Fostering Success Attributes

with LD Students:

Research to Practice

Thames Academy/Mitchell College/Community

April 7, 2016

Consultation and Education Department presenters

Roberta J. Goldberg, PhD., Director

Andrea Lombardi, Sr. Educational Consultant © 2016

The Frostig Center 65 years supporting children who struggle with learning

The Frostig Center

• Frostig School

– Support students with learning differences

• Research Department

– Conduct cutting edge research

• Consultation and Education Department

– Provide professional development and consultation services

Question: How can we help students

who struggle with learning?

–Set them up for success

–Foster development of attributes

that lead to adult success

Road to Success

Jason’s view

Mark’s view

Research Study

Frostig 20-Year Longitudinal Study:

Success Attributes

What is success?

A Multidimensional View

• Educational attainment

• Employment status

• Social relationships

• Psychological health

• Family relationships

• Life satisfaction

Research Goals

• Consider adult outcomes

• Find predictive factors which facilitate life

success

• Discover factors which help individuals

navigate challenges and obstacles –

academic, social, emotional, cultural

• Determine what teachers, parents, and

counselors can do to foster success

• Original population N = 206

• Ten-year sample N = 50 18 – 25 yrs old

• Twenty-year sample N = 41 28 – 35 yrs old

Participants * LD, IQ>85, no sensory deficits or emotional

disturbance

10 Yrs After

Frostig

Leaving

Frostig

Entering

Frostig *

Longitudinal Data Points

Data Points

20 Yrs After

Frostig

* LD, IQ>85, no sensory deficits or emotional disturbance

(av = 37 mo)

1970-1985

1968-1975

1986-1989

1995-1997

Published 1999

Quantitative

Published 2003

Qualitative 4 yrs of analysis

FrostigCenter

Data Sources

• Case records

• Interview

• Life stressor checklist

• Interviews with relative, others

• Cognitive and achievement testing

• Public records

• Group assignment (successful / unsuccessful)

• Success attributes ratings

• Quantitative and qualitative data analyses

20 Year Quantitative Results

• Approximately half successful

• Little movement between groups

• Success attributes best predictor of success

perseverance academic achievement

use of coping strategies gender

ethnicity IQ

socio-economic status proactive

set goals self-awareness

grades use of support system

Word Splash Activity Frostig 20-Year Longitudinal Study Findings

Success Attributes

• Self -Awareness

• Proactivity

• Perseverance

• Goal-Setting

• Support Systems

• Emotional Coping Strategies

Self-Awareness

• Open and specific about their difficulties

• Accept their difficulties/challenges

• Compartmentalize their LD

• Recognize their talents

• “Match” jobs with abilities

Self-Awareness Compartmentalization

“You know, everybody comes with a package.

And yeah, there are things that I am good at, and

things that I am not so good at. Some of my

limitations are reading and writing. But boy, when

it comes to putting things together, and

understanding how things go together, reading

plans, I am really good at reading plans. I am

really good at chasing down problems. I am a

good diagnoser … so those are some talents,

some skills that I was born with … I carved a

different path and my whole life has been that

way.”

Proactivity

• Engaged actively in the world

• Believe in their power to control destiny

• Make decisions and act upon them

• Take responsibility for action

Proactivity

“I actually didn’t take classes as much as I took

professors. The way I got through college was I

looked at the classes I was interested in and I was

over at the professors’ offices telling them ‘I am going

to need extra time; give me the ability to take the

written exam orally’. There were a bunch of

exceptions I needed and I just listed them.”

Perseverance

• Show ability to persevere

• Learn from hardships

• Demonstrate flexibility (know when to quit)

Perseverance

“I have failed many times,

but I am not a failure. I have

learned to succeed from my

failures.”

Goal Setting

• Set specific goals

• Cover multiple domains

• Recognize step-by-step process

• Make realistic & attainable goals

Goal Setting

“I’ll tell you something, I’m

very realistic in terms of what

I know I can do, what I

possibly can do, and what I

cannot do. That’s why I knew

right off the bat that I was not

going to be a doctor.”

Support Systems

• Build relations with supporters

who help shape lives

• Actively seek support of others

who hold clear expectations for

them

Support System

“I guess you could say he rescued me. I was

working at this place and going nowhere.

Probably getting canned and I only had a

couple of more months of work and he was

able to take me out of the division I was in

and put me back working on minicomputers.

That made me very happy. He taught me a

new programming language to work in and

really helped me out. He is one of the

reasons I own this place.”

Coping Strategies

• Recognize stress triggers associated with

learning difficulties

• Develop effective means of coping with

stress of learning difficulties

• Demonstrate positive and hopeful outlook

Coping Strategies

“Once I have a failure, I can’t

just dwell on that failure and

restrict myself for the rest of my

life. I’ll do something else.”

Research Articles

• Raskind, M. H., Goldberg, R. J., Higgins, E. L., & Herman,

K. L. (2002). Teaching “life success” to students with

learning disabilities: Lessons learned from a 20-year study.

Intervention in School and Clinic, 37 (4), 201-208.

• Goldberg, R. J., Higgins, E. L., Raskind, M. H., & Herman,

K. L. (2003). Predictors of success in individuals with

learning disabilities: A qualitative analysis of a 20-year

longitudinal study. Learning Disabilities Research and

Practice, 18 (4), 222-236.

Research Considerations

• Not intended to undermine the importance of

developing academic skills

• Intention is to emphasize the importance of

developing success attributes

• Fostering the success attributes is one of the

ways that parents, teachers, and counselors

can help

• Requires exercise, practice, and review

Success Attributes

• Self -Awareness

• Proactivity

• Perseverance

• Goal-Setting

• Support Systems

• Emotional Coping Strategies

Success Attributes

Spread the word

share the vision!

Spread the Word: Frostig School

• Explicitly teach Success Attributes: Affective Ed,

Social Skills, High School Transition

Program, Frostig Beyond

• Emphasis strengths and interests: Electives,

Clubs, Project Based Learning, Academic

Fair

• Infuse within school culture & curricula:

“Teachable Moments”

Spread the Word: Parent Guide

LIFE SUCCESS

FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

- A PARENT GUIDE –

www.LDsuccess.org

The 6 Success Factors

for Children with

Learning Disabilities Ready-to-Use Activities to Help Kids with Learning

Disabilities Succeed in School and in Life

published by Jossey-Bass 2009

Spread the Word: Teachers

• Teacher Directions

– Suggested Grade Level

– Objective(s)

– Materials Needed

– Appropriate Time

– Directions to Implement the Activity

– Suggested Modifications/Adaptations

– Caveats Regarding Possible Sensitivity of

Topic

• Student Worksheet

The 6 Success Factors

for Children with Learning Disabilities (Jossey-Bass © 2009)

Spread the Word: Education Community

• Frostig Summer Institutes

• Professional Development Seminars

• Community Presentations

• Local, National, International Conferences

Success Attributes Embraced

• Special Day Schools (local and national)

– Hillsides CA, Briarwood TX, Monarch TX, Currey Ingram TN

• Private / Parochial / Independent Schools

– Country School, Highpoint Academy, Clairbourn, St. Mel

– Catholic Consortium, Catholic Inclusion Conference,

Independent School Conference, Bureau of Jewish

Education

• Public School Districts

– Walnut Valley, Duarte, Pasadena, Monrovia

Success Attributes Classroom/School Wide Activities

Wall of Power

Keys to Success

Monthly Assemblies

Student council

Character messages

SA classroom discussions / activities

Wall of Power Hillsides School, CA

Keys to Success Hillsides School, CA

SA Motions WVUSD

Monica – your slides

WVUSD Continuation High School

Chain of Success support system

Success Statements & Pictures Continuation High School, WVUSD

My choices determine my future

Everyday is a new day for me to make

new choices

The kind of year I have is up to me

My attitude will determine how I do this

year

I make my goals happen

My decisions decide my year

Anything is possible and I will make it

happen

My actions today make my tomorrow

Frostig School

Vehicles for explicit and experiential

learning of Success Attributes

Social

Skills

Program Elementary

• Meet weekly in small

groups

• Monthly Success

Attribute themes

• Introduce vocabulary

• Positive social

interactions

Middle School

• Weekly small group

meetings for all

• Addition of voluntary

interest-based clubs

• Reinforce vocabulary

• Implement in social

settings

• Peer mediation

• “Mini-leadership”

High School

Meet daily, 9 rotations (4

weeks each), leveled groups

Social Skills

Transition

Healthy Living

• Deepen understanding of

Success Attributes

vocabulary

• Application to future

employment and adult

relationships

• Leadership Council

Transition Program

Explicit Instruction Goal: To introduce and develop an understanding of these concepts

• SA Vocabulary

• Lecture and discussion

• Journaling

• Visual presentations

• Group projects

• Disability research project

• Disability rights education

Experiential Learning Goal: To provide an opportunity to practice these skills

On Campus:

• Junior workstations

• Print shop

• Student store

• In-the-moment feedback

• Role plays and mock interviews

• Leadership council

Off Campus:

• Field trips

• Dual enrollment

• Internships

• Volunteer opportunities

Transition Program

• Meet daily for

4 weeks

• 9 unit /rotations

Social Skills

Conflict Resolution

Healthy Relationships

Working in Groups

Transition

Post-Secondary Education &

Training

Career

Individual Transition Planning

Healthy Living

Budget & Personal Finance

Cooking & Home Care

Community Awareness &

Transportation

Explicit Instruction Activities

• North Star – support system

• Goal Tracking – goal setting

• Feel Good About Me – self awareness

• What Would You Do? – proactivity

• Try Something New – perseverance

• Deal With It – coping strategies

North Star Activity

• Success Attribute:

Support Systems

• Objective: To help students

identify the support systems

in their life

• Materials needed: age

appropriate

Procedure What are support systems? North Star Story - Sailors

guide themselves when they are out at sea by using the North Star. No matter where you are, it will always guide you home. That is why each of us needs to have a North Star in our life.

Have students work independently on a list of their own support systems:

School

Community Home

Goal Tracking

Feel Good About Me

What would you do?

• Objective: To help students develop critical thinking skills, practice problem solving in a variety of social situations and communicate the reason behind their actions. To illustrate to students that they can be proactive in challenging situations.

• Materials needed: ‘What would you do?’ questions

Procedure

What is proactivity?

What does it mean to be part of a family, a group of friends, a school community, a neighborhood, a city, a country, the world?

Cause and effect – How do our actions or “inactions” effect others? What ripples do you cause in your pond?

Divide students into groups of five and give a scenario to discuss. The group then presents their scenario along with the action they would take to the rest of the class

• You witness a classmate take money out of the top drawer of a teachers desk when he/she is not looking. What do you do?

• You share a kiss with a special someone and both of you agree to keep it a secret. The next day you find out that everyone knows. What do you do?

• You find out that a friend is going to meet someone that they have just met over the internet. She wants you to keep it a secret. What do you do?

• Your friend is hurting him/her self and has sworn you to secrecy. You are really worried about him/her. What do you do?

What would you do?

Try Something New

• Encourage challenging experiences

– Join a community sports team

– Volunteer at a local agency

– Plan a trip using public transportation

– Visit community institutions (museums, zoos, city

council meeting, etc.)

– Invite a friend for a social activity (movie, dinner,

coffee)

Deal With It

• Identify feelings (angry, disappointed,

defeated, proud, impatient, etc)

• Identify situations that create stress

• Identify strategies to cope with stress

– Relaxation, physical activity, listening to

music, talking to friends

Students are grouped, assigned topics to research i.e., Autism

Spectrum Disorder, Specific reading difficult, ADHD

Questions to answer in PowerPoint:

1. What is the disability, including statistics about this disability?

2. What are symptoms & characteristics observed in people with this disability?

3. How might this disability affect students in school?

4. What accommodations might help individuals with this disability?

a. What does Frostig do to help individuals with this disability?

5. Identify two successful individuals with this disability:

a. What makes him or her successful?

b. What does he or she say about his or her disability?

Requirements for PowerPoint:

• 10 Slides, 5 resources, 10 minute presentation, every

group member must participate

Research Assignment

Experiential Learning

• Print Shop

• Student Store/Fly By Cafe

• Activity Clubs

• Mock Interviews

Print Shop • Resembles college course scheduling

• Requires students to:

Design and create products

Set prices

Take orders

Stock and record inventory

Deliver orders

Track income and expenses

Debrief use of SA

Student Store/Fly By Cafe (also known as “Math in the Workplace”)

• Applied math course

• Student-led snack cart and coffee shop

• Requires students to: Provide customer service

Record inventory

Count and log earnings including use of a real bank account

Manage one another

Develop shopping lists and budgets

Debrief use of SA

Student Store/ Fly By Cafe

Activity Clubs

• Extra curricular

• Allow students to explore personal interest

• Requires students to:

Initiate formation of an organization

Recruit members

Lead club meetings & activities

Mock Interviews

• Prepare for adulthood

• Practice communication skills in a variety of settings

• Requires students to:

Communicate effectively regarding their disability

Seek out resources they will need to be successful

Disclosure of disability in workplace and/or school

FrostigBeyond

Comprehensive services for post-secondary success

The FrostigBeyond

WorkSpace offers the

relaxed atmosphere of a

cafe or library, with the

supervision and support

of adults trained in

working with young

adults with educational

and social challenges.

FrostigBeyond

Community Services

provide one-to-one

support to participants in

their communities,

allowing opportunities

practice skills in real-life

situations.

Work Space

Services

Community Based

Services

Current Research Supporting Success Attributes

• An integrated model from studies of successful

adults with LD (Schnieders, C., Gerber, P., Goldbeg, R., Career

Planning & Adult Development Journal, Vol. 31, No. 4, Winter 2015-2016)

• Student Voices: A Study of Young Adults with

Learning and Attention Issues (National Center for

Learning Disabilities 2015)

– Key Takeaways

• Tended to see the positive in situations

• Didn’t give up, even when things got hard or obstacles

got in their way

• Being resourceful and showed perseverance

• Making decisions and taking action

Current Research Supporting Success Attributes

• The Impact of Learning Disabilities on Adulthood: A

Review of the Evidenced-Based Literature for

Research and Practice in Adult Education (Gerber, Paul;

Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2012, 45:31)

“It is important for adults with LD to know how to navigate effectively in

adult domains. Therefore, the processes of self-advocacy becomes of

utmost importance. They need to know who they are, how LD affects

them in a variety of adult settings, and how to compensate for any

deficiencies. Moreover, they should be able to discuss their specific

challenges and collaborate on compensatory actions and

accommodations with friends, family, and employers to experience

success……social supports are important for successful adjustment in

the variety of adult domains.”

Teaching Social Skills

Teaching Kids Social Skills Pays Off in Grades (Liz Goodwin, Yahoo News 2-7-2011)

A comprehensive analysis of 33 studies found….

– ‘Teaching kids social and emotional skills leads to an average 11 percentile-point gain in their academic performance over six months compared to students who didn’t receive the same instruction.”

Success Attributes

• Self -Awareness

• Proactivity

• Perseverance

• Goal-Setting

• Support Systems

• Emotional Coping Strategies

You are the Designated Drivers