Good IDEA(s)
A Professional Development Newsletter for Special Educators
A Publication of the Montgomery County ESC
and Western Ohio Service Collaborative
March 2018
Volume 2, Issue 5
March is Developmental Disabilities Month
"See Me for Me!" is this year's theme. Below are two articles which focus attention on people with developmental disabilities. Both articles can be found at the disability scoop website.
United Airlines Employees Receive Training on Understanding Disabilities
"Beyond employee training, United said it is exploring ways to hire people with intellectual disabilities as part of its efforts to build an inclusive workforce." https://goo.gl/XnWpvu
Doctors are Being Trained on How to Better meet the needs of Patients with Disabilities
Ohio Deaf History Month
Just a Reminder....
- Routine checking of hearing aids and external components of surgically implanted medical devices.
- Schools must ensure that hearing aids worn in school by children with hearing impairments, including deafness, are functioning properly. (This is recommended to be done daily)
- Schools must ensure that the external components of surgically implanted medical devices are functioning properly.
- For a child with a surgically implanted medical device who is receiving special education and related services, schools are not responsible for the post-surgical maintenance, programming or replacement of the medical device that has been surgically implanted or the external component of the medical device.
Dyslexia - Definitions, Myths, and Parent Resources
Today, dyslexia is defined by the International Dyslexia Association as "a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language..."
Some common myths about dyslexia include: 1) Children with dyslexia are not as intelligent as other children and this is the cause of their inability to read fluently. Research shows that children with dyslexia are just as smart as their peers. 2) Dyslexia is cause by a vision problem requiring vision therapy. Dyslexia is a brain based problem in processing language. 3) Finally, children with dyslexia are just lazy and are not motivated to learn to read. Dyslexia is not caused by inadequate instruction. Dyslexia is a life long condition and requires an explicit, structured, multi-sensory reading program to instruct students.
Helping parents to understand about dyslexia can sometimes be difficult. The website Understood for learning & attention issues is a good resource for parents. There are informative videos, dyslexia fact sheets based on characteristics of dyslexia, and some steps parents can take to support their child at home. Another resource for parents is the website International Dyslexia Association.
Although experts believe that between 5-10% of people are dyslexic. The number could be as high as 17%. It is important to stay up-to-date on research so as to accurately identify students with dyslexia.
Communication Interventions for Students with ASD
Unfortunately, there is not one instructional method that is effective for every student with ASD. It depends on the individual student and their need to have opportunities to practice their communication skills across the day, regardless of the mode they are using.
Some students may benefit from using an assistive augmentative communication device (AAC). It can be beneficial for students as a permanent means of expressive or receptive communication and for those students who speak but have difficulty being understood. According to Ms. Lofland, "while AAC does play a crucial role as a primary communication system for some children with ASD, it does not necessarily assist in developing useful, communicative speech. Currently, there is no empirical evidence that the use of AAC will accelerate the development of spoken language. There is also no evidence that any one program is superior to others in terms of producing a higher rate of spontaneous and generative communication or with greater generalization".
"Whatever approach is used, effective language teaching involves ongoing individual interactions with a child using carefully planned and sequenced strategies and clear reinforcement practices in all natural settings."
To read the entire article, go to: https://goo.gl/k2bNN2
Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) Training
Western Ohio Service Collaborative (WOSC) Summer Institute
Monday, June 4 at Piqua Junior High School;
Tuesday, June 5 at Greenville Junior High;
Wednesday, June 6 at the Montgomery County ESC-Keowee;
Thursday, June 7 at the Dome;
and Friday, June 8 at the Greene County ESC.
You will also be able to access the flyer with session and registration information on the MCESC and WOSC Professional Development calendars.
Teaching Kids to Thrive with Co-Author Dr. Dedra Stafford
August 6, 2018 at the Miami Valley Regional Center
National author and educator, Dr. Dedra Stafford tackles head-on the most challenging and real moments of teaching by providing research-based, practical, tried-and-true Social Emotional Learning Strategies. Topics include: Executive Functioning skills, Personal Efficacy & Growth Mindset, Resilience, Empathy, Perseverance and more. Participants will walk away with activities and exercises that can be implemented easily and effectively. Register early by going to: https://goo.gl/forms/nAgRpQOFdXS2Wtl93Space is limited so don't delay. Cost is $50 for this workshop.