Strategies to Include a Student with Angelman Syndrome in a Public School Setting in the United States
Presentations at the 1st World Conference IASO - Tampere, Finland, 4-8 July, 2000
Presented by: Dennie Byrne & Cathy Coleman
Introduction
Cathy and I work in a small school system in Virginia, Falls Church City public schools, a suburb outside of Washington, D.C. George Mason High School has a national reputation, recognized for its rigorous academic program and known as one of the first U.S. schools to adopt an International Baccalaureate program. With only about 100 students per grade, we are able to individualize instruction and adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all students. As special educators, we are expected to meet the challenge of including those with moderate to severe disabilities within the realm of mainstream education.
Inclusion is a relatively new phenomenon at George Mason High School in Falls Church City, Virginia, a suburb outside of Washington, D.C. Until about seven years ago, students with disabilities were "out-placed" or sent to larger, neighboring jurisdictions for their education; often center-based with little interaction with typical peers and limited social integration with neighborhood peers. Consequently, there was no diversity in the school in regards to "ableness". Recognizing that everyone - families, educators and all children - benefits, Falls Church City developed a philosophy of inclusion and welcomed all of its students. Although it's often quite a challenge to integrate students with severe disabilities in an academically demanding high school setting, I'd like to highlight some of our techniques.
Strategies
Students with moderate to severe disabilities participate in a two-faceted program focusing on activities generated through the resource room and classes in the general education arena. Falls Church City provides generous paraprofessional support enabling students to receive both vocational training and community-based instruction outside of the school building. Functional academics and lifeskill instruction, such as grooming, safety and communication, take place in the resource room. Of equal importance, students attend classes within the general education setting. Dependent on student abilities and interests, these classes tend to be Electives such as art, physical education, theatre arts, music and band, teen cooking, computer instruction, etc. In an effort to create a successful inclusionary environment, the following strategies have been utilized.
Staff Development
Staff must be educated and prepared for students with disabilities. Support in the form of paraprofessionals, extra resources and consultation, is imperative to create a successful, nurturing environment. Many teachers have no experience or training with students with Angelman's. Information enables all staff - teachers, cafeteria workers, secretaries - to comfortably interact. The training must be ongoing as questions will arise and new concerns surface.
Ability Awareness Course
As staff is educated, so must the general student body receive information. Each new student with special needs brings unique attributes to the school community. General information can be provided via assemblies and presentations. However, we have developed a course designed to prepare non-disabled peers to work with students with disabilities. Textbook articles, professional journals and videos supplement class discussion. "Hands-on" experience occurs as students assist other students within the school environment.
Peer Mentoring Program
The peer mentor program was originally established to promote a relationship between the middle school students and the high school students. A high school student volunteers to support a middle school child; providing counsel, going out to lunch, making an evening phone call, just chatting. As it became apparent that students with severe disabilities could benefit from that same type of relationship, the program was expanded to encourage mentorship between high school students with disabilities and their typical peers. Generally the most successful matching results when the two students have already begun a friendship. The mentor is expected to meet with the mentee at least weekly, meet for lunch monthly and participate in arranged group outings occasionally.
Lunch Buddies
One of the local newspapers, The Washington Post, provided grant money to promote a progam at George Mason that encourages interaction between all students. Typical peers leave their assigned study hall to meet the child with the disability in the home economics room. That room contains a full kitchen, in which the two can prepare either a snack or full lunch to share. A few days later, the two may plan their next cooking project and walk to the nearby grocery store to make purchases. Food appears to be a great incentive when working with any teenagers, regardless of ability levels.
High School Daycare
Although an after school daycare program was initiated to assist the dual working parents of students with disabilities in the care of their children, there is another significant benefit. The staff working after school makes it a priority to involve the students in extra curricular activities. Our Angelman child attends the International Club meetings, freshman class activities, dance/cheerleading practices, sporting events and theatre productions. The child with the disability has the opportunity to be a more involved member of the school community. The other students benefit from spending time with the student with the disability - getting to know the person, seeing more than the disability, learning about capabilities, appreciating differences.
Community Service
Any student with an International Baccalaureate degree or advance diploma is required to participate in a specific number of community service hours. Recognizing that people benefit from giving of their time and energy to others, service projects can provide the venue to assist other students. This assistance can take many forms, such as peer tutoring or homework buddies. A student with a severe disability, as our Angelman child, benefits from a peer who takes the time to join the student at lunch, to volunteer as a companion to "run" the track during P.E., to work on a joint art project, to participate in the Dance class as an extra partner or to escort the student to an after school club meeting. The typical child earns community service hours while the Angelman child gains social inclusion and acceptance.
Natural Supports
Falls Church City School Board provides a generous number of paid paraprofessionals to support students with disabilities in their educational programs. The "paras" have been encouraged to promote paired working relationships with typical students whenever possible. Students benefit from working together in a paired or group learning environment as equals rather than the more typical student to teacher role. The student with a disability may have a more limited part in a presentation or project but it is expected that they will contribute as appropriate.
Presentations at Health Classes
All students take two years of health and family life education as part of their high school curriculum. I volunteer to speak to individual classes to share information about various disabilities, expectations and inclusion. Students often ask very specific questions such as "Why does "__________" rock back and forth while they are sitting in class?" Other questions often focus on specific incidents, such as, "__________" tried to grab my lunch off the table at the cafeteria. What should I have done?" The opportunity to discuss concerns, answer questions and share insights within a safe, nonjudgemental environment permits all to feel comfortable and gain information.
A Typical Angelman School Day
George Mason High School has block scheduling, seven classes are spread over two days. Blocks 1, 3, 5, and 7 take place on odd days. Blocks 2, 4, 5 and 6 take place on even days. All blocks are one hour and fifty minutes in length, except the lunch block (#5) which meets daily for one hour. Our Angelman student is nonverbal, very active and requires constant supervision. She is also very social and loves people. She receives a number of related services - physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. These services are provided in a number of ways - one on one pull-out therapy, on a daily basis by all trained special education staff and within the scope of the general education curriculum by all teachers and knowledgable peers. All days begin in the resource room as the student arrives and unpacks. She starts with some very basic "needs" instruction - toileting and grooming, followed by a communication activity. On odd days, she participates in a physical education class and an art class - both integrated with typical peers. Even days have Teen Foods (a general ed. cooking class) and Cultural Dance - once again with peers without disabilities. Interspersed within the day are community-based instruction opportunities - trips to the store, the library, the post office; many requiring public transportation. Lunch is provide in the cafeteria during block 5. The student also has a few daily jobs in the school building - shelving books in the library, taking the attendance form to the office, watering plants in the foyer. Although a great deal of assistance is needed, the student is seen by all as contributing to the welfare of the school as these jobs are completed. It becomes very important to emphasize abilities whenever possible.
After school daycare provides the opportunity to continue both the interaction established during the school day and to continue to address IEP (Individual Educational Program) goals and objectives.
Inclusion is a relatively new phenomenon at George Mason. Establishing both social and academic integration at the high school level can be quite a challenge and requires the support of students, teachers and administrators. As an evolving program, we continue to develop new ways to maximize the potential of all students and appreciate the diversity of our community. The strategies that I have discussed aid in the effort to create a nurturing school environment where all students, regardless of ability, are welcome.
Strategies to Include a Student with Angelman Syndrome in a Public School Setting in the United States
Presented by: Catherine B. Coleman , M.S. CCC-SLP - Speech-Language Pathologist July 6th, 3:30 PM Presentation
Hello my name is Catherine Coleman. I am a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Falls Church City Public Schools and in private practice in Virginia, USA. Today I am going to speak about alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) programs and their use with children with Angelman syndrome. A definition from the American Speech and Hearing Association of alternative and augmentative communication is as follows: Alternative and augmentative communication attempts to compensate (either temporarily or permanently) for the impairment and disability patterns of individuals with severe expressive communication disorders (ASHA, 1991, p.10).
Augmentative and alternative communication provides a means for children who are non-verbal to express their basic wants and needs. It can also be used to augment communication or facilitate the development of language. AAC programs can range from anything low on the technology continuum, such as picture boards or the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), to very expensive communication devices (i.e. Pathfinder from Prentke-Romich or computer-based systems).
Families, along with the help of professionals (Speech-Language Pathologists, SLP and/or Occupational Therapists, OT), should first determine the person's primary mode of communication and then base an AAC assessment on the current level of functioning. A profile should be made based on the individual's current capabilities. Once this profile is determined, an AAC program can be implemented and trained. Please contact your school's Speech-Language Pathologist in order to start a child using an AAC system or program.
In the Public School system, AAC should be used throughout a child's day. Communication opportunities should be scheduled into the day if they do not happen naturally. We are currently using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) program and various other strategies with our Angel. The PECS program was developed by Lori A. Frost, M.S. CCC-SLP (Speech Pathologist) and by Andrew Bondy, Ph.D. and was originally used with children with Autism. The program has expanded and is now proven to be an excellent program to use with Angels. Children using PECS are taught to approach and give a picture of a desired item to a communicative partner in exchange for that item. By doing so, the child initiates a communicative act for a concrete outcome within a social context. This is an easy system to get started. It is a low-tech system, which relies on a simple symbol system. The child's symbol level should be evaluated to determine if the child would respond best to black and white line drawings, color line drawings, commercial photo system (i.e. Silver Lining Multimedia, Inc. or Photo Objects by Hemera Technologies) and personal photographs or actual box fronts from the child's favorite foods, toys, etc. There are various steps to the program, which are included in your packet.
Besides the therapy room, children should also be given the opportunity to make their own choices and initiate communication in various locations around the school building or while in the community. A perfect device is the "Big Mac" switch, which can be programmed on the spot with fast food orders or requests the children may need to make while in the community. Tech Talkers, Cheap Talkers and Hip Talkers are also portable communication devices, which can be programmed in seconds to enable an Angel to initiate a communicative exchange.
It is extremely important to determine your child's current means of communication and then develop an AAC system, which will provide the child with the greatest amount of independence, initiative and inclusion in school, home and community activities.
Catherine B. Coleman, M.S. CCC-SLP - Speech-Language Pathologist
George Mason Middle and High School
United States of America
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