Early Literacy Skills for Students with Multiple Disabilities & Challenging Behaviors

Presenters: Roxanna Pena Special Education TeacherLupe Arellano Teacher of the Visually Impaired

Our Philosophy of Education

• All children CAN LEARN regardless of their exceptional differences, it’s up to us to make a difference.

Presenter Experience• Roxanna Peña

11 yrs experience in the field of ed.• 5 yrs Infant Family Specialist @ JBA• 6 yrs Classroom Special Education

Teacher in K-1 SDC setting in TCUSD

Presenter Experience• Lupe Arellano

• 6 yrs in the field of education• 1 year in General Education Pre-School

Setting• 5 years Infant Family Specialist @ JBA• Overlapping with JBA -3 years TVI

Itinerant with Foothill SELPA covering 3 districts (La Canada, Glendale and Burbank)

Miguel• 9 years old • Diagnosis: Retinopathy of Prematurity • Stage V in both eyes (Retinal

Detachment)• Autism

Miguel• Behaviors: stimming, echolalia, minor

aggressive behaviors• Lacks motivation• Excellent O&M skills• Good fine motor skills• Minimal tactile defensiveness • Demonstrates in consistent receptive and

expressive language abilities

Miguel in the past• Not willing to touch braille-pushed it

away• Consider the Perkins Brailler a “toy”-he

would pound on the keys• He would not allow hand-over-hand

Miguel• Set routine

– Greeting– Clear short Directions

• Going to work on….• Go to go…

– Lesson– Repeatedly use verbal reminders of what

will come next in order to increase student anticipation and lessen anxiety.

Present Miguel• Allows hand-over-hand• Willing to “touch” braille and track rows

of braille • He enjoys books and follows along with

a brailled copy • Will search for a requested letter within a

row of brailled dots• Can braille the letter “A” independently

Miguel reading• Video

Miguel writing• Video

Aine• Seven year old girl• Post hemisphorectomy patient• Diagnosed: CVI, seizure disorder, dysarthria• Limited expressive language (approx. 10 words, use of one

hand gestures, vocalization, and use of communication device (dynovox minimo) with auditory scanning ability

• Has extensive receptive language • Setting: SDC classroom setting with support services in OT,

PT, SLP, TVI &augmentative communication therapy

Instructional Strategies• Simple, explicit, and repetitive directions• Consistency in vocabulary use and presentation of

materials • Key word use: First … and then…• Follow through with what the lesson expectation is• Frequent breaks to maintain focus• Positive reinforcement and encouragement, set

boundaries, acknowledgement of what else is going on with the child, and work on building a positive self-concept (not learned-helplessness)

Continue instructional strategies• Provide student ample time to process

directions or requests through intentional pauses

• Use of verbal and auditory directions• Use student name frequently when giving

directions or requesting (items or actions from the student)

• Teaching student by have them complete tasks (with or without assistance) repeatedly to ensure memorization and learned skills

Challenging Behaviors• Throwing items then secure items down (velcro, slip

mats, slant board, clip boards, etc.)• Screaming and hitting then follow through with

behavior management that has been decided on by the team or figure out what else is going on with the student (all behaviors are a form of communication)

• Breaking behavior cycles and not setting student up for failure

Useful Classroom Tools• Tactile schedule• Braille labels on print (ei. red on yellow) placed on

personal and classroom items• Home made tactile and braille books• Timer (to designate specific amount of time for work or

breaks)• Tracing wheel, tactile stickers, wikki stixs, foam

stickers• Structured classroom routine and student schedule for

the purpose of predictability and consistentcy

Hands-on Activity• Materials• Regular classroom worksheets• Adaptation Materials• Tactile Stickers• Tracing wheel• (Discuss poster board)

We thank you for your time.Questions & Answers