Special Needs - 2 - Best Practices for Online Communication (Assignment #1)

Post date: Oct 14, 2019 1:27:38 AM

I decided to write about Option 2. I've included it here for reference:

You have a student in your online English class who has a 504 Plan in place for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The plan indicates she has significant difficulties with staying focused and executive functioning skills, making organization a constant challenge for her. The 504 committee that developed her plan decided to try an online placement for your one class to see if the online environment is an appropriate fit for future classes. So far, it seems she is enjoying and thriving in your class; she has been active in the class for the first couple of weeks, crafting thoughtful and meaningful posts and responses to classmates, she is asking questions when she needs clarification on a direction or a concept, and is turning in assignments and taking tests and quizzes on a regular basis. However, you notice she is turning in her work at various times, not necessarily in order as per the pacing schedule with due dates you have provided.

In this scenario, it is obvious that our student, whom I will call Teresa for ease of explanation, is struggling with executive functioning, which is a known challenge for her. This means that she may struggle with things that seem "easy" to others, such as keeping track of what assignments are due when, completing assignments, prioritizing assignments, and self-monitoring. So, for example, our schedules may be overwhelming to her, with a whole week or weeks displayed on the same page and several "asks" per day.

There are a few things we can do to support Teresa. First, I would call Teresa's mom and explain the situation. Most likely, Teresa's mom has been working on these difficulties for years with her and might have some strategies in place that seem to work for Teresa. Then, mom and I could work on a plan to modify these strategies for her online class. For example, students that struggle with executive functioning, often do well when everything but what they need to do RIGHT NOW is covered up, so the other information does not distract them. She may be used to covering up all of a test, except the question she is working on. If so, Teresa could print out her schedule and cover up all but the current day's work so she can focus on exactly what she needs to do that day:

Or, Teresa might benefit from a simple list that lists exactly what she needs to turn in each week, but nothing else. This might help her focus. Here is an example of a simple checklist I created for a student this semester: Fall 2019 Due Date Checklist.

Next, I would email Teresa, mom, and her GAVS Special Education teacher a summary of what we talked about. If there was anything we agreed that I would provide, such as the schedule above, I would send that as well. This way, both Teresa and her mom have a written copy of what we discussed that they could refer back to as needed.

The third method of communication I would use to support Teresa is making sure she understands how to access the Course Resource S'mores for each module. These newsletters have FAQ, walkthrough videos, and other helpful tips for each assignment. I link these newsletters in the Bulletin Board section of my course: