Click here to view an instructional video about how to use principals of behavior, specifically reinforcement, to teach students the skills they need in order to be ready to participate in an assessment like Florida Alternate Assessment. The video is only 15 minutes long and includes numerous examples of great instructional opportunities for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Essential Elements Serving Students with a Significant Cognitive Disability in Structured Settings

The Essential Elements Checklist was revised 10/22/14. This checklist outlines the district’s expectations for educating students that are working on Florida Standards Access Points and it identifies national best practices essential to the education of students with a Significant Cognitive Disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder. For questions about the Essential Elements Checklist contact Rachelle Kmetz (rachelle.kmetz@ocps.net).

Teaching Students with Moderate Disabilities to Read: Insights from Research (60 pages, 824 KB)

Interesting Reading

Grace in the Ordinary  A great blog written by a parent about her son with Down Syndrome and his interest in Macbeth.
The Green Anole Exemplifies how a teacher got through to a student by teaching the curriculum in spite of his disabilities.