Category: Student Support

How can we make our learners with autism feel included?

Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs someone’s ability to communicate and interact. Oftentimes, there are many social cues that are given off when an individual has this disability. For example, learners/students with autism often have a hard time making friends, working on group projects, and having everyday conversations with the other students around them. Learners with autism also struggle with the idea of change, they like a set routine, the same thing day in and day out. Week after week, and month after month. So how can we help them?

1. Be predictable. Have a set routine in place so they are never caught off guard
2. Model how to act in group settings and how to communicate so that they become more confident/comfortable
3. Give clear instructions

All three of these things will help your learner feel more included in the classroom, and overall help them in life!

April is Occupational Therapy Month, and we want to recognize and celebrate the wonderful OTs here at iLEAD! Our Occupational Therapists and COTAs help many of our learners to participate in daily life activities to fulfill their role as a learner. Many of our OT sessions focus on academics, social participation, self-care skills, work skills and more.

I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. I graduated from Stanbridge University, where I did my last fieldwork rotation in a school-based setting and that’s when I knew where I wanted to be. I fell in love with working with students and being a part of a team of providers that work together to advocate for the best for their students. I am fortunate to be working in my preferred setting right after graduating, especially with iLEAD. Now I have the best of both worlds by providing virtual OT and working with learners in-person at the OC studio.

I am an Enneagram 7, so I am motivated by fun!

State testing can be an overwhelming or anxiety-inducing experience for many learners. Thankfully, there are several things we can do to help them feel better prepared to enter into statewide assessments!

1. Provide plenty of opportunities for practice leading up to the statewide assessments. The CAASPP website offers practice tests and training to give your learner an idea of what it looks like to get logged on and some practice questions to help them prepare for the testing day (link below).
2. Many of our learners will be taking the statewide assessments remotely this year. CAASPP also offers a video with a little insight into what this will look like. You should be receiving further information from your EF about the upcoming state testing.
3. Help your learners engage in relaxing activities the day before the test and get them to bed early so they are rested.

To check out all of the CAASPP Parent Resources, click here.

We hope you can join us for our Student Support webinars in the month of March! They will take place from 9:30-10:30 via Zoom!

March 11, 2022 – Executive Functioning

March 25, 2022 – How to Maximize the Social Development of Your Child

This detailed website walks students at all grade levels through studying and test-taking skills. Included in this amazing website there are free assessments in learning style and test anxiety. This is an amazing resource for students who want to increase their study and test-taking skills. The authors of this website are Dr. Charles T. Mangrum and Dr. Stephen S. Strichart who are two former university professors. They formed Mangrum-Strichart Learning Resources in 1997. The study skills curriculums & instructional programs they have developed for students from elementary school through college are used in schools, tutoring centers, and homeschooling throughout the United States, Canada, and many other parts of the world. Click here to check it out!

We have two exciting webinars planned where parents and learners can get more information about upcoming CAASPP testing! Parents are invited to attend the CAASPP Overview for Parents webinar on Wednesday, March 9th at 12pm to learn more about CAASPP testing, why testing participation and performance is important to iLEAD, changes for 2022, and how best to help your child prepare. Learners are invited to attend the CAASPP Testing Tips for Learners webinar on Wednesday, March 16th at 12pm to better understand the tests they will be taking, what a typical test looks like, how to prepare, and tips and tricks that can be used while testing. Webinar registration links are HERE. We hope to see you there!

While you all as parents have a front-row seat to your learner’s progress, there may be blind spots in knowing how to best prepare them for the state standardized test.

Use these test preparation tips to help your learner be their very best:

• Despite what you or your learners may feel about the tests on a personal level, it’s always important to note the actual purpose of the test itself. Standardized tests almost always serve the purpose of assessing one’s skills.
• Get your learners in the habit of using scratch paper: whether it’s brainstorming or planning for an essay, mapping out their approach to find the correct answer, or breaking down the question into smaller more manageable bits, readily using scratch paper in everyday lessons makes them more comfortable to do so on the test.
• Learn the power of deductive reasoning. The reality is, your learner will not know the answer to every question, but teaching them the power of elimination (or educated guessing) leads to a higher chance of choosing the correct answer.
• When dealing with a high-stress situation, as testing often is, teaching your learner how to properly pace themselves allows them to approach the situation in a calm and prepared manner. Their pace should be personal to them to where it will maximize their efficiency and quality of work.
• A little encouragement can go a long way in helping students walk into testing days feeling confident—which, in turn, can have a huge effect on their performance. Offer positive reinforcement for the work your learner completes to prepare for the testing, as this allows them to already have experienced success with the material and reduce the anxiety on test day.
• Support healthy habits: Sleep and nutrition can have a huge impact on your learner’s ability to focus and retain information. One of the most helpful things that you can do as a parent is focusing on supporting these basic needs. Well-rounded meals and a regular sleep schedule will help your child succeed in all areas of their education.
• Keep testing in perspective. No single test is that important. Avoid putting too much emphasis on the test scores—doing so can make your learner feel pressure that will ultimately only affect his or her performance negatively. It’s also important to not be upset by a single test score. Low test scores can occur for any number of reasons; it may have just been an off day for your child.
• Finally, after testing day has come and gone, talk with your child about his or her results and how he or she felt about the test. Debriefing after the test can help your learner process the experience and overcome any anxiety associated with testing while giving you insight into where they are excelling or struggling academically.