Yay it's Friday!

Just checking in to be sure everyone has had the modification conferences with your reg. ed. teachers and have had all regular education teachers sign off on mods. I hope they were able to have any questions regarding these modifications answered. Be sure to make yourselves available to our regular education friends. Sometimes our language is foreign to them.  :)

Since we are talking about modifications, I'd like our tip today to focus on the age old question of what is the difference between accommodations and modifications. "Accommodations are intended to help your child work around the disability and demonstrate what he has learned." They don't change a test or assignment in a significant way. The child is expected to learn the same material as his classmates. An example would be if a child with fine motor issues would be allowed to type answers on a test.

Accommodations are meant to "level the playing field".

Modifications, however, change the nature of an assignment or test. They make assignments and tests "easier". For example, a modification may require a child to answer half the questions on a test.

Common accommodations:
provide a tutor
assign a note taker
permit computer use for a child with illegible handwriting
tape recording of lectures
extra time to complete tests
taking tests in a quiet room

Common modifications:
shortened, modified assignments/replacing assignments with "easier" assignments
reducing work to what is relevant to a child
omitting higher math facts, simplifying other tasks
reducing number of concepts taught
giving different tests

I pulled this information from Wright's Law All About IEP's p. 54-55. This is a wonderful book and well worth your read!

Please keep up your fantastic work!

"There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties or you alter the way you meet them." (Phyllis Bottome)

First Day Jitters-We've all got 'em

Hey guys
Happy first day! I hope it is off to a wonderful start. Be sure to get your ARMAC training done today if it isn't already. I'll be trying to make contact with those of you that have not gotten it done yet.

Let me know if anything interesting happens this week!

Today's tip is about transportation. Be sure to establish written guidelines in case of a bus emergency. All transportation personnel should be familiar with the content of the plans and understand their roles and responsibilities in implementing them.

Be sure that you include your bus drivers. I think a lot of times we forget to include them and assume they know and understand the needs of our kiddos! We need to have them sign off on emergency plans for individual students.

Welcome back!

Well...Most of you are back at work. I know in-service week was always my favorite (NOT). Except the food is great! Had lunch today with Riverside staff at Refuge Baptist Church and it was amazing (I ate 3 desserts). I hope you are all learning tons and getting to spend some time in your rooms preparing for the little darlings to come back on Monday!

I hope to see you all at some point this week. If you need me, please let me know. I had misplaced my work cell, but it has been replaced. Or, you can always email me.

This morning I worked with Brandy Ivy and Dan Qualls at Riverside laying a floor...do you believe that? We were actually doing manual labor!!! It is a really neat fall-safe flooring, but not so fun to install. The school nurse Holly (I have 3 school nurses named Holly!) helped. So today's tip will be about school nurses as IEP team members (in honor of the Hollys).

For students who take prescription medication to treat their disabilities, or who are limited in certain activities due to health-related concerns, including the nurse in the IEP process can help ensure the appropriate use of medical procedures. Including the nurse on the IEP team allows all of the individuals involved in the student's education to receive correct and up-to-date information on the child's medical needs. IDEA rules authorize anindividuals possessing knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related service providers, to be members of the IEP team, at the discretion of the parent. The hope is always that the nurse's presence on the team will help guarantee medial concerns are taken into account when his or her program is developed and implemented.

We are all a team!

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." (Albert Einstein)