Let me start by saying that helping disabled students learn TKD (the art I practice) is a favorite topic of mine - in fact, I wrote my IV Dan thesis on some of the modifications I have made for various of my students. When I saw this topic area, I thought it would be a good place for me to ask about additional ways to help my students be successful. A little background: I am a special education teacher; I teach math in a middle school, to students who perform badly on standardized math assessments, some of whom are identified as special education and some of whom are not (right now it's about half and half). Before I finished my teacher's certification program, I worked as a teacher's aide in a program for students with severe needs (some cognitive, some physical, some emotional, some a combination of two or all three). I also worked for a physical therapist in high school. I have a couple of students who have special needs in my TKD class, and, while they seem to be happy with what they are learning (in smaller pieces, and modified to their physical and mental abilities) I am always looking for ways to maximize their experiences in my class. One student is 32, has moderate fool cerebral palsy affecting his entire body, and has a developmental delay that, despite knowing my career and background, his stepfather will not specify. Based on my experience as a special education teacher, I would place his IQ in the mid 60s. His emotional maturity is about mid-elementary, in terms of his ability to relate to others in the class. He has problem following directions, and needs extra wait time to process directions before he follows them. He has been in my class for 4 years, and has a modified rank that is halfway between yellow belt and high yellow belt. He came to my class from a McDojo that gave him a green belt at the end of his contract period and then refused to renew his contract. His parents (mother and stepfather) have provided very little information about him; his stepfather enrolled him into my class at the Y and told me only that "my stepson has special needs". Then he left, and has provided no other information. Over time, I have found out that one of the things stepfather didn't mention was a variety of medications for, among other things, a seizure disorder; despite direct requests, his parents have not provided medical information, and the student only knows that he takes certain pills in a certain order; he lives in a modified group home (individual studio apartment with a house parent, who puts his meds in a dosing box for him). He does pretty with the structure in the class, other than a tendency to try to start conversations in the middle of line drills, and performs physically to the best of his ability. Because of the CP, his coordination is iffy, and his balance is poor; luckily, the room I'm in is also used as a dance studio, and there are barre bars on the wall, which he uses for kicks he can't do standing on his own. He has learned 2 exercises (1 with 7 moves and 1 with 8 moves) and can perform both of them in both directions (to the right and to the left), as well as the first pattern, which has 19 moves. He knows all of the moves for the second pattern, which has 21 moves, but tends to turn the wrong direction (turns forward when he should turn backward) - he knows when he's off and matches his final stance to the other students of his rank. In general, he has been improving very slowly but steadily in the time he has been in class - once he knows something, he doesn't need to be retaught, unless he misses several classes. About a year ago, he brought one of his friends to class. His friend is 43, has Downs' Syndrome, and is somewhat uncoordinated, but concentrates hard on what he is doing and is very eager to please. His social skills are much better than the previously discussed student, as he has a job (sacker in a local grocery store, where he has held this job for over 10 years). However, he also has balance problems, his coordination is weak, and he forgets the sequence of the movements in his exercises and patterns. His IQ is probably comparable, but his physical abilities are somewhat stronger, because he doesn't have the CP to deal with. Both students read and write on an elementary level (perhaps late 2nd, early 3rd grade). The first one has a computer, while the second one does not. Both have been provided with videotapes of themselves and other members of the class of about their rank performing their requirements (something I recently started doing every testing cycle), and both have said that they have VCRs which will play the tapes. I have one question about helping both of them: Other than breaking new techniques into very small parts and teaching them slowly and with a lot of repetition, does anyone have any suggestions for ways to help him learn? We use a lot of repetition, demonstration, and physically manipulating him through movements to help him understand what we want him to do, and most of my students take turns one-on-one with him, going over things again - which helps him to learn, and them to understand what they're doing, so they can explain and demonstrate it to him. I would greatly appreciate any other suggestions anyone might have. I also have a question about the first student and his parents. I am having some problems with his parents (and remember, this student is 32, not a child, at least not chronologically). Here's an example: over last Christmas, he and another student (who I'll get to in a moment) told me they couldn't come to class because their life coach was going out of town, and they couldn't get home (they don't take the bus in the winter because of weather and because it is too dark). I have a pair of students who are father and daughter in my class; their wife/mother doesn't take class, but often sits where she can watch, and she offered to take them home on the days their ride was out of town. When this student arrived at class after the holidays, he told them that his parents told him she would be taking him home every Monday, unless the students told him otherwise. This is a common pattern. In addition to the total lack of information about him, his medical needs, cogntive abilities, and previous experiences (I only know where he was before my class because it was printed on his uniform), his parents treat him in a fashion that I have problems with. While I under their desire to have him treated as normally as possible, they do so in ways that, in my opinion, are detrimental. They were told that someone needed to stay with him all day at a tournament because I was the chief referee and all of the students were competing, and that no one would be able to watch out for him. Instead, they arrived an hour after the tournament started, asked if I could bring him home when we were done (he lives in the other direction, and I had to go to an organizational meeting after the tournament so I wasn't leaving when we were done, which they already knew), and then left. As is this student's habit at the Y, where everyone knows him, he went in the locker room, left his belongings all over the floor after he changed, and went into the gym. Someone (and I have no idea who this was - we were in a gym at a university, and there were people in and out all over the place) stole his wallet. He missed one of his events because everyone who could have helped him get there was in a ring when it was called. His parents later complained that he didn't get enough awards, and were upset that he missed the one event. They blamed me and my other students, despite having been told that someone needed to be with him all day. I don't want this student to pay for his parents' poor choices, but my other students are starting to suffer as well. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading this - I know it was long - and thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.
Wow Kacey - Your first student's parents need a serious reality check. You are teaching their son MA. You are not his care giver. I am not meaning to be harsh here. They are leaving you open to a potential lawsuit. It sounds like they may be bordering on neglect. They are definitely taking advantage of your kindness. You need to have a serious discussion with them sooner than later. As to training suggestions for both of them, man can I relate to your situation. I have a class of four people with widely varying degrees of ability. I have implemented many of the same things you have. In fact, I'm going to borrow your video taping idea if that's ok. Since balance is a major issue, try having him do some of the most basic techniques that he does holding onto the bar, without holding onto the bar. Sure he's going to fall, but the first time he doesn't will be awesome for him and you. Also, try and create some drills that are specific to him that focus solely on his balance. Squats while holding an appropriate amount of weight out in front of him may be a good start. This worked for me. I start out sitting on a very low stool (RubberMaid available at any local store) and standing up while holding a kettlebell at chest level. I do sets of 5 or 10. This has done wonders for my balance and leg strength. I hope this helps. I'll post more after I think for a bit. You sound like an excellent teacher. Peace and good training to you.
Learning in smaller pieces, and modified to their physical and mental abilities. That is the way to go. I have a condition called CAPD, Central Auditory Processing Disorder. When a person talks to me, it's common that I misunderstand, misinterpret of what's being said, and that words get cut out from what's being said in a sentence, and I try hard to interpret, which takes me a while or take time to reply to what's being said. I usually say what or huh often. I show normal intellegence levels, but I get poor performance, in school. I'm horrible at memory and at directions. But when I want to learn something badly, I will remember that for a long time. Yeah breaking things down into smaller steps into anything has helped me a long long way. Tapes on review is awesome, but you may have to give both of them still assistance even when during testing, there's one guy in my TKD class, that had injured his brain, that made him forget easily. Our instructors have gave him extra guidance to help him where he had been caught in difficulty to remember. But not too much guidance, maybe guide both of them once every 4 or 5 steps if they have trouble. Review and review will pay off. You are bang on of what I was trying to say. What ever helped him to become successful, keep up the good work. It may be stressful and tough, but is so much that you can do. If they become successful don't try to change the way they learn. Stay with the kind of learning that they like, that will make them more confident with the skills that they are learning. His mother seemed quite abusive for the lack of respect and urge for greed. I don't think it would suprise me that the wife was drinking when she was pregnant. That may be the reason for the cause of his disability, cause of drinking when she was pregnant. I bet the mother abused him, doesn't seem that the mother has the abilty to pick up her own son, but expects someone else to drive him home. Excuse me. I don't think so. Unless if she has a good explaination of why she can only pick him up on Monday's. I feel that she may have Alcoholism and as being an abusive parent. I can see that it will fit in well. He should not live with his mother at all. He should live with somebody in his family other than his mother to take care of him. Than expecting someone else to take care of him. I'm sorry but honestly, that is full of BS. Just her attitude on the blaming part sucks. If she wasn't abusive she wouldn't have blamed you guys and as well as for not getting as many awards. I agree with Bentmonk that she is trying to take advantage of you guys, I would find a different place for this guy to live in. You do seem that you are a fairly excellent, kind, respectful, helpful and etc teacher I like that a lot. Kudos to you, and to your students, to support him greatly.
Kacey: I had a student much like the one you are discussing that was maybe a little higher functioning. But she had a number of problems and was on a wide variety of medication. She provided me a listing of all the medications and disorders and it was two pages. This proved to be invaluable information while doing her trainng. Ecspecially days when her mood changed - it gave me an indication that something was bothering her and I would talk to her. Generally it was a change in prescription somewhere. After googling the various medications it let me understand just how much I could expect her to grasp and under what conditions. I believe you need the information from the parents in order for you to provide great training for this individual. The parents are pretty much hindering your ability to provide great insturction. Sometimes we need to be a little tough in these situations and insist that the parents provide the information you need. What happens if something should happen in class where he needs medical attention? Also, be sure your insurance provides coverage for special needs students - some do and some don't.
. I don't have much experience here. But back when I was a yellow belt we had a white belt lad come in who is very much like you described. Him and two friends came to the classes payed for by their boarding school. His two friends were slow, but not the same as him. I know he was autistic, but I'm sure there was other things wrong with him. Bad as their memory or ability to think coherently is, their muscle memory seems to work the same way as us. I, and others stood by this lad correcting him and had him doing the first few moves of Dan-Gun over and over. Eventually he got used to just putting his blocks and punches in the right place because his muscle memory made it natural to him. So I think you're doing all that you can do under the circumstances. But like other posters have said. If he has medical conditions then it's vital that you know. My instructor makes sure there are people who know the ins and outs of my asthma just incase anything happened to me. [If I fell and got winded for example I probably wouldn't be able to stand up and go get my inhaler.]
