11/19/2015

Michael Cotten
Michael Cotten
Sarah Detraz
Hunter Stamps

No single definition covers all the conditions associated with

multiple disabilities.
Schools sometimes use the terms multiple disabilities and severe
disabilities.
These terms are used to describe students who need intensive
support to address their intellectual, adaptive, motor, sensory, or
communication needs.

Whenever children have multiple,

coexisting abilities and disabilities, it
presents a challenge:
How should an educator classify such as student? What type of
disability do they have?

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IDEA states that multiple disabilities are defined by

concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability and

blindness; emotional/behavioral disorder and orthopedic

impairment) the combination of which causes such severe
educational needs that they cannot be accommodated by
solely addressing one of the impairments.
Unpacking that:
Concomitant = a phenomenon that naturally accompanies or
follows something. (i.e. delays and turbulence are a concomitant
of flying)
Thus, the impairments the student has naturally occur with one
another so you cannot accommodate the student by treating only
one impairment.

Remembers the list as IAMS

Due to the individualistic nature of multiple disabilities, you

cannot accurately describe the entire group with catch all
phrases.
You can, however, group students within this heterogeneous mix
into specific characteristics involving:
Intellectual Functioning
Adaptive Skills
Motor Development
Sensory Functioning
Communication Skills

Cat.

Intellectual Functioning
Adaptive Skills
Motor Development
Sensory Functioning
Communication Skills
IAMS motto is Lifes Better and we are trying to improve these
students lives. Why remember? Nearly all disabilities fall within
one of these 5 categories.

Cognitively impaired students often have intellectual

functioning that is typically two standard deviations below
mean (70 and below)
Some students may have average or above average intellect and
have impairments within the realm of adaptive, motor, sensory,
or communication impairments.
Traditional IQ tests are often inappropriate for students with
multiple disabilities.

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Why are IQ tests not suitable? Four reasons.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Multiple Disabilities students are not included in normative samples of

standardized intelligence tests.
Information from these tests has limited utility when designing
appropriate educational programs.
These students have often not been exposed to academic content used
on the tests.
These tests rely primarily on verbal abilities and many students with
multiple disabilities have communication impairments.

Remember, some students can overcome impairments and

graduate with a general curriculum diploma. Others will work
on how to increase alertness, or interact with others and
environmental peers.

Students with Multiple Disabilities usually have significant

motor and physical challenges. This often produces abnormal
muscle tone.
Undeveloped muscle tone can lead to difficulty sitting and
moving; over development can lead to spasticity.
Both of these can lead to difficulty functional tasks tasks such
as eating, dressing, playing, etc

This includes practical competency and self-care skills.

It is especially important these skills generalize to home and
community settings.
Most students with Multiple Disabilities attain some level of
independence.
Teachers need to communicate with parents and caregivers
about school-based training, including how to carry it out at
home and where to get support to do so.

Hearing and Vision impairments are common.

IDEA recognizes deaf-blindness as its own category.

Deaf-blindness means concomitant hearing and visual

impairments, the combination of which causes such a severe
communication and other developmental and educational needs
that they cannot be accommodated in special education
programs solely for children with deafness or blindness.

Note: over 90% of students in this classification have various

combinations of the two. The impairments are sever enough that
they need their own special designed instruction.

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Almost all students with multiple disabilities, not just those who
are deaf-blind, have communication impairments.
Teachers often report these students are not sufficiently engaged
in communicative interactions during school, and this lack of
interaction is associated with multiple barriers, including lack of
teacher preparations, school contextual factors, lack of speechlnguage pathologists, and complexity of students
communication needs.
Many students use augmentative and alternative communication
(AAC) systems.

This can sometimes be unknown and sometimes quite easy to

pinpoint.
In of all children who have severe intellectual impairments, there is
a biological cause. This is typically prenatal biomedical factors.
A common genetic cause is fragile X syndrome, this is the most
common genetic disorder that is associated with intellectual
disabilities.
Fragile X is an absence of protein in the chromosome that manifests
itself as a multiple disability including intellectual disability and
autism. Males are typically afflicted at a more significant level and on
rare occasions an individual will have no intellectual disability.

Determining the Presence of Multiple Disabilities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKqN21OdsLQ

Apgar test screens health of newborns and can be the first sign

of impairment in newborns.
The test gives a score in one of 5 physical tests (skin color, heart rate,
respiratory effort, muscle tone, and reflex irritability when
stimulated.) at one minute and five minutes after birth. Newborns
receive a 0-2 for each test. When the overall Apgar test is less than
4, a more thorough evaluation is indicated.
Students with multiple disabilities are typically identified at birth or
in their early years, thus, physicians and not educators or
psychologists, usually make the initial diagnosis.

11/19/2015

Students often use assistive technology, but only if the needs and
ability to use technology are fairly determined by a close
technology-related evaluation.
Assistive technology evaluations are multidisciplinary:
technology specialists, speech-language pathologists, orientation
and mobility specialists, and occupational and physical
therapists.
Together the professionals and family evaluate how the assistive
technology can enhance communication, seating/positioning,
and fine-motor skills.

SETT (Student, Environment, Task, Tools) This is the

framework for the assistive technology evaluation. Needs to be
considered are:

This determines if and how the assistive technology will be used.

Students needs, interests, and abilities

Environment in which the technology will be used
Tasks for which the technology will be needed
Tools that might be needed t o meet the students needs.

Key Terms:

1.0 Person-centered planning approach

1.0 Designing an appropriate IEP

Sarah Detraz

MAPs process
Supplementary aids & devices
AAC devices

2.0

CSS
The Partial Participation Principle
Student-directed learning
strategies
Self-instructional strategies
Self-monitoring strategies

1.1 Partnering for Special Ed. and Related Services

1.2 Determining Supplementary Aids and Services
1.3 Planning for Universal Design for Learning
1.4 Planning for Other Educational Needs

2.0 Using Effective Learning Strategies

2.1 Early Childhood Students: Childrens School Success

2.2 Elementary and Middle School Students: The Partial Participation
Principle
2.3 Secondary Transition Students: Student-Directed Learning Strategies

11/19/2015

1.1 Partnership for Special Education and Related Services

Person-centered planning approach

AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

Person-centered planning approach A way to design an IEP and plan transitions.

MAPs (McGill Action Planning Process)
Customizes students education programs to their specific visions, strengths, and needs.
A creative way to plan for transitions from school to post-school life and activities.

Can be incorporated into IEP meeting or independently

Requires time
Work with experienced facilitator
Overarching questions:

Who is involved?

What is MAPs?
What is your history/story?
What about your dreams?
What are your nightmares?
Who are you?
What are your strengths, gifts, talents?
What do you need?
What is the plan of action?
References:

http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102498
83032184/Using+the+MAPS+Proc+to+Plan...+(Lockwood),+Doc+5..pdf
http://pcp.sonoranucedd.fcm.arizona.edu/resources/person-centeredplanning-tools/map
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=assisstive+tech+for
+students+w+multiple+disabilities

What makes the student tick?

How do we build off of their strengths to facilitate their learning experience?
How does this relate to/affect their inclusion within the
home/school/community?
What are the obstacles?
How do we move past these obstacles?
Student, family/friends, facilitator, & teacher (specific service providers)

What is a supplementary aid/service?

Peer Tutoring

One on one
Small groups
Benefits?
Things to keep in mind as you implement peer tutoring:
Clarify roles
Match students appropriately
Provide support to all students

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Use of technology to enhance inclusion of students with multiple

disabilities
Technology can include (but is not limited to):

Smartphones
iPads
Tablets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzSNdxsfk0Q

AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

Provides alternate forms of communication

Devices/strategies used by students with communication difficulties
Promotes:
Literacy learning
Access to general education curriculum
Autonomy
Self-sufficiency
Self-determination

Questions for the IEP team:

What AAC devices are appropriate for the

student?
What does the student need?

Symbols?
How is meaning represented?
How does the device display information?

Fixed vs dynamic
https://allaboutaac.wordpress.com/consider
ations/type-of-display/

What will the selection options be?

Things to Consider:
Speech pathologist
Challenges:
Limited functionality
Training & support availability
Focus remains on
communication
Reference:
www.asha.org (American-SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association)

2.1 Early Childhood Strategies

2.2 Elementary and Middle School Students
2.3 Secondary and Transition Students

Scanning vs direct
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhj5vs
9P5cw (1:20)

What is the method for output?

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CSS Childrens School Success

Model designed by researchers

Goals?
Crucial points:
Interaction b/w peers
5 key assumptions:
Active learners
Practice
Participation
Choice
Integration & problem-solving
4 main steps

Principals that govern the education of students with multiple disabilities:

Maximal participation
Maximizes participation
The Partial Participation Principal
No student denied access to general education classroom
Rejects all-or-none approach
Implementing this principal:
Ask yourself questions

What noninstructional supports does the student need for meaningful participation?
How much does the student wish to participate?
How can you enhance independence/partial independence?

Observe the student

Plan accordingly

What can the student do? What do they need to learn?

Conduct task analysis
Series of steps/observations and is recorded
Can they perform the task independently, will they learn to perform the task, or do they need assistance?

CSS models 4 main steps in problem-solving process

Gains/connections

Reflect and act

Plan and predict
Act and observe
Report and reflect

Academic & social

Relates to previously discussed topics
Universal design
Self-determination
Involvement
Inclusion/integration
High expectations
Science-based strategies

Goal
Student-directed learning strategies

Universal strategy
Particularly beneficial for students with multiple disabilities
Picture prompts/antecedent cue regulation
Reduces reliance
Helps those who have issues with memory
Temporary support that promotes learning
Self-instruction
Teach verbal/communication skills to direct their learning
Self-monitoring
Tangible way to track their own progress

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Types

Verbally instruct themselves

Traditional

Tangible/creative

Traditional problem-solving
Task sequencing (did-next-now)

Learn self-instruction statements related to a sequence of steps

Ex. I placed the silverware on the napkin, next step, I need to roll the silverware in
the napkin.

Conditions:

Interactive (did-next-ask)

Instruct themselves to ask for next step after completing previous

There Is convincing evidence that students with multiple

disabilities can be successful in not only the regular classroom,
but with extracurricular activities as well (sports, clubs, etc.)
46% of students with multiple disabilities spend LESS than 40%
of their day spent in a regular classroom (usually in a special
setting or even at home)
Parents believe that the primary benefit for their children to be
included in a regular classroom setting is they have a greater
chance of general education and functional skills because their
expectations are higher in those classes.

Physical representations of addition/subtraction

Ex. Marble added when tasks is complete.
Ex. Moving objects from one place to another.
Promotes self-monitoring

What-where
Learn statements about what they need to do
Ex. I need to roll the silverware in the napkin, and, I roll the silverware in the napkin
at my workstation in the restaurant.

Charting or checklists

Must know how to complete task

Must know/understand measuring strategy
Build in check system

Video start- 4:12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkfhsr3gX90

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12

Portfolio-based assessment- permanent products that show a

students work. (graphs, life space analysis, students progress
with other students)
The only way to measure a students progress towards a social
goal, you have to watch and observe the students behavior and
then record data to compare with.

10

0
Day 1
Working alone

Day 3
Working w/ Sally

Day 7
Working w/ multiple students

Day 10
Column1

Field observations- observing and recording a students behavior

Time sampling- an observer records the occurrence or
nonoccurrence of specific behaviors during short, predetermined
intervals

10