Part+1+-+Group+5

=Group 5 - Part 1 - Chapter 2=

What should a team consider before developing a student profile for a student with ASD?
Contributors: Judy Wallman, Cheryl Beaumont, Jennifer-Marie Landry

A team should consider:
 * who this student is as a person (interests, tsregnths, areas of concern, bhobbies, etc)
 * the characteristics we appreciate about them (for example, is the student a leader in a structured enviroment?)
 * what their strengths are
 * what type of learner they are
 * the student's current levels (history and background information, diagnostic and assessment information, classroom teacher observations)
 * characteristics and associated features of ASD / developmental stage
 * priority learning needs and possible learning gaps
 * SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) for the specific student in mind. I think it is important to consider what the student struggles with and their strengths and how we can best help the student.
 * learning priorities

How is a student profile developed? (focus on the three steps)
Contributors: Judy Wallman, Cheryl Beaumont, Jennifer-Marie Landry

At Judy Wallman's school, the following steps are taken to develop a student profile:
 * 1) ask Behavior Support Clinician (BSC) to meet with RT to discuss student
 * 2) RT sets up collab with CT and BSC to begin development of student profile
 * 3) BSC takes info back and puts into a student profile template. This is emailed to RT who then meets with CT to review. Another collab is then set up with CT, BSC and RT to complete the student profile. Keep in mind, this is a working document and is not stagnant.
 * 4) The student profile is reviewed over time to see what is working and what is not---as said above, it is not stagnant--but changing throughout a period of time.

At Cheryl Beaumont's school (a public K-8 school with 370 students), the following steps are taken to develop a studetn profile: 1. GATHERING INFORMATION - information is gathered about the student (through consult times between CT and RT, at student support meetings between administration, guidance, and resource, through parent to teacher conversations and meetings, by reading the cumulative file and talking to the previous teacher, and reviewing previous assessments such as psychologist assessments, speech-language programming recommendations, occupational therapist reports which may include a sensory inventory, etc.). At our school, the RT's have scheduled time to meet with each CT for one period every six-day cycle as well as the student support team meets once every six-day cycle to formally meet to discuss student's progress or lack thereof. 2. SHARING INFORMATION - the student-specfic team would meet (parent, CT, RT, administration, guidance, and outside agencies ~ mental health, ot/pt, etc.). At this point, it is important to meet as a team to collaborate and put the information together in a formal way to lay out some definite learning goals, and provide direction for a shared plan and a program that is moving in the same direction. This collaboration is important for the next step that requires priorities for IEP construction and specific programming for the student. 3. CREATING THE STUDENT PROFILE - The RT and CT discuss specific learning goals/outcomes to promote student success in the classroom based on the team meeting. Together, they create the IEP (which is normally word processed by RT - barf!). The CT reviews with RT. There may be another meeting to secure signatures or signatures may be secured by the various people through informal meetings between RT and others. More discussion may be required to tweak the goals - the IEP is a work in progress and changes may need to be made along the way that may require more meetings. Regardless, parents are updated frequently.

1. Gathering information. "The team compiles current information about  the student, identifies gaps in current knowledge, and determines the  information necessary to prepare the student profile. Team members assess the student according to their area of expertise" (28 Feb 2011 []).

2. **Sharing information. " ** When team members complete their assessments,  they share the results with the rest of the team. This allows the team to  create a more complete profile of the student" (28 Feb 2011 []). 3. **Creating the student profile. " ** A student profile summarizes what is  known about the individual student, including formal and informal  assessment information, and identifies priority learning needs that guide  the development of the IEP" (28 Feb 2011 <[]>). What are some approaches to assessment? Contributors: Judy Wallman, Cheryl Beaumont, Jennifer-Marie Landry

Approaches to assessment include:
 * the learning style of the child is very important and will guide the way you assess him/her. For example, a paper pencil task may not be best practice but scribing for the student may work better. The assessment depends on the child and what the CT sees as working or not working.
 * each professional brings different assessment options to the table (OT-sensory inventory, RT-Woodcock Johnson III subtests, CT-observations, oral tests, etc.)
 * visuals within assessments (for example for junior high students: word banks or multiple choice questions so the student has to identify the right answer verses trying to come up with the words to express the answer)
 * I have been assessing students in a variety of different ways depending on the student: orally (if they can explain or tell me about it), using visuals (if they can draw a picture or look at a picture to help them answer a question), kineasthetically (if they can show me using their fingers--maybe in math).
 * There is also teacher made assessment, clinician made assessment, observation based, interview based, formal, informal.