Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Personalized Learning, Low EF Skills & Dysgraphia

Does anyone have experience with personalized learning with a child who doesn't have strong Executive Function skills and/or has dysgraphia? What types of support did a teacher or parent give to help the student stay on task when the child wasn't progressing as fast as other children not because of an inability to understand the material but because he/she would wander the room and get distracted? What about how to support the child when he has a slower work speed because of dysgraphia?

I'm a bit frustrated after meeting with DS8's gifted math teacher as she eluded (but didn't state) to him being behind other children in the curriculum because he likes to wander around the room, going group to group chatting with other children, and he gets distracted by things going on around him. He is also dysgraphic, and while most assignments are on computer (which is a big help to him) and he has appropriate accommodations he still avoids tasks because of the writing component. Also if it isn't engaging to him, he will avoid it. I know he is not having trouble understanding the material because when I have had to teach him a concept at home (because she didn't explain it in class before assigning the homework!!), he has no trouble understanding the information. She has never said that he has trouble understanding the material either and has commented how he doesn't need as much practice as other children to understand a concept (one of his accommodations is only doing half the math problems if given a worksheet).

My expectation is that the teacher should have supports in place to help with his lower EF skills as well as dysgraphia so that these are not a reason he can't learn at the rate at which he understands the material. Is this an unrealistic expectation? With personalized learning will students who have EF challenges and/or dysgraphia not progress as fast as other children who have similar cognitive abilities but no challenges? Is this teacher just not doing the job she should be doing to support DS8?

Following this topic, because I just had a very similar conversation with my DS8's French teacher. My DS has DCD/dyspraxia with accommodations in place for it.

She was asking me for suggestions on engaging DS in the class so that he will stop wandering around, talking to his friends, singing, and not doing his work. I had to admit - I have no idea! She said that he understands the French, can speak it really well when he wants to, but since he refuses more often than not, she can't really assess him.

She is trying, but there is only so many times she can prompt him to be on task when she is dealing with a class of 20 students.

BlessedMommy, I'm not sure what you mean by personalized learning - are you asking about an IEP?

I took a quick look at your most recent previous posts, and it looks like your ds has a 504 plan but he's reluctant to use his accommodations, possibly because they make him think he looks different. I posted a novel in that one re my ds so I won't repeat myself here I will add that distraction was definitely an issue for my ds when he was first diagnosed with dysgraphia. He didn't wander around the classroom but he also didn't appear to be paying attention and his teachers commented on his lack of staying on task frequently enough that they were somewhat convinced he had ADHD. A big thing that we didn't realize at the time was that he also had an expressive language disorder in addition to dysgraphia, so while the accommodations (that he didn't really want) *did* give him the means to bypass his dysgraphia, they didn't give him the ability to express himself because we hadn't addressed that issue yet. So - look at what's up, talk to your ds about what's going on, and consider that there might be another layer to the equation beyond the dysgraphia.


You can put these supports into his 504 if they aren't already included.


Again, I'm not sure what "personalized learning" refers to. In general, if a student with a challenge is given remediation as needed and has the appropriate accommodations in place, they will progress as quickly as nt children of their ability level in the areas they *aren't* challenged in. So, a child who is dysgraphic will progress at the rate his intellect will allow him to in science, for example, if he/she is given an appropriate accommodation to bypass handwriting challenges. The same student, however, will not learn how to use handwriting in the same way or at the same rate as a student who doesn't have dysgraphia.

From what you've posted previously, it sounds like your ds has a 504 plan that addresses his dysgraphia but perhaps his 504 team needs to meet to brainstorm how to deal with getting him to use the accommodations or how to help him stay on task, then update the 504. OTOH, if it's *only* his math pull-out teacher who's noting this issue, then rather than having a 504 team meeting, perhaps just meeting with the math teacher to brainstorm is the place to start.

Math can be challenging for kids with dysgraphia - not the math concepts, but the having to show your work, even if they have accommodations such as only doing every other problem. Does your ds have access to any type of computer accommodation for typing out his math? Or have you noticed that he is more distracted/etc when the problems that are being worked are word problems?

Best wishes,

polarbear

Personalized Learning is not about having an IEP. It is an approach to teaching/learning which is more student-centered, and it is an approach for ALL students. Personalized learning is defined as adjusting the pace (individualization), adjusting the approach (differentiation), and connecting to the learner's interests and experiences. Personalization is broader than just individualization or differentiation in that it affords the learner a degree of choice about what is learned, when it is learned and how it is learned.

My DS does have a 504 which puts great accommodations into place for dysgraphia as well as some for staying on task. As far as I know, at least half of the math work is done via computer using tools such as Khan Academy, IXL and various math games where he doesn't need to show his work. He just gets distracted easily when he isn't really interested and engaged in the work.

His distraction isn't just in this class and has been an issue now since first grade, and the school has tried various things to keep him on track. He has had varying degrees of success of staying on track depending on how well the teacher works with him. I really suspect in this case with his math teacher she just isn't giving him the support he needs. I don't know how much she pays attention to his 504 other than allowing him to type when he wants and to reduce the number of problems, because those are easy accommodations to do. In fact a few weeks ago I wrote her an email specifically asking her to let him use a particular accommodation which she hadn't offered because he was behind in his LA work (he has the same teacher for LA and math).

I'm just trying to understand before I bring it up to the Asst Principal if it is 1) the teacher is not doing her job OR 2) my expectation of what he can accomplish is incorrect.

I looked in DS's backpack afterschool, and I found a partially completed math worksheet that she had sent home for him to complete tonight as he didn't finish in class. After seeing this, I'm really starting to suspect the problem is she isn't following his 504 so he is falling behind. It isn't the EF skills... it is the dysgraphia. I made a copy of it as-is to take in to talk with the Assistant Principal. So frustrated because 1) the assistant principal absolutely gets it and him 2) his regular classroom teacher gets it and him 3) we worked so hard to get the right accommodations in his 504 and 4) that it is the GIFTED teacher who should have more understanding is the one who is the problem.

Instructional formats that rely heavily on independent learner initiative are not always suited to students with EF weaknesses, as they require initiation, sustained attention, planning, and organization (all of which are key EFs). And, when they are technology-centered, they are also not as intrinsically engaging/reinforcing as person-to-person instruction (or, in this case, person-to-person distraction), even when they have been game-ified.

Of course, personalized learning doesn't have to require this much learner self-regulation. Some decades ago, I was a student in a fairly high-touch personalized learning environment (no computers, though!), which I doubt had the kind of problems you are describing (granted, it's possible my 8 yo perspective just didn't catch them).

Thanks, aeh. That is what I suspected. I'm going to meet with the Asst Principal next week to discuss. Since my DS has a 504 to address some of these issues, my expectation is that his teacher should give him the supports he needs to be successful.