staying current on special needs
TRANSCRIPT
Staying Current on Topics of Cognitive Development and Educational Development for Special Needs
Dr. Paul CatesDr. Kirk Cates Faith Christian Ministries Faith Christian Academy
Special Needs…
Has your child felt like a square peg in a round hole?
Does he or she beat to his/her own drummer?
Has he or she been diagnosed as having a certain condition?
…Special Needs…
Some of the names you have heard for special needs are: Autism Anxiety and Stress Disorder ADD ADHD Asperger Syndrome
…Special Needs…
We believe that all students are special and each is unique
We believe that God gives us the gift of these children
We believe that some children learn differently
We believe that all children can and do learn – some just need extra and special assistance
…Special Needs…
We are not trying to simply label your child as one thing or the other
Instead, we want to get to the root of your child’s needs and potential
Sometimes having a name for something can help in our planning but it shouldn’t hold your child or you back
…Special Needs
Some kids learn differently We believe that is okay and the
tools are there to teach your child We want to help with finding the
right tools in order for your child to have success
Staying Current
We at Faith Christian Ministries do our best to stay current on what is the latest news and information about special needs
We stay current on curriculum materials available for special needs
Our mission is to help all students learn the best way they can
Testimonial from a parent
“Not only was Colin not generally a good tester, but he was definitely weak in English. The curriculum you recommended for him this year (which was very heavy in language arts…) has very definitely strengthened, sharpened and bolstered his aptitude in English (from vocabulary and grammar to comprehension).”
Our Philosophy
We work to find each student’s unique abilities and build on that
God makes us each unique and we help our students know how special they are
We work with families in teaching Christian principles with the academics
Testimonial From A Student…
“My parents took me in for diagnostic testing, which Dr. Cates used to both diagnose my impediments and to develop a curriculum that was suited to my special needs. After the testing, he told my parents that I had dyslexia, acute articulation disorder, and severe hyperactivity, but he advised them not to label me thus.
…Testimonial From A Student…
“Instead, I should be encouraged to do my best and never be compared to others, nor should my problems be used as an excuse for poor performance. He showed them how to teach me and reap the most benefits. His enthusiasm and wisdom greatly encouraged my parents and I.
…Testimonial From Student
“Without his continued support and knowledge, I would not have been able to succeed in academics or even been able to accomplish many of the goals I have set for myself. I owe my entire education to his work and would have never been able to go to college without his help.”
Faith Christian Ministries (FCM)
As part of our ministry, we have an academy for students from Preschool to 12th grade
The Faith Christian Academy’s mission is to partner with parents in helping them “raise up a child in the way he should go”
We work with gifted students, special needs students and all others as well
What We Provide…
We provide and conduct diagnostic and educational testing to determine your student’s strengths and weaknesses
We then prepare an Individual Curriculum Plan (ICP) of recommended curriculum and how long and how often to work on each item
…What We Provide…
We provide a variety of curriculum for your student to work with, including a variety of therapies that you purchase from us
We provide training for you and your child in how to most effectively use and teach each book or CD that we recommend
…What We Provide
We provide help in getting special accommodations at multiple schools and institutions
We provide college credit classes while still in high school that can later be transferred
We provide help to you with the Common Application for colleges
Faith Christian Academy…
FCA’s purpose is to educate the next generation of Christians to be well-educated, critical thinkers, excellent communicators, and influencers of their world for the cause of Christ in their realm of professional and personal pursuit.
…Faith Christian Academy…
We supervise each student’s education through annual testing, providing ICPs, educating parents on instructional methods and content, and working with students in intensive courses designed to supplement their home education.
ADHD and Educational Effects…
One problem with ADHD and other academic delays is reading and reading achievement
Research has shown that approximately 60 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD and other learning problems also have co-morbid reading difficulties
…ADHD and Educational Effects…
Co-morbid means having more than one diagnosis or issue.
The reading problems are usually associated with processing issues – such as processing speed, memory issues or intra- or inter-neuro-sensory dysfunction
…ADHD and Educational Effects…
Currently there are two major approaches to managing ADHD/ADD: Medication – it is effective for 40 to 60%
of children but has known side effects Behavioral Treatments – these are
limited in their effectiveness Both approaches have limitations and
may not be the best for your child’s educational abilities
…ADHD and Educational Effects…
Alternative Treatments for ADD/ADHD: Occupational Therapy Biofeedback Vitamins and Herbs Food Supplements These are helpful in managing the special
needs but none of them address cognition, reading, and other academic abilities
Cognitive Development…
Cognitive Development is information processing, intelligence, reasoning, language development, and memory.
It is also the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving, and decision-making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood.
…Cognitive Development
All of these are very important in your child’s learning
We can work with your child to ensure all of these types of learning are occurring for your child
We work with thinking skills and life skills as well as many other curriculums
Educational Development… We also want your child to learn reading,
writing, and arithmetic and so much more We have individualized programs that
include the following: Philosophy Logic Reading Language Arts World History World Geography Thinking Skills Critical Thinking Life Skills
…Educational Development…
We believe in learning precept upon precept
We believe in tailoring an academic and cognitive plan to you child
We include your child’s strengths to be built upon and your child’s weaknesses to be enhanced
We want your child to love learning
The ICP…
We provide an ICP for each child The goal of using the ICP is to bring
about a positive change in the cognitive and academic abilities in children with special needs
We have 40 years of experience in developing these plans and have seen great results
…The ICP…
Before these reports are given to you, testings are done of your child
During these testings and the subsequent results, we can determine each child’s cognitive and academic levels
Then, the ICP is developed for teaching at the independent level – not instructional or frustration levels
FCM Testing Study…
While Dr. Kirk Cates was working on his dissertation, FCM had students participate in a study
The three groups of participants were: Non-Special Needs Non-Medicated Special Needs Medicated Special Needs (If students changed groups during the
three-year study period, they were removed from the study)
…FCM Testing Study…
The Special Needs Groups met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for the diagnosis for their condition
The study lasted for three years and the participants were tested once each year
314 students participated Participants were from 16 cities Ages ranged from 6 years old to
16 years 10 months old
Male Female Total
NON- ADHD Count 27 22 49
% 55.1% 44.9% 100.0%
ADHD-Non-Medicated
Count 110 72 182
% 60.4% 39.6% 100.0%
ADHD-Medicated Count 56 27 83
% 67.5% 32.5% 100.0%
Count 193 121 314
% 61.5% 38.5% 100.0%
Results of Group Study…
Testing Results of WRMT-A…
One test used during the study was the WRMT-A
On the WRMT-A, a child is expected to make one grade level progress for each academic year in school.
This was achieved by all groups after one year following the ICP.
We were pleased with these results.
…Testing Results of WRMT-A
However, after three years the Medicated group were below that goal in Word Identification, Word Comprehension, and Passage Comprehension and Full Scale Reading scores.
The other two groups showed further improvement above that which would be expected.
Testing Results of WRMT-A…Pre-Test - Year 1 Year 1 - Year 3
Sub-test Change Score
Non-ADHD ADHD
ADHD Medicated
Non-ADHD ADHD
ADHD Medicated
Letter Identification
Mean 1.94 2.33 1.71 4.99 4.90 3.02
N 40 163 73 14 65 25
WordIdentification
Mean 1.49 1.46 1.38 4.33 4.24 2.92
N 37 155 68 14 57 24
Word AttackSkills (Phonics)
Mean 2.93 2.26 2.49 6.78 5.52 5.15
N 37 150 68 14 57 24
WordComprehension
Mean 1.68 1.55 1.17 5.81 3.67 2.02
N 37 149 68 14 57 24
PassageComprehension
Mean 1.30 1.35 1.11 5.81 3.29 1.88
N 37 151 68 14 57 24
TotalReading Score
Mean 1.81 1.43 1.18 5.75 3.80 2.31
N 36 142 66 13 53 23
Analysis of Study
The analysis shows a significant difference between groups in three areas of reading: Word Comprehension Passage Comprehension Total Reading
Also shows significant differences between the three groups’ results
What We Are Doing Now
This test study showed us the importance in finding the right curriculum material for each child
It also showed that students on medication and those without medication test quite differently
Learning can be done successfully without medication
What Does This Mean To You
We can work with you to determine the “right fit” for your child
Learning can be accomplished no matter what diagnoses or label has been given
We just have to find what works best for each child and his/her unique abilities
How To Reach Us
We would love to chat more with you – come see us at Booth 209
Please contact us via the following methods: Name: Faith Christian Ministries Phone: 828-435-0670 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.faithchristianmin.org