Classroom Models

 Life Enrichment Education Program (LEEP) Related Services Model

Objective

To develop a model for providing related services to students in the LEEP program that maximizes students’ benefit from instruction;  that is in alignment with best practices; and that  best utilizes the personnel  available.

Definitions

Related Services: “Provided as may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.” 

Collaborative Goals: Family-selected learning outcomes free of the orientations of the various professional disciplines (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language pathology). Goals include a “context for use” that shows the applicability of the skill to other environments.

Guiding Principles

The educational targets that we set for students, the things that we want students to know and be able to do, are derived from the valued life outcomes that have been proposed by Giangreco et al in their text COACH: Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children (1998).   These are:

• Being safe and healthy
• Having a home, now and in the future
• Having meaningful relationships
• Having choices and control that matches one’s age and culture
• Participating in meaningful activities in various places

The vision that we share is that the LEEP program offers a curriculum that is meaningful to the student and to the family. We achieve the outcomes for students by providing direct instruction in relevant skills; and by ensuring that students have access to the support needed to benefit from instruction.

Model Characteristics

What the Model Is:

1. Wrap-around supports for students and families are considered
2. A strengths-based approach is used to develop instructional targets Focus on remediating deficits
3. Supports to a student’s educational program are provided to allow them to benefit from instruction
4. Focus on educational needs of students, and how best to allow them to benefit from instruction
5. Consulting, coaching, teaming
6. First/Then:  First a student’s educational program is determined that includes discipline free annual goals and general supports – Then the team asks, “In what ways are related services required to assist the student in accessing or participating in his or her educational program?”

What the Model is Not:

1. Fractured, discipline-focused approach to developing a student’s educational program
2. Goals and services not solely driven by the parents/guardians
3. Not a parallel service independent of the work of the classroom
4. A medical model approach to providing services
5. Exclusively pull-out  services by related service providers the occur in isolation, addressing goals and skills that were identified independently of the team
6. Pull-out, separate, isolated
7. What can be done to help this student succeed in the classroom?   What is wrong with this student?

What the research says:

“We have shifted to the educational model, focus is on remediation of performance component deficits but also on assisting students to succeed in school environment.”  Hanft and Shepherd, 2008

“Multi and interdisciplinary models are at the lower levels of team models and are referred to as “discipline-referenced” models. They are driven by the orientations in each discipline. This results in disjointed, programmatic outcomes as well as direct and isolated therapy approach. The trans-disciplinary approach is highest level of team model and is optimal approach for collaboration.  Team members share/transfer information and skills across disciplinary boundaries and provide services cooperatively.” Mu and Royeen, 2004

PTs must collaborate with other disciplines and recognize their important  in the total wellbeing of the child.  Models of service delivery:

• Direct-used when there is emphasis on acquisition of motor skills and when techniques cannot be safely delegated. Should always try to include family or educational staff.
• Integrated-therapist interacts w1th child, teacher, EA and family. Includes direct and consultative services.
• Consultative-therapists meets with and demonstrates activities to appropriate staff
• Monitoring-shares info and provides instruction to team members
• Collaborative-services provided by all team members, but more role-release and discipline overlap, develops program as a team. Recommends using a combination of models of service delivery, depending upon the needs of the student.”  Campbell 2006

AOTA and APTA support shift away from direct and segregated service. To write IEPs as a team, the team is directed to a) establish one shared set of goals and objectives, based on family priorities and participation in the general education curriculum, b)  determine whether the teacher needs support to achieve the goals; and c) if support is needed, determine which potential team members can provide  it.

Goals, objectives, and services are educationally relevant. Whole Release: teaching information and skills traditionally associated with one discipline to team members from other disciplines.

Child can learn skills in meaningful contest throughout the school day and not just when a specialist works directly with a student.  Team planning and training are needed to address student needs.

Role release is used to address student needs more holistically. In several studies, students made greater gains when interventions were provided in natural routines, whether provided by therapists or other team members.

Six questions to help educational team design programs  to address student  needs within the school environment

1. What does the student need to learn?
2. Which strategies/methodologies will facilitate the student’s learning?
3. Which expertise is needed to help the student achieve the goals and outcomes?
4. How should therapy be provided? (selecting a service model comes after determining #s 1-3)
5. Which method will motor team use to translate their knowledge to others?
6. Which interaction style will be most effective with team members?” Haift 1996

 

How it works

Teacher’s Role: Train/Coach others in the use of specific strategies and techniques

Data Collection

Identify benchmarks of success

Develop data collection strategies

Collect data as directed

Provide ideas/models as needed. Monitor completion as agreed.

 

Development Works with the teacher to identify strategies to support student in meeting the goal

Works with parents to identify targets for student’s instructional program and shares with team

Reports areas of student strengths and weaknesses to teacher and team

Ensure focus on Skills of Daily Living: Ensure scope within best practice

Program Modification

Works with the Classroom team to identify how to adjust the program to meet the objective

Works with related services personnel to identify areas where a student is not maximizing the benefit from the program

Communicates concerns about student program to teacher

Ensures resources are available to address needs

 

What it means for classroom teams

Related service staff supports the student’s educational program.  They share responsibility for developing goals, strategies, and interventions that allow the student to achieve valued life outcomes.  Hanft & Shepard, (2008) identified service providers as   having three roles when collaborating with team members:

1. Hands-on service

a. The intended outcome is a collaboration with team members to ensure that

b. Always implemented  in the context of typical school act students learn/participate within the school environment

2. Team Supports

a. These are strategies and Interventions that one team member uses to  enhance the competency of another to facilitate students’ academic achievement and participation  in school

b. Increase the knowledge and skills of the key adults responsible for helping a student learn

This may include short-term interactions with students to identify the source of the student learning and behavior challenges; conduct trials of possible interventions, and model the selected strategies; monitoring student progress.

3. System Supports

a. team member engages in to ensure that a district meets federal, state and local requirements to educate all children. Formal and informal initiatives, programs, and communications that a

b. Program and policy development to enhance the competency of education teams

 

Required Competencies for staff to be able to implement model

1. Ability to collaborate effectively.

2. Ability to establish priorities in conjunction with parents.
3. Ability to identify what we want students to know and be able to do at the completion of instruction.
4. Demonstrate a shared understanding of different areas of expertise.
5. Ability to shift one’s thinking and incorporate new ideas/perspectives.
6. Ability to cross-train others.  

Culture Required

1. Everyone is responsible for the student’s educational program and has a role to play.
2. The curriculum and schedule support the acquisition of skills.