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Answer:
As a thwarted lit major, I sometimes try to be a novelist
and construe the inner thoughts of the students who are most difficult
for me. For your student, if I'm him, I'm thinking, "I am such a failure.
I can't do anything. People see me as retarded." I see this student's
behavior as communicating protest and avoidance, big time. He wants to
avoid all school tasks that are hard, boring, or reinforce his negative
self-image and do things that feel good (e.g., eating, music) or he's
good at (computer, science). He escapes into fantasy that the culture
has supplied him - drugs and violence, and very age appropriate preoccupations
- sex. So, what can you do? You can't undo years of disappointment or
make him able to read like others his age. But you can:
• See his behavior as communication of frustration and despair.
• Not take it personally (it's not about you!).
• Try to establish a personal relationship with him that focuses
on his prosocial (rather than antisocial) interests, e.g., science, music.
• Avoid power struggles!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Tolerate more defiance and oppositionality than you would in a
student with fewer educational challenges.
In the classroom, you can:
Consider his need for assistive technology. It sounds as if he is able
to understand information at a level significantly higher than his reading
ability. Computer technology can allow him to compensate for that discrepancy
by reading text to him. Computer technology can also be used to enhance
his writing abilities by offering a variety of features to support him
in the writing process. Special software programs can: provide assistance
with visual organization and outlining; allow him to see and hear the
words as he writes, proof his written work auditorily, have words and
topic specific vocabulary (e.g., science vocabulary) predicted visually
and auditorily on-screen. (See Assistive Technology: AskaSpecialist)
Capitalize on his interest in science and music. Using text to speech
software, have him search the Internet about any area of science he likes
and visit the website of a favorite music group (that might match his
interest in sex too!) http://www.mtv.com/news.
Emphasize compensatory strategies, and if he resists remedial reading
interventions, respect that for now. Perhaps, when his confidence in himself
improves, he will be available again for more traditional instruction.
Our transition specialist, Priscilla Harvell, was consulted and said:
"This sounds like a student who needs to be involved in meaningful learning
and included in student-focused planning." Since you know his interests,
planning and implementation should focus on exploring these areas. Review
IDEA's reauthorization '97 Transition requirements. The following web
site provides an overview of transition requirements http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/sed/trnsgde.pdf
and suggests various strategies that include the student in planning
process. The site provides suggestions for planning, preparation and best
practices in transition that support meaningful outcomes, and bridges
curriculum with Transition requirements. Refer to the following site for
suggestions on standard and nonstandard Transition assessment tools: http://www.askaspecialist.ca.gov/archives/2002/transition/April_2002.htm.
The student must be engaged in meaningful academic and career learning
based on his interests and abilities. Use an action plan activity that
looks at his dream goal and his strengths, challenges, interests, favorites,
learning styles, supports and steps to achieving his goal. The student
also determines how he can gather and use information at school, in the
community relating to his goal. He can then put information in a Portfolio
to be shared with others on his team. You can contact Priscilla Harvell
at pharvell@dcn-ca.gov for further
information on developing and using a Transition Portfolio with your students."
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