Module 5: High Incidence Categories -What did I begin to understand?

When I started to look at the list of designations in the high incidence category, I noticed that these are the "invisible" exceptionalities. These exceptionalities no one can see, and they all have a relationship to the brain. While there are a lot of strategies to help students with high incidence designations, many have been mentioned already. There is a lot overlap with strategies over categories.

Designation	Characteristic	Strategies
K. Intellectual Disability	*students with mild intellectual disabilities score a deviation of 2 below the mean  on a level C test -intellectual functioning greatly impacted -limitations in 2 or more areas of adaptive functioning at appropriate age	-foster relationship -slow pace -oral tests/quizzes -breaks -self-regulation (Zones of Regulation) -simple, concise instructions -reduce complexity of work -provide headphones to minimize auditory distraction
P. Gifted	-shows incredibly high intellect, creativity, and skill in a specific area -often shows skill in more than one areas -may have exceptionality	-foster relationship  -provide opportunity for projects around special interests -UDL or DI to challenge learner -find opportunities for student to connect with peers with similar interests
Q. Learning Disability	-persistent difficulty learning -cognitive ability average or greater -poor attitude toward academic tasks -weakness if cognitive processing	*Strategies used may depend on the learning disability.  -foster relationship -UDL or DI -Dyscalculia? use manipulatives, calculator -Dyslexia?choral reading, practice sight words, story retell, present information in many modalities -Organizational learning disorder? chunk work, simplify instruction, concept and word sorting, multimodal presentation
R. Behavior	1 or more of the following: -behaviours such as hyperactivity or aggression  -behaviour linked to social problem (neglect, child abuse, substance abuse, etc.) AND -behaviors are disruptive to environment and relations -behaviours are shown to happen amongst more than 1person, in more than 1 setting, over time -they have not responded to strategies and RTI	-co-create classroom expectations and consequences -breaks -provide choice when possible for product -visual reminders -stressball/fidget toy -foster relationship -FBA  -PBIS -Zones of Regulation https://www.pbisworld.com/ - This site has lists of interventions for RTI
R. Mental Health	*Must be diagnosed by a qualified physician and show one or more of the following: -show anxiety, stress-disorders,  or depression -thought disorders, neurological, or psychological disorders	-foster relationship -model calmness and self-control -self-monitor -zones of regulations - Supporting Students with Mental Illnesses Guide

I started to realize I've been leaving out an important part of strategies to help support learners: the social-emotional learning piece. Mental wellness is important for everyone and working on it  through social-emotional learning can help all learners, especially those with additional struggles, deal with big emotions and negative feelings.

As mentioned in a learning disability presentation I posted to a discussion, have learning difficulties and exceptionalities can be challenging for students to deal with. 

Did you know?

•Students with learning disabilities have a higher chance of having emotional challenges due to their learning difficulty.

•Students with learning disabilities are at greater risk of anxiety and depression due to low self-esteem and cycle of failure.

•A study conducted in Los Angeles on suicides in children under 13 years old found that 50% had learning disabilities. (Gore, n.d.)

References

Attention Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://www.teachspeced.ca/intellectual-disabilities?q=node%2F672

Behaviour Exceptionality. Behaviour Exceptionality. Teach Special Education, www.teachspeced.ca/behaviour-exceptionality

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Behavior Intervention/Mental Illness Instructional Support Planning Process. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/inclusive/behaviour_intervention.pdf

BC ministry of education. (2011). Supporting students with learning disabilities [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/inclusive/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf

BC Ministry of Education. (2016). Special education services: a manual of policies, procedures, and guidelines [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/inclusive/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf

Gorman, J. C. (n.d.). Understanding Children's Hearts and Minds: Emotional Functioning and Learning Disabilities. Retrieved May 14, 2020, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6292/

Manitoba Ministry of Education. (2001). Classroom Behavioral Strategies and Interventions. Retrieved from https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/fas/pdf/5.pdf

Minahan, J.  (2018).  Helping anxious students move forward [PDF]. Retrieved from https://jessicaminahan.com/wp-content/uploads/Helping-Anxious-Students-Move-Forward-Red-Work-Avoidance-Minahan_EL_1218.pdf

Social-Emotional Development and Learning Disabilities (LDs). (2018, May 15). Retrieved from https://www.ldatschool.ca/learn-about-lds/social-emotional-development-lds/