This blog is provided by David Pacetti, TVI, Gaston County Schools. Mr. Pacetti serves students at Webb Street School.
It’s not one big conversation that makes the difference for two DB students at Webb St School. It’s a lot of little conversations. They usually start with “Have you seen…” and end with “What if we…”. These little conversations help build a curriculum for two students that other schools might have given up on, students who in other settings might have been considered “unteachable”.
Both boys have gone through a transition this year, one at the beginning and one at the end. The younger student started middle school and the IEP team realized that, while he was making some slow progress, it might be time for a change in approach. It was time to start teaching independence, self-sufficiency, and a better system of communication. His IEP team, which included an EC teacher, a speech pathologist, an OT, a DHH teacher, a TVI, and most importantly his parents, discussed how to plan for his curriculum for this year and the long term. The team decided to really focus on teaching him how to use a schedule and a communication system using large high-contrast picture symbols and simple visual signs.
The older student is finishing his last year of high school. His IEP team, which consists of an EC teacher, an intervener, a DHH teacher, a speech pathologist, an OT, a PT, a TVI, and his family, has been collaborating for years on how to give him the skills to be an active part of his community and to enjoy the world around him. Whether traveling around the school with his cane, doing his work tasks, or using tactile signs and objects to learn what’s coming next, this student has made gains that make everyone who knows him proud. The collaborative discussions around this student are no longer about “how do we teach him?” but “what more can we teach?” Through collaboration, the IEP has made a plan for the student that will last him not just through his time in his transition classes but hopefully throughout his life afterward.