Transdisciplinary Approaches for Students with Severe Disabilities

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Transdisciplinary Approaches for Students with
Severe Disabilities

• Special Education 5260
• Spring 2008

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Class AgendaJanuary 8, 2008

• Review Syllabus and Course Expectations
• Review Course Assignments
• Conceptual Framework for the Transdiciplinary
  approach

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Course Syllabus

• Book
• Orelove, F., Sobsey, D. (1996). Educating
  children with multiple disabilities A
  transdisciplinary approach. Baltimore, MD Paul
  H. Brookes. (ISBN 1-5576624-6-0)
• Other Readings
• Additional required readings will be emailed in
  PDF one week prior to the assigned class.
• Course Description
• The course will review concepts related to
  program development and delivery, data collection
  and summary, collaboration, and scheduling from a
  transdisciplinary prospective.

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Course Syllabus

• Course Objectives
• Discuss transdisciplinary methods for planning
  and implementing educational services to address
  students physical, medical, educational, and
  social/emotional needs across natural
  environments and activities (school, home,
  community, work).
• Analyze individualized education programs
  (curriculum) and instructional strategies across
  natural environments and activities to meet
  student needs in the areas of (a) health issues,
  (b) motor and sensory systems, (c) communication
  skills, and (d) social/behavioral skills.
• Apply evidence-based strategies for the
  transdisciplinary design and implementation of
  individualized instructional programs designed to
  meet intensive student needs across natural
  environments and activities in the areas of (a)
  health issues, (b) motor and sensory systems, (c)
  communication skills, and (d) social/behavioral
  skills.
• Apply evidence-based strategies for modifying
  and/or adapting environments (school, home,
  community, work), curriculum, and/or instruction
  to increase student participation and performance
  in a transdisciplinary educational program

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Course Syllabus

• Assignments
  
• Interview with related service provider
  Presentation (50 POINTS)
• Paper and Presentations
• The written summary must include
• Name, position, and contact of the person
  interviewed.
• Detailed description of the related service the
  individual provides.
• Detailed description of strategies that can be
  used to develop integrated, transdisciplinary
  instructional programs for students with
  disabilities.
• Summary and conclusion of ways you can structure
  your programs to facilitate collaboration between
  you and related service providers.
• The paper will be graded according to the
  following criteria
• (20 points). Clarity, literacy, mechanics, and
  APA formatting.
• (30 Points). Sufficiently cover teach topic.
  Must contain an introduction, body, and
  conclusion. It is a good idea to use headings.

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Course Syllabus

• Final Project
• Ecological Assessment (50 points)
• Observation Guide and Team Planning Form (50
  points)
• Transdisciplinary IEP (100 points)
• Instructional Programming that corresponds with
  IEP (100 points)

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Course Syllabus

• Final Presentation
• Each student is required to give a ten-minute
  presentation on the final project. Students
  should explain the processes used to develop an
  integrated, transdisciplinary instructional
  program, explain the process used to design
  corresponding instructional programs, and explain
  data collection and summary techniques. Students
  are strongly encouraged to use PowerPoint or
  other instructional media for there
  presentations. Students will be graded on the
  content of the presentation as well as the
  professional manner in which the presentation is
  delivered.

Final Note Absolutely no late assignments will
be accepted.
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What is a Transdisciplinary approach to Education?

• Models
• Multidisciplinary Teams Professionals from
  different disciplines work independent of on
  another to develop goals.
• Problems
• No single team member can be an expert in all
  areas.
• Recommendation provided by each member can be
  overwhelming and too time consuming.
• Recommendations made by on member of the time may
  conflict with other members recommendations.
• Informal lines of communication
• Staff development is independent of other
  disciplines
• Team members are responsible for implement
  individual components of plan
• Interdisciplinary Teams Work individually with
  more formal communication between members of the
  team. Individual is assigned a case manager.
• Assessments are still conducted in isolation
• Collaboration is difficult.
• Produce diagnostic labels without any method for
  instruction.
• Transdisciplinary Teams Emphasizes sharing
  discipline-specific information about the
  individual being served.

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Steps to Achieving Transidisciplinary teams

• Role Extension
• Increase expertise in a discipline.
• Attending workshops, professional development,
  and subscribing to journals.
• Self Directed Study
• Role Enrichment
• Develop a basic understanding of basic
  terminology and practices of other disciplines.
• You attend an workshop on ot
• Role Expansion
• Team member acquires knowledge about other
  disciplines so he/she can make recommendations to
  other members of a team.
• You discover vision problems and make a referral
  to an itinerate specialist
• Role Exchange
• Team member implements knowledge and skills of
  other discipline under the supervision of
  relevant team members.
• Para demonstrate positioning to the PT
• Role Release
• Provide/implements ongoing instruction on newly
  acquired skill under the supervision of a
  qualified team member.
• Implement PT under the supervision of a PT
• Role Support
• Continuous consultation and support from members
  of a team to ensure proper delivery of
  instruction.
• AUdioligist tests child hearing.

Garland, McGonigel, Frank, Buck, 1989
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Transdisciplinary Teams

• Collaboration
• Coordination of work to achieve a common goal.
• A belief that all members of the team a unique
  and needed expertise.
• Demonstration of parity..equal valuation of each
  member input.
• Use of a teaming process that includes
  face-to-face interactions, individual
  accountability, and professional interpersonal
  skills.

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Transdisciplinary Teams

• Information Exchanges
• Ongoing communication systems for information
  exchanges.
• Shared Goals
• All team members are focused on an overall set of
  IEP goals and objectives. Each discipline does
  not write an separate set of goals and
  objectives.
• Embedded Related Service Objectives
• Are services designed to be embedded into
  activity-based educational objectives?
• Integrated Adaptations
• Are services designed to integrate daily
  activities and routines across home, school, and
  community activities?