Module 1: Instructional Planning and Strategies

Summary

Active participation in real life contexts is important for students’ learning. Setting up with universal supports in an optimal classroom environment assists all students. Individual factors must also be considered when designing essential supports and teaching strategies for a specific student.

Key Terms

Active role
Actively participating in a routine or in a group.
Adapted Classroom Chair
Classroom chair with individualized adaptations for a student.
Alerting Activities
Used when your student seems unfocused, overstimulated, hyperalert or feeling anxious. Generally, these activities involve firm pressure and slower movement.
Ankle Foot Orthosis
Used to maintain the position of the ankle joints for a standing position.
Backward Chaining
A way to teach a new skill or routine where a routine is broken down into small steps with the helper completing most of the task. The last stage is the step that your student helps to complete.
Calming Activities
Used when your student seems lethargic or not alert enough to pay attention. Generally, these activities involve faster movement.
Co-regulation
Supporting someone else to regulate through modeling your own regulated state.
Essential Supports
Teaching strategies specific to a particular student.
Hand Splint
Maintains the wrist, hand, and fingers in a position for optimal function.
Hitch
A USB computer switch interface.
Levels of Participation
The four levels of participation are: Doing what everyone else is doing, Fringe participation, Watching and waiting, Doing something different.
Manual wheelchair
Can be manually controlled by the student or another person.
Power wheelchair
Motorized wheelchair controlled by the student.
Powerlink
An electrical device when used with a switch defines exactly how, and for how long, appliances will be turned on.
Prompting and fading
A strategy where various prompts are faded and eventually eliminated as the student exhibits progress.
Ready Position
Optimal body position which allows your student to use a full visual range, better attend to the work, and makes tasks like reaching and eating much easier.
Self-Regulation
Managing one’s behaviours, thoughts, feelings, and energy in response to ongoing demands independently without assistance or prompting.
Spinner
When used with a switch enables the student to make random selections.
Stander
Supports the student in a standing position.
Switch
An accessible tool which allows the student to use technology to activate electrical devices.
Universal supports
Core programs and strategies provided to all students within a school to promote successful student outcomes and prevent school failure.
Walker
Supports the student to walk.

References and Resources

Bennett, C. (2010). Stop classroom clutter. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/decorating-your-classroom-4077035

Prompting and Fading

Causton-Theoharis, J. (2009). The golden rule of fading: support others as you would wish to be supported. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(2), 36-43.

Children with Disabilities Team Occupational Therapy Falkirk Council. (n.d). Making sense of sensory behaviour. Retrieved from https://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/social-care/disabilities/docs/young-people/Making%20Sense%20of%20Sensory%20Behaviour.pdf?v=201906271131

Emotional Regulation

Faber, A., & King, J. (2017). How to talk so little kids will listen. New York: Scribner

Active Participation

Kramer, J. M., Olsen, S., Mermelstein, M., Balcells, A., & Liljenquist, K. (2012). Youth with disabilities' perspectives of the environment and participation: a qualitative meta-synthesis. Child: Care, Health and Development38(6), 763–777. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2012.01365.x

Kuypers, L. (2011). The Zones of Regulation. Santa Clara, CA: Think Social Publishing

MacNamara, D. (2016). Rest play grow. Vancouver, BC: Aona Books

Mahmood, H., Down Syndrome Resource Foundation. (2019). Strategies to support children with down syndrome in the classroom.

Provincial Outreach Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students for signing students. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://popdhh.ca/

Shanker, S. (2012). Calm, alert and learning. Retrieved from https://self-reg.ca/publications/

Teachers for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for School District 61 resources for Individual Education Plans 

Universal and essential supports. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://hub.sd63.bc.ca/pluginfile.php/12244/mod_resource/content/0/12.%20Universal%20and%20Essential%20supports.pdf

Yuskow, K. (2017). Impact of hearing loss on child development and school performance. Retrieved from https://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/for-professionals/impact-of-hearing-loss-child/