Dennis
Academic, Functional, and Transition Tutor
I believe every student can learn and has strengths that will catapult them to become as independent as possible. After working with students for 36 years, including 23 years in public education, I find that I still enjoy the one-on-one interaction with my students. My credentials are in K-12 Special Education and Career Technology Education, CTE in Trades and Industry (I taught wood shop). I have a BA in Music (Performing), a MS Education, and am currently a PhD Candidate for Curriculum ...
dyslexia
autism
I am a certified K-12 SPED instructor with 23 years in the classroom and out in the field and supporting students with disabilities on the job site. My classrooms settings is or had been the following: SED/BD, Resource, CWC, Co-teach, academic self-contained, ILC (medical], Transition and Function Living Skills. In the past 5 years I've worked with students with Autism in the classroom working academics and also functional life skills. Several of the years also included training students to ride city buses, access various community resources and work in paid and unpaid employment. Each student with autism is unique and are on different places developmentally and academically than their peers. Depending on the family resources and input, many have private therapies, ABA training and such. Once they get to high school, all bets are off and what worked before doesn't... so new interventions, applications, schedules, etc. have to instituted on an individual basis.
ADD/ADHD
I am a certified K-12 SPED instructor with 23 years in the classroom and out in the field and supporting students with disabilities on the job site. My classroom setting is or has been the following: SED/BD, Resource, CWC, Co-teach, academic self-contained, ILC (medical], Transition and Function Living Skills. Over the years I have worked with my students who officially and unofficially were diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Each student is different due to medication, what he or she eats, or how much outside stimulation is working against what is going on inside. There are specific interventions that work well with all students and adults who have ADD/ ADHD. I am also included in this population. I would start with the basic interventions, if necessary review schedule, time on task, then tweak the individual strategy in order to get the most out the student.
Aspergers
I am a certified K-12 SPED instructor with 23 years in the classroom and out in the field and supporting students with disabilities on the job site. My classrooms settings is or had been the following: SED/ BD, Resource, CWC, Co-teach, academic self-contained, ILC (medical], Transition and Function Living Skills. In the past 5 years I've had the opportunity to work directly with several students, male and female, who qualify on the ASD scale as Aspergers this does not include a 20 year relationship with a family who have a son with Aspergers. Working with students with Aspergers requires additional patience to dig in and find the deep learning that will hook a student to their education. Sometimes it is very easy to see. Other times it is not. Developmentally delayed disorders require a number of interventions that need to be used interchangeably and what works today may not work tomorrow.