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The child in the IEP: Can we really see him as described?

Sara (readers1) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:03:28 +0000

By Sara Finegan

I’ve got a new student with autism. He’s a fourth grader, and he moved here from another state last year. The IEP he came with was quite specific about his mechanical reading skills (working on long and short vowels, etc) and reported minimal progress toward decoding and phonemic awareness over the previous year.

He spent the second half of last year in our lower-grades Special Day Class, and now he’s with me. I took a look at his IEPs for the past several years, and I must say I’m disappointed.

Allow me to step up to my soap box for a bit and voice some concerns about the IEP process and how we think about our readers with autism.

I do not know how it is possible for anyone to create an IEP that only addresses one part of the reading process. If I am going to support a child in reading, there are many things I want to know besides the simple decoding skills he or she has or does not have: I want to know about whether the child

enjoys being read to,
enjoys looking at books,
comprehension levels,
questions the child might ask,
topics of interest,
favorite characters in books, and
genres.

A reader is not simply a person who can read words; a reader is a person who has expectations of text, has preferences in text, and has experience in text.

A kid who cannot decode long “O” and “I” sounds can still delight in having Captain Underpants read to him. A kid who cannot focus on the written word for more than 15 seconds at a whack can bring me a copy of The Indian in the Cupboard and ask me to read it to him over and over and over. A child who doesn’t know that a book starts on the left side and not the right can squeal with delight when we read Frog and Toad books.

We need to know as much about what a child can do as what he cannot do. Yet.

When we are working with a child on comprehension in reading, we build on the skills that exist now. I cannot devise a plan of action unless I know what the child already knows, and what he almost knows.

Think about it: how much does knowing that I cannot use an electric screwdriver without stripping screws, cannot thread the needle on a sewing machine, cannot keep track of socks, and often fail to keep plastic containers together with their lids really tell you about what it would be like to come to my house for dinner? Not much, I expect.

Note toParents:

Parents are part of the IEP team, and if the case manager doesn’t include the skills your child already has, you have not only the right but the obligation to make sure it’s added. It’s as simple as asking whether the case manager could please add a list of the reading/math/writing/whatever skills the child does have to the description of “present levels.” If your child is present at the IEP, ask him or her to contribute a list of strengths.

I’ve had it up to here with IEPs that do not accurately describe a child, or which leave enormous blanks in the picture of the child I am teaching. We’re talking about a person, not a skill-set, and not a file in a drawer. Anyone who participates in an IEP meeting must consider how the child is portrayed, and if it is as complete a portrayal as possible in the document. If you are unsure, consider whether, if the subject of the IEP was you, people would be able to see you as you are.

Don’t stop advocating for the child with autism!

Sara (readers1) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:15:53 +0000

By Sara Finegan

A word to parents and teachers–

Ok, two words: (1) don’t (2) stop.

In the world of readers with autism, the worst conversation is the one that goes like this:

Parent: John is really having a tough time with the reading homework.
Teacher: Yes, he is far below grade level.
Parent: He doesn’t really understand what he’s reading.
Teacher: Yes, that’s very common in kids with autism. They don’t have high reading comprehension.

And then there’s a shrug, or a change of subject, or just a long silence, the kind that sinks into the already heavy heart of a parent who loves her child with autism; another thing she’s going to have to accept about her child.

Don’t. Stop. And I say that to both parent and teacher.

The scenario above could be the beginning of a conversation about reading. It should not ever…ever…ever be the entire conversation about reading.

Don’t stop the discussion just because you have identified a problem as being common among kids on the spectrum. Don’t stop the discussion just because you aren’t sure what to do about the problem.

Don’t stop.

There are two things that need to take place between parent and teacher at this point. The first is fact finding. The second is investigating. They might sound like the same things, but they are not. I will explain.

(1) Fact finding

Parents and teachers must start collecting and sharing information about the reader with autism. Relevant information includes: what kinds of movies does the child seem to like? T.V. shows? Music? Toys? Stuffed animals? Places to visit? Types of humor? Picture books? Read-aloud books? Fairy Tales? Holidays? Favorite subject in school? What’s relevant is anything that interests the child.

Why is this important? Because we need to know what is pleasurable for the reader, so that we can flood him or her with reading experiences that are pleasing. This is not rocket science: when you go to the library or bookstore, you are going to head for the sections and genres that interest you, not ones that bore you to sleep or frustrate you to tears.

It’s also important because if you aren’t already involved in a parent/teacher partnership to support the child, this is an excellent way to start. And if you are, it’s kind of fun.

Tip: If there is a paraprofessional involved in the classroom, include that person in the fact-finding mission. Richard will be posting entries about the role of classroom and one-on-one aides; suffice it to say, they have their own unique perspective on each child in the classroom, as well as the overall classroom system. I rely on my classroom partner to keep an eye on the big picture – she often sees things I don’t. I also count on her to develop her own relationships with each of our students, and she often provides me with terrific insights into situations that I’m trying to understand.

If the reader with autism likes certain books or topics, consider purchasing a set for the classroom. And when I say “consider purchasing,” I’m talking to the parent. Right now, with budget cuts, teachers aren’t being given money to buy new classroom library books. (You’d probably be shocked at how much most underpaid classroom teachers spend out of their own pockets for books and supplies.)

If we want new books, most of us these days have to buy them ourselves or rely on parents to donate them. I’m sorry it has to be this way, but it is what it is. Sometimes, your PTA will give a small grant to a teacher to expand the classroom library, and in that case, the teacher should apply.

Make a special basket of books for the child in your classroom. Include non-fiction and fiction, and any topic that you’ve identified as of particular interest to the reader. If he’s obsessed with dinosaurs, find dino picture books, chapter books, stories, and non-fiction books. If he likes quirky, goofy characters, amass a quantity of books at all levels that you think will make him smile.

If she loves math and numbers, find books about numbers and math. The Sir Cumference books by Cindy Neuschwander and Wayne Geehan are great (http://www.amazon.com/Sir-Cumference-First-Round-Table/dp/1570911525), as are counting books and poems.

If he’s got bathroom humor, get Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi (http://www.amazon.ca/Everyone-Poops-Taro-Gomi/dp/192913214X) and Captain Underpants and The Fart Book and make a special basket.

You need to nurture the parent/teacher partnership to continue to touch base about the child’s interests, likes and dislikes. The more information you have about what a reader will pay attention to, the better. The fact-finding must be an ongoing thing.

(2) Investigating

It is not enough to simply decide that a child doesn’t comprehend text. It is never okay to stop with such a general piece of information. While the fact-finding task in the parent/teacher partnership may be directed by the parent, this next step should be led by the teacher. If your child’s teacher isn’t willing or able to lead, then it is the job of the parent to lead, or find someone who will. Don’t let this become an adversarial situation; sometimes we teachers aren’t able to lead because we don’t have enough training or experience. You can help by assisting in finding a mentor or asking a previous teacher to participate along with the current one. (You can also contact me. I’ll email with anyone who subscribes to this blog.)

What needs to be done now is to figure out exactly why the child doesn’t understand what she’s reading. Identify what comprehension strategies the child isn’t using (and don’t be dismayed if the answer is that she’s not using any. We just need to know where we are starting from.) Identify the child’s independent reading level and investigate the fluency of her reading. Reading fluency has a lot to do with comprehension, it turns out: good readers “hear” the text in their heads, and if a child is stumbling and halting in reading, the voice isn’t very interesting to listen to.

One focus at a time

Once you have a baseline of the child’s reading processes, parents and teachers should have another conversation. Talk about what strategy or process should be tackled first. If it’s fluency, then focus completely on that for awhile, using books that interest the child. If it’s making personal connections, then direct the child’s at-home and at-school reading assignments in that direction. Pick one thing.

Tip: Reading fluency refers to the ability to read text with inflection and intonation, smoothly and without pauses other than those required by punctuation. The way to improve reading fluency is to read the same text over and over, until there are no more stumbles and the inflection is appropriate. Read Naturally (http://www.readnaturally.com/products/default.htm) is an excellent program for the development of reading fluency, and I use it in my classroom. But you can do essentially the same thing with any text at the child’s level, and in the case of a child who is balking at reading, why not pick a text that really interests him or her?

Once you’ve picked your target strategy or reading behavior, you are ready to begin the job of supporting reading comprehension. Your ongoing conversation is going to reach deep into the child’s learning experience.

Don’t stop.

So here’s how the conversation should really go:

Parent:  John is really having a tough time with the reading homework.
Teacher: Yes, he is far below grade level.
Parent:  He doesn’t really understand what he’s reading.
Teacher: Yes, that’s very common in kids with autism. They don’t have high reading comprehension. Let’s talk about John’s interests. What kinds of books does he read at home?
Parent:  I’ve been reading the Winnie the Pooh books to him since he was a baby.
Teacher: Really! Who’s his favorite character?
Parent:  He likes Tigger.
Teacher: Of course. Tigger bounces! What else is John into? What are his favorite movies?
Parent:  Shrek.
Teacher: Great. I have a couple of Shrek books I’ll set aside for him. He can look at them during free reading time. Does he watch other cartoons?
Parent:  Well, he never misses “Sponge Bob Square Pants.”
Teacher: I don’t have any Sponge Bob book...
Parent:  I can look at Barnes and Noble if you want.
Teacher: Would you? Great. I’ll see if Scholastic has any.
Teacher: I want to pull together a basket of books that we think will pique his interest and give him pleasure. The last thing we want is for John to feel so frustrated with reading that he begins to hate it.
Parent:  Yeah, he’s already resenting it.
Teacher: Let’s nip that in the bud, then. And in the meantime, I will do some informal assessments and see if I can identify some specific comprehension strategies we can work with John on. I can send instructions home with him for you to work on in the evenings, too. Let’s get him over this hurdle.

Parents, don’t let yourself be over here. When your child and the teacher are here.

Your child’s education is a two-way street.

Mission Statement

Sara (readers1) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:57:54 +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.