Teaching Children with Multiple Disabilities: Teaching and Learning Through Perspective

Presented by

Melinda Docter, Ed.D.

Classroom Curriculum and Content Areas

Alternate Curriculum and Assessments CAPA, Prescriptive Behavioral Checklist, AAMR, Seaco

Functional Content Areas Functional Writing Functional Reading Functional Math Self help Motor Skills Vocational Social Emotional Behavior

A Variety of Disabilities

Mental Retardation Autism Cerebral Palsy Traumatic Brain Injury Cortical Visual Impairment Genetic Disorders Orthopedic Impairments

Impact of Disability in the Classroom

Cognitive Delay Visual Impairment Lack of Executive Function Delayed Receptive and Expressive Language Lack of Social Interaction Motivation Gross and Fine Motor Skills Delayed Self-Help Skills

Strengths, challenges and strategies

Repetitive thoughts and behaviors Obsessive compulsive disorder? Everyone has hobbies. Why is this different? Exceptional knowledge or true disruption? Imaginative play or exact replication?

Strategies Setting boundaries Highly preferred activities as motivator/Highly preferred staff Medication?

Strengths, challenges and strategies

Executive Function Organization of thoughts Processing information Task analysis What did I tell you to do?

Strategies Break task into smaller parts Check for understanding Stay away from open-ended questions Visual cue for partial participation Tactile cues for schedule Rewards for partial participation Make sure that the child has a way in which to respond

Strengths, challenges and strategies

Communication Non-verbal cues Rigidity Processing time Flexibility in thinking

Strategies Augmentative communication Assistive technology Object cues Object schedules Transition objects Tactile books Tactile calendar

Strengths, challenges and strategies

Sensory needs or need to avoid Sounds Touch Textures (Foods and fabrics) Smell Sight Self-stimulatory behaviors

Rocking Hand flapping Waving items Facial movements Tapping Grunting, noises, screaming

Strategies If it’s not disruptive to learning or social development for either the student with autism or those around

him, ignore it! If it is, provide more appropriate behaviors that meet the same need. Choose your battles and let everyone else know which battles you have chosen to ignore

Behavior Intervention

Behavior as communicationInappropriate Behaviors Screaming Hitting Self-stimulatory behaviors Perseveration InflexibilityCo-morbid disorders

Ask yourself, “Would this child choose to behave like this if he/she had a more appropriate choice that met the same need?”

Strategies What is the payoff? Alternate appropriate behaviors that

meet the same need. Motivators Positive Behavior Support Catching good behavior before it

turns bad Choices Transitional objects Schedules Predicting Clarifying expectations Consistent and continual reminders Immediate reinforcement

Prompting

Natural Cues Prompting Levels

Least to Most Most to Least

Augmentative Communication

Switch Program – Kansas University and The National Institute of Child

Health and Human Development

Teaching and Learning Through Perspective

Anxiety Frustration Motivation Progress