RED FLAGS Signaling special needs Cara Grade 7

RED FLAGS Signaling special needs

Cara – Grade 7 Cara’s response to a question on a literacy assessment in Grade 7 - how to solve a problem-

Cara’s story o o o Kindergarten – bilingual program Grade 2 – Retained Grade 3 – reading, writing, math deficits, difficulty learning times tables, difficulty completing assignments Grade 5 – good attitude, trouble with math and writing, must attend summer school Grade 6 – Exited from bilingual Grade 8 – grades D’s and F’s, 78 absences

Expressive Language Disorders o o o Difficulty naming objects or "talking in circles" around subjects with lack of the appropriate vocabulary; Misnaming items; Difficulty acquiring the rules of grammar; Difficulties with changes in verb tense; and, Difficulty with word meaning.

Receptive Language Disorders o o o Repetitive speech; Following non-routine directions; Difficulty responding appropriately to: n n o o o Yes/no questions either/or questions who/what/where questions when/why/how questions Not attending to spoken language High activity level and not attending to spoken language Using "memorized" phrases and sentences.

Social Language (Pragmatics) o o o o o Excessive questioning; Aggressive language; Unable to engage in extended conversation; Literal/concrete understanding of language; Unable to answer open-ended questions such as “what happened? ” Difficulty with abstract language; Unable to take the listener’s perspective; Unable to read/interpret body language, facial expressions; and, Unable to express feelings.

Language & Behavior o 70%-90% of children with emotional and behavior problems have underlying language disorders that are rarely diagnosed n n Expressive disorders Receptive disorders Explosions Noncompliance

Attentional Problems o o o Tiredness, lack of mental energy Trouble getting started Tuning in and out in short bursts Trouble picking out the most important information Gets a general idea of a situation and responds impulsively

Memory Problems o o o Immediately forgets directions (shortterm memory) Has problems recalling learned information from the past (long-term memory) Has trouble with multi-step tasks (active working memory)

Social Skills Does the child n n n Recognize nonverbal cues? Understand appropriate behavior for different settings? Have friends? Positive relationships with adults? Have trouble understanding others feelings? Have difficulty managing feelings?

Eligibility & discrepancy models o o Based on differences between intelligence and achievement Intelligence tests are often biased (culture, language, socioeconomic) Methods of calculating discrepancies differ May delay services and supports

Eligibility and Response to Intervention (RTI) o Response to Intervention n Tier 1: Quality instruction and monitoring (General Education) o Screening (General Education) o n Tier 2: Intensive intervention (General & Special Education) o n Monitoring (8 weeks) Small group 8 -week diagnostic trial Tier 3: Special Education Placement o o Individualized comprehensive evaluation Addresses all IDEA eligibility determination, evaluation and procedural safeguards

General principles o o o Assume children want to be successful in school; Gather detailed, chronological information; List red flags; Act quickly before failure becomes a pattern and be persistent; and, Monitor closely and continuously!