Regarding Melissa's situation with special needs students:
If you have access to these students' files (or can get someone from the
office to review them with you), all you would need to do is check their IEP
(Individualized Education Plan). If there is a specific notation made that
ANY of those children should have "continual supervision" then it means that
it should come from a special education teacher or his / her aide who has
been trained to work with that child. This would give you some leverage as
to your request that an additional person be in the library to help you with
the children.
If the teacher is "dumping" them with you and you are alone, let your
principal know. If the principal knows and ignores it, then I would
definitely check the IEP to see what THEY know should be provided for these
students. Usually there is continual supervision required by a special
education teacher or an aide, even during special classes like library,
physical education, music, art, etc.
I worked as a librarian for blind and visually impaired children at a school
for the blind. Many of the children were capable of visiting the library
without much additional intervention (most were "normal" in every other way
but vision); however, I also had children with autism, learning
disabilities, social dysfunctions, and other physical disabilities that
required nurse or aide care during the day. I ALWAYS made sure that at
least the teacher or the aide was in the library when the class visited...my
justification: "I am the librarian, alone, and must care for all of these
students-- you are a trained educator in this field and you are never left
alone in the classroom to teach them without an aide. If your child
(Johnny, in the wheelchair) has a seizure, I am not trained to attend to his
needs and I cannot supervise the others while I help him. Therefore, I must
have assistance when this class comes or the class cannot attend."
Finally, the "hard-ball" approach to this is to finally contact the child's
parent. This parent (usually involved in the IEP) will be MORE concerned
that the teacher has left him with you alone that with your call about
needing help. The child's safety, the other students' safety, and your
safety is in jeopardy when special education teachers believe that they can
completely leave the child in a situation -- alone in the hands of
un-trained educators. (I am also certified as a special education teacher /
visually impaired / blind instructor...therefore, I know the risks and the
responsibilities. Yes, we all need a break...but this is one job where we
must "cover" for one another for the safety of the child.)
Don't be afraid to approach the teacher first (document the situation and
the responses); go to the principal (document the situation and the
responses) and if necessary, go to the parent (document the situation and
responses). If nothing happens, discontinue the program with the class.
Show documentation of the reasons why and ask to be involved in the next
IEP, if necessary.
Just some ideas.
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Melissa Moak" <2rebels@TELAPEX.COM>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 1:28 AM
Subject: ELEM: special needs/inclusion repost
> Sorry about that last post. I was working on wording it correctly, and
meant
> to send it to my drafts folder, but hit send instead. I'm trying to get an
> understanding or a policy concerning special needs students in the
library.
> I've tried to approach this subject before with teachers and my principal,
> but I feel like they think I don't want these students in library at all.
> I'm curious to know how other librarians handle this situation. Mainly,
what
> I'm concerned with is the lower functioning students (nonverbal, severely
> mentally or physically handicapped) and those students who are on what our
> school calls "behavior modification plans" (students who may not have a
> SP-ED ruling, but their behavior so greatly interferes with their learning
> process that we have this 'in-house' ruling to try to intervene.) I have
> absolutely no special ed training, and when these kids are literally
dropped
> off at my doorstep, I feel at a loss as how to help them have a positive
> library experience. Teachers and assistants never stay with their class,
and
> the few times I have asked someone to stay, I was told, "This is my break
> time."
> I've had one child with autism who would scream everytime I gave him a
color
> sheet. I've had a child with severe brain damage, in a wheel chair,
> nonverbal who would eat crayons/paper/books and anything else within
reach.
> I've had a child who was Bi-polar and autistic who would regularly
scribble
> all over the library table, take his shoes off and throw them at me or my
> assistant, and scream or sing during storytime. It's not that I don't want
> these kids to come to the library, because I do understand and agree with
> the concept of "socialization", but so often these kids are frustrated by
> the library environment and disrupt class so much that the rest of the
class
> is really not getting what they should out of their library time.
> Am I within rights by expecting a SPED teacher or assistant to stay in
> library with these kids? Are their any SPED guidelines regarding special
> classes like PE, music, and library?
> Thanks so much,
> Melissa Moak
> Otken Elementary School Library
> McComb, Mississippi 39648
> otkenlibrary@yahoo.com
> 2rebels@telapex.com
>
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