Thomas is now 7 years of age, and the last few years seem to have gone by quickly for Molly and Ian. Thomas has shown some improvement in his language skills, but he is still far from typical in terms of his development. At home, he uses the PECS system which seems to help to keep him from becoming frustrated in communicating his needs.
In spite of considering a visit to a child psychiatrist, Molly and Ian have not taken Thomas to see anyone of this sort. Thomas continues his occupational therapy with a community-based provider, something that is helpful given the kind of therapy he receives during the school day. Molly and Ian continue to be concerned about Thomas' behaviors in the home, and they are considering requesting assistance through a local community agency. They have both been participating in couples counseling for the last year, something that has helped them to deal with the stresses of raising a child like Thomas and to ensure that their relationship stays strong. The stress has been overwhelming at times, particularly as Thomas has gotten bigger and is harder to contain when he tantrums. Molly is worried about what will happen as Thomas grows - will she be able to handle his outbursts?
* How often is Thomas likely to receive OT services in a typical public school system in Virginia? What about speech/language services?
* Write 3 goals that are likely in Thomas' IEP at age 7. Include 3-4 objectives for each of the goals.
Thomas’s Individualized Education Plan, under “related services,” must clearly outline and explain why occupational, and speech-language services are necessary for him to receive in the educational setting. Thomas’s autism diagnosis alone cannot justify the use of these services, and his speech-communication/occupational deficits must effectively qualify, and demonstrate, to his multidisciplinary IEP team that the aforementioned “related services” should be given to him in order to help him be more successful in the educational setting. Thomas is entitled to a free and appropriate education, in the least-restrictive environment. In Virginia schools, when occupational services are to be given to a student under “related services,” they usually:
ReplyDelete“provide treatment to strengthen and develop fine motor functions; focus on treatment of the small muscles, primarily those of the face, upper trunk, arms, and hands; and
improve the student's ability to perform tasks necessary for independent functioning, such as chewing, swallowing, placement of the tongue and mouth for speech formation, eye-hand coordination, and manual dexterity,”(VDOE, “Service Examples,” 2011).
Also, for the speech-language section under “related services” in Virginia’s IDEA legislation, a speech-language professional will typically:
“screen and evaluate students for disorders of fluency, language, articulation, voice, oral-pharyngeal dysfunction, and cognitive/ communication disorders; provide speech and language services to address all types of communication disorders, including augmentative and alternative communication systems; and refer the student for medical or other professional attention necessary. It should be noted that effective oral communication is regarded as a component of educational performance,”(VDOE, “Service Examples,” 2011).
Thomas’ IEP’s goals will show that Thomas has been sufficiently evaluated, and therefore found eligible for “related services,” and from there his multidisciplinary IEP will identify when and how often Thomas needs to receive these therapy services in his educational setting because these services will help Thomas’ school experiences improve.
According to a Fairfax County Public Schools online document: “In order to determine a students’ needs in the educational setting and to develop interventions, OTs assess three separate components: (1) the demands of required activities and the environment, (2) the students’ performance patterns and routines at school, and (3) the physical and sensory capabilities of the student,”(Occupational Therapy Services, p. 2). Also, OTs aim to help students gain strength in and out of their classroom, “at all times, not just when the therapist is present,” and “students learn most effectively when services are provided within the framework of their educational program,”(Occupational Therapy Services, p. 1).
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is designed to meet the unique educational and therapeutic goals of a child with a disability and is mandated and regulated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We believe that Thomas’ IEP should encompass three domains in which he has the most trouble: Speech/Language, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development.
ReplyDelete1. Speech/Language Domain: Will improve his expressive language skills.
a. Using the PECS, Thomas will correctly identify the pictures using spoken language 80% of the time.
b. Will get the listener’s attention when making a request by quietly raising hand or verbal request 80% of the time.
c. Will recognize and identify 30 actions by word and picture with 80% accuracy.
d. When given a choice, will indicate choice verbally 80% of the time.
2. Behavioral Domain: Will develop new coping mechanisms.
a. Parents, teachers, etc. will require Thomas to ask for help when he needs it by only responding to his needs when Thomas presents the problem to them.
b. Every time Thomas uses a stress ball to release his anger rather than hitting other people, he will be rewarded with favorite toy/snack/candy/etc. Thomas will ultimately use stress ball 80% of the time.
c. Will greet others when they greet him with a “hi” or “hello” 80% of the time.
3. Cognitive Domain: Will improve concept knowledge and functional play.
a. Will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of cause and effect relationships.
b. Will match his name to 10 different action words and perform the action.
c. Will engage in pretend-play routines and functional play activities during two observations a week.
Matthew’s Center is a non-profit organization in Harrisonburg that uses the ABA approach to help children and families affected by autism. They offer an Outreach Services Program, an After School Care Program and summer activities for children. Through the Outreach Services Program, they provide home based 1:1 instruction to increase independence and support maintenance and generalization of skills across varying environments. The After School Care Program runs Monday through Friday from 2:30-6:30pm and full day when school is not in session. Its primary focus is recreation/leisure skills with attention to adaptive behavior. During the Summer, they offer a ten week summer camp from June 18th and ending on August 24th. There are activities that spark the child’s imaginations and creativity while supporting healthy development and communication skills. Exciting experiences include: field trips, art experiences, books, cooking and movies related to weekly themes. The Matthew’s Center also puts a strong emphasis on the need for family involvement and helping the family. They offer parent/caregiver training, ABA training with families, and consulting services. If Thomas was to attend the Matthew Center, no insurance would be required. Based off of the fact that Molly and Ian both are working, their jobs would be providing insurance such as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, as we stated before in a previous week.
ReplyDeleteScottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders at JMU provide services to children in the region with communication disorders. They provide supervised clinical education for speech-language pathology students. Through the support of the Scottish Rite Foundation, they are able to offer this summer session to enhance communicative interactions of children with delays or disorders of communication. During the camp, JMU offers individualized instruction within small group activities; fun interactive experiences with art, music, drama, cooking, and computer programs;and language and learning enrichment to promote school success. All of the services are provided at absolutely no charge to the family and many years it is funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Education.
The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham members include parents, professionals, persons with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, and concerned citizens. The Arc is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. They offer a program called Parent-to-Parent which is part of a network of professionally trained parents who want to be there for parents in need. They provide information on the resources in the community, educational resources, and a supportive contact from another parent who understands their concerns. The Arc is a non-profit organization and Thomas would not need additional insurance. It is funded by grants and donations.
Special Olympics Virginia is a year-round program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This would greatly benefit Thomas because he has tantrums often and he could release his energy and grow friendships with peers that will last a long time. Young Athletes is a branch of Special Olympics for children ages 2-7. Volunteers introduce young children to the world of sport, with the goal of preparing them for Special Olympics sports training and competition when they get older. The program focuses on the basics that are crucial to cognitive development; physical activities that develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination and the application of these physical skills through sports skills programs. There is no cost to any athlete to join Special Olympics Virginia or to compete in any of the competitions.
ReplyDeleteShenandoah Valley Autism Partnership offers support, networking and training for families and professionals who care for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. There are activities and fundraising opportunities to take part in individually or as a family such as a 5K walk/run in Harrisonburg, luncheons, and selling Autism Awareness Ribbons and CD’s to benefit SVAP. The yearly membership fee is $15 for individual or family.
Many of these community-based services available in the Harrisonburg area are at no cost or very little cost to the family.
References
ReplyDeleteWebMD. (2012). Autism Spectrum Disorders Health Center. Retrieved March 14, 2012 from: http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/individualized-education-programs-ieps-for-autism
Prunty, Anita. (2011). Implementation of Children’s Rights: What is in the ‘best interests’ of the child in relation to the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process for pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Irish Educational Studies, Vol. 30 Issue. Retrieved March 14, 2012 from JMU Libraries Online.
Fairfax County Public Schools, Department of Special Services. (n.y). Occupational Therapy Services. Retrieved March 18, 2012, at http://www.fcps.edu/dss/sei/PTOT/OT_brochure.pdf
Virginia Department of Education. (2011). Related Services, Service Examples. Retrieved March 18th, 2012, at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/iep_instruct_svcs/related_services/index.shtml
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/iep_instruct_svcs/related_services/service_examples.shtml
SVAP. (2012). Shenandoah valley autism partnership. Retrieved from http://valleyautism.org/
The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham. (2012). The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham. Retrieved from http://hrarc.org/
The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for the Benefit of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (2012). Special Olympics Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.specialolympicsva.org/
Matthew's Center. (2012). Matthew's Center-Enhancing Lives Through the Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.matthewscenter.org/
The Supreme Council. (2012). Scottish rite of freemasonry. Retrieved from http://scottishrite.org/about/philanthropy-scholarships/ritecare-directory/location/virginia/