137 results for: "INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES"
Questions to ask about your child’s IEP goals
As you and your child’s IEP team develop your child’s annual IEP goals, there are several things to consider. Keep in mind that goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, and Time-bound. That means they shouldn’t be vague or general.Bring this checklist with you to help the team make sure your child’s goals provide the appropriate support. You can view or download a printable version of this checklist by clicking one of the links below.Are the goals clear and understandable? Do the goals avoid jargon or undefined acronyms?Are the goals positively oriented? (“With supports, Henry will…” as opposed to “With supports, Henry will not...”)Do the goals reference and line up with your child’s present level of performance (PLOP)?Do the goals address academic and social areas your child struggles with because of specific challenges?Are the goals standards-based? (Is the desired outcome to reach grade-level academic standards?)Do the goals address how your child will gain skills? Do they identify instructional strategies?Can the goals be accomplished within the time frame of the IEP?Do the goals list ways to measure progress? (Standardized tests, curriculum-based measurements, screening, etc.)Is it clear what your child will be able to do when the goals are met?Do the goals set ambitious, but realistic, expectations for your child?Are the goals strengths-based? (Do they use your child’s strengths to help address a particular need?)Did your child have a chance to give input on goals and share information about strengths?If your child is in high school, do the goals include transition planning?Learn more about the IEP process, including questions to ask before and during the meeting. Take a look at the anatomy of an IEP plan. Download a fact sheet about strengths-based IEPs And explore real stories from parents about their IEP experiences.
How’d You Get THAT Job?!Building an ADHD starter kit
Dan Reis was diagnosed with ADHD during the pandemic. Now, he’s made it his mission to explore coping strategies to help him get his work done. Dan Reis is a product designer at an e-commerce startup — and a listener of the podcast! Like many others, Dan saw his coping skills vanish during the COVID-19 lockdown. This led to him finally getting diagnosed with ADHD. Since then, Dan has made it his mission to explore different tools to build his own “ADHD toolkit.” Through trial and error, he modifies strategies to work for him. And he uses these tools to get his work done. Through self-compassion, routine changes, and experimentation, he’s understanding himself better. And, as is true for so many of us, he knows there’s still a long way to go. Related resourcesADHD treatment without medication: What are my options? Understood Explains episodeWorkplace supports: Trouble following instructions and managing deadlinesThe Pomodoro techniqueEpisode transcriptDan: My wife shared some comics with me that some people had made. And it was like, wait, all these people are describing these things that I thought were just like me things. Like things around mood and emotion regulation. Things that I never would have thought could have been an ADHD thing. And so it was like this giant umbrella suddenly of all these struggles that I had that I thought were all sort of one-offs. And it turns out oh, all these things are all kind of connected. Eleni: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "How'd You Get THAT job?!," a podcast that explores the unique and often unexpected career paths of people with learning and thinking differences. My name is Eleni Matheou and I'm a user researcher here at Understood. That means I spend a lot of time thinking about how we find jobs we love that reflect how we learn and who we are. I'll be your host. Our next guest, Dan Reis, is a listener who wrote into our email thatjob@understood.org. Like many others, the coping skills that were built into his life vanished during lockdown. This led to him finally getting diagnosed with ADHD. Now he's made it his mission to learn about ADHD and himself, and build his own ADHD toolkit. Dan is a product designer at an e-commerce startup, but he uses these tools to get his work done. Welcome to the show. Dan: Thanks for having me. Eleni: I know that you wrote in. Tell us how you found the show and what you liked about it. Dan: I think I heard — someone from Understood was on another podcast. I can't remember which one. It might have been "ADHD reWired." And I heard about the podcast, and so I checked them out. And one of the things I was wanting to do more of is to get more involved in the ADHD community and just general neurodiversity. And it's something I've become very passionate about. And so I was like, How can I find ways to make connections? And so I was just like, What if I just reached out and I just did it? Eleni: Yeah. Well, thank you for doing that. It's very exciting. So, I work on a product team. I'm not sure if you know that. I look after user research, and I work with a lot of product designers. But for our listeners, could you tell me, like, what is a product designer and how is it different to a graphic designer? Dan: So I spent much of the first half of my career in graphic design. One way to think about graphic design is it's more like advertising. I'm a senior product designer, but another word for that is user experience or UX. And so I do a lot of research and learning about how people use software and how to build software so that they can use it to solve their problems. Eleni: So you mentioned that you started out in graphic design. What made you decide to make the move into product design? Dan: Yeah, I was always fascinated with user experience, and watching and thinking about how people think and how they use different tools. And eventually, I think 2016 or so, I started to take some courses on UX and really learned what it was. And one of the things that really radically changed my perspective was the book "The Design of Everyday Things." And they talk about things like light switches in a house and how there's like sometimes you'll see six light switches and there's no labels, and you have no idea what each switch does. And that fascinated me, because it's like the real-world usability issues that we all experience. Eleni: What would you say some of the transferable skills are? Dan: Some of the biggest ones would be listening to people. And when I say listening, it's really about not trying to validate what you think, but to hear people out and understand what their struggles are. It's a lot of communication and language that I think is super, super relevant to it, like anything you do. And so just like the language and the usage of technology as a way to communicate with people. Like what are they feeling right now? Are they nervous about something? You want to make sure that the interface isn't going to stress them out. Is the lighting bad? Thinking about accessibility is a huge one. Make sure people with different types of vision can read and clearly understandings. Eleni: How do you think that, you know, your own learning and thinking difference plays into that? Because it sounds like there's a big empathy piece there. Dan: Absolutely. And a intention of mine is to think about it as What are my struggles? How do I solve for myself? So my lack of working memory is an advantage. It's like if I give myself these, you know, I have to follow these 10 steps or whatever. And on step 3, suddenly I have no idea what I'm doing. Well, I'm going to solve for that. If it doesn't make sense to me, it's not going to make sense for someone else. And so thankfully, it's like I almost am my own user tester in a lot of ways, because usually what works for me makes — works for others because I have to solve those problems before I'm going to share it with someone else. Eleni: I love that. Like, what would you say are the most important skills to have as a product designer? And, you know, for you personally, would you attribute any of those skills to ADHD?Dan: For anyone in this industry to be successful is a willingness to learn. And so over my career, I have to do deep dives in order to learn or specialize in something to solve a specific problem. And over time, you start to collect those things, those learnings. And then you might not need to use it again for a while. But it's always there and it's a great lens. So, when I started to learn about accessibility, for instance, it wasn't always the top of mind at a company. And so I have to advocate for it. But then there are times when it is top of mind to make sure that something we build is compliant for accessibility. And so I have to be able to specialize in things and then come back to it and then relearn about it. And so it's like building a toolkit of skills and then knowing when to use them and then when to like, lean on experts. Eleni: So I know when we last spoke, you mentioned that some of your coping mechanisms were kind of failing during the pandemic, which is what led to your diagnosis. Can you share what some of those coping mechanisms were, and why they were no longer working? Dan: Yeah. I have been doing a mindfulness practice for like a decade now. But what happened during the pandemic, it added this level of stress from whether it was watching the news all the time. And that was really stimulating. I look back on it now and it's like that was super stimulating to be watching the news when it was breaking news every night. And that was exhausting. It was super unproductive. And I was at the same time having a pretty harsh inner dialog. And eventually I started to learn the idea that I possibly could have ADHD. And eventually I saw — my wife shared some comics with me that some people had made. And it was like, wait, all these people are describing these things that I thought were just like me things. Like things around mood and emotion regulation, things that I never would have thought could have been an ADHD thing. And so it was like this giant umbrella suddenly of all these struggles that I had, that I thought were all sort of one-offs. And it turns out all these things are all kind of connected. I think what was happening with the coping mechanisms was I would try so many things. It was just exhausting. It was difficult just to get over that hurdle of even like figuring out how do I even start this process. It's not an ADHD-friendly process. So getting an evaluation was a whole thing. But the pandemic pushed me over that edge in terms of my struggles. Eleni: Yeah. And since you were diagnosed, what have you learned about how to cope? Can you give us some examples of some coping mechanisms you use and how it addresses some of the challenges you are experiencing? Dan: Self-compassion is a huge one. Because if you're being like harsh to yourself, for me, it's like if I'm struggling with something and then I have a thought, "I shouldn't be struggling with this." Like the work Kristin Neff has done around self-compassion and learning about the science of self-compassion. And I believe this is normal. In most of my life I have spent resisting external accommodations, because for me I wasn't even willing to want to help myself. It was like I should just be able to do this. So it was a sense of — I think Jessica McCabe's called it internalized ableism. It's like for me, it's like if I'm struggling with something, I don't even want to help myself sometimes, especially if I'm really struggling with it. So, allowing yourself to use the tools to get something done, I have personally not done a great job of asking for accommodations, say, in the workplace, for instance. But it's something that I'm much more comfortable with, because I've heard about even just hearing that it's something people struggle with means that, OK, this is uncomfortable, but it's worth doing. Eleni: You've mentioned like a number of different books throughout the conversation, so it sounds like you read a lot. Are there any other ways that you kind of learn about tools or coping mechanisms that you can use for yourself? Like, where do you kind of get these ideas? Dan: So podcasts are huge for me. Hearing what other people use for tools through podcasts has been probably one of the biggest ones in terms of getting ideas. Eleni: Can you give some examples of some tools or some apps that you use? Dan: One of the apps that I've used for a while now: Focus@Will. And that's a music for focusing app. It's got music that's geared towards keeping you focused, but you can set it up as like a timer and you can choose different tracks. There's different like genres of the music. It's all instrumental geared towards focus. Another one that I found that is really helpful, this was actually a really big game-changer for me. So, I combined the Pomodoro method of doing 25 minutes on and like 5 minutes off, so 25 minutes of focused work and then take a break for 5 minutes. And then I do a little workout. So I do like, for me, I do like jumping jacks and some push-ups. And that transition I found is really helpful, because it is a — it's like I keep up some of that momentum of like I was working and excited and going. And then doing a little bit of a workout gets the heart rate up. And it helps me to transition from the work to taking that little bit of a break. Eleni: I think you mentioned that you have a coach as well. So, how did that come about, and why do you find that valuable? Dan: I was fortunate. My my company signed up for a service called Bravely Coaching, and so we get access to coaches. It's like on-demand coaching. I was able to find that they actually had coaches that specialized in ADHD, so I was like, great, let me do that. Eleni: Yeah. And I think, you know, even on this podcast, it's such a testament to, like, different things work for different people. And, you know, it's great to experiment and figure out what works for you. Dan: Experimentation, testing and learning, and self-compassion combined, so that when you struggle and fail, or something doesn't work, you are there for yourself. And you don't just abandon yourself and you keep trying new things. And I think one- to two-week trials of changing your routines, learning about habits, and learning about how the mind works in terms of like habit building, and then trying things out, has been instrumental for me. And it's a constant process. Eleni: Cool. Thanks so much for being on the show, Dan. Dan: Thanks for having me. Eleni: You've been listening to "How'd You Get THAT Job?!" from the Understood Podcast Network. The show is for you, so we want to make sure you're getting what you need. Email us at thatjob@understood.org with your thoughts about the show. Or maybe you'd like to tell us how you got THAT job. We'd love to hear from you. If you want to learn more about the topics we covered today, check out the show notes for this episode. We include more resources as well as links to anything we mentioned in the episode. Also, one of our goals at Understood is to help change the workplace so everyone can thrive. Check out what we're up to at u.org/workplace. That's the letter U, dot org, slash workplace. Understood.org is a resource dedicated to help people who learn and think differently discover their potential and thrive. Learn more at understood.org/mission. "How'd You Get THAT Job?!" is produced by Margie DeSantis and edited by Mary Mathis. Briana Berry is our production director. Our theme music was written by Justin D. Wright, who also mixes the show. For the Understood Podcast Network, Laura Key is our editorial director, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick is our executive producer. And I'm your host, Eleni Matheou. Thank you for listening.
The Opportunity GapWhat is a learning disability?
What is a learning disability? What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan? Get useful information on learning disabilities and discover the ins and outs of special education. Learning disabilities are real challenges that are not related to intelligence. They impact millions of kids and adults in the U.S. And people who have them are not at all “lazy.” Learning disabilities are caused by differences in the brain. And they often are hereditary. These challenges can impact people at school, at work, and in everyday life. But the good news is there are strategies and supports that can help people with learning disabilities thrive.In this episode, listen as Julian explains:What learning disabilities are and how they are diagnosedThe differences between an IEP and a 504 planWays to tell if a child is struggling with a learning disabilityRelated resourcesUnderstood Explains podcast episode: How to decide if your child needs a special education evaluationWhat are learning disabilities?Learning about evaluationsEpisode transcriptJulian: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "The Opportunity Gap." Kids of color who have ADHD and other common learning differences often face a double stigma. And there's a lot that families can do to address the opportunity gap in our communities. This podcast explains key issues and offers tips to help you advocate for your child. My name is Julian Saavedra. I'm a father of two and an assistant principal in Philadelphia, where I've spent nearly 20 years working in public schools. I'll be your host. Welcome to Season 3. Welcome back, listeners. It's me, your boy, Julian. I am here and we have a really great episode for you today. You know, all our episodes are great, but this is an extra great one. Yeah, it turned into a solo episode. It is just little old me today. But we really want to talk about the things that some people have been asking us a lot about, specifically around learning disabilities. And I'm going to try to answer some of those few common questions that so many families have about special ed. Let's get right to it. Number one: "Mr. Saavedra, what is a learning disability?" So, what is a learning disability? They are defined as lifelong challenges with learning skills like reading, writing, and math. These challenges are caused by brain differences, and they're not related to intelligence. So, let me say that one more time so it's clear, it is a challenge and it's not an intelligence-based thing. It's a difference in the way that you learn. Learning disabilities are real. They can impact people at school, at work, everyday life. They've been around forever since humans have been around, and they will continue to be around. You don't outgrow most learning disabilities, but there are strategies, there are supports, and there's teaching approaches that can really help people thrive with the learning disability, not despite the learning disability with the learning disability. We'll talk a little bit more about what those supports look like specifically for our students in just a minute. But again, a learning disability is a challenge caused by brain differences and it's not related to intelligence. "Mr. Saavedra, What is an IEP?" I'm sure a lot of your listeners have heard this mentioned constantly, but again, we just want to make sure that we clarify so everybody is on the same page. When kids struggle in school, you may hear the term IEP. But what is an IEP and how do IEP support kids with learning disabilities? IEP is an acronym that stands for Individualized Education Program. Individualized, key on individualized education program. It's more than just a written legal document, although that's what it is. But it's more than that. It maps out the entire program of special education, which means the instruction that the student is receiving, the type of support that a student might get, and the services that are necessary to make progress so that school can be a positive experience. But this IEP really is a legal document that not only gives the students, but it gives the families, it gives the schools, protections. And making sure that these protections are in place so that the student is getting everything that they need. They allow families to be involved with decisions that impact their child's education. You know, I have a lot of students that come in and they know they have an IEP, but they're not really sure what does that mean. So, we always try to stress when you have an IEP, it's an individual education program. It's individualized, which means, you know, you're getting customer service specialized for you. That's what you want to think about when you have an IEP in place. It's a customized, individual experience that is especially for the learning disability or learning differences that your child has. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as IDEA, I-D-E-A, federal law, it requires public and charter schools to create an IEP for a student who qualifies for special education services. Children can get an IEP starting at age three until they graduate from high school or up to age 21. So, whichever comes first, in order for you to be eligible for an IEP, the student must have at least one of the 13 different disabilities covered by IDEA. And as a consequence of having it, the student requires special education to be able to advance in school. There is a process to receive an IEP, and it really begins with something called an evaluation. Families listening: evaluation. Remember that word. It's really, really important. Evaluation. It has to begin with that. And this evaluation is conducted to show the strengths and the challenges that the student may face. This can be a combination of a pediatrician could get involved, a school psychologist, a team of teachers, a whole host of people are going to evaluate the student's skills. It's not just going to be one person saying, "I think something's going on. This kid needs an IEP." Doesn't work that way. There's a whole team of people that have to get involved and they have to really do a deep dive to evaluate all the different aspects of the child to really figure out "Well, what do we need to do to support this student and do they truly need extra help or are there other interventions that we can do?" I also want to make sure that we mention, unfortunately, private schools are not compelled to offer IEPs. So, that umbrella could be religious schools or private schools that they are not compelled or they are not they don't have to follow IEPs. So, if you are a family that is sending a child to a private school, you are able to get special education services. It just might not be through the school. It could be through a service plan, better known as an individualized services plan. Next question: "All right. Mr. Saavedra, I heard about these numbers, 504. What is it?" It's another question I get all the time. What is a 504 plan? I'm sure people have heard of that, too. So, let's make sure we clarify for everybody out there. IEP and 504 are two different things. Sometimes they cover the same thing, but they are two different things. So, let's jump in. In school, some students receive support under a 504 plan rather than an IEP. A 504 plan isn't part of special education, and it serves a different purpose than an IEP. So, if you come to school saying, "I got a 504," that's not something that's covered under special education. It's not under IDEA. It's a totally different thing. 504 is really based on two specific requirements. Number one, the child or the student has to have a disability, and this disability could fall under a host of different situations. But there has to be a disability in place. It covers a wide range of different struggles in school. And the second is that the disability must interfere with the child's ability to learn on a general education classroom. If you can think of it as, sometimes this relates to like a physical situation. So, if a child has a health condition that prevents them from being in a general education classroom or they need extra support in that classroom, this could fall under the purview of the counselors, but also the school nurse. They might be heavily involved in creating a 504 plan. 504 also has a broader definition of what a disability is than IDEA. It says that a disability must substantially limit one are more basic life activities. This can include learning, reading, communicating, and thinking. That's why a child who doesn't qualify for an IEP might still be able to get a 504 plan. We've gone into it in a host of different episodes, and the Understood Network has plenty of information around the differences between IEP and 504. Those of us that work with students or we have a child with ADHD, sometimes ADHD might fall under a 504 plan as opposed to an IEP. So, if you're somebody that wants to learn more about that, obviously go check out Understood.org. You get everything you need. Next question. This is one that I get all the time: "Mr. Saavedra, how can you tell if your child or my child is struggling with a learning disability?" So, there's not an easy answer to that question, right? It's not something that just you do checklists and "All right, now I got it. I figured it out," it really boils down to observation and evaluation. So, the signs really depend on what the learning disability is, right? They can look really different at different ages and within different people. And not everybody has the same level of difficulty, right? A child could be struggling with reading at four years old, whereas by the time they're nine, they could be completely different and caught up. Whereas a child might be struggling with attention issues after spring break, but then they're perfectly fine in the middle of the wintertime. And so, it all depends on what the situation is. It depends on what their history of learning is. It depends on the team of people that are paying close attention. But as a parent or as a parenting adult, you want to make sure that you're paying attention to how your child's progressing. What are some signs that you notice that might not directly be related to their skills? Right? It's not just what they can do. It's a host of other things involved. People with learning disabilities are more likely to develop anxiety or low self-esteem, right? And so we know we want to pay attention to that. If your child is coming home and saying, "Mom, Dad, I'm really not feeling school," or "Mom, Dad, I'm really nervous to go to school tomorrow. I don't want to go," that's something you want to pay attention to. And I always recommend: ask your child lots and lots of questions, open-ended questions, right? Don't fill in the blanks for them. Something that we do at home with our own children, I pick my kids up today and I put them in the back of the car and I tell them, "How was your day today?" And I leave it open-ended. It's not "Did you have a good day?" It's just "How was your day? Tell me about it." And so, it leaves it open because it's not saying, "Oh, you had to have a good day today, so I'm going to make something up that makes it good." I want to know, like, was it a good day? Was it not a good day? Was it an OK day? What's happening? Fill in the blanks. So, when you notice signs like that and you allow your children to tell you what's happening, it really can help you figure out "Is there something deeper going on?" Sometimes kids may try to cover up some of the challenges by acting out at school or at home. We've done a few episodes on how challenging behaviors manifest themselves, and so, there's a times when some of that is a coping mechanism because students are struggling. And so, again, really paying attention and asking questions is most important. People of all ages, me included, may avoid a task that they struggle with. And so, ask questions. Pay attention. See what you can find out. Next question, "Mr. Saavedra, how are learning disabilities diagnosed? How are they officially diagnosed?" So, I'm going back to the word that I said multiple times, but I'm going to say it again so that we're crystal clear. The only way to know for sure if a child has a learning disability is through an evaluation. An evaluation is going to look for any specific strengths and challenges in reading, writing, math skills. There also might be a psychological evaluation. There might be a behavioral evaluation. But these evaluations are comprehensive. So, it's not looking at one thing. It's a comprehensive look at the student as a full child and a full learner. They can happen at school or they can be privately conducted. There are some professionals who assess students for learning disabilities. These, again, can include school psychologists, clinical psychologists, and neuropsychologists. And sometimes you might find that there's pediatricians that are involved or even a psychological group that focus on specific learning disabilities that can help with this process. But the key is that it's not something that you just say, "Oh, my kid got a learning disability. There's nothing wrong with that." And if you ever hear somebody say that, then you immediately go back to this episode and say that Mr. Saavedra, a.k.a. your boy Julian, said, "You have to use evaluations to diagnose any learning disabilities," and that's it. That's the only way. So, this leads into a next question: "What rights do families and students have in terms of their school experience?" This is one that is incredibly important. And if I'm being 100% honest, our podcast is called The Opportunity Gap. This is really where the rubber hits the road right here, where there is a gap in how the legal rights of families are provided by schools based on income, based on socioeconomic status, based on race, based on gender, based on a host of other demographic challenges. And so, we want to make it clear that those of us that are listening, especially our families of color, you have rights and you're hearing from an assistant principal. I am part of the system. And I'm telling you, you have rights. You deserve those rights. And you need to be very clear on what type of educational experience you should be receiving. So, parents who are considering having their child evaluated, make sure you know which rights you're entitled to legally before you even begin the process. There's a fantastic article by Understood.org that goes through all the different rights that parents have. But the long and short is that an evaluation is a process. It's not a quick thing. It's not something that happens overnight. It takes some time. It could take up to three, four, five days, or sometimes in some cases a couple of weeks. It all depends on what the schedule is. It depends on who is involved in the team. Just know that there are a couple of important things that, as families and as people who live in this country, based on federal law, you have every right to have. And these can include, one: You have the right to request an evaluation. I always recommend that if you are requesting an evaluation, the school should receive that request in writing. So, either writing it on a note or asking for an evaluation in an email to an administrator or a teacher. And that written documentation that's time-stamped, that tells the school, "All right," at least in Pennsylvania, we have 60 days, 60 school days to process that evaluation. So, legally, if you requested, then the schools have to honor that request. You also have a right to receive written notice of the school's decision, right? So, you can request the evaluation, but then you need to have notice and clear clarification as to what the results of that evaluation are in a certain amount of time. And that's a legal right. You have the right to give or refuse consent. And, you know, once you start this process, there is a host of documents that will be sent to you for you to agree or not agree. So, at any step of the process, if something is not feeling right, you can say, "I'm not providing consent to this and step out." All right, so that's your right. You don't feel like you're ever being forced to do something that you as a family don't believe in. You also have the right to a thorough evaluation, like I've mentioned a few times. An evaluation is a full team of people. Ask for their credentials. What is there, there's stuff behind what they're doing? Do they have the proper credentials to be doing this evaluation? Well, I mean, it's not the end all be all, but ask for where did they get their own school degrees? Where did they go to school for their information? What kind of experience do they have? So that you understand clearly who are these people that are evaluating my student? And lastly, you have a right to be free of discrimination. And you know, those of us that are people of color, this is something that we've talked about extensively on the podcast, that there is rampant discrimination in schools. I mean, it's a fact. And special education specifically, there is discrimination that comes out in many forms, whether it be explicit bias, like explicitly saying things that are based in discriminatory practices, or implicit meaning it's not come outright and said, but you just feel it. And, you know, many of us have experience that we know what that feels like. We know that that's not right. And if you get any inkling of that feeling, those families of color or those that are not but are allies of people of color, if you get any inkling of that, please make sure that you write down what was said. You make sure that you timestamp when it happened, and you put it in writing so that you can go back and document that for later on. Because those practices are not legal. It is not legal. It is not what you or anybody that is involved with you deserves to have. And so, your rights as a family and as somebody being educated in this country is that you deserve certain legal protections, especially when it comes to discriminatory practices and special education. A school can only deny an evaluation request if it believes that there's no evidence your child has a disability and they have to make sure that they explain in writing why the school is denying the request for evaluation. Woah, that's a lot of information. But it's information that you need to know. So, again, the big hits from this are those of you that are parents and you have children, make sure that you're paying close attention to the signs of any struggles that they're having. Ask them lots and lots and lots of questions. IEPs and 504s are two different things, but an evaluation is incredibly important. You have a legal right to get the information, to get the evaluation, to be supported by schools at any point in this process. I really hope you enjoyed listening to my solo episode. I like talking to other people too, but sometimes we've just got to break it down with just me, and I hope that this helps you have a greater understanding of learning disabilities and the special education process. We could go on and on and on about it, but these are just really the nitty gritty, most important things you need to know. Before we go, I have to share some of our helpful resources. Number one, one of our sister podcasts "Understood Explains," they have an episode that is entitled "How to decide if your child needs a special education evaluation." Check it out. It really breaks down every step by step in the process to decide if that is the route you need to go. So, check it out. Also another resource, Understood.org's article "What are learning disabilities?" And lastly, another article from Understood.org "Learning about evaluations." If you don't remember anything about this podcast, remember the word "evaluations." It's incredibly important in the process. Again, I can't thank you enough for choosing to take the time to listen to us and join us. Spread the word. We're really trying to get this information out there. It is incredibly important. I deal with this on a daily basis in the honored position of being an assistant principal. I love my job and I love the work that we do. But I also know that there are families out there struggling to get this information. And so, if you're listening, share. Share this information with others, because we want to make sure that everybody has the tools they need. Thank you once again, Opportunity Gap. We'll see you on the next one. Take care. "The Opportunity Gap" is produced by Tara Drinks, edited by Cin Pim. Ilana Millner is our production director. Our theme music was written by Justin D. Wright, who also mixes the show for the Understood Podcast Network. Laura Key is our editorial director, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick is our executive producer. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
10 defusing phrases to use at IEP meetings
Emotions can run high at IEP meetings. But it’s important to focus on the end goal: helping your child. Here are 10 stay-calm phrases you can use to redirect conversation and defuse tense situations.1. “I may be misunderstanding.”IEP meetings can get heated when there is disagreement about how to interpret laws or test results. You can defuse that by taking a step back and giving the school a chance to explain its position. If you’re certain you’re correct, don’t worry — you’ll get a chance to say so.Sample response: “I may be misunderstanding. Can you show me a detailed interpretation of that law? Here’s the information I have on hand that speaks to this issue.”2. “I can show you.”If someone tries to shut conversation by telling you they’re not sure where your information is coming from, that’s easy enough to defuse. Simply show them.Sample response: “I can show you where I’ve highlighted that information in the report and progress notes. Can we make each team member a copy?”3. “How can we work together to make this happen?”It can be frustrating (to say the least) to hear someone at your child’s school tell you it doesn’t provide a certain service or doesn’t have the staff to implement it. But the law is on your side, so make the conversation about collaboration.Sample response: “How can we work together to make this happen? The law says services must meet my child’s unique needs, and this is the recommended service.”4. “May I see a copy of the written policy?”Someone from the school might say, “This is how we’ve always done something.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a policy. Defuse any arguments about it by asking to see in writing that this is how they handle the situation.Sample response: “I understand this is how you do things. May I see a copy of the written policy that outlines this procedure?”5. “Let’s ask him to join us.”Federal law says that the IEP team needs to include someone who is able to make decisions about staff and funding. But in practice you may hear, “I’m not in a position to make that decision.” Instead of getting upset, get practical.Sample response: “Is it Mr. Smith who has that authority? Let’s call him and ask him to join us.”6. “I understand.”It may surprise you how this simple phrase can defuse tense situations. Keep in mind it doesn’t mean the same thing as “I agree.” It just means you’re hearing what’s been said.Sample response: “I understand you only have 15 minutes left for this meeting. While we’re all here, why don’t we set up another time to continue this conversation.”7. “I’ve noticed…”Parents are equal members of the IEP team. If you feel like your concerns aren’t being heard, take a breath and then calmly speak up. Be specific about what you know about and see in your child.Sample response: “I’ve noticed that at the end of the day, Olivia isn’t able to focus on her homework without getting frustrated. I’d like to talk about how to make that easier for her.”8. “How does that look in the classroom?”Conversation about accommodations, behavior plans, or instructional strategies can easily turn to talk about theories or ideas. You can redirect by asking about how things will actually work.Sample response: “I like the idea of checking in every 15 minutes to see if Olivia is on task. How will that happen in the classroom? Will the teacher be able to manage that?”9. “What alternatives do you suggest?”When you hear, “We don’t agree with that recommendation,” you may feel the need to push to defend your position. Instead, keep the dialogue going.Sample response: “OK, you don’t think that will work for Olivia. What alternatives do you suggest to address that identified need?”10. “Let’s talk about what’s working.”Sometimes it can feel like an IEP meeting is a long conversation about what’s going wrong. It doesn’t have to be. In fact, focusing on what’s going well can help you discover ways to address other issues.Sample response: “Let’s talk about what’s working. Maybe some of those strengths and strategies can help us find ways to address the trouble spots.”
In ItDyslexia: More than mixing up letters
When kids have trouble learning to read, families may wonder about dyslexia. But what exactly is dyslexia? And what are the signs to look out for? When kids have trouble learning to read, families may wonder about dyslexia. But what exactly is dyslexia? And what are the signs to look out for? In this episode, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek talk about dyslexia with Dr. Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann. Gabbie is an education scientist who works to make education more inclusive to kids and adults who learn and think differently. She’s also dyslexic, and the parent of a third grader with dyslexia. Tune in to learn some of the early signs of dyslexia, and why it’s never too late to get a diagnosis. Find out how to work with your child’s school to get support, and what reading strategies work best. Plus, hear why Gabbie would never want to be “cured” of dyslexia, even if she could be. Related resources What is dyslexia?7 common myths about dyslexia How to teach kids with dyslexia to read The legit fear behind “Please don’t call on me to read”Episode transcriptGretchen: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "In It," a podcast about the ins and outs…Rachel: …the ups and downs…Gretchen: …of supporting kids who learn and think differently. I'm Gretchen Vierstra, a former classroom teacher and an editor here at Understood.Rachel: And I'm Rachel Bozek, a writer and editor raising two kids with ADHD. Today, we're taking a deep dive into dyslexia, what it is, what it isn't, and how to support kids who have it.Gretchen: And we have the perfect guest here to help us with that. Dr. Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann is an education scientist and the executive director and chief scientist at EdTogether, an organization that works to make education more inclusive to students who learn and think differently.Rachel: Gabbie is also someone who herself has dyslexia, and she's a mom to a kid with dyslexia. She talks about all that with so much insight and clarity, we're so happy she joined us for this conversation. So, Gabbie, welcome to "In It."Gabbie: Thank you for having me. I'm excited to talk with you both today.Rachel: Well, to start off, I wonder if you could tell us a little bit about yourself and in particular your work as it relates to kids who learn and think differently.Gabbie: Sure. So, I'm an applied developmental psychologist, and I've been working with schools and teachers, education professionals, museums — basically, wherever learning happens — to help them to be inclusive to kids who, and adults, who learn and think differently in designing learning environments.And I want to start off by saying, even though I work with and think about and design environments for all kids who learn and think differently, dyslexia has a very close place in my heart because I'm dyslexic and I am also the parent of a third grader who is dyslexic and has ADHD. And so, I do think about that. I think a lot more in my personal life and my personal experience in addition to working with schools and in educational environments.Gretchen: So, as you know, we invited you here today to talk about dyslexia. So, let's start with the basics. Gabbie. I think probably the most common myth we hear when it comes to dyslexia is that it's about reading and writing letters backwards. Is that what dyslexia is?Gabbie: No, definitely not. So, when we think about dyslexia, it really doesn't have anything to do with flipping letters around or anything like that. It's a brain-based learning difference that affects reading, writing, and spelling. So, people who have dyslexia have difficulty basically working with language is how you can think about it. So, they may have difficulty isolating the sounds within words or matching letters to the sounds. Like, for example, you might have difficulty mapping the sound "to" to the letter T or the sound "tho" to the letter Th. And when you have difficulty with that, it can really affect your ability to deconstruct words as you're trying to read. And that affects reading, and it also affects your ability to spell and produce language as you're trying to write.It tends to run in families, like in my family. So, my son's dyslexic, I'm also dyslexic, and my father as well. And it really has nothing to do with intelligence. It's really important to understand that. It's just really about how your brain handles language as it relates to text, but it doesn't have any meaning to how intelligent you are.Rachel: So, were you kind of on the lookout for it, knowing that it runs in families and knowing that you yourself have it, you know, so with your kids, was that something that you kind of had an eye out for?Gabbie: Definitely. And my son is actually my second child, but we were on the lookout for it, and they popped up for us when he was in preschool. It felt like he was randomly — when we would talk about the alphabet or letters, or I would read to him — it almost felt like he was sort of guessing or randomly saying what letter went with a sound. So, I kind of had a clue that he was going to have some difficulty. And then, in fact, by the time he got to kindergarten, he was really struggling to get anything out of the reading instruction that was happening in his classroom.Rachel: You know, one common belief is the idea that you can't diagnose a child with dyslexia until they're in elementary school. Is that true?Gabbie: No, absolutely not. In fact, oftentimes we refer to that as the sort of waiting to fail approach. So, absolutely, by the time kids get into elementary school, when they're in the thick of reading instruction, you're going to see difficulty if a child is dyslexic. But way before that, when they have first exposures to anything about mapping the symbols of language, to the sounds of language, you know, doing things in a sequence, really that idea of thinking about working with language, if they're having difficulty with that, it's a clue that they might have difficulty. In fact, you can screen kids as early as preschool for difficulty with that.And with my son, because he was having difficulty, I can remember — he's in third grade now — but we went in to see his teachers for a conference and, you know, they were like "Kids develop at different rates and let's just give him time." And I thought, you know, there's no harm in having direct, explicit reading instruction, right? So, let's just do it. Why wait for him to fail, you know? And I did actually have to I don't know if this is the right word, but escalate it to the head of the preschool, because I was getting a lot of pushback from the teachers. And when I talked to her, I just said, "You know, I'm dyslexic, my dad's dyslexic. He's not responding to reading instruction. I don't think any kid gets sad or upset from getting competence with a skill. So, let's get him some, you know, instruction." And they did. They were very responsive up to that.Gretchen: I like that idea. I like to say, "You know what? No matter what, this is confidence-building, right? To get these extra skills in place." So, you know, you mentioned a few of the things that families or teachers could be looking for when kids are really young, you know, thinking about a parent at home, what would be a very like easy sign to maybe bring to the teachers and say, hey, could there be something here?Gabbie: Sure. So, I think a lot of times as parents, we do nursery rhymes with kids or maybe singing songs with kids where there's rhyming. And if you're noticing that your child's having a lot of difficulty with rhyming or sort of not picking that up or seems like they're guessing you might probe like in a fun game, you know "What rhymes with cat? I'm thinking sad," you know, sort of going back and forth. And, you know, a lot of kids have difficulty with these things. But if it's popping up along with when you're sort of introducing a letter to a child or something like that, and maybe they have difficulty following directions in a sequence or something like that, that would be a sort of constellation of things to raise to a teacher.Rachel: So, is there an optimal age for a child to be evaluated for dyslexia or, you know, I mean, we talked a little bit about it can be as young as preschool, but is there kind of like an ideal age or is it really about when you see the signs?Gabbie: Yeah, I think the answer to that is it's never too late. Absolutely not. And I'm a good example of that. I didn't have a diagnosis until I was in ninth grade.Rachel: Oh, wow.Gabbie: And I'm a very good example of, you know, a girl who's not identified because I was doing well enough. So, the teachers were sort of saying, "Well, it's fine. This is just who Gabby is. And then I had an English teacher actually in the ninth grade, who was like, "Wow, I would really.." based on our classroom discussions and, you know, how smart this teacher thought that I was, he expected more from my writing, And so, he asked to see a rough draft in my handwriting, and the spelling was so bad, he was like, "I can't read this. Let's figure out what's going on."And then I was finally evaluated and I got my diagnosis. And it made a huge difference to me in terms of the direct instruction — really remedial instruction that I had around reading specifically — but also the accommodations that I received in school, which allowed me really to excel in areas of interest like science and math. And in fact, I went on to college and majored in neuroscience and my job now it's like 80% reading and writing.Rachel: Right.Gretchen: So, then your ninth-grade teacher noticed these things. It took up until them. I'm wondering if you had a sign, if the teachers didn't have one, did you have one inside and wonder what was up?Gabbie: Oh, yeah. And my mom is actually a special education teacher.Rachel: Got it.Gabbie: And she knew, she knew what was going on and she was teaching me at home, basically. So she was, you know, reading with me. I can remember spelling tests in elementary and early middle school where we would start on Mondays and just drill through them. And I would still barely pass after hours and hours. I can remember having homework where I, you know, had to fill out a workbook, and I can remember becoming so frustrated I actually threw the book across the room in a sort of fit of anger. And I was very calm, self-regulated child. So, I think for me I just thought, "This is what learning is" until I had that teacher.And it was like this real relief for me being evaluated and having the label, because I think sometimes people worry that the label is bad or can affect you in a negative way. But for me, it was a complete relief because it was like, "Well, you know, you just learn and think differently and your teachers aren't teaching the way that you need to learn. And there are some things that we can do now that we know to make this a way easier lift." And it was absolutely true.Rachel: Wow. That is really amazing that, you know, you were able to get to that point without anybody really seeing it. But once you got there, what supports did you get, you know, and how did they help?Gabbie: Yeah, I want to say first to that, as a professional in the field, you know, when I work with middle school teachers and high school teachers and sort of helping them think about kids with dyslexia, kids with other learning and thinking differences, I'm often incredibly surprised at how little they know about their kids reading levels and that they tend to make assumptions about everybody being able to read when they're sitting in like, say, a history classroom or a math classroom, and making assignments without looking into that, especially if a child doesn't have an IEP yet.So, I think it is important to know that by the time you get past fourth grade, most teachers aren't thinking about teaching reading, they're thinking about their content area instruction. And so, they may not be aware of where your child's specific reading skills are or writing skills. So, in terms of accommodations, I would say for me it was mostly about being able to listen to my texts across the curriculum.So back then, this is a long time ago now, I used to have books on tapes, so my textbooks on tape, but now, of course, we have digital support, so you can get basically any text, any reading that you need to, including things that are on paper like worksheets. You can use accessibility, accommodations, and features even on your phone just to have things read aloud to you. And so, that's a pretty basic accommodation that was really important to me. In fact, now I still often because I'm so much more efficient at listening comprehension in my professional life, I listen to the texts that I read. Not always, but most of the time.Another accommodation that I've used through college was doing speech to text technology, so where you can speak what you want to say in text and then editing through typing. I also had a lot of executive functioning support. So, you can think about executive functioning as being that sort of control center of your brain, that sort of set of skills that helps you to self-regulate and organize and figure out how much time it will take you to do something and be able to plan to get your work done. That was a huge thing for me. So, I had really explicit instruction and supports around, you know, having a daily planner and really learning how to chart and better guesstimate how long things would take me.Rachel: Right. You know, reading instruction is such a hot topic. It was then, it is now. So, families might be hearing things like structured literacy, balance literacy or phonics versus whole language. When it comes to kids with dyslexia and really all kids who are learning to read. What does science tell us about how kids learn to read best?Gabbie: Yeah. So, they really need explicit instruction about the code of reading. English is very, actually exists across languages, but let's just talk about English here. English is a very complicated language. It involves you learning one sound and then under a different set of rules. It makes a different set of sounds, you know. So, for kids who are dyslexic and many other kids as well, really explicitly teaching that sort of phonics-based, separating out, intentionally teaching systematically, the code of language is really important. And for kids with dyslexia, really doing it in a multisensory way so that you're taking different ways to get the information into your mind.One approach that a lot of people talk about, that's evidence-based in terms of supporting kids with dyslexia to learn to read is kids actually trace letters with their finger in sand as they're doing the sound-related work and it's just a way to work on getting that idea into the brain through different channels. And then repeated practice. You know, kids with dyslexia are going to need repeated practice with a skill over and over and over again in many different ways, more times than you would ever expect that you would need that repeated practice.Rachel: That brings me to my next question, because teachers always tell us from preschool all the way up. I mean, I've had sixth, seventh, eighth grade teachers even say it, that the best thing we can do for our kids is read out loud to them. So, does a diagnosis of dyslexia reflect some sort of failure on that front?Gabbie: Definitely not.Rachel: Good.Gabbie: And it really goes back to that brain-based difference thing. You know, our brains are built for language, not for reading. And so, some kids, when they come to reading, have a brain that picks it up more easily. And other kids, you know, kids with dyslexia being one example, really need that explicit instruction to get their brain around what's happening on the reading side. So, it's nothing that you did. It's just the way I am. Exposure to text is always good because it's good for your relationship with your child. It's good for them to understand the utility of books and to be transported by stories or to understand like how they can get information from books. But whether you did that or not won't affect their ability to pick up reading, when you start getting into decoding and understanding the really, you know, the relationship between symbols and sounds.Rachel: So, as you shared, you know, there's a genetic component to dyslexia. And so, if there's a parent or caregiver out there who is dyslexic and maybe they didn't get the supports to feel confident in their reading now, or they still find reading really frustrating, how can they read to or read with their child?Gabbie: OK. So, this is a wonderful question, and you can absolutely get as much out of listening to books as you can from reading books to your child to listening to books together and then talking about the story when you're in bed together. I remember when my daughter, she was, I think, in fifth or sixth grade, I think fifth grade, and she really wanted me to read "Little Women" to her and I can read it, but oh my goodness, is my fluency slow with that. You know, the sort of older English and it was very tough. And I remember sitting in bed with her and she was like, "I can read it, Mom," you know? And I'm probably going to cry right now while I'm talking about it. It's a hard moment, you know, like, because she was, you know, beyond me in that skill. Now, I can read a very complicated neuroscience text about dyslexia published in "Science" magazine. But I read it by listening, and reading a text like that is always going to be really hard for me. So, having her do that, I was like at the same time really proud and then also a little bit ashamed. But she just made it so wonderful for me in terms of being like, you know, "I want to read it" and us doing that together. So, that's also a good opportunity, I think reading together doesn't necessarily mean you reading to your child.Rachel: And I love that you're sharing that, you know, audiobooks, listening to books. It's I feel like there's that myth out there that that's a cheat. And it's totally not.Gabbie: Definitely not. And I think one big piece of advice I could give parents, you know, when they're sitting in IEP meetings and or thinking about their kids talking to their teachers in parent-child conferences, you know, by the time kids get to fourth grade, which is really that transition from learning to read to reading to learn, now your child might still be learning to read, and that's fine, but by the time you get to fourth grade, you really don't want all of their access to the content in the subject areas to be through reading in a traditional sense if they're reading below grade level.So, it's like separating "I'm still learning how to decode the text at a certain level, and I'm learning to comprehend texts at maybe a much higher level. And so, I can do that through listening comprehension." So, that's one of the best things that can happen when you get into middle school and high school. If you have a child who's reading below grade levels and working is on that is to say, "Let's make sure that reading comprehension in subject areas is that they have access to listening to text."Rachel: So, I've seen a statistic that one in five students has a language-based disability. But you certainly don't get the sense that we have that many students getting extra reading and writing support in the classroom. So, why is that? And what are the barriers to getting a diagnosis, if that's related to the reason why there's this kind of disparity?Gabbie: I think there are lots of reasons why kids aren't identified. So, you know, resources is one thing in the schools. So, there's a kind of threshold to be screened and there are limits, a limited set of resources, amount of time in terms of the number of special educators that they have in the school. So, that sometimes plays out, you know, in terms of who gets identified, how many kids are captured in that net. You know, I think it's knowledge on the teacher's part.General education teachers, so the ones who teach the main classroom, they might not know anything about dyslexia at all, might not have had any experience in their training, might have only had one class where they learned about all disabilities from teaching kids who are deaf to teaching kids or has autistic to teaching kids who are dyslexic. And that often sets up a kind of us and them in schools where it's like kids who have difficulty reading, that's the responsibility of the special education teachers and then everybody else's I'm responsible for, just because they don't know. They just don't know. There's a knowledge gap there.And I think also sometimes parents don't necessarily know that they can have their kids evaluated or can advocate to have their kids evaluated in the school. And that testing can be free, is free in the school. You can always have a private evaluation which can be expensive and you have to wait a long time for. But you can ask to have your child evaluated and you are protected. Your child is protected under IDEA to be evaluated and to have services when they're warranted. So, there are lots of issues as to why those kids don't get services.Rachel: And so, then if, let's say a kid gets missed and then they don't get a diagnosis and they don't get the support they need, how does this impact a person's future life? How does it impact, you know, upper grades of school to beyond if they don't get these supports?Gabbie: Yeah. So, I mean, it can be really devastating. And I don't want to put it on the child because I really believe, you know, in my work we make choices, how we create schools, and the ways that we teach.Rachel: Yep.Gabbie: And there's absolutely no reason why all kids couldn't be getting direct, explicit, systematic multisensory reading instruction, because then we would capture all the kids in the general classroom. But unfortunately, that's not the way most schools are set up. And so, what ends up happening is kids fail and then they get separate, explicit reading instruction as an add-on. So, I think when you don't have that and you're not reading on grade level, it really affects your ability to participate in any aspect of the curriculum. So, being able to learn about history, learn about science, and about math, even if you might be gifted in those areas because so much of the way that we construct school is through reading. Yeah, like if you think about math, you get a math textbook, right?Rachel: Yep. You read a word problem.Gabbie: You get a word problem, you're doing a proof. You have to write the proof, right in geometry. So, we really use reading and writing as a medium for instruction and for learning. It doesn't have to be that way, but that is how we do it. So, it can be really devastating for kids. And on an emotional level, I'm doing a bunch of work around stigmatization and how it affects kids with learning differences. Their perception of themselves and literacy is so important to our culture that when a person presents as not literate, they feel almost as if they're less than human, right? Because it's like this skill that we all assume that everyone has within our culture. And it's like, "Well, why can't you do that?" You know?And so, it's like this experience of dehumanization that happens if you can't read. And so, yeah, if you feel like it's being missed, if you have a concern about your child, if you suspect, you know, get in there and ask questions and you might get pushback. But I think, you know, no child was ever harmed by having an evaluation and getting extra support, really.Rachel: To be super clear about this, can a child or anyone who's been diagnosed be cured of dyslexia?Gabbie: No.Rachel: I'm using the word cured or doing air quotes, but also, you know, can we make it go away?Gabbie: Yeah, you cannot make it go away. It is literally a brain-based difference in how your brain processes and works with language. There's some evidence that as you get intervention, your brain does change. You know, the brain is classic. It does change in response to intervention. But when we look at that, it's mostly about when dyslexic people learn to read marshaling other areas of the brain to help them to do that. So, you can change in response to intervention. But no, it's not going to be cured.And OK, I might I'm going to say something a little controversial now as an adult with dyslexia, I'm not saying that it was easy. It was really tough to be in school and to go through schools that weren't really like fit for me as a person and that I had to figure out how to navigate, you know, with support. It was really hard. And I have a lot of privilege as a white person and a person who is resourced in terms of my parents being able to get me extra support. So, I don't want to like reduce that.But I do want to say, looking at my life now and who I am, I wouldn't want to be cured of dyslexia because it makes me the person that I am. And what's interesting is if you look at the research literature, even the brain science literature around dyslexia, that there are actually lots of other differences in the brain. Everyone's focused on reading because that's the biggest challenge, because the schools aren't set up to support kids who are dyslexic. But there's actually this other really interesting research literature that's just getting going, that's looking at, "Well, do kids with dyslexia have advantages in visuospatial processing?" So, for example, people who are dyslexic when they get through school are actually overrepresented among astrophysicists.Rachel: Wow.Gabbie: And you may be like, why is that the case? Well, it turns out that people who are dyslexic tend to be better at picking up patterns from a visual field. So, like pattern recognition, like being able to look at a star chart and recognize a black hole and things like that.Rachel: Something I could never do.Gabbie: Yeah. So, I think there's lots of things about being dyslexic that are advantages that maybe make up the kind of person that you are. That also comes with negatives, you know, in terms of the reading in the way school set up. But doesn't everybody have a mix of those things?Rachel: Totally.Gabbie: So, even if it could be cured, I wouldn't want it to be because it makes me who I am.Rachel: And that's such a great thing to be able to communicate to kids who maybe find out like, "Oh, you know, I have this diagnosis now. Now what?" You know, for parents and teachers to know that, you know, these are some things that they can maybe share with those kids. You know, as a super positive.Gabbie: Absolutely.Rachel: Gabbie, thank you so much for sharing everything you know and your personal stories. It's been just such a pleasure.Rachel: I have learned so much today. And also, I really appreciate you busting these myths because some of them I really didn't understand were myths.Gabbie: Thank you both so much. It was really fun to talk with you today.Rachel: Before we go, we have a favor to ask. On this show, we talk a lot about finding joy and celebrating successes when it comes to raising kids who learn and think differently. But what about the fails.Rachel: Oh the fails!Rachel: Yes, the fails. Let's be real! We all make mistakes. So, let's bond over those kinds of moments, too.Rachel: I have no idea what you're talking about, but. OK, I do. So, I think we're talking about those days when we are so exhausted, so fed up, we find ourselves saying or doing the total opposite of what we think a good parent or caregiver would actually say or do.Rachel: Totally. Like, maybe you just lose it after your kid spills juice everywhere again.Rachel: Or maybe you set a limit, even though you know there is no way you're going to stick to it. I mean, not that I've ever done that, but it's probably something to watch out for.Rachel: Yes, you are not alone. So, let's laugh and maybe cry about these all too human fails together. If you have a story to share, send us a voice memo at InIt@understood.org. Tell us how it started, what you were thinking and feeling, and how it ended. If you'd rather send an e-mail, that's fine too. You can also send that to InIt@understood.org.Rachel: You can be anonymous or use your first name. Just know that submissions may be played or read on the podcast and thanks. We can't wait to hear from you, and we can't do this part without you.Rachel: You've been listening to" In It" from the Understood Podcast Network.Rachel: This show is for you. So, we want to make sure you're getting what you need. Email us at InIt@understood.org to share your thoughts. We love hearing from you.Rachel: If you want to learn more about the topics we covered today, check out the show notes for this episode. We include more resources as well as links to anything we mentioned in the episode.Rachel: Understood.org is a resource dedicated to helping people who learn and think differently discover their potential and thrive. Learn more at understood.org/mission.Rachel: "In It" is produced by Julie Subrin, and Briana Berry is our production director. Justin D. Wright mixes the show. Mike Errico wrote our theme music.Rachel: For the Understood Podcast Network, Laura Key is our editorial director, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick is our executive producer. Thanks for listening.Rachel: And thanks for always being in it with us.
Teacher tip: A cool warm-up game to prime your child for math homework
Many of us know the feeling. The dreaded moment when a child is asked to do math homework and drama ensues.Frustration with math is quite common among kids with learning and thinking differences. They have to rely on memory and process multiple steps, which can be tough for them.And when kids are feeling anxious or lack confidence, it can be even harder for them to learn a new concept. Issues with working memory can intensify and make math problems extra hard to figure out.It can help to connect new math concepts with ones that kids already understand. When you bring in math functions they already get, it can reduce or even remove roadblocks in their working memory. Plus research shows that when kids feel successful, they’re more likely to take risks and try something more challenging.That’s why in my classroom, I approach new math concepts the same way I would approach exercise. I need to remind my muscles of the movements they’ll be doing. So I start off with something light and familiar, and then ease into more intense physical activity.Warming up in math is very similar. So here’s a tip: Begin with a warm-up.Start with an easy exercise that’s short, simple and engaging. For example, I like to start with a numbers game using a deck of cards.Place 10 cards (no face cards) numbers side up on a flat surface. The objective is to roll two dice, or number cubes, and use the two numbers to “make” a value seen on one of the cards. If a 2 and a 3 are rolled, the player can use 2 × 3 to make 6, or 2 + 3 to make 5, or 3 − 2 to make 1 (the Ace can represent 1). Each time a value is made, the card is removed.Set a timer for no more than 5 minutes, and challenge your child to eliminate as many cards as she can before the time is up.This particular activity focuses on number sense. It also helps kids practice different math functions like addition, subtraction and multiplication.There are a bunch of variations of this game, so you can choose one that works for your child. For instance, you can have kids playing against one another, instead of timing one child alone. And if being timed makes your child feel stressed, you can skip the timer altogether.You can also try using more or fewer cards at a time. Or you may even want to increase the number of dice.Kids in grades 6 and up could also use the black and red cards to represent positive and negative values (this requires using multicolored dice, too).The key to any warm-up activity is the following:Keep it short: You don’t want your child to burn out before getting to the main activity.Keep it simple: It’s meant to be a successful experience to build confidence and activate prior knowledge.Keep it engaging: Using games, riddles or fun ways to present answers can boost your child’s interest and motivation.The goal is to get kids to access what they already know. This gives them the boost they need before working on a more challenging math assignment.—Brendan R. Hodnett is a special education teacher in Middletown, New Jersey. He also works with New Jersey’s Brookdale Community College to provide professional development training to educators in math and special education instructional strategies.See how different aspects of a math problem can trip up kids with learning and thinking differences.Read about the difference between math anxiety and dyscalculia.And learn how a student with math issues keeps her anxiety in check.
ADHD Aha!Depression, relationships, and the myth of the ADHD “superpower” (Max’s story)
Max Willey’s ADHD diagnosis has led him to a more stable life — and to seeing ADHD as a “glorious curse,” with downsides and upsides. Max Willey, an expat living in Norway, often found himself overwhelmed by complex tasks as a kid. There were too many moving parts, and his brain was always racing too fast. A teacher thought he might have ADHD. But it wasn’t until adulthood that Max was diagnosed “by accident.” He was feeling depressed and was struggling with some relationships. When he sought treatment, he was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression all at once. Max felt relieved. And he’s come to see ADHD as a “glorious curse.” It has its downsides — but also allows him to feel and do wonderful things. Listen in as Laura and Max unpack this and more. Related resourcesADHD and creativityTrouble getting work done is real. Executive function challenges may be the culprit.ADHD and depressionEpisode transcriptJessamine: Hi, everybody. This is "ADHD Aha!" producer Jessamine. Before we get into the episode, I wanted to give you a heads-up that our guest, Max, shares his experience with depression. And there is a brief reference to suicidal ideation. Max's telling of his journey back from that dark period is important to his story, and we hope you will find it as insightful as we did.Max: Just recently, the realization that came to me was that I don't need to turn everything up to 11 in order for it to count. Sometimes it just needs to be showing up. These little things — they count. More than the gigantic, titanic, Herculean efforts. And with that, it's very liberating.Laura: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "ADHD Aha!," a podcast where people share the moment when it finally clicked that they or someone they know has ADHD. My name is Laura Key. I'm the editorial director here at Understood. And as someone who's had my own ADHD "aha" moment, I'll be your host.I am here today with Max Willey. Max is a content and video producer and expat living in Oslo, Norway. Max is also a listener who wrote in. And one of the things that stuck out to me in the letter that he sent in to our "ADHD Aha!" email address was that he referred to ADHD as a glorious curse. Welcome, Max. Thanks for being here today.Max: Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure.Laura: Let's get started with when were you diagnosed with ADHD? What was going on?Max: The official diagnosis occurred when I was 31.Laura: So that was a few years ago.Max: A few years ago. Unofficially, my first-grade elementary school teacher picked up on some unattentiveness, inability to complete tasks. And that was brought forth to my parents, but nothing was really done.Laura: Tell me more about what led you to get diagnosed when you were 31.Max: Well, let's see. The childhood symptoms were, I mean, a touch of hyperactivity. The main thing I remembered from kindergarten was just that complex instructions were very difficult, and I lost interest very quickly.But at the same time, I felt that everyone around me was going so slowly. Like, if it was something that interested me, then I just soaked it up like a sponge. If it was animals or planets or facts about UFOs, I just ate that up.But if it was following through on complex things, then I was hopeless. I still remember the very first project I didn't complete. It was the, you know, those little hand printed — like you traced your hand for the turkeys for Thanksgiving?Laura: Yeah.Max: There were just too many moving parts for me to really wrap my head around. I was like four and a half, five years old at that time. And I just remember having this uncompleted turkey on my desk for a week. It just sat there and it was this constant reminder of my first failure.Laura: Wow. That's kind of amazing how vividly you remember that.Max: It just stuck out to me. Perhaps because, like, I've gone back in my mind so many times, I've ruminated so many times about these things and just been like, that was a sign and I should have seen it.I remember reading comprehension and math were also big issues because it just felt like everyone was running circles around me. I just completely did not get it. Until I was put in — this was in third grade — I was put in remedial reading and math. And they just took everything at a snail's pace. And I just remember, wow, this is fun. I can do this.Laura: I wonder if there was a struggle with reading and math, or if it was the effort that needed to go into learning — the kind of, the ADHD symptoms around that? Or maybe a combination of both. Have you struggled with forgetfulness?Max: Oh, yes. That was one of the things that drove my mom crazy in particular. It has been a specter over my life — forgetfulness. And like it just built up to such a state where, like, sometimes I would forget a piece of paper. I'd forget a piece of homework. I would forget to do this thing, or I would forget that. I mean, all throughout my childhood.And it drove my mother crazy. She would ask me, "Why did you do this?" or "What happened?" I would tell her "I forgot." And she would either mock me and say "I forgot! I forgot!" like that, or say, "Max, I'm going to get you a tombstone. And it's going to say 'Max Willey, I forgot' on it."The problem was, I thought it was normal for parents to do that to their kids. It's been a point of contention for not just me and her, but me and other people. Forgetfulness is a big issue that I've had to tackle.Laura: I think a lot of times when we talk about people with ADHD and we talk about forgetfulness, I think what we're really talking about is trouble with working memory, which is related to executive functioning issues. People with ADHD, their brain makes it harder for them to have strong working memory.So you've been carrying around this information that you had been identified as potentially having ADHD when you were a kid. You remember these struggles. So what led you to get evaluated for ADHD as an adult? What was the turning point there?Max: Well, it happened actually by accident. Because I was originally being treated for depression. There was a period between 2016 and 2019 where I had a serious personal decline. I was stretching myself thin with freelance work. I was working with someone who was very cynical and exploitative, working for them almost every day, on top of working nearly full time at a part-time job. And also starting a master's degree, which I didn't finish.It was a lot. And throw in multiple failed personal relationships into the mix. That pushed me over the edge. But it was a slow decline, I would say, from the early 2010s. And I just got to a point where I was showing all the classic signs of depression. Lack of interest in things, rumination, ideation of suicide, poor sleeping habits, poor eating habits, not exercising. It all just balled into one.And I was just like — I was in such a hole that I was just like, I can't keep going on like this. I need to get help. And so I went to the doctors. My general practitioner told them what was happening and they immediately fast-tracked me to a therapist's office. I was screened for different symptoms, and they identified ADHD. Plus generalized anxiety and depression.Laura: How did it feel? That's a lot of diagnoses to receive at one time. How did that feel?Max: I felt actually relieved. As crappy as I was still feeling, I was happy that I was getting help. I have this range of like mood from like 100 being like, you're living your most ideal, perfect life. It's heaven. Zero? Dead. You're gone. You don't exist. Like I went from 40% to at the end of the treatment, around 70%. So far, more stable. Still a long road ahead.I went through group therapy for ADHD. I actually met some people that I knew that I was surprised that they were there. I was like, What, you're here? You're one of the best people in your class. Like, that's a surprise. And they're like, Yeah, like, likewise. You know, I just. I didn't expect you to be here. It was fun to have that kind of camaraderie. And it was very nice to know that a lot of the symptoms that I was having were quite normal.Laura: Right. And to see them and people, it sounds like, who you admired or were in your eyes high achieving. Probably a good reminder that you can thrive with ADHD.So one thing I remember, Max, when we had our initial interview, you were like, my view of ADHD isn't all sunshine and roses, right? I remember you talked about the glorious curse, which I guess isn't totally a negative thing because you've got this word "glorious" there. I want to hear you articulate what you mean by ADHD as a glorious curse.Max: Absolutely. In my research of ADHD, I have heard more people than I can count call it a superpower. And the term just seems so saccharine sweet and just so like Oh, we're going to have fun. Whee! You know, just like — and I just was like, it's not a superpower. I mean, it's a curse.Because here's the thing. The glorious part is it opens up vistas of creativity and energy and dynamism that people just don't understand. Like when you are fired up, you get fired up. You just can do all the things. You feel like you have divine inspiration. The gods have just shone down a light upon you, and you are at the very center of what you were meant to be. It shows you that, off in the distance, off on the horizon. This glorious city in the clouds.But between you and that is a deep valley of sharp rocks and obstacles that you have to get through to get there. It's like the ADHD part oftentimes makes it impossible — or not impossible, but just very, very difficult and tedious to get there. So that's where the curse part comes in.It's glorious in that you can see the potential of who you can be, or even just things that just light your heart on fire. Brings out the best in you. But at the same time, it's like trying to sprint up a mountain with the ball and chain. So that's how I feel about that.Laura: Very — really beautiful imagery that you use to describe that, too. It really resonates with me. I feel like a good manifestation of this glorious curse is something that you described to me when we originally talked, which you actually had mentioned as being a big "aha" moment for you: writing your thesis.Max: Yes. I took my very first bachelor in humanities at the University of Oslo. And usually you have a year and a half to do your thesis. They clear your schedule and they just say, Just do that. And I took almost three years to get it done, because it was all of the things that hamper completing a task through — following it through.It was just the task was a bit complex. I was doing it by myself. And the longer I went without contacting my advisor, the more pressure I felt to deliver. And also fear of his wrath that was just building exponentially with every week, with every unanswered email. I just felt the pressure increase. And so I delayed. And I finished it and handed it in four minutes before the deadline. And that was my last chance.And one of the biggest symptoms, one of the biggest things that stood out to me was — aside from the things I mentioned, where the putting the pressure on myself and expectations from my advisor and just this pressure to deliver this perfectionism — was it again boiled down to my reading comprehension was too slow for my brain. And it — just like sitting there in a quiet environment, just like reading sentence after sentence. And then just my brain felt like I was holding my breath underwater. And you know that feeling when you just try practicing holding your breath for as long as you can, and it starts burning in your lungs? That's what it felt like in my brain.So it was frustrating. It was very, very difficult. It was a topic that I loved, too. And it was it was just so interesting. But the thing is that when you get into the nuts and bolts of it — doing the actual work — that's when the passion can evaporate. That's when you'd be like, I have to set up a schedule to actually do these things. I have to write two pages a night. It turns into work. It goes from being a passion and an interest to being an obligation.You know, a lot of people can say like, Oh, that's childish. Then you're not serious enough. Or you know, grow up, which I've heard before. But it's like that's the point for a lot of people where they fall off. And then it's like, I can't do this. I'm giving up.Laura: This race to the finish line. Handing in your thesis four minutes before it's due. I mean, that to me is exactly what you described with the glorious curse. You're sprinting up a mountain with a ball and chain. All of this was happening during what you called that decline time period that led up to your ADHD diagnosis, right?Max: Just before, I would say. Like it was this in-between phase where I graduated from my second bachelor, in media and communication studies. It started around there where one personal relationship ended very badly. And then I just had a string of bad relationships. And it really affected me because I had a lot of guilt.But the depression part — one of the main like points where I've ruminated on in that dark period was just like, You never follow through. You never complete tasks. You're never going to be anything. You are going to be surrounded by a graveyard of dreams. And that's essentially what I was feeling at the darkest points. It was like being awake at three in the morning. So tired but my brain is just on. And I was just thinking of all the points in my past where I could have changed things. Or thinking about how I'm never going to amount to anything because I never complete anything.Laura: Wow, that's really powerful. So you've got anxiety and depression kind of feeding off of and ruminating on what are essentially ADHD symptoms. So you're ruminating about your difficulty with these kind of every day.Max: Yes.Laura: Executive function skills, completing tasks.Max: And even up until that point, before my diagnosis, I just thought it was a personal failing. I just thought it was me. I had notes dating back to like 2011. Like "goals for my life" type thing. One of which was "Learn to be consistent. Follow through on tasks." Like on sticky notes I would have on my chalkboard.Laura: Oh my gosh, I did the exact same thing.Max: Yeah. God, why are we like this?Laura: Well, these like, giant ideas I've evolved from, you know, sticky notes to, like, emailing them to myself because that doesn't put any pressure on you to have an email to yourself that says, "Figure out next five years." Or like, "Get better at focusing" or whatever. It's like kind of this all-or-nothing approach, right? Where it's like we're not allowing ourselves — maybe because it's so difficult to break down tasks — we're not allowing ourselves to take these things in chunks. And instead it just looks like this big, giant gray cloud of things we will never get to.Max: The I think most destructive aspect of it, from what I've experienced, is like the older you get, the more that you rely on friends, on your financial stability, your health. And all of these things needs to be maintained. So I mean, that has always been a challenge for me.And like especially in the last few years when I was diagnosed with depression, you know, there are times where you just want to vent to a friend. You just want to meet up with someone that you feel safe with. And you just want to talk about everything that's on your mind, talk about what's in your heart.But for me, that was difficult because I realized that I have not maintained friendships, because I was under the presumption that if you get along with someone, you know, that connection will be there. Right? And I mean, at least in my twenties, I never really considered that maintaining friendships required effort. I always was under the presumption, very naive presumption, that like, oh, we've got chemistry. It'll come back like that. No.And that really was a bitter awakening in the last few years, just wanting to talk to someone who isn't your therapist, who isn't your significant other, who is not your parents, and just dump all of the stuff out on a table. And not just like talking about your problems, but also growing, you know, becoming an adult parallel with your friends. That's something that, you know, is very, very important, I think. And no one tells you that you have to maintain friendships. Growing up, at least no one told me. So that's — that was one of the things that really hit me in the teeth.If you find people of value in your life, you do need to touch base with them often. It's just I've never been good at consistency. So it's more of just the repetition of that effort has always been difficult, because then that falls into the routine. It's less novel and interesting, and it just kind of falls into the routine. Like the thought of maintaining something is just like, ugh, work. It's automatically in a work category and then it no longer becomes fun. I mean, this limiting mindset, that's kind of how I approached friendships for a while.One of the things that I realized just very recently, and this has been in due part to therapy, is that the reason why I was so averse to things like maintaining effort, maintaining fitness, or maintaining financial health or, you know, maintaining friendships, is that my presumption of what it takes to do that work has always been skewed. It has been contaminated by a perfectionist mindset, an all-or-nothing mindset, that any effort that you do has to be turned up to 111 in order for it to count.And with that corrupted mindset, every time I thought of doing work to maintain these things, I immediately was just like, I'm too tired. I cannot do this. Because I assumed that the effort it took was this monumental effort. But something that my therapist told me was that — it was more of a rhetorical question. She asked me, like, with those things, those assignments at work or the effort it requires to maintain certain habits or hobbies. Could you have done any better there and then with the knowledge that you had? And I was like, obviously not. I mean, I did the best I could. And she's like, There you go. You did the best you could with the knowledge you had.And that changed my mind is that maintaining things, half of the battle is showing up. And just recently, the realization that came to me was that I don't need to turn everything up to 11 in order for it to count. Sometimes it just needs to be showing up. Or sending a message to a friend. Sending them a funny meme or gif or saying, Hey, what's up? You know, just like what's new in your life? These little things, they count more than the gigantic, titanic, Herculean efforts. And with that, it's very liberating. And with that, it's more hopeful, I think.Laura: So, Max, you're here talking with me now, which means that you have a level of self-awareness. You're aware of your diagnoses. You're aware of what you're struggling with. I know that you've got coping strategies in place now. And am I right that you even can joke about some of this now?Max: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I mean, that's the best part is just like my girlfriend. We've been together for five years, and she knows better than most the struggles, but also the humor. And we joke constantly about it. Early in our relationship I told her that, like, I envision my ADHD as a tiny baboon in a control center. He's watching stuff on his phone or got like 20 tabs open. And he's just like going from one thing to the next. He pushes a button here and there. Or he gets hyperfocused on one thing and just like lets the whole thing just melt down.It's easier sometimes to laugh at it — only if you are trying to fix it. Like if you're trying to actually deal with it, then yeah, sure, you can laugh. That's the thing. Like now I'm a grown-ass man, you know, it's on me to fix this.Laura: Do you need to fix it, or do you need to cope?Max: Well, I mean, yeah, maybe a little bit of both. You know, find strategies that work.Laura: I like that better, Max. You use the language that you want, but I like that better. I'm just telling you.Max: Yeah, OK. Healthier.Laura: Max, it's been really nice to talk with you today. I really appreciate your perspective. I love the imagery, the beautiful images that you use. And I appreciate your realism. I think it's necessary.Max: Thank you for this opportunity to talk with you. Just one parting point I think I'd like to make is just that life can be very beautiful with ADHD. I'm not trying to have this like, "oh, poor me" type mentality, you know. And it can be a very powerful tool if wielded correctly.My hope for other people is that they do have an opportunity to find a balance between the gloriousness of the curse so that they can actually get to those perfect vistas that they envision for themselves.Laura: You've been listening to "ADHD Aha!" from the Understood Podcast Network. If you want to share your own "aha" moment, email us at ADHDaha@understood.org. I'd love to hear from you.If you want to learn more about the topics we covered today, check out the show notes for this episode. We include more resources as well as links to anything we mentioned in the episode.Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people who learn and think differently discover their potential and thrive. We have no affiliation with pharmaceutical companies. Learn more at understood.org/mission."ADHD Aha!" is produced by Jessamine Molli. Say hi, Jessamine.Jessamine: Hi, everyone.Laura: Briana Berry is our production director. Our theme music was written by Justin D. Wright, who also mixes the show. For the Understood Podcast Network, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, Seth Melnick is our executive producer, and I'm your host, Laura Key. Thanks so much for listening.
How to help your child learn to read facial expressions
Does your child not notice or understand when people look angry, surprised, or even happy? Some kids need extra help learning to read facial expressions. Here are some strategies you can try to help them learn to better read and interpret these important social cues.Use pictures. Take or gather photos of people your child knows. Look for a range of facial expressions. Print and make flashcards. You can: Help your child identify the feeling that goes with the expression on the card.Ask why your child thinks it’s the right emotion. Each take a card, mimic the expression, and have the other person guess what it is.Name times you’ve seen someone make that facial expression. (“Jenny made that face when she stepped on a bug in her bare feet.”) Ask your child to find pictures in magazines or on websites of people whose expressions match those in the flashcards. Analyze facial features. Show how eyebrows, mouth, eyes, nose, and forehead change with emotion. Practice making expressions like “angry eyes.” Looking in the mirror can help kids see how accurate their expressions are. Analyze facial movement. Ask your child to pay attention to what face muscles feel like when feeling happy, sad, angry, etc. Have kids look in the mirror to see each expression. That can help them see it in other people’s faces. Help kids notice changes. Point out the “neutral” faces of family members and friends. This can help kids see changes in expression. Use movies and TV. Watch with the sound off and work together to identify the facial expressions. Try out apps. Let your child play apps that teach emotions and facial expressions. These games are a fun way to practice recognizing facial expressions independently and discreetly. Teach kids to ask.Remind your child that it’s OK to say something like “Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re mad. Are you?”Want more tips to help kids who struggle in social situations? Watch an expert explain how to use TV as a tool to improve social skills. Explore other types of social cues that might be hard for your child. And read about Social Thinking, an instructional strategy that can help kids learn to recognize social cues.
In ItAll about language disorders
Understanding what a language disorder means for your child can be overwhelming. Here’s help from an expert. Language disorders can lead to many questions, both in the classroom and elsewhere. How will the school handle it? What can you do to help at home? And what if you’re not even sure if a language disorder is what your child is struggling with?In this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek talk with Kelli Johnson, a Minneapolis-based educational speech-language pathologist who is also a writer and expert reviewer at Understood. Kelli explains what her job is all about, and what it means to have a language disorder. She also talks about making her work with students fun while helping them navigate this learning and thinking difference.Related resourcesLanguage disorder fact sheet What are language disorders How speech-language pathologists work with kidsEpisode transcriptGretchen: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "In It," a podcast about the ins and outs... Rachel: ...the ups and downs... Gretchen: ...of supporting kids who learn and think differently. I'm Gretchen Vierstra, a former classroom teacher and an editor here at Understood.Rachel: And I'm Rachel Bozek, a writer and editor with a family that's definitely in it. Today we're getting into language disorder.Gretchen: A term which includes receptive language disorder and expressive language disorder. Rachel: Joining us to break it all down is Kelli Johnson, an educational speech-language pathologist based in Minneapolis. Gretchen: Kelli holds a master in communication disorders and is also a writer and expert reviewer here at Understood. Rachel: We're so glad to have her helping us out today. So, Hello Kelli. Kelli: Hello. Rachel: Welcome to "In It." We're so glad to have you here. To get us started, would you mind telling us what it means to be an educational speech-language pathologist? Kelli: Well, an educational speech-language pathologist is somebody who serves disabilities in the school setting as they relate to a child's ability to participate in the school curriculum. And so, the disability areas we deal with are things like stuttering, speech sound disorders, or articulation, where kids have difficulty saying specific speech sounds.And what we're going to talk about today, which is language disorder, where kids' language development is really significantly... they have significant challenges compared to their same-age peers. Gretchen: Let's go into a little more depth. What is a language disorder, exactly? Kelli: Broadly speaking, language disorder is a disorder or an impairment that involves the ability to understand the language that's all around you. The meanings of language, the language that we get in writing or verbally, and also expression. So, how we use language to convey the messages that we want to put out there. Gretchen: How common are language disorders? Kelli: So, you know, the studies that we have available on five-year-olds — which is kind of when, language disorder tends to be discovered — is that it occurs for 1 in 14 kids. And that is the rate at which it's identified in kindergarten. But those language difficulties generally persist in some way or other, in some severity or other through adulthood. Rachel: Wow. You've touched on this already, but I wonder if you could say more about the difference between receptive and expressive language disorder. Kelli: Sure. So, receptive language is all about what you're taking in. It's language understanding or language comprehension. And so, these are kiddos that are going to have difficulty taking in, longer directions like 3-step directions. These are kiddos that, may not understand the question you just asked them. They will certainly have difficulty understanding verbal instruction. You know, when teachers are teaching a longer lesson. Expressive language is how kids or how people use language to say their own ideas express themselves. And so, these are kiddos that are going to have trouble putting sentences together in a way that is meaningful to the people around them. And so, that can look like, difficulty with grammar. It can look like difficulty with what we call syntax, which is sort of how we put all these words together, telling stories, or difficulty organizing sentences. But broadly speaking, expressive language disorder is difficulty putting the message out there in the way that you want to say it. Rachel: So, what are some of the signs? We talked a little bit about kindergarten being kind of the beginning of when this might get spotted. What are some of the signs that might indicate that a younger child has a language disorder? Kelli: Right. And I do want to just kind of clarify a little bit. We've got good studies in kindergarten that tell us that often those distinctions will get spotted really early because, you know, little children aren't meeting those really well-explained developmental milestones, you know, with their checkups with their pediatrician. So, they're not starting to put two words together at the age that you would expect them to put two words together. As they're getting a little bit older, you know, as teachers are sort of interacting with them in class, they might notice, "Wow, this kiddo is using just single words or pointing at a lot of things." They might notice that when that child is trying to say something that happened to them — you know, they have a conflict with another kiddo — they can't tell the story of what happened to them. They might have a more limited vocabulary. They tend to be not the kids that are raising their hands to participate. If it's a receptive or receptive-expressive difficulty, those are the children that are going to struggle to follow directions in the classroom setting. They're going to be the children that answer questions in an off-topic way. So, you're saying you know, "Who did you see?" And they might start telling you a story that is, you know, completely unrelated. And some of that is just a thing that children do. But as you're comparing it, you know, you're comparing it to the other kids in class you're going to find that that's much more of a trend with children who struggle with receptive language. Rachel: And how does that differ as they get older, like, is what you see different with older kids? Kelli: It is. I mean, I should say, for children with language disorder, we generally see those concerns much earlier. It's not usual to identify, say, a fifth-grade child with language disorder. However, the things that stick out are going to be different because the academic demands have been increased. So, you know, in classroom discussions, you might find that they're just not as able to show what they know. Maybe they do understand what's going on. And you can kind of tease that out if you ask questions that don't require longer responses, but they're not going to be the child that can kind of explain things in a complex way. You're going to start seeing it in their writing. If it's an expressive language disorder, those are going to be kids that really struggle with those composition assignments. In part because, you know, these are often children who also have reading and writing difficulties. You know, they're getting support in those areas, too. If it's a child who's experiencing receptive language problems, reading comprehension is going to continue to be difficult. And you may see this mismatch between decoding and comprehension. Many of these children are fluent readers. They can decode words but when you ask them, you know, just to check up on comprehension questions, they will typically have a lot of difficulty. And these are often kids that will sort of like use what they know about the subject to answer the question instead of what's really on the page. There are children who are not going to do as well under, you know, answering questions on tests. And those are also children who may start to have some social difficulties because they are not, you know, they're not able to pick up on all of the language that's coming at them from their peers. And so they're not responding in a way that their peers would expect. Gretchen: So, who would be the one at a school or anywhere to typically diagnose a language disorder? Kelli: That's me. Yeah. It goes to the speech-language pathologist and it you know, there's a process, right? The teacher or parent will identify an area of difficulty. And schools do have a process for getting everybody together and saying, "I'm concerned about this child." And there's an early phase where you sort of try to tease out what, what needs another look. But I'm the person on the team that does all of the testing to identify language disorder. Rachel: So, a quick question before my next question. When we're talking about all of this is the kind of like common terminology to say, "Kids who have a language disorder" or "Kids who have language disorder," like, that's the name of it? I just want to make sure we're kind of like, asking it the right way. Kelli: I think you're asking it the right way. Children who have language disorder. Yeah. Rachel: OKKelli: Yeah, yeah. Or a language disorder. That's really fine. Rachel: OK. So, can you tell us a little bit about what your work with kids who have language disorder looks like, and maybe walk us through, like, the kinds of exercises that you might do with younger kids first, and then we can talk about older kids. Kelli: Yeah. So, we always start with what the evaluation tells us about that specific child. And language disorder breaks down into all these little subsets of skills. Right. So, some children might have a really difficult time with using what we call morphemes. Right. How we create the past tense, how we show that something is going to happen versus did happen. So, that child, you know, obviously would have a goal in that area. Some children might have difficulties with prepositions — in, on, whatever — and then there's some variability in how every speech pathologist works. I embed those skills in play for little kids. And that can also be books. You know, we sort of want to get them interested in books pretty early because that's where we're going in the academic setting. But we might do play-based things. So, for a child that is struggling with place, right? I might read a book about — there's really, there's a book I use a lot — called "Rosie's Walk," where a chicken's being followed by a fox, and the fox keeps changing position. And so we can talk about "On top of" "Behind" "Between." And then, you know, because this play-based, I get a little toy fox at the end and we play a little game where we put the fox at different places around us. If it's a child who's working on using longer sentences, I might get a bunch of toys that that child likes. And, you know, they can practice asking me. I'll give them a little frame for, "I want the... red one. I want the... black one." And so little by little, we add these words in and we start to expand. We can also just do things where they give me an answer, and I reframe it to add a couple more words and then say, "You tell me that." But for little children, trying to tap into what they are already interested in, is where we really want to go with that, because we want language to have a payoff. It should stay fun. Rachel: Yeah, yeah. Kelli: So, older kids, we start thinking a lot more about the direct connection of language to academic expectations. I try very hard to use texts or adapted versions of those texts in the context of our language sessions, and we might work on how do we summarize that. You know, some of the kids I see because you know, they have reading challenges as well. We might do this in a verbal way. You know, stories have these parts. They have a character, they have a setting, have kickoff where the story starts. So, they'll learn all those parts, and then they learn how to tell a cohesive — what we call a narrative or a summary — about that story. And the great thing is, it kind of applies to when we're telling stories about our lives and trying to give details about, you know, what happened when I got in a conflict with this other student? We might use writing more. I do a lot with what are called graphic organizers, where, you know, they may have an assignment in their class to write a report. And so, I kind of consult with a teacher about what those expectations are. And we put that in the context of a graphic organizer. And I might supplement it with, you know, kind of the step-by-step instructions from the classroom that I can add visuals to. And then that, you know, the other piece of that is, I would collaborate with the classroom teacher a lot to see how can we sync up what we're doing. How can you use these sorts of visuals, these sorts of verbal cues or written cues to help this child be more successful when they're actually in the classroom? And how can I pick up on my end to help them understand the expectations and meet the expectations with a little bit of language support. Gretchen: That relates to this question I have, which is what are some common classroom accommodations that kids might get in their IEP if they have language disorder? Kelli: Right. So, when I'm thinking of receptive language difficulties in particular, you might see an accommodation that says "The teacher should check for understanding after delivering a direction. Direction should be given in small pieces. Check with the child within five minutes of starting the assignment to give feedback or redirection." Expressive language accommodations might look like having graphic organizers available, having extra time to complete assignments, having a visual of what the expectations are, you know, because that puts it — without getting too deep in the weeds — kids who are trying to complete something that's really, really difficult might not have the working memory, right?The ability to kind of keep one thing in their head while they're doing another thing. They might not have the working memory to remember what the expectation is, and also use their little, graphic organizer to complete the assignment. I like to do buddies — you know, so to help kids access a peer who can maybe work with them to do, like, if it's a written assignment that will be a presentation — how can we work with a buddy, and how can the teacher help divvy up the responsibilities of each part of the buddy system? And then also, there's usually an accommodation that the speech-language pathologist will connect with the teacher on the specific accommodations that are needed by that kiddo, right?Because language disorder looks different for different children. And so, what they're working on at any given time will be different. You know, they're so just sort of staying in touch with the classroom teacher and saying, "This is the specific thing we're working on right now. Here are some ways that you can practice this in class." Rachel: So, can language disorder be cured? Or is there a point at which some children are not struggling with it anymore? And those might not be the same thing, but... Kelli: Well, it might. Yeah, exactly. When children are identified really young with language disorder, sometimes it is a need for more exposure. Right? Every household is different. What every kid is exposed to is different. And so, sometimes those little people, when they end up in, say, an early childhood program, which is all language, all the time, super engaging. I have seen kids just blossom. And so, you know that in those cases, we've just come across a child that just needed some really intense stimulation, maybe a little bit of extra time and maybe the, you know, the speech therapist is no longer involved after age 5 or 6. Typically, language disorder is something that is going to persist into adulthood. People can acquire skills. You know, therapy is helpful. It can make a difference, but it doesn't really go away. It is generally the case that while folks who are adults who had language disorder as a child are very functional, it is likely going to be the case that their verbal skills are not going to be their best skill. And, you know, the best-case scenario is that they have learned ways to self-advocate. They have learned specific skills that help them be better at communicating their ideas. But it might be still an area where they feel like, "Yeah, communication is not my strong suit."Gretchen: Yeah. And it seems like you said, too. All the strategies, hopefully right, that they've learned over the years just come into play. And so, it's less of a challenge because they're used to using strategies to work with that challenge. Kelli: Right. And you know, I think too, you know, the best outcome for people who've had therapy for language disorder is that they sort of just come to appreciate the totality of who they are. Right. That there's just this "Yes, this is a thing. Nobody's perfect. This is just something that I've had to work on in my life. And, you know, I'm proud of the things I've done to work on it." Gretchen: What are some things that you encourage parents and caregivers to do at home to help a child with a language disorder? Kelli: I would say the first thing is, you know, talk to your child's speech pathologist because they are going to know specifically what's being worked on at that time. One really fun one that we tell parents to do with the littles is engage them in everyday household stuff. "Let's do this together." Usually at that age, they love it, right? As kids get older, they may not be as interested in making dinner with their mom, but at that young age they are often very excited about it. It gives an opportunity to talk things through, use vocabulary they maybe haven't heard before, and it keeps it really fun. I really feel like kids need it to have a payoff. It shouldn't feel like homework. For parents who are, you know, trying to help their older child who, has a language disorder, making them aware of maybe what supports are needed. You know, at the end of the day, when you want to talk to your child about their day, maybe we can have like a specific set of questions we go through. Maybe when the child gives a short answer, you can sort of recast that and confirm with a slightly longer answer and not necessarily have the expectation that the child's going to copy you, but keeping it natural, you know, just talking through what you're seeing with them. Keeping as much verbal communication as possible open as a model, as an opportunity, without having this huge expectation that feels like homework for the child. And there may be some specific little things, like when a child uses the present tense to express all things that happen. They might need some really specific practice, and I might send home, "Hey, you know, we're working on adding -ed to make the past tense. Maybe you can, you know, go through these flashcards during the day." But mostly just like, use it or find opportunities to say, "Oh, wait, I didn't understand that. You know? did that happen? Is that happening right now or did that happen before?" There are lots of different ways, and the best jumping-off point for the parent is to connect with the speech pathologist and say, "You know, what are you working on? How can I include that in our everyday communication?" Rachel: So, we hear a lot about how some learning differences, like ADHD also have upsides, where, you know, we hear a lot of the word lately, "Superpowers." Like they have the ability to kind of hyperfocus on things that they're really good at or that they're interested in, like we've talked about here. Is there any kind of equivalent or parallel that you've seen with kids with language disorder? Kelli: Well, I'll tell you. One thing I see — and I can't really say their causal right, that the absence of strong language skills leads to this other skill — but what I can say is that every single child I see has something they're just superstars at. Maybe they have strong math skills. Maybe they are just that kid that's got really great social skills in spite of not being really conversational. You know, I have those children that are just beloved because they are so kind and they're so interested and they want to help. I have children who are phenomenal at art, and I have among my receptive language kids with receptive language difficulties, kids who get really good at observing what's going on around them. Because when you don't understand the directions, you are looking around to see what the expectation is. So, I don't know that we can say, you know, there's a causal relationship between those things, but all of my kids have areas that are huge strengths for them. I have kids that are better than I am at lots of things, and I point this out to them all the time that, "Wow, you just taught me something today." That is not an infrequent occurrence. Rachel: That's great. That's great. Gretchen: Yeah, yeah, I think it's a good note to end on. Right. Strengths, that everyone's got their strengths. Kelli: Absolutely. It keeps me coming to work every day. Gretchen: Well, thank you so much for talking with us today. Kelli: Thank you for having me. It was a wonderful conversation. Gretchen: You've been listening to "In It" from the Understood Podcast Network.Rachel: This show is for you. So we want to make sure you're getting what you need. Email us at init@understood.org to share your thoughts. We love hearing from you. Gretchen: If you want to learn more about the topics we've covered today, check out our show notes. We include more resources as well as links to anything we mentioned in the episode. Rachel: Understood.org is a resource dedicated to helping people who learn and think differently discover their potential and thrive. Learn more at understood.org/mission. Gretchen: "In It" is produced by Julie Subrin. Ilana Millner is our production director. Justin D. Wright mixes the show. Mike Ericco wrote our theme music. Rachel: For the Understood Podcast Network, Laura Key is our editorial director, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick is our executive producer. Thanks for listening. Gretchen: And thanks for always being "in it" with us.
Paraprofessionals: What you need to know
On any given school day, there are many adults working to support student learning. Students may work with teachers, counselors, related service providers, and classroom volunteers. They may also receive support from paraprofessionals. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) uses the term paraprofessional. You may also hear them called ed techs, classroom assistants, instructional aides, teacher assistants, paraeducators, and paras. No matter what you call them, paraprofessionals are an important part of a school’s community. Paraprofessionals are not certified teachers, but they are vital members of a school’s support staff. They are credentialed education professionals who work alongside and under the direction of a certified teacher or school professional. Here’s what you need to know about their training and how they support teachers, students, and families.What paraprofessionals do Paraprofessionals provide instructional, behavioral, and other support to students in and outside of the classroom. Paraprofessionals often work one-on-one with students who receive special education and related services or those who have a 504 plan. Some paraprofessionals work with students in a special education classroom. Others may work with students in a general education classroom or rotate to support all the classes in a specific grade level. Here are four common ways paraprofessionals provide support: 1. Instructional support A paraprofessional may work with students one-on-one or in small groups to reinforce learning. They may provide extra support during or after a teacher’s lesson. They may also lead small group activities, allowing the teacher to support students in other ways. For example, a paraprofessional may work with a small group of students who need extra help understanding a math concept, while the teacher works with students who are ready to move on to learning the next concept. 2. Language supportIn some classrooms, bilingual paraprofessionals provide language support to English language learners. This is especially true in classrooms for students just beginning to learn English. Paraprofessionals may help ELLs understand the academic content of lessons by speaking with students in their home language. Paraprofessionals often live in the school neighborhood and share the same cultural traditions as their students. This can help paraprofessionals serve an important role. They can be a link to the community. And they can work with the teacher to make sure the instruction and learning materials are culturally responsive. They can even help create learning materials in another language. 3. Behavioral supportParaprofessionals often work with students who struggle with expectations for classroom behavior. For example, if a student has a behavior intervention plan (BIP), paraprofessionals may help to implement the plan. If the IEP team needs documentation about how behavioral interventions are working, paraprofessionals may take notes throughout the day. Paraprofessionals who provide behavioral support are taught strategies to help with behavior, like giving specific praise for appropriate behaviors. They may also be trained to help in crisis situations.Many paraprofessionals also build strong relationships with the students they work with. They often spend more one-on-one time with students than the other adults on staff. That gives them insight that can be used to help teachers understand what a student’s behavior is communicating. This understanding can help teachers respond to challenging behaviors with empathy. 4. Physical and medical supportSome paraprofessionals work with children who have physical disabilities. Paraprofessionals can help with adaptive skills, like self-care and communication. They may also collaborate with the school nurse to work with students who need medical support. For example, they may help children who are at risk for seizures or who have severe allergies.Qualifications and training Paraprofessionals don’t have the same training and certification as teachers. The requirements vary from state to state and even among school districts. Under ESSA, paraprofessionals provide teaching support and must have a high school diploma (or its equivalent) and also meet one of these requirements:Finished two years of study at a college or technical school; or Hold at least an associate’s degree; or Be able to show, through a formal state or local academic assessment, that they know about and can assist in reading, writing, and math instruction Paraprofessionals must have knowledge and skills to be good at working with students. Like other educators, a paraprofessional needs to know when to step back and encourage a student to be independent, but also when to step in and provide support.Paraprofessionals often learn many of their practical skills on the job. They can be more effective when they have ongoing training and access to professional learning opportunities. Whenever possible, schools should include paraprofessionals in staff meetings and other events so they are up to date on all school policies, curriculum, and student needs.Paraprofessionals play important roles in schools and help make classrooms more inclusive. They add another layer of support to the classroom, allowing students to have more opportunities for one-on-one support. When students, teachers, and families embrace paraprofessionals as key members of the education team, everyone benefits.
Understood Explains Season 1What is a special education evaluation?
Is your child struggling in school? Are you wondering what supports might help? Get an overview of how schools evaluate kids for special education. Is your child struggling in school? Are you wondering what supports might help? This episode of Understood Explains gives an overview of how schools evaluate kids for special education.Host Dr. Andy Kahn is a psychologist who has spent nearly 20 years evaluating kids for public and private schools. Andy’s first guest in this episode is educator Julian Saavedra. They’ll cover a few key areas:Why schools evaluate kidsWhat evaluations look likeHow special education has changed over the yearsAndy’s second guest is parenting expert Amanda Morin. They’ll end each episode this season with tips on what to say to your child about getting evaluated.Related resourcesWhat is an evaluation for special education?6 benefits of having your child evaluatedDifferent terms you may hear for evaluationsParent training centers: A free resource in your stateEpisode transcriptLisa: Hi, my name is Lisa and I'm from Marin County, which is in California just north of San Francisco. By the time our son was in first grade, it was really apparent to us that something was off. He clearly was unable to do the basic homework that other first-grade students were trying to do. We were not able to get him to write, as an example, the word "cat." That would be a four-hour process. Unfortunately, at that time, we didn't realize we had the right to request an evaluation. We didn't understand. We didn't even know what we were supposed to be googling.Andy: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "Understood Explains." You're listening to Season 1, where we explain evaluations for special education. Over 10 episodes, we cover the ins and now of the process that school districts use to evaluate children for special education services. My name is Andy Kahn, and I'm a licensed psychologist, and an in-house expert at Understood.org. I've spent nearly 20 years evaluating kids for both public and private schools. I'll be your host.Today's episode will give you an overview of what an evaluation is. We're going to cover a few key things: the purpose of school-based evaluations, who's on the evaluation team, how long the process takes, and the benefits of evaluating kids who are struggling in school. But first, let's go back to Lisa. Her story shows the many emotions and experiences that come along with the evaluation process.Lisa: We did feel completely alone. We didn't have anybody else to run this by or who had been through this experience other than, you know, little tidbits here and there. And so we were really piecing it all together ourselves. And it was, you know, a frustrating journey. And it really wasn't until we had that tutor that said, "This is crazy. This child should have been sent to us and evaluated years ago." And she was really the one who told us that those were our rights. And in a way, I feel guilt to this day that I didn't research it properly enough to understand that earlier. But again, you don't know what you're looking for if you don't know.Andy: My first guest today is going to help give everyone an overview of what an evaluation is and how it can help kids who are struggling in school. Julian Saavedra is an assistant principal at a Philadelphia high school. He's also father of two and co-hosts the Understood podcast "The Opportunity Gap," about kids of color with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences.Julian: Hey, thank you so much for having me.Andy: Thanks for being here, Julian. Before we get into it, I want to start off by addressing a common myth that might make a lot of parents hesitate to evaluate their child for special education services. When I was a kid, special education meant like spending the whole day in a separate classroom. But special education changed like tremendously since then. Today, most kids who receive special education are in the general education classrooms for most of the day, and might only get pulled out for an hour or two of specialized instruction. I mean, Julian, when you think about it, it's really incredible how much special education has changed.Julian: Yeah, and I think, Andy, touching upon the generational shift that's happened with special education is something that we don't talk about a lot. If you're not in schools on a daily basis, you might not know how much education has transformed in the last 20 years, right? And, you know, I've been an educator for — this is my 19th year. And what special education is now, compared to when I first started as a classroom teacher, is dramatically different. So there's a lot of just historical memories that we have, as people of our age range, that are very different than what's happening in education across the country.Andy: So as an administrator and teacher, you've been a part of the evaluation process in a variety of roles. What are some of the basic things you tell parents about what happens in an evaluation?Julian: A lot of times our families have a misconception about what evaluation actually means. They might think that this is a test that's going to happen over the course of one or two days. Sometimes a family might ask me, "Well, Mr. Saavedra, do they have to study for this?" And I'll tell them like, "No, this is not something that you're traditionally used to testing."Andy: Yeah, very common question.Julian: So evaluations encompass a variety of factors that are looked at. They include academics. Maybe a student might be observed over the course of multiple classrooms. Or this might include behavioral, so there might be an assessment that one of the student's teachers might take. A family member or parent might fill out a questionnaire, and somebody else that's a trusted adult that's able to observe the child in different settings might fill out. There might be conversations that happen between an evaluator and the student to evaluate the social-emotional aspect of a student's personality. So there's a variety of things that are looked at. It's not just a specific aspect of the child, it's trying to get an idea of who the child is on a holistic level.Andy: Can you tell me a bit about how you explain this process to your families? And maybe some tips and tricks you have that might help describe the process to them.Julian: The way I like to break it down for families is, you know, I like food. I'm definitely a big like food guy. And I like to make a lot of references to food. So I use the analogy of a menu: that this is a menu of options that we're trying to figure out as a school for your child. You know, everybody doesn't want the same dish. And we all know that there's different ways to cook the same food. But ultimately, we can make it delicious. We just have to figure out what ingredients and what strategies are we going to use to make this incredibly beautiful dish. So when I talk to families, and I break it down that way, it helps them alleviate some of the stress of figuring out well, they're not really saying something's wrong with my kid, they're saying that maybe we need to figure out what are the things that are going to work well.Andy: Yeah, I love, love, love the analogy, because I think what we're talking about is, is well, let me stick to your theme here: making it more appetizing to families, right?Julian: I try to really focus on the positives, you know? Everybody likes to hear great things about their child. And a lot of times the evaluation process brings out some of those positive strengths that a child might not get shine for normally. So when families get a chance to see all these positive things coming out from the evaluation process, it makes them feel good about it. But if you go into the process with the mindset that there's something wrong, and we're doing this because they're not doing well, or they're messing up, that shuts them down immediately.Andy: This is about finding out the student's strengths and weaknesses. When we talk about weaknesses, it's really important to share with families that our focus is on figuring out how the school can do things differently to help them. It's not about something that's wrong with the child, but rather what the program needs to do to change to help the child. It's to help and not to blame the child. That's, that's a key. It's also about describing to them how this process can make sense and help focus on that this is to help them, not to identify or to stigmatize them.Julian: I mean, it can be incredibly intimidating. And so I think having the idea of trust, and an understanding that there's a two-way process happening, is really important, right? There's a lot of intelligence that our parents are bringing to the table. They just might not have the same vocabulary that we do. So making sure that we're making the jump and breaking things down so that everybody's on the same page, because our children are the most important thing that we have in our lives. Right? So making sure that that process is crystal clear, and it's streamlined for everybody to feel comfortable, is of prime importance.Andy: Julian, let's talk about why we do these evaluations. You know, when we do evaluations, we're looking for specific things. What are we supposed to be on the lookout for? What is this process about?Julian: One thing that families need to know is that by federal law, schools are mandated to look for students that may be struggling in school. So it's not a choice, it is by law, that all schools have the ability and the mandate to look for students who may be having struggles. And all families have a choice to have their students evaluated, if they believe that there may be struggles that are happening.Andy: So we're talking about the idea of Child Find here — the idea that schools are supposed to be on the lookout for kids who might have disabilities that needs support. Do you find that some of your families misunderstand the idea that these evaluations are free, or aren't aware of that process?Julian: I think that's been pretty well communicated. People know that it is for free. But we always want to just make sure that it's crystal clear that it is not to any cost of the families. And the bigger issue is more the timeline of how long this is going to happen. Just communicating what the rights are within those laws, so that families are clear as to what should be happening and what the timeline is for it to be happening.Andy: Right. And I think in the process, Julian, it's very important for folks to know that most commonly, schools are doing some interventions and doing some supports of children before they go into the evaluation process.Julian: Right, right. Yeah, many, many schools have a process called MTSS, or multi-tiered support systems, where tier one, or tier two, or tier three interventions occur. And those, again, are things that are preliminary that happen before the evaluation process actually starts. And just again, the schools are attempting to try as many different things as possible to really support the students and intervene if students are struggling. But then the parents need to understand that at any point during their school experience, they have the right to request an evaluation. And so that's something that we make really clear to all families: that they have the right, and they can request an evaluation to happen at any point when they choose.Andy: So one of the key things I'd like to chat with you about here today is talking about terminology, I always find that being able to speak the same language as the school staff and administrators can be a huge stress reliever for families.Julian: So having the same vocabulary is credibly important. In Pennsylvania, we use the term "evaluation." I know that in other states, they use different terminology. Some states may use "assessment," some states may use "testing," some states may use "evaluation and/or assessment." But in Pennsylvania, we use the word "evaluation." And then I would also recommend any families that are considering this process to make sure that they research what are the terms that are used in your state. Because the laws vary from state to state. And so making sure that you get yourself acclimated with the vocabulary is incredibly important.Andy: So here in Maine, we use the term "evaluation" and "assessment" almost interchangeably. In our show notes, we have a link to state-specific information that might be helpful for some of our listeners.So Julian, let's talk a little bit about who are the people at the table, so to speak? Who are the players in this evaluation process that our families may be introduced to?Julian: In many cases, the primary contact person is going to be the special education team. So that may include a special education teacher. That may include a special education coordinator. There's also going to be a school administrator that's designated to oversee the process. There will be potentially a speech pathologist. There might be a school psychologist. There might be an occupational therapist to evaluate the physical needs of the child. There could be a guidance counselor or a counselor that's involved to kind of evaluate the social-emotional aspect of the student. Of course, general education teachers, that will be a part of this process, too. And in some cases, a parent might even bring a parent advocate or child advocate to the table.Andy: Yeah, so you're describing this, this whole group of people who are likely to be on the evaluation team. And they all need to do certain things within a certain amount of time. So for example, the evaluation process can take as long as 60 days. And that's the time frame for federal special education law. But some states may have shorter time frames. So Julian, there's a deadline that the team needs to meet. And during this time, the child might get pulled out of class to talk to one of the specialists. Teachers might get asked to share what they're seeing in the class. And parents and caregivers might get asked to share what they're seeing at home. And, you know, I gotta say, as someone who's evaluated many, many kids over the years, the parent questionnaires are just a hugely important part of the puzzle. Because what you see in your child, when you're at home, might be completely different than what's going on in school.Julian: So parents, we really encourage you to be completely open and honest about what you're seeing at home. Because the more global picture that we can get of the student, the better it is for everybody. And really, the whole purpose of this is to understand where are the gaps? And where are the strengths? What can we do to replicate some of the things that are going well? For example, if you see that your child is doing an excellent job of organizational task at home, right, they have a whole list of chores they have to do at home, and they do it really well. That's executive functioning. Whereas maybe they're struggling in their second-grade class to put their books away or have their desk organized or to get started. That's something that needs to be known, because that can help the team understand, well, maybe there's something happening with a disconnect and how the instructions are given. Maybe there's something that you as a family are doing really well that's working with how you break down chores that our teachers need to know at school, and they can replicate that at school. But if there's not that conversation or that strength analysis filled out by the family, then it makes it really hard to figure that out. So, again, it's really about a combination of a whole swath of people that are trying to get this holistic picture of who the child is, and what they do, across all places in their life, not just what they do in school or not just what's happening at home. And, you know, I think when families hear that, they start to feel a little bit more comfortable. It's not just trying to find the things that are not going well. It's trying to find everything. Then I think that really helps the comfort level increase.Andy: Wow, that's, that's a lot. And it's really important for families to know that an assessment isn't just about weaknesses and problems. But we want to know about what's going well. Because if a parent has something that's really working for their child, gosh, I know so many teachers who would love to borrow and steal those skills, and use them in their settings. And I think that's where it becomes a collaboration. So for so much of this, getting information is about parents giving their best honest view of their kids, and also helping us identify their strengths and weaknesses, not about labeling, not about diagnosing, but about really getting a big picture view as best as we can get. So what are some of the biggest benefits of evaluating kids? And how have you seen this process help kids that you've worked with thrive over time?Julian: You know, there's so many benefits to the process, because in many cases, it gives the child, it gives the family, and it gives the school a holistic picture of who that child is. And ultimately, education should be as personalized as possible. And when we have a better idea of what works and what might not be working, and what areas might need to be helped, then it gives the school a much better shot of actually providing the services that are required. I've had families that come in, and they just don't feel comfortable with the whole process. They don't know what's going to happen. But they realize that this IEP is something that's going to be beneficial for them. And, you know, when they walk out and you tell the child, you know, these are the things that you're going to get. And these are the different services that you're going to have at your disposal. And here's another teacher that's going to help you really get what you need to get — the smiles that you see when a kid finally feels like somebody is hearing them? That makes all the difference. You know, I forgot to say earlier, when I talked about the whole team that is involved, I forgot the most important person: the student themselves. Like, and it doesn't matter what age this kid is. Whether it's a kindergartner, or whether it's a 12th grader, they are at the center of all this. And if we can make sure families and children know that, then everybody wins.Lisa: My son had his first public school evaluation in the sixth grade. We set up a meeting. It was the tutor, a few of his teachers, and the school psychologist. And we went in with a much more aggressive approach than we had the first time. My husband, the first thing out of his mouth was, you know, "Thank you everybody for coming. And we don't mean to be aggressive. But we were told by the school in first grade that we needed to sit back and see what happens. And we took your advice. And our son is now in a really bad situation. And we're not going to wait any longer. So we need to get him tested."Andy: What Lisa was just describing is an all-too-common problem of waiting to evaluate, taking a wait-and-see approach that can leave kids in a tough situation. Sometimes it's the parents who want to wait to evaluate their child, because they're really nervous about how getting an evaluation for special education might affect their child's self-esteem. My next guest is going to offer advice on how to talk to kids about these things in a positive way. Amanda Morin is the co-host of the Understood's "In It" podcast, and the mom of three kids, two of whom learn differently. She's also a former classroom teacher and an early intervention specialist. Hey, Amanda.Amanda: Hey, Andy. It's really good to join you.Andy: So what's your first piece of advice that you give to parents?Amanda: I think the first piece of advice that I would give is to be really cautious about the word "evaluation" when you're talking to kids, because it can be a very tricky word. So I think one of the things I start with with parents is to say to them, "Don't use the word 'evaluation' right off the bat." You know, talk to your child about the fact that you're going to be doing a closer look at their strengths and weaknesses, looking a little more at what can be supportive for them, because you know that they're struggling a little bit.Andy: And how do you help explain to parents what "a closer look" actually means?Amanda: It's important for both parents and kids to understand that this is not just one day, right? It's not a one-day process. Your child is probably going to talk to a number of different people, see new people in their classroom, have conversations, do activities with a bunch of different people over time. So I think it's important for them to understand that that "closer look" is really going to be more of a process. Because it's important to see what you're really good at, and also what you're having some difficulty with. And I think it's important for kids to know that this is an overtime kind of thing. So that "closer look" is really not just about "Today we're going to look at what you can do." We want to see the whole story, we don't want to just see one picture of one moment in time. And I think it's important for parents to know that too. We don't want you to think this is one day that you have to be really prepared for. It's many days that you don't have to be really prepared for it. You just have to be there for it.Andy: Oh, absolutely. Any other information you might share, or advice about just talking about what evaluations are with your kids?Amanda: I think with kids, it's important to sort of clue into how much information they want. And we can see that and how they're reacting to us. And if you're a parent, you absolutely have been in a situation where you've talked longer than your child is willing to listen. Pay attention to those things, right? It doesn't have to be a one-and-done conversation. You can sit down, you can start the conversation, and then just keep the lines of communication open, which for parents basically means bring up again if you need to. Listen when they're asking questions. And give as much information as you can without overwhelming your child right now.Andy: Yeah, that's so crucial. I always think about when I was working with families on parenting, we often talked about the two- to three-minute rule, which is if you're talking for longer than two to three minutes, you can be pretty darn well sure your kid's gone. So on the other side of this equation, what's some of the things that you shouldn't say — the not to say advice we give parents?Amanda: The "not to says" are the things that might make a child feels like it's their fault. You don't want your kids to think that they've done something wrong. I would not want you to say to your child, "You know, you're having a lot of trouble in school. And it's really clear. Your teachers are talking about it. I'm noticing it, and we need to do something about this." Right? That's a lot of responsibility on a kid. The other piece of it is probably just paying attention to the looks on their face. So if you say something and your child looks crestfallen, they look like they have just had a weight drop right on them, you're gonna want to say to them, "What did you just hear me say?" Right? And so having them reflect it back to you can really show whether or not you've said something that hit a nerve that you need to go back and correct. One of the things I say to parents over and over and over again, is you can always go back and try again. You can always go back and say, "You know what? I don't know that you heard that the way I meant it in my head. So we're going to try again, and I want to tell it to you differently." There's nothing wrong with knowing that you have to try again. And that's something that I wished I'd known as a parent much earlier in my parenting journey. Because I think there were a lot of things I could have said differently.Andy: And I'll say this over and over again: It's a heck of a lot harder to break your kid than you think it is. They are far more durable and forgiving. And owning when you have a misstep as a parent, because we're going to make thousands and thousands of those missteps, is really the key here.Lisa: So when we finally got the report back from the school evaluation, it was — it was a relief to both my husband and I. It was a relief because it backed up what we thought all along. And it confirmed that we were not mishandling our son or just not doing a good job helping him through school. It was a relief that everything we thought was true — as strange as that sounds, because you wouldn't wish these problems on anybody. But you can't begin to fix a problem unless you know what the problem is. And we had confirmation of what the problem was.Andy: In today's episode, we've talked about the whys and hows of the school evaluation process, breaking down common myths and highlighting how kids can benefit from evaluations. Over the next nine episodes, we'll have a chance to dig deeper into various parts of the evaluation process. But if you there's one thing you can take away from this introductory episode, it's that evaluations are designed to help kids thrive by learning about both their strengths and their needs. The other big takeaway is that the more schools can help kids and families understand the evaluation process, the more likely they are to fully engage in the process and benefit from it. As always, remember that as a parent, you're the first and best expert on your child.In our next episode, we'll talk about how schools and families decide if a child needs to be evaluated. We hope you'll join us. You've been listening to Season 1 of "Understood Explains" from the Understood Podcast Network. If you want to learn more about the topics we covered today, check out the show notes for this episode. We include more resources, as well as links to anything we've mentioned in the episode. And now, just as a reminder of who we're doing this all for, I'm going to turn it over to Benjamin to read our credits. Take it away, Benjamin.Benjamin: "Understood Explains" is produced by Julie Rawe and Cody Nelson, who also did the sound design for the show. Briana Berry is our production director. Andrew Lee is our editorial lead. Our theme music was written by Justin D. Wright, who also makes the show, For the Understood Podcast Network, Laura Key is our editorial director, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick is our executive producer. A very special thanks to Amanda Morin and all the other parents and experts who helped us make this show. Thanks for listening and see you next time.Andy: Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people who learn and think differently discover their potential and thrive. Learn more at understood.org/mission.
Treatment for kids with dyslexia
Finding out your child has dyslexia can be difficult to take in. You may worry about what it means for your child’s future. But knowing what’s behind your child’s reading challenges makes it easier to find treatment that can help. Professionals in and out of school have different ways of working with kids to help build reading and language skills.Dyslexia is an issue with language. There are no medications for dyslexia. (It’s also important to know that vision therapy has not been shown to effectively treat dyslexia.)Learn about dyslexia treatment, including strategies and therapies that can help kids with dyslexia.Instruction and support for dyslexiaKids with dyslexia need specific and direct instruction in reading. A number of reading programs are designed to help kids with dyslexia. And many are based on an approach called Orton–Gillingham (OG). Kids can get this instruction in school as part of special education or as an instructional intervention. They can also get it working with a private reading specialist.The formal name for this type of instruction is multisensory structured language education (MSLE). Multisensory teaching uses sight, sound, movement, and touch to help kids connect language to words. Experts often consider it the gold standard for teaching kids with dyslexia to read.With this approach, teachers involve different senses to help kids learn. They might use sandpaper letters to learn phonics and spelling, for instance. Or they might learn syllables by tapping them out with their fingers.Multisensory instruction also gives kids a lot of opportunity to “overlearn” material. This happens through repetition. It also happens by having kids use what they’ve learned in different contexts.These programs have different names and use different materials. But they all have a structured approach. The programs are intensive and are taught one-on-one or in small groups. Their goal is to improve spoken and written language skills.You can also try many of these multisensory techniques at home.Specialized instruction isn’t the only way schools help kids with dyslexia. If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan, the school might provide accommodations, like extra time on tests or copies of teachers’ notes.You’ll have to request a free school evaluation to find out if your child is eligible. But even without an IEP or a 504 plan, teachers still might provide informal supports.Your child might also use assistive technology for reading. Two examples are text-to-speech software and audiobooks. You can use these tools at home, too.Therapies for dyslexiaSince dyslexia is an issue with language, challenges often begin with phonological awareness, a language skill that is critical for reading.Kids with poor phonological awareness have trouble recognizing and working with the sounds in words. They’re much more likely to struggle with learning to read.Specialists can teach kids with dyslexia to recognize word sounds. They can also teach phonics — connecting letters with sounds, breaking words into sounds, and blending sounds into words. Together, these skills allow kids to sound out words they don’t know. That process is known as decoding, and it’s core to reading.Professionals who provide this type of help include psychologists, teachers, reading specialists, learning specialists, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who focus on learning challenges. Some specialists work in schools and others in private settings.They use lots of different strategies to build phonological awareness and other reading skills. They might work on rhyming, for instance. Or they may help kids recognize syllables by having them clap out the ones in their names.Treatment for co-occurring issuesMany kids with dyslexia also have ADHD. Some also have anxiety or depression. There are many treatment options for mental health issues and ADHD, including therapy and medication.Those treatments won’t directly help with dyslexia. But when kids get help with their other challenges, they can get the most out of the instruction they’re getting for reading difficulties. And therapy helps some kids feel more confident in talking about having dyslexia or in being comfortable using accommodations. Ways to help with dyslexia at homeThere are also lots of ways to help with reading at home. But helping begins with talking openly with your child about learning and thinking differently.By starting the conversation, you set the stage for talking to your child more about dyslexia and what it means. And your child may be more open to hearing important messages — such as that having dyslexia doesn’t mean your child isn’t smart. And that with the right support, your child will thrive in school and beyond.
In ItWhat is neurodiversity? An interview with the host of “The Neurodiversity Podcast”
The term “neurodiversity” seems to be everywhere right now. But what exactly does it mean? And how does it apply to kids who learn and think differently? The term “neurodiversity” seems to be everywhere right now — in the news, the workplace, and even in your podcasts. But what exactly does it mean?In this episode, hosts Amanda Morin and Gretchen Vierstra talk with Emily Kircher-Morris, counselor, author, and host of The Neurodiversity Podcast. Emily has a unique perspective on neurodiversity: She’s a neurodivergent parent to twice-exceptional kids. Listen in to hear Emily talk about what neurodiversity means, how it applies to kids who learn and think differently, and why the language we use matters. Related resources What is neurodiversity?All about twice-exceptional students The Neurodiversity PodcastTeaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s ClassroomsRaising Twice-Exceptional ChildrenEpisode transcript Amanda: Hi, I'm Amanda Morin. I'm the director of thought leadership and expertise for Understood.org. I'm a parent to kids who learn differently, and I'm a neurodiverse human.Gretchen: Hi, I'm Gretchen. I'm an editor at Understood. I'm also a former classroom teacher and a mom of two. And this is "In It.""In It" is a podcast from the Understood Podcast Network. On the show, we talk to parents, caregivers, teachers, experts, and sometimes even kids. We offer perspective, advice, and stories from and for people who have challenges with reading, math, focus, and other learning differences.Amanda, I've heard your introduction a bunch of times, but I've never heard you introduce yourself as a neurodiverse human. That's a new one.Amanda: Yeah. I thought it was a good segue into our conversation today about neurodiversity because the term "neurodiversity" seems to be everywhere right now. It's in the news. It's in the business world. But we really wanted to explore what it means.And for the answer to this question and more questions, we thought it would be best to talk with my friend Emily Kircher-Morris, who's the host of "The Neurodiversity Podcast." She's also a fellow author, and her book "Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom" came out in August.Gretchen: Oh, hooray!Amanda: Right. And Gretchen, like us, Emily has been a teacher. She's taught in gifted classrooms. She's been a school counselor. And these days, she lives in Missouri. She has a private practice as a licensed professional counselor, and she specializes in helping gifted and twice-exceptional kids.Gretchen: Emily, welcome. I'm so happy to meet you.Emily: Yes, I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for the invitation.Gretchen: And Amanda just gave a great introduction of you, but it's my first time meeting you, so why don't you tell us a little bit more about yourself?Emily: Well, I am also a neurodiverse individual, which is part of why I have the passion that I do for this field. I have three kids. The older two are identified as twice exceptional, and my littlest is only in first grade, but, you know, we'll see how that all goes. I think we can probably make some good predictions, but, you know, this is my life between the podcast and my clinical mental health practice and just kind of advocating and supporting neurodivergent and twice-exceptional people.Amanda: So, basically, what you're saying is you live this the same way the rest of us do. Emily: I do. And, and you know, it's interesting, you know, how people, like, refer to parenting experts or whatever, and I'm going, "Oh, please." I talk about it a lot, and I read about it a lot, and I'm very good at brainstorming solutions, but I do not have it all figured out. We're all in this together. We're all trying to figure it out as we go. And if we can collaborate and work together on it, then that's just best for everyone.Amanda: And we thought who better to collaborate with on an episode about neurodiversity than the host of "The Neurodiversity Podcast." Right? I mean, it's literally in the name of what you do.Emily: It's literally in the name.Gretchen: Yeah. So speaking of that name, how would you actually define neurodiversity?Emily: So. Neurodiversity really is a concept that allows for a lot of different disorders or diagnoses that people have and recognizes that it's not necessarily always a deficit.A neurodivergent person has brain wiring that is atypical compared to the normative population, but that doesn't mean that they are dysfunctional or broken. So when we talk about autism or ADHD, these are things that are innate, that are in place since a person is born; they are not acquired. And there's nothing that you're going to do, like when I have kids come into my counseling practice, who are ADHD'ers or are autistic, like I'm not teaching them how to not have ADHD. Like I'm not, I'm not going to get them to not be autistic. Like that's just part of who they are. And neurodiversity really recognizes that, just like biodiversity in the natural world, having variation is good for the world, and it just kind of normalizes some of that while recognizing that these different neurotypes might operate in the world a little bit differently, but that doesn't mean that it's bad.Gretchen: Emily, that's such a beautiful way to explain the need for this term. And I'm wondering if you can also get into a little bit about what specifically falls under the term "neurodiverse."Emily: So we're talking about, like I mentioned, ADHD; I mentioned autism. We're talking about dyslexia, dyscalculia. Um, some people would put diagnoses like schizophrenia or bipolar or OCD in that category. Most people would not put diagnoses like anxiety, like generalized anxiety or, um, you know, major depressive disorder, but there's kind of like, in my mind, I visualize this Venn diagram where we have neurodivergent diagnoses and then we have mental health diagnoses, but there's definitely some overlap, like OCD, to me, I'm not quite sure where that should really fall.Amanda: I would say neurodiversity. I actually have OCD. So, to me, it feels like it.Emily: Well, it's, it's interesting because there's not necessarily an agreed-upon definition of what neurodiversity is or is not because I also, I agree with you on that, Amanda. But I also think there are some instances where, if the premise is that neurodiversity is something that somebody is born with, OCD is not always something that somebody is born with. It's like, depending on who you're talking to, you're getting different parameters for where things fall. And so, that's kind of why I say, I think it kind of straddles a little bit, depending on the individual.And I would also say that for example, um, I would put cognitive diversity or cognitive giftedness in the category of neurodiversity, and I think that's one that doesn't get recognized quite often. And I would also say twice-exceptional individuals, who are gifted and have another one of those diagnoses or a mental health diagnosis, if they need additional supports, like, they are also then neurodivergent.It's very broad and ambiguous is my point, but why I like the term. I do talk about my clients both as a group but also individually when I'm talking to their parents, I use the term "neurodiverse" as a way to explain and normalize their experiences, you know, because I feel like what happens is sometimes we fall into this, like, "Oh, well, they're just a little quirky." And I think more than anything, what that does is it minimizes a person's struggles. It disallows them access to accommodations. It enhances the stigma that surrounds those diagnoses.And I'm very much a believer that let's just call something what it is. And if we don't know what it is, there are kids, especially in my practice, who maybe we can tell are neurodivergent, like, we just know, but is it ADHD? Is it autism? Like, what exactly is going on? It can be very difficult to tease out. Do we need a full psychological evaluation? Do we need it for an IEP or a 504? Do we need medication? If we don't need any of those things, is it useful just for the person to have a label? Sometimes that's empowering for people to know what to call something. But sometimes we can just go, you know, they're neurodivergent, their brain works differently, and we don't necessarily have to drill down much further than that. It can be kind of an umbrella term.Amanda: That's super helpful. And also, as I'm listening to you say that, I had this moment because I realized when I talk about myself now, I talk about being neurodivergent. Diagnoses, labels, how that impacts me. But when I talk about who I used to be when I was a kid, I often will say I was a quirky kid. And I never thought about the fact that, that's actually, like, what I'm doing there is I'm minimizing who I was. Right?Emily: And you were an unidentified neurodivergent learner.Amanda: I was an unidentified neurodivergent learner. I wasn't just a quirky kid. There was actually something bigger there. I need to stop saying that. I need to stop saying I was a quirky kid.Emily: You know, I also want to just address the fact, though, that there are a lot of folks who like to talk about neurodiversity as a superpower. And I think that is also kind of like talking about like being a quirky kid. I think it diminishes the needs that go along with it.And there is nobody who is a part and really active in the neurodiversity movement who denies that being neurodivergent can be a disability. And what does that really mean? You know, Amanda, it's like, you know, I have glasses as well. It's like, I can see as long as I have the accommodation of my glasses. If you take away my glasses, I can't see anything.Amanda: Right.Emily: So I am then disabled. I'm unable to function in the world as others do. And so if I am an ADHD'er and I need certain accommodations in order to be able to focus, or if I have certain sensory processing needs, I can still fulfill my potential. I can still live my life as long as those accommodations are put in place. But if the world refuses to put those accommodations in place, then I am disabled.Amanda: And that's the social model. Like that's something that you and I talk about, know about, and I think I'm just going to like, take a pause and, you know, just for the listeners who don't —Gretchen: Good idea, maybe for me too.Amanda: The social model of disability is speaking about how you interact with the environment, and that the environment is what can cause you to feel more or less disabled. And it's not that you are inherently disabled, right? It's how the environment interacts with whatever differences or, you know, challenges that you have. You know, like, if we didn't have to read, the glasses wouldn't matter, right? If we didn't have to see each other, the glasses wouldn't matter. I just think it's important to note that that's sort of where that social model comes in is, is it's different than a medical model that says there's something inherently wrong with a person, right? Emily: And the neurodiversity movement, and neurodiversity just in general, lives in the world of the social model of disability.Gretchen: Emily, I've noticed you've been talking about people who may have ADHD as ADHD'ers, right? So that, I'm noticing, is different than some other language that I've heard where it's person first, and then the difference. And the way that you've been speaking sounds to me like the neurodivergent first. Can you explain that?Emily: Absolutely. I am an ADHD'er; I have a diagnosis of ADHD. I was given that diagnosis, but without the ADHD, I am not who I am. I am no longer Emily. There is just so much of that that is inherent because it is part of my neurological wiring, and neurodivergent communities were not the first to embrace this.The Deaf community — they use identity-first language: "I am a Deaf person." I believe that blind and visually impaired people also use identity-first language, because you can't separate it from how they interact with the world and how they see themselves. Autistic individuals. I am autistic. I'm not a person with autism.It's not like you can just like, get rid of that pesky autism, and then everything's just going to, you know, work OK. And we don't want to, we don't want to get rid of those things. Like, the reason I have the ideas that I have, the reason I can have 12,000 million things going on all at once is because the way my brain works, and if my brain didn't work that way, I wouldn't be an ADHD'er, but I also wouldn't be me.And there's an ownership to that, right? Like, this is who I am. I'm not perfect. I have strengths, I have struggles, but don't try to fix me because of the way my brain is wired. Somebody who is dyslexic, for example, what are the skills and the compensatory strategies that they build, and how does that influence their personality and how they interact with the world and how they see themselves? Like, you can't extricate that.Amanda: That makes sense. I want to actually circle back to something because we touched on it a little bit — is the "twice exceptional" thing. Emily and I both are twice exceptional, which is such a strange phrase. Sometimes you hear it as 2e; I'd love for you to talk about what that means.Emily: Yeah. So maybe I'll just go back and share a little bit about my story. So when I was growing up, my mom was a special educator in the school district where I attended school. And thank goodness, because I was a hot mess. And so she was on it, but she insisted, you know, when I was in second grade, that I was screened for the gifted program. She's like, this is not typical development, you know, with the things that I was doing and the questions I was asking and how I was learning. And so. Yeah, the district tested me and I was placed in the gifted ed program. But then by the time I was in fifth grade, I was really struggling. I mean, I have teachers who tell the story about having to dump out my desk to find my work. And we could get in a whole lot of different conversations about my experiences there, but, but the bottom line is I was really struggling.And so my mom went and found a neurologist. This was at a time that ADHD was still pretty new. It was very rarely diagnosed in girls. And I had teachers who would say, "Well, we don't think she should be allowed to go to her gifted education program because she's not getting her work turned in. I'm like, "Well, you're asking me to write spelling words five times each and I already know how to spell those words." So I don't want to do that. And that was at a time that we didn't even have the terminology "twice exceptional." So, "twice exceptional" means gifted and another diagnosis. So when I started out as a teacher, I started in just the general education classroom. As far as executive functioning goes, that was a really difficult environment for me.And so I quickly moved and got a master's degree in education with gifted education certification. And I've taught at both the elementary and the middle school levels in gifted ed programs. But when I got that master's degree, we didn't even talk about the term "twice exceptional." So this is like within the last 15 years that people have even really started to understand that somebody can have cognitive giftedness and have another diagnosis, and that they can still deserve and need services both for their cognitive ability to challenge them, but also special education services at the same time. And this is like blowing people's minds in the education world. Cause they just don't know where these kids fit. And when I was taught in the gifted ed classrooms, like that's where, like I found the kids who I connected with and they were of course the twice-exceptional kids, and I wanted to do more to support them.So I went back and got a second master's, in counseling and family therapy. And that's where I specialize with those kids. My mission is to protect those kids from some of the experiences I had as a kid, because it really sucked growing up in a world that didn't understand twice exceptionality.Amanda: Absolutely. You know, there's nothing quite like knowing there are things that you are brilliant at doing, and there are things that you are falling down at doing, and not being able to know why they both happen at the same time. There are some states now that look at gifted education as special education. And I think those are states that are doing it right, right? Because they're looking at the fact that it's specialized instruction, no matter why you need that specialized instruction.Going back to the whole parenting experts thing. I do think that there's an expectation sometimes when you have a neurodiverse child, when you have neurodivergence in your home, when you have twice exceptionality, there's this expectation that you've got to get it right as a parent; that you know how to do this. And I am here to tell you, you have no idea. Like, I have no idea how to do this.Emily: It changes day to day.Amanda: It does. And I'm not automatically a better, more prepared parent because of the kids I have. I just think it's important for parents to know that just because you have a child who is neurodivergent, you have a child who's twice exceptional, it doesn't mean you have to be better at parenting than anybody. You're just doing your best, right?Emily: You're parenting your child.Gretchen: I like that. But I still will go to you for advice, Amanda.Amanda: Well, you know, now you know Emily, so there we go.Emily: There's not so much. I always feel like, people will say, "Well, what should I do?"And it's not so much advice, but it's like, well, what have you tried? What other options are there? And like, let's just brainstorm it together. I might have more ideas just because I do this every day and brainstorm with people. And I've seen things that work for other families, but I am not the expert on your child.You're going to know what might work for your personality and their personality for the specific thing that's going on. But sometimes you've just got to step back for a minute and kind of figure out, "What could I do differently? This isn't working. I need to do something different. What is that different thing?"Amanda: Well, if you just recognize that you need to do something different is a big step too. Emily: You know, one thing I would, I would say to that, Amanda — and this is another one of my soapboxes that I like to get on, especially when it comes to neurodiversity and parenting neurodivergent kids — is that so many of us were raised with very behaviorally based interventions, meaning disciplines, as far as rewards, punishments, those sorts of consequences.You will not bribe your neurodivergent child into executive functioning. Like, that's just not how it works. And so taking things away from them or promising them whatever if they are able to do X, Y, and Z, it doesn't solve the problem. It doesn't teach the lagging skill. You might get some short-term benefit, but we have got to move away from behavioral solutions for neurological wiring difficulties.I think we do so much damage to kids by giving them consequences for things that really — not that they can't control, but they don't know how to control.Amanda: That's a soapbox I will stand on with you anytime. Well, Emily, thank you so much for talking to us today. Gretchen: So great to meet you and talk with you today.Emily: Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure.Amanda: You've been listening to "In It," part of the Understood Podcast Network.Gretchen: You can listen and subscribe to "In It" wherever you get your podcasts.Amanda: And if you like what you heard today, please tell somebody about it.Gretchen: Share it with the parents you know.Amanda: Share it with somebody else who might have a child who learns differently. Gretchen: Or just send a link to your child's teacher. Amanda: "In It" is for you. So we want to make sure that you're getting what you need.Gretchen: Go to u.org/init to share your thoughts and also to find resources from every episode.Amanda: That's the letter U, as in Understood, dot O R G, slash "in it." You can also email us at InIt@understood.org.Gretchen: As a nonprofit and social impact organization, Understood relies on the help of listeners like you to create podcasts like this one to reach and support more people in more places. We have an ambitious mission to shape the world for difference. And we welcome you to join us in achieving our goals. Learn more at understood.org/mission.Amanda: "In It" is produced by Julie Subrin, with special help this week from Anna Mazarakis. Justin D. Wright mixes the show. Mike Errico wrote our theme music. Laura Key is our editorial director at Understood. Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick and Briana Berry our production directors. Thanks for listening, everyone. And thanks for always being in it with us.
Learning disabilities by the numbers
How many kids have learning disabilities (LD) and ADHD? How many get support for these challenges at school? And what do surveys tell us about the stigma faced by people who learn and think differently?Use these stats to better understand learning disabilities and related challenges.How common are learning and thinking differences?1 in 5 children in the U.S. have learning and thinking differences like dyslexia and ADHD. These challenges are caused by variations in how the brain develops and processes information. But it's unrelated to intelligence. It just means kids need strategies and supports to help them thrive.How many kids have formal support plans at school?Only a small number of kids who learn and think differently receive accommodations or specialized instruction.1 in 16 public school students have IEPs for LD or for other health impairments (OHI). (These are two of the 13 disability categories covered under special education law. LD covers kids with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning differences. When kids qualify for special education because of ADHD, they’re classified under OHI.)1 in 42 public school students have 504 plans. The percentage of kids with 504 plans has more than doubled in the past decade. Like IEPs, these plans provide accommodations for kids with disabilities. But unlike IEPs, they don’t provide specialized instruction. And schools don’t have to classify kids with 504 plans by disability type.These groups combined don’t come anywhere close to 1 in 5. This means millions of kids who learn and think differently aren’t being identified by schools as needing support.How many special education students have LD or ADHD?More than half (54 percent) of the kids in special education have IEPs for LD or OHI.2.3 million public school students have IEPs for LD. This is by far the largest disability category covered under special education law. More than one-third (38 percent) of all students with IEPs are classified as having LD.970,000 public school students have IEPs for OHI. This category has been growing fast. And researchers say two-thirds of the kids in this category have ADHD.How much of the school day do these kids spend in general education classrooms?7 out of 10 kids with IEPs for LD spend 80 percent or more of the school day in general education classrooms. The same is true for two-thirds of kids with IEPs for OHI. The trend toward inclusion is good. But many kids don’t receive enough support in general education classrooms.Only 30 percent of general educators feel strongly that they can successfully teach kids with LD. More training and resources are needed to help diverse learners thrive in general education classrooms.What happens when kids with LD or ADHD don’t get the right support?Kids who learn and think differently can struggle without the right support. This can lead to problems in many areas:Repeating a grade: Kids who learn and think differently often don’t get early or effective interventions. That helps explain why one-third of students with IEPs for LD or OHI have been held back a grade. (Repeating a grade raises the risk of dropping out.)School discipline: Students with disabilities are more than twice as likely to be suspended as those without disabilities. The loss of instructional time raises the risk of failing. It also raises the risk of kids refusing to go to school.Dropping out: Students with LD drop out of high school at nearly three times the rate of all students. The top reason students with LD drop out? 57 percent cited disliking school or having poor relationships with teachers or peers.Justice involvement: Unaddressed learning and thinking differences can lead to trouble with the law. A large study found that half of young adults with LD or OHI had been involved with the justice system.Not finishing college: Young adults with LD enroll in four-year colleges at half the rate of the general population. Their completion rate for any type of college is 41 percent. (That compares to 52 percent of all young adults.)Unemployment: Only 46 percent of working-age adults with LD are employed. Compared with adults who do not have LD, adults with these challenges are twice as likely to be jobless.How does stigma make it harder for kids and adults to get the support they need?33 percent of classroom teachers and other educators believe these challenges are sometimes just laziness.43 percent of parents say they wouldn’t want others to know if their child had LD.48 percent of parents believe incorrectly that kids grow out of learning differences.76 percent of college students with LD say they didn’t tell their college that have a disability — and by law, they can’t ask for accommodations without disclosing their disability.81 percent of young adults with LD have not made their employers aware of their disability — and only 5 percent say they get accommodations in the workplace.There are many ways to help kids who learn and think differently thrive in school and in life. Just understanding that these differences are real is a good start. Unpack more myths about learning and thinking differences, including ADHD myths and dyslexia myths.For more stats from NCLD’s 2017 “State of Learning Disabilities” report, go to ncld.org/StateofLD.
The Opportunity GapTeacher shortages, special education, and kids of color
Schools are facing a huge shortage of special education teachers. What’s the impact on special education students and kids of color? Schools around the country are facing a huge shortage of special education teachers and other staff. How is the teacher shortage impacting kids with disabilities or learning and thinking differences? What about kids who are marginalized? Co-host Marissa Wallace starts the episode with a story about how her husband, a Black man, was offered a special education teaching job even though he’s in the field of finance. This kicks off a discussion with co-host Julian Saavedra about why there’s a teacher shortage — and its impact. Julian and Marissa share their experiences as parents and teachers, and they react to news stories from around the country. They also share tips for families on what to do when schools say they can’t deliver services because of staff shortages.Related resources10 smart responses when a school cuts or denies services7 tips to improve your relationship with your child’s teacherPodcast: Are IEPs different in wealthy schools?Episode transcriptJulian: Welcome to "The Opportunity Gap," a podcast for families of kids of color who learn and think differently. We explore issues of privilege, race, and identity. And our goal is to help you advocate for your child. I'm Julian Saavedra.Marissa: And I'm Marissa Wallace. Julian and I worked together for years as teachers in a public charter school in Philadelphia, where we saw opportunity gaps firsthand.Julian: And we're both parents of kids of color. So this is personal to us.Welcome back to "The Opportunity Gap." I'm here with my co-host, Marissa, and our producer, Andrew. Marissa, how are you?Marissa: I'm good, Julian, you know, but I do have a crazy story to tell you. This is a wild story. So today, while I was working with one of my students, I, like, overhear this conversation. Romario is on the phone. Romario is my husband. And, um, so he's on the phone, having this conversation, sounds all jazzed. He's saying, you know, "Oh, well, if I had a choice, like, I'd either choose Washington, DC, or New York City." And I'm like, what is this? It sounded kind of job-related. So he gets off the phone. He says, "Listen, I just got this, like, great offer." And I'm like, oh, tell me more.Now, mind you, my husband is in school for finance. He is, you know, someone who prior to finance was into engineering. So that's, like, his area of expertise. So he was like, "Yeah, this company called, and they wanted to know if I would be interested in taking a special education teaching position and I could relocate." Right? "And they'd give me a sign-on bonus."And I'm like, oh, we're that desperate? We are that desperate in the United States right now, that we are just looking at people's LinkedIn and being like, "Oh, hey, even though nothing on your LinkedIn page screams educator, you're not certified, but let me call you and offer you the red carpet because that is how much we are in need of teachers." Isn't that wild? And he was ready to go for it.Julian: No, no shade to my brother, my good brother Romario, no shade to him, but he's not qualified to be a special education teacher at all.Marissa: Not at all. Even maybe, like, a math teacher, science, but, like, they went right in for a special education teacher.Julian: I'm just floored that that came out of nowhere.Marissa: Now I'm, like, curious. I'm like, what is on his LinkedIn site? Like, I know he has a picture, so I'm like, are they, like, profiling? They're like, "Oh, a Black male, let me call this guy and offer him a job." Or was there something in, like, what was it that made this company think that they were going to get him to be a special education teacher, of all things?Julian: So, Marissa, that is actually a really good introduction into what we're talking about today, specifically how the teacher shortage is impacting the entire nation.Marissa: Absolutely.Julian: Andrew did some research regarding the teacher shortage. Andrew, do you want to tell us a little bit about what your findings were?Andrew: Yeah, here's a really interesting article from ABC News. This is from the start of the 2021–2022 school year. The Massachusetts governor deployed the National Guard to be bus drivers to take kids to school.Julian: What?!Andrew: Here's another article, from the "New York Times." Title is "Substitute Teachers Never Got Much Respect, but Now They Are in Demand." So because of these staff shortages, some schools are canceling classes. Others are basically hiring whatever substitute teachers they can find. In the article, so I'm looking at it now, they're talking about Oregon, which passed some law or executive order basically saying that you could bypass the regular certification to become a substitute teacher.Julian: I don't know if y'all are familiar with the phrase "glow up," but talk about a glow up for our substitutes. They went from the bottom to now they are highly in demand.Marissa: The hard part, though, is there's not enough of them though.Julian: Is there ever enough?Marissa: Right. And that's what I'm saying. They've had such a tough time. I know, like, currently there's, um, what's happening in my son's school is that they're actually to the point where their substitute shortage is real too. So what goes on is when a teacher's out, kids get dispersed throughout the school. So a good friend of mine whose daughter is also there, her fifth-grade student has spent all last week in a third-grade classroom.Julian: Yeah. I mean, it's also coupled with the amount of teachers that are calling out because of the stress and potentially quarantining their own children. So the amount of teacher absences has definitely increased, combined with the lack of people to fill in, and you have yourself a problem. What else do we have, Andrew?Andrew: Yeah, this next one, this is the "Washington Post" article. Title is "The Principal Is Cleaning the Bathroom: Schools Reel With Staff Shortages." This is interesting in this article because I think it was the first time that I saw that they mentioned actually kids with disabilities or students with disabilities losing out on services.Julian: Yeah. I mean, I can definitely think about my own experiences over the last four months, and that we've all become jacks of all trades. You know, I have tools in my office that I have to use to fix things. Or one day we might find ourselves in the cafeteria; one day we might be cleaning. And so it's funny, but it's also really difficult, especially with our students with disabilities or getting the services they need because of staffing shortages.Marissa: All kinds of complications.Andrew: Yeah, and there are some reports about the federal government statistics on this, just to put, like, real hard numbers.Marissa: Yeah.Andrew: There are 460,000 unfilled state and local education jobs, right before this school year. That's almost three times as many as the start of last school year. Just educators, just workers in general, it just tends to happen with schools. It tends to have a bigger impact because those are the ones that parents and families see.Julian: And can you repeat that number again? Like, how many unfilled state and local education jobs are out there?Andrew: Yeah, so I looked at the government statistics on this, and they said that there were 460,000 unfilled state and local education jobs before the start of the school year — 460,000. That's half a million. It's almost three times as many as the start of the last school year.Julian: Wow. I mean, I can only speak to my own experience. In my own school, we are experiencing pretty major shortage of special education. I mean, we need to fill at least 12 positions, and that's not including the food services, the bus drivers, the climate staff, secretaries, I mean, just in general, everybody has been overworked. And we really hope that it's not going to start negatively impacting our students.Andrew, thank you so much for sharing this information. I think it's a great start-off to have our conversation.Andrew: Anytime.Julian: So, Marissa, what do you think about all this?Marissa: I definitely agree that there's a teacher shortage this year. However, I'd like to push that there's been a teacher shortage I think especially in the area of special education for, honestly, since I can remember. I know back when we first started our friendship, when we were working together, it wasn't that bad at that time. I don't remember the teacher shortage at that particular time in our school being as severe as it is now.Within the last five years and more specifically now, after being in the thick of the pandemic, especially when we think about our kids going back to being in person, I feel like that's impacted a decline for sure. Which has added, of course, to the teacher shortage.Julian: Why do you think this is happening? What are some of the reasons why the shortage is so prevalent right now?Marissa: I mean, if you look at it as a whole, I feel like there's multiple layers to this. One reason that I feel like the shortage of teachers in special education is real is because a lot of new teachers who are just coming into it, they're coming into this teaching profession at this very interesting time in our history where there's a lot more areas that are gray that we have to figure out how to best serve our students. And so even though you might've went and got your certification and did your classes and this, that, and whatever about how to support students, they might know all of that information, but putting it into practice in a virtual slash in-person world, I think has added this extra layer of stress that some very new teachers that are coming into this are leaving quick.And then you have the opposite, right? Then you have the veteran teachers who have been doing this work for 10, 15, 20 years. And have also either gotten burned out because again, it's, like, adding additional parts to their workload of having to navigate the pandemic alongside of supporting their students, writing documentation.Julian: Yeah, the burnout is definitely real. Just from what I see, regardless of where you're located, what region you might be in, it seems like the appeal to become an educator is not as strong as it might've once been in prior generations. And you're right, it's stressful, it's extremely stressful. And special education, to me, requires a very specific type of person. Like, somebody that goes above and beyond. Every building I've ever been in, our best special educators are amazing teachers, probably some of the most caring individuals in the building. I mean, I remember you and how you would advocate for your kids above everybody else.Keeping that up, it requires a lot of energy. And if you're stressed out with life in general and with the pandemic, it makes it a lot harder to want to jump into this.Marissa: I appreciate the shout-out.Julian: What about our students that are people of color? What about our students who are in our marginalized communities? What about our students that are already experiencing just systemic oppression? How does this impact them?Marissa: That's, like, a really big piece of it. And I think that our students in, especially as students where they're back in person and they're in urban areas where they're already struggling with having resources prior to the pandemic — resources weren't there before — a lot of our Black and brown students then, that are either going to get ignored, they're not going to get the services. They're going to get ignored and not get the proper education, or they're going to be pushed outside of the classroom or outside of the school because their needs aren't getting met, because there's literally no one there to meet their needs.Julian: Just thinking about today, my school right now has over 40 percent of our students within special education, and 97 percent of our students are African American. Obviously, we have a large population of folks that are fitting into multiple categories. And I can say that the lack of staffing is adversely affecting how they're able to feel success, specifically for our students of color. Do you feel like there's a shortage of special education teachers of color too?Marissa: Absolutely. That's something that has, like, probably been happening again longer than not just pandemic times. I absolutely feel like that is something that has been a constant, because even throughout my entire career, I really — and I was fortunate, right? I feel like at least, like, working in Philadelphia, I was able to be in a more diverse setting with who I was teaching alongside of. Like, I felt like most of the schools, we had a nice diversity on our team, and I'm in a virtual charter that serves the entire state of Pennsylvania.Julian: I'm the assistant principal, and I'll be honest, like, when I walk into the room and especially for our ninth graders, when it's a first experience with the school, so many of the moms that get to meet me, knowing that I'm one of the assistant principals, and I look like their sons, or I look like their uncles, or I look like their dad, or I look like their little brother, and I speak the same language. And I relate in that area. It makes such a difference. Not to say that folks cannot relate, not to say that our white teachers can't find ways to make that happen, but it does make a difference. Like the representation side of it makes a difference. And so not only are our students not having staff in general, but then we're lacking somebody that they feel like they can relate to.So I guess I feel like the lack of staffing and just the struggle and the shortage of finding quality people is probably going to have an impact for years to come. And not to be Debbie Downer, like, this is heavy, and I'm sure you've heard a lot of things that might make you think that this is an untenable situation.And in many aspects, it is really difficult. Both of us are in it right now as we speak. But, say I'm a parent — and I am a parent, by the way — but say I have a student or a child that has learning differences, and my school might not have the special education teachers that are needed. Or there might be shortages as we've been describing. What do I do? What should I be doing?Marissa: And so there's the legal way to answer that question, right? And then there's the parent way.Julian: Let's go with the parent way. Let's go with the parent way first.Marissa: The parent way to me — and as a parent, I'm already, like, pretty consistently communicating with his teacher. That to me is, like, the first line of defense, right, is your student's direct teachers. As a parent, if you are noticing any of these inconsistencies, these shortages, that your kid is not receiving what they need to receive, do attempt to go to the teacher first. And build that relationship. Trying to build that relationship with the teacher, I think is the first step, whether it's on one of the apps that some schools use to communicate, whether it's, like, taking a moment to drop your kid off or pick your kid up at the end of the day, like, having those conversations and trying to build that relationship with the teacher, I think is the first step.Julian: You and I both know the parents that are constantly in contact are the ones that we usually pay attention to. So, I mean, making it your purpose to really be intently getting to know who the teachers are, getting to know the administration, just making your name and making it known who you are in the school. Just really building that relationship starts with just picking up the phone call and asking to talk to the teachers.Marissa: Absolutely. Yes. Sending a text message. And I get it, like, I know everyone is busy. I know everyone is working. I know a lot of families have multiple children. Like, I get that there's a time limit on things you can do. However, I feel like once you start that process, that is going to cut down then on all of those other calls that you might get, because they already have this knowledge of who you are, who your kid is. And I feel like, you're right, as an educator on the other side of it, we probably did a lot more finagling for some of the students that we knew those parents, we knew what the parent was going to say or do, and we knew what they would recommend for us to do with their kid. And so that relationship would be number one.I do think, though, part of it is bigger than that too. I do think depending upon where your student's at, and some of it is outside of the control of the teacher. I think a lot of it, too, is as the parent, getting yourself educated and getting knowledge on what it is, what does it mean for your student to have a certain disability or a learning difference? What does it mean for them to get certain supports? What should those supports look like? That's where I worry often, too, is there has to be some ownership sometimes on the family to understand this on their own for their own interpretation, so they know how to best advocate for their student. Because the parents that do that well, it just lends itself to so much more conversation and action.Julian: You know, have conversations with your kids. Ask them, like, what works for you? What doesn't work for you? Tell me about your teachers. Tell me about your day. Tell me what was going well. Tell me about these different strategies the teachers use that really help you, so that when you do have conversations in a meeting or even offhand with the school, you have something to build from.And I gotta be honest, in our experience, and Marissa, you could back me up on this, part of the issues with our urban schools is that our parents sometimes don't know all of the rights they are afforded. They don't necessarily know as much about what they should be receiving. And so it's really on making sure that you're sharing that information with each other. We already have strong communities, and in our communities of color, that's one of the best parts of it is that it is a collective. We are together. Now we have to share our knowledge with each other so that we can work together collectively to demand the rights that our students are afforded.Marissa: Absolutely. Being part of the process — that's the most important piece. You have to be part of the process from beginning to end. And as we think about the teacher shortage in special education, it's real. We're not going to, like, pretend like it's not this thing that's actually happening. So it's definitely real. My thought, and especially being in the world of higher ed right now, we're already having conversations that are really optimistic about what can we change to make becoming a special educator more appealing and more accessible, because it's such a need, and we need good people in these roles. And once you're in the role, like, there's a lot of fulfillment, and there's so much you can do to see those students able to learn within their abilities with the right teachers supporting them along the way. So I do feel like there is hope to move forward. This is where we're at now. Yes, there's a shortage. We are, though, actively thinking of ways to make it so that there is no more shortage, right? Like, that's the end goal. There can't be this because at the end of the day, we don't want our students to be lost. We don't want our students not to get the support they need.Julian: So we talked about the parent way. What about the legal way? Say a school says, "Well, I'm sorry, there's a teacher shortage, so we can't really give you this service in your IEP."Marissa: Yeah, not an option, Julian, not an option. So one of the benefits of having federal government involved in IEPs in special education — and just as a reminder, an IEP is an Individualized Education Plan — is that they're mandated, and parents have that right through their procedural safeguards to know that if it's in an IEP as what we call specially designed instruction or a related service, schools can't say no. They can, of course, a school can, but however, there's consequences to that, right? This is the right of a student to have this education and to have their needs met. And so right now, what I'm seeing is a lot of schools getting creative to make sure that they are able to meet the students' needs because you have to prioritize the individualized learning for that student. And you have to find a way 'cause it's, it isn't an option, because it can turn into a lot of legal issues, honestly. And I know schools that are going through it where there is due process and mediation, and overall do know their rights. And again, like, we have to keep in mind that our students have to be first, and we it's, it's a shame, the shortage is real, and it's unfortunate. Some schools are doing better than others at finding ways to make sure that they're following the legal part and getting related services for students. I know a lot of schools are starting to do things more virtually, which is helping to address this, because that's been, like, a way where people sometimes feel more comfortable with related services. They're not going into homes, or they're not going into schools. So we're finding ways to do it, but it is not a choice. It is absolutely a legal part that protects the student and the families.Julian: So, at the end of the day, everybody deserves a high-quality education.This has been "The Opportunity Gap," a part of the Understood Podcast Network. You can listen and subscribe to "The Opportunity Gap" on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Marissa: If you found what you heard today valuable, please share the podcast. "The Opportunity Gap" is for you. We want to hear your voice.Go to u.org/opportunity gap to find resources from every episode. That's the letter U, as in Understood, dot O R G, slash opportunity gap.Julian: Do you have something you'd like to say about the issues we discussed on this podcast? Email us at opportunitygap@understood.org. We'd love to share and react to your thoughts about "The Opportunity Gap."Marissa: As a nonprofit and social impact organization, Understood relies on the help of listeners like you to create podcasts like this one to reach and support more people in more places.We have an ambitious mission to shape the world for difference. And we welcome you to join us in achieving our goals. Learn more at understood.org/mission. "The Opportunity Gap" is produced by Andrew Lee, Cinthia Pimentel, and Justin D. Wright, who also wrote our theme song. Laura Key is our editorial director at Understood. Scott Cocchiere is our creative director. Seth Melnick and Briana Berry are our production directors.Julian: Thanks again for listening.
The power of effective praise: A guide for teachers
Praise is one of the simplest and most powerful tools to engage and motivate your students. When used effectively, praise can turn around behavior challenges and improve students’ attitudes about learning. Students who learn and think differently often receive negative feedback as a result of their struggles. That makes meaningful and appropriate praise even more important.It may seem obvious that praise can have a powerful effect on your students. But research shows it’s not always the go-to tool — in fact, it’s often underused.The good news is that when praise is effective, it’s really effective. Teachers who use praise regularly tend to have better relationships with their students. They lose less instructional time and see fewer behavior issues. In a study looking at practices that reduce behavior problems in elementary classrooms, the Institute of Education Sciences identified teacher praise as one of the top five most effective practices.That doesn’t mean you should start praising students for every little thing they do. And you can’t expect it to be your only classroom management technique. Before you jump right in, it’s important to know that some kinds of praise are more effective than others.The 3 types of praiseThere are three main types of praise that teachers most often use: personal praise, effort-based praise, and behavior-specific praise. Two of these three are found to be more effective than the other.Personal praiseThis type of praise tends to focus on natural talents or skills that come easily to students, rather than the effort they put in or the techniques they use. For example, a teacher might say to a student, “You have such a beautiful singing voice!” Research has shown that this kind of praise may backfire. When students feel their abilities are outside of their control and just part of who they are, they may think they don’t have the ability to improve. This is especially true of struggling learners who aren’t as confident in their abilities and skills. Personal praise can make students less willing to risk trying new things for fear of revealing just how little talent they think they have. Instead, focus on...Effort-based praiseThis type of praise emphasizes what students can control. Think back to the student with the beautiful singing voice. The student likely worked hard to learn the difficult key changes in a song or to memorize the lyrics. The time spent and the strategies used are within the student's control. That’s why effort-based praise, such as “I am so impressed at how hard you worked to sing that song without the music and lyrics in front of you,” is more empowering than “You have such a beautiful singing voice!” Focus also on...Behavior-specific praiseThis type of praise lets students know what they are doing correctly. It’s an evidence-based classroom management strategy that focuses on providing specific feedback to describe your approval of student behavior. To give behavior-specific praise, you clearly tell students what they’ve done correctly. For example, if you have a student for whom organization is an issue, you could say, “Nice work getting your homework out of your homework folder first thing this morning.” Both effort-based and behavior-specific praise genuinely acknowledge your students’ efforts and achievements. When your students feel that you’re honestly showing approval and telling them what they did well, they’re more willing to continue to work hard and look for effective strategies to overcome obstacles. How to deliver effective praiseKnowing what to praise your students for and when to give that praise is just as important as the praise itself. The following guidelines can help you deliver praise in the right way and at the right time.Be specific. Descriptive and precise praise takes the guesswork out of what you’re praising. Students should be able to identify exactly what they did well and know the positive behavior you want them to repeat. “Great job — you were quiet in the hallway as we passed other classrooms!” is better than “You did a good job on the way to lunch.” Be clear about the expectations. For praise to be effective, students need to know what the standards are. Explicitly state the criteria you’re using to evaluate an assignment or the behaviors you expect. Then, provide positive feedback that students can directly match to the expectations. For example, if your expectation is for students to finish their morning routine in 15 minutes, you can say, “Wow, you unpacked your backpack in the first 15 minutes of the day. Well done!” Praise the process and progress, not just the outcome. Students who learn and think differently may struggle to complete an assignment or task. In fact, it may take several attempts for students to finish. Students may feel discouraged when they’re working hard, but it feels like their work still isn’t good enough. You can support students by giving behavior-specific praise about their process and progress as they work, letting them know they’re on the right track. Use phrases like “you’ve put so much effort into writing your first draft” to point out small wins, which helps students recognize that their hard work is moving them forward. Be sincere — and don’t overpraise. Students know when you’re not being sincere. In fact, insincerity may damage your credibility and your relationship with them. It can make students wonder if you’re not able to recognize their strengths.Praising students too often or for minor reasons can also come across as insincere. The instinct to heap on the praise is well-intentioned, but it can backfire. Research has shown that some teachers overpraise certain groups of students, including students of color.Overpraising can be harmful to students of color and students who struggle because it sends the message that teachers have low expectations for them — the exact opposite of the high expectations teachers should hold. It can also make students doubt whether they’re capable of handling the big things, or whether you think they are.Instead, focus on precise, sincere, and effort-based praise at opportune moments, like when students try a new skill, make progress in a project, or show mastery of a concept. Be sensitive, and follow culturally responsive practices. Praise should also be appropriate for the individual student. Some students may thrive on being praised in front of the whole class. Other students may be uncomfortable being singled out, even if it’s for a good reason. Similarly, exactly what you choose to praise should be culturally appropriate to the student. Some forms of “praise” may actually reinforce stereotypes related to race, ethnicity, or disability.For example, consider teachers who tell Black students that they’re articulate. Although the teachers' comment may have been intended as praise, it reveals that they don’t expect their Black students to be well-spoken. This harmful stereotype could leave students questioning their teachers’ assumptions and expectations.Getting to know your students and understanding culturally responsive teaching practices can help you decide the most appropriate praise for each student. Avoid comparisons to other students. Praise that is contingent on outperforming peers can lead students to doubt their abilities. Imagine a teacher praising one student in front of the class, saying “High five for coming in first in the spelling bee!”This comment could send a message to the rest of the class that the teacher is comparing students’ abilities. It’s better to say something along the lines of, “High five for learning how to spell such tricky words!” Download: 7 ways to give praise Incorporating effort-based and behavior-specific praise into your teaching routine takes practice. To get started, use this downloadable resource with tips for giving effective praise. You can also think about and write down specific, positive behaviors that help students thrive socially and academically. Refer to this list throughout the day to remind yourself what you can praise students for. Over time, you’ll establish that meaningful praise is a social norm in your class — and can then teach students how to appreciate and praise their peers.
ADHD Aha!Procrastination, rushing, and ADHD (Yasmeen’s story)
Yasmeen would always wait until the last minute to do homework and assignments. Then came college, and Yasmeen couldn’t skate by anymore. Yasmeen (they/them) was a perpetual procrastinator. They would always wait until the last minute to write a paper or start an assignment. But then came a tough college course and an equally tough professor. Yasmeen’s old methods were no longer working, which set them on the path to an ADHD diagnosis. Yasmeen reflects back on growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, specifically their struggle with homework. Yasmeen, who works as a user researcher, also shares what they’ve learned about the over- and underdiagnosis of ADHD in the Black community.Related resourcesWhy kids with ADHD rush through homeworkChild procrastinating? Why kids struggle with time managementADHD in black children: In It with Dr. Tumaini CokerEpisode transcriptYasmeen: So, when I was in my junior year of college, I had an English class that I needed to pass in order to get my minor. And we had sort of one final paper that was worth a lot for that class. And so I remember knowing that my usual routine of going to the library two or three hours before class and doing the paper that was due that day wasn't going to work for this paper, um, in particular. And I tried to do a different approach. I spent a couple of days writing this paper. I got so much feedback from other people about the paper. And I felt really, really proud of, sort of, the work I put in. But then once I submitted the paper and he started talking about the prompt we were answering, I realized that I didn't read the prompt properly and I missed a key point that he wanted to see in the paper. And I wrote a completely different prompt that he didn't want. And I just remembered that day, just, like, sinking into my chair, and I just started crying in that class because I knew, even though I tried my best, I still failed.Laura: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "ADHD Aha!" a podcast where people share the moment when it finally clicked that they or someone they know has ADHD. My name is Laura Key. I'm the editorial director here at Understood. And as someone who's had my own ADHD "aha" moment, I'll be your host.I'm here today with Yasmeen Adams. Yasmeen is a user researcher, and they work with me at Understood. Welcome, Yasmeen.Yasmeen: Thank you for having me.Laura: When you got to Understood, you had not yet been diagnosed with ADHD, is that right?Yasmeen: No, no, no, I hadn't. Laura: But your "aha" moment wasn't necessarily at Understood. It sounds like working at Understood kind of nudge you towards getting diagnosed, but you had an "aha" moment when you were in college — your junior year, is that right?Yasmeen: Yeah, so in my junior year of college, I was finishing up my English minor. And there was one class that you had to take. I forgot what the exact class was, but there was a professor that was sort of known in the English department of being, like, someone who was, like, really, tough, like, a tough grader. A lot of the people in my major kind of described him as, like, a pain in the ass, to be honest. And so he was the only person who was teaching the specific class that I needed in order to finish up my English minor. And I was sort of notorious by a lot of my friends of being, like, a chronic procrastinator. I was not the person who would be responsible enough to, you know, oh, if I have a 10-page paper, do you let me do two pages a day so that, you know, I'm not too anxious about finishing the paper. What I would do is that I would actually do it the day of, or, like, the day before and just sit in the library for, like, two hours and, like, bang out a 10-page paper and call it a day.I look back on it now and it's like, wow, that was, I was a little, that was a bit insane for doing that. But for me, it was sort of like, one, I couldn't really break down things into tasks. It was always like, let me just do this one big assignment and in one go and, like, get through it. And there was also, like, this weird sort of like rush I felt while doing it because it was almost like, I don't know if it's similar to like how chefs are on, like, cooking shows and they have, like, 30-minute timers and they have to, like, whip out a dish and, like, hope and pray that, like, they'll get through.I felt like that was sort of the same rush I felt. Where it's like, wow, I'm, like, really anxious. I'm, like, down on the wire. I only have 30 minutes before I have to get to class, and I have 250 words to still finish up. But it was the, like, adrenaline rush of actually getting it done and, like, the relief to get it done. I would do this constantly.And I would never really be punished for it via, like, having bad grades or anything like that. And I sort of provide this context to help establish why this moment in my junior year of college was, like, so devastating. Because I remember, like, submitting a paper in for one of our first assignments, and then I got feedback on it and I got, like, a C on it, which I’d never, I’d never gotten. And he was just like, "You were jumping all over the place in the essay, you were doing this, you were doing that." And I was like, "I never had this feedback from everybody else. Why am I getting it from him?" And I think, like, the breaking point for me was there was either, like, a final paper or, like, it was a pretty significant paper to my grade. And based on the feedback I was getting from other papers and the grades I was getting, I was like, for this paper that I have to submit, I actually can't do what I usually have done. I actually have to, like, really sit down and, like, pay attention and, like, break this up so that I'm presenting the best possible paper I can for this class.And so I spent, like, two or three days writing this paper, getting feedback from other people, working with the English resource center at my school. I did, like, a lot of, like, preparation for this paper, which I've never done for any other class throughout all the time I've been in school. And I submitted it; I was really proud of it. I was, like, yeah, I'm going to get an A, like, I actually destroyed this paper. And then I remembered he was, like, talking about the paper and he was just, like — he mentioned something in the instructions that I completely looked over for this research project. And I realized in that moment, I had made, like, a really dire mistake, and I essentially wrote a different type of paper than he was asking for.And I just remembered, like, sitting in class and kind of just, like, sinking down in my chair and just started, like, crying. Because I was like, I did all of this hard work. I put in so much time and resources that I never had to in other classes, for me to still fail and not do well. And that, I think, for me, it was kind of a big breaking point to where I was like, maybe I should really see what's going on with this. Because I always, like, kind of suspected it was related to ADHD, but I was like, "Well, it works for me, so I'm not going to really change it." But then it was, like, after that moment, I was like, "I really should probably consider something's wrong."Laura: Am I right that you got good grades for all of your life, leading up to this?Yasmeen: Oh yeah, definitely. I was definitely, like, an A or B student most of, like, my classes. The only thing that got me in trouble was, again, this idea of following instructions. Even when in, like, kindergarten, like I remember just, I remember teachers would say, "Hey, go right," and I would go left; "go up," and I'd go down. That was sort of me. I never really liked the idea of having, like, things being set out to me in the form of, like, commands or, like, actions. And I never understood why I had to do it, so I would always, like, not do it. Laura: Yeah. And just to be clear, I don't think that actually getting a C is a terrible thing. It's not a bad grade. It's average. It's just, I have a feeling from your perspective that it was like, like a knife to the heart.Yasmeen: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Because I'd literally never gotten a C, up until that point. And I was like, "Whoa, I don't want to be a C student." And it was definitely, like, a real crush to me cause I was, like, "I always did well, so why am I not doing well in this class particularly?" Laura: Did you feel, like, exposed when the professor kind of discovered your symptoms or your methods?Yasmeen: Yeah, like, I definitely felt, one, like, embarrassed a little bit. I remember, like, everyone was looking at me and just, like, "Yikes, how did you get that wrong?" And I also kind of felt that from that professor at that time, "It was clear for you to not do that and yet you did it." And so I felt, like, a little embarrassed because I felt, like, "Am I the only one that didn't get this? Really, nobody?" And I think also a lot of it, too, was that again, like, I felt like I could always kind of, like, skate by in a lot of classes. Because even I knew, like, it wasn't always the best work I put out when I had to rush, or I was, like, in sort of that crunch time mode, but I would still get really good feedback. But when it came to him, it was kind of, like, he saw through the fluff I would put a lot in writing. He was the one who was able to kind of see, like, the cracks in my foundation a little bit.And I think that's what really also irritated me. And it kind of brought up a lot of insecurities about, like, my own intelligence. Was I actually smart, or was I just kind of, like, passing through to pass through, you know what I mean? And so I felt like a lot of emotions kind of came up in that class. And I think that one paper moment really summarized essentially, like, how I felt at that time, if I was, like, actually capable. Laura: What did you think with that feeling and that information after that? And how many years ago was that?Yasmeen: Well, that was my junior year of college. So I want to say that was probably, like, three or four years ago now. And I think maybe one of the first things I did was, I definitely went to my friends, and, you know, at first I kind of looked at it as a him issue, as like a, "He's just an a-hole, like, he just sucks. Like, he is not helpful." And looking back on it now, I kind of see why I did it because, again, I was embarrassed. I felt like he was, like, seeing through me and seeing through all of my faults, and never looked at me holistically as a person through my writing.And I blamed a lot on him, but I think for me, it kind of took a lot of just reflection on, like, OK, this didn't work again. So maybe this is related to something else and I just don't really know it yet. Laura: Isn't it interesting though, Yasmeen, that, like, one paper — how that can change everything and be a catalyst? And so when did you get diagnosed? That must have been one, two years ago?Yasmeen: Yeah, it was actually pretty early this year, I want to say. Laura: So recent. Welcome to the club, Yasmeen!Yasmeen: I know! Oh, a weird club to be in, but happy nonetheless.Laura: You’re right. It is a weird club. I noticed at one point when you were talking, you said, "Oh, my methods aren't working again," which kind of tipped me off that maybe, like, little inklings of this had come up, just not as intensely, before. Is that right? Yasmeen: Yeah, definitely. Like I remembered in school, one of my biggest sort of report card notes that I would always get is that "Yasmeen does not do homework." I just hated the concept of homework. Why am I going to school for, like, eight hours a day? And I could barely focus there. And then you're forcing me to spend another two, three hours on homework? I would just never do it. And so many of my teachers said I was, like, smart and I was capable, and I was definitely knowledgeable of what I was doing in class, but it was just the homework where that was a big stickler point. And one of my favorite, like, classes when I was younger was history. I really loved history. I love learning about world events and how that affected, like, future world events and who were the actors and who were sort of the players in those events and everything. And I remembered I got, like, a really high score on like the New York State Regents. I think it was like a 99 percent or something like that. It was super high. But then I got, like, a 75 in the class because I didn't do any homework. Laura: Oh, that's interesting. Because I was actually just going to ask you, why do you think that you would rush through homework or dislike homework? There are so many reasons that kids with ADHD can struggle with homework and one of them might be that they're just not interested in the topic and don't want to deal with it. But you were really interested in history. Yasmeen: Yeah, I was super, super interested. I loved history and, like, I was good at memorization and everything like that. It was just the thought of having to sit down for another two hours after I just sat down for eight hours of school to then do an assignment that was due the next day — I just could never do it. And so I never did. Or, like, if I knew, like, I had history for seventh period and I had lunch at fifth period, I would do my homework in fifth period so that it was ready for seventh period. But sometimes it just never aligned and I didn't do great in the class. But my teacher was always, like, kind of baffled by that.I remember her saying like, "Yasmeen, you're really smart and I want you to pass. I actually want you to get a really high grade in this class because I know you can. But the homework." And I just, I, I just couldn't do it. I, I don't know what, what it was. Laura: It sounds like it was fatigue, right? Like during the school day, kids with ADHD that may put all of their energy into, like, focusing and doing everything that they need to do. And then by the time they get home, they're, like, totally drained. And, it’s like, you gave everything that your ADHD brain could give during the school day and you just needed a break. Yasmeen: Yeah, definitely. I feel like it was a little weird for me because I felt like I, in a sense, was almost, like, masking a lot of the symptoms. Like, I couldn't sit down, or I just had to talk to somebody and distract them while I'm also distracted. Or, like, I would just do things that I guess people would consider weird. Like, when I was in school, I always just, like, used to talk to myself or, like, come up with, like, weird scenarios in my head and kind of, like, daydream a lot.And other kids would notice that, and they would call me weird or they’d be like, "What are you doing?" And so I experienced that a lot when I was growing up. And so I felt like I had to, like, basically portray normal. And I remember that being, like, super tiring for me because I was being someone that I wasn't, and having to almost be like a chameleon in school to like, make sure that people know like, "Hey, I'm normal, guys. I'm not weird. Yeah, I don't talk to myself." And I got bullied a lot when I was in school. And so again, that's sort of where that hiding kind of came from where it was like, "OK, I need to be perceived as normal because at least if I'm perceived as normal, I probably won't get bullied a lot, or I probably won't get asked, like, weird questions and things like that." And so I felt, like, in order to, like, maintain some form of social connection with my other peers, I sort of had to morph into what they believe or perceive normal is. And so by the time I got home, I was so exhausted from the school day.Laura: I'm sorry to hear you got bullied, Yasmeen. Yasmeen: Yeah. Laura: What was the school like that you went to?Yasmeen: I went to public school here in New York, and a lot of the schools I went to, many of the families were lower income, pretty diverse in terms of, like, race and gender. But it was only until I want to say maybe in middle school is when they started putting me in sort of, like, magnet classes or quote-unquote gifted classes.And, like, in high school I started to be in sort of, like, honors and, you know, IB and AP, and then the racial makeup of the classes and sort of diversity slowly but surely started to sort of disappear. I think for me, that was sort of a big reason why I kind of got overlooked in school because it was just, like, "Well, you know, their grades are good and they don't have any socio-emotional issues, so I think they're good." I felt like that's how a lot of teachers kind of looked at me. And at some point I kind of get it because it was just like, there were other kids who needed much more, like, attention and much more help from, like, parents and things like that. And for me, it was kind of like, "Well, OK, they don't do homework. They can't really follow instructions, but they're passing class. So that’s what matters." Especially for the type of schools I went to, like, you know, grades of students determined, like, the sort of funding you can get. And so, for them, as long as you're passing and as long as you're, you're not sort of a danger to yourself or to your other classmates, we just don't have enough time to, like, really look to see if there might be something else that's there.Laura: What was your family's perception of all this?Yasmeen: It's interesting. So my family are from the Caribbean. My parents are from Jamaica, and so kind of like two different worlds. And so even if they did sort of hear from teachers that like, "Oh, your child has trouble, like, sitting down and paying attention and has trouble listening to us and focusing," and things like that. My parents kind of just chucked it up to me being a kid because it's like, "Oh yeah, we see that so much in Jamaica." And so they didn't quite understand it. And so if there was maybe a teacher who saw that, like, maybe there was something going on with me, if they were to try to explain that to my parents, my parents would have just been like, "Oh, uh, it's kind of an American thing. You know, Americans love to like overdiagnose things and diagnose people with things. You don't have that; that doesn't exist, because we don't have it back at home." And I was like, "No, you do probably have it at home." And I get it, they didn't have that language, but I do wish that they sort of took some of it with validity, because I felt like if they did, it would have been much easier for me in terms of them sort of helping me to get, like, sort of the services I need versus me, you know, when I'm 12, like looking up WebMD and looking up, "Why can't I pay attention?" And I hear it a lot from, like, other immigrant households where it's, like, the first-generation kids, you know, we have to be our own advocates because our parents sometimes need advocates themselves.Laura: Your self-awareness is pretty amazing. At 12 years old, you're looking up "Why can't I pay attention?" I definitely wasn't doing that when I was 12, and, listeners, it has nothing to do with the fact that the web was not very robust when I was 12 years old. There are a lot of feelings around that. We talk with a lot of people who think about, like, their parents. And again, I always say this, like, it's no judgment. Our knowledge of ADHD has come such a long way. And you're on the front lines of that as a user researcher. Can you tell folks a little bit about what you've learned about ADHD diagnosis, particularly in the Black community, through your research?Yasmeen: Yeah. So we recently did research specifically with Black and Latinx parents and also Black individuals. One of the things we heard a lot was this idea of, like, an overdiagnosis and an underdiagnosis. A lot of times, behaviors related to ADHD that are seen in Black children, they are more seen as, like, disruptive, but when it's not sort of related to quote-unquote disruptive behavior, when it's, like, sort of just, like, an inability to focus or things like that, it's usually sort of overlooked in a lot of Black students.And so there is sort of this weird, almost ironic sort of dichotomy between, like, focusing on this disruptive behavior in order to, like, punish, and then not providing, like, help and services for people who are exhibiting, like, behaviors that aren't related to this idea of, like, disruptiveness. And, you know, in the end, it just doesn't help the Black students in general, because you're constantly policed in school, but also not getting the help you needed. And we saw a lot of that. And also this idea of just kind of, like, passing kids through the education system, even though they still require help and still require some form of accommodation.I remember there was one person who we talked to who just felt like they were kind of getting passed through school because teachers just didn't have the time, the resources, or honestly just didn't care enough to provide him the help he needed. And then once he sort of entered into college and entered into the real world, he was, like, struggling so much because he never was able to get the help he needed or develop the strategies he needed in order to, like, be in sort of an environment where you are sort of your own advocate and you need to seek out these resources. We don't just provide them to you. It ends up being like a real detriment to a lot of Black students once they're sort of aged out of, like, our K–12 system and they kind of have to figure it out on their own.Laura: In your work, do you ever feel like you relate to any of the stories that come up, and if so, is that cathartic at all? How does that make you feel?Yasmeen: Yeah, a lot of the interviews I conduct, it always feels like I'm sort of looking back at myself. And it really gives me sort of the opportunity to really, like, reflect back on, like, my life and how that sort of came up for me and also feeling, one, seen, and two, that I wasn't, you know, this wasn't my fault. Because a lot of the time, issues around not getting that help tend to be a lot more systemic than we sort of realize. And so, yeah, it’s sort of amazing to kind of do this work because I get to help out other people while also learning so much more about myself and, like, you know, also forgiving myself for things that I couldn't really control.Laura: That's pretty incredible that the way that your work and your life and your experience have kind of intersected in that way. It's powerful.Yasmeen: I'm so grateful to, like, be able to have that story of experience, because I don't think I would've been able — or I think it would've probably took me a lot longer — to actually look to get a diagnosis if I hadn't had that chance of, like, constant reflection.Laura: Have you been in contact at all with that professor from your junior year?Yasmeen: Oh no! I have not. Laura: I’m just curious.Yasmeen: Yeah, I'm still kind of a little salty with the B-minus I got in the class, but, you know, if he's listening to this, thanks, I guess.Laura: Well, I mean, Yasmeen, this has been wonderful. Thank you for being here with me today and talking with me.Yasmeen: Yeah, of course. I think this was fun.Laura: You've been listening to "ADHD Aha!" from the Understood Podcast Network. You can listen and subscribe to "ADHD Aha!" on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts. And if you like what you heard today, tell someone about the show. We rely on listeners like you to reach and support more people. And if you want to share your own "aha" moment, email us at ADHDAha@understood.org. I'd love to hear from you. You can go to u.org/ADHDAha to find details on each episode and related resources. That's the letter U, as in Understood, dot O R G, slash ADHD Aha.Understood is a nonprofit and social impact organization. We have no affiliation with pharmaceutical companies. Learn more at understood.org/mission. "ADHD Aha!" is produced by Jessamine Molli. Say hi, Jessamine. Jessamine: Hi, everyone. Laura: Justin D. Wright created our music. Seth Melnick and Briana Berry are our production directors. Scott Cocchiere is our creative director. And I'm your host, Laura Key, editorial director at Understood. Thanks so much for listening.
How’d You Get THAT Job?!Engineering my career as a woman with ADHD
Kellie Williams is an engineer with ADHD. Hear about the obstacles she’s faced in this male-dominated field, and how she came to thrive. As a female engineer with ADHD, Kellie Williams is breaking ground in a male-dominated field. She’s thriving now, but the path wasn’t easy. She’s faced harassment and dealt with obstacles like ill-fitting equipment made for men. Hear about her experience. And find out which tools and accommodations she uses at work for her ADHD.Listen to the episode. Then:Download a graphic of leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) who learn and think differently.Learn about eight women who made a difference for kids who learn and think differently. Episode transcriptEleni: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "How'd You Get THAT Job?!," a podcast that explores the unique and often unexpected career paths of people with learning and thinking differences. My name is Eleni Matheou, and I'm a user researcher here at Understood. That means I spend a lot of time thinking about how we find jobs we love that reflect how we learn and who we are. I'll be your host.So, I'm very excited to introduce Kellie. Kellie is an engineer with ADHD working in sustainability, and she's also one of my closest friends. We met shortly after both of us moved to New York City, about four and a bit years ago at this stage. And she's one of the first people to be really open with me about her differences, how they impact her day to day, and like also how best to support and understand her. So, I thought it would be really great to have her on the show and learn more.So, let's start with where you landed in your career today.Kellie: Yeah. So, I'm a mechanical engineer. I've done a lot of different types of jobs. I've worked on building design. I worked to design security equipment for the world's largest prison equipment company. I've directed an energy and sustainability department for Texas' largest school district. I've done energy consulting, construction commissioning, and now I work for a New York City utility company as a strategic planner in the energy efficiency department.Eleni: Wow. That is a lot. So, Kellie, you mentioned that you are a sustainability engineer. What does that mean?Kellie: Sustainability engineering, energy engineering — this could be something from developing clean energy technologies or to improve efficiency for existing equipment or buildings, so reducing greenhouse gas emissions or, in my context, I work in the building spaces. So I'm looking at how are the lights, the equipment that keeps the buildings cool and dry, and all the programming that goes on behind the scenes. How do we get that to operate in a way that reduces the energy needed to run the building? And that way it reduces the greenhouse gas emissions. And then on the other side, which is more upstream, is looking at like, can we do solar wind, other renewables, that can benefit the environment?So, in terms of sustainability, as it is today, it's really about environmental impact. How do you reduce it? And there's a lot of different ways you can do that.Eleni: So, like, what do you like about where you've landed at the moment?Kellie: I really like that I get to choose what I can hone in on and that it's contributing to a larger goal, being climate mitigation that I'm personally very interested in and have been interested in since I was a kid.Eleni: Yeah. So, what makes you so passionate about climate issues?Kellie: I don't know where to begin. Climate issues — it's an existential threat that we have to solve for. I think about my family, my nieces, you know, the world that they're going to inherit by us.This is such a deep question, where we're facing an existential threat. And to me, it's my personal biggest priority. It's almost like when someone says, "Who are you?" What am I, why am I doing this? And I think climate mitigation is something that is so important. It impacts everything. It impacts the economy, the quality of our air and our water, the ecosystem. It touches on so many things. It's so important that it's the only thing I can really focus on. It's the only thing that I can continue to chase is solving this problem. And I just have this inherent interest in helping it, and maybe it's partially related to being empathetic. I don't like to see communities suffer because of climate change or animals being displaced or, like, going extinct.It's really sad. You know, I think we should be good stewards of our earth and of our resources and our environment. So, I want to see that. I want to be a part of something that is contributing to make things better. And that's why I'm really interested in climate. Eleni: It's so, so important. And how has that interest influenced, like, some of the other earlier decisions you made in your career?Kellie: I graduated college during the recession. I did not have a lot of options. So that's how I landed with this prison equipment company job. And it wasn't the most feel-good, fuzzy job that I imagined myself doing. But it made me realize that I had to pursue a passion because I dreaded coming into the office every single day.And eventually I found one that really hit the spot and that was doing energy efficiency and energy management. And once I hit that stride, my career grew very rapidly because I was very motivated. I was in my twenties, a manager, a very young manager. And I was a total go-getter, so much energy, and I felt like nothing could stop me.Eleni: So you mentioned, like, it's really important for you to have something that you're really passionate about. I would love to know how that relates to your ADHD. We've heard a lot of people talk about motivation, but I would like to hear about your unique experience with that.Kellie: For me, if I'm not doing something that is contributing to a large goal or feels worthwhile, like I have purpose, I just don't see the point in doing it at all.So I know a lot of jobs they're really important, but for me, I feel like I need to be needed in order to keep going. Otherwise I just lose motivation and it just feels pointless, and I struggle to continue to do that type of work.Eleni: Totally.Kellie: So once I find something that I really like, I've tried to find a way that I can hyperfocus in a way that is beneficial to me, because I've hyperfocused in ways that are very harmful.So, I have to be really disciplined and set up structure for myself to think: "What is this contributing to? Is this a question that needs to be asked now? Is this going to be a worthwhile exploration?" And if it's a "yes," and if it's a "yes, now," like the near term, then I can usually follow that. And that can be pretty beneficial.Sometimes it looks like coming up with really innovative ideas or very collaborative ideas or thinking on the fly. So, with ADHD, for me, it manifests as racing questions, and I will sometimes get caught up in the wrong question. Or sometimes it's the right question, the very obscure question, and I get to chase that, and that's like chasing the white rabbit, and then it leads me down to a really cool solution sometimes.Eleni: And I can also see how, if you're chasing the wrong thing, that can also be a challenge.Kellie: It's horrible, disastrous.Eleni: So I think that that's a really good segue to hear about maybe some of the challenges that you face with ADHD, perhaps in the lead-up to, like, becoming an engineer. And then also — actually, let's stop there.Kellie: OK. So, I actually took some notes because I knew I was going to forget. This is a very meta thing right here because you put, like, what's in the challenges, so, OK. Remembering things, um, especially when I'm under pressure. I had test anxiety like nobody's business. I've blanked out on the simplest things, even formulas like the Pythagorean theorem, which is very simple for an engineer; you learn that in middle school.So my challenges were gaining enough confidence to believe that I can have the answers when I need them, which took a lot of exercise and practice and, like, all the cheesy affirmations. So, I went through all these things to help me through the test anxiety. So, once I got through that and I was doing well and making good grades, that helped. But actually, what was challenging about this? I was undiagnosed until my sophomore year, and my boyfriend at the time, who is now actually an ADHD coach — Eleni: Oh, wow. I didn't know that.Kellie: He said, "Kellie, I think you might want to get diagnosed. I see that you're really struggling." And so I got diagnosed and I actually thought — I had so much self-doubt. Am I even smart enough to pursue engineering? I had so much, like, imposter syndrome, like, who are you? There's no — you've never even met an engineer. How are you going to be an engineer? You don't even know what they do. You don't even know what they look like, how they act, nothing. I had no model for this.So, when I got tested and they said, you actually have like an above-average IQ. And I was, like, what? Who, me? I'm smart? Are you sure? They got those scores mixed up. But then they gave me some tools and medication, and that completely changed everything. It was so much easier to study. I had all the tools I needed in order to get through my degree.It took me six years. I worked full time, and some of those semesters, it was really challenging. But I made it, and I did it, and that is one of my biggest accomplishments in life.Eleni: So, you mentioned tools. Do you want to talk a little bit about what some of those tools are and how you came up with them or how you discovered them?Kellie: Yes. Trial and error is how I came to learn what works for me. The most unfortunate part of all of this is I finally figured out what my best study strategy was in my final semester of college.Eleni: Six years later.Kellie: Six years later. But the good thing is I was able to use that for the rest of my career. If I didn't have to study so hard and put all that time into figuring out how I learn best, I wouldn't have been able to succeed as much in my career because I did all the work ahead of time.So, now, if I have a certification I'm studying for, or if I'm learning about some, like, new technology, it is so much easier for me to internalize it. I've learned that I need to externalize my memory. I need to externalize my time constraints, and I use a little cube with the minutes, like five minutes, 10 minutes.I use tools to keep me on track. The one thing that helped me through all this is giving myself permission to use the tools and not feeling shame about it. And saying, "You know what, this is what I have to do to get things done, and that's OK. And it's going to be OK. And, yeah, it looks different because I'm at work.I've got all these, like, noise-canceling headphones. I have the cube. I'm in the corner because I cannot be distracted. I tell people if you see me at the office with my headphones on, send me an invite, do not disturb me, because I will go off the rails and you're really going to screw up my day. So, it's socializing and normalizing what I need to do to get things done.And because I've been successful, I am very confident in standing out in that way and being very vocal in what my needs are.Eleni: So, while you were talking about tools, you mentioned this cube. What is it?Kellie: I have this yellow cube. It has the numbers 5, 10, 25, and 45, and a blink on each side. When I flip it for that number of five, it will give me a five-minute countdown. It'll beep and it'll blink. So, if I have my noise-canceling headphones on, I can see it blinking. I just, like, put it in sight, and it has a countdown timer.Eleni: Oh, wow, that's so interesting.Kellie: I use the cube for task management. So I use this to set goals and to have a reminder. Now, fortunately, I can usually remember what I was working on, what I needed to do before the timer goes off.I don't know how long things actually take me. I thought dishes took me one hour. I timed myself; it takes me less than five minutes to put up dishes and less than five minutes to put them in the washer. I use this thing not just for work, but I use it for life tasks because now that I have a data point to say, "No, dishes do not take you an hour to do; you have a machine to do this for you." It feels like an hour because I hate dishes. But I just say, "Look, get the clock, gamify." I use the cube to gamify tasks. Oh, I'm going to win — I can beat the clock. And so I use it for getting ready, doing my chores, sending emails. I'm only going to let myself do research for 45 minutes undisturbed, and then I'm going to take a five-minute break or a 10-minute break. So I use it to task manage, time manage.Eleni: I have been witness to this. I don't know if you had the cube while we lived together because leaving the house when we would go out, I'd be, like, 10 minutes away from getting ready, and it'd be, like, 45 minutes, 60 minutes later. "Kellie, where are you at with getting ready? Like, what's happening in there?"Kellie: It's bad sometimes — I didn't have the cube back then.Eleni: How do you think mood relates to ADHD and how that varies day to day?Kellie: Oh my gosh. As a new engineer, when I graduated college, I looked at everything as, like, so technical and mechanical. And I really ignored feelings; I ignored emotions. And I was doing a disservice to myself because I needed to acknowledge "I'm feeling really irritable" or "I'm feeling really sad" or "I'm really, really happy." And if I can work my tasks around that mood, it's much better. So, if I'm feeling really introverted, I might just do the research task that day, bump it up a week early. And if I'm feeling really social, I'm going to do all my collaborative activities then. So, I just try to work with these moods, work with these needs, instead of resist. Eleni: Yeah. It's all about having self-awareness. Before you started work, did you have any idea, like, how any of your differences would impact you at work, and were there any surprises or things that showed up that you didn't expect?Kellie: So, some surprises were, I had one of my doctors tell me I was a highly sensitive person, and I just took that as emotional and some sensory things. But the way it showed up in different jobs, as it still shows up, is surprising to me still. Like, construction noise and dust, and just, like, the sound and texture of grit underneath my shoes really bothers me. In New York City, I was commissioning construction projects, meaning that I'm checking to make sure that the work they said they were going to do was actually done.And I'm walking new builds with, like, where the steel frames are up and they're just put in the concrete floors, or I'm doing a retrofit, where they've put in an air conditioning unit at Grand Central Station or at Penn Station. And I have to inspect the whole thing, and it is damp, dark, gritty, dirty, loud. There's jackhammering next door, because they're doing all this work. There's dust everywhere. My senses are completely flooded, overwhelmed. My hands are dry because, you know, you have to pick up tools to open panels and like do electrical work with multiple layers of really itchy material, heavy boots, two layers of gloves for electrical work. Plus tools. Eleni: In potentially suits that don't fit, right? Kellie: Yes. I've had to do electrical work in a suit that was three sizes too big for me — a men's suit — because they only had electrical equipment for men. It drives me crazy. And I learned that I can't force myself to be happy in these roles, and I have to honor my sensitivities and just work with it instead.So, now I have a better job. Now I'm working from home, and I love that because I get to shield myself. But what I've learned is that I need to avoid certain types of work. It sounds good on paper, but in practice it is just terrible for me.Eleni: Yeah. So when you were pivoting between jobs, were you doing so with the awareness or with the knowledge that, "Oh, I need to move away from like this particular environment; I need to do something differently?"Kellie: Yes. There's a lot of intentionality behind the work I was seeking. Right now, I'm in this strategic planning role. I wanted to do more project starting. I'm great with idea generation. I'm great with getting people jazzed up and onboard for a new initiative. I am not great at finishing a project or following the instructions. It is not for me. And I learned that in my previous roles in New York City being an energy consultant or construction commissioner, I had to do copy-paste. So repetitive, different building but same procedure. Not for me. I cannot do that. So I learned, "Oh, what's the pattern here between all these different roles I've had?" The pattern was, I love starting things. I like new initiatives; I'm going to do that. And I'm doing it now. And I love it.Eleni: I'm so pleased for you that you are able to, like, make that connection. So, earlier in the conversation, you mentioned you really enjoy managing people and you really enjoy collaborating, you know, knowing you, as well. It kind of links to having like a really strong sense of empathy.Kellie: Yes.Eleni: And it's being able to read people. And so, you're really, like, attuned to what other people are doing in the room.Kellie: Yeah. When you said that, I just got goosebumps on my legs because, I don't know, I am so sensitive to the minor differences in people's behavior, voice inflection, micro-expressions. Even working in a virtual environment has been really interesting because you remove so many layers of that communication and my ability to read, which makes it feel more anxiety producing.But you just learn to, oh, it'll find its way. You will find a way; you'll learn how long the silences are and what to pick up on in different people. But I think, because of the sensitivities, I am very empathetic, and I can try to view a problem from the lens of whomever that stakeholder is. And with that, I can already do a lot of information gathering and hypothesize and then present it.And they're like, "Oh my gosh, you're so good." Or — no one's ever asked this to me before. I'm so glad you did, though. These feel like superpowers in a lot of ways.Eleni: Oh, totally. Also, it makes me think about this trope around engineers not being emotional. In a way, you're kind of debunking that or re-creating what it means to be an engineer.Kellie: I love this question. So, mechanical engineering has some of the least representation from females in the entire engineering industry.Eleni: Yeah, and engineering on its own is not well represented, let alone —Kellie: Oh my gosh. Engineering on its own is so far behind with gender parity. Well, mechanical is even further behind. Senior year of my engineering degree, I was the only female still in some of those classes. It, actually, the number of women actually decreased as I continued.Eleni: Wow.Kellie: A lot of women drop out. Being an only female engineer, yeah, I had a lot of harassment just straight up. I had so much anger in that; I felt discounted for being a young female engineer. I felt discounted because I have learning differences on top of that. Having people say, "Who do you know; who hired you?" There's rumors about how I got this job, blah, blah, blah. I thought I had to adapt. I thought I had to assimilate in order to be successful. At some point, I was said, "Screw that; I'm not doing this. I'm going to be my authentic self." It actually took therapy and a lot of reading about how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. And a lot of that I was able to connect with my experience with ADHD.Eleni: Yeah.Kellie: So, it was really cool because I had decided I'm not going to act like a man, act like this man engineer who's 30 years my senior. There's so little representation of women engineers in my field that I had to pave the way because I was the only one. And I thought, "I get to make this change. I get to decide what this role looks like, because I am the first."Eleni: Yeah, it's interesting you bring up the idea of assimilation, how it links to ADHD. One thing that I've been hearing in my research is that there's almost, I'm going to say, a spectrum, but it's, like, there are people that think of their difference as something they need to assimilate. In other words, something that they need to hide, versus all the people that say "No, I'm going to own this and feel real pride around it." And there's, like, a real dichotomy there. And I think making that shift away from assimilation to pride is really what allows people to let go of shame or really see the superpowers that you talked about. Kellie: I am me, and I like it! Eleni: So, if you were speaking to someone who wanted to become an engineer, and perhaps they have ADHD or they're a woman, what advice would you give to them? Kellie: I would recommend that they seek out something like "engineer for a day" and others, these groups, especially with communities of color, women, groups for young female engineers, there's all of these segments of making engineering accessible to young kids from all different backgrounds. If they could find a group that can provide some level of exposure. Do the work, test it out. You've got to try on these jobs, go do a site visit, try to learn if you can from somebody and just spend a day on a construction site. Because, as a mechanical engineer, there are so many different avenues that you can go into. I could do energy. I could do design, airplanes. Like, it's all over the place.And it's not always on a construction site. There's a lot of times when you're just at the desk, reviewing drawings. Put on their glasses and like a literal magnifying glass and just marking up drawings, doing all these checks and balances. It can look like a lot of different things. So, figuring out how much of your time is going to be in the field versus in the office.I'm someone that likes to do both. So, I initially sought out jobs that would give me that flexibility to go explore in the field and also be in my desk, like doing research, having enough conversations with people to find out what is the good blend for you. And also look into your own personal life to see, are you a homebody? Do you like to explore things? And see if you can replicate that into your work. Eleni: I love that; such good advice. Thanks so much, Kellie, for being here and for sharing your story. Kellie: Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to share this. Eleni: This has been "How'd You Get THAT Job?!," a part of the Understood Podcast Network. You can listen and subscribe to "How'd You Get THAT Job?!" on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you like what you heard today, tell someone about it. "How'd You Get THAT Job?!" is for you. So we want to make sure you're getting what you need. Go to u.org/thatjob to share your thoughts and to find resources from every episode. That's the letter U, as in Understood, dot O R G, slash that job. Do you have a learning difference and a job you're passionate about? Email us at thatjob@understood.org. If you'd like to tell us how you got THAT job, we'd love to hear from you. As a nonprofit and social impact organization, Understood relies on the help of listeners like you to create podcasts like this one, to reach and support more people in more places. We have an ambitious mission to shape the world for difference, and we welcome you to join us in achieving our goals. Learn more at understood.org/mission. "How'd You Get THAT Job?!" is produced by Andrew Lee and Justin D. Wright, who also wrote our theme song. Laura Key is our editorial director at Understood. Scott Cocchiere is our creative director. Seth Melnick and Briana Berry are our production directors. Thanks again for listening.
Counting with manipulatives to learn addition: An evidence-based math strategy
Many students have difficulty understanding that they can combine two separate numbers to make a quantity that is greater. Counting with manipulatives is a great way to help students learn to add numbers together. With this strategy, you'll use explicit instruction to help students in kindergarten learn to add by using their counting skills. The two methods you’ll use are called “counting all” and “counting on.”When using the “counting all” strategy, students will count the objects in two sets of manipulatives, and then they’ll combine the sets and count all of the manipulatives together as one whole set.Next, students will move on to the more efficient “counting on” strategy. It uses a combination of counting and subitizing (quickly naming the number of objects in a set without having to count). They’ll start by subitizing or identifying at a glance how many are in one set and then count on to the next set to reach the total. This is an important step in moving toward identifying two numbers and combining them without counting. Counting all and counting on are two ways of interpreting addition. Both interpretations are essential and students will use them across grade levels. Read: How to use this counting strategyObjective: Students will use manipulatives in order to demonstrate counting all and counting on as strategies to combine two addends. Grade levels (with standards): K (Common Core K.CC.A.2: Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence, instead of having to begin at 1.)K (Common Core K.CC.B.4.A: When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.)K (Common Core K.CC.B.4.B: Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.)1 (Common Core 1.OA.C.5 Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g., by counting on 2 to add 2.)K–1 (Common Core Math Practice MP7: Look for and make use of structure.)Best used for instruction with: Small groupsIndividualsHow to prepare:Gather materials. Each student will need up to 10 manipulatives for counting that come in two different colors. Math “counters” or counting chips work well because they’re easy to set up and move around. They come two-sided like red and yellow or red and white. Another option is to use stacking cubes or colored tiles. How to teach:1. Model counting all. Tell students that today they’ll be practicing adding numbers together by using their counting skills. Explain that sets of different color manipulatives will represent each “addend,” or the number being added to another. Start by modeling how to use the manipulatives to represent numbers using one color. For example, to use counting chips to show the number 3, place three red chips in front of you and count out the pieces. “One, two, three. There are three red chips.” Next, using additional chips, show the students how to use the other side to count the number 2 in a different color. Count out the pieces. “One, two. There are two yellow chips.” Then say “Let’s add the sets by moving all the chips together.” Line the two sets of chips up in a row. Count all of the pieces. “One, two, three, four, five. There are five chips in all. Three plus two equals five.” Explain that this is the “counting all” strategy for adding. “Now let’s see you give it a try.” 2. Provide guided practice with counting all. Place four red chips and three yellow chips in front of each student. Ask one student to count the red chips. Prompt the other students to follow along by tapping each red chip or sliding them into a row. Next, ask another student to count the yellow chips while the other students follow along. Then, ask each student to add and count them all. “How many chips are there in all? Seven. There are seven chips in all. Four plus three equals seven.”Continue to practice for additional rounds, changing the addends each time. Students should count out each addend separately, move the manipulatives to one set, and then count the total to themselves. Observe and support the students as needed. Then ask the group to tell you how many chips there are in all. When the students show repeated success, clear the chips and move on to the next counting strategy, “counting on.”3. Review number sets. Place three red chips on the table for all students to see. Ask a volunteer to tell you how many chips are on the table without counting them one by one. When the student gives an answer, ask them to prove it by counting. Repeat with several different numbers to give other students a chance to try. The goal is to remind students that they can recognize the number of objects in a set without having to count them (subitizing).Teaching tip: If a student is struggling with subitizing, put the chips inside a ten-frame to help them visualize the number. Repeated practice with ten-frames will help build confidence in identifying numbers as they compare to a group of 10. 4. Model counting on. Place five red chips and three yellow chips in a row on the table. Use your hand or a piece of paper to hide the yellow chips and say “five” while pointing toward the red chips. Then unveil the yellow chips and count on. Point to each yellow chip to emphasize the counting of each one: “Six, seven, eight. There are eight chips in all. Five plus three equals eight.” Explain that with this strategy you do not count all of the chips. Instead, you name the quantity in the first set and count on from that number. Make sure to emphasize the counting on. Then say “Let’s try it again.” Place two red chips and four yellow chips on the table. This time ask a student to identify the number of red chips without counting. When the student says “two” repeat it out loud and then count on. “Three, four, five, six. There are six chips in all. Two plus four equals six.” 5. Provide guided practice with counting on. Place three red chips and four yellow chips in front of each student. Ask each student to name the number of red chips and then practice counting on to get the total. Check in with each student. For more practice, change the addends and repeat. For students showing repeated success, challenge them to identify the larger addend first. For example, if there are two red chips and four yellow chips, students should start by saying “four” and then count the red. “Five, six. There are six chips in all. Four plus two equals six.” Some students may be confident enough to demonstrate it both ways.Understand: Why this strategy worksWhen students learn to add, they use a combination of counting strategies and subitizing. Practicing counting all and counting on with manipulatives helps students develop these skills. These methods build on important skills, like naming and representing numbers and applying rote counting and one-to-one correspondence. All these skills help kindergartners begin to understand the number line and learn addition. By starting with a review of counting all, students gain confidence with addition while using manipulatives. Then, through modeling and guided practice, they move on to the more efficient strategy of counting on. Counting on is the join interpretation of addition. This helps them continue to build their understanding of the counting principles needed for addition.This strategy also helps students understand the concept of addition through concrete-representational-abstract (CRA), an evidence-based instructional approach. CRA uses visual representations to help students understand abstract math concepts. These representations can be especially helpful for students who learn and think differently, as well as English language learners. By using manipulatives like counting chips, students build their number sense in the concrete stage. Later, students will move to the use of picture representations to complete similar tasks. This will help them work toward fluently using abstract written numbers and symbols, like 2 + 4 = 6. Connect: Link school to homeFamilies can practice these counting strategies at home with their kids. Because families may not be familiar with counting all and counting on, it's important to explain the strategies to them. Consider creating and sharing a video to demonstrate the strategies. Provide a list of ideas for counting manipulatives that families may have at home (see “Adapt: Use for Distance Learning” below for suggestions). Board games like Hi Ho Cherry-O are also a great way for families to practice counting together. Additionally, kids can practice at home with online learning games or apps. Some games that are free to try are Tiggly Chef: Preschool Math Cooking Game or Moose Math by Duck Duck Moose.Research behind this strategy“Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction (2nd ed.),” by Thomas P. Carpenter, Elizabeth Fennema, Megan Loef Franke, Linda Levi, and Susan Empson“Strategy choices in simple and complex addition: Contributions of working memory and counting knowledge for children with mathematical disability,” from Journal of Experimental Child Psychology“Number and counting skills in kindergarten as predictors of grade 1 mathematical skills,” from Learning and Individual Differences
In ItSummer survival guide: Hacks to help your family thrive
Summer break. Some families love it. Others dread it. No matter how you feel about summer, we’ve got hacks to help your family thrive. Summer break. Some families love it. Others dread it. No matter how you feel about summer, we’ve got hacks to help your family thrive. In this episode, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek talk all things summer with psychologist and Understood expert Dr. Andrew Kahn. Andy shares what can make summer easier than the school year for kids who learn and think differently — and what might make it harder. Tune in for tips on screen time, sleep, summer camp, travel, and more. Plus, learn ways to give kids the structure that many of them need over summer vacation without it feeling like a burden.Related resources How to make a sensory travel kit for your child10 tips to help kids avoid travel meltdowns and sensory overloadListen to this episode of In It to hear more about summer camp Episode transcriptGretchen: From the Understood Podcast Network, this is "In It," a podcast about the ins and outs…Rachel: …the ups and downs…Gretchen: …of supporting kids who learn and think differently. I'm Gretchen Vierstra, a former classroom teacher and an editor here at Understood.Rachel: And I'm Rachel Bozek, a writer and editor raising two kids with ADHD. Today, we're here to provide a public service by pulling together as many tips and hacks as we can to help you and your kids have the best summer possible.Gretchen: Joining us for this ambitious mission is our very own Andy Kahn. Andy is a licensed psychologist and the associate director of behavior change and expertise here at Understood. Andy, welcome back to "In It."Rachel: Welcome back.Andy: Thanks, guys. Thanks for having me.Gretchen: We are so happy to have you here today. But before we start with you, Andy, I actually have a question for you, Rachel.Rachel: Oh, yeah?Gretchen: Yes. As a mom to two kids who learn and think differently, what comes to mind when you think about the long summer vacation that is fast approaching? Are you like, "Woohoo, summer!" Or is it more like, "Ugh, summer"?Rachel: Those are my choices?Gretchen: Yes, those are your choices.Rachel: So, it's a little bit of both because, of course, it's really nice to have a break from a lot of the things that just make the school year tough for everybody — homework and just kind of like the tight schedules. But also, the summer has its own kind of schedule, especially when there are camps involved. And so, there still is a wake-up time and there's still a get-out-the-door time.And also, for all of us working parents, there are still like, we need our kids to be doing some stuff while we're working. And also, because I can't have just like screen camp.Gretchen: Yes, I'm pretty sure a lot of times I had TV camp when I was little. I went to TV camp.Rachel: Yeah, I went to TV camp.Gretchen: Andy, did you go to TV camp?Andy: I did not. I went to get out on the street and play until it gets dark camp.Gretchen: Yeah, I did that, too. I would say it was a mix, right? It was a mix of roaming the neighborhood and then a little bit of TV camp.Rachel: All right, so, Andy, stepping back a bit, maybe you can talk to us a little bit about what might make summertime easier than the regular school year and what might make it harder for families with kids who learn and think differently.Andy: Summertime, you know, summertime is that double-edged sword, right? We all look forward to it. There are things that we don't have to do anymore that seem awfully cool and longer days, relaxing structure, fewer transitions relating to school. But those of us who are parents can all say, I know what August feels like and thinking "I'm ready to bring my children back to school." Right? So, I think so much of it is we think about the break from the academic demands, and the stressors is a really big deal for kids with learning and thinking differences. And it's a good relief to be away from that because it can be such an impact to kids' self-esteem.And the thing about having the summertime is, is giving them more time to play, to engage in activities that are more their home base. And I think that's one of the best things about summer for kids. At the same time, the things that make it great are also the things that make it hard. We rely on the structures that schools artificially provide us to structure our day, and that's a lot of months of the year where we sort of live our lives around those markings in the day. And I think that the loss of structure is probably one of the toughest parts about this.You know, it's tremendous amounts of transition stressors from the doing the things I like, to doing the things I don't want to do, in a structure where the parents don't necessarily feel all that powerful because the first thing we want to do as parents when summertime hits is to say," Go, enjoy, step away," and we let it all go. And I think that's where the first trap lies, is that if we don't have good expectations, you know, those who fail to plan, plan to fail, right? That's the sort of idea here.Gretchen: So, now if we want to provide a little bit of structure to our summer, what are some little tweaks that we could make to add some structure to a day?Andy: So, the thing to keep in mind is that — and I hear this in your tone a little bit, Gretchen — that when we get to freedom, the word structure feels like a dirty word. It feels like, "Oh, gosh." Like structure is not constraints, OK? It's not, you're not tethering your child to the porch. You're not locking them in a space, OK? Structure is about creating protective walls around your environment, your child, and don't forget, your sanity.So, having structures like keeping your, like, your mealtimes for breakfast and dinners as close to on some reasonable schedule to keep you feeling sane. Having structures around chores and hygiene. Because the first thing that goes with these kids is we lose our bath times and they're being more active, and you really want to keep sort of those keeping the kids clean and on certain points of schedule really in check.So, I think that we can create sort of anchors for your day to keep you sane and talking each morning or the night before with your child about "What's tomorrow looking like? Let's set some expectations here so that we can sort of have a sense about what we're going to do." Because if it's unrealistic or doesn't fit the timeframe, you can help them plan something that they can be successful with instead of frustrated in coming to you every 15 minutes.And for me, as a working parent, I can't do that with my child. They have to be able to sort of hold their own during the times that I need them to. And that requires a little bit of planning and a little bit of structure.Gretchen: Yeah. What's often happened at our house is I'll ask that question, and the answer I've been given is, "Oh, I'm going to have a chill day." Like, what is a chill day? What does that mean?Rachel: Right.Gretchen: And then that lasts for like maybe an hour or two after, you know, the breakfast and the getting dressed and all that stuff, and then it's like, "I'm bored. I'm bored. I'm bored."Andy: And I think that some of this, you know, some of the activities you can get your kids engaged in can be things that, let's think about it here, OK? Part of the structure of summer is giving your kids the opportunity to learn some life skills. A life skill can be something simple like I'm going to pick the, you know, most nutritious box self-made foods, whether it's a simple cookie mix or it's a simple food mix, that we can get them involved in some cooking, OK? I love the idea of things like food science projects. There are some great books out there on food science, complete cookbook for young scientists and learning about what makes food yummy, what makes food fun, and kids learning sort of that technique for being more independent.And the other kind of project-based stuff we can do, you know, in some schools that I've worked with over the years, when we had kids who had learning and thinking differences who didn't engage easily in the standard curriculum, we did a lot of project-based learning. So, we would do things like "Let's build a box for, you know, putting our materials in things that we like." Like I have a box now for my Pokémon cards with this kid that I work with and giving them the opportunity through these projects to follow instructions, which includes wait, wait for it: reading. OK?Gretchen: Right.Andy: Following directions. What is this? This is about executive function. So, those project-based activities are really, really awesome.Rachel: So, we talked a little earlier about TV camp, and that raises the question now about screen time and how much we should be leaving the door open for in the summer. What do you think about that?Andy: Gosh, that's a tough one. So, I could be the good psychologist to say "You know, The American Academy of Pediatrics says we should limit it to..." you know, and they say something in the neighborhood of about 2 hours.Rachel: No one does that.Andy: And I think the initial recommendations...Right. Because I think for a lot of this, you have to leave adequate space for screens if you've got a teenager who's highly reliant on social media. And you have to sort of be aware of what the culture is doing for the kids. I've actually gotten to the point with my own child where we've had consequences for behavior. OK, we'll just say there was naughty moments and I actually had to make the decision to do something different than I was raised with, which is your screens are gone when you got in trouble when I was a kid.But today I have to be super conscious of that because if I cut off all screens for my teenager, I'm actually isolating them from their social world. And if they're having trouble with their behavior because the social world is hard and they're not connecting as well as they'd like, cutting that off in full form isn't always my best option. That being said, I really like to limit the time by creating other activities for them to do that are non-screen based.So, you might say, OK, there's a window of time this morning, you know, screen use is fine, but then you set an island of time somewhere in the middle of that morning where you're going to disengage them from that. Ultimately, the goal is to give them a variety of things to do that can be fun for them. Make sure that you're aware if you're limiting some of those screens, that there's time available for them to socialize.Rachel: Mm-hmm.Andy: And that you try to provide reasonable access to in-person social activities whenever possible because that's going to be really important for them.Rachel: Yeah.Andy: Really important.Gretchen: Yeah. I want to mention one thing related to this before we go on with the non-screen time activity. Good old-fashioned games and by house, and we see summer definitely whether you're traveling or like we go camping, we always bring games along. But there's sometimes tears over games, right? When someone doesn't win or just gets too competitive. Do you have any advice around this for families who might struggle with picking out the type of game that'll work for their kids?Andy: One of the things that I notice and being a psychologist who works with kids, playing lots of games during the course of my life and realizing at times that the competitiveness of it can lead to a lot of feelings, especially for kids with learning and thinking differences who may struggle with waiting their turn or struggle with following the rules or not knowing the order of certain activities when they have a turn to play.So, one of my favorite workarounds is spending some time and energy on cooperative gaming. So, cooperative gaming is this a lot of Kumbaya, you know, certificate of, you know, of attendance appreciation thing? No. These are real games with outcomes that you can win, but you win it together. So, there are games like Pandemic. Now, this was, I had this game before the actual pandemic.Gretchen: Yeah, I had that pre-COVID.Andy: But you're working in teams to try to solve a larger goal. And, you know, some of these games are really great because you have to communicate, you've got to strategize and you've got to work together. Other games like Hanabi, which is a really cool game — Hanabi I think is Japanese for fireworks — and you as a team create the best fireworks displays, but you have to strategize to make them go correctly or they don't fire off correctly. No, you're not, there's no fire here — sorry, kids, you're not blowing anything off. But it's a really cool game with a lot of visual elements.Rachel: Yeah, there was a cooperative game that we haven't played in a few years now that my kids are a little older, but it was really great when my daughter was like around six called Outfoxed.Andy: Yeah.Rachel: It's kind of like a whodunit, like a mystery solving, but everybody's working together kind of game. And that was a decent cooperative experience in my not-always-very-cooperative house.Rachel: You know, I want to talk a little bit about summer camp, which does provide some structure, but it sometimes also introduces other challenges.Gretchen: Right. If your kid has a hard time adapting to new places, new foods, new activities, new people. But we do have some suggestions for you. One suggestion I have that's worked for me and my kids is, especially when my older daughter was younger, she really had trouble adjusting to new situations and so we would preview the activities. Like I remember one time I signed her up for a YMCA camp and they were going to take the kids to an amusement park and she was scared to go to this amusement park.So, I found, you know, people take videos of the rides, even the littlest rides. And so, we found videos of the rides and said, "OK, this is one ride. Would you do this? Let's watch the video." And it really helped her prepare so that she could actually enjoy her time on this trip.Rachel: That's a really great idea. And actually, I did a similar thing. There was a summer camp that my son was going to when he was going into first grade, and he was going to like session two or whatever. So, it was already going on, but he wasn't there yet. And I'm like, "You know what? Let's just go check it out." I called and asked if we could do this, but he didn't know that. And we just went. And, you know, as far as he could tell, we were just like, "Hey, can we see the camp?".Gretchen: Right.Rachel: And they just gave us I mean, I already knew what it was before I signed up and paid for it, but for him, it was like he saw other kids doing the stuff that he would be doing. And it really it helped so much to give them that context and like, just set their expectations a little bit.Gretchen: Hmm.Andy: What an anxiety reducer that's got to be.Rachel: Yeah.Andy: You know, when things are new, they're exciting and also scary at the same time. And to take away just a little bit of that, the scary novelty, makes a huge difference. Yeah, I think that's super smart.Rachel: So, last year "In It" did a whole episode about summer camp. And Gretchen, you and Amanda Morin got some great advice from Audrey Monke who's been running a summer camp for almost 40 years and wrote a book called Happy Campers. So, let's listen to a clip about that.Audrey: I have a, you know, a special affinity for the overnight experience because of the immersion piece of it and the independent piece of it. I think it's a pretty magical thing for young kids to have this like time away from parents to really discover themselves. And I think part of that is we're so well-meaning as parents and we love our kids and we want to be there with them for everything they do because it's so fun to watch them learn new things and all this.But a lot of the growth that our kids will experience in life happens away from us. You know, that look that even little kids will, you know, they're about to do something new and they turn around to look just what the expression is. "Is this safe? Should I try this?" And even when we're not trying, our expression sometimes it's like, "Oh, my gosh, that looks scary." Or "I don't know if I want to do this." So, there's just this part — and it's not just camp, it's also allowing our kids with other mentors and adults and clubs, letting them grow their wings, sometimes without us.Gretchen: So, speaking of something that can be exciting but also uncomfortable sometimes, a lot of families take advantage of summer break to go someplace, whether that's by car. They can even do a staycation and kind of just go to new places around town. But that also brings new challenges, right? New environments, new sensory experiences, all of that. So, Andy, do you have some tips for how to make travel a little easier for families with kids who might find it difficult?Andy: For sure. So, one of the most important things about planning travel with your kids is really spending the time in advance to get a sense of the logistics. How long are you going to be in a car if you're going somewhere or if you're flying? What kind of environments are you going to be in for your child and making sure that you have a sense about what you can give your child that's portable, that can help them control some of that sensation that's new or loud or uncomfortable. So, things like having noise-blocking headphones, if possible, lots of sort of self-soothing items, whether it's a squishy animal or sort of like a fidget-like activity.Then giving them the opportunity really to be able to manage their body and in some cases to practice that in advance and to talk to them about, you know, let's say we're going to be driving through New York City, OK? They're going to be speed around you of people and things moving colors, lights, maybe in a language they've never heard before. I don't know. That may happen. And things that people say and do that can be stressful to them. So, giving them the opportunity to think about what kind of things would help them feel soothed.Gretchen: Yeah.Andy: The other piece of this is — within reason again, where we're going to right-size all of our interventions here — let your kids be involved in helping you plan parts of the vacation that they can handle. So, if you know you're going to this very specific town where your hotel is going to be or where your family lives that you're visiting, letting them pick a restaurant that you can likely go to that has a menu that they like or giving them the opportunity to sort of select one of the activities from the choices that you preselect.Kids are usually accessories to family vacations as opposed to the ones you really put in on paper and make it happen. And I got to tell you, when I was a kid and my father would say, "Which of these things do you want to do?" When he handed me that, I'm going to date myself now, he handed me the triptych from Triple A,Gretchen: Oh yeah.Andy: where you have to flip through the pages and look over the maps to see where we were going. Yes. pre-GPS day kids.Gretchen: Yes.Andy: I felt that was really like, that was my vacation. It wasn't my parents taking me somewhere. So, I think, you know, we talk about that in school. Kids have agency when they feel like that they have ownership and engagement and choice. And vacations are no different.Gretchen: Yeah. And I like, you know, what you said about packing things that can help with soothing when you're in a new environment. One of my favorite things, actually on Understood's website is something we have called a sensory travel kit, and it talks about the types of things that you could put in this kit to, you know, like you said, headphones for noise.Perhaps your kid really likes to be chewing on something so like a crunchy food or soft food, sometimes texture, right? Like when you travel to Grandma's house, her towels are different than yours. Then why can't you bring one of your home towels so that your kid feels comforted by the same feeling of the towel? And I will say the ultimate favorite tip on this list, which I have used personally, is to bring Post-it notes for the sensors on automatic toilets. Because when my kids were little, they did not like the surprise it brought. And so having that Post-it and sticking it over the sensors,Rachel: This is genius.Gretchen: was a game changer. So, check out that sensory tool kit on our site. I will definitely put the link in our show notes.Rachel: So, Andy, the last thing we want to touch on today is sleep. And this is a big one. It's a little less fun. But, you know, we know that having a regular sleep schedule is really helpful for kids and for grown-ups who have a hard time getting enough sleep. And in the summertime, I am again torn.So, my kids are on a break, and, you know, that seems like a great argument to say, well, they should be allowed to just kind of stay up and hang out until whenever. So, let's say, you know, obviously, if there's a camp schedule or a get-out-the-door time, that's a little bit different. But if it's this sort of like open time in the summer, what do you think about bedtime and sleep schedules?Andy: So, I'm a little bit of a curmudgeon here with this stuff. You know, the bottom line is that if you have a learning and thinking difference or you have your kid as ADHD, one of the things that is most effective in helping your child navigate their own neurology is to be well rested. And you know, what have I said to you during summer break, I'm just going to let my kids skip as many meals as they want, eat at three in the morning, you know, we would not look at that in the same light.And yet with sleep, we are very much cavalier about how much we let sleep go. So, I would say that, listen, a lot is going to depend on your own household. In my household, we have working parents. So, if my child's up until 2:30 in the morning, then sleeps in, we're going to have conflict of stimulation, meaning I'm going to be up in the morning making noise. And I'll be honest, I'm not going to be really tiptoeing around because I have to work eight feet from your bedroom door.Gretchen: Yeah.Rachel: Yeah.Andy: So, within reason, giving them some flexibility for when they go to sleep. But I really want to keep sleep and wake times within a reasonable window. I never want to go too far, maybe more than an hour max, maybe 90 minutes more on either side, because the reality is they need it. If they have growing bodies and keep in mind that this affects all members of a household. So, if you've got to get up in the morning and your kids are forcing you to stay up later and you're not getting self-care as a parent, that's going to weigh you down.And by the time you get to late July, early August, you're going to be looking to, you know, "Can my kids start school early?" Because it's really maddening to folks. So, a little bit of flexibility is, OK, if you guys are away and let's say you do a Disney vacation and they have, you know, a 10:30 fireworks show or whatever. These are things you have to flex for, and you just say, "OK," your kids will recover. But again, you can't wear your kids out. They're going to get sick more often if they're not sleeping.Gretchen: Yeah.Andy: It makes it a lot harder.Gretchen: Yeah. And then if you really get them off schedule, the adjustment back to school is so tough.Rachel: Yeah, it's like jet lag. Yeah, it’s like if they're just shifted where even if they're getting the right, the quote right amount of sleep, but it's starting 2 hours later than it should.Gretchen: Yeah.Rachel: And then they're getting up like, you know what feels like lunchtime then what?Gretchen: Yeah. So, when school is getting closer, it's time to start adjusting, right? To not wait until a couple of days before, but really, like, weeks before. Start just crawling back to those regular times and maybe adding in a few other things that your kid has to do when school starts so that you get some practice in not just two days before.Andy: Oh, without a doubt. Without a doubt.Gretchen: OK. So, we've been focusing a lot on the challenges of summer. Andy, quick response. What should we be celebrating about summer for our kids?Andy: Celebrating the achievement that we successfully made it through another school year. Yeah. And every time your kid gets a year older and you're in a summer vacation, they can do more cool stuff with you as they're sort of getting more to that, you know, closer to the adult level. Your kids are going to be more able to engage with you. And I think celebrating their independence, celebrating their skill building, and celebrating the things that were hard that they got through is always really important.Rachel: It's like a big exhale.Andy: Oh, yes.Gretchen: Well, thank you, Andy, so much for chatting with us today about summer.Rachel: And thank you for the great tips.Andy: Thanks for having me, guys. This is always fun. Just talking with friends here.Gretchen: You've been listening to "In It" from the Understood Podcast Network.Rachel: This show is for you, so we want to make sure you're getting what you need. Email us at init@understood.org to share your thoughts. We love hearing from you.Gretchen: If you want to learn more about the topics we covered today, check out the show notes for this episode. We include more resources as well as links to anything we mentioned in the episode.Rachel: Understood.org is a resource dedicated to helping people who learn and think differently discover their potential and thrive. Learn more at Understood.org/mission.Gretchen: "In It" is produced by Julie Subrin. Briana Berry is our production director. Justin D. Wright mixes the show. Mike Errico wrote our theme music.Rachel: For the Understood Podcast Network, Laura Key is our editorial director, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick is our executive producer. Thanks for listening.Gretchen: And thanks for always being "in it" with us.
IEP and special education terms
When it comes to special education, you may run into terms and jargon that you’re not familiar with. Here are key IEP and special education terms and abbreviations you may see and hear.504 plan: A blueprint for supporting a student with a disability by removing barriers. It gives the student equal access to learning in the general education classroom. Students with 504 plans tend not to need specialized instruction (special education).accommodation: This is a change to or in a student’s learning environment. Accommodations help students learn and show what they’ve learned by removing barriers. For instance, students who take longer to answer questions because of learning differences might be allowed extra time to take a test. Even with accommodations, students are expected to learn the same content as their peers.annual goals: The IEP document lists the academic and functional (everyday) skills the IEP team thinks a student can achieve by the end of a school year. These goals are geared toward helping students take part in the general education curriculum. IEP goals need to be realistic and measurable. Many schools write SMART goals. (SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented and Time-bound.)assistive technology (AT): Any device, equipment, or software that helps students learn, communicate, and function better in school. AT ranges from simple tools (like highlighters) to high-tech software (like apps that read text aloud).behavior intervention plan (BIP): A plan designed to proactively teach and reinforce positive behavior. Typically, the plan uses strategies to prevent and address behavior that gets in the way of learning. It may also have supports and aids for the student. A BIP is often included as part of an IEP. To get a BIP, a student must have a functional behavioral assessment.disability: A condition recognized by the law. To qualify for an IEP, students must have a disability that falls under one of the 13 categories listed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Many students who learn and think differently are eligible in one of three categories: (1) specific learning disability; (2) other health impairment; and (3) speech or language impairment.due process: A formal process for resolving disputes about special education and IEPs. Due process isn’t the only way to resolve a dispute. There are other options, like mediation and filing a state complaint.extended school year services (ESY): Special education services provided outside of the regular school year, such as during the summer or, less commonly, during extended breaks like winter break.general education curriculum: This is the knowledge and skills that all students throughout a state are expected to master. The curriculum varies from state to state.Individualized Education Program (IEP): An IEP outlines the program of special education instruction, supports, and services kids need to make progress and thrive in school. Some people refer to the written document that outlines this as the IEP (in which case p can stand for plan).Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): The nation’s special education law. IDEA is a federal law that guarantees all students with disabilities access to a free, appropriate public education.least restrictive environment (LRE): Students with documented disabilities must be taught in the least restrictive environment. This means they must be taught as much as possible in the same setting as peers who don’t have disabilities. In most circumstances, schools must offer services and supports to help students with an IEP thrive in a general education classroom.modification: A modification is a change in what a student is expected to learn and demonstrate. For example, a teacher might ask the class to write an essay that analyzes three major battles during a war. A student with a modification may only be asked to write about the basic facts of those battles. Modifications are different from accommodations.parent report: This is a letter families write to document their child’s strengths, struggles, and success at school, at home, and in the community. Sharing the report with the IEP team gives a more complete view of the student.positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS): PBIS is a proactive, schoolwide approach used to promote positive behavior and improve school safety. PBIS creates a school culture in which all students learn about behavior and use a common language to talk about it.progress reporting: How a school reports on student progress on annual goals. This is specified in the IEP. Progress reporting needs to be provided as often as a school reports on progress in general education for all students.present level of performance (PLOP, PLP, PLAFF, PLAAFP): A description of a student’s current abilities, skills, challenges, and strengths at the time the IEP is written. PLOP describes academic skills (like reading level) and functional skills (like making conversation or writing with a pencil). This is the starting point for setting annual IEP goals.standards-based IEP: A standards-based IEP measures a student’s academic performance against what the state expects of other students in the same grade.special education: Specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a student. It should be designed to give access to the general education curriculum. The instruction is provided at no cost to families.supplementary aids and services: These are supports to help students learn in the general education classroom. They can include equipment or assistive technology, like audiobooks or highlighted classroom notes. They may also include training for staff members to help them learn how to work with students based on their specific needs.related services: Any support services a student needs to benefit from special education. One possible example is transportation. Another is occupational therapy.response to intervention (RTI): RTI is a systematic way of identifying struggling students and providing extra help. Teachers assess the skills of everyone in the class to see which students need evidence-based instructional interventions. Progress is monitored frequently to make sure students are getting the right support and intervention.transition plan: This part of the IEP lays out what a teen will learn and do in high school in order to thrive as a young adult. The IEP team and the student develop the plan together before it kicks in at age 16. The transition plan includes goals and activities that are academic and functional. But they extend beyond school to practical life skills and job training.Keep this list of terms handy for future reference. You may also want to learn key terms that describe special education rights.
Building resilience: 8 books to help kids face challenges
Want to help kids build resilience? This trait helps kids learn from setbacks and move forward. One way you can teach resilience is by using books. When kids read or hear stories of how others face challenges, they learn from seeing resilience in action.To help you get started, we asked our Understood Teacher Fellows to share their favorite books about building resilience in children and teens. The teachers also included questions to help kids talk, write, or make drawings about the books.Picture books about resilienceAfter the Fall, by Dan SantatWhat it’s about: This picture book tells the story of how Humpty Dumpty faces his fear of heights after he falls off the wall. What it teaches about resilience: This book encourages readers to work step by step to overcome a fear. What you can talk about with kids: After Humpty fell off the wall, why did he decide not to climb it again? What made him change his mind? Have you ever been afraid to try something? Why? How did you face your fear? Recommended by Ashlee Upp, first-grade teacherLubna and Pebble, by Wendy MeddourWhat it’s about: In this picture book, a little girl named Lubna lives in a refugee camp with her father. While they wait for their chance to move to a new home, Lubna finds comfort in a pebble. She gives it to a boy to help him feel less alone.What it teaches about resilience: This book celebrates the power of care and resilience during difficult circumstances. What you can talk about with kids: How did the pebble help Lubna feel safe? Why did Lubna give away the pebble even though she loved it so much? What helps you when you’re scared or worried?Recommended by Jessica Cisneros, instructional coach Trying, by Kobi Yamada What it’s about: In this picture book, a young man wants to try sculpting but is afraid to fail. An older sculptor shares his own failures — and how much he loves them. This inspires the young man to keep trying. What it teaches about resilience: Kids can see that it’s OK for things not to be perfect. Failure is not failure when you learn from it. What you can talk about with kids: What is something you tried to do but failed? Did you keep trying or give up? What can we do to help each other keep trying?Recommended by Brian Smith, kindergarten teacherWhistle for Willie, by Ezra Jack KeatsWhat it’s about: This classic picture book tells the story of a little boy who wants to be able to whistle for his dog. He keeps trying — at times getting frustrated — but he eventually learns to whistle. What it teaches about resilience: The story inspires kids to not give up, even when things get hard.What you can talk about with kids: What did the boy do when he couldn’t whistle? Have you ever had a frustrating experience like Willie? What kinds of things help you keep trying?Recommended by Melissa Sandler, staff development teacherAvailable in Spanish and as an audiobookGraphic novel about resilience When Stars Are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar MohamedWhat it’s about: Based on a true story, this graphic novel tells the story of two brothers living in a refugee camp in Kenya. What it teaches about resilience: This novel highlights the human spirit and its ability to persevere through challenges, even in the most extraordinary circumstances. What you can talk about with kids: How is school both an opportunity and a challenge for Omar? How is school both an opportunity and a challenge for you?Recommended by Jessica Cisneros, instructional coach Available as an audiobookChapter books about resilienceFish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly HuntWhat it’s about: Sixth grader Ally is bullied by her classmates and tries to hide that she has dyslexia. When her new teacher helps her see her strengths as a learner, her confidence improves in many ways. What it teaches about resilience: Kids can learn that even though it may be challenging to see their differences as strengths, differences are what make them shine.What you can talk about with kids: What ways did the teacher encourage Ally to see her strengths? In what ways do people in your life inspire and motivate you? If Ally was your friend, how might you support or advise her?Recommended by Lauren Jewett, special education teacherAvailable in Spanish and as an audiobookA Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’EngleWhat it’s about: This young adult novel tells the story of Meg Murry, who feels like she doesn't fit in. The book follows the 13-year-old on a difficult adventure through space and time to search for her missing father. (Younger readers may not be ready for the book’s themes of mind control and abandonment.)What it teaches about resilience: Kids will see that you can draw on your strengths and experiences when faced with challenges. What you can talk about with kids: Meg doesn’t see herself as particularly resilient. In what ways is she more resilient than she thinks? In what ways are you resilient?Recommended by TJ Thornton, fourth-grade teacherAvailable in Spanish and as an audiobookMemoir about resilienceI Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormickWhat it’s about: In this memoir, Malala Yousafzai tells the story of her experience growing up in Pakistan. She writes about advocating for girls’ education and the dangers she faces because of it. In 2014, she won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17.What it teaches about resilience: Malala’s story demonstrates the power of perseverance and grit. Kids will see how Malala uses challenges in her life to fuel her desire to impact the world. What you can talk about with kids: How did Malala persevere when faced with adversity? What has helped you persevere when faced with a challenge?Recommended by Carly Bowden, seventh-grade teacher Available in Spanish and as an audiobookMore strategies for building resilience6 ways to build resilience in kidsStrengths chain: Hands-on activity to help kids identify their strengthsDownload: Growth mindset activities for kids
Different types of online classrooms
Think online learning might be a good fit for your child’s needs? This form of personalized learning can have advantages for some kids with learning and thinking differences. But not all online classrooms are the same. Consider these differences before you make your choice.What different online classrooms can offerOnline learning comes in many forms. There are traditional classrooms that offer online activities. There are fully online classrooms outside of the school building. And there are options for blended classrooms that fall somewhere in between.Here are the five types of blended and fully online learning:The “rotation model” is a single course or subject where students participate in online learning in the classroom or at home. It includes the “flipped classroom,” where kids in traditional classrooms get online lessons to do at home. They also get face-to-face classroom instruction and can problem-solve with the teacher.The “flex model” is a single-subject course where online lessons are the center of instruction. For example, a child might attend public school but take an English class online.The “à la carte model” is a single course or a series of courses offered entirely online. The student can take it at the school building or off-site. Popular at the high school level, this model is taught by a virtual teacher.The “enriched virtual model” is a single course or series of courses with some face-to-face learning, but most of it is online so students can work off-site. This model is largely available for high school students.The “fully online model” or virtual classroom is where all coursework is taken remotely or off-site and the teacher or teachers are online. Available for K–12 students, this model is becoming more common at the elementary and middle school level. It requires an adult to be at home and available to the online school during instructional hours.Types of support in online classroomsBoth bended and fully online classrooms may offer supports that fit the needs of kids with learning and attention challenges. These supports fall into two main categories:Classrooms with “accessible options” provide things like larger digital text size and text-to-speech applications. These supports are largely used to address physical and sensory processing issues — along with reading issues.Classrooms with “cognitive access” provide supports to help students with learning and thinking differences. Those might include graphic organizers, scaffolding, chunking material, multiple displays, and the use of audio and video to share material.When considering different types of online learning for your child, it’s important to ask these questions:What instructional supports are embedded in the online lessons?How much media, such as video and audio, is available to differentiate learning?What are the tools to adapt the online lessons so they’re accessible to kids with learning and thinking differences?How much of the instruction is text-based?The personalized experienceOnline lessons require a level of independence. Students are expected to absorb the content, follow directions, stay on task, and answer questions. The personalized aspect is that kids can move at their own pace.But depending on the online classroom, you can personalize the experience even more for your child. Different features and tools may be embedded in the online lesson or course. These may include:Text-to-speech with word or sentence highlights.Visuals that illustrate key concepts.Lessons that provide information in different ways. These could be audio files to go along with text. They could also include interactive features that let students click and drag content to sort key words, main ideas, and relevant information.Alternatives to print or text-based information. That can be through graphics, video, pictures, and adjustable formats.Varied options for students to express or share what they know beyond traditional writing assignments.Levels of parent involvement in online classroomsParents play a very different role depending on the type of online classroom. So it’s important to know what the different programs require of you.In a blended classroom, your child can get help from the “face-to-face” teacher at school. In a fully online classroom, the teacher is virtual. You or another other adult will need to be more hands-on and involved in your child’s everyday learning. That’s especially true during grade school and early middle school.For instance, depending on the program, you might be responsible for:Having weekly or monthly calls or video meetings with your child’s teacher. You’ll need to come prepared with questions, concerns and solutions to improve your child’s experience.Reporting how well your child is doing with completing the online lesson. You’ll need to be able to update the teacher on challenges your child is having with schoolwork. You’ll also need to explain why assignments haven’t been completed.Serving as a co-teacher. When their kids do fully online education, many parents act as co-teachers. That means developing learning strategies and supports for lessons and then using them with your child.When looking at any type of school option, it’s important to keep in mind your child’s strengths and weaknesses. That goes for traditional classrooms, online learning, or homeschooling. Knowing your child’s needs — and the ways your child learns best — can help guide you toward the right choice. You can also use this checklist to assess if online school might be a good option for your child.
Lesson planning with Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Finding the time to adapt lessons to meet the needs of every student can be a daunting task. Lesson planning with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can help you design your lessons to teach the range of students in your classrooms.UDL can transform your classroom practice. However, there is no “magic box” of tools and resources in a UDL classroom. Instead, when you integrate UDL, you’ll notice the following:There is a strong focus on goals. In a UDL classroom, there is a strong focus on learning goals for students. Teachers and students talk about why those goals matter and how they support challenging, meaningful opportunities to learn. You’ll also see students creating their own learning goals. There is a focus on variability. In a UDL learning environment, differences in experience, knowledge, and ability are expected. Flexible options are built into lessons for all students. That allows you and your students to talk about how different tools or resources support them as they work toward the goal. It also means not all of your students will be doing the same thing at the same time.There is a focus on the barriers in the design of the environment. In a UDL classroom, the focus is on how to change the design of the curricular goals, assessments, methods, and materials — not on how to “fix” the students. For example, you may have asked yourself, “Why aren’t my students engaged?” UDL would encourage you to reframe the question: “How can the design of this lesson better engage students?” Learn more about how Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST, can help you design your lessons to meet the needs of all your students. Planning a lesson with UDL includes three stages: Proactive design, implementation of the lesson, and reflection and redesign.Step 1: Proactively design Proactive design means that you analyze the goal of the lesson, anticipate the variability of your students, and add design strategies into the lesson. That way, you can reduce barriers to learning and make sure all students have pathways to achieve the goal. Here’s what that looks like in practice:Analyze the lesson goal. Why: We have so many goals for our students. We want them to build content expertise. We want them to build skills, develop socially and emotionally, and also meet curricular standards. One of the most critical parts of planning with UDL is to analyze and understand the different parts of a lesson goal. (Those different parts are the measurable outcomes of the lesson and are sometimes known as objectives.) How: Take one of your curricular standards or objectives and separate the means (how students must demonstrate understanding) from the content (what students need to know).For example, imagine a lesson in which your students read about the stages of butterfly metamorphosis and then draw a diagram of the process. This lesson has three main objectives — to have your students read, learn the stages of butterfly metamorphosis, and draw a scientific process. To analyze the goal, you need to identify the primary objective for this part of the lesson.All of the lesson’s objectives are important. In the end, you’ll want students to integrate all of them. But planning with UDL requires you to step back and recognize that there are barriers for students in each of these tasks. You can provide support for these barriers. Consider this:If the primary objective is to work on reading comprehension, engaging with the topic could be a barrier. After all, butterfly metamorphosis may not be compelling to all students. Having a few topics to choose from could help students engage and build their reading skills.If the primary objective is to learn the stages of butterfly metamorphosis, reading a complex text could be a barrier. Because reading is not the essential part of the lesson, there could be a text-to-speech option or a video on the stages of butterfly metamorphosis. If the primary objective is to learn how to diagram a scientific process, not knowing which pieces of information to include could be a barrier. Having the option to use a template or to collaborate with a partner could reduce the barrier and help deepen the understanding of how to diagram a scientific process.The UDL Lesson Planning Template can help you analyze the goals and decide on the primary content or skills you want students to develop. It will help you think about the content your students need to understand, group work that may be involved, and different skills they’ll use in the activity or task. Anticipate student variability.Why: Once you identify the primary objective for a lesson, then you can anticipate that there will be variability in your students. Some may have a lot of background knowledge and skills. Others may still be learning the language or how to use academic vocabulary. Some may struggle to express what they know, or have trouble with focus.You can create flexible options in the design of the goals, assessments, methods, materials, and environment — and make them available for all your students.How: Use CAST’s UDL Guidelines as a tool to help you anticipate variability among your students. Then, design flexible learning options to align with the three broad learning networks of the brain: affective (the “why” of learning), recognition (the “what” of learning), and strategic (the “how” of learning). To support variability in affective networks, integrate options for engagement, such as:Choice boards to recruit interestOptions for collaboration to sustain effort and persistenceOptions for how students can reflect on self-regulation To support variability in recognition networks, offer options for representation, such as:Visual and auditory options for perceptionVocabulary supports for language and symbolsGraphic organizers for comprehensionTo support variability in strategic networks, offer options for action and expression, such as:Assistive technology for physical actionFlexible ways to draw, record, write, or build for expression and communicationChecklists or rubrics for executive functioning skills Add design strategies to reduce barriers.Why: Providing a flexible learning “buffet” of options for students to choose from reduces barriers to learning. These barriers might otherwise prevent students from making progress or engaging in the lesson. With UDL, you make the options available for all students. That’s because you recognize that each student has different preferences, strengths, and challenges that vary based on the given context. How: Reflect on where your students typically get stuck during a lesson or where you tend to have to re-teach. These are the “barriers.” They can help you identify where there might be opportunities to integrate flexible options into your lesson. Identifying specific barriers will help you avoid the problem of having too many options. Make sure your choices align with the skills and knowledge you want students to learn from the lesson.Step 2: ImplementThis phase involves facilitating the lesson, observing, and getting feedback on how students are building the skills and habits. Facilitate and observe.Why: In a UDL environment, your students are invited to take charge of some of their learning decisions. That’s why we say the lessons are “facilitated” instead of “taught.” Students are encouraged to connect learning to real-world issues that matter to them. They’re also invited to show what they know in a variety of ways and build background knowledge to become “expert learners” in the discipline. How: As you facilitate the lesson, make sure the goal is clear to students. They should understand what they are working to achieve. Give them access to a variety of options of what their work can look like. Explain how those examples show that students have met the lesson goal.For example, if your students typically struggle with a new concept after you present it, you could make a short video recording of key ideas. Or you could offer a bulleted list of the key ideas. Students can then choose to use one or more of those options. Make sure that there are options regularly available for any student to use as needed.During the lesson:Observe how students are — or aren’t — using the options. Work with students to develop a deeper understanding of what they need — or don’t need — to achieve the goal. Offer process-based feedback to students as they are working. Connect feedback to progress toward the desired goal.Step 3: Reflect and redesignThe reflection and redesign phase allows you to consider your next instructional moves. Why: This kind of formative assessment can help you plan upcoming lessons and deepen the learning experience for your students.How: At the end of the lesson, collect feedback from students about how they made progress, what supported their learning, and where they got stuck. Take a look at student work and feedback, too. Don’t forget to use your own observations of the lesson to reflect. Ask yourself:Was the goal meaningful and challenging? Did students know what the goal and objectives were so they could make progress?Did the lesson design anticipate variability? How was there a range of engagement, background understanding, and skills? Were there flexible options available for engagement, representation, and action and expression that students could choose?Could the lesson design further reduce barriers? Where were students still stuck or frustrated? Where did you have to reteach? Can you identify one or two new ideas you could integrate into the design of the lesson next time? How could you collaborate with other teachers and invite discussion with students for ideas to help reduce the barriers, and increase the challenge and meaning of the goal? As the year progresses, you’ll get to know your students better. Plus, they’ll become more familiar with the flexible tools and strategies available to them. Lesson planning with UDL will become more automatic and will help the full range of students to become expert learners. Learn more about UDLWhat is UDL?CAST resources to help teachers put UDL into practice
Evidence-based math instruction: What you need to know
You’ve probably heard one or more students say “I’m not a math person.” Some may have had experiences that made them dislike math. Others have the idea that they can’t be good at math because of their gender. But some students who say they’re not “math people” might be among the 25–35 percent of students who truly struggle with math. They could even be among the 5–8 percent of students who have significant challenges with math. Yet, we know that a strong foundation in math is important for all students. It opens doors to higher-level math courses and to careers in the STEM field.The good news is that there are effective, evidence-based ways to teach math that can be used with your current curriculum. You can use these teaching practices to help every student learn math at all grade levels — from addition to algorithms. What is evidence-based math instruction?There are four elements that make up effective math teaching. 1. Explicit instruction with cumulative practiceWhat it is: Explicit instruction is a way of teaching that makes the learning process completely clear for students. With explicit instruction, you model a skill and verbalize your thinking process, using clear and concise language. You give students opportunities for guided and independent practice — including practicing the new skill and reviewing skills that they’ve learned in the past. You also give students quick feedback so they stay on track. Research has shown that using explicit math instruction can improve students’ ability to perform operations and solve word problems. Why it helps: When you use this practice, you model the skill so clearly that students don’t need to guess what they have to do. The cumulative practice of explicit instruction is especially helpful because it keeps old skills fresh in students’ minds. That’s a big plus for students who struggle with working memory. Repeated practice of related skills done over time helps them to quickly retrieve information and keeps up their math fact fluency. Making sense of instructions (such as multi-step math problems) is a challenge for students who have trouble with language processing. Math requires students to process a lot of language, both oral and written. Explicit instruction can reduce how much of that processing a student needs to do.Teaching tipsShare a clear learning goal with students.Use “do nows” that activate prior knowledge, such as a beginning-of-the-class word problem to revisit a skill you taught the day before.Give a crystal clear explanation of the skill or strategy.Use multiple examples to show all the steps. (In some cases, use different examples, like some addition problems with the greater addend first and other addition problems with the lesser addend first.)Do a think-aloud to verbalize your thinking.Allow lots of opportunities for guided and independent practice. Vary how you ask for student responses, such as verbal (like choral response), written (like stop-and-jot), and nonverbal cues (thumbs up/thumbs down).Include previously learned skills in practice opportunities.Give students immediate feedback.2. Visual representationWhat it is: Visual representation is a way for students to see math. You can visually represent math using number lines, tape diagrams (also known as bar models), pictures, graphs, and graphic organizers.Visual representation is often used in an instructional approach called concrete-representational-abstract, or CRA. (Some teachers call this approach concrete-pictorial-abstract.) With CRA, you use visual representations to help students understand abstract math concepts. For example, students can use concrete manipulatives like Unifix cubes to solve an addition problem. (Even though concrete manipulatives are more commonly used in elementary classrooms, they can help older students, too.) Students could also use drawings or pictures (again, more visuals) to show the same math concept. For example, students might use tally marks to represent the addition problem. At the same time, you could show the same concept in the abstract as an addition sentence with numbers and symbols. With CRA, you don't need to follow the order of concrete, then representational, then abstract. You might have students use concrete tools while you model the same concept in the abstract. Also, you can go back and forth between the three representations based on your students’ needs. Why it helps: Visual representations help all students understand abstract math concepts and solve problems. These representations can remove language barriers related to word problems for students who learn and think differently, as well as for English language learners. When students create their own visual representations, they have a way to show their understanding (or misunderstanding that you can then correct). In fact, research shows that students who use accurate visual representations are six times more likely to correctly solve problems compared to students who do not use them.Note: This strategy may not be as useful for students who struggle with math because of difficulties with spatial reasoning or visualization. It can also pose challenges for students who are blind or who have low vision. For these students, you can make accommodations such as using large-print texts or tactile graphics. Tactile graphics are simple 3D representations of spatial ideas, such as pictures, maps, graphs, diagrams, and other images. They use raised lines and other tactile features to provide the information your student needs to learn. Talk with your district’s consultant for the visually impaired about how to teach students to use these tools.Teaching tipsTeach students to use number lines, tape diagrams, pictures, graphs, and math graphic organizers.Encourage students to use visual representations to show their mathematical thinking, like using a hundreds chart while they practice skip counting.Introduce concepts and skills using concrete manipulatives, like using base 10 blocks to teach place value. Show concepts and skills using representations and pictures, like tallies, dots, and circles.Model concepts and skills at the abstract level, like using numbers and symbols.Provide students with practice opportunities at each stage. 3. Schema-based instructionWhat it is: One of the most effective ways to help students solve word problems is to teach them to identify word problem types. According to research, this practice is especially helpful for students who struggle with math.You can explicitly teach students to recognize the patterns in word problems. This is called schema-based instruction, meaning that students use what they know about patterns in word problems to solve the problem. There are two main types of schemas: additive and multiplicative. Additive includes addition and subtraction problems. Multiplicative includes multiplication and division problems.Consider this word problem: “Erin has 4 crayons. Aleysha has 3 crayons. How many crayons do they have together?” Students might recognize that it follows a pattern of having two sets of items and the word “together.” That can lead students to recognize an additive schema. After students identify the schema, they can represent the information using a diagram or an equation before solving. Why it helps: Students who struggle in math can have difficulty recognizing patterns and relationships in new situations. (This is known as fluid reasoning.) Schema instruction explicitly teaches students how to identify patterns as a way to connect it to the correct strategy to solve that type of word problem.Students who learn and think differently, especially those who have challenges with executive functioning skills, may also have difficulty with working memory and multi-step directions. Research shows that students who were taught using schema-based instruction were better able to solve both familiar and new multi-step problems.Teaching tipsTeach students to analyze a word problem and identify the pattern.Identify for students the unique features of each type of problem.Explicitly teach the math vocabulary needed for that problem.Show how to represent the information using a concrete representation first and then a visual representation.Show multiple ways to solve the same problem.4. Peer interactionWhat it is: With peer interaction, you pair up students to work together and have discussions about math. For example, students might do independent practice and then meet up with a partner to share what they learned. You can use flexible grouping to match up students, like pairing students with similar math abilities or by different strengths. Why it helps: Peer discussions can develop students’ math language and vocabulary, as well as helping students express their reasoning. It can also help them become more aware of problem-solving processes — both how they solved the problem and how others solved it. Students who struggle with math may find this routine helpful because their peers may be able to explain a concept in a way they better understand. All students can benefit from seeing that the same problem can be solved in multiple ways.Teaching tipsPre-teach how to have peer-to-peer discussions. Work as a class to establish rules (like not talking over one another) and discussion prompts (like “What can you add to my explanation?”). Encourage students to compare the ways they solved a problem and discuss the differences in their approaches. Build in time at the end of your lessons for students to reflect with each other about their independent practice opportunities. You can even just put up a piece of student work and ask students, “What do you notice?” Allow time for students to do math work with partners or in small groups. Who does evidence-based math instruction help? Effective math teaching can help all students — but it’s particularly useful for students who struggle with math.Students with dyscalculia, a learning disability that affects math, may have difficulty understanding number-related concepts. For instance, they may struggle to understand that the numeral 5 is the same as a group of five items and as the word five. They might also have trouble using math symbols or understanding math-related concepts like greater than or less than. Evidence-based math instruction helps students with dyscalculia because it provides them with the explicit guidance and scaffolding they need to help them gain skills and understanding. Students may also struggle with math because of trouble with executive functioning. Math requires students to pay attention to details, plan, and self-monitor. Students also have to keep track of steps — and maybe even change direction while they work. Evidence-based math instruction helps these students because it breaks problems into multiple steps and reduces distractions.How do I get started with evidence-based math instruction in my classroom?Your school’s math curriculum may not include all of these elements. Or maybe your training didn’t cover this type of math teaching. If you want to have a better understanding of these strategies, you can also advocate for professional development in your school on this topic.But even without formal training, you can try out any one of the elements of evidence-based math instruction in your classroom. For example, if a student is having trouble with the concept of place value, begin by providing base 10 blocks to show how two hundreds blocks, three tens blocks, and four ones blocks make the number 234 (concrete). Then move on to having the student draw it (representational), and finally move to 200 + 30 + 4 = 234 (abstract).Explore these strategies that include key elements of evidence-based math instruction:Representing numbersCounting with manipulativesPlace value with straw bundlesPlace value with disksBuilding fact fluencyFraction number lines Dividing fractions with fractions strips How can families support this at home?Common Core math standards. “New math.” These are just some of the terms families may have heard about math. Before your parent-teacher conferences, share this checklist (Spanish version here) with families.It was created by Understood Teacher Fellow Pauli Evanson. The checklist will help families prepare their questions about math ahead of your meeting. Once you start using evidence-based math instruction, you’ll begin to see that best practices that support students who struggle with math are also good for all students.
Nonverbal signals: An evidence-based behavior strategy
Looking for a way to foster communication while limiting interruptions during instruction? Try using nonverbal signals, which are also called silent signals.With nonverbal signals, you and your students can communicate with each other quietly, quickly, and discreetly. It also allows students to communicate their needs to you without drawing attention to themselves.Watch: See nonverbal signals in actionWatch this classroom video from EL Education to learn the many ways you can use nonverbal signals.Read: How to use this strategyObjective: Students will be able to recognize, respond to, and use pre-taught nonverbal signals for communication and to share behavioral needs.Grade levels (with standards): K–12 (CASEL Core SEL Competencies: Self-management, Social awareness, Relationship skills)Best used for instruction with:Whole classIndividualsHow to prepare: Identify signals. Before you introduce nonverbal signals to your class, identify each signal you want to use and its purpose. Choose signals to focus on. Prioritize just a few signals that will reduce interruptions. Too many can be overwhelming to remember and can lead to frustration instead of clarity.Here are some commonly used signals a student may use to communicate with a teacher. And here are some nonverbal signals you can use to communicate with your students.How to teach:1. Introduce the concept. Prompt your students to think about situations when they’ve seen or used nonverbal signals in the classroom. For example, students might say they’ve seen you pat the air downward with your hands when you’d like them to lower their voices. Explain that as a class, you’ll develop shared signals that can be used for communicating quietly with one another. Talk about how these signals are especially useful for limiting interruptions during class discussions or for when you’re giving instructions.2. Share your set of signals with your class. Demonstrate and explain the use of each signal. With younger students, consider introducing only one new signal each week. Role-play various classroom situations and ask students to show you which signal(s) could be used. 3. Get feedback from the students. Be open to students’ suggestions for signals. Inviting your students to give input sets the expectation that you’re all responsible for building classroom community and its norms. Encourage students to let you know if any of the signals don’t feel comfortable for them to use. Let them know it’s OK to approach you to discuss it privately. Gestures don’t always mean the same thing across cultures. Also, students who struggle with motor skills may have difficulty making some of the signals. Share with the class any modifications or variations you’ve created based on your conversations with specific students. If there’s a reason behind a modification that’s appropriate to share with the class, such as a cultural difference in the use of a signal, make that a learning moment. (You don’t have to specify who brought that difference to your attention.)4. Display a poster or bulletin board with an example of each signal. It can serve as a visual reminder for students and classroom guests. You can even make your own visuals by taking photos of your students using the signals. Many students also benefit from a handout version for their desks or notebooks.5. Review and name signals. At the beginning, make sure to name the signals as you use them until most students are using them consistently. Some students, such as students who learn and think differently or English language learners, will need this verbal support for a longer time. And after school vacations or when new students arrive, review or reteach the signals. You can even have your students lead these sessions with your support.Understand: Why this strategy worksStudents who have learning and thinking differences may struggle with executive function. They often have difficulty with paying attention, regulating emotions, staying focused, keeping still, or staying quiet in class. In fact, many students (whether or not they have learning and thinking differences) struggle with these skills. You may find yourself repeatedly responding to requests for bathroom breaks or asking students to quiet down. These small interruptions can add up, disrupting routines and taking time away from instruction.Nonverbal signals allow you to respond to students without calling unwanted attention to them. This is especially beneficial for students who may need repeat reminders. You can even co-create signals with individual students who frequently need specific reminders.Nonverbal signals are also an effective way to check for understanding, which is important for all students and particularly for English language learners, students who process information more slowly, or those who have other challenges with communication.With nonverbal signals, you can preserve instructional time and level the playing field for students who learn and think differently by providing an avenue of communication that’s discreet and shared by all students in the classroom.Connect: Link school to homeFor consistency between home and school, explain to families how nonverbal signals work. Create and share a handout or a video to demonstrate the signals you’re using in class.Research behind this strategy“Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior,” from Psychology in the Schools“Evidence-based classroom and behaviour management content in Australian pre-service primary teachers’ coursework: Wherefore art thou?” from Australian Journal of Teacher Education“Evidence-based classroom behaviour management strategies,” from Kairaranga“Teaching teachers to use prompts, opportunities to respond, and specific praise,” from Teacher Education and Special Education
Flexible grouping: What you need to know
Flexible grouping is a data-driven teaching practice. With this practice, you put students into temporary groups to work together for only as long as is needed for them to develop an identified skill or to complete a learning activity. The groups can be heterogeneous (made up of varying skill levels) or homogeneous (made up of the same skill level). The groups change often based on the learning objective and students’ needs or interests.If you’re like most teachers, putting students into groups is an important part of your day-to-day classroom life. That concept of grouping dates back to the days of the one-room schoolhouse, when teachers grouped students by age or ability. In today’s inclusive classrooms, we know age and ability don’t correspond neatly across subjects. Students have different strengths, interests, and needs depending on the content area, specific lesson, or even the time of day. Few students engage at the exact same academic, social-emotional, or linguistic level every day. That’s where flexible grouping comes in.What is flexible grouping?Flexible grouping uses a mix of heterogeneous groups (made up of students with varying skill levels) and homogeneous groups (made up of students with similar skill level) to help students achieve a learning goal. The size of the groups can vary — from two or three students in a small group to up to six students in a larger group. Students work together, often with the guidance of a teacher, only for the length of time necessary for them to develop an identified skill or to complete a learning activity. That makes it different from static groups that don’t change based on students’ needs, acquisition of skills, or knowledge. Flexible grouping is driven by data. You can use data you already have about students to group and regroup them to meet their evolving needs. The data doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be as simple as observing students’ work during a lesson. In doing so, you may see that some students could benefit from more practice in a small group before moving on. A key component of flexible grouping is that while all students are working toward the same learning goal, the work addresses students’ varying learning needs. The work is engaging and important for all students, but the task or how they show what they’ve learned may look different for each group. Why use flexible grouping? Flexible grouping is a powerful and effective practice for improving learning. It allows your students to get the right support, in the right way, at the right time. When flexible grouping is part of the classroom routine, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about one or more students working with the teacher on a specific project. Students who struggle don’t feel singled out or embarrassed. Because groups change frequently and aren’t based on ability level alone, all students have the chance to get to know and work with each other. In fact, according to research, all students in classrooms that use flexible grouping show academic gains. Benefits for studentsNot being pigeonholed. Flexible grouping allows for regrouping for different content areas. That’s beneficial to students who learn and think differently because they may have challenges in some content areas and not in others. For instance, a student who struggles with reading but not math can be grouped with other students who have similar support needs in reading. That student can then be regrouped for math.Feeling valued. Students bring their own skills, talents, and life experiences to the group. In flexible groups, students see that everyone adds value to the learning community. This follows the culturally responsive teaching philosophy of identifying students’ assets and using them to create student-centered instruction. Working in student-led groups means that non-academic strengths, like leadership skills, are important, too. Ownership of work. With flexible grouping, students develop ownership of and responsibility for their own learning. All of this is good preparation for higher education or work, where teams often rely on people with different skill sets to manage the different tasks of a project. Language practice. Flexible grouping is particularly beneficial to English language learners. It gives them more chances to interact with classmates who speak English fluently and to practice both academic and interpersonal language. Students can also be placed in groups with other classmates who speak the same home language. In those groups, they can discuss content or concepts before sharing their ideas in English.Benefits for teachersBuilding a team-oriented culture. Flexible grouping helps build a positive, team-oriented culture in your classroom. Knowledge and practice become more fluid as students are constantly learning from others in the room instead of just relying on you. Efficient opportunities for students to practice. Flexible grouping is a way to provide additional support without having to find time or change your daily schedule to pull students aside. In small groups, you can give students practice opportunities at their instructional level and increased feedback. The opportunity to collect data. Because flexible grouping depends on data, it also gives you a routine for data collection. When students are working in groups, you can collect observational data, as well as more formalized data. For instance, you may ask students to take pictures of their work at the beginning, middle, and end of the lesson. Or you can have an exit ticket for all students, which asks students to do things like:Summarize key points from the lessonShow how they can use what they learned to solve a problemAnswer an essential question based on the lessonIdentify questions they may still haveAll of this data can help you make adjustments to your instruction in the moment. It also helps you tailor your future instruction, which might include switching up your groups the next day. What do flexible groups look like?Flexible groups come in all types and sizes. They can:Include partners, small groups of a couple of students, and large groups of up to six studentsBe heterogeneous (made up of varying abilities) or homogeneous (made up of the same ability)Be teacher-led or student-ledBe assigned or self-selected Last for just one lesson or for a few weeks, depending on the purpose of the activity, learning goals, and dataIn elementary grades, this might look like students rotating among different learning stations, working in guided reading groups that change from week to week, or engaging in a “turn and talk” with different partners each time. In middle school and high school, this might look like collaborative learning groups in which students have clearly defined roles, like being the facilitator or timekeeper.How do I put flexible grouping into practice?1. Define the learning objective for your lesson to determine what type of groups you need. Start with a clear idea of exactly what skills or concepts you want students to master. This will help you in two ways. First, the learning objective will help you be more intentional about what groups to create, including which students belong in the group and the size of the group. Second, with the end goal in mind, you can create checkpoints to monitor each student’s progress and adjust groups when necessary. Tips for planningSchedule time for group work in your lesson plans. Plan how you and your co-teachers (or other support staff) will work together during a lesson. You can maximize flexible grouping instruction when you have more educators in the room to lead learning or circulate to support groups.Plan to work with small groups and have work stations during independent practice times. Try out flexible grouping with your students for short periods of time or to complete quick activities so they can practice. Give them feedback on what went well.Incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) practices into your flexible grouping lessons. 2. Review data to decide which students to group together. Once you have your learning goal in mind, you can turn to student data to guide your decisions about how to group students. For instance, reviewing the exit tickets from a previous day can show you which students didn’t fully master the learning objective. You can then group them together to practice that skill. Or the responses to an equation on the board can help you form groups for the day. The students who understood it can move on and those who didn’t can be grouped to get more support and practice.Tips for using data to form groups Review your students’ learning profiles.Know your students’ interests. Evaluate how previous groupings went.Draw on several sources of data, including:Formal assessment data, like information from the most recent standardized testingInformal observations of studentsStudent self-assessments or questionnaires, like exit tickets from the previous lessonPre- and post-testing around specific skillsUniversal screening data (such as DIBELS or other reading assessments) Data from response to intervention (RTI) programs Review of student writingStart class with a Do Now and end with an exit ticket. They’re great sources of data for future lessons.Use data to identify student successes or misconceptions to address during upcoming lessons.3. Set guidelines for how the groups will interact. Work with your students to create expectations for group work. For example, you might set the expectation that small groups have a timekeeper, a note-taker, and someone to be in charge of the materials. You might also outline only one person in a group speaking at a time and that all group members have a chance to speak during the work time. Clear expectations are critical to effective groups. Tips for group workUse prompting and pre-correcting strategies to establish group behavior expectations and student roles.Create a visual of the roles and expectations for each type of group.Post directions.Create visuals to support students with language needs.Create a place for small group materials.Color-code folders or baskets.Determine set times for each group activity and provide time reminders for students to remain on task.Assign a group member to be a materials manager.Arrange furniture so that there is a whole group learning area and specific areas for small group work.Teach routines for transitioning into small group work. Teach students how to have meaningful conversations with each other (known as Accountable Talk®). Using these strategies provides a framework for interactions as well as prompts and precise language for how they are expected to speak with each other.4. Prompt students to reflect. Build in time at the end of a lesson for students to talk about what they learned. Did they meet the learning goal? What lingering questions do they have? How effectively did their group work together? What could they do better next time? Students can reflect in a whole group discussion, via an exit ticket, or as part of the group’s assignment. This debriefing process can help you make decisions for the next groups you’ll form, like which students may have the same unresolved questions or misunderstandings.Tips for debriefingUse metacognitive strategies to ask students to reflect on their own learning. What advice would they give themselves for next time? What do they need to improve?Ask students to tell you what they want more practice with.Talk through how and from whom students got help when they needed it, and whether they feel they needed more support. Ask targeted questions to gauge how well your students achieved the learning goal. Ask students to give you specific feedback about what they may need in the future to be more successful learners. Use the principles of UDL to give students multiple ways of sharing feedback. For example, students who need more time to process their thoughts can provide feedback later through a Google Doc or paper feedback form. How can families support this at home? Families may be more familiar with the idea of ability grouping than flexible grouping. If that’s the case, they may be confused when their child comes home talking about moving from group to group. To head off confusion, you can explain at back-to-school night or in a class email or newsletter that you’ll be using flexible grouping. Emphasize that students will not change groups just when they need extra help — they’ll switch groups as they make progress, too. Let families know that you’ll keep an eye on how students are doing academically and with whom they work well. That will help you put them in groups and in turn, help students grow. Now that you know more about flexible grouping, how do you plan on using grouping differently in your classroom? Try it out and see how flexible grouping helps you meet the needs of all learners.
Understood Teacher Fellow Juliana Urtubey
Juliana Urtubey is the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. She is an educator at Booker Elementary School in Las Vegas where she co-teaches in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade special education settings. She also serves as an instructional strategist developing schoolwide multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) for academic, social-emotional, and behavioral interventions. During her 10 years as an educator, she has also been a special education teacher at Crestwood Elementary School in Las Vegas.Juliana is a National Board Certified Teacher. She holds a BA in elementary education with bilingual education certification and an MA in bilingual special education, both from the University of Arizona. Juliana was a member of the inaugural class of Understood Teacher Fellows in 2018–2019. She continues to serve as a Mentor Fellow to other teachers in the fellowship program — guiding them on their own journeys to support students who learn and think differently. She is a valued contributor to Understood’s resources for educators and families, particularly by sharing her expertise on building relationships with families of students who learn and think differently.To read and learn more about Juliana’s work, visit these resources:English language learners in special education: 4 things to know about partnering with familiesLa importancia de que las familias hispanas participen en la educación de sus hijos This back-to-school season, Understood is supporting family-educator relationships“Going through struggles together”: Family connections in tough times Supporting Latinx families in special education decisions (Understood Teacher Fellowship capstone project)
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