Facilitator Supplement

Worksheets in this Unit

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Lesson 2c: Functional Curriculum and the Seven Adaptive Behavior Domains

• Concept to Practice

Facilitated Activity

The activity in Lesson 2c is designed to encourage paraprofessionals to apply what they have learned in this lesson on functional curriculum. The activity is also a reflection on the information learned and an opportunity to think about a specific student with DCD that a paraprofessional is currently supporting or has supported in the past and then apply the knowledge to this student’s situation. In addition, they are asked to respond to a set of questions that are open-ended and challenging. The paraprofessional is asked to explain why he/she chose to apply the learning in that specific way and then describe how he/she would follow through in a variety of ways. All answers should be written next to the questions on a printed form.

This type of activity is useful for group or one-on-one discussions with the facilitator. It provides strong evidence of the paraprofessional’s understanding of the topic, along with the means for deepening the learning around a given topic. Why did the paraprofessional choose one application or approach over another? Why would the paraprofessional carry out that application or approach the way in which he or she described? What issues does the paraprofessional consider when making decisions?

Discussion Ideas

The following list of discussion questions can be used with paraprofessionals about their experiences learning the knowledge and gaining an understanding about areas such as:

• The paraprofessional’s role and other members of the educational team in providing educational services to students with DCD;
• An understanding of the IEP planning process for students with DCD, including the referral, assessment, and placement procedures specific to teaching students with DCD;
• Information on a number of assessment areas and tools that the education team can use; and
• The definition of and purpose for using a functional curriculum with a student with DCD.

Other areas include learning about the need for students who qualify for special education under the DCD category to complete a re-evaluation, exploring the purpose of the re-evaluation, and determining the level of supports needed.

• What are the educational roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals, teachers, and support personnel in determining what qualifies a student for special education under the DCD category? What is the importance of working collaboratively with providers of related services (physical therapy, occupational therapy, vision services, etc.) and other support agencies? What is effective communication with students, students’ families, and the community in supporting a student’s learning and well-being?
• What constitutes an effective IEP for a student with DCD? What can you do as a paraprofessional to make the IEP process and plan meaningful, student-centered, and effective? How can you provide input during the IEP planning process? What outcomes are observed for students with well-written and pupil-centered IEPs?
• Is it important for you to know all the different adaptive behavior domains, the assessment measures to determine behavioral functioning, and the cognitive disability assessment tools? Why or why not? Have you read or discussed with your supervisor or another professional the cognitive functioning test results or adaptive behavior domain measurements? What did you learn in the process?
• Have you seen or helped develop a functional curriculum based on the IEP goals and objectives? What type of input did you provide? How was it received by the other members of the education team?
• What part have you played in the re-evaluation process for a student with DCD? What was the experience like? What did you learn? What do you hope to do differently in future re-evaluation meetings or processes?

The Para eLink is sponsored by the Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education, located at the Institute on Community Integration in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota.

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