A mother dropped her child off at a new school. She told the Principal, “My child has an IEP but he wants to learn.” So the mother left her child with the school and away she went. The child was told to walk over to his new class but to pick up his IEP on the way out. So the child began to look for his IEP. He looked up and did not see his IEP. He looked down and did not see his IEP. “I will go and look for my IEP,” he said. So away he went.

“Now I will go and find my IEP,” he said. He did not know what his IEP looked like. He walked right by the table with his IEP. He did not see his IEP so he walked on. He came to the first IEP. “Are you my IEP,” he said. “No,” said the first IEP, “I do not have updated present levels of performance.” The first IEP was not his IEP, so he went on.

Then he came to the second IEP. “Are you my IEP?” he said to the second IEP. “No,” said the second IEP, “I do not have a written goal for every area of need.“

The first IEP did not have updated present levels of performance so that was not his IEP. The second IEP did not have a written goal for every area of need so that was not his IEP. So he went on.

“I have to find my IEP!” he said. “But where? Where is it? Where could it be?”

Then he came to the third IEP. “Are you my IEP?” he said to the third IEP. “No,” said the third IEP, “I do not have appropriate accommodations listed.“

The first IEP did not have updated present levels of performance so that was not his IEP. The second IEP did not have a written goal for every area of need so that was not his IEP. The third IEP did not have appropriate accommodations listed so that was not his IEP. So the child went on.

Now he came to the fourth IEP. “Are you my IEP?” he said to the IEP. “How could I be your IEP?” said the IEP. “I do not have any special education and related services listed.”

The first IEP did not have updated present levels of performance so that was not his IEP. The second IEP did not have a written goal for every area of need so that was not his IEP. The third IEP did not have appropriate accommodations listed so that was not his IEP. The fourth IEP did not have any special education and related services listed so that was not his IEP. So the child went on.

Did he have an IEP?

“I did have an IEP,” said the child. “I know I did. I have to find my IEP. I will. I WILL!”

Now the child did not walk. He ran! Then he saw a tattered old fifth IEP. Could that old thing be my IEP? It was so old it did not even have an eligibility category listed. No, this could not be my IEP. The child did not stop. He ran on and on.

In the distance he saw a sixth IEP. “There is my IEP!” said the child. He called to the IEP, but the IEP did not have frequency, location and duration of services. The sixth IEP was not his IEP, so he went on.

Just then, the child saw something in the distance. “There it is!” he said. “There is my IEP!” He ran right up to it. But the seventh IEP was not his IEP. “Oh, you are not my IEP,” said the child. “You do not have placement in the least restrictive environment. I have to get out of here”

“Where is it?” said the child. “I want to find my IEP! I want my IEP!”

Then something happened, the child found another IEP. “Do you know who I am?” said the IEP to the child. “Yes, I know who you are,” said the child.

• Interference with engagement with the teacher

• Interference with engagement with peers

• Decision making by under-qualified personnel

• Unnecessary dependence on the paraprofessional by the student

• Stigmatization

• Behavior problems

I can’t tell you how many times I stepped into classrooms in which a shadow is assigned to a student, and I wanted to grab a megaphone and shout out, “PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE CHILD!” This is not because paraprofessionals aren’t wonderful people, because they almost always are. This is because they are doing what they have been told to do: “keep the child on task,” “reduce problem behavior,” “help the child with academic work,” “help the child with organization,” etc. The problem is, these responsibilities need to be the teacher’s responsibilities. While I am well aware that a general education teacher certainly needs support to be able to meet the needs of a student with autism in the classroom, the support should not be a shadow. It could be a paraprofessional assigned to work under the guidance of the general education and special education teachers who are responsible for the student’s education. Or…it could be a special education teacher who co-teaches with the general education teacher all or some of the day. When paraprofessionals are in inclusive classrooms there are many ways they can be utilized to support all students including the student with autism such as:

• Providing small group instruction

• Monitoring students working independently

• Monitoring centers or stations

• Preparing materials to allow for differentiated instruction and assessment

• Provide 1:1 support as needed

When paraprofessionals are used in ways listed above, it allows the general education teacher to better meet the individual needs of the student with autism as well as other students in the classroom. Of course, general education teachers need training and support from special education teachers to know how to effectively teach students with autism. And, even more importantly, general and special education teachers need training on how to work collaboratively and how to effectively utilize paraprofessionals in the classroom.

Deb Leach is presently an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. She works with families, educators, and community groups to help support the successful inclusion of individuals with ASD using principles of ABA and other evidence-based practices. Her focus is on finding ways to bring ABA interventions into the everyday lives of individuals with ASD to increase family, community, and school inclusion and reduce the need for segregated services. http://bringingaba.blogspot.com

So what should I do when the school district won’t do what they are supposed to do for my child? 

The answer to this is simple: learn how and why the school district plays a game of chicken with you, the parent, and how to win that game.

The Game of Chicken 

You’ve probably witnessed or been in the game of chicken with your school district, but maybe didn’t even know it.  All you know is that your child is suffering and the school doesn’t seem to be doing anything to help.  Your child’s grades may even be failing.  Perhaps, worse, they may be doing harmful things to your child, like physically restraining him/her or locking your child into an isolation room or putting him/her in a classroom with bad behavior kids.  Your child is not a bad behavior child [2] because you have a diagnosis that says otherwise. 

The game of chicken may also be occurring at any stage of the game – prior to your child’s diagnosis; before a 504 plan; before an IEP; and even after the IEP is in place.  Essentially, it appears to you as the parent as they just are doing nothing.  For example, you may be requesting an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) for your child, which is your right as a parent [3], but the school says that you have to use their panel of approved evaluators.  The school district is playing chicken to see (a) if you know your rights; and (b) whether you know your rights or not, you’ll fight hard enough to use your own evaluators rather than those the school says you must use. 

Defining the Game of Chicken is easy enough: seeing if you, the parent, blink first and give up your fight. 

It really has nothing to do with whether you’re right or wrong.  It has to do with whether you are prepared to fight for your child and your child’s rights or if you’ll give in either because you think the school district really has your best interests at heart or you don’t have the stomach or resources to fight to the end.  Usually, the school district wins this Game of Chicken.  Unfortunately, your child loses. 

But you don’t have to lose the Game of Chicken.  All you need is some information and will power (sometimes, depending on how stubborn the school district is, you’ll also need a lawyer and some money). 

Why a Game of Chicken? 

First, let’s discuss why the school district plays this game.  You may have heard some of their excuses – “we don’t have this in the budget right now” or “we don’t have the resources to do this” or “do you know how many children with special needs we have to deal with?”  All of these are extremely lame (and invalid) excuses.  None of them are the REAL reason the school district plays the Game of Chicken. 

The real reason the school district does this is . . . wait for it . . . they usually get away with it.  The longer they put off complying with the law, the more money they save the school district or the money can be directed at one of their existing programs, like school sports, etc.  The school district knows that most parents of special needs kids don’t know their legal rights or the requirements placed on the schools.  Thus, the parents don’t know that if they fight hard or long enough, the school district MUST comply or have to pay to send your child to another school district that can accommodate his/her needs. 

Let’s go back to our example about the IEE.  You’ve done your research and found some qualified people to do the evaluation, but they aren’t on the school board’s approved list of evaluators.  The school district tells you, no, you have to use our list.  Not only are they wrong, but the school district has to pay for the evaluation by your IEE team, not you. [4]  Most parents will think to themselves, “Well, I want this done right, so I’ll just pay for the IEE out of my own pocket.”  You’ve just spent money you didn’t have to. 

The truth is that the school districts must comply with federal and state laws and regulations on these issues and will only do so if really pushed by those who know their rights.  This is one reason that if you aren’t adequately informed and trained on handling special education matters, you need an advocate or lawyer who is on your side.  It will save you time and money while you’re in the game. 

How to Win the Game 

There are three key tips to winning the Game of Chicken for your child with special needs.  (1) Don’t back down.  (2) Know the rules.  (3) Focus on the goal.  You may think these sound pretty generic and apply to any game or sport and you’d be right.  That’s because they apply to the Game of Chicken just like they would apply to a soccer match. 

1.  Don’t Back Down. 

Tom Petty sings, “Hey, baby, there ain’t no easy way out . . . Hey, I, will stand my ground . . . and I won’t back down.” [5]  Make this your theme song. 

As a 25 year veteran of the courtroom and numerous legal squabbles, I understand that confrontation is not everyone’s cup of tea and that it can be very intimidating.  You can feel that the cards are stacked against you.  And, in some ways, you’re right.  But laws have been enacted to level the deck and put more power on your side. 

If you think of classic games of chicken, rule #1 in all of them is not to be the first to back down.  For example, there is the highly dangerous game of chicken people play with cars. [6]  Each person faces their car towards the other person’s car and begins driving towards a head-on collision.  The reality is that both sides know they don’t want to hit head-on and risk serious injury or death.  The key to the game is just to force the other driver to turn away first – in other words, be the chicken who backs down. 

The example above shows you just how stupid this Game of Chicken is.  And it is no less stupid when a school district plays it with your child.  Again, a life is at risk – your child’s life and education. 

You may be the type of person who doesn’t have the stomach to fight so hard.  But, always remember, this is for your child.  Would you jump in front of a car and push your child to the side of the road to save his/her life?  Of course you would.  So, if you’re willing to risk death to save your child, you need to have the same level of spunk when dealing with the school district.  On the plus side, you are not likely to risk injury or death sitting in a school meeting room. 

Also, don’t feel a sense of guilt if you know you aren’t the kind of person who can fight like that.  Not everyone is.  I didn’t realize I was until several years into my legal career when I had to fight like crazy for my client.  After that, I knew I was the kind of person who could put up one hell of a fight, but I also realized that not everyone was cut out for that. 

If you are not cut out for the big fight, you should consider hiring a professional – an advocate, an attorney, or an expert in special education.  This will involve some money, but in some cases you can get that money back. [7]  But a professional will know all the tricks in the Game of Chicken and is well-trained in the law and methods of advocacy to help you.  A professional will not back down. 

2.   Know The Rules. 

Read, read, read.  I realize that at a very stressful time, it is difficult to concentrate enough to read complex laws and information (one article I read had about 30 tips on what to do in IEP meetings).  But the better informed you are, the better you will do in the school district’s Game of Chicken.  You will be a better advocate for your child. 

Imagine playing the game of Monopoly, but not knowing the rules.  You can probably guess that you’re supposed to roll the dice and move your piece around the board.  But what then?  Why are all these street names on the board?  Why do they have a dollar figure on them?  Why are there sets of the street names with the same color?  Why is there a jail?  How do I win this game?

You see how difficult it is to play and win the game of Monopoly not knowing the rules.  The same applies to special education and each step in the process without knowing your rights or the rules.  If you don’t know the rules in this Game of Chicken, the school district will win every time and your child will lose. 

Knowledge is power and that is no less true here.  If you don’t have the time or ability to learn your rights on your own, hire a professional.  That is their job. 

Even if you don’t hire a professional, don’t walk into that meeting without knowing the rules of the game. 

3.   Focus on the Goal. 

Like all sports and games, there are intermediate goals and ultimate goals.  For example in football, the intermediate goal is to get the football across the goal line or kick it through the uprights to get some points.  The ultimate goal in football is to have the most points when time runs out so you win the game. 

The same holds true for the special education process for your child.  There are intermediate goals – get an evaluation; get a diagnosis; get an IEP; and have the school execute the IEP properly. [8]  The ultimate goal is to get your child a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). [9] 

You need to focus on the intermediate goal that your child needs right now (or for the upcoming meeting).  That focus needs to clearly define where you are in the process for your child, what outcome do you need from this step, and how will this step help you in the next step.  Again, reading and knowledge will help you focus. 

You also need to avoid distractions.  One distraction may be what I call “shooting the messenger”.  Since our daily contact in our student’s education is his/her teacher(s), you may blame one or more of those teachers.  It is a natural reaction, but it is a distraction.  Often, the teachers are not involved in the Game of Chicken.  Most teachers are well-meaning and truly want the best for your child.  There are always some bad apples in the bunch, but my experience has been mostly positive with the teachers.  It is the administrators and members of the school board that are the problem, because they are the bean counters – the ones who watch the budget and where money is spent in the district, especially for special needs. 

So your focus needs to be not only on the goal, but also in who your opponent truly is in the Game of Chicken.   Part of that focus may be to learn who those people are – it could be the school principal, it could be school board members, it could be the school psychologist or therapist, or it could be the superintendent of schools.  It will depend on your individual school district and how it works. 

Once you have your focus, you can stare straight into the eyes of your opponent and win the Game of Chicken.  You will be empowered by knowing that the school district will HAVE to blink first, as long as you follow the above 3 tips. 

Best of luck to you and to your children!  My wish is that all parents of special needs kids who need some help in education win the Game of Chicken and those kids ultimately win the game of life! 

- Positive Classroom climate.

- Peers should acknowledge each other as all having special talents that contribute to activities within the classroom.

- If peers learn to acknowledge each other’s deficits and strengths positive self-efficacy is built in and students learn to accept peers with varying abilities in a positive view.

- If children feel accepted within their care group they are more apt to exert effort when faced with challenges.

- The teacher is the guiding force in teaching the students problem-solving skills. The end results are students who have been empowered with skills and then label internalizing use in the classroom and every day life.

- Children should always feel comfortable asking for help. No question should be deemed as stupid. The best approach would be to add the statement “good question” in response to a child’s inquiries. Body language is extremely important. When a child is struggling and the teacher grimaces or roles their eyeballs the child will notice. In response the child is made to feel worthless and negative self-efficacy will be the result. Always try to smile, and get down to the child’s eye level.

- Always show excitement when a child accomplishes a new skill. As an educator you are a child’s cheerleader. If they know that you are pleased with the effort they have exerted they will want to accept other challenges. High-five them, tell them that you knew they could do it all along!

- Respect Childrens learning differences. Challenge them slightly. Do not set goals that will surely result in failure. If challenges are achieved in small chunks, the child will feel confident to move on to the next challenge.

- Being fair within the differentiated classroom means making sure the child is having their needs met so they can succeed. It does not mean treating each child the same.

- Collaboration in the classroom is negotiable.

- When creating a positive classroom climate allowing the students to be involved in setting the rules and settling problems are important. I have found within my own class that when children are involved in rule setting, etc. they are more apt to follow those rules.

- Model with characteristics that you want instilled in the students and they will follow your lead. If the teacher models carrying, verbalizing positive attributes, etc. the children will follow the lead. There is no room for the “do as I say and not as I do” mentality within a differentiated classroom.

- Constant observation of students’ behavior within the study group can be the key to eliminating negative self defeating behaviors before they escalate.

- Groups should not be set up so that everyone takes on the same roles. Some examples would be labeling, (the little professor, the ill behaved child, the slow child).

- Attributes should be recognized within each child and utilized with the class. That each child feels like a contributor.

- Always utilize grouping strategies with flexibility in mind. On some occasions children of like skills can be grouped together for a project. On other occasions children should work together and all talents should be utilized for the final goal.

- Always remember that children’s skills can change over time. Always be open to changing goals and expectations for those children.

Group Work Check List

- Students understand task goals; have children demonstrate, verbally repeat instructions, and sign contracts.

- Students understand expectations to make the group work in a cohesive manner; a buddy system, cheering peers on further successes, care reminders when one student is not working up to par. Teacher intervention is sometimes needed to create a cohesive environment.

- The task matches the goal; expectations for goals should match the child’s skill set. Thus, we do not set the child up for failure. If a child is not extremely literate perhaps they could draw pictures and a report versus writing an essay. To challenge the child, the teacher could request that they write a descriptive sentence under each picture.

- Students should find the activity interesting; great way to accomplish this is by feedback. Communicate with the kids, find out what their likes and dislikes are and take those into account when planning a project. An example would be incorporating baseball scores into a math assignment. Use a cardboard pizza to talk about fractions, and taking a class vote on favorite foods works well.

- Every student needs to contribute with a certain project.

- When doing math homework, I have taught the kids who need visual reinforcement to draw circles. For example, if the problem is 12-5 we draw 12 circles. The child crosses out five circles to take away lower number. The child then counts the amount left and they have the answer to the problem.

Mari Nosal, M.Ed., CECE is a school coordinator, blogger and author. She is certified by the Department of Early Childhood Education as a lead preschool teacher, an infant and toddler teacher, and site coordinator qualified to manage school age programs. She is certified in Community Crisis Intervention by the Community Crisis Intervention Team of Bristol County. As a parent of a son with Asperger’s, she and her son show others how it is possible to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.

Three therapy dogs and their owners make much-anticipated weekly visits to Sierra Academy of Scottsdale to “teach students sensitivity, self-control, compassion and the importance of treating others – pets as well as people – with respect,” said academy director Debra Watland. 

“Our students have learning, emotional and behavioral challenges – and some are on the Autism spectrum – so these are not concepts that they easily grasp,” Watland said. “Introducing the therapy dogs into our classrooms this year has been very beneficial for our students.”

The therapy teams began to visit Sierra Academy in September through a school partnership with Phoenix-based Gabriel’s Angels Inc., which provides pet therapy to 13,000 abused, neglected and at-risk children throughout Arizona, said organization CEO Pam Gaber.

A Golden Retriever named “Cooper” and his owner Barbara Hall visit first-to-third-graders at Sierra Academy; “Teddy,” a Cockapoo, and owner Sharon Woodward visit middle school students; and a yellow Lab named Rubicon and handler Liz Rosen visit high school students.

Second-grader Sahara Daley, 8, said she has learned about canine anatomy and the importance of good grooming and proper feeding, but she said Cooper also helps her settle down with a good book in class.

“I sit on the floor with Cooper, hug him, and he listens while I read. I don’t think he understands, but he always listens,” said Sahara. “When Cooper gets tired or bored he rolls over on his back.”

“Social skills are built into our regular daily curriculum, but these therapy dog teams are a wonderful supplementary teaching tool,” said Watland. “Students are more receptive and comfortable with these concepts because of these dogs.”

Cooper has motivated younger students to read about dogs and other animals, to write short essays about pets, and to make dog puppets and pet scrapbooks. Rubicon helped older students learn about canine physiology with a variety of classroom projects like comparing his heart rate to their own.

“A lesson about healthy pet treats, for example, opens up a classroom discussion about the value of good nutrition for students,” said Watland. “Our students are more engaged in the lesson simply because one of these terrific dogs is involved.”

“A hallmark of Sierra Academy – and of our 48 other schools nationwide – is that they go the extra mile to use innovative approaches to educate students with special-needs and return them to mainstream classrooms,” said Michael Kaufman, president and CEO of Specialized Education Services Inc. (SESI), which operates Sierra Academy. “This is a marvelous example of what we do.”

Nine unified public schools in Phoenix area – including Scottsdale, Peoria, Chandler, Mesa, Higley, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Payson and Deer Valley – now refer special-needs students in grades 1-11 to Sierra Academy which offers an intensive, academic curriculum that is custom-tailored for each student.

More information about Sierra School of Scottsdale and Specialized Education Services Inc. is available at: www.sesi-schools.com.

Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI), based in Yardley, Pa., is one of the nation’s premier providers of specialized education for children with learning, language, behavioral and social challenges. It operates 49 schools in 12 states and the District of Columbia

As I started to play with this App yesterday I received a call from my friend asking me to watch her kindergarten aged daughter for an hour while she ran some errands. I used this happy coincidence as the perfect way to field test Write My Name. Preschool and Kindergarten aged children are the perfect age group for this App. So I sat down with my friend’s 5 year old daughter and began to play. We started on the home page which allowed us to choose between 1) alphabet book, 2) word cards, and 3) name tags.

We choose alphabet book to start. This portion of the game allows you to trace both upper and lower case letters. After doing the first letter we noticed that a short animation appears after you trace the letter correctly. We heard “A is for Ant” and watched the ant do what appeared to be a walking motion. For all of the remaining letters we started guessing what the letter would represent before the animation started. We would both shout out our guesses while she was tracing the next letter and we enjoyed this immensely.

Next we moved on to Word Cards. There are over 100 common sight words in this section. For this portion of the game we turned on the finger paint option which allowed us to see exactly how my friend’s daughter was tracing the words. As you traced each word correctly it would be filled in to provide feedback to the child. The App also uses guided tracing with music to provide both visual and auditory feedback to the child.

I used the word card section to test my friend’s daughter on each sight word. So as she was tracing the word I asked her to try and read the word prior to completing it. The App upon completion of tracing each word will read the word and also provide a short animation.

While alphabet book and word cards were fun the most impressive part of this App is the name tag section. The name tag section allows you to “Create 36 custom name tags with your own pictures and recordings to personalize learning for your child.” The first custom name tag we created was of course for her name. I took her picture with the iPad and used it as the name tag image. I then typed in her full name and had her record it. After saving the name tag she traced her name while seeing her own picture and upon completion she heard her own voice saying her name. This got the biggest smile of the night!!! We spent the rest of the time running all over my house creating custom name tags for me, my son, my dog, my dinner and many more. Even my ten year old son got in on the action.

I can’t say enough about how much fun we had with this App. I have seen many tracing games but this one has quickly become my new favorite. The introductory price of $1.99 will only be around for a few days so grab this one today.

Mechanical pencils

Children with proprioception problems often have difficulty modulating the pressure they use on items. If a child presses too hard when writing their hands fatigue quicker, mistakes are harder to clear away when erasing, and they are more apt to rip the paper (very frustrating!). Mechanical pencils can aid to teach modulation of pressure, as the lead will break if too much pressure is applied. Each time the lead breaks it will give the child feedback and the desired result is to help them monitor the pressure they are using.

Weighted pencils

While some children with proprioception difficulties press too hard, others press too light when writing making their strokes very hard to decipher. A weighted pencil can help to make their pencil steadier and give them the extra weight they need to press more firmly resulting in darker strokes. There are pencil weight kits that you can purchase or you can easily make one from using rubber washers and rod shaped coupling nuts found in a hardware store for a few dollars.

Vibrating Pencils

Children with low muscle tone generally have poor fine motor strength and have difficulties sustaining their grasp on a pencil, which impacts their written production. Vibration is a sensory technique that can be used to “wake up” or stimulate muscles and allow for more efficient muscle use. The vibration pencil also seems to entice children with sensory seeking behaviors, as it gives them sensory feedback to their fingers and helps to keep them focused on the task. Based on my experience, the vibration pencil, more specifically the Ark Z-Vibe*, has been so useful in motivating so many children to write. I often recommend using for homework, as the slight buzz can be distracting to classmates. On the flip side, the constant light hum (like white noise) can be somewhat soothing to the writer. I have noted that children with tactile sensitivity have said it “tickles” their fingers and they do not prefer to use it.

Tactile Writing Tools

Tactile seekers love textures. The three options below can help offer sensory feedback to satiate tactile needs during writing tasks by giving them textures right there on their own pencil.

Gel Squish Grips

Musgrave Pencil Fidgets

Faber-Castell GRIP Writing Pencils

Pencil Toppers

Some children seek intense oral input. These are the children that chew on the collars or sleeves of their shirts, suck on their fingers, or bite off the eraser tips of their pencils. The mouth is a powerful organizing center, just think of how a baby soothes himself by sucking on a pacifier. The actions of chewing, biting, and sucking are excellent ways to help increase focus and concentration and often decrease anxiety. CHEW STIXX PENCIL TOPPERS (BPA and Phathalate free) fit right on the top of the pencil and are an excellent sensory strategy to use in the classroom.

Considerations: Using writing tools that give sensory feedback can be very beneficial to a child with sensory needs. It is, however, important to remember that physically holding a pencil properly with a comfortable, efficient grasp is fundamental to developing good handwriting skills.

Sari Ockner, OTR/L received her degree in Occupational Therapy at from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1998, in their extended Occupational Therapy program with an emphasis in her fieldwork studies in the scope of pediatrics. Sari began her practice in New York City and is currently living and practicing in the Los Angeles area. She has over 13 years of experience working with children with a variety of special needs in school, clinic, and home-based settings. Sari is certified in Sensory Integration Theory and Practice (SIPT) and specializes in handwriting and child development.

Follow Sari on Facebook at Kidz Occupational Therapy or on Twitter at Sari_KidzOT for on-going information to support children in school, at home, and in the community. For further information visit : www.KidzOccupationalTherapy.com

* Please note that in addition to the Z-vibe you need to purchase the pencil attachment pack and batteries.

The app begins with the settings page which originally prompts you to enter your User Name. From there you have total control of how the game is presented. There are three levels of complexity and each level allows the User turn on or off the 1) Line Color Coding, 2) Word Color Coding and 3) Word Grouping. The ability to customize each level allows the User the opportunity to continue to challenge themselves as they master new concepts and longer sentence structures.

When you get the sentence correct you are prompted to record the sentence so the User can hear the sentence in their voice. You can then save the recorded sentence to the archive to play back at a later time or email it.

If the User cannot form the correct sentence after two tries the app plays a lesson guiding the User through the proper formation.

After getting 5 correct answers the User is rewarded with a puzzle piece. When the User wins all of the puzzle pieces in the Level the puzzle comes to life with a short animation sequence.

Rainbow Sentences comes with 168 images to create sentences. With the added customization described above this will provide hours of playtime. As I mentioned before this app is recommended for young children just learning sentence structure as well as older children struggling with the concept. At $7.99 this app is well worth it.

The therapeutic use of this information is encouraging for those of us who advise parents and teachers on how to help little ones learn language. It has been known for a long time that eye gaze is crucial to language development, that prosody works with phonology in language learning and that early vocabulary growth can predict reading success by age 6 years. All of these studies can be useful as guides when helping children with learning problems.

Language development for many children is difficult. My own child started speaking at 9 months, then stopped talking for several months, only for seemingly brand new language to emerge in a sort of muddle, with related learning problems surfacing in preschool. Studies at that time were trickling in about the relationship between talking and reading. Now we know so much more.

Here are three facts that every parent and teacher should know.

1. The very first one is that there is some arbitrary delineation inserted into oral and written language as a student moves through the grades that I believe is caused by the professionals given the responsibility of helping those with learning problems. Before kindergarten, the Speech-Language Pathologist is usually the first professional called upon for help. After kindergarten, it may be a reading specialist or resource specialist.

2. However, nearly 80% of all learning disabilities are language based. Typically the problem is first noticed in preschool as a “speech” problem and morphs into a reading/writing problem in elementary school when the underlying language disorder has already impacted learning.

3. The key features of language- phonology, semantics, syntax and pragmatics intertwine and interact with each other in every classroom, playground, sport or social activity, in both oral and written language. We communicate.

Below is a graphic representation of the development of literacy.

Below are some common signs of learning problems, kindergarten through 4th grade.

All parents and educators should make sure that students receive a complete speech-language evaluation if there are suspicions of learning problems.

REFERENCES

Aram DM, Nation JE. Preschool language disorders and subsequent language and academic difficulties. Journal of Communication Disorders 1980;13(2):159-170.

ASHA How Does Your Child Hear and Talk, American Speech-Language Association, www.asha.org

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An individual may say words clearly and use long, complex sentences with correct grammar, but still have a communication problem – if he or she has not mastered the rules for social language known as pragmatics.

An individual with pragmatic problems may:

• say inappropriate or unrelated things during conversations
• tell stories in a disorganized way
• have little variety in language use

What Mobile Education Tools has designed with Conversation Builder is a way, “to help elementary aged children learn how to have multi-exchange conversations with their peers in a variety of social settings.” For my son who has both auditory processing disorder and a language disorder this app worked extremely well because the conversations were presented in both a visual and auditory format. This allows my son to use his visual processing strength to compensate for his auditory deficits.

Conversation builder has 4 levels of play, 1) 1 on 1 – 4 exchange, 2) 1 on 1 – 8 exchange, 3) Group – 4 exchange, and 4) Group – 8 exchange. It also allows for three different types of conversation initiation, 1) Student, 2) Peer and 3) Alternate. The initial app costs $9.99 and comes with a standard module pack which includes 40 conversations. There are an additional 6 modules that can be purchased for $4.99 each which include 20 conversations each. You may purchase all the conversations together for the price of $29.99.

As you play Conversation Builder you are asked to record your responses so that after all of the exchanges the student can play back the entire conversation. This allows the student to hear how the conversation would go from beginning to end without interruption.

Conversation Builder also allows you to save the conversation in the archive. Once in the archive you can replay the conversation or email it. If you email the conversation both the pictures and audio files will be sent.

For children, like my son, who struggle with pragmatic speech and have both speech and recreation therapy in school this is an amazing app. I highly recommend it for any elementary age child struggling with pragmatics and social language. My one caveat is I wish it came with a few more modules for the initial $9.99 price. That being said I still think it is worth the price.