Strategy & Intervention In The Classroom
Students with orthopedic impairments may have difficulties performing some of the necessary tasks they need in order to be successful in the classroom. It is very important for teachers to understand that orthopedic impairments, and the motor deficits that may or may not be present in the student, can negatively impact both the speed and safety of students in the school environment. Also, teachers should understand that the symptoms of medical conditions and the side-effects of medication taken by the students may have a big effect on a student's performance in the classroom. Even though students with orthopedic impairments may not have any other disabilities, it is important to know whether or not a student may need additional support in other areas of school performance.
Teachers will need to structure their classrooms to accommodate students with orthopedic impairments, based on how much help the student(s) may or may not need. Since many students with orthopedic impairments do not have cognitive impairments, sometimes teaching accommodations will not really be necessary. However, teachers should be taking into account ways to make moving about the classroom easier for the student, such as seating arrangements made to promote good posture and movements, assistive technology devices, and even specialized exercise equipment. A wide array of services are available to support the education of students with severe disabilities, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech/language pathologists, and also professionals such as social workers, orientation-and-mobility instructors and recreation specialists.
Assistive technology devices can be used to assist people with disabilities in the classroom as well as in their everyday lives. Individuals affected with common orthopedic impairments such as spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy may need wheelchairs, canes, or walkers to help them get around.
There are also many different assistive technology devices to help children with communication and accessing information.
Speech recognition software has become a vital part of many people's lives, even individuals who have no trouble typing at all. Many new technology devices are equipped with speech recognition software, making it easier for students in need of this software to feel comfortable and included in the classroom while using it. Speech recognition software such as Dragon can convert speech into text as an aid to students who may have trouble typing due to physical disabilities. Dragon Naturally Speaking software has been shown by researchers to be the best speech recognition software for students affected with disabilities such as cerebral palsy and Duchene's muscular dystrophy. Dragon's software has proven to be among the most accurate and helpful to students with communication problems (Garrett, 2007). This software enables students to participate in class activities such as essay writing or creative writing even if they cannot efficiently utilize a computer keyboard.
Text reading software, such as Kurzweil Educational Systems, can read the text aloud to a student while they are reading along. The student is also able to do such things as track the words visually with the software, insert notes and comments into the text, and listen to auditory support when typing. This software creates a multi-sensory learning experience to help struggling students become more accurate and fluent readers.
There are also many different assistive technology devices to help children with communication and accessing information.
Speech recognition software has become a vital part of many people's lives, even individuals who have no trouble typing at all. Many new technology devices are equipped with speech recognition software, making it easier for students in need of this software to feel comfortable and included in the classroom while using it. Speech recognition software such as Dragon can convert speech into text as an aid to students who may have trouble typing due to physical disabilities. Dragon Naturally Speaking software has been shown by researchers to be the best speech recognition software for students affected with disabilities such as cerebral palsy and Duchene's muscular dystrophy. Dragon's software has proven to be among the most accurate and helpful to students with communication problems (Garrett, 2007). This software enables students to participate in class activities such as essay writing or creative writing even if they cannot efficiently utilize a computer keyboard.
Text reading software, such as Kurzweil Educational Systems, can read the text aloud to a student while they are reading along. The student is also able to do such things as track the words visually with the software, insert notes and comments into the text, and listen to auditory support when typing. This software creates a multi-sensory learning experience to help struggling students become more accurate and fluent readers.
Other accommodations teachers and parents may want to consider include:
Slant Board - a writing surface that is angled to provide an optimal position for handwriting; promotes good posture and makes copying from the board easier.
Slant Board - a writing surface that is angled to provide an optimal position for handwriting; promotes good posture and makes copying from the board easier.
Dycem Non-Slip Rolls - These helpful rolls or mats can help stabilize objects and can even help with gripping. These products come in a wide variety of surfaces such as netted matting and self-adhesive, cuttable solutions.
Other helpful things you can use around the house or classroom include
Evidence-based strategies
Mnemonic Devices - These are patterns in sounds, letters or associated ideas that help people to remember important information. For example, many people remember the phrase "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally," a mnemonic device to help remember the mathematical order of operations: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, and Subtract. These memory tricks use acoustically linked sounds or words two connect two pieces of information. Another example of a mnemonic device is a song in which students change around the lyrics to reflect a certain subject, and then sing it. Mnemonic devices have been shown to be highly effective across studies (Dragoo, 2011).
Spatial organizers - This is a method of presenting information to students that is clear and is ordered according to space and location. According to studies, spatial organizers can help students with multiple disabilities learn content area knowledge (Dragoo, 2011). Some methods of using spatial organizers include having students complete graphic organizer handouts to help them map out the events in a story, or to remember what steps to take when performing a science experiment. Significant words to use when instructing students are prepositions like next to, behind, underneath, or across from.
Promising practice strategies
Peer Mediation - This is a strategy in which students take an instructional role with their peers in order to further reinforce topics that are learned from the teacher. In this strategy, student mediators are taught roles by their teacher and with these roles will systematically instruct other students. This arrangement is monitored and facilitated by the teacher.
One method of peer mediation that is commonly used is called PALS (peer-assisted learning strategies). This method is commonly used for students in grades 2-6, and has been shown effective by extensive research (McLesky, J., Rosenberg, M. S., & Westling, D. L. , pg. 313). PALS is implemented using seven steps. These steps are:
1. Teacher provides an orientation for student tutors on how to use peer-tutoring strategies. Teachers will guide students on how to be good peer tutors including instructional strategies, and how to respond to errors.
2. Teacher selects groups of students by pairs. These pairs will each include the tutor and the tutee.
3. Teacher schedules several PALS sessions per week. These sessions may be in addition to, or in place of, regular instructional sessions.
4. Students engage in partner reading. The tutor will start reading, followed by the tutee, while the tutor takes note if an error occurs and lets the reader figure out the word or phrase that was missed.
5. Students engage in paragraph shrinking. This is when the tutee will read a paragraph and then stop to identify the main idea. The peer tutor will follow along, helping to identify who or what the paragraph is about. Then, the students will express the main idea using 10 words or less.
6. Students engage in a prediction relay, where the reader will make a prediction about the next section of the text, and then reads the text aloud as the tutor makes comments about the prediction and how it relates to the main idea.
7. Points can be awarded for pairs of students for correct responses and for demonstrate appropriate tutoring skills.
1. Teacher provides an orientation for student tutors on how to use peer-tutoring strategies. Teachers will guide students on how to be good peer tutors including instructional strategies, and how to respond to errors.
2. Teacher selects groups of students by pairs. These pairs will each include the tutor and the tutee.
3. Teacher schedules several PALS sessions per week. These sessions may be in addition to, or in place of, regular instructional sessions.
4. Students engage in partner reading. The tutor will start reading, followed by the tutee, while the tutor takes note if an error occurs and lets the reader figure out the word or phrase that was missed.
5. Students engage in paragraph shrinking. This is when the tutee will read a paragraph and then stop to identify the main idea. The peer tutor will follow along, helping to identify who or what the paragraph is about. Then, the students will express the main idea using 10 words or less.
6. Students engage in a prediction relay, where the reader will make a prediction about the next section of the text, and then reads the text aloud as the tutor makes comments about the prediction and how it relates to the main idea.
7. Points can be awarded for pairs of students for correct responses and for demonstrate appropriate tutoring skills.
Computer-Assisted Instruction - Along with voice recognition and text reading software, there is a plethora of computer and tablet apps that may work very well for students with physical disabilities. Helpful apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod include:
myHomework - An easy to use student planner that helps students to keep track of homework, classes, tests and assignments.
Assistive Express - This app is useful in converting text to speech for use in everyday conversations. Special features include predicative text to minimize the number of keystrokes required, favorites lists for commonly used words and sentences, and three different voices for the user to pick.
iReward, iReward Chart - These apps are used for students to keep track of daily tasks and reward systems, in the classroom and at home.
myHomework - An easy to use student planner that helps students to keep track of homework, classes, tests and assignments.
Assistive Express - This app is useful in converting text to speech for use in everyday conversations. Special features include predicative text to minimize the number of keystrokes required, favorites lists for commonly used words and sentences, and three different voices for the user to pick.
iReward, iReward Chart - These apps are used for students to keep track of daily tasks and reward systems, in the classroom and at home.