Second Blog Post: Part III: Learning from others

The second disability category I learned about from the blog post is different/similar from my original category in the following ways:
a. Definition
b. Developmental characteristics
c. Classroom strategies, needs, strengths.


A. Some similarities between Rett Syndrome and Learning Disabilities-Writing, that I noticed was that in the definition it states: “Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write…” A person who has Rett’s Syndrome problems can be seen in communication and social skills when they start falling behind their peers. Both of these disabilities seem to have problems with speech and language. Differences I noticed were that with learning disabilities-writing, it does not state that they lose their social and communication skills that they already have; which is said to happen with children who have Rett Syndrome.

B. A developmental characteristic of a learning disabilities-Writing is that: “Many times a person with a writing disability has another learning disability…” Most girls that have Rett Syndrome also have mental retardation. Both of these disabilities can be paired with another disability along with the one that they have. A person who has Rett’s syndrome or a writing disability can have problems with handing writing skills. A difference is that a person who has Rett’s Syndrome can experience some physical disabilities, like decelerating head size, or shaking or coordination problems.

C. Classroom strategies I noticed were the same were the following: both of us would use the IEP as a foundation on how to teach the student and aid the student in the best way we could in the classroom. We both used a lot of the same sources such as parents, and other teachers. A difference that I noticed was that I talked about introducing myself to the student before school starts, I do not think that was absolutely necessary for a child with a writing disability, but for someone who has Rett’s Syndrome it is. We both found great websites that would help a teacher who taught the child who had the disability. Knowing a lot about the disability before you have the child in your classroom is extremely important and she listed great sources not only to learn about the disability but to stay engaged and up to date about it and what is going on the special education field.

Blog #2 Mental Retardation: Down Syndrome

The first disability that I researched was under “Chronic Illnesses”, “Asthma” and the second disability is Mental Retardation, “Down Syndrome.”

The definition of Asthma is a lot different than the definition of Down syndrome. With Down syndrome, the child is “cognitively impaired” which means people with Down syndrome have a significantly below average general cognitive functioning. With asthma, it does not affect the child’s cognitive abilities. Asthma affects more physically than cognitively, whereas a child with Down syndrome is affected both physically and cognitively.

For Developmental characteristics, there are numerous differences between a child with Down syndrome and a child with Asthma. A child with Down syndrome is affected by physical characteristics and mental characteristics, i.e. facial characteristics, and mental abilities. One thing that is similar between asthma and Down syndrome is that they can be both affected emotionally. A child with Down syndrome might have a hard time emotionally when dealing with big changes in their lives; a child with asthma can also be affected emotionally because they might not be able to participate in everything that they would like to, to the full extent, because of their illness and it can get very frustrating.

For both disabilities, asthma and down syndrome, it is important for a teacher to understand the disability or illness. Teachers should be knowledgeable about the certain child’s IEP and their strengths and weaknesses because every child is different. Teachers should be extremely knowledge about their child’s disability because it will help to be able to learn different ways to teach and what to expect. Teaching strategies might be a little different depending on the severity of the child’s disability, whether it is asthma or Down syndrome. However, strategies differ between disabilities, whereas for a child with Down syndrome, a teacher must be sure to instruct in a step by step method with repeating reinforcement, while never overwhelming the child. For a child who has asthma, the teacher does not have to differentiate instruction as much, per se, however the teacher has to be more patient because the child will most likely be absent from school a lot due to his/her illness. For both disabilities, the teacher should always be in contact with the parents. The parents are the best resources for getting to know a student and getting to understand them and their disabilities to their full extent.

Respone to Social and Emotional Disorders (internalizing)

Brianne Krakovsky
Comparing Deaf and Social and Emotional Disorder (internalizing)

When looking at both definitions, deaf and social and emotional disorders, I can find a few comparisons as well as differences. I realize that although deaf and social & emotional disorders are different from each other, when considering the effects both disorders have in school, they are the same. If a student had either one of these disorders, then it can adversely affect their educational performance. Of course, a student who is deaf will be weak in areas that are different from a student who is dealing with a social or emotional disorder. The main difference that I observed between these two disorders is that being deaf is a sensory disorder, whereas having a social or emotional disorder involves the mind. Students who suffer from a social or emotional disorder are not able to build or maintain social interactions with people. Also, those who suffer are generally unhappy. With someone who is deaf, they are able to socialize and maintain happy moods. Finally, when considering the two definitions, it occurred to me that a student who is deaf could probably develop a social and emotional disorder. Depending on the way that they lost their hearing and the type of situation they are experiencing.
The developmental characteristics of both disorders differ from each other. The main thing that I noticed is that those who are suffering from social and emotional disorders tend to isolate themselves completely from other human interaction. Consequently, those people who are deaf may isolate themselves from certain people, but they tend to draw themselves close to others who are experiencing things that they are experiencing (Deaf community). Again, I would imagine that those who are deaf could, giving their situation, develop all of the characteristics possessed by someone who has a social and emotional disorder.
The same instructional strategies would be taken by a teacher when dealing with these disabilities. Teachers will be monitoring the students work, look for off pattern characteristics, offer support, and make modifications to name a few. What is different is that these strategies will be aimed towards either a child who is deaf, or to a child who has a social and emotional disorder. A teacher who is monitoring a deaf child’s work will be looking for different things compared to a child who has a social and emotional disorder. Also, the accommodations and modifications that a student will use will be different for the two disorders. In the eyes of education, both of these disorders are not seen as a weakness, or a lack of knowledge. Rather, it is seen as students having to learn in different ways. We as teachers need to make this happen.

Response to School Phobia

Response to Social & Emotional Disorders-School Phobia

Question 1: How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws?
Learning Disabilities- Organizational Skills- According to Congress, “Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.”
A learning disability is a condition that causes significant learning problems, most often related to reading and writing. It is a disability of unexpected underachievement that is typically resistant to treatment. Learning disabilities often begin with a language problem at a young age and soon evolve into a reading disability.

Social & Emotional Disorders- School Phobia- An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

Question 2: What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability?
Learning Disorder Characteristics— Learning disabilities may lead to various characteristics that are: academic, social, behavioral, or all three. Some examples of academic characteristics are unexpected underachievement, inability to solve problems, uneven academic abilities, inactive learning style, poor basic language skills, poor basic reading and decoding skills, inefficient information processing abilities, and inability to generalize. Some examples of social characteristics are: immature, socially unacceptable, misinterprets social and nonverbal cues, makes poor decisions, victimized, unable to predict social consequences, unable to follow social conventions (manners), rejected, naïve, shy, withdrawn, insecure, and dependent. Lastly, here are some examples of behavioral characteristics: inattentive, distractible, hyperactive, impulsive, poorly coordinated, disorganized, unmotivated, and dependent.

Social & Emotional Disorder Characteristics—Some characteristics of school phobia are not wanting to attend school, creating excuses no to attend, being absent a lot, complaints about not feeling well, headaches, stomach pains, and nausea or dizziness.

Classroom Strategies, Needs, and, Strengths- There are several things teachers can do to accommodate a student in their class with special needs. For example, if a student has a learning disability the teacher can teach organizational skills to help students overcome or reduce their learning disability. Teachers should target the right skills, set goals and expectations high, use validated instructional procedures, and support students as much as possible. Doing these simple things can make a difference in the student’s education. Educators should also begin teaching the foundations of reading, sound-symbol awareness; phonological awareness; letter fluency; and phonics for example, during preschool years. This can easily decrease a child’s learning disability before it becomes severe. Early intervention is extremely important. The preschool years are very important because this is when the foundation for learning is set. During their preschool years, children begin learning to develop basic skills naturally. However, some children need help, so it is important that an educator is actively involved.
If a child has school phobia, his or her teacher can find the source, devise a plan, monitor the situation, and set up a meeting with that particular child and their parents, or if it was a problem at home a pediatrician or psychologist may need to set up a meeting with the child. Then, the teacher could encourage the child, by planning fun activities that they might like, so they would see school is fun to attend. If the child was embarrassed because he or she was not doing well in the classroom I would schedule and day to have he or she tested for special education services.

Reading Disability and Asperger's Syndrome

The first disability category that I learned about was Reading Disability under Learning Disabilities.
The second disability category I learned about is Asperger’s Syndrome under Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Asperger’s Syndrome is different/similar from my original category in the following ways:

1. Definition: Reading disability and Asperger’s Syndrome have different definitions. Asperger’s Syndrome is characterized under “Autism” according to the federal government’s definition, and reading disability is characterized under learning disabilities. They say that Asperger’s Syndrome can be seen as early as age three, whereas with a reading disability, you may not know until that child really begins reading which could not happen until third or fourth grade. Asperger’s Syndrome is a level of Autism on the spectrum and a reading disability is not categorized as anything besides a learning disability. Students with Asperger’s may need extra assistance and aids in the classroom for speech or behavioral problems, whereas with a reading disability the need for an extra care aid is not as necessary. According to IDEA and the federal government, Asperger’s syndrome is a behavioral disorder that affects the student in every part of their life, and a reading disability is a learning disability that affects the student more on an academic level.

2. Developmental Characteristics: Once again, the developmental characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome and reading disability are more different than they are similar. When a student has Asperger’s Syndrome their interests are narrowed and they exclude activities when they become fixated with just one. A student with a reading disability embraces other activities and may only exclude reading since that is the area in which they struggle the most. Asperger’s Syndrome also causes the student to struggle socially with their peers and may exude unacceptable behavior according to others, but someone with a reading disability does not struggle as much socially and their behavior in public and around others is not considered unacceptable; they can still maintain friendships and relationships. Once again, it comes down to the fact that the disabilities differ in the fact that one is more behavioral and the other is more academic and learning-based.

3. Classroom, strategies, needs, and strengths: In this category, Asperger’s Syndrome and reading disabilities differ again but there are also say strategies for the teacher to use that are the same. Starting with the commonalities, it is recommended for Asperger’s Syndrome that the teacher try to keep a daily routine for the student and block off different subjects for them so they do not get overwhelmed. In the same kind of way, for a student with a reading disability, the time for reading needs to be blocked out for the student and they need to keep a daily routine of reading and answering comprehension questions so they do not give up because it’s too hard. As for the differences, it says that for Asperger’s the teacher should give time limits on the students work so they know what needs to be done and they get it done, but for a reading disability, when the student is having trouble reading or needs to reading something in class it is better to not give them a time limit because it would simply frustrate them and they would give up. The point is to make reading seem fun and exciting to the student and not a chore. Positive feedback is key to both Asperger’s Syndrome and a reading disability because the student needs to know that trying their best and doing what is asked is all the teacher really wants; they do not have to do everything perfectly.

Socialized Aggression & PKU

The first disability category that I learned about is Socialized Aggression under Social and Emotional Disorders (Externalizing). The second disability category I learned about is Phenylketornuria (PKU) under Mental Retardation. PKU is different/similar from my original category in the following ways:

a. Definition: Socialized Aggression and PKU have different definitions. Socialized Aggression is categorized under the federal government’s definition of Emotional Disturbance, whereas PKU is categorized under the federal government’s definition of Mental Retardation. Socialized Aggression refers to youth who build or join a community of peers who are involved in a delinquent act, ‘wilding’ truancy, tagging, theft, bullying others with acts of violence or threats to life or property. Socialized aggression is associated with antisocial behavior and gang membership. PKU is a rare genetic disorder causing high levels of phenylalanine, an enzyme, to be produced in the blood. PKU can cause mental retardation if left untreated. Socialized Aggression is mostly caused by external factors (peers) whereas PKU is caused by genetic factors.

b. Developmental Characteristics: Socialized Aggression and PKU have similar developmental characteristics. Both Socialized Aggression and PKU are characterized by uncontrollable behavior problems. Socialized Aggression causes children to have uncontrollable behavior problems such as persistent lying or stealing, recurring difficulties with the law, tendency to violate the rights and boundaries of others (property, physical, sexual, emotional, legal), substance abuse, aggressive, often violent behavior; prone to getting involved in fights, a persistent agitated or depressed feeling (dysphoria), inability to tolerate boredom, disregard for the safety of self or others, lack of remorse for hurting others, superficial charm, impulsiveness, a sense of extreme entitlement, inability to make or keep friends, lack of guilt, recklessness, impulsivity. PKU, if left untreated, will cause children to have developmental delays in their first year of life. PKU can also cause children to have uncontrollable behavior problems and irritable effects due to damage in the brain.

c. Classroom Strategies, Needs, and Strengths: The classroom strategies, needs, and strengths for Socialized Aggression and PKU have similarities. Socialized Aggression and PKU require the teacher to engage in individualized attention. Since Socialized Aggression and PKU deal with behavioral problems, it would be beneficial for a teacher to use strategies to prevent problems. A strategy that would work for both Socialized Aggression and PKU would be to establish clear consequences for inappropriate behavior. A teaching strategy that would be beneficial for both Socialized Aggression and PKU would be to keep the work load short and time limit short. However, PKU also requires a teacher to be conscious of a child’s diet and to make sure that he/she adheres to it.

Blog #2 Conduct Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome

My category I first researched was Pervasive Developmental Disorder—Asperger’s Syndrome and the second disability category is Social and Emotional Disorders (Externalizing Disorders)—Conduct Disorder. The second disability category I learned about from the blog post is different/similar from my original category in the following ways:
a) Definition:
With both disabilities children are born with them, neither disability is acquired throughout life. They both affect social, academic, and behavioral skills whereas children with Asperger’s Syndrome have more problems with daily living skills. Children with Conduct Disorder have more of an emotional disturbance and including schizophrenia.
b) Developmental Characteristics:
Both Asperger’s Syndrome and Conduct Disorder deal with behavior and socialization issues. While a child with Conduct Disorder will behave more aggressively in a social situation, a child with Asperger’s Syndrome may act more unnatural as opposed to aggressive. A child with Asperger’s may be more awkward and take part in recurring routines while a child with Conduct Disorder will participate in destruction of property. Regardless, both disorders have poor relationships with other people.
c) Classroom Strategies, Needs, Strengths:
In a classroom with a child with Conduct disorder a teacher is more worried about changing the child’s poor behaviors and developing new ones, while a teacher with a student with Asperger’s Syndrome tries to create a more comfortable environment for the student. Teachers in both situations can use the child study team when helping a child, or speak to previous teachers to see what worked for the child and what did not. There are also a multitude of books and accredited websites for each disorder that a teacher would be able to use.

Response to Mental Retardation: Prader Willi Syndrome

Alyssa Forte
Professor Alfano
CPSY 1001
3 December 2007

The original disability that I wrote about was writing disabilities. The second disability category that I was assigned was Prader Willi Syndrome. Prader Willi Syndrome differs from a writing disability because Prader Willi Syndrome is classified as genetic based mental retardation and a writing disability is classified as a learning disability. Prader Willi Syndrome is caused by an abnormality on chromosome 15. There is no specific cause for a writing disability. Prader Willi Syndrome can lead to cognitive disabilities, such as a writing disability so the two disabilities are connected in a cause and effect relationship. Prader Willi can also lead to physical disabilities, such as low muscle tone, an uncontrollable appetite, and a person who has this will be shorter in height than others. A writing disability does not cause any physical disabilities. Both are similar in the fact that people with Prader Willi Syndrome and writing disabilities are more likely to have other disabilities than people who do not have either of these.
Developmental characteristics for people with Prader Willi Syndrome are more physical while they are more educational / learning related for people with writing disabilities. Developmental characteristics of people with Prader Willi Syndrome include speech delay, learning disabilities, poor physical coordination, overeating, obesity, diabetes, scoliosis, skin which easily bruises, oversleeping, learning delays, delayed motor development, and infertility. Developmental characteristics of people with writing disabilities include problems developing spelling skills, illegible handwriting, forming letters incorrectly, and reversing letters. Other difficulties people with writing disabilities have are with word and letter spacing, phonics, and differentiating between the singular and plural forms of a word. Both disabilities affect a person academically and people with both disabilities will need extra help in the classroom.
Being a teacher of any student with a disability requires many accommodations and modifications. Both students with Prader Willi Syndrome and writing disabilities will have IEPs, which all teachers should be familiar with. Students with Prader Willi Syndrome should be seated in the front of the room to prevent them from falling asleep or being distracted. Students with Prader Willi Syndrome also should not be tempted with food because they overeat, so using food as a reward would not be good for them. Students with writing disabilities would benefit from a reduced amount of note taking and reinforced learning of how letters are formed. Both students with PWS and writing disabilities would have more time on tests and different kinds of tests, such as not having them do essay tests. Both students with PWS and writing disabilities would be incorporated into whatever classroom they are assigned to by working in groups with classmates. Using assistive technology would help all students with disabilities as well as students who do not have them.

Response to Eating Disorders (Social and Emotional Disorders)

Social and emotional disorders (eating disorders in particular) are very different from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Emotional and psychological problems are generally the cause of an eating disorder. ADD is a developmental disorder that is neurobiological and research suggests that it may be genetic. Despite the different origins of eating disorders and ADD, the two disorders share many common characteristics. People with either disorder can have depression, low self-esteem, and the inability to concentrate, and neither disorder is connected with intelligence. However, where there are behavioral and medicinal treatments for ADD there are only behavioral and therapeutic treatments for eating disorders, though antidepressants can be prescribed. Eating disorders are also harder to notice in a classroom setting. A child with ADD exhibits behavioral characteristics at school like restlessness, whereas a child with an eating disorder may appear to behave normally, or if anything seem shy or depressed, a characteristic of many disorders which would make it more difficult to pinpoint and diagnose an eating disorder. Therefore, there is less that a teacher can do in the classroom to help a student with an eating disorder other than create a safe, nonjudgmental environment in school where the student will feel comfortable. A child with ADD may need extra time to complete tasks in school, but since many people do not inform schools of their children’s eating disorders (and some parents do not inform schools if their children have ADD either) it can be difficult for a teacher to provide help. Any teacher can help students with concentration problems by refocusing them during tasks and repeating directions for them. These techniques would help both students with eating disorders and students with ADD, even if the teacher is unaware that the student has either disorder. Both disorders can make it difficult for children to function at school, have good relationships with peers and/or teachers, and concentrate, whether due to ADD or an eating disorder. Teachers should foster a caring classroom where bullying is not allowed so that students with or without a disorder feel comfortable, making it more likely that they will be able to learn. Luckily, there is a lot of research on both disorders, many trained professionals, and many resources for students and families who deal with these disorders.

Response to ADHD-Danielle Blair

1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that affects a student’s ability to function and focus with everyday activities, including activities in the classroom. People with ADHD have an imbalance in the attention and activity part of the brain that affects their ability to focus. As a result, people have a hard time focusing academically and socially. ADHD is similar to Learning Disabilities in Mathematics because of the type of behaviors they represent. They are both mental health disorders that effect a person’s academically and socially. Students with learning disabilities in mathematics specifically struggle with all aspects of mathematics including organization, similarly students with ADHD have trouble focusing and socializing which also has an effect on a students organizational skills.
2. There are a wide range of developmental characteristics which all stem from the part of the brain that controls attention and activity in a person. Since the brain lacks control over attention and activity in a person, a person cannot control their impulses to act on certain behaviors. Therefore, if a person as an impulse to call out or hit someone they will act on it because the brain is not cautioning them to stop and think about their actions. Consequently, in school students diagnosed with ADHD are constantly reprimanded and corrected for their behavior. While ADHD is usually diagnosed during childhood, people who do not show symptoms until later can be diagnosed during their teenage years or as late as adulthood. The symptoms that are associated with ADHD include difficulty paying attention, trouble finishing or completing assignments on time, loss or forgetfulness of homework assignments, easily distracted, lack of attention with details and makes careless mistakes, trouble with organization, impatient, restless immature social behavior, and excessive talking. The developmental characteristics differ between ADHD and mathematic learning disabilities because math learning disabilities focus mainly on difficulties concerning math such as difficulty mastering number facts whereas, ADHD mainly affects a persons ability to focus and maintain on task. However, both disabilities can affect one another. For example, if a student has ADHD and have difficulty with their organization skills and are easily distracted, this can affect a student’s ability to excel in mathematics because they lack the ability to focus and therefore retain the information.
3. There are many ways to accommodate and support a student with ADHD in and outside of the classroom. Communication between the parents and teacher is important when dealing with a student with ADHD. For example, if the parents feel comfortable sharing with the school/teacher that the child is on medication this helps the teacher in particular recognize specific behaviors the student displays on and off medication and can accommodate the student based on those observations. In conjunction with the home, teachers can send home weekly reports to the parents to keep them informed about their child’s accomplishments and struggles in school. In the classroom, the teacher can utilize simple strategies such as placing the student’s seat in the front of the classroom near the teacher, where there are less distractions and more teacher student interaction. Teachers can also extend time on assignments for the student and help strengthen the student’s organization skills by helping them list in a planner all academic and extracurricular activities to organize their day. Shorter tests with direct questions or extended time on tests will allow the student to focus more and complete the test to the best of their ability because they are not pressured to complete the assignment with the rest of the class. If necessary, an aid can be present in the classroom for further assistance. The strategies and accommodations to support a student with ADHD are similar to those associated with a student that has a learning disability in mathematics. Both students require extended time on assignments and tests, assistance organizing their work, and daily/weekly progress reports documenting their growth. Communication between parents is also important as well as the classroom set-up and where the child is seated.

My Response to a Math Learning Disability.

Samantha Woodhull
Conduct Disorder & Mathematical Learning Disorder

The two disabilities I have been assigned are very different. My first disability was Conduct Disorder which is classified under Social and Emotional Disorders and Externalizing Disorders. My second disability is a Math Learning Disability. This is classified under Learning Disabilities.
The definition of Conduct Disorder is a condition which exhibits certain characteristics such as an inability to learn that cannot be explained intellectual, sensory, or health factors, an inability to form proper social relationships, a general moos of depression, and a tendency to develop physical symptoms related to feats associated with personal or school problems. The definition of a Mathematics Learning Disability is a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written … to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such a perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
The developmental characteristics of Conduct Disorder are aggression to people and animals, destruction of property, lying or stealing, and violation of rules. They also have higher rates of depression, learning troubles, higher rates of injury, and poor relationships with other people. The developmental characteristics of a Mathematical Learning Disorder are incomplete mastery of number facts, conceptual weakness, difficulty transferring knowledge, incomplete understanding of language of math, and difficulty comprehending the visual and spatial aspects and perceptual difficulties.
The classroom strategies a teacher would need to support a student with Conduct Disorder are a series of steps described in behavioral disorders: focus on change. As a teacher, you need to focus on behaviors that need to be changed, identify new behaviors that need to be developed, provide opportunities to practice new behavior, treat social deficits as errors in learning, and teach students to take responsibility for their own learning. The classroom strategies a teacher would need to support a student with a Mathematical Learning Disorder are being able to openly communicate with the student’s parents, past teachers, and other professionals who have worked with the student to gain knowledge about the students learning ability and strength and weaknesses that will benefit the support. Another important strategy is being able to openly communicate with the child. It is also important to create a classroom atmosphere where all students feel comfortable.

Response to ADD

The two disabilities that I am comparing are very different disorders. They are classified differently, defined differently and they have very different characteristics. They accommodations and modifications are also very unlike.
ADD is classified under the category as Other Health Impairments where eating disorders are classified under Emotional Disorders: Internalizing. ADD and emotional disorders in general have one similarity and that is it has an effect on a child’s educational performance but for eating disorders that is not usually the case.
The developmental characteristics are dissimilar also. A child with ADD will often appear forgetful, unable to concentrate or have organizational problems. A child will an eating disorder will have more psychological issues that have to do with themselves such as distorted body image or experience depression or anxiety. Eating Disorders are similar to ADD in the way that it can be hard to be identified in a child. Often times with ADD, adults think the child is lazy or being defiant. With the children that are socially withdrawn that have a eating disorder it usually goes unnoticed because these children do not draw attention to themselves.
Children with ADD and an eating disorder require different types of modification and accommodations. People with an eating disorder need a lot of support and positive influence whereas children with ADD need help with educational aspects such as organizing their notebooks and making sure the books and materials that need to be at school or home are in the appropriate places. One thing that can work for both of these disabilities and any other one is creating an accepting atmosphere. Sometimes the other kids in the class pick up on the students with disorders even though they aren’t physically noticeable and they alienate them. Creating an environment that is accepting and a classroom that has a zero tolerance for bullying can help to eliminate this. Also group work is good for the children because it will pair them with someone that maybe they will form a bond with. This can be helpful socially for students will ADD and a student suffering from an eating disorder.

Learning Disabilities- Reading

Question 1: How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws?
Learning Disability-- As explained by New Jersey's Administrative Code: "Specific learning disability" corresponds to "perceptually impaired" and means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.

Reading Disability Definition-- A reading disability is when a reader has problems meeting reading milestones for a given age or grade. A child can have difficulty with one or more aspects of the reading process. A reading disability may also be referred to as a reading difficulty, reading problem, reading disorder or dyslexia.


Question 2: What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability?
Reading Disability Characteristics-- Some children with a reading disability have trouble learning to read because they have not been exposedto early experiences with text that leads to an understanding of what reading is about. They do not understand that you derive meaning from thetext itself. Another characteristic is that they lack knowledge of lettersand a sense that letters make sounds that create a spoken language that they can already speak. Children who struggle with these obstacles at a young age can catch up with their peers in reading eventually throughschool-based interventions. Other children's reading disabilities that are not as simple as these have brain based ones. Many times the disability isinherited and their problems are much harder to eliminate with normal educational interventions. Children that are known to have this, arediagnosed with having a Specific Reading Disability or dyslexia. Many timespeople with reading disabilities can use phonetic strategies to decode wordsbut have trouble with their reading comprehension (understanding what theyread). Another characteristic of a reading disability is the student's reading fluency or automaticity. People who have this often read slowly andstumble over words; it requires great effort for the person so it becomes something they avoid. There are no physical characteristics that go alongwith having a reading disability. Students who have this disability might feel as though they are different then their peers when reading in class orthey may feel slightly less intelligent since often times they are placedin a lower level reading group because they struggle to read on their ownlevel. This can affect the student's self confidence and relationships withtheir peers, but overall a reading disability can be rexognized and action can be taken so the student and peers do not feel so different from oneanother.

Commonalities and Differences of Reading and Writing— An obvious commonality would be that a reading disability and a writing disability are both learning disabilities. Students who have either one of these (or maybe even both) struggle in the language arts subject during the school day. Another commonality is that they both are brain based at times and are something that the person has for their whole life. There are ways to improve both of them, but they are not “cured” or taken away from the student. A major difference between the two is that one has to do with writing words and the other has to do with reading words. For a writing disability, a student struggles with getting their thoughts and ideas down on paper and writing them out. A student with a reading disability struggles with understanding written text and seeing and deriving a meaning from it. Someone with a writing disability may be able to read fluently but then not able to write an essay pertaining to what they read, where as a student with a reading disability may be able to write a report but cannot write the report because they were not able to read the book or understand what the meaning was.


Question 3: If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability? This would include academic and social support.
A way to support a child with this type of disability academically would be to provide quiet areas for reading and answering comprehension questions. By doing this it allows the student to feel okay about making mistakes since his/her peers are not all around and listening. The quiet area might also give them more confidence and in turn make them try harder and not give up right away like they might have if they were surrounded by their classmates. If the child has an extremely hard time reading there is always the option of allowing them to listen to books on tape. If you do this, they can follow along with the book but at the same time still be able to take in the story. Another strategy would be to give the student small amounts of reading at different times. Instead of assigning an entire book, allow them to read a few chapters so they can really concentrate on those chapters instead of trying to cram in an entire book that they will not understand in the end. Another way to support this child would be to use large print texts; this may help them see the words and concentrate on the page more than anything else. Students also need a lot of encouragement from their peers, teachers, and family at home. Having the parents practice with their child every night and setting an example of reading helps the student to want to read and might help them try harder and not get discouraged. Children with reading disabilities are like anyone else and it might be hard to socially support them since if you have a reading disability it does not often come up in social contexts. However, sometimes if the student is in public and needs to read something there are always ways to help them along so they do not stand out from everyone else. If a parent, friend, or teacher is around they may be able to aid the student in reading the word(s).


Question 4: What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child? (websites, agencies, people within your school, curriculum materials: 2 or 3 line description for each resource is required.)
One resource could be The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. They have a website and many tools that could help teachers and parents learn more about learning disabilities and show them how many different kinds there are. It is always important to be informed especially if your student or child has one.
Another tool is the Reading Success Lab. Their web address is http://www.readingsuccesslab.com/Glossary/ReadingDisability.html. This site allows parents and teachers to communicate with each other and gain more information on learning disabilities.

The Learning Disabilities Association of America is another place that contains a lot of good information on learning disabilities. It also provides support for those suffering and ideas for those teaching. It gives information on different aspects of learning disabilities and ways to help.

Another website is called http://www.audiblox2000.com/learning_disabilities/reading_disabilities.htm. This shows different types of reading disabilities and it also allows people to share their stories of coping with one or having a child or family member that has one. This could help the teacher, parent and student see the real side to the disability and help the child feel as though they are not the only ones who have it.

A child’s former teacher could aid in your support because they have been with that student for a year and know ways in which they learn best. Taking ideas from other teachers who have already taught someone with the disability is always a great way to gain information that will help them to learn better.


Works Cited
(2004-2006). Reading Success Lab. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from Reading Disability Web site: http://www.readingsuccesslab.com/Glossary/ReadingDisability.html

(2006). Learning Disabilities Association of America. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from Learning Disabilities: Signs, Symptoms and Strategies Web site: http://www.ldaamerica.org/aboutld/parents/ld_basics/ld.asp

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from NICHCY Home Web site: http://www.nichcy.org/

Plessis, Susan Audiblox. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from Reading Disabilities: Why Some Children Web site: http://www.audiblox2000.com/learning_disabilities/reading_disabilities.htm

Learning Disability - Writing

NAME: Alyssa Forte TOPIC: Learning Disabilities - Writing

How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws?

Writing disabilities are classified as a specific learning disability. According to the Federal Government, “Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations including such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantages” (Smith, 2007).

What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability?

Many times a person with a writing disability has another learning disability, so characteristics of any person with a disability are common with people who have a writing disability (Beringer, 1999). Some social characteristics of people who have learning disabilities are immaturity, misinterpreting social and nonverbal cues, inability to predict and follow social situations, shyness, and insecurity (Smith, 2007). Developmental characteristics of people with a writing disability include problems developing spelling skills, illegible handwriting, and forming letters incorrectly or reversing letters (Beringer, 1999 and Silverman, 2002). Word spacing, poor phonics skills, and trouble telling the difference between the singular and plural form of a word are other characteristics of a person who has a writing disability (Silverman, 2002). Emotional characteristics of people with a writing disability, such as dysgraphia, which is when a person has trouble with handwriting, include frustration from having to redo work (International Dyslexia Association, 2000). Cognitive characteristics of people with writing disabilities, or reasons why they might have a disability are because of problems with their fine motor skills, and being unable to remember patterns of letters (IDA, 2000). However, each person with a disability is different and all of them are on different levels of functioning.


If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability?

If I was a teacher in a general education classroom and one of my students had a writing disability, the first thing I would look at was the student’s IEP. The student’s IEP will tell what accommodations and modifications are needed (Smith, 2007). If the student had dysgraphia, an essay test would be one of the worst ways to test that student because the test would require a lot of writing (Wright, 2007). Students who have dysgraphia often lose their train of thought, which is another reason why an essay test would not be beneficial to the student (IDA, 2000). I would use different forms of testing, such as oral tests or I would have the student dictate what he or she is trying to say to a teacher, who would then write their ideas down for them. I would also give a student with a writing disability more time to take a test (Jones, 1999). I would have all of my students, regardless of if they had a writing disability, practice writing the letters of the alphabet daily because it would be a good reinforcement (IDA, 2000). I would use exercises, such as writing with eyes closed or leaving specific spaces for letters, in order to help a student with a writing disability become better at remembering the formation of letters (IDA, 2000). Another exercise I would use is showing a student how the letter is formed using arrows so he or she can have help remembering (Beringer, 1999). Even though I would be using exercises to help the student learn the letters, I would also try to reduce the amount of copying that a student would have to, such as taking notes (Jones, 1999). I would also use assistive technology, such as computers to help a student who had difficulty with fine motor skills (IDA, 2000). Social support that I would use would be the student’s parents, the student’s past teachers, and other special education and general education teachers.

What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child?

One website that I would use as a teacher to help a child who had a writing disability is: http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/writing
The reason why I would use this website is because it lists helpful tips for teaching students who have writing disabilities, and tells information about different types of learning disabilities.

Another website that I would use as a teacher to help students with writing disabilities is:
http://www.wrightslaw.com
The reason why I would use this website is because it shows the special education laws that all teachers should know. This website also answers questions that people have about the special education field, so it is beneficial to everyone.

Another website that I would use is:
http://www.cec.sped.org
The reason why I would use this website is because it tells the latest news and current events happening in the special education community that all teachers should know about.

People within my school that I would use as a resource to help me with the child are the student’s former teachers because they would know how the student works best and worst.

Curriculum materials that I would use in order to help serve the child would be the student’s IEP because it dictates the accommodations and modifications that I should be using in order to help the student learn the best they can.

Works Cited
Beringer, V. (1999). The "Write Stuff" for preventing and treating disabilities.In Perspectives. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.write.tx.beringer.htm

International Dyslexia Association. (2000). What is dysgraphia?. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.dysgraphia.facts.htm

Jones, S. (1999). Dysgraphia accommodations and modifications. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6202

Silverman, L. K. (2002). Upside-down brilliance: the visual-spatial learner. Denver: DeLeon Publishing.

Smith, D. D. (Ed.). (2007). Introduction to special education: making a difference (6th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Wright, P. (2007). Are teachers required to provide all accommodations and modifications listed in the child’s IEP?. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/accoms.mods.kelly.htm

Deafness

NAME: Brianne Krakovsky TOPIC: Deaf

Use this template to organize your work for the blog assignment. You MUST turn this sheet in as well as post your research on the blog.

Question
Answer (including fully cited resources)
How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws? (Consider federal education laws such as IDEA & NJ spec ed code.)
Both deaf and hard of hearing, under IDEA 04’, belong to one special education group called “hearing impairments”. Specifically, the federal government defines deafness as:
A hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, which adversely affects a child’s education performance.
What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability? (cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and levels of functioning.)
People who are deaf have a profound hearing loss, which causes a delay in some developmental areas. Children who are deaf do not develop language at the time that they developmentally should. This delay in language development drastically affects an individual’s cognitive and social skills. Some of the common characteristics that we see in these areas include the low reading levels among deaf people. A reading level for a deaf high-school does not reach a level where a person can be considered literate. (put in a citation). It is shown that being deaf drastically effects reading and oral communication. Socially, the Deaf will learn ASL, and use this as their form of communication. ASL stands for American Sign Language. It is a complete and complex language, and it is not a translation of the English language. ASL is the language of the Deaf community and the main factor in the Deaf culture. Deaf people consider themselves part of the Deaf community. Deaf community considers being deaf as part of their culture, and it drastically effects the lives of these individuals. The Deaf community considers themselves a minority. To them, deafness is not a disability, but something that brings them together.

Someone who has hearing loss can be at a different level then others. No one person is the same in their disability. When talking about hearing loss (deafness), we need to consider three areas for the degree of loss: age, when the loss occurred, and the type of hearing loss. There are two general types of hearing loss: Conductive hearing loss and Sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss would not be the most common type form of loss for a deaf person. A deaf person would probably have a Sensorineural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss involves damage to the inner ear, or auditory nerve. Sensorineural hearing losses are harder to correct, being that individuals are able to hear different frequencies at different intensities. The degree of the hearing loss would be at profound, in order for a person to be considered deaf. A profound hearing loss is when assistive learning devices alone enable the individual to understand oral information. Finally, the last factor we have to consider is the age of onset. If a person is prelingually deaf, then they have not developed any oral language. They were deaf before this was able to happen. Being prelingually deaf drastically affects their ability to communicate with others and learn academic subjects. Another form of onset is postlingually, which implies that a person was able to develop oral language before becoming deaf. This allows people to retain their abilities and communicate orally with others.
If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability? This would include academic and social support.
I would want to make sure that I am providing this student with the best LRE that I possibly can. The first thing I would do in my classroom includes assessing and learning about the child’s disability. I would want to know the severity of it, and what exactly his/ her abilities are. This would also involve learning the rights and laws that apply for this particular student. Also, I would be talking with past teachers to see what academic strategies he/she has used, and what worked best for them. I would then try to implement some of those strategies in my classroom.

In order to make the deaf student and the non-deaf students comfortable in my classroom, I would want everyone to learn some general ASL signs. I would also try to learn as much ASL as possible. By learning ASL, communication will flow more easily in my classroom. It will lessen the communication gap between the orally and non-orally speaking students. This, in turn, can also support the student academically. If I am able to sign while I teach, then the student can follow along more easily with the lesson. To supplement my signing, I will find out if the student is legible for a translator in order to direct more attention to him/her. Turning to the SLP that is assigned to the school would be a good way of learning about activities and ideas that foster better speech and language. Additionally, I will make sure that I use all the resources available to me to supplement the students learning.
What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child? (websites, agencies, people within your school, curriculum materials: 2 or 3 line description for each resource is required.)
An educational program should be made including the services of an audiologists, SLP, interpreters, teachers of the deaf, and possibly OTs and PTs.
This group of people, along with others that are closely involved with the child, will help make an educational program for the student. They will all have a say in the child’s IEP, and will be the ones who actually carry out his/her educational program.
A main resource that will help me as teacher would be the child and his/her parents. We want to know what works best for the student, and what he/she would like in the classroom. The only way we can find out the best things for the student is to talk to the student themselves and their parents. They will be an essential part in developing an educational program for the disabled student.
http://www.state.nj.us/education/lrc/info.htm#infoserv
This website is the official state of New Jersey department of education website. Within the website, you can find information about Learning Resource Center’s (link above). A LRC is a service that is provided for teacher that releases a report twice a year. The report gives out information and activities that are relevant to teachers and parents with disabled children. Some of the things that LRC offers are workshops, training institutions, and assistive technology. They also offer a service where they will bring the material to your school.
http://www.ed.gov/searchResults.jhtml
This is a website that is offered from the U.S. department of education. The website is useful for finding information that will support the children in your classroom. Specifically, I found teacher resources within the website. Also, there is current news available on the website. All these things are helpful for teachers to visit frequently in order to keep up with what is going on in the educational world.
http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/ddhh/index.html
This link will bring you to an area on the web were you can contact and learn about the Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The DDHH advocates for an estimated 720,000 Deaf or hard of hearing people in New Jersey. It advocates in settings such as social, legal, medical, educational, and recreational. This Division offers many helpful things for those who are Deaf or hard of hearing.









Work Cited

Mayberry, R. I. (2002). Handbook of Neuropsychology (Vol. 8, 2nd ed.). Elsevier Science B.V. Retrieved November 25, 2007, from informaworld.

(2006). Retrieved November 26, 2007, from http://www.state.nj.us/education/lrc/info.htm#infoserv.

(2006). Retrieved November 26, 2007, from http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/ddhh/index.html.

(n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2007, from http://www.ed.gov/searchResults.jhtml

Smith, D. D. (2007). Intorduction to Special Education (6th ed.). MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Disabilities- Mathematics

1. According to the New Jersey Special Education Administrative Code, 6A:14-3.5, a “"Specific learning disability" corresponds to "perceptually impaired" and means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written…to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.” When a child’s performance in mathematics is substantially below what is expected based on the ability of other student’s their age, a child is considered learning disabled in mathematics. Mathematically disabled students range from mild to severe and present varying types of difficulties for students. A more specific form of learning disabilities in mathematics is dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is referred to as the dyslexia of math, where students have difficulty comprehending a wide-range of mathematic concepts that varies from person to person and affect people differently in school and throughout life. Students with learning disabilities in mathematics have trouble mastering basic number facts, the language of math, the visual-spatial aspects of math, as well as a host of other difficulties.

2. The onset of math disabilities can occur at any point in a child’s scholastic development. Although research continues to be compiled about the causes and interventions for students with learning disabilities in mathematics, there are presently five different skill types that experts refer to, to diagnose a student. A student can exhibit deficits in one or more of the different skill types, which all affect a child’s ability to excel in mathematics.

a.) Incomplete mastery of number facts is one of the skills that students have difficulty with. Mastery of number facts is the memorization of basic computations such as 5+6=11. Students begin to memorize these number facts during the early elementary years. If students are unable to master the basic number facts, they will have difficulty progressing to more advanced mathematical concepts because they will be unable to compute simple problems.

b.) Computational Weakness is another skill students struggle with. Computation weakness is when students make errors computing math problems because they misread signs, carry numbers incorrectly, write numbers illegible, or in the wrong columns. As a result, these students compute the wrong answer to math problems. Although students may have a weakness computing, the students may have a good understanding of mathematical concepts but struggle with visualizing or writing the problem out. Basic computation is essential to master in elementary school because getting the right answer is important in the lower grades.

c.) Difficulty transferring knowledge is the inability to make connections between the abstract or conceptual aspects of mathematics with reality. This is a common difficulty experienced by students with learning disabilities in mathematics because they are unable to relate abstract ideas to concrete ones. For example, understanding the dimensions of a triangle on paper and physically. Students that have difficulty transferring knowledge will better understand abstract concepts if they are able to hold and examine the objects.

Making connections with mathematical concepts is similar to the idea of transferring knowledge. Students have difficulty making connections between numbers and the quantities they represent, for example, understanding the quantitative difference between an inch and a mile. If students have difficulty making these connections then they will have trouble applying this information to new and more challenging situations.

d.) Incomplete understanding of the language of math serves as a huge problem for learning disabled students and can be the result of a language disorder. These students may also have difficulty with reading, writing, and speaking. However, in math the language problem lies with the difficult terminology used in math that is not used outside of the classroom. As a result, students find it difficult to comprehend written or verbal directions or explanations and have difficulty with word problems.

e.) Difficulty comprehending the visual and spatial aspects and perceptual difficulties is presently not a common problem; however it serves as the most severe for students that are unable to successfully visualize math concepts. These students will have problems judging the relative size of three completely different objects.

Aside from the five skill types other developmental characteristics for learning disabled students in mathematics, there are other signs that parents and/or educators can be look out for. The main signs parents and/or educators should take heed of is difficulty with output, organization, language, attention, visual spatial or ordering, and multiple tasks. Students with output difficulties will have difficulty memorizing and recalling basic math facts, procedures, rules, formulas and recently learned material. If they are able to recall this information they will be slow in doing so which can also affect the pace and legibility of writing. Students will also have difficulty with accuracy and forget what he/she is doing while working on a problem.

Students with organizational difficulties will struggle with the order of multiple step problems and focus on irrelevant parts of an arithmetic and/or word problem instead of the important information. Language difficulties cause a student to have difficulty with the vocabulary of math, confusion with the language of word problems, problems with receptive and expressive language of math and difficulty remembering values and math definitions. Attention difficulties in math include being easily distracted or restless, loss of place, and may look mentally fatigued or extremely tired when doing math problems. Students with problems in visual, spatial, or sequential aspects of math may have trouble learning and ordering multi-step procedures, feel overwhelmed when given a worksheet of math problems, and unable to copy problems correctly. These students will also face difficulty reading the hands on a clock, interpreting and manipulating objects, and the movement of objects in space. A student with problems with multiple tasks may find it difficult to move from one type of problem to the next and cannot handle all of the demands of a complicated word problem.

3. If I were a teacher in a general education classroom I would need a lot of information and strategies to help support a child that is learning disabled in math. Being able to openly communicate with the student’s parents, past teachers, and other professionals who have worked with the student to gain knowledge about the students learning ability and strengthens and weaknesses will benefit my support of the student. Open communication will also allow me to devise a plan of action that will best address the child’s needs. Also, speaking with the child directly to gain a better understanding of where he/she struggles will help me support the student. Discussing with the student what they are having problems with and devising a goal with the student will give the student more confidence in overcoming this disability. As far as my classroom is concerned, it is important that I create an atmosphere for all students to feel comfortable and accepted so that they will want to learn and do well. As a result, it is important that I instill a foundation of respect and acceptance in my classroom so that there is a sense of camaraderie and openness in the classroom.

After identifying what the student’s strengths and weakness are I can, along with the assistance of parents and other educators work to help the student learn math more effectively. Working outside the classroom, at home for instance allows further reinforcement of topics and allows the student to become more acquainted with the material. There are a number of strategies that can be used in the classroom for a student that has a learning disability in mathematics. Strategies that can be used inside and outside the classroom include, using graph paper to organize ideas, using more than one method to figure out a math problem, using concrete objects to introduce a concept and then moving on to abstract ideas, clear and explicit explanation of instructions, encouragement, a distraction free work environment and a lot of practice in short sessions.

I can also encourage students to have a math journal where they record all of the math ideas they have learned. Therefore, students can refer back to a topic if they need to refresh their memories. The incorporation of math games will improve their working memory and push the students to work under pressure. When working with math problems, students can use mnemonic devises that will help them order the information in a word problem. I can also encourage the student to put problems into their own words and to verbalize the problems out loud so he/she can feel more comfortable with math problems because they will be able to explain them. For students that have difficulty with attention, I will assist the student in self-monitoring and self-checking themselves so they have an opportunity to stop and correct themselves. Also, making sure I choose math topics of interest and relation to the students will further incline the student to learn and perform the math problems. Spending too much time on one topic will lose the attention of most students. Therefore, allowing short sessions of meaningful instruction will maintain the student’s attention and help them to remember the information. To increase classroom camaraderie I can choose a student that is strong in math and will serve as a helpful resource for the student that is weak in math. The stronger student will tutor the other student. This will vary the type of help the student is receiving and allow the teacher to help other students in the class when necessary.

Most of the aforementioned strategies can not only be used for students that are learning disabled in mathematics but for all students. This way all students are gaining helpful and beneficial skills in math that will help them to succeed.

4. There are a number of resources that will help a teacher serve a child that is learning disabled in mathematics. This includes:

Math specialists in the school: Math specialists can provide the teacher with strategies to use in the classroom to assist the student. They are also an outside the classroom resource that the student can go to for extra help.

Bender, William N. (1992). Learning Disabilities: Characteristics, Identification, and

Teaching Strategies. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

The Learning Disabilities book is a great resource for future and present teaches. The book discusses in detail the varying types of learning disabilities, how to identify them as a teacher and strategies to accommodate the students in the classroom.

(2006). Learning Disabilities Association of America. Retrieved November 23, 2007,

http://www.ldaamerica.org/index.cfm.

The Learning Disabilities Association of America website for parents, teachers, professionals, anyone who has or knows someone with a learning disability. It is an educational tool with vast information of various types of learning disabilities and a support system for people. There are Learning Disability sites located all over the United States. The one in New Jersey is located in Towaco, NJ. The mission of all of LDA “is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations”.

(1999). National Center for Learning Disabilities. Retrieved November 23, 2007,

http://ncld.org/.

The National Center for learning Disabilities website is an online resource for parents, teachers, or anyone else who wants to gain information about learning disabilities. The website provides accurate, up to date information for anyone interested in learning disabilities to ensure that people with learning disabilities are afforded equal educational rights as those without learning disabilities.

(2002). Misunderstood Minds: Difficulties with Mathematics. Retrieved November 23,

2007, from Misunderstood Minds: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/mathdiffs.html.

The website, Misunderstood Minds provides helpful information for parents and teachers about what signs they should be paying attention to if a child has a learning disability in math. There are also strategies to help the student inside and outside of the classroom as well as cultural observations and statistics of mathematics disabilities today.

(2007). LD Online: Math. Retrieved November 23, 2007, from LD Online: The world's

leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD:

http://www.ldonline.org/.

The LD Online website is also a useful resource for researching information about learning disabilities and ADHD. The website offers articles, newsletters, first person accounts and in-depth information of specific learning disabilities and ways to accommodate the disabilities in the classroom.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Asperger's and Rett Syndrome

1. How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws? (Consider federal education laws such as IDEA & NJ spec ed code.)
· Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder may be eligible for early intervention services (birth to 3) and an educational program appropriate to their individual needs. In addition to academic instruction, special education programs for students with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (ages 3 to 22) focus on improving communication, social, academic, behavioral, and daily living skills. Behavior and communication problems that interfere with learning often require the assistance of a professional who is particularly knowledgeable in the autism field to develop and help implement a plan which can be carried out at home and school.
o “Disability Info: Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Fact Sheet (FS1). National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. 14 November 2007. .

· Asperger’s Syndrome: Recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA ‘97) will significantly influence how behavioral support is conceptualized and provided to students with Asperger's Syndrome. IDEA ‘97 requires school districts to conduct functional behavioral assessments when student behavior negatively impacts individual student learning and the school environment.
o Buckmann, Steve and Pratt, Cathy Ph.D.. “Supporting Students with Asperger’s Syndrome”. 14 November 2007.

· Rett Syndrome: Rett Syndrome is included under one of the five ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) syndromes. Children who have an ASD do not follow typical patterns of child development. In most of the children they start to see problems in communication and social skills when they are falling behind their peers. Around the ages of 12-36 months unusual behavior can be seen. Some parents say that their child may start to reject people, act differently, and lose language and social skills they may have already had (Smith, 2007).
Rett syndrome is a genetically based condition it and occurs only in girls (Smith, 2007): Rett syndrome is caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome. The MECP2 gene is responsible for turning off or regulating the activity of other genes. The MECP2 mutation (change in the gene) causes the turn-off/regulatory mechanism to fail, allowing other genes to function abnormally. So, RS is a genetic disorder of developmental arrest or failure of brain maturation. This is thought to occur when subsets of neurons and their connections (synapses) are disrupted during a very dynamic phase of brain development. This deviation occurs at the end of pregnancy or in the first few months of life during the critical phases of synapse development (IRSA, 2006).
o Smith, D. (2007). Introduction to special education. Pearson: Boston.
o (2006). FAQ. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from International Rett Syndrome Association Web site: http://www.rettsyndrome.org/index.asp

2. What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability? (cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and levels of functioning.)
· Asperger’s Syndrome: People with Asperger’s Syndrome often have narrow interests, or fixation with a topic to the exclusion of additional activities. They may also show signs of awkward and uncoordinated motor movements and recurring behaviors or routines. Associations with others frequently involve irregularities in speaking and language, problems with nonverbal communication, and socially unacceptable behavior and interpersonal interaction. People with Asperger's Syndrome may not be able to communicate their own emotional state, or understand it in others. They also might have trouble showing empathy with other people. Accordingly, people with Asperger’s Syndrome might be seen as egotistical, selfish or cold.
o “Autism and Asperger’s Fact Sheet Overview of Asperger syndrome, one of the Autistic Spectrum Disorders”. 14 November 2007.

· Rett Syndrome: A child who has Rett’s Syndrome will have the following telling signs after the normal period of development: “the deceleration of head growth, the loss of previously acquired hand skills (between 5 and 30 months). They can also lose hand movements like hand washing and hand writing. The child may also show signs of declining social engagement, shakiness, or poor coordination in the torso and in gait movements. There function level is severely impaired, and most girls that have Rett Syndrome also have mental retardation (Smith, 2007).
o Smith, D. (2007). Introduction to special education. Pearson: Boston.

· Commonalities/ Differences: Both disabilities have coordination mobility problems as well as speech and language problems. With Rett Syndrome children begin to develop normally then hit a plateau and begin to regress whereas with Asperger’s Syndrome children show more severe symptoms from birth as to developmental progression. Children with Rett Syndrome have more medical problems, such as trouble breathing, than children with Asperger’s Syndrome.

3. If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability? This would include academic and social support.
· Asperger’s Syndrome: Because students with Asperger's Syndrome are easily overwhelmed by change, limiting changes throughout the class would be a strategy to help this child with their disability. In doing so; a teacher can provide a predictable, secure atmosphere; reduce transitions; have a daily routine that the student can understand so the student can perform the day’s tasks; and prepare the child for upcoming surprises.
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome illustrate a limited range of interests. To help a student with Asperger’s Syndrome, as a teacher I would designate a specific period of time for the student to ask questions about his interest, such as only for fifteen minutes during lunch or recess; explain to the child that all the class work needs to get done but I will allow extra time for each child to explore their interests; I will also tailor some assignments that the student finds hard to understand to his or her particular interest.
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome also suffer from poor concentration and are often off task. As a teacher, I will break down and structure assignments for this student, I will give regular feedback, I will help them organize by giving them timed work sessions and advising them what should be completed by the end of the session, and the child will be seated in the front of the room and asked frequent lessons pertaining to the lesson.
Children with Asperger’s Syndrome usually have high intelligence but lack the skills to understand and apply. I will offer extended explanation to the student that may be common knowledge for the rest of the students, take advantage of the student’s memory skills and offer many facts for the student to memorize, and I will set certain expectations for the child and guide them to meet these expectations.
o Williams, Karen. “Asperger Syndrome: Understanding the Student with Asperger’s Syndrome: Guidelines for Teachers”. The O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support Web Page. November 2007.

· Rett Syndrome: If I was a teacher in a general education classroom, there would be certain information and strategies that could help me to best support the child who has Rett’s Syndrome. Before the student came into my class for the school year, I would want to have a vast amount of knowledge about Rett’s Syndrome. I would want to meet with the parents and child before the school year starts to introduce myself, and to find out if they had any concerns or issues they would like to address. I would make sure the child is healthy and fit for school and get them excited about being in my classroom. I would meet with the child study team and discuss the child’s IEP, and what I must do for the child and how make review the necessary accommodations and modifications for school work and my classroom. I would also meet with the school counselor, and discuss with her/she that I will have a child with a disability in my classroom. I would want the school counselor to be ready to help support the child with Rett’s Syndrome or other children who may have never been in a classroom with a child who has a disability before. I would also look into support groups and websites. I want to see what families and people with Rett’s syndrome in their life are going through, and what issues are being presented to them. I would want to be as knowledgeable as a possibly could, I would go to any seminars available about Rett’s syndrome. I would do everything I could to stay actively involved with the child and updates on their disability so I could better her education and her life.

· Commonalities/ Differences: With both syndromes the teacher would want to meet with the child before the school year begins because they both have social issues and the teacher would help the transition to make them as comfortable as possible. Rett Syndrome can be more severe where they have a higher chance of having seizures and apraxia so that child would most likely not be in a general education setting whereas a child with Asperger’s Syndrome would be able to be in a general education setting with less complications.

4. What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child? (websites, agencies, people within your school, curriculum materials: 2 or 3 line description for each resource is required.)
· Asperger’s Syndrome: As a teacher I would use a multitude of resources to help a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. Some of these being:
§ O.A.S.I.S (Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support) [website]
o This website includes information for teachers and parents on children with Asperger’s Syndrome. This website is composed of support groups, message boards, education tips, family matters and much more.
o http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/
§ Asperger’s Disorder Homepage [website]
o This is the official website of Asperger’s. It covers what Asperger’s Syndrome is, the biology of it, the other problems that may coexist with this syndrome, possible treatment to repress it, and professional services and advice. It also includes a multitude of books that may be of help to a parent or instructor.
o http://www.aspergers.com/
§ MAAP Services for Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome [website]
o This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to families about Pervasive Disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome. It includes local resources, legal rights of those individuals with Asperger’s, newsletters, and networking.
o http://www.maapservices.org/
§ Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers (Resource Materials for Teachers) by Val Cumine [book]
o This is a guide to effective classroom practice when working with children with Asperger’s Syndrome in mainstream schools. It covers everything from how to meet the child for the first time, to working with the child on a daily basis, to preparing them for the next level they will be moving to. It is full of great examples and explanations for why children with Asperger’s Syndrome behave as they do.
§ Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Tony Attwood [book]
· This book includes both identification and treatment tactics for parents and professionals. It offers a descriptions and analysis of the atypical characteristics of the disorder and strategies to reduce behaviors that are most debilitating. There is even an entire chapter dedicated to frequently asked questions those pose who come in contact with individuals who have Asperger’s.

· Rett Syndrome: The resources that I would need as a teacher to serve this child would be the following:
The child study team, the parents of the child, the child, support groups, and other teachers, and different books, and websites.
The child study will help me to set up the child’s curriculum along with the curriculum I already have planned. They will make sure that I do my part as the student’s teacher that I am doing all the implementations that are set out by the IEP. The IEP that is given to the student to make sure that the child gets an appropriate education they deserve while receiving the accommodations that are necessary, and special services will be given,
The next resource I would use would be the parents. I would make sure to always keep in contact with the parents of the child. I want them to update them frequently on their child’s progress socially and academically. I will make sure to keep them updated on any changes that may take place with their child. I want them to also let me know if there is anything going on at home that I should know about that could affect their child during school.
One of the most important resources that I would use is the child. I will have so much help from people around me to help this child get the best education that I can give them. But I also need to talk to the child herself. It is her education and I would want to know what she wants and expects from the school year, from herself, and from me as her teacher. I would want her to let me know how she feels about the accommodations she will be given and if they work for her, and how she is adjusting socially in the classroom, and I would want her to be able to talk to me to let me know how others are treating her.
Support groups will not only help the families but it can help me as her educator. Many families are in the support groups and if I encounter problems and need to seek solutions talking to other people whose child may have been in a similar situation could help me to help my student.
I could also talk to other teachers, especially other special education teachers. They may be able to help me and provide me with certain things that a general education teacher could not, like a specific devise that a child in a general education classroom may not necessarily need to complete their school work. They can help me deal with certain plateaus I may hit, if I can not help the child learn something. I feel that their strategies and information they can give me will help me to reach the child better and to help her education continue.
· The Rett Syndrome handbook is also another resource that I could use. It talks about all different aspects of Rett’s Syndrome. It helps with family issues, genetics questions answered, therapy issues, care and management issues, growing up, and a future with Rett’s Syndrome. The following website: http://www.rettsyndrome.org/, could be extremely helpful to anyone, especially if they do not know a lot about Rett Syndrome. It helps in educating, support, raising awareness, and new medical information available to families who have someone with Rett’s Syndrome.

· Commonalities/ Differences: For every disability there commonalities such as websites and books for the teacher to refer to. Students suffering from either disorder would have an IEP and work with the Child Study Team but the child with Rett Syndrome would need different modifications dealing with their health and well-being whereas with Asperger’s the modifications are geared towards social and academic progress.

Rett Syndrome: Maria Ramos

1. Rett Syndrome is included under one of the five ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) syndromes. Children who have an ASD do not follow typical patterns of child development. In most of the children they start to see problems in communication and social skills when they are falling behind their peers. Around the ages of 12-36 months unusual behavior can be seen. Some parents say that their child may start to reject people, act differently, and lose language and social
skills they may have already had (Smith, 2007).
Rett syndrome is a genetically based condition it and occurs only in girls (Smith, 2007): Rett syndrome is caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome. The MECP2 gene is responsible for turning off or regulating the activity of other genes. The MECP2 mutation (change in the gene) causes the turn-off/regulatory mechanism to fail, allowing other genes to function abnormally. So, RS is a genetic disorder of developmental arrest or failure of brain maturation. This is thought to occur when subsets of neurons and their connections (synapses) are disrupted during a very dynamic phase of brain development. This deviation occurs at the end of pregnancy or in the first few months of life during the critical phases of synapse development (IRSA, 2006).

Smith, D. (2007). Introduction to special education. Pearson: Boston.


(2006). FAQ. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from International Rett Syndrome Association Web site: http://www.rettsyndrome.org/index.asp

2.
A child who has Rett’s Syndrome will have the following telling signs after the normal period of development: “the deceleration of head growth, the loss of previously acquired hand skills (between 5 and 30 months). They can also lose hand movements like hand washing and hand writing. The child may also show signs of declining social engagement, shakiness, or poor coordination in the torso and in gait movements. There function level is severely impaired, and most girls that have Rett Syndrome also have mental retardation (Smith, 2007).

Smith, D. (2007). Introduction to special education. Pearson: Boston.

3.
If I was a teacher in a general education classroom, there would be certain information and strategies that could help me to best support the child who has Rett’s Syndrome. Before the student came into my class for the school year, I would want to have a vast amount of knowledge about Rett’s Syndrome. I would want to meet with the parents and child before the school year starts to introduce myself, and to find out if they had any concerns or issues they would like to address. I would make sure the child is healthy and fit for school and get them excited about being in my classroom. I would meet with the child study team and discuss the child’s IEP, and what I must do for the child and how make review the necessary accommodations and modifications for school work and my classroom. I would also meet with the school counselor, and discuss with her/she that I will have a child with a disability in my classroom. I would want the school counselor to be ready to help support the child with Rett’s Syndrome or other children who may have never been in a classroom with a child who has a disability before. I would also look into support groups and websites. I want to see what families and people with Rett’s syndrome in their life are going through, and what issues are being presented to them. I would want to be as knowledgeable as a possibly could, I would go to any seminars available about Rett’s syndrome. I would do everything I could to stay actively involved with the child and updates on their disability so I could better her education and her life.

4. The resources that I would need as a teacher to serve this child would be the following:
The child study team, the parents of the child, the child, support groups, and other teachers, and different books, and websites.
The child study will help me to set up the child’s curriculum along with the curriculum I already have planned. They will make sure that I do my part as the student’s teacher that I am doing all the implementations that are set out by the IEP. The IEP that is given to the student to make sure that the child gets an appropriate education they deserve while receiving the accommodations that are necessary, and special services will be given,
The next resource I would use would be the parents. I would make sure to always keep in contact with the parents of the child. I want them to update them frequently on their child’s progress socially and academically. I will make sure to keep them updated on any changes that may take place with their child. I want them to also let me know if there is anything going on at home that I should know about that could affect their child during school.
One of the most important resources that I would use is the child. I will have so much help from people around me to help this child get the best education that I can give them. But I also need to talk to the child herself. It is her education and I would want to know what she wants and expects from the school year, from herself, and from me as her teacher. I would want her to let me know how she feels about the accommodations she will be given and if they work for her, and how she is adjusting socially in the classroom, and I would want her to be able to talk to me to let me know how others are treating her.
Support groups will not only help the families but it can help me as her educator. Many families are in the support groups and if I encounter problems and need to seek solutions talking to other people whose child may have been in a similar situation could help me to help my student.