Environmental Inventories 722l2l

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 1 Name: Tricia Maybaum- 15 Environmental Inventories Project SPED 446- Fall 2011

Carmen Base this brainstorm on your school placement (age group) this semester. ALL Important Environments Brainstorm Academic Environments: -special education room (3rd-5th grade cross-cat room) -general education room (elementary classroom, during reading) -art room -music room -cafeteria -playground -library -hallways -bathrooms -nurse’s office Community Environments: -Meijer -McDonald’s -Community Center -Public Pool -Church -home -Walmart -friends’ homes -family’s homes -doctors’ offices -hospital

Rationale Academic Environments: SPED room: Carmen will spend the majority of her day in the SPED room so it needs to be accessible and meet her needs. The SPED room will also address all of her goals such as using her VOCA more and embedding functional skills in her school work. She can also work on skills that will benefit her at home in the SPED classroom. Gen-Ed room: Carmen should be included for as much of the day as possible so we need to ensure all s are given to her in her gen-ed room. In her gen-ed room Carmen can work on using her VOCA to communicate to her teacher and classmates. Art/Music room: Carmen should go with her class to specials such as art and music. These rooms should be assessed for accessibility and will help her make choices and work on social skills. During these classes she can also work on using her VOCA or PECS to communicate with classmates and teachers. Cafeteria/Playground/Library/Hallway: Carmen will be in all of these areas every day at school and they need to be accessible for her. In addition, both environments allow her to make decisions and work on social interactions. Bathroom/Nurse’s Office: Carmen needs to tell an adult when she needs to go to a bathroom or the nurse. These areas also must be accessible, and she can work on verbally telling someone she needs to go. Community Environments: Meijer/Walmart: Carmen may go with her mom to buy groceries or run errands so we need to assess if public places such as Meijer and Walmart are accessible. In addition, she can work on decision making in these

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 2 environments by choosing items to purchase and then using her VOCA or PECS communication systems to tell her mom what she chooses. McDonald’s: Carmen may go out to eat at a fast food type of restaurant with her family or on a community trip. Accessibility needs to been assessed, in addition, Carmen can work on social skills while eating and paying for food. Students in elementary school enjoy fast food so this is applicable to her age group. Her Home and Friend/Family’s Homes: Carmen will be in her own home and her friend/family’s homes and we need to see if she can get into all homes. In addition, Carmen can work on social skills while interacting with other people in these settings. Doctor’s offices/Hospital: Carmen has many health issues so she needs to be able to easily get to doctor’s appointments and, as an emergency, the hospital. She can work on her communication skills in these settings by using her PECS or VOCA to tell her family what is wrong. Church/Public Pool/Community Setting: Carmen needs to be in settings that encourage social interactions so that she can develop her language and social skills. She can use her PECS or VOCA in these settings and we can also assess their accessibility. Possible Priority Areas (Only after you brainstorm) 1. Cafeteria

2. Art/Music room

Rationale Carmen will be in the cafeteria everyday to eat lunch. The cafeteria needs to have an accessible table for her wheelchair that includes other students her age (vs an accessible table that is isolated from her peers). This would be a good environment also because she can practice decision making by deciding what to eat, and she can practice her communication skills using PECS or VOCA to tell others what she would like to eat. The cafeteria can also serve as a place to work on social skills since it gives her time to interact with other students her age in a relaxing atmosphere. Carmen will be in the art/music rooms at the school every week. These rooms need to be accessible and the assignments need to modified so she can complete them

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 3 as well. These environments can help Carmen work on her social skills because she will be in the rooms with a gen-ed classroom with other students her age. In addition, she can work on using her VOCA to communicate with the art and music teachers. 3. Meijer/Walmart

4. Doctor’s Office

Meijer or Walmart will be a good environment because Carmen probably goes with her mom to grocery shop. These environments need to be accessible for Carmen. In addition, these environments will encourage Carmen to use her VOCA to tell her mom what kind of food she wants to buy. She can work on her decision making and communication skills at these stores. A doctor’s office would be a good environment for Carmen because due to her health issues she will be have to visit the doctor commonly. The office needs to be accessible so she is able to get around. In addition, Carmen can work on her communication with VOCA so she can be more verbal in telling her mom if something is wrong or talking to a doctor.

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 4

Juan Base this brainstorm on your school placement (age group) this semester. ALL Important Environments Brainstorm Academic Environments: -special education room (3rd-5th cross-cat room) -general education room (elementary classroom, during reading) -art room -music room -cafeteria -playground -library -hallways Community Environments: -Meijer -Jimmy John’s -Parkland College -Public library -baseball fields -home -soccer fields -Grandparents home -children’s museum

Rationale Academic Environments: SPED Room: Juan will spend a lot of his day in the SPED room so it needs to fit all his needs such as structure for behavior problems, and few distractions so he can stay on task easier. Juan will be able to work on all his academic and behavioral skills within this setting. Gen-Ed Room: Juan will spend parts of his day included with a general education room. He can work on his social skills such as not interrupting in this setting and he may also be able to work on his science and history skills here because he is very interested and may be on level with kids his age in these subjects. Art/Music Room: Juan will be going to art and music with a gen-ed room weekly so we should assess that environment. While in music and art Juan can work on his social skills with other kids his age. Specifically, Juan may be able to work on accepting not being the center of attention and implement some of his selfmanagement strategies while in this setting. Cafeteria/Playground: Juan will be in the cafeteria and playground everyday at school. This can be a great environment for Juan to work on social skills especially taking turns talking at lunch and playing with other kids his age at recess on the playground. He can work on his self-evaluation strategies during lunch to make sure he is not interrupting and acting appropriately with the other students. Library/Hallways: Juan will be in the school’s library and hallways everyday and they are a good inventory because he can work on his self-evaluation skills to make sure he is staying on task and not wondering off or wasting time. In the library Juan can also work on his reading comprehension and asking for help to ensure that he is completing his assignments correctly. Community Environments: Meijer: Juan may go grocery shopping with his mom so a popular grocery store within Urbana is a practical

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 5 environment. At Meijer Juan can work on staying on task by not wondering away from his mom and helping pick out food. He can work on not interrupting and using appropriate social skills in public. Jimmy John’s: This is a good inventory for Juan because he probably goes to food places such as Jimmy John’s with his family. At this environment he can work on making choices and staying on task. In addition, he can work on not interrupting other’s conversations while eating and his social skills. Parkland College: Parkland College is a good environment to do an inventory for Juan because his parents both work there. Therefore, Juan will be spending a lot of time at Parkland. He has expressed interest in being a college professor therefore the IEP team may be able to find a minor job he can do while his parents are working, or even for his parents such as organizing papers. He can work on his social skills in this setting as well as a vocational skill. Public library/children’s museum: Juan has expressed a strong interest in history and science so by bringing him to the library or children’s museum he can learn about things he would like to. So that his reading comprehension does not stifle his interest in either of these subjects his parents could help him find books with a lot of pictures of history, or at the museum he could do hands on activities that involve science topics. Home/Grandparent’s home: Juan has a close family and extended family so his home and his grandparent’s home should considered. At these environments Juan can work on his social skills and acting appropriate for his age. In addition, he can work on his self-monitoring strategies when working on homework and asking for help when it is needed rather than not completing his work. Baseball and soccer fields: Juan likes going to his brother’s soccer and baseball games and while at these games he can work on his social skills by self-monitoring his actions in public. He can also work on not interrupting other conversations at the games.

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 6 Possible Priority Areas (Only after you brainstorm) 1. Cafeteria

2. Library/Hallway

3. Meijer

4. Parkland College

Rationale Juan needs to work on his social skills especially with students his own age. The cafeteria gives Juan an opportunity everyday to improve his social skills and work on not being the center of attention. It provides time everyday for him to interact with peers his age and improve on his conversation skills. Students currently get frustrated with Juan and lunch can be a time for him to improve these relationships so it is a good environment to assess. The library and hallways at school are good environments to consider because Juan will be in them every day. He can work on his self-management strategies to make sure he is staying on task in the hallway and being direct and prompt on where he should be going. In addition, in the library he can work on his reading comprehension and asking for help rather than just not doing his work. Juan needs to work on staying on task and he can do this at Meijer by staying near his mom and focusing on making decisions about what kind of food to buy. He work on his self-monitoring skills by making sure he is not wondering off and picking out foods his mom asks him to. In addition he can work on his social skills by not causing a scene and trying to be the center of attention. This is a good environment because Juan will be spending a lot of time at Parkland. He can work on possible vocational skills that interest him because it is in a college setting. When given these small jobs he can work on staying on task and focused the whole time. These jobs will probably interest Juan more than school work, and he may do better at using his self-monitoring strategies since he is interested in what he is doing.

General Education Classroom Inventory Name: Tricia Maybaum- 15

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 7 Class: Mrs. Kingry’s Classroom Day/Time: Wednesday, Nov. 16 (12:45-1:30) Location: Gen-Ed class at Thomas Paine Elementary School Method of Data Collection: Direct Observation Observation of the Environment 1.

Draw a picture of the classroom layout. See Attachment

2.

Is the environment accessible for students with varying needs? If not, what would it take to make the room accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion?

Carmen: Currently the room is not accessible for Carmen because she uses a wheelchair. The rows were very narrow so she would not be able to get from one side of the room to the other. If the room was configured in a different way I believe it could be accessible for her. Books and other folders that the students needed throughout the lesson were at a low enough level that Carmen could access them, however, the smart board would be too high for Carmen to be able to use during class like other students were able to. Juan: Currently this room is accessibly for Juan physically because he has no physical limitations. However, the room is very busy as there are a lot of colors and posters and artwork on the walls and because Juan is distracted easily and has difficulty staying on task he may have trouble focusing on his work. In addition, I think a system should be in place for the whole classroom to ask for help so that Juan is encouraged to ask for help rather than struggling and not completing assignments. I think the room is overall accessible for Juan, and he should just be placed in the front of the room so that as few distracts occur as possible and the teacher can keep an eye on him easier. 3.

List general classroom routine for the specific activity, time period, or academic class you observe.

When we arrived students were doing working silently and reading to themselves. They were able to go anywhere in the classroom and read a book that was at an appropriate difficulty level. Mrs. Kingry at this time went around the room with a clip board and had individual conferences with different students so that she knew exactly how they were doing with the story they were reading. Next, she had a presentation on the Smart Board that went over how to pull out details and the main idea from a text. It was interactive and students seemed engaged by the Smart Board. The students then did a reader’s theater activity on Johnny Appleseed. Each student was given a role and the students got up and went to a “stage” which was a carpet area and they read through Johnny Appleseed. After the reader’s theater finished the students went back to their desks and discussed the play, then got ready for their next subject. 4.

What were the major tasks/activities that you observed?

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 8 There were four core activates that occurred during our observation. They were: • Read to Self • Individual Conferences • Presentation on Smart Board • Reader’s Theater: Johnny Appleseed 5.

6.

What evidence did you see (or not see) of differentiated instruction? a.

Content: During read to self students read different books according to the level difficultly that is appropriate for them. During the presentation there was not much differentiation but Mrs. Kingry did ask different students different questions so she may have been challenging each student accordingly. In addition, during the reader’s theater each student was able to accept/decline a role and she was able to give more difficult roles to certain students. Also, during the time we were there five students were taken out of the room for Title 1. Title 1 was described to us as an early intervention and is only given to students who do not have learning disabilities diagnosed but are performing under grade level. This is more direct help for reading than would be given in the classroom.

b.

Process: During read to self Mrs. Kingry went up to each student and held and individual conference to see how the student was doing and what the student was struggling with. During reader’s theater each student was given a role that would be at a good difficulty for them. They were allowed to accept or deny roles so they were comfortable with the part they had to read.

c.

Product: The product of this lesson was the classroom putting on the reader’s theater play Johnny Appleseed. I think this was differentiated because each student had a different role and some roles had more lines than other roles. The students who seemed to struggle and were most uncomfortable with reading were in the “chorus” together so they could work together to read their lines. In addition, Mrs. Kingry helped each student out according to their skill level so some students she gave less help reading their lines than other students.

d.

Learning Environment: The learning environment seemed to encom differentiated instruction because the students seemed to be sitting in a location that benefitted their skill level, with students who needed more help sitting closer to the teacher so she could keep a closer eye on them. In addition, around the room there were different s that students could use according to how much they needed it. For example: the back of the room had a word wall, so students who needed it a lot could look back as much as they needed to while other students who didn’t need the word wall did not have to look at it.

How were students grouped for instruction?

Students sat at their desks and were given instruction on details of a text as a whole group. The

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 9 Smart Board was at the front of the room so all the students stayed at their desks which faced the board. The students then were given separate roles for Johnny Appleseed and stood on the “stage” according to where their role should have been standing. It was very interactive and kept the students together as a whole, but they were “grouped” physically according to their role. 7.

Describe the teacher’s teaching style.

The teacher was very hands on and interactive with her students. I was very impressed by how she kept individual notes on each of her students for the read to self time. She really took an interest in how her students were doing and kept a close eye on them. Her instruction on the Smart Board was very interactive as well and allowed students to volunteer and read aloud to the class. Lastly, she was very enthusiastic and hands on with the reader’s theater play. She got the students excited for their roles and helped them get into character and read with a lot of emotion. She never let students struggle while reading and gave them a sufficient amount of . 8.

Describe the classroom climate (e.g., Is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What is the teacher’s attitude toward the students and other adults in the classroom?)

The climate of the classroom seemed positive. Mrs. Kingry was very accepting of all students and very helpful towards everyone in the room. She differentiated the amount of help she gave to each student according to how much help they needed to read during reader’s theater which helped every student feel comfortable reading aloud. The classroom had a lot of pictures and bright colored posters and student work on the walls which helped the atmosphere appear positive and warm. I think the student would be easily accepted in this classroom provided the physical layout was altered so they could get around if they were in a wheelchair like Carmen. 9.

What was the quality of the teacher/student interactions you observed?

The teacher and students seemed to have a strong relationship in this room. The students respected when the teacher was talking and she never had fight for their attention. The teacher kept very close ties with each student as seen during the student conferences during read to self. The students valued what the teacher had to say and it was clear that the teacher cared strongly about the success of each of her students. 10. Besides the activities you observed, what are some other non-academic tasks students could perform in this setting? Students receive snack in the room and they wash their hands and prepare for snack within the room as well. Therefore, students could work on hygiene tasks such as preparing to eat, or washing hands. In addition, students could work on social skills during free time. I noticed games in part of the room, so during time designated to play those games social skills could be worked on and interactions with others could be a targeted skill. 11. Would you recommend this setting for learners with diverse abilities? Why or why not?

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 10 I would recommend this setting for learners with diverse abilities because the teacher was so helpful and well organized. I think she had a great approach towards teaching her students, and did a great job differentiating her instruction so all the students could participate at a level that adequately challenged them. I thought the individual conferences were a great idea because it gave the teacher a very personal relationship with each of her students, which can be hard to do in a large gen-ed room. I however think that the layout of the room needs to be altered so that a student with a wheelchair could access all areas of the room. Currently, a student like Carmen could not move around the classroom, however I think the space could be manipulated so that a student in a wheelchair could get everywhere. I think the teacher really made the difference in this environment because she was so personable and helpful to each student.

School Inventory Name: Tricia Maybaum- 15

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 11 Class: Mrs. Irani’s Classroom Day/Time: Tuesday, November 15 (8:50-9:30) Location: Special Education Cross-Categorical Room at Thomas Paine Elementary School Method of Data Collection: Direct Observation 1. Draw a picture of the classroom layout. See Attachment 2. Is the environment accessible for the student? If not, what would it take to make the room accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion? Carmen: This room is partially accessible for Carmen. She would have no problem navigating in the front of the room because it is very spacious and as long as a table was brought in for her, she would be able to sit with all the other students. However, the back corners of the room are much tighter in space and someone in a wheelchair like Carmen would not be able to get there. If the room was rearranged I believe it could be accessible, however, currently it is not laid out as well as it could be. These changes are reasonable because it would only require moving the furniture around in the room. The boards would be at a low enough level for her to use, and the sink would be low enough as well. Juan: This room is accessible for Juan. Because Juan has no physical limitation he would be able to get around the special education room completely fine. There are not too many distracters or colors on the walls to get him off task, and I feel like he would work well in the room. All the desks face the front board, and because it is a cross-cat room, there are much fewer students which would help distract Juan less. Overall I feel this is an accessible and appropriate environment for Juan. 3. List the general classroom routine (i.e., major activities and tasks) for the specific time period you observe. • • • •

Students split into their assigned work groups for reading/English Most students work on a Read Well reading program which has sections for phonics, sight words, spelling, and reading comprehension. Two students work on handwriting and sight words Groups work independently until they finish the work in their folder for that day

4. How could the student address his/her goals in this class (i.e., list specific activities and skills that could be targeted linked to the key areas identified for the student)? Carmen: Carmen could work on reading with her VOCA in the small groups because a lot of work is one on one. Learning how to independently use her VOCA was an area that her family and teachers wanted Carmen to excel in and this would be a good environment to do so because there are so few students so there is plenty of teachers that could work with Carmen on this goal. Juan: Juan could work on his reading comprehension by using the Read Well program. Teachers

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 12 in this classroom are only working with two students at a time because there are so few kids in the classroom, therefore, Juan would have a lot of individual attention to improve on his reading comprehension. There are specific sections in the Read Well program that target reading comprehension and I think Juan could benefit from using this program. In addition, because there is always a teacher working with him during the program there is no way he can not complete the assignments because the teacher helps them finish all their work. 5. How were students grouped for instruction? Students were grouped according to their reading skill level. Students who were near the same level were in a group and had a TA or teacher working with them. Two students who had more severe cognitive disabilities worked on their writing and sight words with another TA. 6. Describe the teacher’s teaching style and method of classroom management. The Read Well program is a pretty structured system so there are prompts written for the teacher to say to the student. Therefore, the style of teaching is hard to say because so much of it was scripted. All the teachers and TAs were encouraging with their students, and they helped the students get through their work. The classroom uses a point system for behavior management so students can gain or lose points depending on if they work well or do not work well. It seems highly effective because students want points so they can get a prize at the end of the week. 7. Describe the classroom climate (e.g., Is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What is the teacher’s attitude toward the students and other adults in the classroom?) The classroom’s climate is very positive and comfortable. All the teachers are very encouraging and helpful and all the students seem to like their room. The students all play together and get along very well. The students that are higher functioning help the students who are lower functioning get their things and put their stuff away. I think any student, no matter their disability, would be accepted in this environment because of how warm all the teachers and students are to one another. All the adults are respected by the students regardless if they are a TA or special education teacher. There are pictures of the students on the wall which helps gives the students a sense of belonging in the room and helps them understand that this is their room too. 8. How does this setting match the characteristics and preferences of the student? Carmen: This room gives Carmen much more individualized attention than she would get in the general education room. In addition, Carmen has close bonds with her teachers so I think working more one on one with those individuals would be very beneficial for her. In this room Carmen may be able to spend more time on developing her skills on the VOCA and reading with her VOCA than she would in the general education room because someone could help her along the whole way. I think this setting would be very good for Carmen. Juan: This setting would keep Juan much more on task than the general education room. The student to teacher ratio is much smaller and someone could make sure Juan was staying on task at

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 13 all times. In addition, the smaller groups for reading I thinking would benefit Juan because he would have one on one attention that whole time to work on his reading comprehension. Juan may get lost in the mix of all the students and not complete his work in the general education room, but in this special education room not finishing his work would not be an option. Instead a teacher or TA could help Juan get through his work and improve his reading skills. I think this setting would be very appropriate for Juan to improve academically. 9. Would you recommend this setting for instruction? Why or why not? I would definitely recommend this setting for instruction for both Juan and Carmen. I think both students would greatly benefit from one on one attention throughout the whole school day. There was a large amount of differentiation in this classroom and each student is challenged at their correct level. A teacher or TA could work with Carmen on improving her ability to use her VOCA, and could even maybe work on reading with it during the reading/English time. I think Juan would benefit from small group work on reading because previously he would just stop and give up. By working in such small groups that will no longer be an option and I think he could work his way up to grade level reading. All the teachers in this setting were very encouraging and helpful towards the students which helped promote a positive learning environment, and there are less distractions in the room since there are less people which would be beneficial for Juan. Altogether, I think this classroom would be a good setting for Carmen and Juan to improve academically in school.

Non-Classroom / Community Inventory Name: Tricia Maybaum- 15 Location: Meijer Time of Observation: 12:00-12:30

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 14 1. Draw a picture of the physical layout of the setting. See Attachment 2. What, if any, unusual characteristics are present in the setting? The environment is very, very large. There are many sections within Meijer and it can be difficult to find your way around if you have never been there before. There are very large signs to point you in the right direction, but if you are very far from a specific section and the sign for the section you may need to walk around the whole store until you can see and read a sign. 3. Is the environment accessible for the student? If not, what would it take to make the setting accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion? Carmen: I think Mejier would have been partially accessible for Carmen. She would need assistance getting items and pushing a cart, so she could not independently go shopping, however, in my setting Carmen is only 10 so she would not be going alone to begin with. I do not think Meijer would be able to completely become accessible for Carmen and others who use wheelchairs because they would need to make all items available at wheelchair level, therefore, their store would need to be much larger to fit all the items they currently have in their store. I do however think they could spread the clothing and bakery section out more so that Carmen could get around the whole store with no problem. •

•

There were automatic shopping carts so someone who needed a wheelchair could sit in Meijer’s automatic chair and have a cart attached to them, however, if someone needed to sit in their personal wheelchair they would have a very difficult time (if it was possible at all) using a normal cart. Someone in a wheelchair that could not transfer into a Meijer wheelchair cart would probably need someone else with them to push a separate cart, or they would have to hold a basket on their lap. In addition, if someone was in a wheelchair they would be unable to reach the very low or very high items on the shelves and would need someone to help them physically select items. The grocery aisles were very wide so there would be no problem navigating between those while shopping, however, in the bakery and other sections such as clothing items were located much closer to one another. I do not think a wheelchair could have easily gone between those aisles without knocking things off displays.

Juan: I think Meijer would be accessible for Juan. The building was labeled well, and Juan had no physical impairments that would cause a problem for him to get around the store. Juan may get distracted easily within this store because there is so much going on, but due to the type of store it is I do not think there is any other way to set it up. Overall, I think this environment was accessible for Juan. 4. What are the sub-environments in this setting where the student address his/her goals? For

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 15 each potential sub-environment, identify the activities that would allow for instruction in key skills. • •

Sub-Environment: Concession Area Activities: People purchase ready to eat food and drinks then sit and eat in Meijer

Carmen: This is a natural location for Carmen to use her VOCA to tell her mom what kind of food she would like to eat. Currently, Carmen is very dependent on adults to make decisions and do things for her, so she could make this decision for herself, and then practice using her VOCA to tell her mom her decision. This can help her become more self determined by making her own choices, and improve her ability to use her VOCA in a public setting. Juan: Juan could work on his decision making by choosing what he would like to eat and ordering. This could also help improve his social skills by placing an order with a stranger. As he eats with his mom he can work on acting appropriate and not interrupting as his mom speaks. • •

Sub-Environment: Food Aisles Activities: People are picking out items they want to buy in an aisle and putting it in their cart

Carmen: A food aisle gives Carmen the perfect opportunity to voice her opinion and tell her mom what kind of food she does or does not want. She will have to look at multiple things and use her VOCA to tell her mom which item she wants her to buy. Juan: The food aisles give Juan a chance to practice staying on task in a realistic setting. He can use his self monitoring skills to make sure that he is not wondering off because he was distracted by something in a different aisle. He needs to stay on task because otherwise he could lose his mom in such a large store. In addition, Juan can practice decision making by picking which cereal or chips he wants and telling his mom. 5. Were employees easily sighted? Explain. Yes, employees had the same shirts on and name tags. 6. Were employees available for assistance? Explain. Yes. There were a lot of employees throughout the store and multiple of them asked me if I needed help finding anything. They were very friendly and willing to help anyone. Because my students are around 10 years old I don’t think Carmen or Juan would have trouble getting help because they would also be with their parents or another adult who could also ask for help. 7. Describe the climate of the setting (e.g., Is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What are employees’ attitudes toward customers?) All of the employees within Meijer seemed very friendly and helpful. They all were very cheerful when we talked to them and were willing to walk us to any part of the store that we had a question about. The store itself is very large, however there are lots of big signs to tell customers where items are located. They had carts with motorized wheelchairs attached to them open to the public,

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 16 and I do think someone with a disability would be easily accepted. 8. Are there safety concerns for participating in this setting? No, I do not think there are any safety concerns especially because my students would be with a parent or adult also while they were there. 9. How does this setting match the characteristics and preferences of the student? Carmen and Juan are both younger students who would go along with their parents to run errands. Therefore, I feel that Meijer is a realistic setting for the student. It is a setting that provides plenty of opportunities for Juan and Carmen to work on their decision making and for Juan, staying on task and with his mom. Carmen would have the opportunity to work on using her VOCA to tell her mom what kinds of foods she does and does not want her to buy. In addition, being out in the community could help Carmen and Juan socialize with the public and work on their social skills such as not interrupting for Juan. 10. Would you recommend this setting for instruction? Why or why not? I would recommend this setting for instruction because I think it gives Juan and Carmen a chance to practice skills that they learn in the classroom out in a more natural setting, and with their parents rather than a teacher. I think Juan could work on staying on task and picking out foods, while Carmen could work on using her VOCA system outside of school to communicate decision making to her mom in a practical setting. Both students go shopping with their parents as they are still only 10 so it is a very realistic setting to do an inventory for.

Non-Classroom / Community Inventory Name: Tricia Maybaum- 15 Location: Thomas Paine Lunchroom Time of Observation: 11:15-11:45

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 17 12. Draw a picture of the physical layout of the setting. See Attachment 13. What, if any, unusual characteristics are present in the setting? There are no unusual characteristics; the lunchroom is the school’s gymnasium with bench like tables put in it. 14. Is the environment accessible for the student? If not, what would it take to make the setting accessible? Are these changes reasonable in your opinion? Carmen: The environment is accessible for Carmen, however, she would have to sit at the end of a table because the rest of seats are set up like benches and Carmen uses a wheelchair. It would benefit Carmen if the lunchroom had larger circular tables with chairs that can be moves around so that her wheelchair could fit closer to the table. Currently, Carmen may look isolated because her chair may not fit properly with the tables that are in the lunchroom. The setting could easily be changed to be totally accessible by switching from bench like lunch tables to circular lunch tables. This would be a simple change that would make a huge difference for students in wheelchairs like Carmen. Juan: This environment is accessible for Juan because he has no physical disabilities or limitations. He could sit anywhere in the lunchroom, and would have no problem going up to the counter to get hot lunch if he did not bring his own. 15. What are the sub-environments in this setting where the student address his/her goals? For each potential sub-environment, identify the activities that would allow for instruction in key skills. • •

Sub-Environment: Lunch Line Activities: Students are waiting in line to receive hot lunch. At the end of the line they get their choice between two different entrees and they carry their meal to their table.

Carmen: Carmen can work on her decision making skills and using her VOCA to tell the lunch workers what she would like to eat. This a decision she would have to make in a natural setting and would encourage her to use her communication device outside of the classroom. Juan: Juan can work on making decisions and staying on task while in the lunch line. He will have to patiently wait for his turn to get his lunch, and once at the front of the line decide what he wants to eat. This will help improve his social skills and his decision making skills in a natural environment. He will also have to make sure he is staying on task and not getting distracted so that he doesn’t lose his spot in line. • •

Sub-Environment: Lunch Table Activities: Students eat and socialize at their lunch tables

Carmen: Carmen can work on her social skills during this time at the lunch table. Carmen does not have many close friends at school, and lunch time would be the perfect time to meet new

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 18 people and work on social skills. Carmen could use her VOCA to communicate with other students at lunch, which would again encourage her to use it outside of the classroom. If the lunchroom adapted more accessible round tables they could help encourage conversation since no one will be shut out which would again help Carmen work on her social skills with peers. Juan: Juan can work on his social skills in this sub-environment by working on not interrupting and acting mature. He could use his self monitoring techniques to make sure he is acting appropriate and not being loud or acting out. The lunch table would provide Juan with the perfect opportunity to make new friends and improve on his social skills. He could be given topics to try to talk about such as baseball and soccer since he likes watching these sports and could easily talk to other boys his age about them. 16. Were employees easily sighted? Explain. Yes. Staff are around the whole lunchroom. It is very clear who they are because they are teachers in Thomas Paine. 17. Were employees available for assistance? Explain. Yes. Teachers and aides are in the lunchroom to help any students with any problem they may have. 18. Describe the climate of the setting (e.g., Is it friendly? Will students with disabilities be easily accepted? What are employees’ attitudes toward customers?) The lunchroom seems like a positive environment. Students seem to be having a good time socializing and eating with one another. Cross-cat rooms are included with general education rooms in the lunchroom so I feel that students with disabilities are accepted because unless you know which kids are in the rooms they do not stick out. The teachers all looked happy to be working with the kids and it seemed like an overall positive place to be. 19. Are there safety concerns for participating in this setting? I do not think there are any safety concerns because there are so many adults in the room to help the kids. All of the cross-cat rooms had an aide with the students, so if anyone had trouble eating they could help. The only safety concern would be choking, but there really is no way to prevent that from happening.

20. How does this setting match the characteristics and preferences of the student? This setting matches for Carmen and Juan because they are both students at Thomas Paine, and therefore eat in this cafeteria every day. It is a very applicable place to do an inventory at because it a social part of the day allowing both students to work on social skills, and it is an area they go to every day. The cafeteria also gives Carmen and Juan practice in decision making because they

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 19 have to decide what they are going to eat if they are getting lunch from the school. 21. Would you recommend this setting for instruction? Why or why not? I would recommend this setting for instruction for Carmen and Juan because it is an environment they are in daily and it provides a natural opportunity for each student to work on their social skills with their peers. It is hard to practice social skills unless it is occurring naturally, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Both students need to improve on their social skills and Juan especially needs to work on not interrupting others so this is a great chance to practice. In addition, the lunch room provides for a natural setting for Carmen and Juan to work on their social skills while still having a teacher or TA near them to instruct them and help them along. A teacher could tell Juan a topic that may interest another boy his age to start a conversation or may help Carmen eat and have correct behavior for a public setting. It is tough to find a natural setting in which teachers are still around, but the school lunch room is a great location.

Student Summary: Carmen The four settings that I chose for Carmen were a special education classroom at Thomas Paine Elementary School, a general education room at Thomas Paine Elementary School, Thomas Paine’s cafeteria, and the local Meijer. I chose to inventory the special education room and the

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 20 general education room because Carmen will spend most of her day at school in one of those two rooms. Because she spends so much time in either the special education room or the gen-ed room, it is important to observe and see which goals Carmen can achieve in those settings. In addition I chose to go to the cafeteria during lunch because Carmen spends part of her school day every day in the lunch room, and certain skills that Carmen needs to work on need to be practiced in a natural, social setting where she is among peers such as lunch. Lastly, I chose a community setting and decided upon Meijer because I think that is a common place that she would go with her mom when running errands. Because families always need groceries there is a good chance Carmen would go to Meijer more than other public locations while running errands on the weekend with her mom. After reviewing each setting I think the special education room, cafeteria, and Meijer would all be appropriate settings for Carmen to work on skills that are included in her IEP goals. The special education room has a lot of individualized attention which could benefit Carmen greatly in learning to use her VOCA. During the reading/English portion of class in the morning Carmen could work one on one with a TA or the special education teacher on improving her ability to use her VOCA to communicate as well as read aloud. I felt that the general education room would not Carmen enough because there is only one teacher for roughly twenty students. Next, the cafeteria I thought would serve as a great opportunity to work on Carmen’s social skills because the lunch table provides a natural environment in which she is surrounded with her peers and encourages socialization; but at the same time, being in the cafeteria also allows a TA to be with her and help her in the social situations when she may be unsure how to act. Being around a lunch table specifically will put Carmen in a relaxing environment with her peers where she can hopefully break out of her quiet shell and make friends. Last, I thought Meijer would be a good

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 21 setting for Carmen to practice independent decision making and using her VOCA outside of the classroom to tell her mom simple commands such as “I want this”. Specifically in Meijer, the food aisles would provide Carmen with many opportunities to use her VOCA and tell her mom what kind of food she would like. Altogether, by combining a social setting, academic setting, and community setting, I think Carmen will be working well towards achieving many of her IEP goals. Carmen’s IEP Objectives: •

Special Education Room: While working on reading in her special education room, Carmen will use her VOCA to read aloud chapters in her Read Well book to a TA. Mastery will be considered when Carmen reads one chapter a day 100% correctly for five consecutive school days.

•

General Education Room: While in her general education room, Carmen will use her VOCA to verbally communicate with her teacher when she is done with a classroom worksheet. Mastery will be considered when Carmen uses her VOCA to communicate with her teacher after her worksheet is finished 100% of the time for five consecutive school days.

•

Cafeteria: During lunch at school, Carmen will socialize with her peers and will not have a behavior outburst during lunch. Mastery will be considered when Carmen can eat her lunch and interact with her peers for the entire period without having to leave the room with a TA due to a behavior problem for five consecutive school days.

•

Meijer: When in the cereal aisle at Meijer, Carmen will use her VOCA to verbally communicate to her mom which cereal she wants to buy. Mastery will be considered when Carmen correctly uses her VOCA to communicate with her mom after three consecutive trips to Meijer.

Student Summary: Juan The four settings that I chose for Juan were a special education classroom at Thomas Paine Elementary School, a general education room at Thomas Paine Elementary School, Thomas Paine’s cafeteria, and the local Meijer. I chose to inventory the special education room and the general education room at Thomas Paine because Juan will spend most of his school day in one of

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 22 those two rooms. It is only logical to inventory the two rooms Juan spends most of his time in at school, because a majority of his IEP goals should be worked on during his time in these classrooms. In addition I chose to do an inventory of the cafeteria because Juan eats lunch every day at school in this room and there may be social IEP goals that could be worked on while he is around his peers in a natural setting. The last setting I decided to take an inventory of for Juan was Meijer. I chose Meijer because I think it is a common grocery store that he would frequently go to with his mom or family. Once I completed each inventory I came to the conclusion that all four settings, the general education room, the special education room, lunch, and Meijer, all could serve as appropriate settings for Juan to learn the skills necessary to master his IEP goals. I felt that the general education room would be appropriate for Juan during science and history. Juan is very interested in these subjects and I do not feel that anything in the case study holds enough evidence to say that he cannot be included for these two subjects. While he does get off task, one of his IEP goals included using a self-monitoring technique and having his general education teacher ensure that he is using it to stay focused. Next, I think the special education room would be a great setting for Juan to work on his reading comprehension and organizational skills. The special education room would provide Juan with much more individualized help during reading which he definitely needs and would not receive in the general education room. I think the cafeteria serves for a great natural setting to work on Juan’s social skills. It is difficult to teach manners and maturity within a classroom setting where you would have to fake interacting with peers, so I thought eating at tables in the cafeteria brought together the best of both worlds by fully immersing Juan with his peers, but also keeping a TA nearby him to give him cues on when it is appropriate to intervene in a conversation, etc. Last, I felt that Meijer was a good setting to work towards an IEP goal regarding

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 23 his self-monitoring to help Juan become more aware of himself and what he is doing at all times. Specifically in the food aisles at Meijer Juan could be easily distracted by all the different items that surround him and get left behind or go a different way than his mom. Therefore, I feel that Meijer would be a great location for him to work on his pre-defined self-monitoring skills to ensure that he stays close to his mom the whole time he is in the store, regardless of how many distracts there may be. Being able to combine these four very different settings will greatly benefit Juan, and will help him reach mastery for all his IEP objectives. Juan’s IEP Objectives: •

Special Education Room: In reading, Juan will reach level 7 in the Read Well program. Mastery will be considered when Juan reads aloud all chapters in level 7 with a 90% accuracy or higher in sequential order.

•

General Education Room: While in his general education class, Juan will use his predefined self-management strategy to ensure that he stays focused during independent work time. Mastery will be considered when Juan’s general education teacher has five checks on Juan’s “Staying Focused” chart in a row, five days in a row.

•

Cafeteria: During lunch, Juan will not interrupt any conversations between other peers or adults unless he first politely says “excuse me”. Mastery will be considered when Juan interrupts zero conversations during lunch for five consecutive days.

•

Meijer: While at Meijer, Juan will use his pre-defined self-monitoring skills to ensure that he is on task and does not wonder away from his mom. Mastery will be considered when Juan does not go farther than two arms length away from his mom in Meijer during their whole trip, five consecutive trips in a row.

Critical Reflection Paper By conducting a full environmental inventory for two fake students, Juan and Carmen, we as students were able to fully see why environmental inventories are considered best practice in special education, but also unfortunately, we can see why they may only be done less than 10% of the time while IEPs are being developed. There are many strengths that go along in conducting an environmental inventory for a student because you gain so much more insight on a student’s

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 24 background, which in turn, helps you create even stronger and more applicable IEP goals for the student. However, we also saw the most obvious negative that goes along with conducting an environmental inventory: the time commitment. By taking a look into all the different places a student may go in their day to day life, including outside of school, you as a teacher really have to question what skills are most important for this student to learn. Initially, due to being a teacher and only seeing a student in an academic setting, you think all IEP goals should be academically based because that is where you are going to see improvement and direct results. However, after conducting an environmental inventory for a student, you realize that there is much more to a student than their academic goals, and sometimes even more important, are skills they need to learn for a different environment whether it be a skill needed for at home, a community setting, or a different school location. I feel that the biggest strength of conducting an environmental inventory is how eye opening of an experience it is, especially as a special education teacher. It gives you a full look at a student’s life inside of school and out, and helps you realize what the most important skills are that need to be targeted in the student’s IEP. Although this project showed me great benefits to conducting an environmental inventory for a student, it also showed me how time consuming it can be to do. Finding time to get your whole IEP team together can be difficult due to conflicting schedules, so trying to organize even more meetings with your team to discuss the environmental inventory of a student seems daunting. However, I feel that it is necessary because it benefits the student so much, and that is after all why the whole team is working together to begin with, to help the student.

I feel that part

of the reason the environmental inventory took so long to complete was because we were working alone and assessing each environment on our own. A way to speed up this process would be to get

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 25 your whole IEP team on board with conducting the inventory and designating specific team to complete specific locations. One inventory on its own would not be too time consuming to complete, and then the IEP team could come back together and compare all the different inventories each professional assessed. For example, if your IEP team is comprised of a student’s physical therapist, general education teacher, parents, minister, and yourself the special education teacher, you could have five different inventories if each member just completed one. This would cut the time substantially and you would still find out what kinds of skills are needed in each environment and how applicable the setting is for the student. I think a good way of getting your team on board with the idea of completing an environmental inventory for your student is at the first meeting give out the sheets and let each member know you want them to fill out the form for the student according to the environment that applies to their specialty most. For example, the gen-ed teacher would fill out one for her room, the parents could fill out one for the home, the minister could fill one out for the student’s church if the student volunteers there, etc. Then offer to pick up and combine all the inventory sheets into a short presentation, and at your next IEP meeting when you are going to create goals and objectives, first present your team with all the environmental inventories they collected. While this still may require a little more of your own time because you have to compile them together, it is still much less than completing all the inventories on your own. By starting all your initial IEP meetings like this is will not seem like extra work for each of the professionals on your team, but rather a norm they must complete to serve the student as best as possible. The presentation at the start of an IEP meeting that summarizes each environment will also ensure that each member of the team is on the same page, and they each realize what is most important for the student to learn so they can be successful in their life.

Maybaum15-Environmental Inventory-SPED 446 |Page 26 Altogether, I feel that environmental inventories are imperative to complete in order to serve your student as best as possible. You as a special education teacher and all the of your IEP team need to understand every aspect of your student’s life, and figure out what skills are necessary for them to succeed in these environments. Without acknowledging and understanding all the different places your student interacts in their day to day life and realizing what skills they need to succeed in these locations, you are not fully preparing your student. Therefore, regardless of the time it may take, I feel conducting an environmental inventory for a student is imperative for each IEP team to complete before they designate IEP goals or objectives.