list of student strengths and weaknesses for iep
Falvey notes, Statements that focus on the students weakness often result in IEPs of low or no expectations. Additionally, taking an assessment such as the CliftonStrengths assessment can be a helpful tool for students to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, you will find a step-by-step approach to help you -- from assessment to progress monitoring. For example, some students may display a natural ability for competitive sports such as running, jumping, or throwing. Use phrases such as excels at, does at grade/age level, or does well to describe student competencies, and use these strengths to inform the IEP teams approach when writing goals and objectives for student growth. (You can also try a fun hands-on activity to help identify your childs strengths.). Kindness is about treating others with respect and recognizing their individuality and humanity and acting in line with this. Learners' strengths can be very diverse based on the specific situation. Though people may value different strengths to different extents, in general, parents and educators across cultures value these qualities and try to cultivate them in children and youth. This child may do well in school and remember content for tests easily. Moreover, shifting to a more balanced, holistic perspective that leans on a students strengths to improve areas of weakness provides an authentic opportunity for students to develop their self-advocacy skills, self-confidence, and independence as learners. Lean on strategies that are proven to work with the individual student so that specific and contextualized information is included. Sure, lots of kids struggle in this area, but many excel. When adding your student strengths in an IEP, a team should approach this much like any other section of the IEP. One student may be particularly strong in curiosity, love of learning, and perseverance, while another may be strongest in kindness, humility, and fairness; yet another could have zest, social-emotional intelligence, and teamwork as top strengths. Examples of Student Weaknesses 1. Check out Mary Falveys book,a great resource to share with parents, especially. The common goals and the strengths-based goals set the same expectation for student progress. Here are some other character strengths that I found on another site, and my commentary behind them. Brian Stack, MEd is the principal of Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston, New Hampshire. Being organized is all about properly managing your resources including time, supplies, and even effort. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 My Strengths and Weaknesses | All Rights Reserved | |, What Are Your Weaknesses? Sydney Thorson, OTR/L, is a new occupational therapist working in school-based therapy. %%EOF Make sure you focus on the w hole child and not just academics. Goals should also be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound). Reasoning: A child who is good at reasoning is often able to understand and think through complex problems. Too often, IEP teams discuss a students strengths by saying things like What I like about Elana is And these kinds of comments can be hard to connect to the rest of the IEP in actionable ways. Strengths-based IEP goal: Mike will use his skills with technology to dictate and complete his history chapter notes on time with 85 percent accuracy in three out of four consecutive assignments. A: Common student weaknesses may include difficulty staying focused, procrastination, lack of confidence or motivation, poor communication skills, and difficulty managing stress. In his/her classroom behavior, he/she demonstrates responsibility by _______________. What are some other ways to avoid getting stuck on what a student cant do yet? This is an area of the IEP that needs more focus and attention. A strengths-based IEP uses student abilities to help work on weaknesses. I think that because so many IEP teams are worried about and focused on meeting the childs needs, they forget to focus on the strengths portion of an IEP. Older students are more likely to participate in or lead more parts of the IEP meeting. On the other hand, weaknesses can also be identified while monitoring playground activities. Student strength lists should not focus on student weaknesses or deficits. Maybe youre getting ready for an IEP meeting, and thinking, What are my childs strengths? or How do I know my childs strengths? Parents, you know your kids best! However, by being determined to succeed you can stop small setbacks from impacting your ability to achieve over the long term. Get the latest tools and resources A team can also add strengths to an IEP by area or discipline. All Rights Reserved. Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Click on a star to rate it! Examples of good executive functioning skills would be the ability to stay focused/on tasks, organizational skills, time management, locker and backpack organization, and planning. It often refers to visuals creatively, but can also include being able to think in a novel and unexpected way. An outside hobby, sport or group can be integral to the students school success. In a typical IEP meeting, not much time is given to looking at a childs strengths. It was self-preservation, and Im an enabler (raised by alcoholics). Subjective language. Students are multifaceted, ever-evolving, and full of potential. Sign in to save, rate, and comment on your favorite Greater Good in Education practices. Students learn to manage their emotions in a healthy way by identifying the people and places that influence changes in their emotions. Copyright 2014-2023 Understood For All Inc. hands-on activity to help identify your childs strengths, questions about having your child attend IEP meetings, Working With Schools online community group. Processing speed: A child with fast processing speed is often able to quickly understand, complete tasks, and remember new information. What makes this student unique? Once identified, educators can create learning experiences that promote and develop these strengths, while helping students to become well-rounded individuals. IEP goals are built around what the student can do and how the team can use that ability to work on an area of weakness. Think of their goals and their history. Participates in discussions at home, at school, and with friends; non-speakers can follow along with discussions, Tells stories that have a clear beginning, middle, and end, Uses lots of words and likes learning new words, Can answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions in conversation (or about a story), Understands the structure of sounds; can do tasks like rhyme, Can remember details and retell stories after reading them, Can make predictions based on whats happened so far in a story, Reads with expression, like the way an actor talks on TV shows, Makes connections between reading material and personal experiences, Ability to focus and concentrate for extended periods, Good listening skills and processing skills. Recognizing these strengths in students is key to helping them reach their full potential. It can also give kids a sense of ownership when they get to help make decisions about their IEP. This deficit-based approach to setting goals, determining benchmarks, and deciding on programs and services downplays the unique contributions and capabilities of students, focuses on limitations and labels, may promote a negative understanding of the student and their potential, and ultimately discourages parental input and student participation in the IEP process. Proper nutrition, exercise, and adequate rest are also important components of academic success. !3 K>q@Uu 2} Herbackground is in Human Development and Family Studies, and she is passionate aboutproviding individualized and meaningful treatment for each child and their family. And, its the concept of honesty. Stubborn 10. Weave strengths into IEP goals. A: Students can use their strengths to pursue activities and interests that may help them reach their academic or career goals. A Quick Guide to Roles and Responsibilities. Mind you, its a word I use in reference to myself all the time. But again, we often go into IEP meetings with the mindset that the school is going to tell us no and we forget to address strengths or assets. We're so glad this post was helpful and resonated with you. But by shifting the focus and putting a big emphasis on strengths, this new kind of IEP helps adultsand kidssee that theres more to these students than their weaknesses. honesty, integrity, fairness), Is able to plan for the future, describe future goals, Displays good common sense and decision making, Explains ideas or concepts well to others, Has good listening skills, without interrupting, Is able to effectively use non-verbal cues to communicate with others, persuasive in getting someone to do something, Can easily pick up on the emotional state of another person, able to work out his/her own conflicts with others, able to become totally absorbed in an activity, tolerant of others who have cultural, ethnic, or racial differences, pride in his/her own cultural, ethnic, or racial background, Likes to find out about historical events around the world, Enjoys learning about different cultural traditions, Enjoys listening to audiobooks or to someone telling a story or reading out loud, Has a chemistry set or other science kit that he/she works with at home, Enjoys logical or number games or puzzles like Rubiks cube or Sudoku, aptitude for fixing machines or mechanical things, Likes to create three-dimensional structures with building materials, able to visualize images clearly, can describe, Gets information more easily through pictures than words, sensitive to the visual world around him/her, can express verbally and respond appropriately, Likes to spend time using a computer, tablet, or smartphone, uses the internet appropriately for school and entertainment, Knows how to set up audio-visual or computer equipment, Enjoys social networking (e.g. Student strengths in the classroom are important to understanding the student as a whole! Student involvement in IEP meetings can deepen the discussion about strengths. This student strength list is a tool for you to use when creating student success goals that the student can accomplish. Joint attention is the ability to attend to what youre told, with another person. When writing a profile of the student's strengths, think about the child as a whole. Its even first on the list! Strengths-based ieps allow teachers and parents to identify student strengths and use them as a tool for success. PreK/Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School. My lying was treated as a character flaw, and it took me many years to realize that I am a good person. Leadership strengths: These include a students ability to inspire and motivate others, make decisions, and take initiative in appropriate situations. Statement of functional abilities and needs The PLAAFP should include the student's strengths, but since it is important to establish the areas of focus for the IEP, it must document areas of weakness/in need of improvement. I love hearing from my readers and am always happy to help in whatever way I can. Teachers will foster students moral identity through selective use of language in the classroom. A teacher once remarked, It is clearly beyond time for us to value the unique qualities of every individual in our classroom.. List the conditions in which the student may excel (e.g., time of day, content area, seating placement), and build upon these conditions throughout the school day to provide scaffolding for areas of weakness. hb```g``c`e`XqAb,;i``hq@q%v]yd@H7@Z"Jb:\?8lkd;EqLg/n`Y%S93\ub`6 i*{`PL@ zr Some of the most common student weaknesses include: Being impatient means you find it hard to wait your turn or let others have their say. Character strengths are the positive qualities individuals haveas reflected in their thoughts, feelings, and actionsthat promote the well-being of themselves and others. No image or information displayed on this site or related domains including social media may be reproduced, transmitted, or copied without the express permission of The OT Toolbox. Yes, looking at the schedule modification section of the IEP, it states that the student requires a longer day and a longer year. When working in the classroom, he will accept help when offered if it is done quietly. (Purpose Challenge Practice #1). Strengths: Emotional intelligence is a term used to describe a person's ability, strong communication and presentation abilities verbally, strong analytic abilities, fairness, etc. the ability to be independent is a character trait? It is our duty as special education instructors to discover and publicize those assets in order to develop them further. I hate seeing kids punished for this, or for it to be treated as a character flaw. The strengths section balances that conversation with the more positive side of things. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting our kids needs met on an IEP, we forget to address student strengths on an IEP. All Rights Reserved. Jenny is helpful in class and eager to learn new concepts. Student-led IEPs also underscore the importance of self-awareness. Take an inventory of the students strengths, interests, and preferences. Someone may consider being on time a positive aspect of their education. Strengths-based IEP goals use a students abilities, interests and preferences to help chart a path to progress. Finally, students may find that understanding and leveraging their strengths and weaknesses can help them to develop better study habits, manage time more efficiently and become more successful in their academic pursuits. If IEP writing is new to you, or you are not sure what to add based on your role, just remember to think of the student as a whole. All works published on this website do so with the consent of the author and establish The OT Toolbox as the copyright holder. There are many different kinds of student success goals, but all student success goals must meet these basic criteria: student strengths, observable and measurable student behaviors/actions, and student success criteria. We have a variety of different types of student success goals that you can use to help your students shine. And this process promotes self-awareness and self-advocacy that can help kids in school and beyond. Some of the most common and most valuable student strengths include: Being focused means that you can stay on task without additional prompting from teachers. Procrastination is the deliberate postponing of one's assignments until the last possible moment. Creative strengths: Creative students have the ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas, as well as their artistic and musical abilities. Individualist 13. In order to overcome these weaknesses, it is important for students to identify them and create strategies for overcoming them. Now, he has perfect handwriting, and no longer needs specialized services for this skill area! Adjusting these templates can help ensure that strengths are discussed throughout the IEP meeting, not just in the first section. Strengths-based ieps allow teachers and parents to identify student strengths and use them as a tool for success. Students explore what forgiveness is and what it is not. "YA$\)X$l3l`5`q` JDzH@Q9vIL^`Lf{ L`C!A = Use tab to navigate through the menu items. When student strengths are utilized, students will become more active and enthusiastic participants in their educations. Or just swipe them for your IEP parent concerns letter. It's easy to let the IEP process become a deficit-driven conversation. The health and medical related resources on this website are provided solely for informational and educational purposes and are not a substitute for a professional diagnosis or for medical or professional advice. This form includes a checklist (teachers love this option because we are SO busy), and also areas for teachers to note student strengths/weaknesses, current grades, observed skill deficits, and much more. And so, in the spirit of that, you will not find a list of child strengths and weaknesses examples here in this article. Academic strengths: Examples of academic strengths are the ability to excel in specific subjects or areas of study, such as math, science, literature, or language. Enroll in one of our online courses for educators! A strengths-based approach is a pathway to increasing parent-school partnerships because it shows parents that their childs teachers believe in their childs potential, and students begin to understand that they are capable and valuable contributors at school and in life. With that in mind, why not check out our guide to the most common strengths and weaknesses of students below to see if any resonate with you. For example, some students may become easily frustrated when they cannot master a certain activity or game. Given fourth-grade level (4.0) reading material, Nura will write three details from the passage in her own words with 85% accuracy on three out of four consecutive assignments. Key points to reflection when writing strengths-based ieps: How do charter strengths improve academic performance? This questionnaire is applicable to students ages 4-17. Incorporating your childs strengths into SMART goals can make the goals even stronger. Hopefully, I have covered all of these areas and categories. Its time for the language used in PLAAFPs and IEPs/ISPs to reflect this understanding. Is honest and trustworthy (already addressed this above), Is caring, kind, and empathetic (its very rare to find a child who truly does not care or empathize with others; they often lack the traditional ways to show it), Helps others (do they have the skill sets to help others, to explain things, and be of assistance? Student strengths examples can also be related to personal character traits such as leadership, responsibility and organization. Use a strengths finder before the IEP meeting. Emotional strengths: These include a students. Ability to interpret and analyze data and information. Sustained attention: A child who can sustain their attention is able to focus on a task for a long period of time. Being easily distracted means that you can find it hard to focus on the task at hand. Its the ability to recall knowledge and use it appropriately. It requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to set goals, make plans, and stick to them. The paragraphs in the IEPs present level of performance are likely to be the first things new teachers read about your child. Another way to think about it is, what outside help does this student have to help them achieve their goals? I prefer the term areas of need. I believe, on a subconscious level, that we too often associate the term weakness with the term fault. Academic Skills or Strengths: reading skills, writing skills, math or science skills, preferred subject area excellence, or study habits. A child with a great memory is often able to remember instructions, peoples names, and previous learning experiences easily. 2. But here are some common elements and approaches. Well email you our most helpful stories and resources. Student IEPs. This blueprint, however, tends to fall short in considering a students strengths and competencies, and more often than not focuses on what a student cannot do. A strengths test not only tells the IEP team about kids abilities. Start a conversation about strengths-based IEPs in our Working With Schools online community group. In order to provide a wide range of options, some general strengths and along with some that are more specific to occupational therapy will be highlighted. 0 Required fields are marked *. These can include academic abilities, such as writing and mathematics; interpersonal skills like collaboration and communication; problem solving skills; creativity; resilience or persistence in difficult situations; and physical abilities. Thanks, Alexa! A: Strategies students can use to improve upon their weaknesses include setting achievable goals, breaking projects down into smaller tasks, developing better study habits and using online tools or resources to help them stay organized and motivated. 5 Examples of Academic Weaknesses 1. Having a supportive family and community will absolutely affect student growth. Strengths vary widely from student to student. Use this letter to future self as a guide post in developing a growth mindset using those personal strengths. Both of these questions lead to academic and behavioral success in the classroom. %PDF-1.6 % But sometimes, we need a little help to get our list of child strength examples. Im not comfortable using it with IEP students, and heres why. Additionally, they can work on improving their weaknesses by seeking out resources or support from teachers, counselors, or mentors. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to reach out. This adapted example from Frontline Education illustrates how a shift from subjective to objective language gives more specific and useful information: Andi frequently misbehaves is better written as When frustrated, Andi may leave their seat and pace at the back of the classroom..