Special Education – Page 3 – Integrated Services Poudre School District

April 22, 2016April 29, 2016

Autism Spectrum Disorder

April is Autism Awareness month. Over the last 10 years, recognition of Autism Spectrum Disorder has grown significantly. Organizations such as Autism Speaks and the National Autism Association have increased dialogue about what the autism spectrum is and its symptoms and treatments.

According to the National Autism Association, “Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction. The symptoms are present from early childhood and affect daily functioning.”

People often ask the question, “What does autism look like?” While this can unintentionally seem to be a loaded and offensive question, it does not have a simple answer. Autism Spectrum Disorder is exactly that, a spectrum. Google dictionary describes a spectrum as “Used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points.” This wide range allows for the focus to be less about a diagnosis and more about an individual. In Poudre School District, education is about the student first with a diagnosis offering additional pieces to support an understanding of the student from a clinical standpoint.

According to AutismSpeaks.org., “Each individual with autism is unique. Many of those on the autism spectrum have exceptional abilities in visual skills, music and academic skills. About 40 percent have intellectual disability (IQ less than 70), and many have normal to above average intelligence. Indeed, many persons on the spectrum take deserved pride in their distinctive abilities and “atypical” ways of viewing the world. Others with autism have significant disability and are unable to live independently. About 25 percent of individuals with ASD are nonverbal but can learn to communicate using other means.”

Awareness builds better understanding, and better understanding leads to greater acceptance. April awareness is a great opportunity to kick off the conversation.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

April 8, 2016

Fort Collins High School ACE program.

Klyd’s Closet sounds like the name of the newest Fort Collins boutique, however it is not new and it is not a boutique. It is an amazing little thrift/consignment shop run by the Fort Collins High School Alternative Cooperative Education program.

Klyd’s Closet got its name six years ago when it was founded because it was literally run out of a closet. Over the years, their space has expanded and sells merchandise such as healthy snacks, gently used donated goods, consigned items, and pieces created by students in other programs. The store gives students job, tendering and sales experience. In addition to Klyd’s Closet, ACE facilitates jobs in the FCHS cafeteria and ACE coffee shop. The goal is to expose students to a variety of jobs to help them find what connect with them. Students begin their work experience within FCHS and when ready, generally during their senior year, have the opportunity to apply for internships in the community. This semester, two students have internships with private companies in Fort Collins.

Program success can be directly attributed to the wonderful Integrated Service staff at FCHS. Director of Integrated Services Sarah Belleau says, “Cathy Hettleman has a ready smile and displays great enthusiasm when she talks about her students and their work experiences. She has provided creative solutions for students needing a more diverse experience.”

ACE teacher Cathy Hettleman is an energetic advocate for students, who believes in their potential for the future. She knows all too well that students with special needs are told what they cannot do. Her mission is to help them discover what they can do and where they will find success post-high school. Integrated Services paraprofessional Patty Daniels shares, “my favorite part is that we are able to support so many different kids. We are able to help so many different needs. The day just flies by. I love the variety.”

Klyd’s Closet is a student run organization and is always looking for donations and/or consigned items. Local businesses are welcome to consign items with the FCHS ACE program. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Cathy Hettleman at chettlem@psdschools.org.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

April 8, 2016

Fossil Ridge High School ACE program.

Fossil Ridge High School staff is a well caffeinated, happy group thanks to the Alternative Cooperative Education program at FRHS. As part of the entrepreneurial curriculum of the ACE program, students learn the ins and outs of running a coffee cart. Not only do they learn barista skills and cash handling, the service has expanded to accepting online orders from staff for students deliver!

In addition to the coffee cart, the Fossil Ridge ACE program runs the concession stand during school sporting events and holds an annual geranium sale called Bloomtown. In the spring each year, students in the ACE program purchase plant starters which they grow in the Fossil Ridge High School green house. Students then transplant the flowered plants into nice pots to sell. As a group, students chose a charity and donate a portion of their plant sale proceeds. This process teaches students real life job skills as well as philanthropy and what it means to give back to the community.

ACE teacher Joe Allen has fostered an atmosphere addressing the “whole student.t” Each day, he checks in with his students and staff by asking them to rate their mood on a scale from 1-10 and then gives them the opportunity to share why. This has created a platform for students to express how they are feeling and what their particular needs may be that day. Allen coaches students in all areas of job readiness including things that would be easily overlooked by many of us, like thank you letters after an intern completion.

Director of Integrated Services for Poudre School District Sarah Belleau expalins, “calm is a great word to describe Joe Allen. His calm demeanor makes it easy for students to connect with him. Also, the coffee cart that Joe established at FRHS is a popular spot for many staff!”

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

April 8, 2016

Rocky Mountain High School ACE program.

The Alternative Cooperative Education program at DSC_0356 (2) Rocky Mountain High School is a
constant buzz of students and machines. Their visionary and teacher, Kim Nigro, is in constant motion. She and the Rocky team have built a culture where everyone is welcome and cared for. They are focused on preparing students for the future after high school.

Student
work is a mix of classroom instruction/projects and hands on work experience. As with many ACE programs in Poudre School District, the Rocky ACE program seeks to provide students with the opportunity to try out and build on skills in a variety of job trades. Rocky’s entrepreneurial section of the ACE program is called Rock It. Rock It runs a variety of businesses, including a snack shop, merchandise etching, t-shirt printing and gardening in their brand new Geo-Dome.

Poudre School District Director of Integrated Services Sarah Belleau shared, “RMHS is known for the entrepreneurial opportunities that the ACE program provides. Kim Nigro is creative in establishing small businesses that the students in the ACE programs run. Kim’s ACE class is full of enthusiastic students who can describe their businesses to anyone who enters.”

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

April 8, 2016April 12, 2016

Centennial High School ACE program.

The fast paced, condensed schedule of Centennial High School is unlike any other in Poudre School District. As an alternative high school option, Centennial operates on an abbreviated hexter schedule. For Centennial, the focus of the Alternative Cooperative Education (ACE) program is job/life readiness for high functioning at risk students.

Each Centennial student goes through the ACE program fulfilling either personal financial literacy or economics requirements. ACE teacher Cassidy Montoya has created a fun, energetic, fast-pace and informative environment complete with intermittent “brain breaks.”

Director of Integrated Services Sarah Belleau says, “Cassidy works with a wide variety of students who may have struggled in a traditional school settings. She has diligently worked to find meaningful internships and experiences for students. Cassidy’s relationships with her students are strong which in turn helps her when finding meaningful experiences.”

Unlike other traditional programs, Centennial does not have a full time, student run business. With the shortened schedule, students have a few weeks at the end of the semester to experience different jobs. However, throughout the semester Cassidy Montoya runs a snack shop for ACE that will fund a scholarship for a graduating senior.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

March 1, 2016March 1, 2016

Unified Basketball Regional Tournament: Part 1

February 4, 2016February 4, 2016

Unified Basketball- Fort Collins High School vs Fossil Ridge High School

January 27, 2016

Unified Basketball is back.

Last week kicked off the Special Olympics Unified Basketball season. Click here for 2016 season schedule.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

December 12, 2015December 12, 2015

Inclusion and what that means.

As inclusion week wraps up its good to think through what inclusion means to you. Inclusion is not limited to schools, but it is generally where we devote the most time and energy. By definition, inclusion is the act of including or the state of being included. That’s a pretty subjective standard. Poudre School District staff and students were asked what inclusion means to them. Here are some of their answers:

To me, inclusion means that every student is thoughtfully planned for, purposeful in their environments, and valued as a part of the community. I also believe that inclusion can be felt, like a warm fuzzy hug – you know when you walk into an environment where ALL students are active and meaningful in what they are doing.

Giving each student what they need so that they can learn together.
Teaching students that it is okay to be different and to be themselves.
Truly supporting students in the least restrictive environment.
Helping to develop self-advocacy and disability advocacy skills.
Making friends.
Being exposed to lots of things I can be good at.
Not judging people based on what they can or can’t do.
Working with everyone no matter their abilities and forming friendships with all groups.
I love to be with my friends and to communicate with each other.
Coexisting in an environment where everyone is considered equally.
Connecting with others seeing their strengths not their challenges.
Being included and accepted, treated no different than everyone else.

It is an everyday practice. It is truly nothing special at Preston. Inclusion means collaboration. To do it well we have to work closely with peers and staff.

Preston does a good job with inclusion. There are not any classes where students are not included. There is not a stigmatism or labeling as different. I don’t even think the kids realize it is happening.

So, what does inclusion look like in a school environment? Laura Osborn

from Rice Elementary School explained, “At Rice, students in the ILS program are included in their general education setting as much as possible. While they are not in there the entire day, we make the times that they are in there meaningful. I conference with their general education teachers in order to provide modifications of curriculum when needed, and to provide materials that are appropriate for that student. We send students to class with support so that they can have more direction in the classroom. Our grade level teachers are amazing about setting the tone and culture of their classrooms. They teach their students that everyone is valued, and everyone can contribute. That sets the basis for our students coming in, who may do things a bit differently. Their peers view them as equals, and love to share their successes with us.”

Preston Middle School has multi categorical programming, supporting a wide variety of student needs, which allows for a good amount of support from within a general education classroom. “Our goal is to making sure students are viewed by peers positively and that they are able to work to their best ability in class,” shared multi-categorical, Integrated Services teacher, Amy Cesar.

Inclusion is the product of collaboration and hard work on the part of all educators who are involved. Inclusion is made successful by modifications, adaptation and acceptance.

Check out this great read from Renee Ostergren on inclusive competence.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

December 2, 2015December 2, 2015

What I Wish You Knew: Libby’s Story.

“It’s just the way I was born,” she said so matter of fact. Making it through the world as a 14 year old young lady is a challenge in itself. When obstacles that come along with cerebral palsy are added to the teen years, you see true strength and resilience emerge. Libby’s confidence comes shining through when asked what she would like strangers to know above all else. “If you push yourself far enough you can do anything” she responded.

Libby and her twin brother James were born 11 weeks prematurely. Right away doctors knew that Libby had cerebral palsy. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, “The term cerebral palsy refers to any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination but don’t worsen over time. Even though cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it isn’t caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. It is caused by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements.”

At birth, Libby’s complications were more significant than her brother’s. However, at 5 weeks of age, James suffered a stroke which left him with extremely high muscle tone and the inability to communicate verbally, among other complications. Libby and James share a unique and special bond as twins. She understands James and what his needs are, enabling her to help when there is a necessity. “I feel like he’s my age but I still watch over him more,” she shared. Twin life for Libby isn’t all unity all of the time. Like many siblings close in age, they argue and have a little sibling rivalry. Over the years, Libby’s parents have instituted different “birthdays” so that each has the opportunity to be celebrated as an individual.

Libby’s wisdom and confidence are far beyond her years. She has learned to overcome things that may have taken a lifetime for others. After a tough 6^th grade year with typical “girl drama”, as she referred to it, Libby learned the importance of keeping her head in her school work, refusing to get caught up in gossip and hurt feelings. She now has straight A’s in her classes at Poudre High School.

Along with maintaining her grade point average, Libby has participated in
activities like wheelchair basketball, swimming and equine therapy. The challenges of cerebral palsy are real and a part of Libby’s everyday life. Things most take for granted require more time and a lot of energy for Libby to accomplish. Her day is full of transfers (moving in and out of her wheelchair) which can be very tiring. Writing with a pen or pencil takes Libby extra time and attention. Libby doesn’t let it get her down. She uses all that life has set in her lap to inspire others. She hopes to inspire younger children who are in a wheelchair by teaching them not to limit themselves based on their circumstance.

Through life’s ups and downs, Libby has upheld her amazing perspective. She refuses to view things that do not work out as failures but instead as a learning opportunity. For example, after a season of basketball she found that she just didn’t have the speed required to keep up with her peers. Instead of being discouraged by that, she smiled and chose to look forward to her next possible adventure. There is no doubt that she is already achieving her goal of inspiring both young and old alike.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521