Alberta Education Special Education Codes Chart Stats

ECS Children		2003/2004	2004/2005	2005/2006	2006/2007
10	ECS Developmentally Immature	–	1000	956	506
30	ECS Mildly or Moderately Disabled	6,823	6,011	6,250	6,566
41	Severe Cognitive Disability	34	31	24	14
42	Severe Emotional/Behavioural Disability	426	567	608	757
43	Severe Multiple Disability	1,179	325	309	251
44	Severe Physical or Medical Disability	863	939	960	1,014
45	Deafness	44	31	30	46
46	Blindness	21	24	21	27
47	ECS Severe Delay Involving Language	2,132	3,276	3,586	4,082
80	Gifted and Talented	102	126	150	150
99	More than one special education code	–	0	11	0
More than one special education code		0	0	11	0
Total Mild/Moderate/Gifted		6,925	6,137	6,400	7,222
Total Severe		4,699	5,193	5,538	6,191
Overall Total		11,624	11,330	11,949	13,413

Grade 1 to 12 Students		2003/2004	2004/2005	2005/2006	2006/2007
41	Severe Cognitive Disability	514	494	484	463
42	Severe Emotional/Behavioural Disability	7,518	7,760	8,129	8,091
43	Severe Multiple Disability	1,373	1,292	1,288	1,218
44	Severe Physical or Medical Disability	5,100	5,674	6,279	6,750
45	Deafness	317	339	320	303
46	Blindness	204	196	207	210
51	Mild Cognitive Disability	6,798	7,124	7,326	7,359
52	Moderate Cognitive Disability	668	587	624	625
53	Emotional/Behavioural Disability	6,904	5,964	5,434	5,049
54	Learning Disability	25,820	23,769	21,591	20,926
55	Hearing Disability	358	348	354	376
56	Visual Disability	72	68	68	77
57	Communication Disability	5,715	4,912	4,735	4,612
58	Physical/Medical Disability	1,303	1,524	1,787	2,058
59	Multiple Disability	1,679	1,757	1,834	1,921
80	Gifted and Talented	7,245	6,675	6,477	6,408
99	More than one special education code	0	498	542	579
More than one special education code		0	498	542	579
Total Mild/Moderate/Gifted		56,562	52,728	50,230	49,411
Total Severe		15,026	15,755	16,707	17,035
Overall Total		72,069	68,981	67,479	67,025

How Most Children Learn to Read

 

By: Derry Koralek and Ray Collins (1997)

Play is the work of children – through play and interaction, children learn how to talk, listen, read, and write. Read about typical behaviors of emergent and beginning readers, and how each of these behaviors relate to reading and writing.

In this article

• Emerging literacy
• Becoming readers and writers
• Key points about development

Between the ages of four and nine, your child will have to master some 100 phonics rules, learn to recognize 3,000 words with just a glance, and develop a comfortable reading speed approaching 100 words a minute. He must learn to combine words on the page with a half-dozen squiggles called punctuation into something – a voice or image in his mind that gives back meaning. (Paul Kropp, 1996)

Emerging literacy

Emerging literacy describes the gradual, ongoing process of learning to understand and use language that begins at birth and continues through the early childhood years (i.e., through age eight). During this period children first learn to use oral forms of language (listening and speaking) and then begin to explore and make sense of written forms (reading and writing).

Listening and speaking

Emerging literacy begins in infancy as a parent lifts a baby, looks into her eyes, and speaks softly to her. It’s hard to believe that this casual, spontaneous activity is leading to the development of language skills. This pleasant interaction helps the baby learn about the give and take of conversation and the pleasures of communicating with other people.

Young children continue to develop listening and speaking skills as they communicate their needs and desires through sounds and gestures, babble to themselves and others, say their first words, and rapidly add new words to their spoken vocabularies. Most children who have been surrounded by language from birth are fluent speakers by age three, regardless of intelligence, and without conscious effort.

Each of the 6,000 languages in the world uses a different assortment of phonemes – the distinctive sounds used to form words. When adults hear another language, they may not notice the differences in phonemes not used in their own language. Babies are born with the ability to distinguish these differences. Their babbles include many more sounds than those used in their home language. At about 6 to 10 months, babies begin to ignore the phonemes not used in their home language. They babble only the sounds made by the people who talk with them most often.

During their first year, babies hear speech as a series of distinct, but meaningless words. By age 1, most children begin linking words to meaning. They understand the names used to label familiar objects, body parts, animals, and people. Children at this stage simplify the process of learning these labels by making three basic assumptions:

• Labels (words) refer to a whole object, not parts or qualities (Flopsy is a beloved toy, not its head or color).
• Labels refer to classes of things rather than individual items (Doggie is the word for all four-legged animals).
• Anything that has a name can only have one name (for now, Daddy is Daddy, and not a man or Jake).

As children develop their language skills, they give up these assumptions and learn new words and meanings. From this point on, children develop language skills rapidly. Here is a typical sequence:

• At about 18 months, children add new words to their vocabulary at the astounding rate of one every 2 hours.
• By age 2, most children have 1 to 2,000 words and combine two words to form simple sentences such as: "Go out." "All gone."
• Between 24 to 30 months, children speak in longer sentences.
• From 30 to 36 months, children begin following the rules for expressing tense and number and use words such as some, would, and who.

Reading and writing

At the same time as they are gaining listening and speaking skills, young children are learning about reading and writing.

At home and in child care, Head Start, or school, they listen to favorite stories and retell them on their own, play with alphabet blocks, point out the logo on a sign for a favorite restaurant, draw pictures, scribble and write letters and words, and watch as adults read and write for pleasure and to get jobs done.

Young children make numerous language discoveries as they play, explore, and interact with others. Language skills are primary avenues for cognitive development because they allow children to talk about their experiences and discoveries. Children learn the words used to describe concepts such as up and down, and words that let them talk about past and future events.

Many play experiences support children’s emerging literacy skills. Sorting, matching, classifying, and sequencing materials such as beads, a box of buttons, or a set of colored cubes, contribute to children’s emerging literacy skills. Rolling playdough and doing fingerplays help children strengthen and improve the coordination of the small muscles in their hands and fingers. They use these muscles to control writing tools such as crayons, markers, and brushes.

As their language skills grow, young children tell stories, identify printed words such as their names, write their names on paintings and creations, and incorporate writing in their make-believe play. After listening to a story, they talk about the people, feelings, places, things, and events in the book and compare them to their own experiences.

Reading and writing skills develop together. Children learn about writing by seeing how the print in their homes, classrooms, and communities provides information. They watch and learn as adults write – to make a list, correspond with a friend, or do a crossword puzzle. They also learn from doing their own writing.

The chart below offers examples of activities preschool and kindergarten children engage in, and describes how they are related to reading and writing.

What children might do

How it relates to reading and writing

Make a pattern with objects such as buttons, beads, small colored cubes.
By putting things in a certain order, children gain an understanding of sequence. This will help them discover that the letters in words must go in a certain order.

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Listen to a story, then talk with their families, teachers, or tutors and each other about the plot, characters, what might happen next, and what they liked about the book.
Children enjoy read-aloud sessions. They learn that books can introduce people, places, and ideas and describe familiar experiences. Listening and talking helps children build their vocabularies. They have fun while learning basic literacy concepts such as: print is spoken words that are written down, print carries meaning, and we read from left to right, from the top to the bottom of a page, and from the front to the back of a book.

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Play a matching game such as concentration or picture bingo.
Seeing that some things are exactly the same leads children to the understanding that the letters in words must be written in the same order every time to carry meaning.

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Move to music while following directions such as, put your hands up, down, in front, in back, to the left, to the right. Now wiggle all over.
Children gain an understanding of concepts such as up/down, front/back, and left/right, and add these words to their vocabularies. Understanding these concepts leads to knowledge of how words are read and written on a page.

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Recite rhyming poems introduced by a parent, teacher, or tutor, and make up new rhymes on their own.
Children become aware of phonemes – the smallest units of sounds that make up words. This awareness leads to reading and writing success.

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Make signs for a pretend grocery store.
Children practice using print to provide information – in this case, the price of different foods.

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Retell a favorite story to another child or a stuffed animal.
Children gain confidence in their ability to learn to read. They practice telling the story in the order it was read to them – from the beginning to the middle to the end.

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Use invented spelling to write a grocery list at the same time as a parent is writing his or her own list.
Children use writing to share information with others. By watching an adult write, they are introduced to the conventions of writing. Using invented spelling encourages phonemic awareness.

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Sign their names (with a scribble, a drawing, some of the letters, or "correctly") on an attendance chart, painting, or letter.
Children are learning that their names represent them and that other words represent objects, emotions, actions, and so on. They see that writing serves a purpose to let their teacher know they have arrived, to show others their art work, or to tell someone who sent a letter.

Becoming readers and writers

By the time most children leave the preschool years and enter kindergarten, they have learned a lot about language. For five years, they have watched, listened to, and interacted with adults and other children. They have played, explored, and made discoveries at home and in child development settings such as Head Start and child care.

Kindergarten

Beginning or during kindergarten, most children have naturally developed language skills and knowledge. They…

Know print carries meaning by:

• Turning pages in a storybook to find out what happens next
• "writing" (scribbling or using invented spelling) to communicate a message
• Using the language and voice of stories when narrating their stories
• Dictating stories

Know what written language looks like by:

• Recognizing that words are combinations of letters
• Identifying specific letters in unfamiliar words
• Writing with "mock" letters or writing that includes features of real letters

Can identify and name letters of the alphabet by:

• Saying the alphabet
• Pointing out letters of the alphabet in their own names and in written texts

Know that letters are associated with sounds by:

• Finger pointing while reading or being read to
• Spelling words phonetically, relating letters to the sounds they hear in the word

Know the sounds that letters make by:

• Naming all the objects in a room that begin with the same letter
• Pointing to words in a text that begin with the same letter
• Picking out words that rhyme
• Trying to sound out new or unfamiliar words while reading out loud
• Representing words in writing by their first sound (e.g., writing d to represent the word dog)

Know using words can serve various purposes by:

• Pointing to signs for specific places, such as a play area, a restaurant, or a store
• Writing for different purposes, such as writing a (pretend) grocery list, writing a thank-you letter, or writing a menu for play

Know how books work by:

• Holding the book right side up
• Turning pages one at a time
• Reading from left to right and top to bottom
• Beginning reading at the front and moving sequentially to the back

Because children have been learning language since birth, most are ready to move to the next step – mastering conventional reading and writing. To become effective readers and writers children need to:

• Recognize the written symbols letters and words used in reading and writing
• Write letters and form words by following conventional rules
• Use routine skills and thinking and reasoning abilities to create meaning while reading and writing

The written symbols we use to read and write are the 26 upper and lower case letters of the alphabet. The conventional rules governing how to write letters and form words include writing letters so they face in the correct direction, using upper and lower case versions, spelling words correctly, and putting spaces between words.

Routine skills refer to the things readers do automatically, without stopping to think about what to do. We pause when we see a comma or period, recognize high-frequency sight words, and use what we already know to understand what we read. One of the critical routine skills is phonemic awareness – the ability to associate specific sounds with specific letters and letter combinations.

Research has shown that phonemic awareness is the best predictor of early reading skills. Phonemes, the smallest units of sounds, form syllables, and words are made up of syllables. Children who understand that spoken language is made up of discrete sounds – phonemes and syllables – find it easier to learn to read.

Many children develop phonemic awareness naturally, over time. Simple activities such as frequent readings of familiar and favorite stories, poems, and rhymes can help children develop phonemic awareness. Other children may need to take part in activities designed to build this basic skill.

Thinking and reasoning abilities help children figure out how to read and write unfamiliar words. A child might use the meaning of a previous word or phrase, look at a familiar prefix or suffix, or recall how to pronounce a letter combination that appeared in another word.

First and second grades

By the time most children have completed the first and second grades, they have naturally developed the following language skills and knowledge. They…

Improve their comprehension while reading a variety of simple texts by:

• Thinking about what they already know
• Creating and changing mental pictures
• Making, confirming, and revising predictions
• Rereading when confused

Apply word-analysis skills while reading by:

• Using phonics and simple context clues to figure out unknown words
• Using word parts (e.g., root words, prefixes, suffixes, similar words) to figure out unfamiliar words

Understand elements of literature (e.g., author, main character, setting) by:

• Coming to a conclusion about events, characters, and settings in stories
• Comparing settings, characters, and events in different stories
• Explaining reasons for characters acting the way they do in stories

Understand the characteristics of various simple genres (e.g., fables, realistic fiction, folk tales, poetry, and humorous stories) by:

• Explaining the differences among simple genres
• Writing stories that contain the characteristics of a selected genre

Use correct and appropriate conventions of language when responding to written text by:

• Spelling common high-frequency words correctly
• Using capital letters, commas, and end punctuation correctly
• Writing legibly in print and/or cursive
• Using appropriate and varied word choice
• Using complete sentences

The chart below offers examples of activities children engage in and describes how they are related to reading and writing.

What children might do

How it relates to reading and writing

Discuss the rules for an upcoming field trip, watch their teacher write them on a large sheet of paper, and join in when she reads the rules aloud.
Children experience first-hand how different forms of language – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – are connected. They see language used for a purpose, in this case to prepare for their field trip. They see their words written down and hear them read aloud.

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Look in a book to find the answer to a question.
Children know that print provides information. They use books as a resource to learn about the world.

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Read and reread a book independently for several days after the teacher reads it aloud to the class.
Children read and reread the book because it’s fun and rewarding. They can recall some of the words the teacher reads aloud and figure out others because they remember the sequence and meaning of the story.

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Read some words easily without stopping to decode them.
Children gradually build a sight vocabulary that includes a majority of the words used most often in the English language. They can read these words automatically.

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Read words they have never seen before.
Children use what they already know about letter combinations, root words, prefixes, suffixes, and clues in the pictures or story to figure out new words.

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Use new words while talking and writing.
Children build their vocabularies by reading and talking, sharing ideas, discussing a question, listening to others talk, and exploring their interests. Using new words helps them fully understand the meaning of the words.

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Recognize their own spelling mistakes and ask for help to make corrections.
Children understand that spelling is not just matching sounds with letters. They are learning the basic rules that govern spelling and the exceptions to the rules.

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Ask questions about what they read.
Children understand that there is more to reading than pronouncing words correctly. They may ask questions to clarify what they have read or to learn more about the topic.

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Choose to read during free time at home, at school, and in out-of-school programs.
Children learn to enjoy reading independently, particularly when they can read books of their own choosing. The more children read, the better readers they become.

Key Points About Development

• Children develop in four, interrelated areas – cognitive and language, physical, social, and emotional.
• Most children follow the same sequence and pattern for development, but do so at their own pace.
• Language skills are closely tied to and affected by cognitive, social, and emotional development.
• Children first learn to listen and speak, then use these and other skills to learn to read and write.
• Children’s experiences and interactions in the early years are critical to their brain development and overall learning.
• Emerging literacy is the gradual, ongoing process of learning to understand and use language.
• Children make numerous language discoveries as they play, explore, and interact with others.
• Children build on their language discoveries to become conventional readers and writers.
• Effective readers and writers recognize letters and words, follow writing rules, and create meaning from text.
• Successful programs to promote children’s reading and literacy development should be based on an understanding of child development, recent research on brain development, and the natural ongoing process through which most young children acquire language skills and become readers and writers.

Endnotes

Endnotes

Click the "Endnotes" link above to hide these endnotes.

Keith Stanovich, "Romance and Reality (Distinguished Educator Series)," Reading Teacher," 47(4), (Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 1993-94), 280-91.

Excerpted from: Koralek, D. & Collins, R. (December, 1997). How Most Children Learn To Read. On the Road to Reading: A Guide for Community Partners. America Reads Challenge, U. S. Department of Education.

Thankgoodness For Airmiles

We are having a particularily broke Christmas. Business is very slow right now. I was thinking there was no way I was going to be able to get the kids any Christmas presents – but – good ol’ Airmiles was there for me again. Last year I got MYSELF a bunch of stuff – and during the year when my earphones broke I got a SUPER AWESOME pair of earbuds – now I can hear all sorts of things in my music I didn’t know was there before. Example – at the beginning of a Nirvana song – and off the top of my head I can’t remember which one right now – there is some Inuit Throat Singing – Cool eh? Who woulda thunk it! I’ve been listening to that song for how many years? There is a Live song that has a heartbeat at the beginning – I’ve been listening to it for eons. You  notice all kinds of groovy things with these earphones – instruments you didn’t know were in the song – handclaps – you name it. It sure takes a lot to make excellent music.

So anyway – I was going to selfishly use my airmiles to get the Canon Digital Rebel – but I decided I love my children more than myself. I can save my airmiles for another six or so months and get it later. See the GOOD thing about having 6 children and and a Safeway Platinum card is it is relatively easy to wrack up points. I’ve considered transferring our prescriptions from Shoppers to Safeway – but the pharmascists have been so good to us for so many years – and we have so many prescriptions – it’s an easy way to get super expensive free perfume.

So I used my airmiles to get a super cool Hot Wheels track – a Leapster 2 – a Didj – a VSmile Cyber Pocket – and a Sansa Fuze.

Then I Ebayed for an Amika 1″ hair styler for my 15 year old (and myself) – a memory card for the Leapster – a memory card for the Fuze (to make it bigger because I just can’t stand small amounts of storage – it’s still too small but I figure he’s 14 – he doesn’t need more right now – it’s not a necessity – something is better than nothing.) a memory card for my 15 year olds nokia so she can use the music feature – but it turns out it is only expandable to 2 gigs which really makes me irate. What else did I get – oh yeah – two vsmile games (I really wanted to get an 11 game lot – but I figured I really needed to curb my shopping impulses) – 5 leapster games.

It is MUCH cheaper to get vsmile and leapster games on ebay than at Walmart – about ten dollars cheaper per game. I only purchased from sellers who were offering either free shipping or a couple of bucks and purchased from the same seller. I had them shipped to my dad’s Babb MO address because shipping to Canada often makes it cost a trillion dollars. So he’ll have to make a trip over there to get the stuff for me.

I also ordered myself a book about selling on ebay because – well – I’d like to sell stuff on ebay – make some money – stay home with my kids – not be broke.

My 4 year old is standing by me crying – he needs me. He is extremely clingy. He can’t go to bed without me. Irk.

Excerpts From the Book "Focusing On Success – Teaching Children With AD/HD"

 

The Following book is available in .PDF format at http://www.education.alberta.ca/media/511987/focus.pdf and has excellent and extensive information. It is written for teachers – but I found it very useful as a parent.

 

What does AD/HD look like in the classroom?

Students with AD/HD frequently struggle in academic areas. About 30 to 50 percent1
of these students also have learning disabilities. Even those without learning
disabilities frequently experience difficulties in reading, writing and mathematics
because of difficulties related to attention and short-term memory.

Reading

Students with AD/HD may have strong decoding and word recognition skills but
struggle with recall and comprehension of reading material because of a tendency to
skim read or word-read without attention to meaning.

Writing

Many students with AD/HD have difficulty with writing. Common difficulties
include spelling, editing, self-monitoring, and generating, planning and organizing
ideas. Underdeveloped fine motor skills may contribute to difficulty with the
physical act of writing legibly with speed and precision. These difficulties may result
in fatigue, inefficiency and frustration. A hasty approach to a task can also affect
legibility.

Mathematics

Students with AD/HD may have difficulty remembering math facts and procedures.
Inconsistent performance may also be due to careless errors (e.G., failure to notice
operational signs) and neglect of self-monitoring strategies. Slow and inefficient
copying and misaligning of numbers may also interfere with success in math.

Characteristics of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity in the classroom include     

difficulties in: 

   
• keeping track of personal belongings and school supplies     
• getting started on tasks     
• sitting still and focusing attention on the task at hand     
• regulating attention to tasks and to people     
• organizing or following through on instructions, assignments and classroom     
duties     
• organizing and managing time     
• planning for and completing written assignments (both short-term and long-    
term)     
• working independently (e.g., completing paper-and-pencil tasks at desk)     
• self-monitoring     
• maintaining consistent quality and quantity of work from day to day, and at     
different times in the same day     
• participating in classroom discussions (e.g., waiting turns, staying on topic,     
listening to others)     
• dealing with change and transitions, including moving from one activity to the     
next during the school day and moving from grade to grade or from school to     
school.   

 
What causes AD/HD?     
Research suggests that AD/HD is most likely caused by abnormalities in certain     
chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in the brain. In simple terms, the brain is     
inefficient or sluggish in the areas that control impulses, screen sensory input and     
focus attention.     
No one direct cause for AD/HD has been identified. AD/HD tends to run in families     
and heredity appears to be an important factor, accounting for 50 to 80 percent2 of     
children with AD/HD. Parents and siblings of children with AD/HD frequently have     
similar symptoms. Like many traits of behaviour and temperament, AD/HD is     
genetically influenced, but not genetically determined.     
Other possible causes of AD/HD have been suggested. These include trauma to the     
developing fetus caused by disease or injury, or exposure to alcohol,     
cigarettes/nicotine and environmental toxins. Babies who are born prematurely or     
with low birth weight are also more likely to become children with AD/HD.  

• Nearly 50 percent4 of all children with AD/HD—mostly boys—tend to also be
diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, but these disorders exist as two
distinct conditions.

• Girls are more prone to inattentive type AD/HD,
which is marked by disorganized and unfocused
behaviour rather than the disruptive, impulsive
conduct typically seen in boys.

• Girls with AD/HD tend to have higher rates of
overall distress, anxiety and depression
compared to boys with AD/HD.

• Girls may find their AD/HD symptoms are intensified by monthly hormonal
fluctuations.

What are the characteristics of AD/HD?
There are many characteristics that might indicate AD/HD. They vary from
individual to individual, and in individuals, from age to age and from situation to
situation. Generally, the characteristics are clustered under the general categories of
inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, social-emotional difficulties and the
overarching category of executive functions.

Inattention
• losing or forgetting things
• poor listening (e.g., frequently appearing to “tune out”)
• difficulty following instructions
• tendency to miss important details
• tendency to rush through tasks and make careless errors
• difficulty staying on task and completing assignments
• difficulty with short-term memory and recall
• organizational difficulties (e.g., keeping notebooks and supplies in order,
planning for multi-step projects)
• problems with focusing and maintaining attention
• distractibility
• tendency to daydream (e.g., appearing lost in own world).

Hyperactivity
• restless and always on the go (e.g., appears “driven by a motor”)
• squirming and fidgeting (e.g., finger tapping, foot tapping, knuckle cracking,
rocking)
• difficulty staying seated or being quiet when required
• excessive talking.

Impulsivity
• acting without planning or thinking first
• difficulty following rules and sequences of steps
• blurting out inappropriate remarks
• disturbing or interrupting others
• demonstrating impatience at inappropriate times (e.g., difficulty waiting in
lines or taking turns)
• difficulty managing frustration and other emotions (e.g., getting angry or overreacting
with little or no provocation)
• demonstrating unsafe behaviour
• difficulty considering consequences
• difficulty managing transitions from one activity to the next.

Social-emotional difficulties
Inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can also contribute to social-emotional
difficulties such as:
• limited confidence in self as a learner
• limited success as a team player
• misinterpreting social cues
• emotionally overreacting
• difficulty managing anger.

Executive functions
A hallmark of AD/HD is impairment of higher level brain functions required to
perform the following kinds of tasks:
• regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing information at consistent
and appropriate speeds
• focusing and sustaining attention
• organizing and prioritizing tasks
• planning and using foresight
• self-monitoring and regulating actions
• remembering details and accessing short-term memory
• distinguishing essential from nonessential detail
• elaborating on single or basic points
• delaying gratification
• inhibiting behaviours
• managing frustration and other emotions
• evaluating information and own performances.

See Booklet for Information on How AD/HD is Diagnosed

What other conditions can coexist with AD/HD?
All of the items listed as alternative explanations for AD/HD symptoms may also
coexist with AD/HD; that is, a child with AD/HD may also have these conditions or
experience these situations. This condition is referred to as AD/HD Complex.
Children who have no coexisting disorders may be classified as AD/HD Simple.
Two-thirds of children with AD/HD have at least one coexisting condition, so it is
important to consider how another condition can cause difficulties and require
support. The most common disorders to occur with AD/HD in children and
adolescents are learning disabilities, behaviour disorders including oppositional
defiant and conduct disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Tourette’s
syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
Of children with AD/HD:
30 to 50% also have learning disabilities
40% also have oppositional defiant disorder
25%* also have conduct disorder
10 to 30% also have depression
30% also have anxiety disorders
20% also have bipolar disorder
7%** also have Tourette’s syndrome.
* 45% of adolescents with AD/HD have a conduct disorder.
** 60% of individuals with Tourette’s syndrome also have AD/HD.

Booklet continues with what teachers can do if they suspect a child has AD/HD – I think from a parent’s perspective it is good information as well – what a parent can suggest. In my experience it is best when parents and teachers work together – utilizing ALL resources is a good thing!

The booklet then continues to talk about whether or not the child will need specialized programming and covers IPP’s – Individualized Program Plan (www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/specialneeds/ipp.asp)

Chapter 2 is “Building Home-School Partnerships”

There is a lot of information in chapter 2 – much of it relevant to teachers, but some of it stood out for me personally – areas I feel I need to work on in my own home.

• Encourage a consistent approach at home and at school in responding to
students’ behaviour.
• Encourage parents to set up an appropriate study space at home and to
equip it with essential materials.
• Encourage parents to establish routines for studying, for review of
completed homework, and for periodic checks of notebooks and bookbags.

 

Monitor changes in behaviour in response to strategies, programming,
accommodations or medical interventions
• Describe observed behaviours clearly, monitor changes carefully and
adjust interventions as needed.
• Complete daily checklists if required to help in identifying effective
management plans.
• Alert parents to any significant changes in their child’s behaviour.
Work with parents to create structure
• Encourage parents to focus on structure and routine at home. This
approach enhances feelings of safety and security for the student who is
challenged in his or her own management of time, materials and tasks.
Predictability reduces the need for explanation, negotiation and potential
conflict.
• Share information about expectations at school. Consistent expectations
among those working with the student will increase the tendency to
comply.

 

• Communicate with parents on a regular basis to keep them informed about
their child’s positive and negative behaviour and progress.
• Discuss interventions that work well at school and can be adapted for
home such as strategies for deflecting and absorbing “Yes, but …”
arguments. Some techniques can reduce the likelihood of adults becoming
engaged in no-win arguments with a child who is resistant. For example:
When a student tries to debate a request such as “It’s time to put away
the math blocks,” the adult can resist engaging in an argument by
matter-of-factly stating, “Regardless, it is time to put away the math
blocks.” Additional protests can be responded to with a firm
“Nevertheless, it’s time to put the blocks away.”

 

Enhance home-school communication
• Early in the school year, set up a meeting with the student, parents and
teachers.
• Follow up this face-to-face contact with notes, phone calls and e-mails
about progress, problems or success.
• In multi-teacher settings, consider having one teacher take responsibility
for tracking the student over the school year; e.g., monitoring homework
agendas, resolving problems and celebrating successes.
• Consider daily or weekly use of a communication book signed by parents,
the teacher and the student to ensure that parents are aware of issues that
arise in class and teachers are aware of issues that arise at home.
• Ensure that positive messages are included frequently to limit
discouragement.
• Contact parents regularly through telephone calls or e-mails. Discuss the
preferred contact method (e.g., phone call, after-school check-ins, etc.) and
the best times to contact one another. If using e-mail, it might also be
helpful to discuss expectations for response time to questions or concerns.

(We have always used this method with Olivia – until this year. It’s been a little more difficult to get her teacher on board with this. I have virtually no communication with Lilyanne’s teacher and find it incredibly difficult to know what I need to be working on at home the most with her – I think constant communication is very important.)

Make homework an opportunity for communication
• Recognize that homework is often an area of family tension and conflict.
• Create assignments that are meaningful and provide independent practice
for skills covered in class:
− consider the difficulty of the work and the time for the child to complete
the work (often students with AD/HD take two to three times as long to
complete a task compared to their peers)
− modify as necessary (for example, reduce the number of spelling words
to study, assign only even-numbered math problems, allow taperecorded
responses).
• Avoid sending home unfinished class work as homework. If unfinished
assignments during the school day are an ongoing issue, this challenge
needs to be addressed in class. Parents should not be expected to fix this
problem at home, especially because by evening many children will be
overtired and/or medication may not be in effect.
• Set up routines and reminders to ensure that students record assignments
in a homework agenda and have the materials needed. Provide clear
guidelines and timelines.
• Break down large or complex assignments into chunks with timelines for
the completion of each part.
• Set up routines and reminders to assist students to hand in homework.
Check completed homework and return it with feedback as soon as
possible.
• Encourage parents to
− set a regular time for homework or develop a weekly homework
schedule
− provide a quiet workplace and materials
− review the recorded assignments with the child
− assist the child in planning the tasks for the evening
− schedule breaks or reward completing tasks with a break
− emphasize the positive by looking for the things the child has done
correctly and give positive feedback

− encourage independence. The focus should be first on assisting children
to start on homework, and then on being available to provide
encouragement. Children also might need help breaking down difficult
tasks or clarifying directions. If the child uses accommodations at school,
encourage parents to provide them at home (e.g., use of a computer or
spellchecker, help with unfamiliar words, etc.)
− let the teacher know if the homework is too confusing or difficult for the
child to do or if it is taking too long (e.g., more than one hour a night at
the grades 4–6 level).
• If homework completion becomes an issue, work with students and their
parents to come up with alternate solutions.

 

(Homework is a HUGE issue at our house – partly because I’m unsure of how to create a quite workspace – and individual time)

Resources for parents
There are a number of Alberta Education print and online resources that can provide
information and ideas parents can use to participate in their child’s education. All of
these resources are available for purchase from the Learning Resources Centre at
www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca/ 

or telephone (780) 427–2767. The more current
resources can also be downloaded at no cost from the Alberta Education Web site.
The Parent Advantage: Helping Children Become More Successful Learners at Home
and School, Grades 1–9 (1998) includes strategies parents can use to help their
child improve organizational, reading, writing, spelling, math, test-taking and
project skills. Available for purchase from the Learning Resources Centre.
The Learning Team: A Handbook for Parents of Children with Special Needs (2003)
provides practical information on building a learning team, the IPP process,
transition planning, resolving differences and keeping informed. The handbook
can be downloaded as a PDF file from Alberta Education’s Web site at
www.education.gov.ab.ca/educationguide/speced/partners

The Journey: A Handbook for Parents of Children Who are Gifted and Talented (2004)
offers information and strategies that parents can use to nurture their child’s
learning and emotional well-being at home, in school and in the community. It
includes a section on gifted children with AD/HD. It can be downloaded as a
PDF file from Alberta Education’s Web site at
www.education.gov.ab.ca/K_12/curriculum/resources/TheJourney/journey.asp

 

Chapter 3 on – to be continued . . .

Students and AD/HD

I’ve been reading over some information about Alberta Special Education. I have two children coded 54 (learning disabilities) my 13 year old (who was diagnosed with AD/HD) was also diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder – although he has been very very good the last few months. My 8 year old also has a code 58 – which is medical disability. This was caused from her contracting Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome when she was 14 months old.

2 of my other children have attention issues. They have not been diagnosed with anything but I am prepared for the possibility. I know these types of issues are highly genetic – and also highly learned. My husband has ADD. I have bipolar. It is probable that either my children either have ADD because they have inherited it – OR – they have traits because they are being raised by parents who fall short in some areas.

I have two other children who are gifted. One of them can get hyper – but I highly doubt it is AD/HD related. However, she does have a very different type of personality. Her social skills are lacking. She certainly looks at life differently than most people do. I want to say "she started an anime club" as an example of her "differentness" but that isn’t so different for kids these days. She’s quirky. She has a very difficult time talking to people in a normal tone of voice. She just turned 15. My 4 year old will likely be reading before he enters kindergarten. I don’t think he is advanced – but he is certainly not behind. He is a little fact machine. He thinks all the time. All my other children – including my 15 year old – struggled with reading. So it leads me to wonder – do 5 of them have an inherited issues – or did one of them manage to learn in spite of my husband and I having difficulties?

Whatever the case, I know a few things:

1. there was no homework time growing up for either my husband or I

2. I struggled in school my whole life and felt stupid and incompetent

3. My husband struggled in school and felt stupid and incompetent

4. We were both high school drop outs (although I did go back and do two years of college)

5. We have had financial struggles our entire married life and I DON’T want our children to be like us

6. Both of us still have self esteem issues from our childhoods – and lack of education – and I don’t want our children to be like us

Therefor – I have to be educated on the issues – and I have to do something about them. I have to break cycles.

Learning Disabilities Checklist (link to printable .PDF)

http://www.ncld.org/images/stories/downloads/parent_center/ldchecklist.pdf

Blog THIS

ERRRRGG

Window’s Live Writer – works like a charm. But I don’t want to use Window’s Live Writer I want to use OneNote because I use OneNote for absolutely EVERYTHING.

Alberta Special Education Coding Criteria

Introduction

Alberta Education provides programming support and funding to school authorities to develop and implement special education programming for ECS children and grade 1 to 12 students. Special Education Coding Criteria 2006/2007 outlines criteria within specific categories to help school authorities identify those children and students who require special education programming. Each category is given a code for the purpose of reporting special education data to Alberta Education. A child or student must meet the criteria in order to be assigned a special education code.

The need for special education may be determined at any time. The process of identifying such need focuses on the impact of the child or student’s functioning in an educational environment. This is accomplished through:

 

􀂃 a comprehensive, individualized assessment

 

􀂃 a specialized assessment completed every two to five years

 

􀂃 an individualized program plan (IPP) with the involvement of the parent(s) and school personnel

 

􀂃 an annual review of functioning and programming.

 

Some children and students do not meet the criteria for special education coding but may still benefit from special education programming. They are not assigned a code or reported to Alberta Education.

For further information, refer to:

 

• Standards for Special Education (2004)

 

• Standards for the Provision of Early Childhood Special Education (2006)

 

• Requirements for Special Education in Accredited Funded Private Schools (2006)

 

Mild/Moderate including Gifted and Talented (ECS to Grade 12)

 

MILD COGNITIVE DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30; Grades 1–12: Code 51)

A student/ ECS child identified as having a mild cognitive disability should have: • an intelligence quotient (IQ) in the range of 50 to 75 ± 5 as measured on an individual intelligence test,

• an adaptive behaviour score equivalent to the mildly delayed level on an adaptive behaviour scale such as AAMR Adaptive Behaviour Scale – School: Second Edition (ABS-S:2) or Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale, and exhibit developmental delays in social behaviours, and

• a demonstrated delay in most academic subjects and social behaviours as compared to his or her same-age peers.

MODERATE COGNITIVE DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30; Grades 1–12: Code 52)

A student/ECS child identified as having a moderate cognitive disability should have: • an intelligence quotient (IQ) in the range of approximately 30 to 50 ± 5 as measured on an individual intelligence test,

• an adaptive behaviour score equivalent to the moderately delayed level on an adaptive behaviour scale such as AAMR Adaptive Behaviour Scale – School: Second Edition (ABS-S:2) or Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale, and

• programming that reflects significant modifications to basic curriculum and instruction in literacy, numeracy and living/vocational skills.

 

EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIOURAL DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30; Grades 1–12: Code 53)

A student/ECS child identified with a mild to moderate emotional/behavioural disability exhibits chronic and pervasive behaviours that interfere with the learning and safety of the student/child, other students/children and staff. Typically, behaviour disabilities are characterized by a number of observable maladaptive behaviours: a) an inability to establish or maintain satisfactory relationships with peers or adults b) a general mood of unhappiness or depression c) inappropriate behaviour or feelings under ordinary conditions d) continued difficulty in coping with the learning situation in spite of remedial intervention e) physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems f) difficulties in accepting the realities of personal responsibility and accountability g) physical violence toward other persons and/or physical destructiveness toward the environment.

 

LEARNING DISABILITY (Grades 1–12: Code 54)

 

This is the official definition adopted by the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) on January 30, 2002.

“Learning Disabilities” refer to a number of disorders which may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. As such, learning disabilities are distinct from global intellectual deficiency.

 

Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to: language processing; phonological processing; visual spatial processing; processing speed; memory and attention; and executive functions (e.g., planning and decision-making).

Learning disabilities range in severity and may interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following:

 

• oral language (e.g., listening, speaking, understanding)

 

• reading (e.g. decoding, phonetic knowledge, word recognition, comprehension)

 

• written language (e.g., spelling and written expression)

 

• mathematics (e.g., computation, problem solving).

 

Learning disabilities may also involve difficulties with organizational skills, social perception, social interaction and perspective taking. Learning disabilities are lifelong. The way in which they are expressed may vary over an individual’s lifetime, depending on the interaction between the demands of the environment and the individual’s strengths and needs. Learning disabilities are suggested by unexpected academic under-achievement or achievement which is maintained only by unusually high levels of effort and support.

 

Learning disabilities are due to genetic and/or neurobiological factors or injury that alters brain functioning in a manner which affects one or more processes related to learning. These disorders are not due primarily to hearing and/or vision problems, socio-economic factors, cultural or linguistic differences, lack of motivation or ineffective teaching, although these factors may further complicate the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities.

 

Learning disabilities may co-exist with various conditions including attentional, behavioural and emotional disorders, sensory impairments or other medical conditions.

 

For success, individuals with learning disabilities require early identification and timely specialized assessments and interventions involving home, school, community and workplace settings. The interventions need to be appropriate for each individual’s learning disability subtype and, at a minimum, include the provision of:

 

• specific skill instruction

 

• accommodations

 

• compensatory strategies

 

• self-advocacy skills.

 

HEARING DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30; Grades 1–12: Code 55)

A student/ECS child identified with a mild to moderate hearing disability is one whose hearing condition:

 

• affects speech and language development and

 

• interferes with the ability to learn.

 

A student/child with mild (26 to 40 decibels) to moderate (41 to 70 decibels) hearing disability will have an average hearing loss of 26 to 70 decibels unaided in the better ear over the normal range of speech. The normal range of speech is between 500 Hz and 4000 Hz.

 

VISUAL DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30; Grades 1–12: Code 56)

A student/ECS child identified with a mild to moderate visual disability is one whose vision is so limited that it interferes with the ability to learn and requires modification of the learning environment. A student/child who is designated as having limited vision should have a visual acuity of less than 20/70 (6/21 metric) in the better eye after correction and/or a reduced field of vision.

 

COMMUNICATION DISABILITY/DELAY (ECS: Code 30)

A child identified with a mild to moderate communication disability/delay is one who:

 

• has a diagnosed mild or moderate disability/delay in expressive and/or receptive language; or

 

• has a diagnosed disability/delay in articulation, phonology, voice and/or fluency and is at risk for learning difficulties as demonstrated by education-based assessments, which may include tests of phonological awareness.

 

COMMUNICATION DISABILITY (Grades 1–12: Code 57)

A student identified with a communication disability communicates ineffectively with peers and adults because of a diagnosed mild to moderate disability in:

 

• expressive and/or receptive language, and/or

 

• articulation, phonology, voice and/or fluency.

 

PHYSICAL OR MEDICAL DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30; Grades 1–12: Code 58)

A student/ECS child identified with a mild to moderate physical or medical disability is one whose physical, neurological or medical condition interferes with the ability to learn and requires modification of the learning environment. The existence of a physical disability or medical condition, in and of itself, is not sufficient for the student/child to be designated in this category.

 

MULTIPLE DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30; Grades 1–12: Code 59)

A student/ECS child identified with a multiple disability has two or more non-associated mild to moderate disabilities which have a significant impact upon his or her ability to learn. Some disabling conditions are closely associated so would not be designated under this category. For example, students/children with hearing disabilities frequently have communication disabilities, and students/children with cognitive disabilities almost always have both academic and communication disabilities.

 

GIFTED AND TALENTED (ECS to Grade12: Code 80)

Giftedness is exceptional potential and/or performance across a wide range of abilities in one or more of the following areas:

 

• general intellectual

 

• specific academic

 

• creative thinking

 

• social

 

• musical

 

• artistic

 

• kinesthetic.

 

For further explanations regarding these areas, refer to Teaching Students Who Are Gifted and Talented, Book 7 of the Programming for Students with Special Needs series, pages 18–19. The resource can be purchased from the Learning Resources Centre at www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca.

 

Severe (ECS to Grade 12)

 

SEVERE COGNITIVE DISABILITY (Code 41)

A student/child with a severe cognitive disability is one who:

 

• has severe delays in all or most areas of development

 

• frequently has other associated disabilities including physical, sensory, medical and/or behavioural

 

• requires constant assistance and/or supervision in all areas of functioning including daily living skills and may require assistive technology

 

• should have a standardized assessment, which indicates functioning in the severe to profound range (standardized score of 30 ± 5 or less). Functional assessments by a qualified professional will also be considered in cases where the disabilities of the student/ECS child preclude standard assessments

 

• has scores equivalent to the severe to profound levels on an adaptive behavioural scale (e.g., AAMR Adaptive Behaviour Scales-School: Second Edition (ABS-S:2); Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales; Scales of Independent Behaviour – Revised).

 

SEVERE EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIOURAL DISABILITY (Code 42)

A student/child with a severe emotional/behavioural disorder is one who:

 

• displays chronic, extreme and pervasive behaviours and requires close and constant adult supervision, high levels of structure, and other intensive support services in order to function in an educational setting. The behaviours significantly interfere with both the learning and safety of the student/ECS child and other students/ECS children. For example, the student/child could be dangerously aggressive and destructive (to self and/or others), violent and/or extremely compulsive; and

 

• (for grade 1–12 students) has a diagnosis including conduct disorder, schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorders, or severe chronic clinical depression; and may display self-stimulation or self-injurious behaviour. In the most extreme and pervasive instances, severe oppositional defiant disorder may qualify; or

 

• (for ECS children) has either a diagnosis or a statement by a qualified professional indicating that the child experiences severe behavioural difficulties.

 

A clinical diagnosis within the last 2 years of a severe emotional/behavioural disorder by a psychiatrist, registered psychologist or a developmental pediatrician is required, in addition to extensive documentation of the nature, frequency and severity of the disorder by school authorities. In the case of an ECS child who is not currently placed in an educational environment, extensive documentation of the nature, frequency, and severity of the disorder by the referring specialist may suffice. The effects of the disability on the student’s/ECS child’s functioning in an education setting should be described. An ongoing treatment plan/behaviour plan should be available and efforts should be made to ensure that the student/ECS child has access to appropriate mental health and therapeutic services.

 

A clinical diagnosis of a severe emotional/behavioural disorder is not necessarily

sufficient to qualify under this category. Some diagnoses with behavioural components that are not sufficient to qualify are: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD).

 

Note: Students/ECS children diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in the most severe cases should be reported under Code 44 rather than Code 42.

 

SEVERE MULTIPLE DISABILITY (Code 43)

A student/child with multiple disabilities is one who:

 

• has two or more non-associated moderate to severe cognitive and/or physical disabilities that, in combination, result in the student functioning at a severe to profound level; and

 

• requires significant special programming, resources and/or therapeutic services.

 

Students/ECS children with a severe disability and another associated disability should be identified under the category of the primary severe disability. For example:

 

• A student/ECS child with a severe cognitive disability and another associated disability is not designated under this category, but is designated under severe cognitive disability.

 

• A student/ECS child with a severe emotional/behavioural disability and another associated disability is not designated under this category, but is designated under severe emotional/ behavioural disability.

 

The following mild or moderate disabilities cannot be used in combination with other disabilities to qualify under Code 43:

 

a) attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (ECS to Grade 12)

 

b) emotional/behavioural disabilities (ECS to Grade 12)

 

c) learning disability (LD) (Grades 1 to 12 only)

 

d) speech and language-related disabilities (ECS to Grade 12).

 

NOTE: ECS children diagnosed with Down syndrome in the most severe cases should be reported under Severe Multiple Disability (Code 43).

 

SEVERE PHYSICAL OR MEDICAL DISABILITY (Code 44)

 

A student/child with a severe physical, medical or neurological disability, including autism, is one who:

 

a) has a medical diagnosis of a physical disability, specific neurological disorder or medical condition which creates a significant impact on the student’s/ECS child’s ability to function in the school environment (note: some physical or medical disabilities have little or no impact upon the student’s/ECS child’s ability to function in the school environment); and

 

b) requires extensive adult assistance and modifications to the learning environment in order to benefit from schooling.

A student/ECS child with severe autism (or other severe pervasive developmental disorder) is included in this category.

A clinical diagnosis by a psychiatrist, registered psychologist, or medical professional specializing in the field of autism is required.

A clinical diagnosis of autism is not necessarily sufficient to qualify under this category.

 

Eligibility is determined by the functioning level of the student/ECS child with autism. In order for a diagnosis of autism to be made, the student/ECS child needs to demonstrate impairment in

• social interaction and

• communication, and

• exhibit stereotyped pattern of behaviour (e.g., hand flapping, body rocking, echolalia, insistence on sameness and resistance to change).

 

A student/ECS child diagnosed with severe fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) may have fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and is included in this category.

 

A clinical diagnosis by a psychiatrist, registered psychologist with specialized training, or medical professional specializing in developmental disorders is required.

 

A clinical diagnosis of FASD is not necessarily sufficient to qualify under this category. Eligibility is determined by the functioning level of the student/ECS child with FASD.

 

Students/ECS children with severe FASD who exhibit significant impairment in the areas of social functioning, life skills, behaviour, learning, attention and concentration will need extensive intervention and support.

 

DEAFNESS (Code 45)

 

A student/child with a severe to profound hearing loss is one who:

a)     has a hearing loss of 71 decibels (dB) or more unaided in the better ear over the normal speech range (500 to 4000 Hz) that interferes with the use of oral language as the primary form of communication, or has a cochlear implant preceded by a 71 dB hearing loss unaided in the better ear; and

 

b) requires extensive modifications and specialized educational supports; and

 

c) has a diagnosis by a clinical or educational audiologist. New approvals require an audiogram within the past 3 years. If a student/ECS child has a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss that has not changed significantly since the initial approval by Alberta Education, documentation from a qualified specialist in the field of deafness outlining the severity of the hearingloss and modifications to the learning environment may be sufficient to support eligibility.

 

BLINDNESS (Code 46)

 

A student/child with severe vision impairment is one who:

 

a) has corrected vision so limited that it is inadequate for most or all instructional situations, and information must be presented through other means; and

 

b)     has a visual acuity ranging from 6/60 (20/200) in the better eye after correction, to having no usable vision or a field of vision reduced to an angle of 20 degrees. If a student/ECS child has a severe to profound visual impairment that has not changed significantly since the initial approval by Alberta Education, documentation from a qualified specialist in the field of vision outlining the severity of the disability and modifications to the learning environment may be sufficient to support eligibility. For those students/ECS children who may be difficult to assess (e.g., cortical blindness – developmentally delayed), a functional visual assessment by a qualified specialist in the field of vision or a medical professional may be sufficient to support eligibility.

 

SEVERE DELAY INVOLVING LANGUAGE (Code 47) – For ECS children only.

 

A child with a severe delay involving language is one who has difficulty communicating with peers and/or adults because of a severe delay in expressive, receptive or total language. Please use the following criteria for determining eligibility in this category:

 

a) A child who has sufficient communication ability to permit formal speech/language assessment should demonstrate results less than or equal to the first percentile in expressive, receptive or total language. If formal language assessment is not possible, a parental report measure and/or observational measure may be used; or

 

b) A child who has a severe phonological delay and at least a moderate expressive, receptive or total language delay (on a formal assessment of language); or

 

c)     A child who has at least a moderate to severe expressive, receptive or total language delay (on a formal assessment of language) and at least a moderate to severe delay in one or more of the following areas of development: fine motor, gross motor, vision, hearing. Alberta Education criteria for a severe delay involving language are based on a child’s developmental profile, not on individual subtest scores in any single area of development. Eligibility documentation must include an assessment completed by a speech and language pathologist that includes the results of measures used and a description of the child’s communicative ability.

 

In order to qualify, the language delays must have a significant impact on such areas as functional language, social use of language, vocabulary, language concepts, mean length of utterance, grammar, and acquisition of early literacy.

 

If the child qualifies on the basis of a language delay in combination with delays in other areas, those areas of delay must be assessed by an appropriate specialist and must result in a significant impact on the child’s ability to function in an ECS environment. Assessment reports that were completed within six months of the day the child begins his/her program must be submitted to Special Programs Branch for pre-approval of the child’s eligibility or with the Program Unit Funding (PUF) application.

 

Clustering must be the first option considered when planning programs for these children. In most cases, a 475 hour program is sufficient.

 

Children with moderate to severe disabilities/delays in two or more non-associated areas (not including language) should be considered under Code 43.

Children With Learning Barriers

I have several children with learning barriers. I suppose much of it is inherited unfortunatly. One of my children experienced a life threatening illness as an infant which resulted in some neurological damage. Because of it, she is seriously learning delayed and has some pretty significant learning disabilities.

My oldest daughter is a straight A student and has never needed help with her homework. She is 15 and is in her first year of high school. My son just younger than her has an above average IQ but suffers fine motor skill difficulties as well as some learning disabilities.

I can’t help but wonder if his struggles are my fault. I’ve been quite pre-occupied with my daughter’s health over the years and I think, maybe, I haven’t been there as much for my other children as I should have been.

It’s tough almost losing a child though – and as a result of her illness, she has had ongoing health problems especially related to her cognitive abilities.

I also have a son who just turned 10 last week. He is very bright but has also struggled with reading. He’s great with Math and Science – he gets pretty good marks – but if his reading was improved he could be much better. Is this because of me? I don’t know. I have a tendency to feel like it is.

My 8 year old daughter is the child who was ill as a baby. She also suffers hypertension.

I have a 6 year old daughter and a 4 year old son.

This last parent teacher was quite frustrating for me. The more kids I get in school, the more over-whelmed I feel. The more I feel like there just isn’t enough of me to stretch around to everyone and when I see them behind in one way or another – I’m sure it is because there isn’t enough of me to spread around. I don’t know though. My daughter Lily is really struggling in school – she is a very smart little girl but for some reason she is having difficulties learning to read. Just like Cameron, Cody and Olivia.

I took reading for granted. It came easily to me and I guess I thought everyone just sort of – reads – I know how stupid and niave that sounds because obviously kids don’t just learn to read all by themselves. But I could never understand – and still don’t really – reading struggles. I don’t remember learning how to read – I just could. So why can’t my kids just read? I read with them. They see me reading all the time. Where did I go wrong.

But I question whether it truly is the result of me not giving them enough attention because my 4 year old knows his letters and letter sounds and is beginning to sound out words. I know if I had the ability to devote a good half hour or more a day – he could be reading before kindergarten. I haven’t done anything different with him than I have with Lilyanne or Olivia. I know I have put more of my time and attention into him than I did my oldest kids – but that is just because I have grown as a parent – I was young and inexperienced when they were little.

So I’m up in the air as to why I have 4 of my 6 children struggling with reading. I can’t say the why doesn’t matter because I don’t believe change is possible without understanding the reason. What I do know though, is that I care very much about their education and their ability to read and I am doubling my efforts in helping them improve their reading skills. There is no skill more important than literacy.

Taking a good hard look at how much I am actually doing to help my kids at home has made me more aware of a lot of things and I simply want to be the best parent I can be. That is why this journal is like an accountability log I guess. If I record the efforts I make – the things I research – the strategies that work – it will help me be better and I want to be a little better everyday.

Wouldn’tcha Know – 6 Chicks

Of course.

I’m randomly brain-storming – throwing ideas at wordpress trying to come up with a name for this blog that is relevant to its intended content – a name that ISN’T already in use. Everything I could think of was used and so began a stream of silly names related to mothering six children. My mother often tells me I remind her of a mother hen trying to keep her chicks under her wing – so – for the heck of it I throw out 6 Chicks. I expected it to be used. I was simply doing what I do when I brain storm – not thinking deeply – just getting the ideas out there – and now here I am with a blog called “6 Chicks.”

I’m sure it is misleading – causing one to assume this blog is intended to be about “chicks” maybe written by 6 Chicks who are interested in things like Chick Flicks.

This blog is about kids. My kids. Parenting. Accomplishments. Strategies. Experiments. An accountability log of sorts.

I’ve kept an online journal at livejournal.com since 2000, once, I was an avid writer averaging 3 to 6 posts per day but that chapter in my life is closed. I’ve learned and grown – matured I guess. I used it – and still do occasionally – to basically vent my frustrations. Somewhere along the way I think I learned to calm down a little and that things have a way of working themselves out – no matter how bleak – and believe me – things have been bleak at times.

I still need to write though. It’s deep inside me somewhere and it is never going to go away. I’ve kept a journal of some sort since I was in grade 2 – basically since I was old enough to write all by myself. At one point I was creative enough to write stories – story after story after story.

What I want now is a new online journal – blog – whatever – focused in on the areas of my life that are most important. I’m an information junkie and my head spins with thoughts and ideas – I need a place to organize my mind – all the things I want to accomplish as a mother – a place to collect ideas and strategies – a gathering place – data collection – stats center . . .

This journal is devoted to being a mother – the best one I can be.