IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Summer 2016

S P E C I A L E D U C AT I O N C ITSC YO HO F MC O L KE DI ST ES RI POR C TTNE NEWS WS cKeespor tBorough rentwood Brentwood Borough School District Positive Behavior Supports Positive Behavior Supports can assist parents as they work on addressing the learning needs of their child and the challenges presented when completing homework tasks. Lisa Plastino, Educational Consultant with the Watson Institute, presented to parents during October 2016. She discussed the A-B-C’s of behavior and determining the function of behavior as parents explored strategies to enhance student learning. She discussed the principles of positive behavior support and how this support can redesign the environment and not the individual. If a parent is working towards a successful student response to homework, Mrs. Plastino offered suggestions on how to reduce distractors and set up the environment to be more conducive to learning. Parents need to look at the purpose of the behavior and then determine the consequence so that the desired behavior is the result. Mrs. Plastino offered suggestions on how to address different behaviors and how to encourage communication skills to assist students in being able to regulate their behavior. A web link for more information is available on the Brentwood Borough School District website under the special education tab with the subcategory of Highlighting Success- Parents and the Homework Process and Parent Training- Applied Behavior Analysis. Sensory Regulation Brentwood Borough School District has worked during the 2015-2016 school year to present parent trainings that address current trends in education and the expressed desires for information shared by the parents with the staff. One of those areas was in sensory regulation and its relationship to homework completion. Lisa Plastino, Educational Consultant with the Watson Institute, presented to parents during March 2016. She discussed sensory processing, sensory modulation and how when you are working with a child you need to be a sensory detective to determine in what way all the senses would be affecting the child and their response to work. She provided additional insight on exactly how to best set up the student’s environment to enhance learning opportunities. She indicated that for a parent to formulate a sensory diet for their child they need to listen to the child’s preferences and be willing to mix sensory input so that all sensory groups are represented. This leads to the child being able to demonstrate a readiness to learn which is called modulation. This sensory diet should be expected to vary throughout the child’s day and will impact them in being able to engage in homework activities. A web link for more sensory activities for children is available on the Brentwood Borough School District website under the special education tab with the subcategory of Parent Training- March 2016- Sensory Regulation and Homework. 86 Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall

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