Multi-Disciplinary Family Conference
Your Name: Emily Arthur
Student Name: Andy A. Date: 4/24/16
Grade: Prekindergarten
Classroom Teacher: Emily Arthur
Multi-Disciplinary Team Members:
1. General Education Teacher
2. Administrator
3. Classroom Aide
4. Speech/Language Therapist
Parent’s Name: Mom A.
________________________________________________________________________
Purpose of the Meeting: To share and review information regarding the academic progress of the student to the family.
Student Strengths
Teacher/Team Comments:
Curriculum and Learning Environment – Andy does well while in routine classroom activities. He thrives while remembering steps of a repeated lesson. He enjoys coloring pictures, working with simple puzzles, stacking blocks, and lock boxes. He has the skills to cut a straight line. Andy participates actively in morning circle for about 20 minutes. He is motivated most by positive praise and adult attention. He frequently seeks adults out in the room to show his accomplishments.
Communication – Andy uses words to express himself, however, he understands more than he can say.
Independent Functioning – Andy’s motor skills while on the playground have improved. He prefers playing by himself on equipment rather than engaging with peers. He enjoys physical education class and usually requires minimal adult prompting and supervision to participate. He is able to complete fine motor tasks without much difficulty. This includes coloring and cutting a straight line. He is able to write his own name.
Social/Emotional Behavior – Andy enjoys interactions with adults, especially those he knows well. He can be very affectionate and will beckon adult attention when he is proud of an accomplishment. Andy is motivated praise and adult attention. He does seek attention from peers often, especially when playing outside.
Parent Comments: Andy’s mom is pleased that he is making positive improvements in all areas of concern. She has noticed that he is able to articulate better what he wants and needs at home. Andy’s mom noted that the behavior plan implemented in school is also being used at home successfully.
Areas for Improvement/Concerns
Teacher/Team Comments:
Curriculum and Learning Environment – Andy struggles to stay on task and has difficulty remembering directions due to his short attention span. Andy does not shift from one activity to another with ease. He is often disruptive if the activity is something he does not like to do. Andy regressed in his appropriate behaviors and participation in learning behaviors after winter and spring breaks.
Communication – Andy has difficulty developing and maintaining positive social relationships with adults and peers due to his language impairment. This also impedes his ability to apply new concepts to curriculum. Andy also struggles to be understood by adults and peers because of his speech impairment. Articulation errors and a possible disordered phonological system could negatively impact his acquisition and development of reading and writing skills.
Independent Functioning – Andy has issues with balance when moving through uneven, varying terrain. His safety is at risk due to an increased risk of losing his balance and falling. He is showing a decreased stamina for physical activity, particularly when walking long distances from the classroom to the auditorium or media center.
Social/Emotional Behavior – Andy struggles to interact with peers and participate in play activities and tasks he does not like. He resists classroom transitions. These behaviors negatively impact his curriculum involvement. Andy is also quickly distracted by people and activities in the classroom. At times, he also refuses teacher-directed activities.
Parent Comments: The concern is about the future of the Andy’s education enhancement. Andy’s mom is worried that he will not continue to receive all of the services he needs when transitioned to the regular kindergarten program. Her other concern is for the need of daily parent and teacher communication.
Current Academic Progress
Curriculum and Learning Environment – For Language and Emergent Literacy, Andy can match and identify 23 letters of the alphabet. He recognizes 12 of 15 single consonant sounds and is able to identify words with those sounds. He matches objects and pictures with the same beginning sounds. Andy recognizes his own name and is able to spell it, as well as the same for 5 of his fellow classmates. Andy can match events to pictures from a story that is read aloud. He consistently answers 2 of 4 questions on a familiar story correctly when the passages have been very recently read.
For Mathematics, Andy can match numerals 1 to 10. He can count to 5 by rote. He matches objects by color, shape, and size.
Communication – Based on the most recent language evaluation, Andy is able to independently answer 2 of 10 Yes/No questions correctly. On average, Andy will answer 7 of 10 “wh” questions accurately. He is able to follow one-step verbal directions in 4 of 5 opportunities. Andy generally speaks in 3 to 5 word utterances or sentences. However, Andy still struggles to ask questions during play, answer some “what” and “where” questions, understand negatives in a sentence, and identify categorized objects in photos.
Current Behavioral Progress: Andy’s behavior was formally assessed in 2009. He scored below average in adaptive skills relating to self-care, problem solving, and planning. Currently, Andy’s Functional Behavior Assessment has been completed and a Behavioral Intervention Plan is implemented. Andy thrives with positive reinforcement from adults, and requires a constant adult presence to keep him on task. Andy continues to have occasional aggressive episodes of spitting, hitting, and yelling during unstructured activities and nonpreferred activities. Andy responds well when the behavior is immediately addressed by an adult. He is usually able to return to a group activity within 5 minutes. Andy is able to stay engaged in parallel play near peers for 10 minutes if consumed by a preferred activity. Andy struggles to share, take turns, or negotiate the use of items. Andy is more successful in play activities when an adult is present to facilitate appropriate peer interaction.
Academic Goals for Year:
1. Andy will participate in teacher-directed activities with an environment that has reduced distractions and minimal adult support.
2. Andy will answer 5 basic “wh” questions relating to classroom activities and events correctly each time.
3. With the aid of objects, Andy will solve 5 mathematical problems involved with joining and separating sets up to 20 objects.
Behavior Goals for Year:
1. Andy will properly engage in play activities by taking turns and sharing with peers during monitored play time.
2. Andy will engage in nonpreferred activities with minimal adult assistance using appropriate behaviors and communication.
3. With verbal and visual prompts, Andy will directly transition from a preferred to nonpreferred activity using appropriate behaviors and communication.
Action Plan Items:
What: Consistent Positive Peer Interactions Who: Andy By When: 1 Year
What: Praise for Positive Behavior Who: All Teachers By When: Continuous
What: Good Transitions to Nonpreferred Activities Who: Andy By When: 6 Months
What: Active Participation in Nonpreferred Activities Who: Andy By When: 1 Year
What: Weekly Parent Updates Who: General Education Teacher By When: Continuous
Notes: Listed above includes the main focuses of Andy’s continued education plan. The Action Plan items will be achieved through student, teacher, and parent collaboration.
Assignment Reflection:
How do you feel after completing this assignment?
After completing this assignment, I feel that the parent has been accurately informed on their child’s accommodations, goals, academic and behavioral progress, and future needs. I feel that this annual meeting has left both parent and teacher on the same page with the student’s academic plan. Proper communication and flow of information is vital to the student’s academic success, and this assignment indicates that importance. I feel better equipped to fully explain an IEP and FBA/BIP.
Do you feel that you, the teacher, and the team are prepared to provide Andy the supports that he needs to be successful? Why?
As teacher, along with the team, we do feel prepared to provide Andy the supports he needs to be successful. The team will collaborate and communicate effectively with each other to monitor Andy’s progress and ever-changing needs. Andy receives weekly services in speech therapy, language therapy, and occupational therapy, which all work together to further his success in the general curriculum classroom. As the teacher, extensive collaborations have already prepared me to help and guide Andy as much as possible in the classroom. Andy’s needs are known by me, and, I am aware of how his behavior impacts his learning. The IEP and FBA/BIP will be followed closely by myself and the team in order to ensure Andy’s educational success.
What other information would you add to communicate effectively with the parents/guardians about Andy?
Additional information that I would add to communicate effectively with Andy’s parents includes an appropriate peer interaction update. As Andy continues to move through school, socialization will become increasingly important. Andy should progress equally in the academic, behavioral, and social realms, and keeping the parents updated with this aspect of Andy’s needs is important to continued improvement.
The parent/guardian has asked you to communicate with him/her on a ‘regular’ basis, you did not discuss this in detail at the meeting. Based on what you know about Andy and his needs, what is your plan to communicate with the parent/guardian on a ‘regular’ basis? Why is this your plan, based on what information?
As the teacher, I will send out weekly emailed updates on Andy’s academic and behavioral progress. I will implement biweekly phone calls with Andy’s parents to give in depth information on the supports given to Andy and their impact. I will encourage the parents to ask questions and discuss concerns with me whenever one should arise. A strong sense of partnership should be established through such open communication, as Andy’s success and continued progress is the most important goal to everyone involved. The weekly emailed updates and biweekly phone calls will allow for the parents to monitor Andy’s progress, and will serve as documentation when achievement of overall goals is assessed.