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Only One Ocean

Jaime DeGarmo and Amelia Raley

Description
Concept Map
Assessment Plan
Rubric
Calendar
Resources
Lesson Plan 1
Lesson Plan 2
Orientation Video
Clinical Interviews
Modifications
Elementary Science Methods Home

Special Needs Modifications

Muscular Dystrophy, Dysgraphia

Muscular Dystrophy (with limited hand use)

• Educational goals

                      Modified Lesson plans to minimize writing  

            Emphasis on hands-on learning

• Information about the disease and its progression

• How the disease affects progress in different curriculum areas

• Accommodations needed for academic subjects   

            Modified lesson plans to minimize writing

   Emphasis on hands-on learning

             Extra help for certain types of assignments

• Accommodations needed for physical and gross motor activities   

             Adaptive physical education

             Physical therapy

             Occupational therapy

• Other educational needs, including assistive equipment, software, assessments,

etc.

This information was received from: http://www.jettfoundation.org/documents/IEPinforev.pdf

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Modifications for Dysgraphic Student:

Student will be allowed to use a laptop in the classroom to take notes.

Student will be allowed extra time to take written tests and will be allowed to use laptop and/or recording device.

Depending on severity, drawings scheduled to be done during lab time can be dictated or described.

 Student will be given extra time for in-class handwritten assignments.

Student will be provided with special pencils and encouraged to use cursive handwriting.

Dysgraphia:

 From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgraphia  and http://www.knowledgenetwork.ca/literacy/resources/literature/dysgraphia.pdf

Treatment

Treatment for dysgraphia varies and may include treatment for motor disorders to help control writing movements. Other treatments may address impaired memory or other neurological problems. Some physicians recommend that individuals with dysgraphia use computers to avoid the problems of handwriting.

Occupational therapy could be considered to strengthen muscle tone, improve dexterity, and evaluate eye-hand coordination. Dysgraphic children should also be evaluated for ambidexterity, which can delay fine motor skills in early childhood.

Often small things can help students with dysgraphia, such as allowing them to use a preferred writing utensil or allowing them to submit typewritten work instead of requiring their work to be handwritten.

Suggestions for teachers and parents:

Use of small pencils (a typical pencil cut in thirds), golf pencils or triangular shaped pencilas all promote a functional grip.
Jumbo pencils are useful for individuals with tremors or some types of Cerebral Palsy.
Ensure that solid handwriting instruction has take place. The student should be able to tell how each letter is made using the same verbiage as the teacher.
Before the student begins to compose a paper, have them engage in prewriting activities such as webbing, or verbalizing what they will write about.
Use pre-lined paper that has yellow highlighting where the words are supposed to go.
Allow students extra time to complete in-class assignments; otherwise they will not get the benefit of the instructional practice.
Get students keyboarding early on. Allow students to use laptop or other computer for class work.
Allow children to dictate to an adult; they can then recopy if necessary.
Allow children to dictate into a tape recorder; they or an adult can transcribe later. This allows the creative output process to occur without being stopped by the execution problem.
Have compassion and know that this issue has nothing to do with intelligence or behavior.

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