activities that a child is required to do independently in school. Remember, these skills may be emerging for pre-k and kindergarten students. Teachers are wonderfully insightful as to whether or not skills are developing appropriately in the classroom.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapists (OTs) are critical members of the team in both medical and school settings. OTs work to ensure the student can perform activities of daily living as independently as possible. There are several areas in school where OTs can make a significant impact. Through a thorough evaluation in areas such as: fine motor, strength, vision and perceptual skills, sensory processing, and more; goals will be developed specifically for your student. Areas that are also considered include: overall transition skills, direction following, organization, attention, and self-care as it relates to education. The time an OT works with a student directly depends on the time that the team determines is necessary to participate in his education with the appropriate accommodations and supports. When parents, teachers, therapists, and students are aware of the tools available to them, it is beneficial to everyone in building the best educational plan. OTs are part of the “related services” category – part b in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
What Are Some Common OT Goals in the School Setting?
In addition to the list of activities in the previous section, many districts are recognizing the importance of SPD (sensory processing disorder) and its impact on a child’s daily routine. Here is an example of an OT goal which would cover SPD relating to a child’s educational needs: By the end of the IEP date, Jacob will demonstrate the ability to regulate his body for quiet work tasks by choosing an appropriate calming down activity 90% of the time. The therapist may teach Jacob how to monitor his level of “alertness” with a program such as How Does Your Engine Run? ® by Shelly Shellenberger and Mary Sue Williams (www.alertprogram.com)4. Further, he may then learn which activities in the program are calming to him vs. causing him to become more active when he and his peers are doing quiet work at their desks. I have created a series of activity cards or sensory break cards on my website which are inexpensive and easy to download, print, and laminate. They are colorful and a great visual reminder for students with and without special needs! (www.pocketot.com, under the “shop” tab)
Here are some sample annual goals in an IEP:
• In a one year period, Mary will stabilize the paper with one hand while drawing and writing to compose language arts lessons 75% of the time.
• By the end of the IEP, Victor will be able to isolate a finger to push a button, keyboard, mouse, etc. to type 26 out of 26 lowercase letters 100% of the time in ELA class.
• At the end of the IEP period, Jennifer will demonstrate the ability to hold her writing utensil with a tripod grasp during writing class 75% of the time as evidenced by data collection by OT.
• In one year, Joshua will demonstrate the ability to use proper spacing between words during ELA class when writing 90% of the time.
• Billy will be able to copy math assignments at his desk to record 100% of the assignment during this IEP period.
• Jeremy will complete math tasks regardless of external visual stimulation 70% of the time, by 1/2/16.
• When frustrated during science lessons, Virginia will use relaxation techniques to regulate arousal level 90% of the time, according to data collected by Ms. Jones.
Every goal needs to note who is collecting the data and monitoring the progress. The goals we write need to be measureable and they need to be given a time frame (the annual IEP period for long-term goals). The goals need to be broken down into smaller, more measureable goals. They are called “short-term goals (STG).” They are like steps which show progress toward the long term goal. Here’s an example:
The long-term goal will be: In one year from the date of this IEP, Richard will cut curved lines, including circles accurately within ⅛ inch of the line independently.
• STG 1: Richard will use scissors to cut along the curved line within 1 inch from the line 100% of the time.
• STG 2: Richard will use scissors to cut along the curved line within ½ inch from the line 100% of the time.
• STG 3: Richard will use scissors to cut along the curved line within ¼ inch from the line 100% of the time.
Data is collected on goals in most districts on a quarterly basis, just as progress reports are. The timing is near the school’s quarterly report cards. Therapists, teachers, and those collecting data make notes in the student’s record how she is progressing toward every IEP goal at that time. You may view this data and ask questions about your student.
What Is Language?
What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist?
Language is much more than having the ability to speak. If we think of sign language, there is a beautiful flowing rhythm with facial expressions and body movements. Our verbal language is the same. We use gestures, facial expressions, vocal tones, eye contact, body movements (such as pointing and hand position) to communicate ideas and thoughts. When a child struggles with social communication deficits, language/speech delays, autism, strokes, neurological injuries, and many more; their social skills may suffer. To communicate with each other, we must understand taking turns, the appropriate way to get someone’s attention, body language, conversational turn-taking, facial expressions, sarcasm, idioms, eye contact, and intonation. All of these make up the pragmatics of speech.
There can be delays in either receptive language (understanding), expressive language, or both. To complicate things even more, our language is full of idioms (it’s raining cats and dogs), homophones (hear and here), and sarcasm. Those who are developing typically can become frustrated!
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are experts in the area of speech and communication and are vital members of the treatment team. They are part of the “related services” category – part b under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. SLPs have additional and specific training and certification in speech and language topics. They work in school settings to help with facilitation of functional communication. Many things are pre-cursers to communication and the SLP knows the steps to take to help students communicate effectively. Even non-verbal students need to have appropriate ways to make their needs known.
The use of deep-breathing techniques, oral-motor training, group therapy, picture communication systems, and gesturing are all used by SLPs. Often times, the IEP may dictate that speech sessions are held in small groups. This is a wonderful way to work on communicating in a real-time functional setting. Bonds often form between students and confidence is built. This can be generalized to the classroom and at home.
SLPs and the treatment team may suggest visual schedules, use of pictures to help the student to communicate, assistive technology (AT) devices (such as DynaVox ® units or communication boards) to help accommodate the student’s needs. Remember, these accommodations should be listed in the IEP or 504 plan and re-evaluated for appropriateness regularly.
Annual and short-term objectives for a student in speech include:
• Katrina will improve her language skills in ELA class as demonstrated by taking turns with a peer 80% of the time.
• Michael will improve text organization through use of graphic organizers to compose narratives in 4/5 opportunities.
•
