As we are getting ready for Kindergarten I have my own anxiety about how the teachers and school will deal with behaviors that arise out of Harrisons Anxiety and Autism. I have been doing some reading on Positive Behavior Support and how it is used in schools and at home. I plan to post some information from the University of Kansas as they have some great info on the subject! So here is the first installment on Positive Behavior Support dealing with home life. (thought that this was appropriate as we are on summer break right now). Also I know that most new skills and behaviors are tried at home first before used in functional settings like schools, the store, and other places. Let me know what you think. Here we go:
From website: www.beachcenter.org
When a child shows challenging behavior at home, traditional disciplinary approaches used by parents have relied on negative consequences, such as punishment. However, Positive Behavior Support (PBS) can provide a new way of looking at, thinking about, and solving difficult situations caused by challenging behavior. One of the main problems with negative consequences is that they don't teach appropriate behavior. Although punishment can stop a child's behavior immediately, it doesn't teach new skills that replace the problem behavior with more appropriate, positive behavior. PBS focuses on positive and educational approaches rather than negative consequence-based methods. Understanding the child's behavior is the first and most important step. To understand a child's behavior, it is recommended that parents observe challenging behavior carefully and think about the meaning of the behavior because every behavior occurs for a reason. In most cases, the child behavior serves as a communication tool, sending everyone a clear message about the child's feelings, physical status, and needs. The message of the child's behavior is called the "function" of the problem behavior.
Function of Behavior and Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is the process by which we engage in detective work in order to find the meaning contained in the message (function) that the child is communicating about her/his behavior. In other words, FBA is all about answering the question, "Why does a child keep doing the challenging behavior over and over?" The FBA provides the following information to help answer that question.
What is the problem behavior?
What does it look like?
When does it happen?
Where does it happen?
Are there any home or community routines when the problem behavior seems to consistently occur?
What people (family members, friends, neighbors, community members) seem to be involved in the problem behavior when it occurs?
What do people say or do, or what happens immediately BEFORE the problem behavior occurs?
What do people say or do, or what happens immediately AFTER the problem behavior occurs?
What are people's reactions right after to the problem behavior occurs (e.g., do they give the child lots of attention, do they give him/her items or objects that he/she wants, do they stop asking him/her to do something, do they take things away from the child, do they ignore the child)?
When these questions are considered carefully and the answers connected to each other, it is possible to make a "best guess" about a function of behavior. We call this "best guess" a hypothesis (or a hunch) about the possible function of the child's problem behavior. There are several functions of behavior—both "good" and "bad" behavior. In general, these are the functions of behavior:
Getting or obtaining attention from peers, family members or others
Getting or obtaining a desirable item or an object, or gaining access to a preferred activity
Getting or obtaining desired sensory input, feelings, sensations or physiological stimulation, such as by touching things, moving the body back and forth, tapping one's leg, smelling things, or tasting/mouthing things
Avoiding or escaping unwanted attention from peers, family members or others
Avoiding or escaping non-preferred items or objects, or difficult tasks and/or non-preferred activities
Avoiding or escaping unpleasant, or unwanted sensory input, feelings, sensations or physiological stimulation, such as by hitting oneself, scratching oneself, or engaging in other self-injurious behaviors when something hurts, feels bad, is uncomfortable, etc.
A-B-C Chart in Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). The A-B-C chart can help summarize the sequence of events around the challenging behavior. A, B, and C stand for the antecedent, behavior, and consequence of the challenging behavior.
Antecedent: An event that happens immediately before a challenging behavior. This can also act as a "fast trigger" for the challenging behavior
Behavior: Challenging behavior
Consequence: An event that immediately follows the challenging behavior.
One additional factor to consider is what is called a "setting event." A setting event can be an important clue to investigate in order to reduce or eliminate the challenging behavior.
Setting Event: Events or circumstances that affect the likelihood of the challenging behavior occurring at a later point in time.
Sometimes we think of setting events as those events or circumstances that act as "slow triggers" and set the stage for a behavior to be more (or less) likely to happen subsequently. Common examples of setting events may include illness, lack of sleep, or a stressful experience. When the setting event seriously affects the challenging behavior, the challenging behavior is not always totally related only to events that happen immediately before or after the challenging behavior. For example, think about a child who has a painful headache and shows tantrum-type behavior because of the headache. No matter what antecedent precedes the behavior, the child might show tantrum-type behavior until the headache goes away.
The following figure shows an example of an A-B-C chart, including a setting event.
In this example of the A-B-C chart, Arnold's challenging behavior resulted in a time-out. Arnold's mom considers the time-out a punishment; however, this consequence actually may make it more likely that Arnold will engage in the same problem behavior again next time. Why? Recall that Arnold's challenging behavior started to occur when he was told to do his math homework--something he does not like to do, nor does he know how to solve the math questions required in his homework assignment. He got punished because of the challenging behavior, yet at the same time by engaging in the problem behavior, Arnold was able to avoid doing his math homework. Even though his mother thought she was punishing her son, Arnold was allowed to escape/avoid doing a really unpleasant and highly non-preferred task….and he was actually reinforced by getting to avoid this task. The function of his problem behavior was to escape/avoid doing this unpleasant task, and his mother actually helped him avoid doing his homework by "allowing" him to go to time-out for the behavior. Next time, he is quite likely to engage in the same problem behavior again, because he knows this is a way that he can successfully get out of doing his math homework (unless, of course, his mother is clever enough to require him to return to complete at least some of his math homework, after his time-out is over!).
Thus, A-B-C chart allows us to discover the function of behavior more conveniently. This approach is also applied extensively in school settings to reduce challenging behavior ("Individual PBS" in school settings).
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Pre-School Graduation
I was so proud to have these photos. Harrison is excited about going to Kindergarten in the Fall. My little guy is no longer a "toddler" he is a "school age" child- when did that
happen? 
Sunday, June 8, 2008
There is Something about a Yardsale Scooter
WE found this wonderful scooter at a yardsale for $1.00. Harrison love to ride it and is now more daring than ever on it.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
10 Tips for Ending the School Year by Pat Howey, Advocate
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1. Visit the new school or classroom.
Will your child make a major transition next fall? Will your child be moving from preschool to kindergarten, from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school? Plan to take your child to visit the new school or classroom before the first day of school.
2. Review your child’s IEP and progress.
Did your child make progress this school year? Did the school properly implement the IEP? Does the IEP adequately address your child’s needs? Do your child’s Goals prepare your child for further education, employment, and independent living?
3. Ask for an IEP Team Meeting if necessary.
Did you answer “No” to any of the questions above? Ask for an IEP Team Meeting to resolve these concerns. Do not let another year go by with an inappropriate IEP.
4. Prepare for the IEP Team Meeting.
Prepare a list of your child's present levels of performance. The list includes you child's strengths and the areas that are challenging. Look carefully at this list and you will better understand what your child needs. Add these needs to your list of present levels of performance. You can also add Goals, Related Services, Assistive Technology, and anything else that your list justifies as an educational need.
5. Say "Thank You" to those who helped.
Did your child have a great school year? Was this success due to a wonderful teacher, a helpful classroom aide, or a thoughtful bus driver? Say “thank you” to those who helped your child succeed. Look at what made this a good year for your child. Add that information to the list of your child’s present levels of performance.
6. Give your information list to the IEP Team before the meeting.
Do not surprise other members of the IEP Team. At least one week before the meeting, give a copy of your list to each member of the IEP Team. Take extra copies to the meeting for anyone who forgets to bring their copy. Your IEP Team Meeting will go faster and smoother if everyone has your list ahead of time.
7. Ask for a copy of any information that has been given to other members of the IEP Team.
You do not want to be surprised. Ask for copies of all information the IEP Team will discuss. You cannot be a full team member if you are left out of the loop. Ask for things like copies of teacher reports, evaluation reports, and group achievement testing.
8. Ask the IEP Team to address Extended School Year (ESY).
ESY Ask the IEP Team to address ESY early in the second semester. If there is disagreement about whether your child needs an ESY, you will need enough time to resolve this with one of the due process procedures available.
9. Find out what summer educational resources are available for your child.
An ESY is not the same as summer school. Summer School is usually a generic program that is not designed to meet your child’s individual needs. An ESY program is intended to meet the specific educational needs of your child as identified in his or her IEP. Make sure you know what services the school is offering!
10. Determine whether your child needs a new evaluation.
Does your child need new evaluations? Are you unsure whether your child has made adequate progress? Achievement testing at the beginning and end of every year will give objective answers about your child’s progress. (See Chapter 8, Your Child’s Evaluation, in Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition).
1. Visit the new school or classroom.
Will your child make a major transition next fall? Will your child be moving from preschool to kindergarten, from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school? Plan to take your child to visit the new school or classroom before the first day of school.
2. Review your child’s IEP and progress.
Did your child make progress this school year? Did the school properly implement the IEP? Does the IEP adequately address your child’s needs? Do your child’s Goals prepare your child for further education, employment, and independent living?
3. Ask for an IEP Team Meeting if necessary.
Did you answer “No” to any of the questions above? Ask for an IEP Team Meeting to resolve these concerns. Do not let another year go by with an inappropriate IEP.
4. Prepare for the IEP Team Meeting.
Prepare a list of your child's present levels of performance. The list includes you child's strengths and the areas that are challenging. Look carefully at this list and you will better understand what your child needs. Add these needs to your list of present levels of performance. You can also add Goals, Related Services, Assistive Technology, and anything else that your list justifies as an educational need.
5. Say "Thank You" to those who helped.
Did your child have a great school year? Was this success due to a wonderful teacher, a helpful classroom aide, or a thoughtful bus driver? Say “thank you” to those who helped your child succeed. Look at what made this a good year for your child. Add that information to the list of your child’s present levels of performance.
6. Give your information list to the IEP Team before the meeting.
Do not surprise other members of the IEP Team. At least one week before the meeting, give a copy of your list to each member of the IEP Team. Take extra copies to the meeting for anyone who forgets to bring their copy. Your IEP Team Meeting will go faster and smoother if everyone has your list ahead of time.
7. Ask for a copy of any information that has been given to other members of the IEP Team.
You do not want to be surprised. Ask for copies of all information the IEP Team will discuss. You cannot be a full team member if you are left out of the loop. Ask for things like copies of teacher reports, evaluation reports, and group achievement testing.
8. Ask the IEP Team to address Extended School Year (ESY).
ESY Ask the IEP Team to address ESY early in the second semester. If there is disagreement about whether your child needs an ESY, you will need enough time to resolve this with one of the due process procedures available.
9. Find out what summer educational resources are available for your child.
An ESY is not the same as summer school. Summer School is usually a generic program that is not designed to meet your child’s individual needs. An ESY program is intended to meet the specific educational needs of your child as identified in his or her IEP. Make sure you know what services the school is offering!
10. Determine whether your child needs a new evaluation.
Does your child need new evaluations? Are you unsure whether your child has made adequate progress? Achievement testing at the beginning and end of every year will give objective answers about your child’s progress. (See Chapter 8, Your Child’s Evaluation, in Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition).
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Harrison's First Trophy
I was so proud last night. Harrison played Soccer through a special program called TopSoccer where kids with disabilities are given buddies and taught the basics of soccer. It was so cool to watch. If I can find a tutorial on uploading to UTube.com then I will get some game footage and the awards ceremony up for all to see. Our little guy is growing up!
Interesting information on Service Animals
Dog Denied Spot At Autistic Boy's School Animal Is Service Dog, Boy's Family Says tinyurl.com/3msghz
Manteca, Calif. -- A dog that assists an autistic preschool student was denied entrance Monday at the boy's school, the child's mother said.
Jayden Qualls, 4 ½, tried to attend his first day of school Monday at McFall Preschool in Manteca, about 70 miles east of San Francisco. Qualls' family said he needs Houdini, a 2-year-old male Labrador retriever shepherd mix, to help him walk, reported KCRA-TV in Sacramento. Tara Qualls, the boy's mother, said the school's principal made the decision not to allow the dog into the school.
School district officials said they need to determine if Houdini is a service dog or a companion dog. They also need more time to find out if the dog is warranted at the school and if so, how he fits into the flow.
The Americans with Disabilities Act gives Jayden the right to have Houdini in school, Qualls said.
Jayden's parents bought Houdini for $13,000 from a nonprofit called Autism Services Dogs of America. The dog helps their son with walking, staying alert and emotional outbursts, they said.
There are 125 students at McFall Preschool with developmental disabilities, including autism, the San Joaquin County Office of Education said.
Manteca, Calif. -- A dog that assists an autistic preschool student was denied entrance Monday at the boy's school, the child's mother said.
Jayden Qualls, 4 ½, tried to attend his first day of school Monday at McFall Preschool in Manteca, about 70 miles east of San Francisco. Qualls' family said he needs Houdini, a 2-year-old male Labrador retriever shepherd mix, to help him walk, reported KCRA-TV in Sacramento. Tara Qualls, the boy's mother, said the school's principal made the decision not to allow the dog into the school.
School district officials said they need to determine if Houdini is a service dog or a companion dog. They also need more time to find out if the dog is warranted at the school and if so, how he fits into the flow.
The Americans with Disabilities Act gives Jayden the right to have Houdini in school, Qualls said.
Jayden's parents bought Houdini for $13,000 from a nonprofit called Autism Services Dogs of America. The dog helps their son with walking, staying alert and emotional outbursts, they said.
There are 125 students at McFall Preschool with developmental disabilities, including autism, the San Joaquin County Office of Education said.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
One Giant Step Forward!
Have you ever felt like you had to prove to the world that you were not crazy or being unrealistic about your child's abilities? That is exactly how we have been feeling this past month, thus the long blog break!
We have been working on kindergarten placement for Harrison for next year. Our IEP Team was not on the same page as we are about the reasons for wanting Harrison in an integrated or regular kindergarten class. They believed because of their "testing" and "observations" that Harrison was not "ready" and would get so far behind, then get frustrated, and finally become a behavior problem. Let me tell you I saw red when that came out! My son has never been a behavior problem (he is the most compliant-overly at times- child that many have worked with).
Yesterday we had our transition meeting from pre-school to kindergarten. The feel of the meeting was that the school was right and we were just over stretching Harrison abilities. The teachers and team did say some positive things however the "can't do, and the wont performs" were a much longer list. At one point in the meeting I started doubting what I knew to be true about my son.
The format of the meeting went something like this: (a good way to work one in my opinion)
1. The Team Arrives:
Bring a man with you, the tone of the meeting really does change when you have a man with you even if they are only there for support. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!
2. Introductions-who is everyone, and how are they connected to your child, how are they talking to you. What does your gut say about this person, you know your child best does it appear to be the type of person who your child will respond to?
3. Where is the child currently and how did they get there-If you are paying or participating in private therapy then make sure that you get it out at that time. My son can do many things in private therapy that the team was saying that he could not because of his short attention span and focus issue (That is called Autism right?). This is where the discussion regarding the distracting environment came in-his disability makes it hard to focus and what better place to learn to focus than in that type of environment with peers. This really opened the door for a regular general ed kindergarten for us. The team also stated that they did not consider the transition to this program and his progress successful and tried to blame it on me that I pushed and the district complied with my request. I reminded them that I am a member of the team and that the entire team from our previous placement felt it was a good move for him.
Do not let the district pin something on you that you asked for that they feel is not working. Do not take TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY for the decision you asked and the TEAM AGREED. Stand up and lay the blame right back in the entire teams lap!
4. Overview of IEP Goals and Objectives-this is hard but just let the team talk and tell you what is happening currently. If you don't have your child in regular ed or with typical developing peers and want that to happen make sure that the communication goals and the learning goals include the words "typical distracting classroom" or something similar. How do you practice these skills if you are not around a bit of distracting and interesting things?
5. THIS IS THE IMPORTANT ONE: Make a list of what type of Environment your child needs to learn in! Make sure to include thing that are important to you and you feel will make a difference in his learning. Our list looked something like this:
A Class Placement that Includes:
-Small Group instruction
-Environment that provides opportunities to practice new skills
-Typical Developing Peers
-Strong Teacher with a solid, set routine
-One to One support as needed
(OK you get the idea these were the ones that were the most important to us but there were 7-8 on the list)
6. After this is done then talk about placement. Because we have a district that has pilot project that provides opportunities for children with IEP's who may be right on the edge an opportunity to be placed in regular general education we felt that this was the best opportunity for our son. We made a comparison between the current preschool placement (which we view as extremely successful socially-academically they are right not so much- but that was not what we were looking for when we moved him) and that because the district had a program similar for kindergarten we would like to continue that environment. They tried everythign they could to "make us see" that we were setting up Harrison to "fail" however when everything that was said and done they could not make a good case as to why Harrison could not be successful in the program we felt would benefit him most.
7 Finally only sign off on the placement if you are really willing to accept that decision. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN IT AT ALL!!! The district has to provide you with a letter stating where placement will be within 10 business days (in our district) and then you have to start the paper trail process for requesting a reconsideration of that decision and go through "Due Process" and use your "Procedureal Safeguards" to make sure that your child gets what they need to make education progress.
Just a few more details : I started voiceing my desire for kindergarten placement in January of this year and did get the run around. I did get a chance to visit the intergrated kindergarten classroom and talk to the teacher about her style and how well students do in this environment. I asked her questions about her background in working with children with autism and she was able to tell me about the accomidations that she had made for some of the children with picture schedules right on the desks in the beginning of the year. My GUT (yes listen to yours too) said this is the place that my son could be successful and a teacher like this could tell me when to step back and what she needed me do or have done in private therapy to help Harrison be successful!
I finally feel like we can now finish up this school year and enjoy the excitement with all the other families who have children going to kindergarten this fall. It will be amazing, adventous, scary, exciting, and nerve racking but at least it will be our journey and one that we are ready to go on-well informed and supported.
If you or someone you know needs more information about IEP's or Speical Education Services in Eastern WA send an email to either me at davearmie@comcast.net or Families Together for People with Disabilities FTPd@familiestogether.org . The Special Education Ombudsman at OSPI (Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction) from your state should be able to help you in providing information that may be relevant to you. If you need that information for Washington State send me an email and I will get it to you.
Families Together for People with Disabilites is a private Non-profit agency who helps to strengthen families through support and encouragement. Do you have a little extra to give? Please consider them. Donations are tax deductable! See their website at www.familiestogether.org
Good Luck and Happy Spring Everyone!
We have been working on kindergarten placement for Harrison for next year. Our IEP Team was not on the same page as we are about the reasons for wanting Harrison in an integrated or regular kindergarten class. They believed because of their "testing" and "observations" that Harrison was not "ready" and would get so far behind, then get frustrated, and finally become a behavior problem. Let me tell you I saw red when that came out! My son has never been a behavior problem (he is the most compliant-overly at times- child that many have worked with).
Yesterday we had our transition meeting from pre-school to kindergarten. The feel of the meeting was that the school was right and we were just over stretching Harrison abilities. The teachers and team did say some positive things however the "can't do, and the wont performs" were a much longer list. At one point in the meeting I started doubting what I knew to be true about my son.
The format of the meeting went something like this: (a good way to work one in my opinion)
1. The Team Arrives:
Bring a man with you, the tone of the meeting really does change when you have a man with you even if they are only there for support. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!
2. Introductions-who is everyone, and how are they connected to your child, how are they talking to you. What does your gut say about this person, you know your child best does it appear to be the type of person who your child will respond to?
3. Where is the child currently and how did they get there-If you are paying or participating in private therapy then make sure that you get it out at that time. My son can do many things in private therapy that the team was saying that he could not because of his short attention span and focus issue (That is called Autism right?). This is where the discussion regarding the distracting environment came in-his disability makes it hard to focus and what better place to learn to focus than in that type of environment with peers. This really opened the door for a regular general ed kindergarten for us. The team also stated that they did not consider the transition to this program and his progress successful and tried to blame it on me that I pushed and the district complied with my request. I reminded them that I am a member of the team and that the entire team from our previous placement felt it was a good move for him.
Do not let the district pin something on you that you asked for that they feel is not working. Do not take TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY for the decision you asked and the TEAM AGREED. Stand up and lay the blame right back in the entire teams lap!
4. Overview of IEP Goals and Objectives-this is hard but just let the team talk and tell you what is happening currently. If you don't have your child in regular ed or with typical developing peers and want that to happen make sure that the communication goals and the learning goals include the words "typical distracting classroom" or something similar. How do you practice these skills if you are not around a bit of distracting and interesting things?
5. THIS IS THE IMPORTANT ONE: Make a list of what type of Environment your child needs to learn in! Make sure to include thing that are important to you and you feel will make a difference in his learning. Our list looked something like this:
A Class Placement that Includes:
-Small Group instruction
-Environment that provides opportunities to practice new skills
-Typical Developing Peers
-Strong Teacher with a solid, set routine
-One to One support as needed
(OK you get the idea these were the ones that were the most important to us but there were 7-8 on the list)
6. After this is done then talk about placement. Because we have a district that has pilot project that provides opportunities for children with IEP's who may be right on the edge an opportunity to be placed in regular general education we felt that this was the best opportunity for our son. We made a comparison between the current preschool placement (which we view as extremely successful socially-academically they are right not so much- but that was not what we were looking for when we moved him) and that because the district had a program similar for kindergarten we would like to continue that environment. They tried everythign they could to "make us see" that we were setting up Harrison to "fail" however when everything that was said and done they could not make a good case as to why Harrison could not be successful in the program we felt would benefit him most.
7 Finally only sign off on the placement if you are really willing to accept that decision. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN IT AT ALL!!! The district has to provide you with a letter stating where placement will be within 10 business days (in our district) and then you have to start the paper trail process for requesting a reconsideration of that decision and go through "Due Process" and use your "Procedureal Safeguards" to make sure that your child gets what they need to make education progress.
Just a few more details : I started voiceing my desire for kindergarten placement in January of this year and did get the run around. I did get a chance to visit the intergrated kindergarten classroom and talk to the teacher about her style and how well students do in this environment. I asked her questions about her background in working with children with autism and she was able to tell me about the accomidations that she had made for some of the children with picture schedules right on the desks in the beginning of the year. My GUT (yes listen to yours too) said this is the place that my son could be successful and a teacher like this could tell me when to step back and what she needed me do or have done in private therapy to help Harrison be successful!
I finally feel like we can now finish up this school year and enjoy the excitement with all the other families who have children going to kindergarten this fall. It will be amazing, adventous, scary, exciting, and nerve racking but at least it will be our journey and one that we are ready to go on-well informed and supported.
If you or someone you know needs more information about IEP's or Speical Education Services in Eastern WA send an email to either me at davearmie@comcast.net or Families Together for People with Disabilities FTPd@familiestogether.org . The Special Education Ombudsman at OSPI (Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction) from your state should be able to help you in providing information that may be relevant to you. If you need that information for Washington State send me an email and I will get it to you.
Families Together for People with Disabilites is a private Non-profit agency who helps to strengthen families through support and encouragement. Do you have a little extra to give? Please consider them. Donations are tax deductable! See their website at www.familiestogether.org
Good Luck and Happy Spring Everyone!
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