Linda
Licensed Teaching Assistant specializing in Reading
I have been a teacher's assistant for 26 years, working with Special Needs students in grades 1-6. I have also worked with Transitional 1st grade students. I have taught in all subject areas, but my strength is in reading/language arts. I have pushed into kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms to assist with their reading program, and have also pushed into 5th grade social studies and science. I love working with children, I have a lot of love and patience for each student, and I b...
autism
I worked very closely with an autistic student this year and he was in a highly structured special education program designed to meet his needs. I worked with him on social development, communication, behavior and sensory integration.
Aspergers
Kids with Asperger Syndrome can have a variety of symptoms and behaviors, but they generally have problems with social and communications skills. They also typically have IQs in the normal to very superior range. Many look so normal and are so advanced in some ways that it's hard for people to understand why one can't read a teacher's facial expression, or another has trouble making eye contact, or a third takes expressions literally and misses implied meanings. Kids with AS are impulsive, so I needed to work out a signal or a cue with my student to get him to stop talking. I also called on that student routinely, so he would relax as he was waiting for me to acknowledge him. He needed clear, consistent direction, and I had to set the tone in the classroom when working with him. He required a visual schedule, and repeated reminders of the rules. Although eye contact was extremlly difficult for him, he was a visual learner because at times he had trouble processing auditory information. When doing math with this student he insisted on doing the work in his head, instead of showing his work, as this made no sense to him, so I had to modify math for him. Sensory overload was difficult for this student and at times he would have to tap his pencil to focus himself. He had trouble with transition, so I would prepare the student by discussing upcoming activities. I worked closely with the school's social worker, and I had training through the Kelberman Center which offered New York State Education Department Approved Autism Trainings right at our school.
study skills
ADHD
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ADD/ADHD
Instructional Strategies: Working With LD and ADD Children 15 hour class I was also trained by a person at the Kelberman Center in Utica, NY, in regards to a specific student. This helped me determine the approach a I would take to achieve learning objectives. Instructional methods are used by teachers to create learning environments and to specify the nature of the activity in which the teacher and learner will be involved during the lesson. I believe that what children learn depends not only on what they are taught but also how they are taught, their development level, and their interests and experiences.... I learned to model cognitive strategies such as "think aloud" techniques, which help students verbalize the thought processes they should engage in to complete the task. Cooperative groupings can also be used effectively. I would use the following strategies... . Seat the student with ADD/ADHD away from windows and away from the door. • Put the student with ADD/ADHD right in front of your desk unless that would be a distraction for the student. • Seats in rows, with focus on the teacher, usually work better than having students seated around tables or facing one another in other arrangements.Finally, I always give praise and feedback immediately and consistently. I would also... . Give instructions one at a time and repeat as necessary. • If possible, work on the most difficult material early in the day. • Use visuals: charts, pictures, color coding. • Create outlines for note-taking that organize the information as I deliver it. I often would... • Signal the start of a lesson with an aural cue, such as an egg timer, a cowbell or a horn. (You can use subsequent cues to show much time remains in a lesson.) • List the activities of the lesson on the board. • In opening the lesson, I would tell the students what they’re going to learn and what my expectations are. I would tell students exactly what materials they’ll need. • I would always establish eye contact with the student who has ADD/ADHD. • Keep instructions simple and structured. • I allowed the student with ADD/ADHD frequent breaks. • I often let the student with ADHD squeeze a Koosh ball or tap something that doesn’t make noise as a physical outlet. • I would try not to ask a student with ADD/ADHD perform a task or answer a question publicly that might be too difficult. And what always seems to work for me... Reward more than you punish, in order to build self-esteem. Praise immediately any and all good behavior and performance. Change rewards if they are not effective in motivating behavioral change. Find ways to encourage the child. I worked with several different students over the past 23 years that had attention deficit disorder, and with my training in this area I was able to help them become successful.