Articles include:
PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION
SPIN is co-sponsored by the Disability & Communication
Access Board and the Special Education Section of the Department
of Education. Services include a phone line for information referral
and support, a quarterly newsletter, an annual conference and
community workshops. Guiding SPIN is our Advisory Committee:
Ruth Akiona, Maggie Baxter, Mike Fahey, Amy Hogan, Laura Kealaiki,
Steve Laracuente, Thalia Lehano, Donna McLanahan, Scott O'Brien,
Christina Pilkington, Millie Rogers, Gurbachan Singh, Richele
Thornburg & Lori Tokuhama.
SPIN
919 Ala Moana Blvd.,
# 101
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
PHONE
586-8126
Neighbor Islands dial the following exchange then 6-8126: Kauai
-274-3141; Hawai'i-974-4000; Maui-984-2400; Molokai & Lanai
- 1-800-468-4644
FAX
586-8129
E-MAIL
accesshi@aloha.net
WEB
www.spinhawaii.org
3
BIG CONFERENCES COMING UP
In the space of a month, parents
and professionals will have the option of attending three outstanding
conferences that offer a wealth of information and ideas. Contact
information for all three can be found on the Mark Your Calendar
page.
LEARNING DISABILITIES
CONFERENCE
February 8th & 9th
This two day conference includes a mini-conference just for teens.
The main speakers will be Dr. Sylvia Richardson and Dr. George
DuPaul,both well known for their work with learning disabilities
and ADHD, and over 30 workshops .
"CAN DO" SELF-
DETERMINATION CONFERENCE
March 1st & 2nd
2002 marks the second year for this inspirational conference
aimed at helping folks with developmental disabilities live rich,
satisfying lives. Leaders in the self-determination movement--both
nationally and locally--including many self-advocates will be
featured in the presentations. Workshops will be offered in the
areas of self-advocacy, guardianship, housing, self-determination,
the arts, and neurotrauma (brain injury). Scholarships are being
set aside for family members and persons with disabilities. Contact
Sandy Tateyama at 453-6333 or by e-mail at blanche@gte.net.
From
the AWARE Parent Training & Information Project 
What is disability harassment?
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) define disability harassment as "intimidation
or abusive behavior toward a student based on disability."
It includes "...name calling, as well as graphic and written
statements or conduct that is physically threatening, harmful
or humiliating."
Why is it such an important
issue?
Disability harassment can have a huge impact on students, raise
safety concerns and eat away at efforts to ensure that students
with disabilities have equal access to educational benefits.
When harassing conduct is so severe or widespread that it creates
a "hostile environment" by interferring with or denying
a student's participation in or receipt of benefits, services
or opportunities at school, it can violate a student's rights
under Section 504 and Title II of the ADA. Disability harassment
also may result in a denial of a free and appropriate public
education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA).
Examples of Harassment
* Students continually remark to others during class that a student
is "retarded" or doesn't belong in the class; as a
result, the harassed student has difficulty doing assignments;
* A vice-principal repeatedly denies a student with a disability
access to lunch, field trips, and assemblies as punishment for
taking time off from school for required services related to
the student's disability;
* A teacher repeatedly belittles and criticizes a student with
a disability for using accommodations in class;
* Students continually tease or belittle a student with mental
retardation by mocking and intimidating him so s/he does not
participate in class;
* A student repeatedly places classroom furniture or other objects
in the path of classmates who use wheelchairs, blocking the classmates'
ability to enter the classroom.
How to prevent and respond
to disability harassment
Schools, school districts, colleges and universities have a legal
responsibility to prevent and respond to disability harassment.
They must have policies that forbid discrimination based on disability
and established grievance procedures that can be used to address
disability harassment. When school officials learn that disability
harassment may have occurred, they must investigate promptly
and respond appropriately.
Chapter 19 Revisions
In Hawaii, the set of educational regulations that refer to school
discipline procedures and student misconduct is called Chapter
19. Recently, Chapter 19 was revised to include specific reference
to disability harassment. A Class B offense, the harassment includes
the intent to harass, bully, annoy or alarm by "making verbal
or non-verbal expressions for reasons of, including but not limited
to, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, disability
or sexual orientation which create an intimidating, hostile or
offensive school environment, or interfere with the education
of a student, or otherwise adversely affect the educational opportunity
of a student.
"What to do if your
child is harassed at school
. . .If the harassment is coming from another student, ask the
principal of your child's school to investigate. It may be a
Chapter 19 violation.
. . .If the harassment is from your child's teacher, educational
assistant or any other school staff, report this misconduct to
the principal, preferably in writing. . . .And if you think the
harassment is severe enough to be affecting your child's educational
progress, you also have the right to file a complaint with the
Department of Education as a 504 or IDEA violation.
For further assistance, call the AWARE Project at 536-9684 or
toll-free at 1-800-533-9684.
ote: Information for this article was provided by the U.S. Department
of Education. Learn more by going to http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/07-2000/0726_2.html.
SPIN
STOCKING STUFFERS
The holidays can be overwhelming.
We often expect and take on more than we should. This season
give the gift of humor and fun. Here are a few holiday chuckles
to keep in your stocking or share with others.
(picture of two frogs
wearing Santa hats sitting on a lily pad)
"Sweetie, looks aren't everything. It's what's inside that
really matters. A biology teacher told me that."
HOLIDAY
WISHES for PEACE, HAPPINESS, and LAUGHTER!
Ocean of Potentiality Science &
Technology Camp
A science and technology camp,
dedicated to scientific exploration, learning, and FUN, is planned
at Camp Waianae on Oahu from February 15-18, 2002. Youth 13 and
above are encouraged to attend. This is an opportunity to get
out into nature and learn about the environment through hands-on
scientific activities such as a tide pool exploration, computer
technology basics and magic, solar power, and much more. The
camp is designed to be accessible and supportive of youth of
all abilities. The actual cost of the camp is $1500 per camper,
but there are full and partial scholarships available and kamaamina
discounts. Applications should be in by December 15, 2001, so
hurry! Forms and information can be found on-line at: www.oceanofpotentiality.org/
or by calling Kevin Dierks at 261-0607.
Companion
Finder
This is a brand new program
designed to support and empower people with de velopmental disabilities.
The program is funded by the Developmental Disabilities Division
of the Department of Health. The goal of Companion Finder is
to develop a pool of caring and qualified individuals who are
willing to provide companionship for a person with a disability.
Often parents want a person they can trust to take their son
or daughter out into the community, but they don't know where
to look. Companion Finder screens applicants and helps families
find the right match for their needs.
If you would like more information about finding a companion
or if you know of someone who would like to be a paid or volunteer
companion, call the Companion Finder Program at 261-0607 or by
e-mail at kdierks@hawaii.edu.
Developmental
Disabilities Council Website
Check out the new DD Council
Website. . .http://www.hawaii.edu/ddcouncil/
SPIN
AWARDS
Every year, SPIN singles out
some key parents and professionals whose efforts make a positive
difference in the lives of children and young adults with disabilities
and their families in Hawaii. These outstanding individuals will
be honored at our SPIN Conference on April 27, 2002.
We are asking for your help
in identifying candidates for SPIN's major awards:
·Parent of the Year
·Professional of the Year
·Family Choice Award
To request a nomination form,
please call SPIN at 586-8126 or e-mail us at accesshi@aloha.net.
We want to hear about your "heros and heroines by March
8, 2002.
What
Do YOU Think?
Being exposed to different
ideas gives us a chance to decide how we feel about things. In
this issue we are going to present a point of view to get you
thinking. We'd love to hear what YOU think...
Disability Awareness
Kathie Snow, who writes
The Disability is Natural Free Press (www.disabilityisnatural.com),
makes an interesting point about disability awareness efforts.
Here's what she says...
Goodness knows, we all want
discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities
to end. But unintended outcomes of traditional awareness efforts
may actually put a crimp in our best laid plans.
One well-known method uses puppets with disabilities to educate
children. But is this really an appropriate technique to use?
Can the use of puppets instill dignity and respect for children
and adults with disabilities? Would we find it acceptable to
use dark-skinned puppets to teach an audience of "white"
children about "African-American Awareness"? Or what
about using girl dolls to teach boys about "Female Awareness"?
If it's not appropriate to use puppets/dolls to create an awareness
of other groups in society, it's not appropriate to use them
for people with disabilities. It's that simple.
Disability simulations are another commonly-used strategy, but
this method is also questionable. Having a person use a wheelchair,
wear a blindfold, stuff cotton in his ears, and so forth, to
simulate having a disability can do more harm than good. Instead
of understanding what it's really like to have a disability,
participants may actually feel pity. As they rip off the blindfold,
hop out of the chair, or pull the wadding out of their ears,
they're thinking, "Wow! I'm glad I'm not like THAT!"
Traditional disability awareness presentations, including puppet
shows and simulations, usually focus on the differences (e.g.
the disability conditions or perceived deficits) between people
with and without disabilities. And herein lies the fundamental
danger. Society is all too aware of these differences. It's upon
these differences that the monuments of pity, isolations, and
segregation have been erected. We don't need to teach others
about disabilities or differences; it's the SIMILARITIES between
people with and without disabilities that need to be promoted!
Promoting positive images of people with disabilities requires
us to focus on these similarities, as well as the many ABILITIES
of children and adults who have been labeled.
If you have a response to this
article or an idea that you'd like to bounce off our SPIN News
readers, send it to SPIN at 919 Ala Moana Blvd., #101, Honolulu,
96814 or via e-mail: accesshi@aloha.net
Stress
Reducers
Are you one of those parents
who start to feel a little anxious during the holidays? Too much
to do and too little time? Here are a few tips that might help...
Avoid overloading your schedule
time with too many events. Choose the events that are most important
and least stressful & demanding.
If you take your kids shopping
with you, try to keep your visits short. Better still, leave
them at home!
Plan some enjoyable activities
at home with your family --decorating the house, singing carols,
baking cookies--and avoid waiting in lines or in traffic.
Try to start your day with
"an attitude of gratitude". Think of how truly fortunate
we are to be spending the holidays with our family.
Make time in your busy day
for something you enjoy. A half an hour in a hot tub, reading
a book, working on Christmas crafts, or whatever relaxes you,
will re-energize you for all the other things you need to do.
Try to make time ten minutes
in the morning and ten minutes at night just to BREATHE. Close
your eyes and count your breaths.
School
Based Behavioral Health - ASSESSING BEHAVIOR: THE INITIAL LINE
OF INQUIRY
Functional Behavior Assessment
- Identify Target Behavior
- Gather Date
- Organize Data
- Hypothesize Need
- Design Behavior Plan
- Implement Behavior Plan
- Evaluate Behavior Plan
When students have challenging
behavior that interferes with their ability to learn or interrupts
their classmates' learning, schools now have a tool--the Initial
Line of Inquiry* (ILOI)--for gathering information about both
the student and his or her behavior. This information gathering
is the first part of the process of providing positive behavioral
support to the student. Once we understand the purpose of a challenging
behavior, what the student "gets" or "avoids",
then we can design a behavior plan that includes instructional
supports and strategies that help the student get what he needs
in a more socially acceptable way.
The ILOI is a team effort. It requires bringing together folks
who know the student well (i.e. parents, teachers, a counselor,
and the student himself, if appropriate). This team will identify
the problem behavior to target for intervention, gather data,
and then use the information to develop a hypothesis or "best
guess" about why the behavior is occuring.
So what kind of data is important to figuring out what is behind
a behavior and what might be done to intervene?
The Target Behavior
Behaviors that are targeted tend to be those that have not responded
to standard strategies that teachers or parents have used before.
In describing the behavior, it is important to be as specific
as possible. For example, you would say, "Peter talks out
loud to his classmates in math class and argues with his teacher",
rather than "Peter is disruptive in class."
Student Strengths/Skills
Here's where you want to note how the student learns best, what
s/he does well, and with whom s/he has positive relationships.
Hopefully, you will be able to use these skills in designing
a behavior plan.
Fast Triggers A fast trigger is what comes just before
the challenging behavior. It includes where the behavior occurs,
with whom, and during what activity.
Slow Triggers
Slow triggers look at the bigger picture to find factors which
may be influencing the student's behavior. Learning difficulties
and communication challenges may add to a student's frustration.
Things like environmental triggers (heat, noise, crowds, etc.)
or physical factors (illness, hunger, fatigue, side effects of
medication, overstimulation, etc.) may "set up" an
episode of negative behavior. Family and social forces may play
a part, too.
Consequences
Consequences are what happen immediately after the behavior occurs.
Did other classmates laugh? Was the student sent to the office?
Did s/he get out of doing the work?
Perceived Function
Once information is gathered on what, with whom, when and how
the behavior occurs, it is often possible to make a guess as
to "why". Most behavior, good or bad, is motivated
by a need to get something (attention, a desired object, etc)
or to avoid something (hard work, embarrassment, discomfort,
etc.). Challenging behaviors may serve more than one function.
THE INITIAL LINE OF INQUIRY
Sample ILOI
Strengths of the Student: Peter
likes school and has many friends. His favorite subjects are
English and Hawaiiana. Peter has a great relationship with his
dad, who he gets to see every other weekend.
| Slow Triggers (Setting Events) |
Fast Triggers (Antecedents) |
Target Behavior |
Perceived Function |
Actual Consequences |
| Mondays after he sees Dad, Headaches, Too little
sleep, Didn't do homework |
Asked to do multiplication & long division
problems, Sitting next to Harry |
Talking in class, Arguing with Mr. White (math
teacher) |
Attention from Mr. White and Mr. Wong, Gets out
of doing math problems |
Gets sent to the principal's (Mr. Wong) office |
When the team is satisfied
that they have found information for each of the questions asked
by the Initial Line of Inquiry, it can proceed to coming up with
a "best guess" or hypothesis. Any unanswered boxes
in the ILOI form indicate that more information is needed. In
some cases, the team may have to consult with others (a physician,
a speech therapist, a psychiatrist, the A+ coordinator, etc.)
to fill in information not known to the team.
Once the gaps in information have been filled and the data is
organized, the next step in the process is to build a hypothesis
statement, a summary of why the team believes the behavior is
occuring and what purpose it serves.
Building a Hypothesis
| SLOW TRIGGER |
FAST TRIGGER |
PROBLEM BEHAVIOR |
MAINTAINING CONSEQUENCE |
|
Given the circumstances..
When Peter is tired or comes to school without his homework
after weekends with Dad . . .
|
when this occurs . .
and Mr. White asks students to complete a difficult math assignment
. . .
|
the student does . .
Peter talks loudly and argues with Mr. White about the assignment.
. .
|
in order to . . .
get attention from male role models and get out of doing hard
work.
|
The hypothesis that the team
builds becomes the foundation for developing a Behavior Support
Plan for the student. Ideally, the plan will have strategies
that line up with the four pieces of the ILOI--slow trigger strategies,
fast trigger strategies, alternative behaviors and consequence
strategies.
Watch our next issue for details...
*The Initial Line of Inquity
was co-authored by Greg Llewelbyn, an educational training consultant
from Pennsylvania, who is currently providing training to Hawaii's
schools.
MARK
YOUR CALENDAR
Hawaii Families As Allies Workshops
For more info call HFAA at 487-8785
Dec. 13 ADHD Workshop
Waipahu Civic Center
Dec. 18 Successful Negotiation
Hauula Civic Center
Feb. 8 LDAH Conference
& 9 Sheraton Waikiki
Call 536-9684, ext. 21
E-mail: ldah@gte.net
Feb. 15-18 Oceans of Potentiality
2002 Science & Technology Camp
Camp Waianae
Call Kevin at 261-0607
Feb. 16 Family Summit Celebration
Kamehameha Schools
Contact Carol at 733-4476
Feb. 23 Dealing with Difficult
Behaviors
Foster Parent Association
Call Judith at 263-0920 for info
and location
March 1 Self-Determination
Conference
& 2 Hawaii Convention Center
Call Sandy Tateyama at 453-6333
March 4 PAC RIM Conference
& 5 Sheraton Waikiki Hotel
Contact Valerie at 956-2673
or Martha at 956-9810
E-mail: huap@hawaii.edu
March 8 Making Your Voice Heard
Foster Parent Association
Ala Moana Hotel
Call Kelly at 263-0920
April 27 2002 SPIN Conference
"Making Dreams
Come True"
UH Campus Center
Contact SPIN at 586-8126
E-mail: accesshi@aloha.net
