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Paula

Disabilities Specialist/ESL/ESOL

I am a special educator with twenty-five years experience as a special needs teacher/tutor for children with moderate to severe learning disabilities. I have Certification in the Orton Gillingham method- Certificate in Therapeutic Techniques for the treatment of Dyslexia and Supervised Practice for Specific Reading Disabilities. I have a Certificate of Advanced graduate Study in Language and Literacy. I also have a Master's in Judaic studies with a Concentration in Special needs. I have taugh...

ADD/ADHD

I've had students with ADD/ADHD either in the classroom, or in tutoring situations for the past 25 years. They all have had some issues with language or reading. Therefore, because I have a certificate in advanced graduate study in language and literacy I was able to spot the issues of language and reading due to inattention that can come hand in hand with ADD/ADHD. Something I learned and experienced within my teaching of students with ADD/ADHD, that it often has other coexisting diagnoses with it. These students often have difficulties with focusing and sustaining attention. They also may exhibit impulsivity, and in some cases hyperactivity. One must have and understanding when planning for teaching that one size does not fit all. One must use modifications when necessary such as breaking the assignment down, reduce distraction, and incorporate the teaching of time management. One of the best ways that I have found is to use a multisensory approach, because the use of activity based learning often helps the student become engaged in learning.


Aspergers

I have taught Special needs Hebrew Sunday school classes with the population of children and preteens with Aspergers. I have taught them for their coming of age ceremony in the Jewish Faith which is called Bar/ Bat Mitzvah. I have done this kind of work for 25 years. I have also taught this population in general studies in language and literacy for 12 of those years. I have a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Study in Language and Literacy and within this I took courses in Language Acquisition and Assessment, as well as I have a Master's in Judaic Studies and Special Needs and use a multisensory approach to teach according to the students needs. I know from my teaching and observing experience there is marked impairment in social and communication skills. There is difficulty with social relationships, poor coordination, poor concentration, and a restricted range of interests. These students usually have normal intelligence and adequate language skills in the areas of vocabulary and grammar. Aspergers is usually later onset or is recognized later. Where the difficulty lies is, in the area of understanding subtleties used in conversation such as irony, and humor. Aspergers is sometimes referred to as "High Functioning Autism."


autism

I first learned about Autism in my psychology books. Then I had the opportunity to teach a class of developmentally delayed children in a Hebrew Sunday school class. The population was mostly of Children on the Autism Spectrum one of who only responded to the Hebrew language, because it was his first language.


dyslexia


ESL/ESOL


phonics


special needs


ADHD


Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)