readerswithautism.com » Richard Finegan

Paraeducators need to speak for ourselves

readers1 — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:11:51 +0000

By Richard Finegan

There seems to be lots of interest on the web in information about paraeducators and our work with special needs kids. Plenty is written about us by teachers, administrators, union professionals or college professors who’ve never actually done our jobs. Not much out here is written by paraprofessionals ourselves. That is a shame.

Sara and Richard Finegan

Some, even some of our coworkers, may have the impression that we are little more than day care workers in the public schools. Most of us have been asked by a general ed teacher to leave the classroom (and the kids we are there to help) to go run some menial errand. Many of us are not even consulted about or included in IEPs relating to the kids we work with, as if our observations or insights are of no consequence.

If we are going to be taken seriously, as professionals, we need to support efforts to make our jobs more professional. Continuing education classes should be required for us, in my opinion. Certification by the state might be appropriate where that is not already done.

But I’ve drifted from my point: We need to speak for ourselves. We need to assert ourselves as intelligent, articulate professionals capable of worthwhile contribution to the discussion of our own jobs and role in the special education system.

With the expansion of full inclusion, where kids with special needs are distributed among the general ed population and not segregated in special classes, more of us than ever before will be working in general ed classrooms without the constant presence of a special ed teacher. Many of the general ed teachers will turn to us for guidance in dealing with issues relating to our kids. If you’ve worked as a one-on-one to an included child you know this to be true.

We need to be prepared to step up to the plate. Don’t wait for the general ed teacher to identify problems to you; bring things to his or her attention. Suggest solutions or consultations with the special ed case manager. Be an advocate for your kids. Be an advocate for yourself as a knowledgeable coworker in the classroom, more than just a warm-bodied adult.

We contribute to this acceptance of us as professionals when we stop letting the conversation, both in the schools and on the web, be ABOUT us and start being WITH us.

We need to speak for ourselves.

So here is my invitation to all paraeducators with something to say to the world: contact me. I have no desire to be a lonely voice in the wilderness of the internet . I can see that appropriate posts get published and, more importantly, FOUND by search engines like Google, bing, Yahoo, AOL. Together we can be stronger.

If there is enough interest in this, I am considering setting up a separate blog that can serve as a forum and sounding board for paraeducators. What do you think?

I am cross-posting this on The Demanding Classroom and Readers With Autism. Each blog already contains earlier posts for and about us as paraeducators. You can look for the category “Paraeducators” on either blog to find my posts, which are mostly different on each site.

Anaphoric cuing: Asking clarifying questions

readers1 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:38:58 +0000

By Richard Finegan

In their book The Mosaic of Thought (1997) Keene and Zimmerman identified six“cueing systems” which they described as the channels or sources through which the brain receives information during reading:

grapho-phonic cuing–the identification of letters and sounds
lexical or orthographic cuing–the identification of sight words
syntactic cuing–the recognition of the form and structure of language
schematic cuing–prior knowledge or association
pragmatic cuing–the purposes and needs of the reader
semantic cuing–the meaning of the text

The authors identify a sample semantic cuing problem: reading words fluently but experiencing difficulty defining what is meant by a word, sentence, or text. (p. 203)

This is precisely where we often find our kids with autism (and always those with hyperlexia) stuck in their comprehension. And this is where (with due credit to the study done by O’Connor and Klein, 2004) we find anaphoric cuing (also spelled cueing) as a useful semantic cuing tool to help get them unstuck.

See Autism and hyperlexia, Part 1, http://readerswithautism.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=256 .

Comprehension problems are not unique to kids on the autism spectrum, and some practical hints on how to use anaphoric cuing can be gleaned from the literature on reading comprehension generally.

As Cris Tovani notes in her book I Read But I Don’t Get It (2000), good readers ask themselves clarifying questions as they read. Who, what, when, where, and why questions about characters, setting, or events. (p. 52) Asking themselves these clarifying questions focuses the reader on meaning, not simply on decoding, word by word.

But if the child with autism or hyperlexia has lost the meaning of what they’re reading, how do they know what questions to ask themselves?

There is the beauty of the anaphoric cuing technique.

With a fairly short list of anaphora (words that refer to other words) that can be listed on a bookmark we can teach them when to stop in their reading and what to ask themselves before they move on.

When we read:

he, she, they, we, I, you

we ask who?

When we read:

hers, his, its, theirs, ours, yours

we ask whose?

When we read:

it, that, this, can, do

we ask what?

When we read:

here, there, come, go

we ask where?

When we read:

then, before, after

we ask when?

By learning a list of specific words and answering a few related questions, many kids can make significant improvement in their comprehension of text, particularly narrative fiction, which often is the most difficult for a child with autism to comprehend.

Role of the classroom aide: To help the child toward independence

readers1 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:41:54 +0000

By Richard Finegan

This blog is a collaborative effort between my wife Sara and me. She does most of the writing. I do all of the editing, formatting, illustrating (mostly clip art), layout, etc. Since neither of us had ever blogged or had a website before, it has been a new and rewarding experience.

I am a Special Education Tech in a large Southern California school district where I have worked for several years, usually assigned in general education classrooms working one-on-one with students on the autism spectrum. My assignments have included one elementary, two middle, and two high schools and even the school to which they remove students for zero-tolerance violations.

I have a degree in journalism, a law degree, and am only a few hours short of being certified as a mild-moderate special education teacher. So why am I working as a para-educator/classroom aide?

Because I like being able to focus on the students. Only on the students. Not grading 150 of yesterday’s five-paragraph essays, or preparing tomorrow’s lessons, and especially not tolerating all that frustrating, annoying administrative stuff that teachers are expected to deal with. (As an hourly classified employee, I rarely even have to attend staff meetings!)

The role of para-educator

Helping the teachers, of course, is part of our job description but we are not there for the teacher’s benefit (to make copies, or grade homework, or mop the floor, though I’ve done all those things). We are there only because one or more of the kids in that class has an IEP that says they need extra classroom support.

Don’t be shy about telling the teacher when and why you can’t do something they ask you to do if you truly feel it intereferes with something one of your students needs from you.

So what is the role of the special education classroom aide in a general education classroom?

To help the child with an IEP become more independent.

When a child no longer needs me, I have succeeded. When a child continues to depend on me for something other children do without assistance, I have failed. I have asked in the past not to continue with a particular student because I thought they had progressed as far as they needed to go with me.

Tip: I rarely sit next to “my” student. Though I may be in a particular class only because Brandon, or Susie, or Juan is there, I do not want the other kids to know that unless it seems necessary that they know that. I watch my student from a distance, take notes, move in with advice or assistance and move back out again. Meanwhile, I’m helping other students all around the classroom. No student in the classes where I am assigned feels any stigma because I step over and talk to or assist them. Most of them couldn’t tell you why I’m there.

Children on the autism spectrum can be great to work with as an aide.

I worked with a sixth grader who was fascinated by Alfred Hitchcock (they often have intense interests) and wrote an essay about the filmmaker discussing several of his movies. An eighth-grade student on the spectrum was a math whiz who read ahead in his algebra book for fun (and also composed on the piano). A ninth-grader who rarely spoke required almost no help in completing earth science worksheets, finding answers from the textbook.

Yet all of these students, capable as they were in certain areas, had difficulty following even simple plots when reading fiction. I don’t know that they had hyperlexia, but I would think it highly likely. Often this particular reading deficit is not specifically identified.

What can you do to help a child who understands the vocabulary but still can’t follow the story?

Well, you can read Sara’s two posts on this blog about Autism and Hyperlexia. And whether or not your teachers know about or focus on anaphoric cuing, you can use what you learn about it to help any student comprehend narratives, particularly fiction.

Simply put, anaphora are words that refer to other words. Most of us know almost instinctively who “his” refers to when we read:

“Bob slung the backpack over his shoulder and followed Julio.”

A child with autism will often be unsure who is carrying the backpack.

So first, we have to identify the anaphora that may confuse a child. These include more than just the obvious pronouns :

I
we
us
ours
you
yours
he
his
she
hers
they
theirs
them
it
its

but also such words as:

there
then
can
do

When the child encounters these words in reading, we can ask (and teach them to ask themselves)

Where is “there”?
When was “then”?
What is “it”?
Who is “he”?
Whose is “theirs”?
“Can” what?
“Do” what?

Reading connections that most of us make almost automatically the child with autism may need coaching and repeated practice to learn how to make accurately and regularly.

If you, the para-educator, can help a struggling reader learn this seemingly simple reading strategy, you may just open the door to a lifetime of reading enjoyment. It is worth the effort.

====================

PS: I love this slogan “When children can not learn…It’s time to change the way we TEACH” They offer more than 40 products with this alone, and have dozens more autism-related designs. We make not a dime off this endorsement, by the way. http://shop.cafepress.com/design/17338377

Our Goal: Providing help for struggling readers on the autism spectrum.

Paraprofessional/aide as facilitator in partner/group work

readers1 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:24:07 +0000

By Richard Finegan

While the issues rarely arise in reading class…Children on the autism spectrum often need a facilitator when working with a partner or in a group. “Teamwork” is a difficulty for many of these students.

...is difficult for many with autism

Working in groups may feel unnatural and uncomfortable for a child with autism. They may…

Call out other members of the group who are not following directions
Be distressed when others are not playing by or violate “the rules”
Antagonize other members of the group by their seemingly hostile or unfriendly attitude
Imagine that others in the group are harassing or picking on them (when they aren’t)
Actually be harassed or picked on by other members of the group
Completely tune out the group and work on the project independently
Be uncooperative when the group elects to do something differently than they would choose to do it
Seek an intervention by the teacher or aide to compel the group to do things their way rather than trying to negotiate a compromise or make a concession to the group
Refuse altogether to work on the project

The teacher rarely has the luxury of spending much time monitoring any particular partnership or group to be the moderator, make the suggestions, resolve the disputes, calm the frayed nerves, etc. This is where the classroom or one-on-one aide can step in to facilitate.

As I’ve said before, I very rarely sit elbow to elbow with a child with autism to which I am assigned. I will, however, stay within earshot when group or partner work is taking place. When cooperation is occurring, I step far back and let it happen. When it isn’t, I give them a few minutes to see if they will resolve the issue. If not, then I will step in, make a suggestion, and step out again.

This won’t always work, but you must give the child with autism a chance to learn cooperation skills. You don’t help the child who has social interation difficulties by imposing a resolution on every partner or group dispute in which you find them.

When the activity is over, you should make time to debrief with the student:

How did that go?
Were you able to resolve the issue about ___?
How?
Will you try that solution again the next time you work in a group?
Can you think of a way to avoid that kind of disagreement?

One related tip: Many kids with autism will NOT choose a partner or a group they are not assigned to. When asked to form groups of a particular size, or to choose a partner, they will stand up and wander around aimlessly until an adult asks if they have a partner or have joined a group and then assign them to it.

My impulse (as an advocate for my students with autism) is always to assign groups or partners. But this, of course, is not helping the child learn to create social cooperative groups. And I have found that there is a correlation between how confident a child is about the activity and his or her willingness to initiate a partnership.

On a new activity, the child may need help. On an activity the child understands well, stand back and see if a partnership or group forms naturally before stepping up and helping him or her join a group.

We would love to hear from other paraprofessionals willing to share what does and doesn’t work when working with a child with autism. There is room below for your Comments.

A word to college professors

readers1 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:21:08 +0000

Much to our surprise, this blog is already showing up on web quests, course links, and syllabi in teaching credential programs. Who knew!!!!!

If you are teaching a college or university course, and would like to arrange a question-and-answer session between your class and me or Richard, hit the “contact us” button. You’ll be directed to our email and we can take it from there.

If you are teaching a course in the San Diego area, and would like to have us give a live talk to your class, email us with a list of possible dates and times.

If you’re on the East Coast (New Jersey, New York, Connecticut), please make a note that Sara will be in the New York area between January 2 and January 18, and for much of the months of April and August.

For parent and autism organizations

readers1 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:20:11 +0000

We are delighted to be invited to speak or conduct workshops relating to our blog topics. If you are organizing a conference, meeting, or group session, feel free to contact us with dates and times.

In general, we tend to stay in Southern California during most of the school year. However, Sara is in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area for three weeks each January, several weeks in April, and on the East Coast for the entire month of August.

We have also received inquiries about including articles or posts from our blog in newsletters. In general, we have no objections, provided that you include the link to our site. If you would like an article or blog post on a specific topic that we haven’t already covered, post a comment with a question, or email us.

Mission Statement

readers1 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:57:54 +0000

By Sara Finegan

When I began teaching in Southern California several years ago, I assumed that the fact that an entire department of my school district was devoted to autism meant that I would be able to get information on best practices and the latest research to support my students in learning. Accordingly, I would invite people from the Autism Support Department to my classroom to observe individual students in order to help me figure out the best ways to help them access academic learning.

They came and watched and gave me odd suggestions such as “well, you could use a checklist…” or “maybe you could reward him with toy time when he finishes,” neither of which really addressed my desire to help my students with autism read better. It took several months of frustrating interactions between me and two Department employees before one of them finally informed me, “Sara, we handle behavior. Not learning. The academic stuff is not what we do.”

I was on my own.

From that point on, I’ve been on a mission to discover and try out whatever instructional strategies I can find to support and shape the intellectual work of my students with autism. There hasn’t been a lot out there. We have research up the wazoo on autism, but most of it is wrapped around behaviors and causes, not how kids learn and what helps them learn.

I’ve come to the conclusion that parents and teachers are on our own here, and that just as parents have been pioneers in locating therapies and supports for their children, so must we teachers with autism in the classroom dig our own trails and share everything we learn. The mind of a child with autism is the mind of a child is the mind of a learner, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to wait around for our school districts to find funding to add cognitive issues to traditional autism support.

My purpose in creating this blog is to found a forum where I can share what I learn and what I’m trying on, and parents, teachers, and other people who love learners with autism and are committed to showing them how to learn can come and get ideas and share what works for them.

Readers with autism experience difficulty with tasks such as making inferences about characters and situations in text, making predictions about what will happen next, negotiating figurative language such as metaphor and simile, questioning for meaning, and a myriad of other strategies we take for granted when we navigate through a novel or short story.

Research has shown that most readers with autism do not connect parts of text. In other words, a child who is reading a story may not recognize that what happened in the last paragraph is related to what is happening in this paragraph, and thus will not be able to keep track of the plot at all.

Assisting a child in developing, strengthening and regularly using the strategies and understandings needed to fully comprehend text is the job of parents, teacher, and other support providers such as occupational and speech therapists, tutors, and teacher aides.

Our job is enormous, but we must not be daunted by the size of the task; instead, we must focus on and customize individual interventions and lessons that bridge the gap between a child’s deficits and strengths.

During my teaching career, I’ve developed some interventions and instructional strategies that seem to work well with many readers with autism, particularly those with hyperlexia. I have also used many ideas given to me by my colleagues and parents of my students, who are my best and most wondrous partners. Support providers at every level are encouraged to try them, modify or expand them, and customize them to fit the needs of their own readers with autism. Your comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome.

Our goal is to provide Help for struggling readers on the autism spectrum.