WEBVTT 00:00:02.190 --> 00:00:05.070 Hi, everyone. Welcome to the What in the World 00:00:05.070 --> 00:00:09.589 is Dyscalculia podcast. I am the host of the 00:00:09.589 --> 00:00:13.109 podcast, Dr. Honora Wall, and What in the World 00:00:13.109 --> 00:00:16.550 is Dyscalculia is sponsored by Educalc Learning. 00:00:16.969 --> 00:00:19.510 If you visit EducalcLearning .com, you can find 00:00:19.510 --> 00:00:22.769 out a lot of great training and free information 00:00:22.769 --> 00:00:25.410 as well about the math learning disability. You 00:00:25.410 --> 00:00:30.350 can also visit our nonprofit. the Dyscalculia 00:00:30.350 --> 00:00:34.869 Training and Research Institute. That's the DTRI 00:00:34.869 --> 00:00:38.030 .org and you can find lots of great information 00:00:38.030 --> 00:00:43.289 there about dyscalculia and about NBD math. But 00:00:43.289 --> 00:00:46.670 first what I want to talk about in today's podcast 00:00:46.670 --> 00:00:51.469 is a conversation we've had a few times but it 00:00:51.469 --> 00:00:54.170 doesn't seem to be going anywhere and that is 00:00:54.170 --> 00:00:57.909 the conversation about offering accommodations 00:00:58.350 --> 00:01:01.609 for students especially whether or not they have 00:01:01.609 --> 00:01:07.549 that official paperwork. So this came about today 00:01:07.549 --> 00:01:11.430 because of a conversation this morning with a 00:01:11.430 --> 00:01:15.250 colleague who helps families whose children are 00:01:15.250 --> 00:01:18.030 struggling in school for a wide variety of reasons 00:01:18.030 --> 00:01:21.430 and we were discussing one particular student 00:01:21.430 --> 00:01:23.810 and getting them the right accommodations and 00:01:23.810 --> 00:01:26.349 of course it's a little bit of a struggle with 00:01:26.349 --> 00:01:29.709 their school because the student transferred 00:01:29.709 --> 00:01:32.870 from a different state, the paperwork is in flux, 00:01:33.549 --> 00:01:37.750 and it's causing some issues. And within that 00:01:37.750 --> 00:01:41.790 conversation, my colleague and I discussed the 00:01:41.790 --> 00:01:45.010 accommodations her daughter receives in school. 00:01:45.590 --> 00:01:50.450 Now, her family would rather not do diagnostic 00:01:50.450 --> 00:01:53.290 testing. They are not interested in labeling 00:01:53.290 --> 00:01:57.150 their child. which is very valid in a family 00:01:57.150 --> 00:01:59.170 decision and something a lot of people worry 00:01:59.170 --> 00:02:04.189 about. So they know she has tendencies that indicate 00:02:04.189 --> 00:02:08.090 dyslexia and that she does exceptionally well 00:02:08.090 --> 00:02:11.849 when she has unlimited time. So for state testing, 00:02:12.110 --> 00:02:17.930 for AP classes, for any standardized test, unlimited 00:02:17.930 --> 00:02:20.969 time really works best for her. And she can score 00:02:20.969 --> 00:02:24.550 at the top level. of any one of those tests. 00:02:24.569 --> 00:02:27.650 If it's a five on the state test or an AP test 00:02:27.650 --> 00:02:31.770 or the highest grade in the class, she has a 00:02:31.770 --> 00:02:36.009 track record of doing very well. Well, her school 00:02:36.009 --> 00:02:39.710 is changing their approach right now and they 00:02:39.710 --> 00:02:43.590 are removing the unlimited time they gave everyone 00:02:43.590 --> 00:02:45.930 after COVID and they're putting some structure 00:02:45.930 --> 00:02:49.629 back around. They're testing time limits and 00:02:49.629 --> 00:02:51.650 they don't want to give this student unlimited 00:02:51.650 --> 00:02:55.560 time anymore. because she does not have a diagnosis 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:59.699 and therefore does not have an IEP or a 504 plan. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:03.860 Even though the school is well aware that she 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:06.599 uses every moment of that extended time, it's 00:03:06.599 --> 00:03:09.639 definitely clearly an appropriate accommodation 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:12.500 for her. But now this family is having to have 00:03:12.500 --> 00:03:17.539 this conversation and this fight. And that really 00:03:17.539 --> 00:03:20.879 is what I want you to reflect on in this podcast. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:26.419 Why do we make it so difficult for students to 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:30.080 use accommodations that are helpful for them? 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:33.939 When we can see as educators, when students are 00:03:33.939 --> 00:03:37.300 engaged, when they're trying, that an accommodation, 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:40.919 whether it's extended time, calculator use, notes, 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.120 for memory triggers during assessments, whatever 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:48.759 is best for them, we know that it's beneficial. 00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:52.680 We know it allows them to display knowledge at 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:57.199 their best appropriate level. Why do we have 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.199 to argue so hard to get students this kind of 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:03.539 help? It's very frustrating. If you work with 00:04:03.539 --> 00:04:07.000 students who have learning disabilities, dyscalculia 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:12.340 or dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, autism, if you 00:04:12.340 --> 00:04:14.879 have students who have depressive disorders or 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:18.250 anxiety disorders, then you've seen this too. 00:04:18.269 --> 00:04:22.009 You've seen that they are fully capable, average 00:04:22.009 --> 00:04:25.149 to above average intelligence, and that they're 00:04:25.149 --> 00:04:27.949 invested and they're trying as hard as they can. 00:04:28.430 --> 00:04:31.610 So not letting them have the right accommodations. 00:04:32.529 --> 00:04:34.790 I'm not talking about interventions. That's different. 00:04:34.870 --> 00:04:36.930 I'm talking about accommodations, especially 00:04:36.930 --> 00:04:39.629 during assessments. When we don't let them do 00:04:39.629 --> 00:04:43.449 that, it's like blocking off the wheelchair ramp 00:04:43.449 --> 00:04:46.980 in front of City Hall. We are creating the barrier 00:04:46.980 --> 00:04:50.579 that stops the person with the disability from 00:04:50.579 --> 00:04:54.740 accessing in a fair and equitable appropriate 00:04:54.740 --> 00:04:58.980 manner. So we're clearly going against federal 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:02.699 law at this stage. And that's not what schools 00:05:02.699 --> 00:05:05.079 are trying to do. I know that schools are trying 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:08.240 to do everything that they can and that they 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:11.779 want their students to be successful. So why 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:14.259 do we have this disconnect? And the disconnect 00:05:14.259 --> 00:05:18.779 is very school and district specific. I work 00:05:18.779 --> 00:05:21.939 with students and families and educators across 00:05:21.939 --> 00:05:26.660 the country. And every place you go has a slightly 00:05:26.660 --> 00:05:30.420 different approach. So the kind of support a 00:05:30.420 --> 00:05:33.620 student gets is usually more tied to where they 00:05:33.620 --> 00:05:37.360 live. And I'm not even talking about socioeconomic 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:41.389 neighborhoods. I'm talking about Your district, 00:05:41.550 --> 00:05:44.290 your state, your region, your specific school, 00:05:44.350 --> 00:05:47.629 be it private or public, might have their own 00:05:47.629 --> 00:05:52.810 approach. And it might be very easy to get the 00:05:52.810 --> 00:05:54.810 school and the teacher on board with the right 00:05:54.810 --> 00:05:58.050 accommodations. Not a problem at all. I do have 00:05:58.050 --> 00:06:00.350 that happen in quite a few places. Those are 00:06:00.350 --> 00:06:03.490 great success stories, and those students do 00:06:03.490 --> 00:06:06.610 very, very well. I have a student with dyscalculia. 00:06:06.649 --> 00:06:09.410 I've talked about her on this podcast before. 00:06:10.090 --> 00:06:14.829 who has been lucky enough to get the right accommodations 00:06:14.829 --> 00:06:18.110 without too much of a fight at this stage. We've 00:06:18.110 --> 00:06:20.529 been having these conversations for years. This 00:06:20.529 --> 00:06:24.569 is a military family. So every time there's a 00:06:24.569 --> 00:06:28.209 new place they have to move to, we have the same 00:06:28.209 --> 00:06:30.730 conversation with the new schools and the new 00:06:30.730 --> 00:06:33.910 teachers. But we've been very lucky to get her 00:06:33.910 --> 00:06:36.569 accommodations. Well, she's in high school now. 00:06:36.629 --> 00:06:39.389 She's on the honor roll in the honor society. 00:06:39.529 --> 00:06:43.170 taking upper level math and science classes and 00:06:43.170 --> 00:06:47.110 doing great because her accommodations work for 00:06:47.110 --> 00:06:50.910 her and allow her to demonstrate knowledge. When 00:06:50.910 --> 00:06:54.250 they are taken away, she immediately drops down 00:06:54.250 --> 00:06:58.649 to a low C, maybe a high D on occasion level 00:06:58.649 --> 00:07:01.490 for her assessments. And with the right accommodations, 00:07:02.029 --> 00:07:06.350 she's a high B, sometimes even a low A consistently. 00:07:07.129 --> 00:07:09.680 So that does happen. And then we see the students 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:13.899 succeed. When the opposite happens and we just 00:07:13.899 --> 00:07:16.199 have these barriers and these arguments and it's 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:20.360 gone on for nine weeks or 12 weeks or we're into 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:24.540 the third section of the grade book of the year 00:07:24.540 --> 00:07:27.579 and we haven't done anything to support the student 00:07:27.579 --> 00:07:30.879 properly, now we have a real issue, especially 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:33.399 in high school, because now we're not earning 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:37.750 credits needed for graduation. So accommodations 00:07:37.750 --> 00:07:42.329 are not just legally protected and appropriate, 00:07:42.430 --> 00:07:47.810 tied to research. All of that is true. But not 00:07:47.810 --> 00:07:50.069 having those accommodations is a real barrier 00:07:50.069 --> 00:07:53.430 to high school graduation. And of course, then 00:07:53.430 --> 00:07:56.470 whether or not a person goes on to college and 00:07:56.470 --> 00:07:59.290 how successful they are in higher education. 00:07:59.949 --> 00:08:04.810 So we're causing some real long term impact in 00:08:04.810 --> 00:08:09.689 addition to the short term. impact. So what do 00:08:09.689 --> 00:08:14.490 we do? Let's have more conversations with the 00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:18.370 teachers that your student interacts with. Teachers 00:08:18.370 --> 00:08:20.509 who are your colleagues if you're working in 00:08:20.509 --> 00:08:23.750 school. Talk to the district. Go to school board 00:08:23.750 --> 00:08:26.550 meetings and bring this up. Talk to the school 00:08:26.550 --> 00:08:30.670 principal. Find some materials that can be used 00:08:30.670 --> 00:08:34.350 as references, either on my websites, educalclearning 00:08:34.350 --> 00:08:42.259 .com or www .thedtri .org. You can look up LDA. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:45.460 You can look up Understood. You can look up the 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:48.019 researchers yourself on Google Scholar. Lots 00:08:48.019 --> 00:08:50.299 of places where we can get this information because 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:52.919 it's valid. That's why you can find it everywhere. 00:08:54.200 --> 00:08:57.320 Get that information to the people in charge 00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:01.059 of accommodations. And let's have these conversations 00:09:01.059 --> 00:09:03.759 in schools. Let's try not to make it such a fight. 00:09:05.049 --> 00:09:07.990 Let's give kids the support they need so that 00:09:07.990 --> 00:09:12.110 they can succeed. For dyscalculia, those appropriate 00:09:12.110 --> 00:09:14.850 accommodations are going to include either a 00:09:14.850 --> 00:09:16.710 multiplication list or a one -to -one hundreds 00:09:16.710 --> 00:09:20.250 chart in elementary grades, multiplication list, 00:09:20.470 --> 00:09:23.350 calculator, really from fourth or fifth grade 00:09:23.350 --> 00:09:26.629 up. They're going to include extended time and 00:09:26.629 --> 00:09:29.129 we need to train students how to use that time. 00:09:29.789 --> 00:09:33.190 They're going to include paper and pencil or 00:09:33.190 --> 00:09:35.370 oral assessment, something that gives them different 00:09:35.370 --> 00:09:39.409 methods of showing their knowledge. And they're 00:09:39.409 --> 00:09:43.690 going to include using notes during the assessments. 00:09:44.230 --> 00:09:47.049 That could be guided notes, worked examples, 00:09:47.230 --> 00:09:49.690 if those are working for a student, notes that 00:09:49.690 --> 00:09:52.350 the student puts together. reminding themselves 00:09:52.350 --> 00:09:54.610 where did they usually get stuck, what are the 00:09:54.610 --> 00:09:57.350 memory triggers they need, how do they match 00:09:57.350 --> 00:10:00.570 a formula with a problem type so that they can 00:10:00.570 --> 00:10:04.309 apply it and show you what they know. Those are 00:10:04.309 --> 00:10:07.629 some of our standard accommodations I recommend 00:10:07.629 --> 00:10:11.649 for dyscalculia. If you'd like to know more or 00:10:11.649 --> 00:10:14.110 if you have other questions comments or concerns 00:10:14.110 --> 00:10:18.570 please find me on any of the socials I'm on Instagram 00:10:18.970 --> 00:10:22.509 We have a teacher support group on Facebook, 00:10:23.190 --> 00:10:27.289 LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok. You can leave a comment 00:10:27.289 --> 00:10:29.789 here wherever you're listening to the podcast. 00:10:30.429 --> 00:10:34.789 And you can email me, hanora, H -O -N -O -R -A, 00:10:35.169 --> 00:10:41.330 at thedtri .org. Remember, accommodations are 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:44.580 free. You can just give them out. like Halloween 00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:48.480 candy without any monetary investment on your 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:51.419 part. Just help your students see where they 00:10:51.419 --> 00:10:54.320 succeed and where they are better able to show 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:56.940 you what they've learned. And then we can truly 00:10:56.940 --> 00:10:59.480 make a difference in the lives of students with 00:10:59.480 --> 00:11:02.860 dyscalculia. Thank you so much for listening 00:11:02.860 --> 00:11:06.600 to What in the World is Dyscalculia? I hope that 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:08.799 you're getting some good knowledge from the podcast. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:11.259 If you have any other topics you'd like me to 00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:14.370 talk about, let me know. And thanks for listening.