Multiple disabilities/Other Health Impairments

Jorgensen, Cheryl M., Lambert, Laurie, (2012). Inclusion means more than just being "in: planning
     full participation of students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in the general
     education classroom. International Journal of Whole Schooling, (8)2, 21-36.
     Retrieved from
      http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ991531


     The article I chose discussed a specific model to use when including students into the general education classroom.  This article explained how the model works, how to find time to collaborate with other teachers about identified students, and how to support the students in the classroom.  The disabilities that were discussed were multiple disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and autism. 
     The model described in this article is called The Beyond Access Model which promotes a students' full membership in the general education classroom and learning the same curriculum with the general education students.  The Beyond Access Model consists of four iterative phases including a baseline needs assessment, exploring and describing best-guess team and student supports, systematic implementation of promising supports with data collection, and review and revision of student and team supports based on data analysis.  It also includes comprehensive proessional development related to the Model' best practices (Jorgensen, McSheehan, & Sonnenmeier, 2010).
     The article describes a ninth grade science teacher who is concerned about a student he will have in his classroom.  The student has an I.Q. of 55 due to a rare chromosomal condition that made her legally blind, unsteady balance and at times, challenging behavior.  Using The Beyond Access Model, the first step is to answer five questions that all members of the team have input on.  The questions are: 1. What is the general education instructional routine?
2. What are students without disabilities doing to participate in he instructional routine?
3. Can the student with the disability participate in the same way in all components of the instructional routine or does the student need an alternate way to participate?
4. What supports does the student need to participate using alternate means?
5. Who will prepare the supports?
The science teacher prepares the student by discussing lessons, and what will be covered in science class.  As well as other members of the team who help support this student.  The questions are put into a chart and answered so there is a clear view of how to support the student in the science classroom.  The other student in this article is a kindergartener with autism who used echolalic speech, was bilingual, legally bling, and had sensitivities to noise and light.  The same questions were used to plan in supporting this student in the general classroom as well. 
     This article goes on to explain key components of the Beyond Access instructional planning process. These were described as, having high expectations for all students, planning for participation in typical instructional routines, grounding the process in what students without disabilities are doing, and finding time for instructional planning meetings. 
     This model was first used in New Hampshire from 2002-2008 and has been adopted in several other U.S. states.  There was a very good response from those schools who first adopted it during those years listed above.  Of course with any new idea, there are things that could be changed or fixed to work better. 
     In my opinion, I feel like teachers do this on a pretty regular basis.  We don't call it the "Beyond Access Model" but, we are always collaborating with other teachers about our students and how better to support them.  Not always students with disabilities but all students.  There are many students without IEPs who need extra support and sometimes the special education teacher has information to help the gen ed teacher with that.  Or maybe the teacher from the previous year has strategies that will help the same student this year.  I felt like this article just put to paper what happens all the time and gave it an official name.  However, sometimes when you put the obvious on paper, and answer some basic questions to help facilitate the conversations on how best to support specific students, it keeps the team on track and a nice record of what was done previously.  It's a good way to see what has worked and what has not.  In this weeks reading, near the end of chapter 9, there are keys to successful inclusion.  These are all things to consider when using the Beyond Access Model.