Processing Deficits, Specialized Instruction and Accommodations PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSING DEFICITS Executive Functioning o Working memory OBSERVABLE BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH DEFICITS o Forgets or parts of o Forgets to bring materials to or from school o Forgets to hand in homework o Loses or misplaces belongings o Forgets classroom procedures o Forgets to do chores o Forgets part or all of verbal directions for tasks or chores SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO CONSIDER o Direct instruction of strategies Mnemonic devices Visual imagery Self-talk Self-monitoring strategy ACCOMMODATIONS TO CONSIDER o Use of storage devices such as agenda, calendars, electronic organizers, recorders o Use of cueing devices such as verbal reminders, alarms on watches, visual cues in classroom, sticky notes in prominent location Response Inhibition Talks without raising hand Interrupts Talks back Makes insensitive comments Has difficulty waiting turn Has physical contact with peers or siblings Can t wait while a parent is on the phone Teach social strategies Teach replacement behaviors Teach self-monitoring strategies Restrict access to settings in which the student can get into trouble Increase supervision (move closer to adult in classroom) Find ways to cue student to control impulses (posting rules or verbal reminders) Page 1 of 13
Emotional Control Has frequent tantrums Overreacts to small problems Has frequent mood changes Becomes overly anxious Temper flares quickly Is slow to recover from disappointments Shuts down Teach coping strategies Teach positive self-statements and model appropriate use Anticipate problem situations and prepare the student for them Structure the environment to avoid the problem situations Break tasks into smaller steps Sustained Attention Fails to complete work or chores on time Stops before work is finished Switches frequently between activities, including play activities Has difficulty listening to stories read aloud Is distracted by things happening around him/her when doing seatwork/homework Teach the use of self-monitoring strategies Write start and stop times on assigned tasks Use incentive systems Break tasks into subtasks Give students short breaks Set a timer to complete a task Use a self-monitoring tape for students to check their own progress Make tasks interesting using various instructional modalities Provide praise when student is on task Task Initiation Needs reminders to get started on class work or homework When one task is completed, slow to start another one Waits for someone else to begin in group activities Instruct and model through early portions of tasks Provide verbal cues to get started Arrange for a visual cue to prompt start Note start and stop times when tasks are completed Use timer Page 2 of 13
Needs cues to begin overlearned routines 0 Planning/Prioritization 0 Has difficulty carrying out a long-term project, deciding what needs to happen first, second, etc. 0 Can t make or follow a timeline for project completion 0 Doesn t offer useful suggestions for how to complete a task when working on a group project 0 Can t organize a group game at recess or with friends at home 0 Can t complete tasks in the order of priority or importance 0 Can t take notes in lectures that focus on the most important information 0 Teach students to use agendas or planners, to create and use to-do lists, and to break large tasks or into manageable parts 0 Provide a plan or schedule for the student to follow 0 Use scoring rubrics when giving 0 Break long-term projects into clearly defined subtasks and attach deadlines to each subtask 0 Create a project template Organization Has messy desk Has messy notebooks, Teach organizational strategies for belongings, notebooks, etc. Teach strategies for organizing Provide examples of how to organize notebooks, backpacks, etc. Use color codes or other meaningful Page 3 of 13
backpacks, etc. Can t find belongings when asked Can t produce an organized piece of writing Doesn t turn in he/she says are completed writing mapping, structured paragraph/essay shells, etc. Model use of graphic organizers and methods of taking ideas from graphic organizers and translating them into organized text/sentences items to help students logical organize and separate their work Provide a shell for students to practice organization of their writing Time management Goal-directed persistence Has difficulty completing tasks on time Misses deadlines for Has difficulty estimating how long it takes to do something Can t adjust schedule to fit in new tasks, special events Can t complete routines consistently on time Doesn t stick with challenging tasks Can t sustain attention well to tasks that aren t intrinsically interesting Teach the use of schedules and timers or strategies for managing time Teach student to backward plan and break tasks into parts Give students a schedule to follow and prompt them at each step Be consistent in your own time management Impose time limits and provide reminders for how much time is left Use cuing devices such as clocks, bells, or alarms Provide students with realistic and concrete goals for lessons and chapters Include goals in your lessons and remind students of their progress toward these goals Employ many of the same time management strategies listed previously o Reduce novelty by advance familiarization with places, schedules, Page 4 of 13
o Flexibility o Easily upset by changes in plans, disruptions in routines o Struggles with openended tasks o Doesn t try multiple approaches to solving problems o Excessively rule-bound o Teach coping techniques activities o Pre-teach material o Provide cues for transitions o Decrease the speed, volume or complexity of information presentation o Break tasks into component parts o Adapting open-ended tasks to make them more closed o Provide students with templates and/or rubrics o Increase the level of support around a task by offering reassurance, step-bystep assistance, close contact during transitions, or cuing coping strategies Metacognition Asks for help rather than trying to solve a problem on his or her own Doesn t notice how others react to his or her behavior Doesn t like tasks or games that involve problem solving Use metacognitive modeling strategies Teach social/behavioral skills with perspective taking activities Prompt student to use analytical skills by embedding questions designed to elicit metacognition (i.e. how did you solve that problem) Build error monitoring into tasks (have students show that they have checked their work) Use scoring rubrics to define what a quality product or assignment will include Auditory Processing o Auditory o Inability to recognize differences in phonemes o Use manipulatives to represent phonemes, syllables Page 5 of 13 o Pair visual and auditory cues o Use visuals, graphic organizers, outlines,
Discrimination (sounds), including the ability to identify words and sounds that are similar and those which are different o Inaccurate pronunciation of new vocabulary words o Confusion between similar sounding words o Spelling difficulties o Difficulty learning foreign languages o Use multisensory approaches to teach decoding, spelling o Teach student to use assistive technology devices for spelling, notetaking o Preview new vocabulary cloze notes with lecture o Minimize distractions o Provide preferential seating where distractions are minimal (not necessarily near teacher) o Provide note taking assistance or notes o Simplify oral directions o Reduce penalty for spelling on in-class o Gain student s attention prior to delivery of information o Speak clearly without over exaggerating; adjust rate as needed o Emphasize critical information o Monitor student s attending skills; provide breaks if necessary o Allow manipulatives o Reduce language level or reading level of, as appropriate Auditory Sequencing Difficulty remembering or reconstructing the order of items in a list or the order of sounds in a word or syllables May not appear to pay attention to lecture Difficulty following multi-step oral directions Spelling difficulties Page 6 of 13 Use manipulatives to represent phonemes, syllables, items Use multisensory approaches to teach decoding, spelling Model use of graphic organizers Model highlighting of key concepts Teach the use of self-monitoring checklists Teach student to use strategies and assistive technology devices for spelling, notetaking Teach student to backward plan/ Pair visual and auditory cues Use visuals/graphic organizers, outlines, cloze notes with lecture Minimize distractions Provide preferential seating where distractions are minimal (not necessarily near teacher) Provide note taking assistance or notes Simplify oral directions Break tasks into sequential steps Reduce penalty for spelling on in-class
break tasks into parts Teach memory strategies Use mnemonic aids and teach students to use them Gain student s attention prior to delivery of information Speak clearly without over exaggerating; adjust rate as needed Emphasize critical information Monitor student s attending skills; provide breaks if necessary Allow manipulatives Reduce language level or reading level of, as appropriate Visual Processing Visual Discrimination Difficulty interpreting what is seen Difficulty visually distinguishing one object from another Difficulty in noting similarity between letters and words Difficulty organizing the position and shape of what is seen Difficulty distinguishing between look-alike words Reversal of letters, numbers, or words Problem distinguishing color, size, shape, and directions Inaccurate copying Inaccurate identification of symbols Trouble interpreting Teach strategies for self-questioning and self-monitoring, verbalizing each step Use active verbalization for best memorization Implement parts-to-whole verbal teaching approach Teach the use of checklists for math processes Teach students how to highlight key points Provide note taking assistance for accuracy Reduce penalty for spelling on in-class Color code information presented visually Provide index card or reading guide to follow print Increase white space on handouts/ worksheets/tests Page 7 of 13
maps, charts, and graphs o Visual Sequencing o Problems sequencing plots of stories o Skips words, reads part of sentence out of order, or rereads parts of the same sentence o Difficulty copying reversals, omissions o Spelling problems o Difficulty following an equation o Loses place while reading, skips words, read words out of order, rereads parts of the same sentence or selection o Teach strategies for self-questioning and self-monitoring, verbalizing each step o Use active verbalization for best memorization o Implement parts-to-whole verbal teaching approach o Teach the use of checklists for math processes o Teach students how to highlight key points o Provide note taking assistance for accuracy o Reduce penalty for spelling on in-class o Color code information presented visually o Provide index card or reading guide to follow print o Increase white space on handouts/ worksheets/tests Visual-Motor Integration/ Spatial Ability Problems coordinating and relaying information from visual input to involved sensory motor areas Impaired ability to orient body in space, especially in relation to other people and objects Problems with directionality, which can Page 8 of 13 Use highlighters, bumped lines to create stronger visual of line location Use of special paper to accentuate location of letters, letter parts on line (house paper, Theo Bear paper, etc.) Model use of graphic organizers and methods of taking ideas from graphic organizers and translating them into organized text/sentences Teach, model, and practice color coding text for organization Provide organizational assistance Allow/recommend use of word processor/assistive technology Suggest use of graph paper or paper with vertical lines for alignment of problems Provide note taking assistance Allow recorder for lectures Incorporate the use of graphic organizers, visual schedules, timelines Provide extended time for writing
impair ability to track when reading and follow math equations Appears clumsy Illegible handwriting Inaccurate copying Difficulty organizing information on paper, including aligning problems and spacing correctly Trouble transitioning between 2 sources of information (keyboard & worksheet) Eye-hand coordination problems Poor pencil grip Difficulties keeping up with materials Difficulties with geometry concepts and tests Provide auditory prompts Incorporate the use of color overlays Allow desk copy for near point copying Processing Speed Takes longer than average time to complete work Responds slowly to questions Struggles to make rapid comparisons between and among bits of information Has difficulty copying Has difficulty completing within time Teach time management strategies Emphasize quality over quantity Allow additional time to complete inclass, tests Allow additional time for verbal response Provide a cue before the student is called upon to answer Shorten repetitive tasks Eliminate repetitious practice when Page 9 of 13
limits mastery is shown Reduce volume of writing and copying Consider using a cloze procedure on tests Adjust the length of take home work Consider assistive technology solutions Long Term Memory Visual Auditory Difficulties storing and retrieving previously experienced visual and auditory information Difficulty visualizing information Difficulty sustaining interest during visual or auditory presentations Difficulty memorizing poems, speeches, or facts Difficulties remembering details Problems with word retrieval Summarize information in multiple modalities Teach summarization strategies Use mnemonic aid; teach student to use mnemonic aids Teach students how to use a graphic organizer Teach linking strategies Teach color coding techniques Teach student to use drawings to aid memory Model/think aloud procedural steps Teach students to break large tasks into steps backward plan Provide formula cards, checklists, lists of steps Create word banks on appropriate areas of tests Use repetition Employ strategies to activate prior knowledge Use simple vocabulary in directions Break tasks into manageable parts Use graphic organizers Short Term Memory Visual Auditory Difficulty remembering information just heard or seen Trouble taking accurate notes Difficulty following multi-step oral and written directions Poor spelling Poor test taking skills Appearing to tune out Page 10 of 13 Summarize information in multiple modalities (Think-Pair-Share) Teach summarization strategie Teach mnemonic aids Teach students how to use graphic organizers Teach linking strategies Teach color coding techniques Teach the use of drawings to aid memory Model/think-aloud procedural steps Provide note taking assistance Reduce spelling penalty on in-class Use of summarizing strategies Use of tape recorder for lectures Break down tasks into manageable parts Allow use of checklist for step processes Allow color coding
Teach students to break large tasks into steps backward plan Teach note-taking strategies Concentration/Attention Difficulty remaining on task Difficulty focusing attention in distracting situations Disruptive behaviors Difficulty organizing materials Teach the use of: Procedural checklists To do lists Schedules Calendars Charts Various graphic organizers to teach concepts Rubrics Visual study aids Self-monitoring charts Self-talk strategies Teach students to break large tasks into steps backward plan Teach note-taking strategies Maintain a structured classroom with defined procedures Allow preferential seating or defined space(s) in classroom Provide note taking assistance Create a structured classroom Provide sequential instruction Redirect as needed Use repetition and check for understanding Break tasks into manageable parts Allow use of formula cards, checklists, lists of steps, graphic organizers, visual study aids, self-monitoring charts, schedules Provide study guides Use visual timer Verbal Reasoning Word finding problems Poor organization Limited vocabulary Developmentally inappropriate quality and quantity of language Limited verbal responses Link to prior knowledge Use summarizing strategies; teach students to summarize Pre-teach or preview vocabulary Teach vocabulary strategies Activate prior knowledge Allow use of graphic organizers Provide cues for summarization Provide word banks Provide a glossary of important terms Page 11 of 13
Teach use of graphic organizers Use semantic mapping Nonverbal Reasoning Appears awkward and inadequate in fine and/or gross motor skills Has difficulty reading body language Talks his way through simple motor activities Has exceptional memory for rote material May not understand the operation of mechanical devices Teach student to use procedural checklists for math solution processes Link to prior knowledge Use summarizing strategies; teach summarization strategies Pre-teach or preview vocabulary Teach students to break large tasks into steps backward plan Use metacognitive modeling Provide note taking assistance Allow/suggest use word processor Give step-by-step directions presented visually and/or auditorily Break tasks into manageable parts Provide checklists for math solution processes Allow extended time for writing and tests Incorporate the use graphic organizers Preview vocabulary Provide cues for summarization Abstract Reasoning Has difficulty generalizing and drawing inferences Has difficulty solving unique problems Has difficulty categorizing, comparing, and contrasting Is verbally expressive and does well with concrete thinking Can repeat but not follow directions Has good decoding skills but poor comprehension Use concrete examples Provide lists of steps for problem solving Use manipulatives to develop concepts Activate prior knowledge Pre-teach or preview vocabulary Teach reading comprehension strategies Use visualization strategies Use metacognitive modeling Check for understanding of abstract concepts individually before pairing with another Preview vocabulary Page 12 of 13
Social Skills Perceives and interprets social situations inaccurately Is ineffective at recognizing faces, interpreting gestures, deciphering postural cues and reading facial expressions Is unable to perceive proximity and distance Is unable to notice or distinguish between changes in tones and/or pitch of voice and/or emphasis of delivery May withdraw in novel situations Naively trusts others Directly teach social skills Use role play, social autopsies, social stories Teach the use of procedural checklists for social situations, selfmonitoring strategies/checklists Fade from verbal to visual cues in social situations Allow the use of procedural checklists, self-monitoring checklists Provide verbal, visual cues Page 13 of 13