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THE BULLETIN

Mrs. Wooster

Holland School District

About Mrs. Wooster!

I was born and raised in a small
town called Chelsea. I went to
Hope College in Holland
Michigan and graduated with a
bachelors degree in Elementary
Special Education with a
learning disabilities
endorsement and a math minor.
Some of my interests include:
bike riding, reading, running,
cooking, baking and most of all
being a teacher!

K-5 Resource Room

Hello, and welcome to my classroom! I hope this newsletter

finds you well and having a great summer! In this
newsletter I have attached some important information that
might come in handy for those of you with children at home
who have disabilities. This newsletter highlights
information specifically for students with Cognitive
Impairments, Emotional Impairments, Learning
Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD). If you have any questions, please feel free to
contact me. My information is located below.

I cant wait to meet you all and

get this year off to a great start!

Contact Information:
(734)-476-7397
Carley.wooster@hope.edu
141 East 12th Street
Holland, Mi 49423

Spotlights!
Foster
Martin

Dravin
Masters

Ellie
Jones

Liam
Stoffer

3rd Grade

4th Grade

2nd Grade

5th Grade

Cognitive
Impairment

Emotional
Impairment

Learning
Disability

ADHD

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Spotlight!
Foster Martin
Hi my name is Foster! I
have a cognitive
disability, but you
wouldnt know this by
looking at me. I look just
like you; I simply have a
harder time learning.
When I am at school I am
in a classroom with all of
my friends most of the
time. During English and
Math I work with Mrs.
Wooster. Sometimes I
have trouble talking to
people and expressing
myself. I also dont
always understand what
to do in social situations,
but I am working with
Mrs. Wooster to get
better at this.

Cognitive Impairment
Definition:
A cognitive impairment is when a person has certain limitations
in mental functioning, and in skills such as communicating,
taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations
will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical
child. These deficits in adaptive behavior manifest during the
developmental stages, and must adversely affect the childs
educational performance. Children with a cognitive impairment
may take longer to learn, speak, walk, and take care of their
personal needs such as dressing or eating. They will learn in
school, but it may take them a little bit longer to do so. There may
also be some things they are unable to learn because persons with
a cognitive impairment normally have an IQ below 75 (Building
the legacy: IDEA 2004, 2004, pp.6).

Specific Needs/Accommodations:
At Home:
o Be patient and hopeful with your child.
o Encourage your child to be independent with life skills.
o Give your child frequent feedback and praise on tasks.
o Find out what skills your child is learning in school and
practice them at home as much as possible.
At School:
o Create opportunities for success for the child by finding
his/her strengths and interests and emphasize them
o Use demonstrations instead of verbal directions
o Take long breaks in between tasks
o Break down new tasks into small steps
o Teach skills through application
o Push the student to always do his/her best
o Keep the student in the general education classroom as
much as possible

Behaviors:
Some possible behaviors include:
o Develop later, such as sit up, crawl, walk, and
talk
o Have trouble speaking
o Find it hard to remember things
o Do not understand how to purchase items
o Do not understand social rules
o Have trouble seeing the consequences for their
actions
o Have trouble problem solving
o Have trouble thinking logically
o Difficulties with memory recall
o Tendency towards low motivation and learned
helplessness
o Have trouble making choices
o Have trouble setting goals for themselves

Spotlight!
Dravin Masters
My name is Dravin! I
like to play with cars
and trains. Mrs.
Wooster helps me learn
how to deal with my
anger. I dont always
know why I get angry,
it just happens
sometimes. I have time
during the school day
where I can take
breaks if I get tired or
irritated. Mrs. Wooster
lets me take 3 breaks a
day; these really help
me control my anger.
School can be hard
sometimes because I
dont always like to pay
attention. Sometimes
during class I find
myself getting anxious,
that is when I decide to
take my break.

Emotional
Impairment
Definition:
A student can be diagnosed with having a learning disability if
they show one or more of the following characteristics over a long
period of time, and their academics are adversely affected:
o An inability to learn that cant be explained by sensory,
health, or intellectual factors.
o An inability to form relationships with peers or teachers.
o Showing inappropriate behavior under normal
circumstances.
o A mood of unhappiness or depression.
o Development of physical symptoms or fears associated with
school or personal problems.
This disturbance also includes students with schizophrenia, but
does not include children who are socially maladjusted (Building
the legacy: IDEA 2004, 2004, pp.4).

Specific Needs/Accommodations (Emotional Behavioral

Disorder: Accommodations and Modifications, 2012, pp.2).
At Home:
o Set rules and expectations at home and post these
somewhere in the house as a reminder for the child.
o Stay consistent with expectations
o Establish a quiet cool off area at home
At School:
o Allow the student to have frequent cool down breaks
o Set clear behavioral rules and expectations for the entire
class that the student must follow
o Have the student work towards a tangible goal
o Encourage a routine and organization because change in
routine can really effect the child negatively
o Break down big assignments into smaller tasks
o Plan sort review lessons or activities for assignments

Behaviors:

Some possible behaviors include:

o Hyperactivity- Impulsiveness and short
attention span
o Aggression such as acting out or fighting
with others
o Hurting self
o Withdrawal- not much interaction with
others
o Excessive fear or anxiety
o Immaturity-crying when its not
appropriate, temper tantrums
o Bad coping skills
o Academically perform below grade level

Spotlight!
Ellie Jones
Hi my name is Ellie
Jones! I like to play
soccer with my friends.
During school I get to be
with my friends for most
of the day in Mrs.
Littles class, but
sometimes I work with
Mrs. Wooster because
math is hard for me.
Math confuses me so I
like working with Mrs.
Wooster because she
slows down and
explains everything to
me. Sometimes I get to
use this thing called a
talking calculator. It
helps me calculate
problems and makes
sure I type in the correct
numbers. Since working
with Mrs. Wooster math
has become easier, but I
still struggle a lot
sometimes.

Learning Disabilities
Definition:
A learning disability is a disorder in one or more of the
basic psychological processes involved in understanding
written and spoken language. This can manifest itself in
listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or
doing mathematical calculations.
This can be included with conditions such as perceptual
disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction,
dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
However, this disorder does not include children with
learning problems that are the result of visual, hearing, or
motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional
disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantages (Building the legacy: IDEA 2004, 2004,
pp.10).

Specific Needs/Accommodations:
At Home:
o Praise your child when he/she does well; make sure to be
specific about your praise.
o Give your child opportunities to pursue activities he/she
enjoys and is good at.
o Find out where your childs areas of strength are and
teach to that strength
o Break down tasks into smaller steps
o Make sure homework is a priority
At School:
o Give directions verbally and in writing
o Let the student use notes from classmates for assistance
in notetaking
o Let student use a tape recorder to record lessons
o Allow the student access to technology to help with
grammar and spell check on writing assignments

Behaviors:
Some possible behaviors include:
o Having trouble learning the alphabet, rhyming
words, and connecting letters to sounds.
o Repeat and pause often when reading out loud
o Have trouble with reading comprehension
o Spelling could be a struggle
o Have trouble expressing thoughts through writing
o Holding a pencil awkwardly and have bad
handwriting
o Limited vocabulary
o Having trouble understanding sarcasm
o Having trouble understanding and following
directions
o Mispronounce words or replace words with words
that sound similar

Spotlight!
Liam Stoffer
Hi Im Liam! I like to
play sports. I like
football, basketball,
soccer, and baseball.
Basketball is my
favorite, and I really
like watching
Michigan State
University on T.V. My
dad says that I talk
too much, but I just
really like sports! Mrs.
Wooster helps me at
school because I get
off task a lot. Its just
really hard for me to
focus in class because
I dont really like to sit
still. Ive gotten better
about staying in my
seat during class, but
its still hard for me to
stay still. Mrs. Wooster
helps me stay
organized and that
really helps me.

Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder
Definition:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is
defined under Other Health Impairments in the
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Other Health
Impairments is defined as having limited alertness,
including heightened alertness, to environmental stimuli
which can result in limited alertness to the educational
environment. This inattention can be due to these other
health impairments such as asthma, ADD, ADHD,
epilepsy, diabetes, a heart condition, etc. In order for a
child to be given special education services, and have an
Individualized Education Plan (IEP), the condition must
adversely affect the childs educational performance
(Building the legacy: IDEA 2004, 2004, pp.9).

Specific Needs/Accommodations:
At Home:
o Talk about and encourage their strengths and talents
o Talk to your child about what he/she should do, not
what he/she shouldnt do
o Keep in touch with your childs teacher; ask what skills
he/she wants you to work on at home.
At School:
o Help the child keep organized by showing him/her how
to use and keep a calendar
o Student should have a very organized schedule that
he/she follows. Let the student know if there are any
changes in the routine.
o Give step by step directions

Behaviors:
Some
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

possible behaviors include:

Problems with paying attention
Acting before thinking
Do not follow through on instructions or
finish school work
Loses things very easily such as toys and
books
Blurting out answers to questions
Fidgeting and squirming
Have trouble waiting their turn
Interrupt others when they are talking
Cant organize tasks and activities.

Parent Resources for more

Information
Cognitive Impairment Links
o The Arc of the United States:
http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?pid=2
437
o American Association on Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities:
www.aaidd.org
o Division on Autism and Developmental
Disabilities: http://daddcec.org/

Learning Disability Links

o For parents:
http://www.ldonline.org/parents
o For parenting and family:
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/parent
ing
o For in the home:
http://www.ncld.org/in-the-home
o For Parents:
http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents
/index.asp

Emotional Impairment Links

o National Alliance on Mental Illness:
http://www.nami.org
o SAMHSAs National Mental Health
Information Center:
http://store.samhsa.gov/home
o National Institute of Mental Health:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/
index.shtml
o American Psychological Association:
www.apa.org/index.aspx

ADHD Links
o How is parenting children with ADHD
different?
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/par
enting-children-with-adhd.htm
o Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:
What should you know?
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/
o How do you know if your child has ADHD?
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Cons
umerUpdates/ucm269188.htm

I hope this information helped you understand a little bit more about the students
in my classroom. My job is not only about educating students, but also really
investing in them. Every student is unique and learns differently so the more
you learn about his/her disability the easier it is to educate them, and help them be
successful. Have a great rest of your summer, and again if you have any more
questions dont hesitate to contact me through the information posted on page 1.

Reference List:
Building the legacy: IDEA 2004. (n.d.). U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,regs,300,A,300%252E8
Emotional Behavioral Disorder: Accommodations and Modifications. (2012, July 12). A Child
with Needs. Retrieved from http://www.achildwithneeds.com/disabilities/emotionaldisability/emotional-behavioral-disorder-accommodations-and-modifications/