Re: Anyone else have a problem w/ use of preferred & non-preferred tasks?

[Guest guest]

You can always write (I do) a well worded parental concerns

section of the IEP. I have not edited their wording I focus

on getting in all the accomodations I can. Here is the tone

and type of words I would use in the parental concern section.

You have a write to include this in each revision. When it has

been too long they have shortened my writing.

is a sweet and kind and loves animals. She likes to

help younger children. Because of deficits in executive function she has

difficulty organizing herself and her work. She has

difficulty with sustaining attention. Her reasoning

skills are above average but her working memory is at deficit

levels. does not really understand why some

activities are so difficult and she experiences school

as very stressful. Her anxiety is often severe.

I am concerned that her teachers may not understand her deficits.

Her verbal skills are above average and she is often perceived

as more able than she is. She does best in a supportive, small

setting with teachers that understand her learning deficits.

She is often very lonely and appreciates teachers that include

her in conversations.

etc etc.

Pam

>

> Isn't there a better way to describe it so that the deficit is truly reflected

why a child does or does not do a task? When a child does complete a task

because it's easy or requires no help/assistance from the teacher. I don't think

that it was necessarily a preferred task, do you?

>

> What about non-preferred tasks? What have you put in an iep for wording here?

I just think that teachers use this for code as the little bugger doesn't want

to do the work. Why does the school always want to put somehting like this in an

iep under weakness: Child will not initiate, sustain and complete non-preferred

assignments & material?

>

> Have you been able to write it up differently? Were you able to get the " ole

team " on board that your kid isn't being defiant by not doing a " non-preferred

task? " Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

I started out thinking that using " non preferred " activity was not that

bad but now that I have thought it through, I agree with you. Once you

all find out why he's struggling, you can write goals specific to those

problems. " non-preferred " just seems to encompass ALL problems he is

having without any thought to why he's struggling or any plan to

address those problems. Of course, then they will write a goal saying,

" Child will do non-preferred activities 50% of the time " or something

really ridiculous like that. No thought to how he will suddenly

achieve what he isn't doing now. And no link to how this problem will

be addressed to teach him to advance on it.

you'd have to outline why he is refusing or balking at the work. So if

it's too hard - why? Too easy? He can't write physically so he avoids

those kind of assignments? Any number of reasons why he isn't

completing non-preferred activities. You should force them to figure

it out and not just let them say, " He's lazy and that's why. " Having

an FBA done would be a great idea as this person could then find out

what kinds of assignments he does not " prefer " and why. My ds would

not do assignments one time (one of many, lol) and the reason was that

the work they gave him was too easy. He was in an LD class and the

teacher was literally giving them 2nd grade worksheets in middle

school. Once I connected the dots on this, I got him out of there and

he no longer was " too lazy " to do his work. Another time, he was in a

current event class and " refused to do the work. " Turns out, he has

CAPD and 99% of the class was done on a video feed at the front of the

room. He couldn't follow it so he just zoned out. So you have to

figure out the " why " and remember that it can be different " why's " for

different events.

Once you identify each problem area, you can then find a way to address

the problem and re-write specific goals geared to those problems -

either with accommodations or actual therapy or guidance.

Roxanna

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

( ) Anyone else have a problem w/ use of

" preferred " & " non-preferred tasks? "

Isn't there a better way to describe it so that the deficit is truly

reflected why a child does or does not do a task? When a child does

complete a task because it's easy or requires no help/assistance from

the teacher. I don't think that it was necessarily a preferred task, do

you?

What about non-preferred tasks? What have you put in an iep for wording

here? I just think that teachers use this for code as the little bugger

doesn't want to do the work. Why does the school always want to put

somehting like this in an iep under weakness: Child will not initiate,

sustain and complete non-preferred assignments & material?

Have you been able to write it up differently? Were you able to get the

" ole team " on board that your kid isn't being defiant by not doing a

" non-preferred task? " Thanks.

[Guest guest]

Great response. What I found out today is that they said that there was a

brainstorming activity and my son gave up said he didn't know anything. He

didn't write anything. The next day, he went into class and they were still

doing the assignment to finish it. The teacher said my son finished it and did a

fantastic job. He was the only one to finish it, btw.

I asked them to think about what was it the first time that he had a problem

with? I got nothing.They said he just didn't want to do it. I asked out loud if

maybe he needed the time to process that information. Maybe he was unable to tap

into that knowledge? I don't know if that's correct but they offered nothing!!

So frustrating.

>

> I started out thinking that using " non preferred " activity was not that

> bad but now that I have thought it through, I agree with you. Once you

> all find out why he's struggling, you can write goals specific to those

> problems. " non-preferred " just seems to encompass ALL problems he is

> having without any thought to why he's struggling or any plan to

> address those problems. Of course, then they will write a goal saying,

> " Child will do non-preferred activities 50% of the time " or something

> really ridiculous like that. No thought to how he will suddenly

> achieve what he isn't doing now. And no link to how this problem will

> be addressed to teach him to advance on it.

>

> you'd have to outline why he is refusing or balking at the work. So if

> it's too hard - why? Too easy? He can't write physically so he avoids

> those kind of assignments? Any number of reasons why he isn't

> completing non-preferred activities. You should force them to figure

> it out and not just let them say, " He's lazy and that's why. " Having

> an FBA done would be a great idea as this person could then find out

> what kinds of assignments he does not " prefer " and why. My ds would

> not do assignments one time (one of many, lol) and the reason was that

> the work they gave him was too easy. He was in an LD class and the

> teacher was literally giving them 2nd grade worksheets in middle

> school. Once I connected the dots on this, I got him out of there and

> he no longer was " too lazy " to do his work. Another time, he was in a

> current event class and " refused to do the work. " Turns out, he has

> CAPD (WHAT IS THIS??) and 99% of the class was done on a video feed at the

front of the

> room. He couldn't follow it so he just zoned out. So you have to

> figure out the " why " and remember that it can be different " why's " for

> different events.

>

> Once you identify each problem area, you can then find a way to address

> the problem and re-write specific goals geared to those problems -

> either with accommodations or actual therapy or guidance.

>

>

> Roxanna

> Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

>

>

> ( ) Anyone else have a problem w/ use of

> " preferred " & " non-preferred tasks? "

>

>

>

>

>

> Isn't there a better way to describe it so that the deficit is truly

> reflected why a child does or does not do a task? When a child does

> complete a task because it's easy or requires no help/assistance from

> the teacher. I don't think that it was necessarily a preferred task, do

> you?

>

> What about non-preferred tasks? What have you put in an iep for wording

> here? I just think that teachers use this for code as the little bugger

> doesn't want to do the work. Why does the school always want to put

> somehting like this in an iep under weakness: Child will not initiate,

> sustain and complete non-preferred assignments & material?

>

> Have you been able to write it up differently? Were you able to get the

> " ole team " on board that your kid isn't being defiant by not doing a

> " non-preferred task? " Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

Ugh! That is really so sad that they are determined to say he just

didn't want to do it vs figuring out why he can't produce immediately.

Interestingly enough, I would have asked them to tell me why he

suddenly decided to do it the second day when he " didn't want to do it "

the first day. What changed? lol.

Roxanna

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

( ) Anyone else have a problem w/ use of

> " preferred " & " non-preferred tasks? "

>

>

>

>

>

> Isn't there a better way to describe it so that the deficit is truly

> reflected why a child does or does not do a task? When a child does

> complete a task because it's easy or requires no help/assistance from

> the teacher. I don't think that it was necessarily a preferred task,

do

> you?

>

> What about non-preferred tasks? What have you put in an iep for

wording

> here? I just think that teachers use this for code as the little

bugger

> doesn't want to do the work. Why does the school always want to put

> somehting like this in an iep under weakness: Child will not

initiate,

> sustain and complete non-preferred assignments & material?

>

> Have you been able to write it up differently? Were you able to get

the

> " ole team " on board that your kid isn't being defiant by not doing a

> " non-preferred task? " Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

Okay, update. at the meeting, I challenged them to the hilt to give me examples. When they did, I made them analyze with me (I did the thinkiing for them, honestly) so that we could reach the conclusions together. So, preferred/non-preffered were taken out of my child's iep!! HORRAY!! The idiot spec. ed. coordinator later made an off the cuff complaint that we spent 30 minutes on preferred/non-preferred. I made progress and it was so much work. Felt like an hour, so only 30 minutes doesn't seem so bad. I wonder if I shoulda shared that with her? '

On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 2:11 PM, Roxanna <MadIdeas@...> wrote:

 

Ugh! That is really so sad that they are determined to say he just didn't want to do it vs figuring out why he can't produce immediately. Interestingly enough, I would have asked them to tell me why he

suddenly decided to do it the second day when he " didn't want to do it " the first day. What changed? lol.RoxannaWhenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. ( ) Anyone else have a problem w/ use of> " preferred " & " non-preferred tasks? " >>>>>

> Isn't there a better way to describe it so that the deficit is truly> reflected why a child does or does not do a task? When a child does> complete a task because it's easy or requires no help/assistance from

> the teacher. I don't think that it was necessarily a preferred task, do> you?>> What about non-preferred tasks? What have you put in an iep for wording> here? I just think that teachers use this for code as the little

bugger> doesn't want to do the work. Why does the school always want to put> somehting like this in an iep under weakness: Child will not initiate,> sustain and complete non-preferred assignments & material?

>> Have you been able to write it up differently? Were you able to get the> " ole team " on board that your kid isn't being defiant by not doing a> " non-preferred task? " Thanks.

>