Learning and developmental support at the International School of Panama


Sarah Tiapula-Stein McCabe

Identification

Counsellors

Inclusion Team

Teachers

Teachers identify red flag behaviours through classroom observation

Red flag behaviours include:

  • Consistently not meeting grade levels standards
  • Low achievement
  • Low motivation
  • Not participating in class discussions or lessons
  • Not completing work
  • Common absence from school
  • Not interacting well with others
  • Lack of age appropriate independence
  • Consistently giving off topic answers
  • Not following instructions
  • Disengagement
  • Boredom
  • Not following rules
  • Acting out
    (B.McCabe, personal communication, Aug 30, 2021)

At enrollment the inclusion team conducts a student assessment and discern if they need learning support services such as EAL or placement in the inclusion classroom.

When a student is identified by their class teacher as needing additional support in any capacity the inclusion team is informed and they conduct a student assessment

  1. Objective Observation
  2. Intervention strategies are created and implemented with consistent check ins to observe student and analyse data
  3. Intervention strategies last 6 weeks, then there is a re-assessment

Student Assessment

When standard interventions don't work

Red flag behaviours include:

  • Disconnected from environment and peers
  • Unhealthy communication methods
  • Poor emotional management
  • Lack of age appropriate independence

Through observations made during weekly social-emotional classes or within the social life of the school

Parents

By the time their children are of school going age, many parents have already had their children assessed by a licensed professional if there are developmental or behavioural concerns. In this case they bring their child's case file and along with the inclusion team, class teacher, counsellor and the therapist who works with the child outside of school, they create an encompassing IEP.

For students who are identified as needing additional support during the school year, parents are notified as soon as a teacher/counselor has a concern that cannot be addressed using regular differentiated classroom instruction

Differentiate Lessons
E.g If they are doing addition work, the class teacher might give a struggling student a dice that had only 6 faces (a normal dice) and they would get problems like 6+2 or 1+1 or 4+5. Classes have differentiated dice that have 8 sides, 10 sides, 12 sides and 20 sides. So the class teacher would give the rest of the class 10 sided dice to work with and the math problems become more difficult and look more like 9+9 or 10+6 or 8+7. Then the students can all review the same basic math prinicipal at a different level.
(B.McCabe, personal communication, Aug 30, 2021)

Strategies for in-classroom support

Assistive Technology
In the classroom and school, assistive technologies and adaptive equipment can be utilised to personalise each students learning environment. In a Kindergarten classroom students have access to items such as pencil grips, weighted pencils, tactile letters, Ipads with student specific applications preloaded on them (e.g level appropriate RazzKids account),magnets, multimedia books (e.g Leapfrog books) and mathematics manipulatives.

Individual Attention
Work one on one with a student falling behind
E.g A student who needs extra support with the alphabet might need to meet with their teacher during Choice Time or when other students are working independently.

When a student has been identified as needing additional support in any capacity, they meet with the counsellor and the counsellor will conduct an assessment.

  1. Specific struggle areas are identified
  2. Define very simple goals
  3. Conduct small group interventions that are based on small goals that build on specific skills
    The small group interventions last 4-5 weeks and are conducted weekly

Assessment

Inclusion Support & Program

When standard interventions don't work

When standard interventions don't work

All non-routine support services given must be signed off on and often there is an additional fee

In Class Inclusion Assisted Support

  • Push In
  • Pull Out
  • 1-1/1-3 in class learning support

Inclusion Classroom
For students with high needs, the inclusion classroom is a restrictive environment that is modified to cater to the specific needs of the learners.

Assistive Technology
Specific assistive technology is acquired for students who have been identified as needing more individualised and focused learning support

Communication Boards
A board that has visual representations of every day activities or items a child wants or needs (e.g a picture of the toilet) with a moveable pointer so that a non-verbal child or a child who is not comfortable speaking can communicate their needs throughout the day.

Life Skills Education
Academic content is taught through the learning of life skills. Students learn how to count money, how to cook and other everyday skills they will need to navigate life.

Seating Systems
There is a variety of seating systems available to assist students who need to be in constant motion. Seating options like the balance ball, wobble chair and Ergo chair provide students with an outlet for their energy without taking away their focus on the task at hand.