Why the Dog SHOULD Eat the Homework

Written by: Carrie Lupoli, M.Ed

Homework.  The bane of all existence for so many parents, especially mothers who sit down with their kids, night after night, muddling through the barrage of worksheets and tears; flashcards and arguments.

Does this sound familiar?

For children with special needs, homework can be even more traumatic, challenging and down right unbearable.  Although research is clearly stating that homework has little impact on standardized scores or as a measure of ability, schools around the world are still doling out assignments that parallel an antiquated approach.

By today’s definition and what best practice dictates, homework, if assigned, should be a reinforcement of previously learned skills.  Although I could argue a case for eliminating homework in elementary school all together, by and large, if assigned, it should be a relatively independent time for students to understand the concept of responsibility and task completion. 

The truth is that there is almost no evidence that homework helps elementary school students achieve academic success and little more that it helps older students. Yet the nightly burden is taking a serious toll on America's families. It robs children of the sleep, play, and exercise time they need for proper physical, emotional, and neurological development. And it is a hidden cause of the childhood obesity epidemic, creating a nation of "homework potatoes."

                                                            www.thecaseagainsthomework.com   

Homework is not supposed to be an extension of the school day where facts and content have to be re-taught to the student by the parent or caregiver.  In addition, although many schools do issue homework policies that state a set time that should be dedicated to homework, parents are finding the assigned tasks take much longer than a teacher may anticipate.  “We don’t have the same classroom structure in the home and because it is a more relaxed atmosphere, sometimes I think the teachers underestimate how much time it takes to do some of this work,” states a mother from the U.S. who has two daughters in elementary school.  “In addition,” she states, “because we have two kids in two different grade levels, it takes longer to work with each one and often re-teach concepts, all while folding laundry and making dinner.”

“We also have a lot of after school activities,” states a mother with three boys, in grades Kindergarten through 5^th.  “I have clipboards in the car so they can try to do their homework while we drive to games and activities.  I am often yelling out the answers just so they can get it done.  It’s horrible.”

I recently spoke with a mother of a child who is very smart and also has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) therefore it is not only difficult to focus on a single task for very long, but he is constantly needing to move and fidget.   His mother stated that she typically has to dedicate anywhere from 2-3 hours a night on her son’s homework.  Although she was told the content has already been covered in school, it is likely that his difficulty with attention has kept him from comprehending it to the level of independence when it comes to homework.  One night, in particular, as they entered into the 3^rd hour of homework where the two of them were “at each other’s throats,” she wrote to the teacher, “After three hours we decided to stop.  He has worked very hard but we couldn’t get it done.”  The teacher returned the work the next day as “incomplete” and made the child stay in for recess to finish the assignment.  This child, who needs to move, run and get his body physically regulated on a consistent basis, was deprived recess which is arguably the most important part of his day.  “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” the mother said, “I want to support my son, but this situation is impacting our relationship and his confidence.”

It doesn’t matter how many times I hear these kinds of stories, and I hear them a lot.  Homework modification is one of the single easiest accommodations a school can make to help a child succeed.  Here were my suggestions I made to the mother:

•  Hold a meeting with the school to discuss the philosophy of homework and that she expects it to be individualized towards her son, if not to everyone else in the class. 
• This philosophy should include individualized homework that reflects work that he has already mastered and would serve as an independent reinforcement of such skills. 
• The homework should take no more than 20 minutes for him to complete in addition to the 20 minutes of quiet reading assigned.  (See the “10 minute rule” link below)
• If he is unable to complete the homework independently, but tried, mom will mark the top with a STAR, signifying to the teacher that he worked for 20 minutes independently and couldn’t do the work.  This would indicate to the teacher that the assignment was too difficult (what great data!) 
• If he simply chooses not to the homework or is irresponsible with committing himself to it, mom would mark an “X” on the top of the page signifying a consequence should be issued because he did not complete the homework due to a behavior. However, because of his disability, he should not be kept in from recess.  An alternative consequence must be issued. (It’s amazing how creative teachers and parents can be when they get into a “think tank” kind of meeting!)

As a teacher, I understand fully the challenges with individualizing homework for each child, however as true differentiation is the only ethical way to teach our diverse students, the issue shouldn’t be IF the teacher can do it but HOW can she do it.

As far as homework goes, as the teacher I would, in advance, plan assignments in three levels:  Homework assignments for those who exceed the standards, those who meet the standards and those who are near the standards.  There are so many parent volunteers willing to make copies and organize such work.  Take advantage of the help and be empowered to commit to a relatively simple but effective differentiation technique.

Now…I just have to say this.  Although eliminating homework all together in elementary school and advocating for a set amount of reading time daily seems like a long shot, it is another idea that could silence all this debate once and for all.

…and the sound of silence…is so nice, isn’t it?

 Resources:

·      “The 10-Minute Rule for Homework” http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2011-08-09-homework-tips_n.htm

5 Tips for Success in Your Inclusive Classroom…and yes, you DO have an inclusive classroom.

By Carrie Lupoli

Whether or not you have any “officially” labeled child with disabilities in your classroom, you definitely have a diverse population of children, for each child comes to you with a unique personality, culture, background and knowledge base.  Each of your students represent various family and economic situations, which will directly impact the diversity in your classroom, as well.  

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Therefore, having a child with diagnosed special needs is not a requirement for a classroom to need to be “inclusive.”  Of course, if you adopt the philosophy of an inclusive classroom, you will be better equipped to successfully integrate a child with special needs at anytime!

1. Market your Philosophy:  It is important that your students and parents know that you recognize the individual needs of each child and that your intention is to respect the unique qualities every student brings.  Keep this philosophy front and center through your regular classroom newsletters, through the read-aloud books you share with your students, to the topics you discuss during morning meeting time.  Modeling, discussing and displaying your philosophy of inclusiveness daily will seep into the hearts of your classroom family. 
2. Change things up!  An inclusive classroom is one that is always moving, active and varied.  Groups shouldn’t be stagnant, meaning that reading groups should be changed regularly and seating arrangements can be mixed up.  Your students need the opportunity to work with each other, in all different ways at different times.  Embracing a philosphy of inclusiveness and respect will give them opportunities, in a safe place, to work with children who may be different then they are, who they may not particularly like or who are at a very different academic level.  Being able to work together in so many varied ways will give them incredible, life long experiences.
3. Speak to the Senses:  Your classroom should be a place where all learning styles are respected and acknowledged.  Kids can be totally distracted during an auditory lecture, but much more engaged if they have a visual in front of them while you speak.  Some students work much better on the computer or one on one with you.  Some will respond to certain reinforcers differently.  Pay attention and document what you are observing in each child.  Target 2 or 3 students a day, until you have specifically observed them all, during your lessons to see if you can determine how they respond to different types of lessons.  A great tool we use regularly at Live and Learn is a Reinforcer Inventory. It gives you an understanding of what motivates them to make great choices or work hard in school.  You will be amazed at how much you will learn about each child!   We adapted ours from a document written by the Center of Effective Collaboration and Practice. Click here for the reinforcer inventory, click here for the scoring sheet and here for the summary page.  All that just for reading our blog!  You're welcome!  
4. Self Reflect with Technology:  When I was a second year teacher, I was required to video tape myself teaching as part of my advanced teaching certificate.  Before watching it, I wrote a reflection about what I thought I did well, what I needed to improve on, etc.  I found that after watching the video, I totally saw so many more ways in which I could improve and I also saw the classroom through the child’s eyes, instead of my own.  Are there children missing the lesson you didn’t realize?  This process can truly improve your inclusive practices. 
5. Daily Assessment:  YES!  How do you know they “got it” if you don’t check for understanding daily?  Although teachers typically plan their lessons at least a week in advance, there must be room for adaptation within these lessons based on the learning and comprehensive of each child.  Are you teaching to the masses and checking off the fact that you “ exposed” them to a lesson or are you teaching to each child, ensuring that you have given everyone the necessary tools, information and learning experiences that have allowed them to meet or exceed the goal you have set for them?  Daily assessments can be simple and shouldn’t take a lot of time.    

• Exit Cards or “Tickets to Leave” are one great idea for informally assessing daily comprehension.   
• Another idea is to keep a notebook with a page for each child and while you walk around, gauging understanding, keep quick notes on what you are observing.  Use your notes to remind yourself of ways you need to adjust your planning in the days ahead.   
• Finally, I LOVE diagnostic assessment that gives us fabulous data on a regular basis.  www.letsgolearn.com has a very easy to administer diagnostic math and reading assessments that are very inexpensive with very clear, structured reports.  Immediately after taking the assessment on the computer, the teacher (or parent!) can access the score.  I like to give these assessments every 6 weeks to track progress and gains objectively.  Because the information on the reports can be presented in broad terms or by specific skills, teachers can see clearly what areas a child may need extra support on or areas in which they could benefit from accelerated material.

As you can see, none of these ideas are directly related to special needs, per se, however an inclusive class exhibits traits that work great for kids with a diagnosis as well.  Good teaching with solid differentiated practices will always benefit ALL and really, can you justify any other way to teach?

"Put that Eraser Down!" and Other Things I Learned Not to Say Recently

By Ishani  Wijeyawardena

I recently attended a course on Sensory Processing Disorder conducted by Monica Ryan from Live and Learn, which I found very interesting and thought provoking too.  I have been working as a Shadow Support Specialist for Live and Learn since August 2011 and with every child has come a new learning curve.  Every time you attend the many courses that are provided for the Shadows at Live and Learn you come out questioning your inner sense and of wanting to see things from the other’s perspective.

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Sensory Processing Disorder, in very simple terms, means (sometimes called "Sensory Integration" or SI) the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motoric and behavioral responses. Whether you are biting into a hamburger, riding a bicycle or reading a book, your successful completion of the activity requires processing sensation or "sensory integration."

SPD is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist Jean Ayres, likened SPD to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively.

The author of “The Challenging Child” Stanley Greenspan, has an insightful analogy to help us understand what people experience when a person with SPD can not effectively process, or interpret sensory input. He describes it this way,  

“Imagine driving a car that isn’t working well. When you step on the gas the car sometimes lurches forward and sometimes doesn’t respond. When you blow the horn it sounds blaring. The brakes sometimes slow the car, but not always. The blinkers work occasionally, the steering is erratic, and the speedometer is inaccurate. You are engaged in a constant struggle to keep the car on the road, and it is difficult to concentrate on anything else”

I was working with a child one afternoon just before this training and it was my first time with him. One of the things he kept doing whilst working was fidget with an eraser. My immediate reaction was “you need to put the eraser down and concentrate on your work.”  When he kept going back to the eraser my next action was to remove the eraser from the desk. If I had known what I know now I might have let him toy with the eraser and see if he could still do his work while fiddling. Some children require stimulants to bring them down to their optimal functioning levels which is usually referred to as self-regulation. What harm can it do, if it helps a child to function better?

What did I take from this training and this experience?  Next time I see a child doing something erratic, I will give it some thought before making judgments or quick decisions to stop him. 

Ishani is a Support Specialist for Live and Learn where she supports children with unique learning needs in their mainstream classroom environments.  A mother and wife, she has lived in various countries, giving her a wide variety of personal and professional experiences.  She currently resides in Singapore with her family, where they have lived for the past 7 years. 

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The Power of the Principal

By:  Alicia Mirabelli, MSW (USA)

Learning Support Consultant, Live and Learn Pte Ltd

As expat parents we want and expect an international school to give our children a quality education, excellent sports programs, fabulous teachers, a school administration that listens and responds to parent needs, and a positive social network for children and parents. The bottom line is, we want our kids to be “happy” and we believe those components in a school will help achieve that.

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It comes down to the fact that school fees for international schools cost more than most four year colleges and parents believe their expectations should be met. At Live and Learn we are regularly approached by parents asking what makes a good international school or how they should decide which school is best for their child.  As I began to think about my various experiences in different international schools as both a parent and professional, I discovered a key element that seems to tie all these expectations together:  We need teachers who are truly motivated by really great administrators.  Any administrator can dictate what curriculum needs to be taught.  They can give them the books, workbooks and kits for a teacher to follow.  The truth is we want our teachers to be creative and excited about teaching.  We want them to WANT to teach our diverse children to their individual needs.  School administrators who know how to motivate and help teachers create this classroom environment do so because they know good teachers can change how our children view the world.

If teachers aren’t excited, motivated and supported about what they teach then why would our children be excited about learning it?  Our international school teachers are open to working with children who come from diverse backgrounds, know multiple languages, and have varied learning styles, but it isn’t easy to teach to all these differences often while settling in a new country themselves.  They require support, resources and inspriation from a mentor, coach and leader.  Without such a powerful force in every teacher’s lives, the daunting task of reaching each learner, skill building to their needs and exciting them about learning will be impossible.  Teaching in international schools can be difficult, but with the help of motivating administrators and using a team approach with each grade level will help alleviate these feelings and can spark that creativity.   Happy, supported teachers will equal happy, supported kids!

Speaking from experience, I had the honor of working with just this type of administrator.  Kathy Duncan taught me that not only do most teachers love what they do, they want to learn more about how to do it better and it was a principal’s responsibility to help them achieve that!  Kathy always organized book clubs and sharing sessions for the teachers to talk about their ideas and share new and exciting ways to teach ALL children.  The teachers were always so motivated by her staff meetings that it changed the school drastically when she left.  A good administrator is a key component to education and will effect whether our teachers and students are able to soar high.

What is the “take home message” to parents here?  Choosing an international school can be a overwhelming and daunting.   A piece of advice is to interview the principal to understand the kind of leader they are.  Ask her what kinds of programs and initiatives he has put in place to keep staff morale high, motivation soaring and inspiration flying!  A good answer could very well yield a great schooling option for your child!

Alicia Mirabelli is a US-certified Clinical Social Worker, and has been living internationally since 2008. She found being an expat wife was wonderful but she felt compelled by her training and background to help others.  In 2010, Alicia began her work with Live and Learn, an educational consultancy firm based in Singapore.  Alicia is currently working as a Consultant, Program Supervisor, Diagnostician, and Case Manager while raising her two elementary aged children in International Schools.  She works within the local and international school systems in Singapore and assists families with difficult decisions about their child’s schooling abroad.

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What This Teacher Believes...

I believe that all children have the capacity to learn.  If a child is not learning, it is our responsibility to change what we are doing so they can achieve success.  

I believe that by creating opportunities for success in a child’s educational, social and emotional lives we can reduce anxiety and increase productivity. Anxiety is a powerful factor that inhibits learning, progress and success. 

I believe all teachers have a mind-boggling responsibility to balance high expectations in a supportive, non-threatening environment.

I believe teachers need to feel supported in order to teach effectively.

I believe the classroom, schools, administrators, teachers, and parents should be bright, infectious and spilling with positive approaches aimed at what is best for students. 

I believe that when we make decisions based on what is best for students, we are so much better equipped at making the right choices.

I believe that fair doesn’t always mean equal and to be truly “fair” we actually can’t treat all children the same. 

I believe we need to establish what works for each individual child and how they learn best to determine the most appropriate course of action in order to achieve such success.

I believe, when implemented effectively, including children with disabilities in the mainstream will enhance learning outcomes beyond measure for ALL students.

I believe that when people “know” they can “do.” It means enhancing the development of educators and parents so they can “do” better with their children.  It means understanding the child’s needs, strengths and abilities to plan, prepare and accommodate for each one.  It means that making decisions based on data is what will allow for a comprehensive, obtainable “roadmap” for each child, teacher and parent to be successful.

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Implementing Interventions

The Fourth of a Four Part Series on Behavior

In an attempt to round out my brief (but hopefully useful) series on behaviors, I’m excited to discuss important aspects to consider when developing an intervention plan for a child…AFTER you have figured out the what exactly seems to be going on.  Be sure to review the last couple of posts for a refresher on how to start the process of changing unwanted behaviors in your child or student.

I mentioned before the “mind-boggling” responsibility we have as educators and parents in the lives of young people and I urge you to always keep this in mind when we are doing something so important as trying to change negative behaviors into positive ones.  When done well, it can change the course of a child’s life.  When done poorly, it can do more harm than good.

There are general rules, or guidelines you will want to consider when developing intervention plans for children:

Does it address the function?  If you aren’t seeing changes in a behavior, you may not have actually dealt with the WHY of the behavior.  For example, Let’s pretend that you have a child who you believe has a need to gain attention for his yelling and argumentative behaviors.  You implement a plan for "planned ignoring" by giving extra praise and positive reinforcement when he is behaving and by ignoring the problematic behaviors.  After one week of this intervention, you are seeing no improvement, and in fact, the behavior is getting worse.  It is important to reflect upon your assessment of his function.  Was the behavior truly to gain attention?  Upon further data collection over time, you may actually realize his behaviors present themselves during all activities which require a written response.  You realize that it may not have been a function of his desire to gain attention, but actually to avoid a task that he determined was too hard for him.  Ah, the intervention would change dramatically wouldn’t it?

http://wwcsd.net/

What goes down also must go up.  For every behavior you want to decrease, you must have a replacement behavior to increase.  For example: Behavior to decrease--yelling.  Behavior to increase--raising hand.  Be sure to document this in your plan.

Beyond the moment:  Again, knowing the function of a behavior is pivotal here.  Remember our “pretend” child above who yelled and screamed every time a motoric task was asked of him?  Part of the overall intervention plan must take into account pro-active interventions that can help alleviate the behavior over time.  If a behavior is stemming from a lack of skills, you need to increase the child’s engagement of skill building activities, reinforcement of skills or remediation.  For example, work with the learning support department to develop a plan to improve the academic skills that may be contributing to the behavior at hand.  A couple computer based intervention programs I love involve individualized, adaptable programming that is engaging and fun for the kids while improving academic foundations.  Check out www.dreambox.com for math and www.lexia.com for reading.

Are they socially acceptable?  I have mentioned the term “Least Restrictive Environment” before (click here to read post from 17 Nov 2011) but now I am referring to a “Least Restrictive Intervention,” a term referred to through the Yale Online Autism Course offered on iTunes.  The Least Restrictive Intervention needs to be a socially acceptable plan that has the capacity to be used, generalized and accepted by peers and in the “real world.”

Is it based in rewards or punishment?  It is pivotal to understand that punishments AFTER the behavior are significantly less effective than stepping in at the antecedent stage.  If you do your data collection, you should know when that is and develop interventions that address replacing the behavior positively before it happens instead of punishing the negative behavior after.  By then, it’s too late…the behavior already occurred and punishment isn’t getting to the function of the behavior, therefore it can be assumed such behaviors will continue to be problematic, regardless of the punishment intervention you put in place.  Also, punishment is just plain negative and we want to infuse as much positive into these kids as possible, don’t you agree?  

Now, should there be consequences for behaviors?  Sure, when done correctly and not as the primary intervention.  Take my fabulous, yet at times, cheekly daughters.  They will leave their clothes and toys all around the house.  It drives me batty.  So, as a consequence for leaving their clothes or toys around, if I pick it up, it goes in the “bag.”  At this point all I have to say is, “I just put your (Fill in the blank) in the bag” and they know what that means.  Once the bag is filled, they can “buy back” their things with points they earn throughout the week for completing their responsibilities.  That said, although it is a decent plan, it really is a “punishment” because they lose that item for a non-identified amount of time.  As I learned first hand, I seemed to add to the bag DAILY, realizing I wasn’t really changing their behavior by doing this.  What was the function of their behavior?  Well…really it was laziness but if we put it in a “gain” or “avoid” category it would be avoiding the work.  So now, we have daily scheduled “don’t let it get in the bag” clean-up times as well as organization systems set up in the house so everything has a place and it is easier to put things away.  Laundry zones are in each room, the playroom is labeled and organized and we have baskets on the steps for toys that were left downstairs and can be brought with them whenever they are going up.  Although I still have the bag if I need it, I don’t use it as often as I did before and the kids don’t feel the need to avoid the work because putting their things away isn’t so hard for them anymore.

Reward Regulations-are they meaningful, regular and predictable?  When developing rewards into your interventions, kids should know how they can earn them and when.  They should be something that means something to them…otherwise will it be motivating?  As much as my husband loves his job, he does get motivated by a raise or a bonus.  Let’s face it…if they were paying him Monopoly money he would leave and find another!   A great tool we use regularly at Live and Learn is a Reinforcer Inventory.  We adapted ours from a document written by the Center of Effective Collaboration and Practice to relate more to our international kids, but we find it a fabulous tool to find out the kinds of reinforcers that motivate kids!  Click here for the reinforcer inventory, click here for the scoring sheet and here for the summary page.  All that just for reading our blog!  You're welcome!  

Don’t forget the sensory!  Sensory needs are a large part of behaviors, especially in children with autism.  It can still fall into a “gain or avoid” category with a need to either gain certain sensory sensations or avoid them, but their interventions will need to address this physical need with sensory breaks or a sensory diet, more than rewards or reinforcers will.  Sensory needs may need to be mitigated by sensory breaks and it can be a “trial and error” process of figuring out what works.   Some things we have tried have been a yoga ball to sit on instead of a chair, Velcro under the desk to rub when necessary, a “fiddle basket” of hand held toys to hold onto, gum chewing, eating an apple or other crunchy food, a rocking chair, carrying heavy books to another classroom, and playing on the playground.  The list can go on and on…there are so many great ideas but not all work for all kids.  An Occupational Therapist is a pivotal resource for helping to develop a proper sensory diet within the school day.  Carol Kranowitz, author of the “Out of Sync Child” is the guru on all things sensory. Check out her website at http://out-of-sync-child.com for more information.

Remember that developing the intervention plan should only be done AFTER thorough data collection and team investigation has been conducted over time.  Developing the right intervention plan can change the path for a child from failure to success.  And YOU can make that happen!  Mind-boggling, isn’t it???

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No Quick Sticker Charts Here!

Determining the FUNCTION before the INTERVENTION
(The Third of a Four Part Series on Behavior)

Since starting this series on behavior, I have done a lot of extra research recently to make sure I share with you the latest information out there on effective behavior strategies.  I hope you find these posts informative and helpful in your own professional or personal lives!

Let’s briefly review the last two posts by taking a look at what behavior is:

Behavior is communication.
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1. Behavior is COMMUNICATION.
2. Behavior serves a FUNCTION (to gain or avoid).
3. Once we understand the function, we can develop ways to change the mis-behavior to more APPROPRIATE behaviors. 

Note we have to understand the function FIRST before we can do anything about changing the behavior.  We have to understand WHY a child is behaving in a certain way before the interventions can be effective.  If we can REMOVE the REASON for the behavior, we can eliminate the problem. 

Got it so far?  Okay, great!  So lets move onto HOW we figure out the WHY. 

The term “Data-Driven Decision Making” is all the rage in education today, as it should be.  Finally, we are on the path to making decisions for children based on evidence.  This evidence comes from data that allows us to determine what we need to be teaching children, what they already know, and what they need to know.  Schools are improving their practices so that every child is taught based on their individual needs, not based on the overall assumption of what an “average” child needs.  We are getting better and better at making these data driven decisions in academics but the mainstream community is still falling short on making such comprehensive decisions when behavior problems occur.

Too often I see a teacher, who has a child presenting with certain behavioral issues, make a quick sticker chart or reward plan based on something she did before or saw on the internet.  There is no “one size fits all” plan for behaviors.  Each child has different reason for their actions and without data on that individual child’s function, antecedents and profile, all the pre-made pretty checklists in the world won’t amount to any change for the better. 

Here is the first thing to wrap your head around BEFORE you make a cute checklist.  MOST OF YOUR TIME AT FIRST IS SPENT ON ASSESSING THE BEHAVIOR.  You need to understand it before you can do anything about it.  Assessment is a process of investigation.  We need to know the FACTS surrounding the behavior such as environment, health, learning needs, triggers, timing, consequences, motivators, etc.

No Quick Sticker Charts Yet!
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Don’t have time for this, you say?  You just need a “quick fix” to make the problem go away and get back to teaching?  Actually, you don’t have time NOT do to this.  There are no “quick fixes” and the mind-boggling responsibility you have to educate children ethically, respectfully and effectively requires you take the time to do it and do it right.

But I am here to make it simpler for you.  So here we go….

As teachers I know you want to help. As parents, you want to make things better for your child.  But the key is NOT to try to fix anything right away.  You need to take the time to find out the answer to this key question:

What is the behavior saying?

In the last post, I had a link to an ABC Chart.  Click here for a printable version of it (taken from www.behavior-consultant.com). An ABC (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence) Chart documents a behavior in “real time” as many times as it occurs.  Once you have documented several behaviors, you can use the data to look for patterns.  You will likely find such patterns in the antecedents (what “triggers” have led to the behavior), in the setting (environment) or the consequences (what happens directly after the behavior occurs).  

“The “A” is the Antecedent, and it refers to “what comes before.” It is the picture of what happens before the behavior occurs. If you were to take a 30-second movie clip of what happens right before the behavior, what would it show?

The “B” is the Behavior. Paint a clear, specific picture of the behavior.

The “C” or Consequence refers to what comes after the behavior. Imagine if you had a movie clip of what happens right afterward.”

-Sparks-Hopkins, T.  “Functional Behavioral Assessment, Online Intervention Manual”  University of Arizona, College of Education.  http://www.tucsonlinks.org/elearning/pdf/fba.pdf

Sample ABC Entry
http://www.tucsonlinks.org/elearning/pdf/fba.pdf 

Remember, the ABC Chart is different from a Direct Observation (also helpful!), which is a set amount of time that a non-involved observer documents and scripts the child’s actions, the teacher responses, etc.  An observation may involve tallying a certain behavior over a fixed time (ex: Number of off task behaviors in 30 second intervals).  For a Observation Tally Chart in 5 min intervals from www.behavior-consultant.com, please click here.

Our responsibilities as teachers and
parents are mind-boggling, aren't they?

A Scatter Plot (click here and go to page 22 for a printable taken from http://www.ped.state.nm.us/RtI/behavior/4.fba.11.28.pdf) is another useful tool that will give a team visual indications of certain target behaviors. 

What next?  Don’t run for your pre-made sticker charts just because you did the assessment piece!  First of all, it is important to understand that this is a circular process that actually won't end once a plan is in place.  It will be ongoing until a behavior is extinct and more appropriate, replacement behaviors are automatic.

Once you analyze your data (it helps to work with a team to make these determinations on the FUNCTION) you can start to implement some interventions.  (Maybe even a cute sticker chart!)

Next post:  General Rules of Intervention when designing INDIVIDUAL behavior plans….stay tuned.

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More on Understanding Behavioral Challenges

(The Second of a Four Part Series on Behavior)

Well, Happy New Year!  I took a bit of a break from blogging while I was enjoying the holidays in the US.  I have been back home for about a week and only now and back to my regular routine!  

www.toonpool.com

In my last post, I discussed the fact that there are only two reasons, or functions, as to why a child mis-behaves.  By understanding these two reasons and analyzing behavior based on them, children with challenging behaviors seem to be easier to plan and accommodate for. 

Do you remember to the two functions that behaviors can be attributed to?

1. To Gain Something
2. To Avoid Something

For a quick review on these functions, please refer back to the previous post.  Got it?  Great!  Now ,let’s talk about how to figure out the WHY.

I often find that once I help people become aware of the two functions of behavior, they are quick to assign a “label” to a child’s behaviors without the appropriate, necessary data collection.  I can’t emphasize enough, the importance of collecting meaningful data to not only determine the WHY, but also any other factors that could be contributing to a child’s behaviors.  If you know WHY a child may be behaving in a certain way, you can start to develop the WHAT to do about it. 

How do you know the WHY?

It starts with data collection and data collection starts with the understanding that it takes time and quantity to appropriately analyze behaviors.  Too often we are too quick in determining the function and we go right to the intervention.  This is dangerous on a few levels.  First of all without the proper knowledge only obtained by accurate observation and data collection over time, our interventions could actually be reinforcing the problem rather than correcting it.  Secondly, interventions without sound data behind the reason for their implementation could do damage to a child’s academic, social or emotional growth. 

The most common and arguably most basic form of data collection involves using an ABC chart.  A (Antecedent, or what happened directly before the behavior occurred), B (Behavior: What was the actual behavior the child exhibited?), and C (Consequence, as in what happened directly AFTER the behavior occurred).  Although there are many more aspects and components that one should consider when analyzing behavior, these are the most common and practical for a teacher, parent or paraprofessional to report on. 

Please click here for a printable ABC reporting form.  My next post will go into detail as to how to complete such documents.

Finally, as part of Yale’s FREE lecture series on Autism on iTunes, one such lecture deals with behavior and data collection (Lecture #9, "Behavioral Treatments") in a very similar way to what I am discussing in these posts.  The behavior data collection techniques I describe are applicable to children with multiple diagnoses, and although this Yale lecture is focused on Autism, it can be also applied to a variety of students and situations.  It is just over an hour long, so grab a cup of tea and plan to listen for a while, but after reading these posts as a way to build background knowledge, this lecture will be very interesting and helpful to you!  Click here to access the iTunes link!

Behavior Problems? No Problem!

The First of a Four Part Series on Behavior

I love kids with behavior needs.  As a pretty “Type A” kind of person, I like to figure things out and use data to make decisions.  Students with behavior challenges fit right into my love for charts, organization and problem solving!

www.the-parenting-magazine.com

First things first…so you have a child in your class or you are the parent of a child who challenges your patience and skill level.  Maybe he is distracted, or talks out.  Maybe he argues more than he complies or rarely completes work.  He could be a bully or perhaps he is so shy that he never speaks in class.  Whatever the issue, behavior challenges can impact an entire class, destroy a well planned lesson and inhibit learning.  You need a consistent approach that targets the reason WHY a child is behaving inappropriately before you can do anything effective about it.

WHY?  Seems like a difficult question to answer, doesn’t it?  Actually, it doesn’t have to be.  The most important thing to realize when analyzing behaviors is that there are only TWO reasons why kids behave.

Let me say that again.  There are only TWO reasons why kids behave.  There are two intrinsic, basic categories that can identify every behavior a child exhibits:

1. To gain something
2. To avoid something

To Gain Something:

Think about that for a moment.  Kids with behaviors caused by a need to GAIN something may be trying to gain attention or control, as a couple examples.  Perhaps their need for attention is so strong that even negative attention satisfies that need.  If that is the case, a teacher who regularly calls a child out on his negative choices is actually getting REINFORCED for his behavior and therefore the behavior will not be extinct anytime soon.   

If a child needs to gain control, for example, perhaps she has to win at things all the time, prove she is right or bully people into doing what she wants.  For a child who has a need for control, educators and caregivers need to find a way to meet the need the child has, in a positive way, while extinguishing the need for control in negative circumstances.

To Avoid Something:

Now let’s think about those children with the need to avoid as the overarching reason for their behaviors.  What might they be trying to avoid?  The most common may be work avoidance or avoiding embarrassment (or other such social stressors a child may perceive to be an issue). 

www.potomacpsychiatry.com

Once you know why a child is behaving a certain way, it is much easier to develop a plan that is truly individualized towards your student.  It is pointless to search out behavior plans or sticker charts online that are a “one size fits all” model.  If each child has his or her own reasons for behaving, that come out in different ways at various times, it seems obvious that our plans to help extinguish that behavior should be just as individualized.  The first step in doing this is to understand, why, exactly, the child is behaving negatively.

Sounds great, you say, but how do you figure out the WHY?

Ah, stay tuned.

Holding Back: Retaining Students in School

For some reason, the topic of whether or not a child should be retained in school has come across my desk over a half dozen times in just the past couple of months.  I’m not sure why this may be, but it has prompted me to write about it.

When I was in the U.S. teaching in an elementary school, the question of “readiness” always came up for our youngest students (kindergarten and first grade) and we found ourselves discussing whether or not a child should be retained.  It is such a controversial issue that researchers have tried to “quantify” the decision by developing objective indicators as to whether or not it is appropriate for an individual child. 

http://educationnext.org/files/ednext20051_42b.jpg

Jim Grant and Irv Richardson researched this topic and summarized information regarding this issue.  They discuss the fact that retention is often viewed as a remedy for struggling students for the benefit of “additional learning time” however research suggests that it can actually more harmful than helpful in the majority of situations. Children who are retained have a higher drop-out rate than non-retained students as well as other significant issues.  A checklist developed by Grant and Richardson is based on Grant’s philosophy that  “what is needed is an informed decision-making process, where a recommendation is made for each student, based on his/her individual circumstances”

Considerations that must be visited when discussing the possibility of retaining a child:

• Does the child have special needs?  For these children an individualized, appropriate program should be in place and the retaining a child is not an intervention that should be included in such a plan.  If the IEP is appropriately written and the team members are qualified at implementing it, the child’s unique needs should already be accommodated for.  If retention is being considered as an option for a child with special needs, the school and parents need to revisit the current plan and IEP because clearly it isn’t meeting the child’s needs.
• The physical size and birthday have to be considered to ensure there is not a significant discrepancy between the child and his peers.  Most retentions are limited to children in first grade and below.
• Making a decision based solely on a child’s academic issues does not typically translate into success.  These are the children who are at risk for dropping out and appropriate intervention strategies in the current grade level should always be implemented first.
• Retention is not suggested if a child has motivation issues or self-esteem concerns
• Grade level retention could be an option for developmentally immature students, especially boys, if done in kindergarten or first grade.
• Retaining a child due to high absenteeism is dangerous and depends on the reasons for the absences.
• Issues surrounding a highly transient child will not necessarily be solved by a grade level retention.  Reasons for the transience need to go into the decision making process.
• Retaining ESL students may not be the most appropriate solution because the difficulty likely stems from an inability to communicate, not an inability to learn.  A strong, more individualized ELL/ESL program may be a better solution.
• Was the child placed in the wrong grade initially?  (If the child is a transient expat, this could happen more often than we realize!)

Experts agree that retaining a child should be considered a last resort and appropriate, individualized strategies and support programs should always be implemented first.  It is also important to recognize that ANY discussion of retention warrants enough evidence that specific, research-based individualized support for the child is necessary, regardless of the final decision.

The decision to retain a child is one that should be taken seriously as it will impact them for the rest of their lives.  Utilizing a research based checklist, such as the Light Retention Scale (http://portal.wpspublish.com) is an objective way to take the emotion out of this difficult decision and keeps parents and school on common ground. This decision should never be solely based on "personal insight" or opinions.  A quantitative, research based approach will allow the team to make the best decision.

Compilation of Strategies to Consider Before Retention:

For more information search “Tier 2 intervention programs.”  

Some suggested programs are:

§  Focus Math, Pearson www.pearson.com

§  Dreambox (Math) www.dreambox.com

§  Lexia Reading Program www.lexiaforhome.com

§  SRA Reading Program www.mheonline.com

§  Magic Penny Reading Program www.magicpenny.com

§  Leveled Reading Program www.readinga-z.com

§  Reading Program for Uncertified Staff www.reading-tutors.com 

Further articles on Retention and Strategies for Struggling Students:

Doing Your Homework:
Retention! Special Ed Teacher Needs Ammunition

http://www.wrightslaw.com/heath/teach.retain.htm

Wright’s Law Flyer on Retention:  Research and Facts

http://www.wrightslaw.com/flyers/retain.promote.pdf

Strategies for Struggling Students

http://www.minisink.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Intermediate/Strategies%20for%20Struggling%20Students%20-%20Format%202.pdf

*Please note I do not represent or endorse any of these recommended titles, programs or websites.  They are simply resources I have found useful and/or successful.