~I really, really hope you can help me!  I teach a blended pre-k class in NC with 8 Special Ed children and 8 Title 1 children.  One of my children is a crack baby who is wonderfully happy but impossible to control.  He refuses to sit for longer than 2 minutes (he CAN sit, because I’ve seen him do it when other children are receiving treats :)) and he thinks that everything is funny.  He does not understand consequences and actions and thinks time out is a game………He is very bright but is missing out on academics because he will not sit long enough to learn.  I have tried traditional behavior management plans with him….nothing seems to work.  Do you know where I can find “nontraditional” strategies or anything that may work?  I appreciate your help.  Thank you.
Children born with pre-natal exposure to drugs and/or alcohol really have the deck stacked against them.  Research shows that over 95% of these babies will have some sort of Speech and Language delay, not to mention the high occurrence of ADHD, cognitive delays, and motor impairments.  So, with that in mind, here are some suggestions:
Make sure there are plenty of visual cues in the room.  Have picture cards representing the daily routine posted.  Review the schedule at the beginning of the day.  A lot of times, kids like this just are not processing language adequately and may not have a clear idea of what is being asked of them.  They also do not have the same ability as their peers for picking up on non-verbal and social cues, which explains his inappropriate laughter.  He probably is not trying to provoke you, rather he most likely has no clue that he is being inappropriate.  Review rules and expectations on a daily basis in very simple and concrete terms.  Review consequences at the same time.  Check his comprehension of these rules and consequences.  Use picture cards for this as well.  The fact that he is “refusing” to sit is most likely because he simply is not able to yet.  Chances are his prenatal condition has caused some neurological damage, resulting in high activity level and impulsivity.  So, modify your expectations in this regard.  Take every mini-second of sitting as a success!  Don’t give up on the primary reinforcement you’ve been using.  For now, it doesn’t matter that he is not hanging around afterwards.  What matters is that he is motivated by it.  So, if you are consistent, you will be able to shape his sitting behavior into longer periods of time.  In the meantime, provide him with other options that you think would have a better chance of engaging him.  If he’s not ready to sit at circle, but really likes puzzles, tell him he has a choice between the two.  And reinforce him for sitting and doing!!!  Even if it's not what the rest of the group is doing!!!  You will help him want to be with the group by giving him the chance to experience success on his own terms and by making what the group is doing FAR more fun than his little puzzle!!  Hope this helps a bit and keep watching for more tips later.

~Hello!  In my class of 3-year-olds there is one girl who is troubling me.  She often appears to be in her own world, playing alone always, non-specific types of play....just whatever she finds she plays with, does not seek out specific toys or activities….constantly lies around on the ground not interested in activities, wanders around the room a lot, appears not to hear me when I'm talking to her….unless I am right in front of her at her level.  I was wondering if you could offer your opinion on her behaviors and if the behavior is a sign of some type of disorder.  Thank you for your time and advice.
Keep in mind that I am not a licensed clinical psychologist, but I do agree that there are a few red flags here.  The first question I have is fundamental -- has this child had an audiological screening?  A hearing impairment would be the first thing to be ruled out.  Next -- does she use spontaneous language ever?  Does she have the physical capability for it?  Do the parents report the same behaviors at home or is she only like this at school?  There are several diagnostic possibilities here, but I think the bottom line here is that this child should be evaluated by a team of professionals.  I think you need to speak to the parents about your concerns and strongly suggest that they contact their local school district’s CPSE (Committee on Preschool Special Education).  If they request an evaluation of their child in writing, the CPSE must provide it, free of charge, by federal law.  Good Luck.

~I am a 4-year veteran of teaching pre-kindergarten classes.  I truly enjoy my job, that is until this year.  I have a class of 15 with about 9 of my students possessing very strong-willed behavior.  I have tried positive reinforcement, rewards for following directions, time-out, visiting the office and even sending home “Sad” notes to the parents.  I have not found anything that works.  If I can change one child’s behavior, it seems I have another one waiting where the first left off.  I don’t feel that I accomplish anything during our day together.  Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong?  I feel like my class is being cheated out of a calm, relaxed, fun teacher due to my inability to solve this problem.  Thanks.
First of all, you are not doing anything wrong!!  Sounds to me like you have been trying your very best and that is all that anyone could ask for!!  It’s so hard not to take it personally when things aren’t going smoothly in your classroom and that speaks volumes of your dedication.  So give yourself a pat on the back instead of a slap on your you-know-what!!  This can be fixed!  My first suggestion would be to modify your daily routine until things calm down a bit.  You are concerned that learning is not taking place, but keep in mind that learning is not just about colors and numbers and shapes and letters.  We have just as much responsibility to teach pro-social behaviors.  So, use Circle Time to talk about problems that may have occurred in your room, in very simple words.  Review the rules and expectations and consequences.  Post them, in picture form, around the room.  Make activities very brief and make sure the goal of the task is achievable.  Do small groups as much as possible so that you can “distribute” the behavior problem kids.  Limit the amount of centers that are open at playtime.  Sometimes having too many options can create over-stimulation.  So consider imposing a little more structure for now.  Make sure that the number of centers open equals the number of staff in your class, so that there is 1 adult in each area to monitor, guide, and problem-solve.  In terms of their “strong-willed” natures, use that to your advantage.  Make sure to give these kids some ownership of the room.  Give them “choices” as much as possible.  For example:  “You can either join your friends for circle, or you can choose a book to read at the table.”  This will help avoid power struggles and the kid will soon figure out that it is much better to be with everyone else instead of alone.  Trick them into thinking something was their idea, when it was your intention all along.  Give them jobs during times that are hard for them (such as delivering messages to the bus driver if going home is hard).  Catch them being good and use all your wonderful positive reinforcement techniques then!  Send “happy” notes home instead of sad ones.  Even if the only thing he did right that day was to clean up snack when you asked him to!  There are a lot of good books out now on Social Skills training which may also be helpful.  In the meantime, take a deep breath, simplify your day so that you can focus on behavior training, set one behavioral goal at a time, be consistent, make sure that all staff is on the same page about rules and consequences, and soon things will improve.  Hang in there---we’ve all been there, believe me!

~I have 6 day-care students, 6 identified students (one has a 1 on 1 aide) who attend ½ day, and 5 kindergarten students who leave at 10:30.  I have one assistant, one Sp.Ed. intern, and a slew of therapists who are consulting for the Sp. Ed. kids.  My room is like a circus when we are all there.  How do I manage the confusion?
Wow!  I’m confused just from reading about your situation!!!  Unfortunately, your situation is not unique.  With the push for “Inclusion” has come the notion of “Push in” services rather than “Pull Out.”  This trend has it’s merits and flaws as well.  This understandably throws the kids.  I suggest posting visual cues to prepare the class for who will be coming each day and whom they will be spending time with.  Lots of my teachers have done this in very creative ways.  For example, one teacher put a big mouth on the board, which represented “Speech.”  She would then attach the names (or symbols for non-readers) to the mouth of the kids who would be getting speech that day.  She also had a “Special Time” bear for counseling for the same purpose.  Simpler methods include polaroid pictures of the therapist.  What this does is prepare the class for who will be walking in throughout the day.  It also helps children cope with waiting for their turn to go.  It also clearly defines the roles of each adult, so the children don’t forget who is the teacher “in charge.”  Now, managing the adults can be doubly difficult!  You have a right to set some basic ground rules such as asking them not to enter in the middle of a structured task, asking them to stick to a set schedule, asking them to coordinate with each other so that everyone is not in the room at the same time.  I recommend limiting the number of therapists in your room to 2 at a time.  Anything more would be counter-productive and not therapeutically beneficial to the students.  For the times when a therapist comes for “Pull Out,” I also recommend that he or she wait outside the door and have you bring the child to them.  This creates less of a distraction and keeps kids from seeing the therapist and asking “is it my turn yet?”  Good Luck!

~....I'm hoping you can assist my family as we prepare to send our 3 year old to preschool.  We are looking into different preschools and preparing an IEP.
Your local school district's CPSE (Committee on Preschool Special Education) should have available to you a "Handbook of Parental Rights".  This booklet will outline all of the legal rights that you and your child are entitled to under federal and state law.  If your CPSE does not have a copy of this handbook to give you, it is their responsibility to order it for you.  Or, you can contact your State Department of Education and request it.

If your child is found to qualify for special education services, he will be classified as a "Preschool Student with a Disability".  This is a generic classification given to all children ages 3-5 who have a special need.  If your child still needs special services after age 5, then a more specific classification will be given, such as "Speech Impaired" or "Learning Disabled", depending upon your child's greatest area of need.

Once a child has been classified, an IEP must be developed.  Your child's IEP will contain goals for all areas in which there is a developmental delay.  There may be just one area, such as Language development, or there may be other areas of remediation in Cognition (learning), Fine Motor (use of hands and eye-hand coordination), Gross Motor (large muscle coordination, such as balance, strength, etc) Self Help Skills, and/or Social and Emotional Development.

The goal areas will be broken down into short term objectives which are to be addressed and evaluated throughout the year by the teacher and/or appropriate therapist.  Your child's IEP will be reviewed once a year, at a meeting known as an "Annual Review".  At this time, it will be determined by the CPSE, through progress reports completed by all professionals working with your child on his IEP goals, whether or not he will continue to need special services.  It is very important to note, that if at any time you feel that your child needs more services or less services, or even different services, you have the right to request that the CPSE reconvene to review your child's case and by law they must comply with your request.

Make sure that you have a copy of your child's IEP and all evaluation reports submitted about him.  This is your legal right.