselors play many roles and the lines can get blurred. It is clear that school counselors play a huge role in advocating for students and families however that is such a broad term itself. One big part of advocating is knowing what rights a family has and this week helped highlight those rights through the readings and video clips. I also found it interesting that school counselors can be at the meetings if a parent invites them however some parents may not even know the school counselor can be a resource. I liked some of the points the book listed in that the school counselor can play almost a mediator role in meetings by clarifying points and making sure all parties are heard clearly and provided the space to share what they need to. Once the meeting takes place the counselor is responsible for checking in with the student and supporting their social/emotional needs and continuing to advocate if the student is not being supported properly or do not feel they are on an equal playing field as other students.

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School counselors have important roles when dealing with students with disabilities. Counselors are there to advocate for the services that are necessary for the student. Counselors are in charge of starting the evaluation process once a referral is received by a teacher or parent. Often the school counselors are left to lead the evaluation process. However, ASCA says 504 teams consist of the teacher, school nurse, school counselor, and others who have useful information about the student. Therefore, it should be a collaborative effort. There are certain steps that should be taken by the counselor before, during, and after the evaluation process. Some of the responsibilities include: understanding special service laws, advocate for student/parents, provide useful sources, continue to support parents after the evaluation process etc.

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School counselors have many important roles inside a school. They advocate for all students to make sure the social/emotional. academic, and career needs are being met. This applies to for working with students with disabilities. School counselors work along side student support teams in crafting 504 and IEP plans. School counselor have to collaborate with teachers, admin, nurse, and parents to ensure they are receiving the appropriate accommodations.

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The school counselor have many roles in the school system. One key role that school counselors fill is that of advocating for students. School counselors can meet with parents, school administrators, other staff members, and even stakeholders. This becomes crucial when working with students with disabilities. School counselors are there to work with students and families in order to ensure students get all the help/resources they need to do well. School counselors are there to not only support the students but be the link between families and the school.

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School counselors wear many different hats and that isn't different when serving students with disabilities. The top priority for school counselors is to be an advocate for each of their students. School counselors are also quite involved in the IEP/504 process where they can continue to advocate for the needs of their students with parents, teachers, administrators and external resources. While school counselors advocate for the needs of the student, they continue to collaborate with stakeholders to determine if accommodations need to be put in place. School counselors seem to have their hands in the many aspects of servicing students with disabilities which also include data collection and collaborating with outside resources. Counselors must also be knowledgable about the laws and regulations for serving students with disabilities.

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School counselors are in the unique position where we are advocates for our students and parents, but also for faculty and administrators. We are able to guide, listen, and speak to a broad audience of people to secure resources and made plans for success in the classroom and outside of the classroom to ensure that all students meet their educational, social, emotional, and college/career goals. Testing, observing, administrating, and supporting 504's and IEPS will set the student, parents, faculty, and administrators all for success. So for school counselors to meet the need's of all students we ourselves have to be knowledgeable about the process of 504's and IEPS, as well as school mandates, and laws so that everyone is on the same page and that the outcome is favorable and positive not only for the student but for all involved in that students lives.

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The School Counselor serves a unique purpose in the process of developing and following 504s and/or IEP plans. First and foremost, the counselor's role is always to be an advocate for the students and all of their social, educational, and other developmental needs. The counselor should collaborate with a team consisting of teachers, administrators, school nurses (when they have pertinent information/data on a student), and parents/families on the development and following of these educational plans to ensure that the end result is that the student receives access to whatever support they need in order to have an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in the school environment.

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The school counselor has a significant role to play in advocating for the rights of and needs of students with disabilities and collaborating with others to ensure that students with disabilities are fairly represented and that their needs are met at the highest standard. School counselors are the experts in knowing what children with disabilities need and how those needs may be met; they are apart of the team that helps to build the structure that governs the services being offered to children with disabilities. School counselors are a vital part of the IEP and 504 plans team decision making process and they are guided accordingly by laws and ethics to withhold the set standards and to successfully execute their roles; also, ensuring that the needs of all students and stakeholders are met with equality.

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Counselors should familiarize themselves with legal mandates, regulations, and programs that support students with disabilities. For example, school counselors should understand the 504 and IEP process, and although not experts, should be able to walk a family through the process as a support. 

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Counselors should familiarize themselves with legal mandates, regulations, and programs that support students with disabilities. For example, school counselors should understand the 504 and IEP process, and although not experts, should be able to walk a family through the process as a support. 

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-Erica Natalicchio

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In order to support students with disabilities the school counselor must advocate in order to help their students achieve and succeed on a level comparable to other students, and ensure they receive every service possible on their road to success (both directly and indirectly). Counselors should be familiar with the legislation that mandates different services to students with disabilities and the way they are provided to each student. School counselors and teachers work on screening teams to identify these students, and also with administrators to find appropriate programs for special-needs students in accordance with federal and state laws.  The counselor is an important stakeholder in providing these programs and services to their students while also keeping teachers and administrators in line with the federal laws using their guidance and expertise.

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In order to support students with disabilities the school counselor must advocate in order to help their students achieve and succeed on a level comparable to other students, and ensure they receive every service possible on their road to success (both directly and indirectly). Counselors should be familiar with the legislation that mandates different services to students with disabilities and the way they are provided to each student. School counselors and teachers work on screening teams to identify these students, and also with administrators to find appropriate programs for special-needs students in accordance with federal and state laws.  The counselor is an important stakeholder in providing these programs and services to their students while also keeping teachers and administrators in line with the federal laws using their guidance and expertise.

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One of the most basic (but necessary!) functions that school counselor engages in when serving students with special needs is the collection of behavioral data.  At the elementary level, this data is incredibly important since it can help determine if a student should go in for testing/assessment to determine if there is an issue that can be address via an IEP or 504. At the middle and high school levels, school counselors can be a neutral observer: a student may exhibit behavior in one classroom and not in another.  The data collected can help a school counselor advocate for a student and their family.        -Cielo

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One of the most basic (but necessary!) functions that school counselor engages in when serving students with special needs is the collection of behavioral data.  At the elementary level, this data is incredibly important since it can help determine if a student should go in for testing/assessment to determine if there is an issue that can be address via an IEP or 504. At the middle and high school levels, school counselors can be a neutral observer: a student may exhibit behavior in one classroom and not in another.  The data collected can help a school counselor advocate for a student and their family.        -Cielo

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Charlotte Ampofo
School counselors are required to provide equal opportunities for all students including students with disabilities. They are to empower these students so they can equally fit into society. The counselors also serve as team members advocating for students with disabilities and educating them. They should be part of the multidisciplinary team planning for students during 504 meetings, IEPs ,consulting and collaborating with the school administration, parents and other stakeholders.
Making the school community aware of the related services they provide in the form of group or individual counseling as well as classroom guidance lesson are among their mandates for serving students with disabilities. The administration of reliable assessment tools helps them to gather required data to support these students. School counselors address the personal and social developmental needs of students with disabilities.

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School counselors take on a unique and important role when it comes to serving students with disabilities. Counselors may offer counseling to the parents and students throughout the evaluation and plan development process. They may also be written in to provide "related services" as part of an IEP. During the development of an IEP, counselors may be asked to conduct an observation or give input to the team if they have significant knowledge of the student and their needs. Because school counselors play an active part in all stages of the IEP/504/support plan processes, counselors must be knowledgable about all relevant laws and policies so they can be serve their families. Overall, the school counselor serves a unique and varied role in regards to IDEA, 504, and related mandates, but they ultimately seek to support and advocate for all students regardless of ability or disability.

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There are many important roles for the school counselor when working with students with disabilities. When assisting stakeholders, the school counselor should: participate in teams/meetings, promote inclusion, collaborate, support parents, assist with data collection, consult, advocate, help provide related services.
When working with students with disabilities, the counselor should: advocate, participate in transition planning, help with behavior modification, teach social skills, make referrals to appropriate specialists, and help improve self-esteem.

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This activity made me incredibly frustrated. I started with the attention activity. Going into the activity I thought that it would be easy for me because I grew up in a large family and I am extremely good and filtering out the sounds I want/need to hear. I could not hear anything after the first two animals. I was getting frustrated and wanted to be able to complete the puzzle but could not. Originally after I had missed two of the animals I thought I would just guess where they went at the end, but I never even completed the puzzle. To be able to experience what students with attention issues are going through helps me understand their thought process in regards to motivation. I tried the organization activity next. Pretty quickly I did not even want to play the activities anymore. I knew I would never succeed so I did not even want to try. The activity that really frustrated me was the writing activity. I could feel myself getting increasingly frustrated with each new sentence.  This was the first activity I played that I noticed the  ticking clock. Knowing I was running out of time only increased my frustration and added a new level of anxiety. I think this activity was eye opening and helped me understand exactly what those specific struggles were like for our students.

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It was very eye opening going through the simulations on the website. I think this website gave me a better understanding of what students with attention issues, organizations issues, reading and writing issues go through on a daily basis. It was actually pretty difficult going through these activities. I did pretty poorly on them, but it definitely gave me a better understanding what some of my future students go through, and be able to better help them.

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I really enjoyed testing out the simulations on this website. I feel like often we may hear that a child has reading/writing or attention issues and we may not quite fully understand how difficult that makes things for them. The simulations were a great way to show that. Going into some of them I thought to myself that I would be able to do them and as it would increase in difficulty it became more and more frustrating. I now have a better understanding of how kids can get so frustrated with dong work. Hearing the stories was also moving because we're able to hear first hand from kids who do struggle with these things and they voice how impactful it has been on their lives.

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I thought the Through Your Child's Eyes website is such a great resource to show us what students with learning difficulties experience on a daily basis. I completed a 10th grade student with attention issues and a 5th grade student with reading issues. After completing the simulations, I have a better understanding of the frustration student may experience and also how having difficulties in an area can affect students socially as well. The one student said that it was hard for her to make friends because everyone thought she was weird because she was reading more "baby" books compared to them. Making friends can already be scary for children, and adding another factor of something that other students notice could also affect the students self-esteem and confidence.

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Going through the website and watching the short clips was very compelling. To hear what these kids go through and how they feel frustrated. The kids feel as though they cannot do anything right, which is awful.
I also did both the reading and spelling simulations, and they were difficult. In particular, the reading was challenging because the letters switch, but sometimes it switches to the wrong letter again.  All in all, I think it gives a small look into how these children work with disabilities but remind us that we need to stay vigilant and help these students as much as possible.

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I was a little confused on how to do some of the activities. However, there was one that really stood out to me because I never realized  what people go through who struggle with math. One of the students stated that it's hard when they are at a restaurant and have to give change. The activity that went with this story showed coins but with different amounts. For example, a nickle equaled 15 cents. Watching this made me realize how I can't complain about not understanding math because it's hard and "I don't understand it". If I give it my all and keep practicing I could, but this is different for someone with a disability.

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Annastacia Russell:

After attempting the Math, Reading and Writing activities I felt anxious and quite stressed. On a normal day I am pretty good at Math and it is one of my favorite subjects, however, this simple activity as a 2nd grader frustrated me because I did not clearly understand what I was doing and by the time I got the hang of it, my time was up. I also felt stressed because of the time constraint (I experience this even as an adult), it made me nervous and I was unable to fully concentrate. The reading was not as bad because I looked at the instructions before I began the simulation. However, knowing that it was a timed assignment made me nervous, the way it usually does. The writing was the worst for me because as I was typing, the letters were doing their own thing and that just added to my frustration, so much so I did not attempt the other issues that children may experience.

I had never actually thought about how a child must feel when they are unable to successfully complete assignments or are unable to really understand what they should be doing. I had not considered the frustration they might be experiencing as a result of not being able to master the task. This has taught me to be more considerate when helping others and to have more patience with others that may be experiencing these issues.

What surprised me the most was my level of frustration and how nervous I felt trying to beat the clock. It was almost pitiful and funny at the same time. At the end of it I was really glad it was just something I could shut off and not my ‘real-life’ experience. It made me think about the frustrations of others though and makes me want to understand and help my students even more.

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I think the biggest takeaway for me was feeling the time constraint and panicking to figure it out before my time was up! I felt embarrassed that I couldn't figure out the assignment even though a key was directly above me. Everything was scrambled, yet because there was a key above, I put the blame on myself for not being smart enough to "get it." Rereading my feelings, I sound pretty much identical to the child that talked before my simulation began. I can't imagine if I had been surrounded by my peers all easily able to do the same task that I was struggling with! That would definitely trigger feelings of inadequacy, and probably comparing my experience to theirs would leave me feeling alone.

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During and after exploring Through Your Child's Eyes I thought about how the students videos that I watched all felt like they were so much behind other students and how it was hard to admit that they were struggling. One student in particular reminded me of a student I had two years ago who had reading difficulties and would internalize everything that happened around her such as other students reading higher level books and feeling like she was stupid and inadequate. At this point some students start to have a self-fulfilling prophecy about their ability to do work, receive help, etc.

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I listened to almost all of the students stories about their personal challenges and feelings when they realized that something about them was different from their peers. I was moved by all of the stories but was astounded to see the way students in the youngest age group were able to describe their feelings and challenges as well as how they compared to their peers. I was also moved by the student who struggled with paying attention and how she wished she could cut her body in half and let one half play and the other study because she felt like her body was two halves fighting against one another. I also appreciated the simulations because it provided the slightest glimpse of the daily frustration and confusion these students deal with on a daily basis.

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At the website,I watched the students who had reading issues and realized the embarrassment they encountered at every stage they tried to make an attempt. I felt that sadness and uncertainty and makes me realize the need to support each student based on their distinctive issue. It will be helpful to intervene by finding strategies that work for such students and makes them feel accepted rather than rejected.

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When I went onto the website I immediately went to the reading abilities tab and played the games that came with it. I've always been an avid and fast reader and wanted to learn how different that can be for everyone else. The website helped me realize how ingrained society's expectations are for me. The four things to avoid saying to disabled people also stuck with me. It made me think about all of the times that I might have said something that was hurtful or ignorant without meaning to.

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When I first opened the site, I went ahead and watched 3 videos, one for each age bracket.  The high school video I chose was on organizational issues--this seems like a pretty easy thing to tackle, right? But when the girl mentioned how it felt like it wasn't just her stuff that wasn't organized, but also her thoughts, it made me understand how multidimensional organizational issues were. Then when I did the organizational experience, it all made sense! This website was especially helpful in teaching me how nonvisible disabilities can't be dismissed by saying "try harder."

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Using the stimulations was so impactful. I wonder what kind of Professional Development I could use this for with my teachers? I often find in 504 meetings, we list the disability and determine appropriate in school accommodations. But do we really know what it's like? Have we ever asked the child?

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This website and its accompanying simulations are eye opening and impactful. I learned so much from the simulations, the experts speaking, and children/teens who may struggle with organization, math, attention, or writing skills. Its tough and its challenging. Oftentimes society is so used to what is the "norm" or what is "normal" that we forget to have empathy or forget to work with others that may not fit into what society classifies as "normal functioning". It is not our job as educators, and counselors to try and mold every student into what is "expected" or what is "normal" but to meet students where they are at and search for solutions or ways to work with that disability
to tackle these challenges so that students don't feel so lost or feel alone with dealing with these problems. During the simulations I even experienced a degree of frustration, not because I was not knowledgeable but because my hand or my mind wasn't in alignment with the processes of my mind. I can only imagine how judged students may feel in classrooms with their peers or teachers that also get frustrated. I applaud this website for bringing awareness into my conscious thoughts and how I proceed and work with students in the future.

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I thought the perspectives and simulations on this website were very impactful. They really helped me think beyond the surface of attention issues and organization challenges. The simulations were challenging and added to my understanding that other people experience the world much different than I do. Lastly, I really enjoyed hearing from experts and from the students themselves about what has helped them in the past. As a teacher and future counselor, I am aware of the constant risk of labeling a child with x, y, or z and that being a box that educators put them in forever. This site shows the diverse and deep experiences of people who experience the world in a different way than I do and reminds me that children are more than their label.

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As a teacher, I found it difficult teaching my students with learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, ADHD, anxiety, autism, GT, and standard all at the same time. I know how I am as a learner and I based a lot of my teaching off of my learning style in hopes that it would be more beneficial for the students. Now that I have more of an understanding for what it's like to have have specific learning disabilities, as a future counselor I can share strategies with teachers and also check in with the students for academic and emotional purposes. I will also work more carefully to provide accommodations in counseling sessions (reading, writing, drawing, etc.)

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I'm having some trouble discerning my reaction to some of the YouTube videos from the activities on Understood.org but I feel like I have a slightly better (I'll stress "slightly") appreciation for what it may feel like to try to learn in the school environment while also having a disability that causes difficulty with focusing, for example. It gives me greater motivation to demonstrate patience with students who experience that sort of disability.