Easterseals Arkansas is using a well-established approach to help students with disabilities succeed in school.
The nonprofit's Easterseals Outreach Program collaborates with local teachers to offer individualized assistance using teaching strategies that are grounded in research and data analysis.
By implementing these teaching strategies, the Easterseals Outreach Program helps learners with disabilities reach their full potential in their academic growth and social and emotional development.
The program gives students access to individualized academic instruction, assistive technology, and specialized assessments.
As a result, learners with disabilities who receive a good education are more likely to become self-confident, independent individuals who can advocate for themselves.
What Is the Easterseals Outreach Program?
The Easterseals Outreach Program focuses on supporting students with disabilities and their families in Arkansas. The statewide organization also offers vocational training and community living services to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Easterseals Arkansas is an affiliate of Chicago-based Easterseals, which was founded in 1919. This nationwide organization, which is one of America’s largest nonprofits, serves more than 1.5 million people annually. Easterseals Arkansas has been a leader in its field and has served individuals with disabilties and their families since 1944. The Outreach program is funded through a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education.
Individualized Assistance Is the Key to Success
One of the Easterseals Outreach Program’s primary offerings is a classroom support service that provides trained professionals to work alongside teachers and students. The service ensures that students with disabilities get individualized assistance that enables them to achieve their academic goals.
The outreach program also offers consultations for parents and educators. These consultations cover topics including behavior management, academic support, and communication strategies.
Collaboration in the Classroom
To ensure that students with disabilities receive consistent and comprehensive support, the Arkansas Department of Education collaborates closely with the Easterseals Outreach Program.
Professional development for educators is another one of the Easterseals Outreach Program’s primary offerings. The program provides a variety of training including workshops and online courses to help teachers build their knowledge about how best to educate students with disabilities.
The training enhances the expertise educators need to work more effectively with these students. Because these learners require specialized instruction and support to achieve academic success, their teachers must have a solid understanding of special education laws, regulations, and accommodations.
Collaborating with the Easterseals Outreach Program benefits educators by keeping them up-to-date on best practices and research-based methods. As a result, the teachers are able to provide more effective instruction and support to learners with disabilities and improve student learning outcomes.
Teaching Strategies Based on Applied Behavior Analysis
Applied behavior analysis is a successful therapy for diverse populations such as children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other developmental disabilities.
Teachers in a variety of educational settings can use pedagogical strategies such as these, which are based on applied behavior analysis, to help students with disabilities achieve academic success:
- Task analysis: Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps to make learning easier.
- Positive reinforcement: Offering positive feedback and rewards to encourage desired behaviors.
- Errorless learning: Providing prompts or cues to ensure students successfully complete tasks.
- Visual supports: Using aids such as pictures, charts, and diagrams to foster learning and understanding.
- Self-monitoring: Showing students ways of tracking their behavior and academic progress to increase their motivation and independence.
Individualized Education Programs Play a Role
The Easterseals Outreach Program’s team of professionals, trained in applied behavior analysis, collaborates closely with educators, parents, and students to gather information about the strengths and needs of learners with disabilities.
The collaborators use this information to develop specific goals and objectives for each student, which they spell out in an individualized education program (IEP). This legally binding document also specifies what specialized services the learner is entitled to receive and what educational accommodations each learner needs for academic success.
Individualized education programs are essential tools for helping students with disabilities achieve their full potential. They ensure these learners have access to the same educational opportunities as their peers.
Additional Strategies to Support Learners with Disabilities
Educators have other tools in addition to individualized education programs that support learners with disabilities in classroom settings:
- Differentiated instruction involves the modification of the curriculum, teaching materials, and assessments to meet individual students’ diverse needs.
- Universal design for learning involves multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement to allow all types of learners to access the curriculum.
- The use of assistive technology involves innovations such as text-to-speech software, speech recognition software, and alternative keyboards to help students with disabilities learn effectively.
What Success Looks Like for Easterseals
Easterseals' work betters the lives of children with disabilities, enabling them to achieve success both inside and outside the classroom.
Brody is one such success story. He has a remarkable talent for bringing joy to those around him. His infectious personality, beaming smile, and fun-loving nature warm the hearts of everyone he meets.
Brody has a passion for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and knows the walk-up songs of almost every wrestler. His energy and enthusiasm make him an inspiration to everyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him.
Greater Inclusiveness in Arkansas
The Easterseals Outreach Program, which utilizes applied behavior analysis, has helped improve education for learners with disabilities throughout Arkansas.
Through its tireless efforts, Easterseals has provided training and resources to educators and school districts statewide.
In addition to directly supporting students, the organization has worked to raise the general public’s awareness about the need to provide students with disabilities equal access to high-quality education. It has been a tireless advocate for policies that support these learners.
Easterseals’ efforts have helped make Arkansas a more inclusive place to live and learn.
Let’s Work Together to Empower Your Child
Students with disabilities who receive support from the Easterseals Outreach Program are more likely to succeed in school.
The program gives students access to individualized academic instruction, assistive technology, and specialized assessments.
The program brings educators, parents, and caregivers together to create comprehensive educational plans that are pathways to academic success. This collaboration involves sharing information, setting goals, and developing strategies to help learners reach their full potential.
If you are a parent, caregiver, or teacher of a student with disabilities, the Easterseals Outreach Program is here for you. Reach out to us whether you need help with academic instruction, assistive technology, or something else for your student’s success.
Join us in making a difference in the lives of learners with disabilities. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for them.
