Mild Cognitive Disability

Implications for Planning and Awareness

• Meet with the student and parents early in the school year to discuss how the school can support this student's needs related to the mild cognitive disability. This could include finding out about:
  
  • the student's strengths, interests and areas of need
  • any other associated disorders that need to be considered at school
  • successful strategies used at home or in the community that also could be used at school.
    
• Learn as much as you can about how mild cognitive disabilities may affect learning and social and emotional well-being. Reading, asking questions and talking to qualified professionals will build your understanding and help you make decisions to support the student's success at school.
  
• Develop a system for sharing information with relevant staff members about the student's condition and successful strategies.
  
• Collaborate with the school and/or jurisdictional team to identify and coordinate any needed consultation and services.

Implications for Instruction

• Determine the implications of the student's delays, including cognitive, language, attention, fine motor (e.g., cutting, colouring, printing) and gross motor (e.g., running, jumping), to plan appropriate instruction.
  
• Understand that skills may develop at a slower rate, so the gap between the student and peers may widen with age.
  
• Provide additional supports, such as small group instruction, manipulatives, visuals to aid understanding (e.g., picture symbols), and extra exploration and practice time.
• Maintain the student's attention and focus with short, clear instructions and reminders.
  
• Provide as structured and predictable as possible an environment to reduce the student's anxiety during transitions. Be sure to prepare the student for changes in the schedule.
  
• Provide checklists, graphic organizers, visual referents and examples to help the student plan ahead and to stay on-task.
  
• Provide the student with a work buddy to help with simple instructional and non-instructional tasks.
  
• Teach specific problem-solving strategies, and use visual supports to help the student remember the steps.
  
• Reduce distractions. For example, seat the student near your desk or in an area away from distractions, such as doors; provide a study carrel that all students can access; allow the student to listen to music using a headset to screen out noise.
  
• Help the student to organize belongings and work (e.g., label school supplies, colour code subject notebooks).
  
• Provide extra time for tasks and, when necessary, adapt the level of difficulty and/or abstraction of assignments.

Implications for Social and Emotional Well-being

• Engage the student and parents in planning for transitions between grade levels and different schools.
  
• Support the development of self-advocacy skills by involving students in selecting and monitoring supports and strategies that will work best for them.
  
• Provide clear expectations, consistency, structure and routine that allow the students to participate fully.
  
• Take steps to ensure the student does not feel left out during recess, intramural or other school activities.
  
• Teach the student appropriate conversational skills and social skills, such as:
  
  • greeting people (e.g., saying hello, no hugging)
  • turn-taking during conversations
  • asking and answering questions.
    
• Explicitly teach social skills, such as how to read body language and expressions. Use modelling, storytelling and role-plays, along with direct instruction.
  
• Provide support in transitioning from one activity or place to another. Cues, routines and purposeful activity during transitions may be helpful.
  
• Use low-key rewards and positive reinforcement rather than punishments.

As you consider the implications for this disability, think about the following questions:

1.	Do I need further conversations with the parents to better understand this student's strengths and needs?		Yes		No
2.	Do I need targeted professional learning? If yes, what specific topics and strategies would I explore?		Yes		No
3.	Is consultation with jurisdictional staff required? If yes, what issues and questions would we explore?		Yes		No
4.	Is consultation with external service providers required (e.g., Student Health Partnership, Alberta Children's Hospital, Glenrose Hospital)? If yes, what issues and questions would we explore?		Yes		No
5.	Are further assessments required to assist with planning for this student? If yes, what questions do I need answered?		Yes		No
6.	Is service to the student from an external provider required? If yes, what outcomes would be anticipated?		Yes		No