Frequently Asked Questions

Please email us at williamroseschool@gmail.com with any questions you may have that we may add to this page.

Can I come on a teacher mentor program to William Rose School for professional development?

Yes! We welcome you to come. You may wish to have a general overview of our programs, or you may have a specific area you wish to review. Please see Teacher Mentor Program for further information.

What is a visual timetable and how do I make one?

A visual timetable is basically a picture timetable. Subjects and activities are represented in graphics. They can use standardised picture symbols such as Boardmaker, or photo symbols which you can browse. Visual timetables offer independence for students who cannot read the written format. They can also be enlarged to A3 format for vision impaired students.

visual_timetable_sample.docx

How do I write an IEP? What outcomes do I use?

See IEP

How can I manage having a student with disabilities in my mainstream class?

There is no denying it, having a student with disabilities in your class can be challenging, be it in special schools, units or in mainstream classes. But let's also remember it can be very rewarding. There is a reason you were attracted to the teaching profession! Seeing any student reach their learning goals is immensely satisfying. Those ‘aha' moments are what it is all about.

What should be remembered is this – students with disabilities are more alike and dislike their non-disabled peers. They want to belong as much as their peers, they want to make trouble as much as their peers, they want to be noticed as much as their peers, they want to be successful as much as their peers. A teacher having realistic expectations is the key. If a 14 year old boy with disabilities in your class is presenting you with behavioural challenges – consider this – is it age appropriate? Is it really that different to the behaviour of other 14 year old boys?

What should be avoided at all costs is ‘reinventing the wheel.'This website aims to assist you with the provision of resources and ideas. We also welcome you to come and visit our school for some professional learning on a teacher exchange. For additional support, get involved with the Blacktown Area Special Education Network (BASEN), which has been going strong for nearly a decade now. There you can connect with teachers who are more than willing to share their ideas, strategies and resources with you.

Individually planning for students can seem daunting, but is fairly straightforward. Always involve parents and work together on learning goals that are appropriate and promote success. For whole-class activities, task anaylse it and work out what your student with disabilities can achieve. See Task Analysing. Progress needs to be measured for students with special needs, but these are sometimes very small steps indeed. Buddy them up with a mentor. Model behaviour that shows your acceptance, so they are accepted by the class too. Acknowledge their efforts.

If there are behaviour challenges, this adds a further dimension. Find what motivates them and use it. Gain support from your team. Above all else, be consistent and mean what you say! And reward lavishly with praise and acknowledgment.

Please explore the website for more detailed information on supporting your students with special needs.

What should I do when a student with Autism has a meltdown?

The first thing to always remember is that BEHAVIOUR IS COMMUNICATION. Students with autism usually find it very difficult to communicate ‘feelings.' Programs and supports should be put in place to equip students with Autism with the opportunity to communicate in more socially acceptable ways. This should be done consistently. However, when a meltdown does occur, that is not the time to grab out the social story!

Try to work out what the message of the behaviour is. Is it too noisy? Was there too much of an interruption to the day's routine? Is the student feeling too challenged by the set work? Did someone touch them? Have there been too many instructions?

When the student has been triggered and the behaviour has escalated to crisis point, remove others from the area for their safety and monitor the student. Get help from others who have positive relationships with the student. Avoid making eye contact, as this can be perceived as challenging. If you can, remove objects the student may throw, such as laptops or chairs. Any talking to the student needs to be minimal, very simple, in a low voice. It should be reassuring. Remain calm, even if you are feeling shaky on the inside. Raising your voice will only cause further escalation. Also, anything that is perceived as a criticism of them or their behaviour may also prolong the outburst.

If the student is of risk of harm to self, please consider this when formulating the behaviour support plan and refer to DEC guidelines for assistance.

The behaviour will eventually de-escalate and the student will recover. They can feel incredibly remorseful about their outburst. This is still not the time to reinforce expected behaviours. The next day may be appropriate.

Some good sites on Autism are;

How can I prevent students with Autism having a meltdown?

Explicitly teach students with Autism the skills they need to communicate. This can be done using social stories, teaching how to be aware of ‘messages' and what to say, and using relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or counting to 10.

You can also create success by manipulating the environment – including minimising classroom clutter, using what motivates students as rewards, using praise and integrating what triggers them in small and controlled ways to promote desensitisation. Natural consequences are also a great teacher.

When a student exhibits signs of agitation, there are various techniques that can be used to prevent this behaviour from escalating, including planned ignoring, acknowledging their efforts to practice calming techniques and working out what the behaviour (communication) is about. Be aware not to overload with too much feedback or instructions if a student is feeling agitated.

Taking behaviour data is needed to assist in understanding what the triggers can be, so these can be reduced or eliminated.

See also 10 tips for Autism.

What behaviour management strategies can I use for students with disabilities?

See Behaviour Support

Where can I get info on specific types of disabilities?

Besides using a search engine to look up specific disabilities your student may have, there are sites that offer further information, such as http://www.ndco.stepscs.net.au/documents/NDCO_DisabilityFactSheets.pdf from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations which offers an overview, communication strategies and implications of various disabilities.

What support is available for students, parents and schools?

There are numerous support groups for parents/carers, teachers and students specific to disability type. Some of these are listed in Agencies and Networks.

How do I support students and how do I gradually decrease those supports to enhance independence?

We provide scaffolding to support students to attain success and reach their learning goals. The types of supports will depend on the individual needs of students. Some ways to scaffold are;

allowing additional time
using large print
using commication aides
using technology
hand-over-hand assistance (yours over theirs or theirs over yours)
modelling responses
verbal prompting
closed questions
open questions
using concrete materials
providing errorless tasks
using picture symbols or objects symbols to convey ideas
task analysing into smaller steps
repetition - providing ample opportunity for practise
buddy systems (modelling by peers)
using actual objects
physical prompts, such as touch cues

As students develop skills in a particular task, the type of support can be reduced, with a view to allowing student to demonstrate the skill independently.

For example, it may need to be modelled to a student followed by a touch cue to the elbow, to hand over money when paying for a bowling game. When this is achieved, the support may be reduced to a verbal prompt only, until the student is able to recognise when to do this, performing the task independently. At the same time, the skills sets can be increased, with modelling being provided to ask for ‘a bowling game please', which the student repeats, with supports being reduced to a verbal prompt, then the student being able to ask and hand over their money independently.

Some supports will not be reduced, such as the use of large print or technology to assist in communication. Skills in using these supports however, can be increased to enhance independence.

What adaptive technologies are available?