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Subject: Special Education
Grade: K-12
Special education teachers are a breed apart. But, consider for a moment, the very special nature of special ed. teachers who would take the time to develop whole new ways of coping with their every-day challenges. These are the kind of teachers with whom you wouldn't mind spending some time.
Meet Phyllis Leone, Pam Carter, Lenora Cowel, Dianne Folks, Merrie Pendergrass and Carolyn Rogers. Phyllis is the Principal; Lenora and Dianne are Master Teachers; Merrie is the Speech and Language Specialist, and Carolyn is the Adapted Physical Education Teacher at Holy Angels School in Shreveport, Louisiana. They share more than half a century of teaching experience. They collaborated on a "Total Program Photo-Essay For Severely Handicapped Children" that demonstrates the vital role photography can play in the care and education of students who have very special needs.
"Students who have severe mental, physical, and sensory handicaps require complex special education programs that involve professionals from many disciplines," agree the members of the Holy Angels team. "Those who provide care and education to this population include: occupational therapists, physical therapists, adapted physical education teachers, speech therapists, classroom teachers, school principals, music therapists, parents, para-professionals, nursing attendants, siblings, other relatives, social workers, and more.
"To promote optimal physical functioning and the most effective program implementation, it is of utmost importance that everyone follow the same procedures in the many aspects of the child's total program. For example, it is imperative that everyone who helps feed the child, use the same procedures. Certain reinforcers may have proven to be very effective, and this information needs to be shared. Handling, lifting, positioning, and carrying techniques should be correct and consistent.
"The photo-essay method was developed to encourage and promote the consistency critical to each child's program. With this method, still photographs were used to show all of the important aspects of the child's program to all persons involved in the care and education of the child. The child was photographed in the course of his daily routines including dressing, feeding, dental hygiene, bathing, toileting, exercising, sensory stimulation, social interactions, and sleeping. Each was shown participating in daily individualized objectives to develop and improve cognitive, social, self-help, fine and gross motor skills, as well as verbal and non-verbal communications skills.
"A school guideline requires that these children be transferred from the facility when they reach eight years of age or weigh 45 pounds. The need for a permanent visual record to accompany the children's individualized education programs (IEPs) as they transfer to subsequent environments led to the development of the photo-essay method."
"Classroom teachers, therapists, and para-professionals took photographs of the children with a 35 mm camera and Kodak color film," says Principal Phyllis J. Leone. "An Apple computer and wordprocessor software were used to write the captions. The photographs were mounted in a vinyl binder with water-resistant pages. Book rings were used to attach the photo essays to the children's travel chairs; this made them accessible throughout the course of the day's activities."
"Each photo essay required about three to five days to plan and complete. And, it is recommended that each essay be revised and updated as soon as any significant changes occur."
"A list was made of all relevant persons involved in each child's total program. A staff meeting was held to include all relevant persons, and brainstorming was the strategy used to determine what should be included in each child's photo essay. As photographs were taken of the child participating in the agreed-upon activities and functions, the relevant professional-the occupational therapist for positioning and feeding, the speech therapist for use of communication devices-supervised the picture-taking. Captions were written for each photograph; they contained brief directions, cautions, and comments. Careful consideration was given to writing the captions in lay terms, free of professional jargon, so that anyone who read them could understand the directions."
"One mother was so excited about her child's photo essay that she was present during each photo session to change his outfits, comb his hair, arrange props, and give input into decisions made about the locations for the photographs.
"As the photographs began to pour in from the processing lab, those who worked with the children became so attached to the prints that they, like the parents, began to order copies of the photographs for themselves.
"The captions for the photo essays appeared to be 'cut and dried' until we gave a parent the opportunity to write some captions. What a difference the 'personal touch' made in the descriptions of the children! We were so inspired that we went back and revised the first photo essays.
"A parent who had always been excited about her daughter's special education class, but who had difficulty explaining her classroom activities, was thrilled to get her child's photo essay to share with family and friends who wanted to know more about her child's school. She was so anxious to share the information that she took the incomplete photo essay home with handwritten captions."
"The use of the photo-essay method served to benefit the severely handicapped child's physical growth by improving respiration, feeding, and digestion. Emotional and intellectual growth was enhanced by the positive influence of correct positioning on the child's ability to participate in daily activities. Parents took a more active role in planning and following daily activities for their severely handicapped child. The child was given more opportunities to interact with nonhandicapped peers and adults in the community. What's more, untrained persons, who had been reluctant to handle and interact with the child, became more willing to involve themselves.
"An unexpected positive outcome of this project was better communication among staff members as ideas were shared and creativity was encouraged. Community awareness of the special education program provided by the Caddo Parish School Board on the Holy Angels Campus was heightened as we invited professionals from the medical field into our classrooms to observe our program and comment about our photo essays. Most importantly, the essays allowed for those working with the child to become more effective and encouraged consistency in the life of the child."
"The effectiveness of the photo-essay method is best described in the following personal endorsements:
'I am the parent of a severely multi-handicapped child. I was so intrigued with the concept of the photo essay that I have decided to compile one for my child. I firmly believe that this could be an essential aid in enlightening teachers, para-professionals, therapists, sitters, doctors, and other professionals as well as parents in handling, caring for, and educating the severely handicapped child. This invaluable tool will personally introduce the child and his/her handicaps as well as his/her attributes, likes, dislikes, and special needs to those concerned persons involved with the child.' Mrs. Sylvia A. Walker.
'This is a much more personal concept than written records. The background information provided would be very helpful in integrating this child into a classroom setting. This pictorial record would be of tremendous value to me as a classroom teacher.' Diane Jarrett, M.Ed.
'The photo essay certainly gives a person insight into the child's ability and determination. This album will be helpful to the Nursing and Direct Care persons involved in the care of the child 24 hours a day. It will help to provide continued care and will facilitate methods to enhance his/her growth and development. I have found it very hard to find information in specific areas pertaining to the handicapped child in textbooks. Having had very little experience in this area of nursing prior to coming to Holy Angels, these albums would have been a great asset to me.' Iris Everett, R.N.
'I am so proud that you have expressed in the pictures of these beautiful children, the quality educational services you are providing at Holy Angels School. It is encouraging to me to see the care given to each individual child. The attention you devote to the small steps the children must take in learning new tasks is depicted very well. You are also to be commended for the team approach in providing services. I personally believe that, as special educators, you are the best coordinators for the array of services offered and are in the best position to facilitate parental involvement. The state of the art of educating severely handicapped children may be inconsistent elsewhere, but it is on solid ground at Holy Angels School.' Rosalie Lott, Director of Special Education, Caddo Parish School Board.
'The photo essay form of communication is a very effective means of sharing information in special education settings. In my experience, it tends to clarify goals and objectives and provides an objective method of translating these objectives into programming techniques which then can be carried out by direct care staff as well as educational personnel.' Judith C. Vestal, M.A., L.O.T.R., Louisiana State University-Medical Center, Children's Center.
'The Total Program Photo Essay is a valuable tool for professionals, para-professionals, and families of exceptional children. It provides a visual picture of what is being used to teach and train each child. Each picture will save a great deal of time and make instructions much more meaningful.' Larry N. Larsen, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Trainer.
'The best part of recording sequential events of the daily activities involving these children is that otherwise these events and activities are not well described in the resource books or by ordinary professional teaching media. With beautifully illustrated photos and clear explanation of the photos, this photo-essay program certainly will help the education of the parents and the people who work with these children.' Harold Chen, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Chief, Birth Defects Center, School of Medicine in Shreveport.
'The photo essay album itself is pleasing to review, easily understood, and practically self-explanatory -- without having the slick look of a piece of professional propaganda. It tracks closely with the objectives stated. Those objectives themselves are concise, clear, and admirably free of jargon. After visiting your physical plant and examining most of the children in the most severely affected section, one is impressed with how well you practice what you preach. Most commendable of all to me (because it is so rare among institutions) is your stated objective and working practice of making your clients and their families less, rather than more, dependent on the services which you provide. The album especially facilitates this objective.' Ralph W. Baucum, Jr., M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine in Shreveport.
'The photo essay is an ingenious method of presenting a child and his/her characteristics and needs to an individual not familiar with the child. The idea of a photograph of various activities in which the child engages is unique and effective. I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures of the children, and was able to understand the overall program of the child much better through them. I am sure that individuals not familiar with the children would be better able to work with them after having seen the photos. In addition, seeing the pictures would help the person in his/her first association with the children, as he/she would feel that the child was already familiar and known. In this instance, a picture truly is worth a thousand words.' Dr. Elyda S. Elwinger, Chairman, Special Education, Associate Professor, Behavioral Sciences, Louisiana Tech University.
'This is a unique and most worthwhile project and has the potential for extensive replication.' Clydie K. Mitchell, Director, Children's Center, School of Allied Health Professions, LSUMC.
"The photo essay is transferable to middle school, secondary, and post secondary programs for moderately to severely handicapped students and to other low-incidence handicapped populations, i.e., blind, deaf, autistic. There is a national trend to deinstitutionalize these individuals, and, as more children are returned home to attend school in their communities, the photo essay should be a valuable resource for regular classroom teachers who share responsibility for handicapped children who are mainstreamed. The photo essays are useful guides for new staff members, para-professionals, nursing attendants and substitute teachers.