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Posted by sylvia on Saturday, December 17, 2005 (13:07:03)
Whig.com October 2005
By Holly Wagner
Kelle Schlueter's students sit on a striped rug, singing and clapping.
"Good morning to my friends," she says. "It's gonna be a great day."
It's a typical elementary school scene, except only five students are in the classroom. Each child has an adult sitting with them, prompting the claps with gentle nudges or physically moving the child's arms. The students, ages 5-7, exhibit a wide range of demeanors, from quiet and disengaged to verbal and restless.
Schlueter leads a communications disorders classroom in its first year at Monroe School. Four of her students have autism, and one has Fragile X syndrome, a mental impairment that can include autism.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, particularly the areas of social interaction and communication skills.
These students are hypersensitive to the stimulus of everyday activities and have difficulty processing information. They can be overwhelmed by ordinary sights and sounds, and their reactions may include verbal outbursts, repetitive anxious motions or tantrums — "meltdown," Schlueter terms it.
Her goal is to help these children learn to function in a classroom environment so that they may be mainstreamed into the school system.
SETTING THE SCHEDULE
Structure is an important part of every classroom, but it's particularly important with these students. Controlling their environment helps them focus on a task and learn.
Setting up the day's schedule is the No. 1 priority of Schlueter and her team of paraprofessionals. These trained aides, and other specialists who work in the classroom, provide an adult-student ratio of one-to-one or better.
The children are learning the classroom routine with cues — visual, auditory and physical. Every moment of the children's day is programmed, and "pictures" are the primary tool.
Plastic boxes filled with 2-by-2-inch laminated symbol pictures, accompanied by the word that describes them, refer to every aspect of the school day. The pictures are tucked into envelopes on the walls near activity centers and stuffed into the pockets of the teaching team's aprons. Velcro dots and strips to hold them are glued to doors and walls.
"These children learn visually," Schlueter said.
When the children arrive at Monroe, Schlueter and her staff meet them at the school doors and accompany them to the classroom, where they are urged first to their schedules.
The schedules are held in colored plastic folders posted on a cabinet just inside the classroom door. Each child has his own color that is a visual cue throughout the day. The folders contain Velcro strips on which are stuck pictures that represent the day's activities. Some children can only process one or two activities, while others can view the whole day in pictures.
"These children need to know what's going on," Schlueter said. "The schedules teach independence."
The first picture in the top row is "breakfast." The children head to a crescent-shaped table where trays holding tiny round waffles and a small cup of syrup await them. Beside their tray is their "menu," another colored plastic folder.
"Many of the children have issues with food and eating," Schlueter said.
At the bottom of their menu is a long rectangular card with a Velcro strip. Pairing a card that says "I want" with a picture of a bottle of water, a glass of juice or a milk carton, they learn to make choices and the appropriate way to initiate conversation and requests with the teacher.
"Kelle, I want juice," Stevie says, holding out his card with the appropriate picture. He immediately receives the juice, accompanied by praise: "Good talking, Stevie."
The children also learn to sit quietly and wait — both very difficult tasks for them. A silent timer gives them a visual presentation of how long before the breakfast activity is over.
As breakfast ends, the children are handed a colored card or "ticket" with their name on it. This is their cue to return to their schedules to find out what they should do next. They deposit the name card in an envelope next to their schedule and remove the next picture — time to move to the rug for singing.
Near the music rug, a basket holds textured plastic cushions and "manipulatives," soft squishy items the children can hold and squeeze. A restless child given one of the cushions may be distracted enough by sitting on it that he can be still as long as necessary. The manipulatives serve the same purpose, giving the child something to distract them physically long enough to concentrate on the task at hand.
After singing, the children are directed to a variety of activities. Cole sits with Schlueter at a small table where three "tasks" are waiting for him.
First, he inserts small, colored square and round blocks into the top of a red plastic container. "Finished," Schlueter says, and he sweeps it off the table into a basket waiting nearby.
Next, a sheet of paper is placed before him on which are dots to trace to write his name. He responds by grasping the pencil and covering the paper with circles and random marks.
"Kelle will help," she says, putting a new paper before him and holding his hand with the pencil to trace the letters as she recites each one. She helps him peel off a sticker to decorate the page, and then that too is swept into the basket.
"Finished."
The next activity is puzzles. A plastic strip shows a picture of three colored puzzle pieces joined in a row, and Cole has to duplicate the picture with the puzzle pieces before him. Cole waves his hands and intones, "m ... m... m... m... m."
Schlueter moves his hands to help him manipulate the puzzle pieces, then replaces it with another three-piece puzzle, this time patterned. Again, she moves the puzzle pieces along with Cole's hands.
The lesson ends with a story book. Cole flips through the pages, pointing and humming.
That activity ended, Cole's ticket directs him back to his schedule.
TAKING A SENSORY BREAK
The OT, or occupational therapy, room is a favorite with all the children. The communications classroom is smaller than most classrooms at Monroe. Part of it is partitioned off for the sensory room. The light is dim as the fixture is covered with a dark cloth that allows some light in, but it eliminates the flicker of fluorescent bulbs, which disturb some children.
A low platform hangs from the ceiling. The room has cushions, an inflated trampoline and sensory-related toys. Each child meets daily with the occupational therapist, but at any time of the day, their appropriate request for time in the sensory room is honored. For children with sensory dysfunction, it provides a place away from the structure and schedules of the classroom where they can let off steam, be physical and reorganize.
The children's individualized education plans call for a "sensory diet," Schlueter said. "It gives them a sensory break, a time to release anxiety."
Occupational therapist Laura Smith accompanies Cole inside, then presents him with the "choice board" with pictures that represent the activities in the room.
"I want swing," she says, reading the cards he chooses.
Cole sits on the swinging platform, and Smith sits cross-legged on the floor before him, holding his stockinged feet.
"One, two, three," she counts. "Let's go."
She pulls him forward and lets him swing gently back. Cole squeals with delight. As she repeats the activity, talking in a calm, even tone, Cole hums and squeals, twisting his hands back and forth. He leans forward in anticipation of the swinging motion and laughs.
Smith encourages him to try the swing lying on his back and his stomach, changing the activity in response to Cole's reactions.
He runs over to an inflated trampoline, with motions that are awkward and stiff. He tries to straddle the waist-high handle, then runs back to the swing.
Smith encourages him to count along with her, to repeat the word "twist" as she rotates the swing gently. "Good eye contact," she praises.
Before leaving the room, Cole lays down on a lightweight mattress stuffed with soft foam, and Smith folds it over him and presses gently.
These activities help calm him and "reorganize his sensory system," Smith says.
Cole has come a long way in the first few weeks of class, Smith explained.
"He was able to walk out on his own," she said. "He wouldn't walk out the door three weeks ago."
SOME KIDS ARE DIFFERENT ... AND THAT'S OK
While waiting for music class, the children line up on colored paper feet taped to the floor. They walk with the paraprofessionals to the music room and sit on rug squares before the rest of the class enters.
Kindergartners who join them pay little attention to Schlueter's students, even though Dino occasionally calls out, and Cole gets up and walks about the room. Schlueter leads him back to his seat, at one point physically restraining him by wrapping her arms and legs about him. He calms enough to sit on his own, chewing on a large green circle with the word "WAIT" printed on it.
"The other kids are very, very accepting," said music teacher Jean Murray. "When we were growing up, we never saw these kids."
"All the teachers at Monroe have been very good" about helping their students accept this group, said Monroe principal Kristen Kendrick. She previously taught special needs children and was instrumental in bringing the communications disorders classroom to Monroe.
Each teacher has a copy of the book "My Friend with Autism," which they have read aloud to their students. "It helps them understand why some of these students act differently sometimes," Kendrick said.
The children play together at recess. Some of the students with autism sit with other students at lunch now because they've developed friendships.
The goal is to mainstream the special needs group, but the lessons go both ways.
"(The students) are being exposed to children who are different," Kendrick said. "It gives us a good opportunity to talk about accepting people who are different from us. ... (They're) seeing that some kids do things differently, and that's OK."
Kendrick believes Monroe is the perfect place for Schlueter's class.
"It's so nice to hear the parents feel so gratified, that they feel this is an appropriate placement for their child," she said. "It's overwhelming. There's a lot of emotion involved."
'IT'S UNREAL HOW FAR HE'S COME'
Jessica Hueber calls the classroom "awesome" and "one of a kind." Her adopted son, Andrew, was born with Fragile X syndrome. He takes the bus daily from Payson to Monroe School, accompanied by DeeDee Barker, a paraprofessional who stays with him in the classroom.
"It's quite rare for the area that Quincy Public Schools has taken the initiative and realizes the need for something like this," she said. "When I found out about it, I got goosebumps and started crying. It was just incredible. Other families I know of have to advocate really hard for their children's needs. (At Monroe, they) even asked my input for ideas.
"From early on, I was part of the team."
The positive attitude of the teachers, their evident desire for the children to succeed rubs off on the kids, Hueber said.
Andrew's self-esteem has improved, he's happier and he looks forward every day to going to school. Hueber has developed a schedule for Andrew at home and communicates regularly with his paraprofessional and Schlueter.
"It's unreal how far he has come," she said. "His verbal skills have just blossomed."
FILLING A VOID
Julie Schuckman, director of Early Childhood Education for the district, said the district saw a need for such a classroom for children transitioning into kindergarten. Now the Early Childhood and Family Center has a similar classroom serving nine children with autism this year. In the past, these children were moved into trainable mentally handicapped (TMH) programs in the various schools.
"There's such a wide range of individuals in the TMH classroom that it's hard to focus on an individual with autism," said Schlueter, who taught in the TMH program for five years.
Amy Leebold, autism coordinator for the district, said more than 40 children in the school district have autism. Her position was created to serve as a central contact for district officials, teachers and parents involved with this rising number of special-needs students.
The classroom at Monroe provides a seamless transition from preschool to elementary school. However, what happens when these children reach fourth grade, and when more children need to enter elementary school, remains a question.
"(The Monroe experiment) is fairly expensive for serving five children with their special needs," Leebold said. "Teachers have to be adequately trained, there's a lot of funds (for materials), a lot of dedication, a lot of hours.
"There's no way to predict the future, how many children will need this kind of room. ... We'd like to be able to have as many spots as necessary. My job is to advocate for them. If we need another room, the district, the board office, they will decide whether the need really exists or look at other options."
School districts are mandated by the state to educate all children in the least restrictive environment possible. When the team of the parent, teacher and specialist creating an individualized education plan for a special needs student decides something is needed, districts are responsible for providing them, said Kevin Cory, the district's director of special education.
"It will be the goal that as needs grow, the special education federal funds will move in to support this effort" which serves the entire county, Cory said.
That Leebold's position and the communications disorders classroom exist at all show the district is "truly dedicated at looking at what's best for serving our children with special needs," Leebold said. "They really listened and understood that we need to do something here for these kids to get the best education they can. ... (They) understood how deserving they are to have a chance like everybody else."
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Posted by sylvia on Saturday, December 17, 2005 (13:07:03) (2367 reads)
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