Volume 3, Issue 2 Winter 2011

Important Dates December 23rd to January 2ndWinter Break January 12thMSPA Legislative Day in Annapolis January 16thNo School January 26th & 27th City-Wide Professional Development January 27thBCASP Meeting during lunch February 21st to 25th NASP Annual Convention in Philadelphia

Presidents Pen
This entire Presidents Pen is one big THANK YOU to the members of BCASP. We have had over 60 members join so far this year, which is more than we have had during previous years and is a step in the right direction. Since we have such a large and diverse population of school psychologists who work in Baltimore City, it is essential that we have a membership that is also large and diverse so that the board and association can truly act in the best interest of and support Baltimore City School Psychologists. I am also very pleased with the increased level of involvement that Ive seen within membership committees and participation in BCASP-sponsored activities. Again, BCASP cant support the school psychologists of Baltimore City without having members who will step up to the plate and join committees, plan events, bring new ideas, and dedicate their time to make this an excellent organization. I would also like to specifically thank all of the people who helped make our Third Annual Charity Event a success! BCASP was able to raise a total of $4,000 for the Refugee Youth Project, which supports after-school and summer programs for schoolaged refugees, as well as provide other services. The event couldnt have raised so much money or have been pulled off without Nadine Warrick (Social Committee Chair) scouring the city for donations for the silent auction and staying on top of the minute details. Thank you Nadine! Special thanks to Pam Cocol, Kate Shoemaker, Sharon Flynn, Marissa Kaplan, Andrea Hogarth, Dana Deise, and Eve Northrup for providing or securing donations, and to Ann Carberry, Jen Ganz, Courtnay Mohammed, Stephanie Metz, Liz Neimeic, and Sam Chavez for providing desserts and/or helping at the actual event. Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, attended, bid on an item, and won an item! For more information on our event, or for a first-hand retelling of experiences about working with students at the RYP, please see the review of the event on page 2 and the Spotlight on Dana Deise (school psychologist and RYP volunteer) on page 4. Lastly, I wanted to thank all the people who have encouraged others (including myself) to become more involved with BCASP over the past few years. A special acknowledgement goes to Sharon Gorenstein who had a bigger vision for BCASPs direction as President during the 2009-2010 school year. She was the first one to take on the challenge of planning a charity event to benefit Baltimore City students, encouraged me to start the Newsletter, and began a successful Spring Book Drive. Because of people like Sharon who have wanted more out of their local organization and who have encouraged others to become more active, we have an extremely strong local organization. Our efforts have been recognized so greatly that the MSPA President, Stefanie Livesay, asked me to Chair a new committee called Assistance to Locals which will help local jurisdictions to start or improve current organizations. I definitely would not be in this position if I didnt have the support of school Continued on next page

Inside this issue:

Charity Event Summary 2-3

Psychologist Spotlight

4-5

Managing ADHD

6-9

Breaking the Behavior Barrier

10

Legislative Day

11

Multicultural Corner

12

BCASP News & Notes

13

Page 2

BCASPs Annual Fundraiser

Written By: Teresa Serkes
The Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists (BCASP) hosted its Third Annual Charity Event on Monday, November 7th at Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, Maryland. Charity events in previous years have benefited the Dyslexia Tutoring Project and Robertas House Grief and Loss Center. The proceeds from this years event are benefitting the Refugee Youth Project (RYP). RYP is a joint program of Baltimore City Community College and the International Rescue Committee. RYP serves more than 300 refugees in Baltimore between the ages of 4 and 21 from more than 17 countries. Their goal is to enrich the lives of Baltimores refugee children by supporting their academic needs. Additionally, they work to make acculturation to the students new country as easy and as meaningful as possible. Currently, the organization has three sites in the city. RYP has been providing quality after-school programming since 2003, intending to create a safe environment for refugee children to improve their literacy skills, enhance their knowledge of American culture, and engage them in enriching extracurricular activities and social activities to help them grow to become more confident children. Over 175 tickets to the event were sold to guests who included BCASP members, friends, family, volunteers from the Refugee Youth Project, and educators from the Baltimore City Public Schools. Additionally, the President and a few committee chairs of the Maryland School Psychologists Association (MSPA) and psychologists from other school systems were in attendance. The historic vineyard offered award-winning wines and beautiful scenery for the charity event. Guests enjoyed delicious appetizers and dinner from Clementine Catering, and Java-Roo, located in Fells Point, donated delicious coffee. BCASPs own generous members baked desserts for guests to enjoy, and a highlight of the event was donated ice cream from Prigel Family Creamery, a farm just down the road from Boordy. Guests were entertained by the sounds of the Paul Snyder Jazz Quartet. An evening of music and socializing allowed guests to browse a silent auction. Items had been generously donated by local businesses and BCASP members. The students and families supported by RYP also created artwork and jewelry for the silent auction. A 50/50 raffle was also held, and proceeds benefited the Minority Scholarship Fund through MSPA. As a result of BCASP organizers efforts, the donations of local businesses, and the amazing Silent Auction, BCASP was able to raise over $3,800 from the event. The BCASP board members generously voted to contribute the additional funds in order to donate a total of $4,000 to the Refugee Youth Project! The Refugee Youth Project looks forward to continuing to develop a partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools and BCASP. To learn more about this wonderful organization, please visit their website at http:// refugeeyouthproject.org/. Thank you to all who attended, bought tickets, contributed a monetary donation, or secured donations from local organizations for the silent auction. BCASP could not have done it without you!
Presidents Pen continued from page 1 psychologists like all of you reading this now! If you would like to participate on this MSPA committee or get more involved in BCASP, please let me know. As always, let me know what else BCASP can do to better represent you, the school psychologists of Baltimore City! Jessica Munch

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This years charity event would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors.
Clementine Catering Paul Snyder Jazz Diving Designs & Events Frank and Nics Grotto LLC Chazz Pizza Traditions by Pamela Ciao Bella Mary Kate McKenna Photography Southern Tier Insulations Panera Bread Howl at the Moon Sushi-San & Thai Jai Dee Baltimore Salsa Dance Company, Inc. MSPA Cupcake BODYbyDONAVON Hair Off the Dog Designs from the Edge Lynnes Gifts of Hampden Art with a Heart, IncHeartwears Blue Hill Tavern Baltimore Orioles Lebanese Taverna Glen Burnie Massage Center Maxs Taphouse Maryland Natural Health Center Greene Turtle Charm City Yoga Field House Studio 1612 Red Star Nail Care & Spa Linh The Fresh Market Scene 217 Aldos Italian Restaurant Bronzed Berry Natural Me by Andrea Hogarth Parfections Chocolates Dicks Sporting Goods Wine Shop at Home by Trish Brown Entertainment Cruises of Baltimore Creative Alliance Baltimore Comedy Factory
See page 15 for photographs of the event

Baltimore Ravens Pickles Pub

Mary Kay Cosmetics by Teresa Serkes Lia Sophia by Jacqualynne Erlendsson Federal Hill Fitness Canton Club

Boordy Vineyards Java Roo Coffee & Fudge Students and Families of BCCC RYP Veronica Szabo Chris Steet Kim Daniels David Feliciano

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SPOTLIGHT
Written By: Liz Niemiec

Dana Deise has worked with Baltimore City Public Schools for twenty three years! She started her career with us as a Special Education teacher, expanded to school psychologist, served as an integral part of our Crisis Response Team, and is currently in her second year with the Functional Behavioral Assessment/Behavioral Intervention Plan (FBA/BIP) Team. But wait shes not through yet! Dana is also in the midst of finishing her doctorate degree in Special Education. Her dissertation focuses on reading development in early learning for students coming from refugee families. Inspiration for this piece may have stemmed from her time volunteering with the Refugee Youth Project (RYP), for whom BCASP recently hosted their third annual charity event. Read more about the progression of Danas rich career below, in our question and answer session. Can you tell us about your early teaching career and how it led you to School Psychology? My first experience in the city was teaching 14 boys and 1 girl in a mixed 6, 7, and 8 th grade self-contained class for students with emotional disabilities in the basement of the school. Thats before PRIDE was invented. It was a rough group. When I say Anthony climbed the walls: he actually wedged and shimmied himself up the open door frame. I learned by mistakes and leaned towards a therapeutic teaching style I knew I was working with emotions more than equations. One day while I was teaching, a school psychologist came to the classroom door and took a student for assessment. I was curious: I wanted to know who this person was who had freedom throughout the school, without a class to teach and how did their assessments work? So, I got information from Towson, applied, and was accepted. I took evening classes and did my practicum and internship hours during the summer months at Walter P. Carter and Hopkins Bayview. I graduated in 1998. Ironically, I ended up being the school psychologist at the same school where I had taught. Ive loved it since the first day. First you went back to school to get your School Psychology Specialist Degree, and now you are working on your Special Education Doctorate! Do you have any advice on how to balance demanding full-time jobs with higher education at the same time? Im always trying to stay in balance but it is a struggle to resist distractions. It takes sacrifice and the work is a measure of endurance. I try to treat it like a part-time job and just put in the hours, but I do like keeping up on current research and reading the original works of theorists. We have seen the efforts of the FBA/BIP team over the last few years. How has working on that team shaped your identity as a School Psychologist? The shift has been from teaching and working with students to teaching adults. Thats a whole different set of skills I had to learn. And can I be honest and say we can be a critical audience? Really, I do enjoy getting to know my colleagues and help them problem solve FBA/BIP, PGS, IEP, and MD issues. I really like collaborating with my colleagues in their schools. I see a lot of impressive work. I am also very sympathetic to the fact that FBAs/BIPs are a time-consuming process, but it does get easier the more you do them.

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Another thingif you want to learn about something, my advice is to teach it. It forces you to become a bit of an expert. I have learned more about FBAs/BIPs these last two years teaching the material than I did reading a book and getting some introductory training. You have also been involved with school psychologist crisis response in the past as well, correct? What was that like? There used to be a small group of us that went out to all the crises in the districtit was too much. When Dr. Garcia Fernandez came to Baltimore City, she had lots of experience in this area, and she gave me the opportunity to make some changes. We looked at research-based interventions and created teams that would be on call each month. These teams were then dispatched by the proximity of their assigned schools to the site of the crisis. I enjoyed it for a year, but that job is stressful. I was hyper-vigilant to the evening news because I could predict a crisis call if a city student fell victim to accident or violence, or if a beloved teacher passed. BCASP recently held their annual fundraiser for the Refugee Youth Project. Can you tell us more about the program and your volunteer involvement over the last few years? The RYP is a program that works with students from families who have refugee status. It is connected to Baltimore City Community College and the Baltimore Resettlement Center in East Baltimore. I work specifically with the after-school program portion of RYP. The group of volunteers and teachers help students at four city schools with homework, building vocabulary, and fun educational games. They work for an hour and then the kids have half an hour of free play time with games and toys. The program is also infused with art and cultural enrichment activities. We go on field trips to museums and have a summer cookout. The students are developing their academic skills, social skills, and English language fluency. Please consider volunteering with this creative, bright, richly diverse group of kids. Check out the website at www.refugeeyouthproject.org. You have so many rich experiences and interest areas. Do you think it is important for School Psychologists to vary their experiences, or concentrate on a specific specialty area? I would tell a school psychologist to follow your passions. Satisfy your curiosity. Bite off more than you can chew. Where do you hope to take your career in the future? I started in the classroom and I hope to end my career in the online classroom. The closer I get to retirement from BCPS, the closer I would like to get to teaching at the university level. I am still that teacher with a therapeutic style.

Dana Denise is an inspiration to us in the field whether we are at the beginning of our careers as a school psychologist right out of graduate school, switching from a previous career in another field, or looking to take a new turn later down the road. She reminds us that it is never too late to learn new skills, get involved, or follow that interest that weve always pushed to the back of our minds. Cheers, Dana and thank you!

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Understanding and Management of ADHD

Written By: Cindy Smith
Executive functioning is the use of self-directed actions (self-regulation) to choose goals, and to select, enact, and sustain actions across time toward those goals, usually in the context of others and often relying on social and cultural means. This is done for the maximization of ones long-term welfare as the person defines that to be. (Barkley, in press)
On November 18, 2011, my colleague (a BCPS school social worker) and I had the opportunity to attend the second day of a 2-day seminar that hosted Dr. Russell Barkley, who is currently Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. He is perhaps best known for his expertise in working with children and adults with ADHD. Dr. Barkley initially reviewed the basics of ADHD (subtypes, DSM-IV-TR criteria and differential diagnosis, comorbidity/risk factors, etiology, prevalence) with the attendees, paying special attention to the subject of proposed changes to the upcoming DSM revision. According to Dr. Barkley, ADHD is a chronic neurobiological disorder of inhibition, inattention and poor self-regulation of executive functioning (EF) processes. He reiterated that ADHD is a form of a developmental delay (not necessarily or predictably aligned with IDEA classification by the same name) whereby individuals with ADHD experience a 30-40% delay in the developmental transition to more mature behavioral control. Though it is perhaps oversimplifying his point, he suggested that clinicians might consider treating a 10-year-old child as if he or she were 7-years-old in order to better anticipate what to expect from the child. He also added that the psychosocial environment plays a role in determining risk for comorbidity, degree of impairments in major life domains, and access to professional resources for treatment, but not in the cause of ADHD. Research he presented also suggested that several factors might predict persistence of the impact of ADHD into adulthood, including severity of ADHD symptoms, level of education, extent of comorbidity, and the degree of maternal psychopathology when the child is first diagnosed (which particularly underscores the role of caregivers in the treatment plan for children with ADHD). He reported that ADHD is more impairing than most outpatient psychiatric disorders, but it is also among the most treatable. He asserts that interventions need to be started earlier, sustained longer across the day and across development, and target more domains outside of education given the pervasive adverse impact of ADHD on other major life activities. He discussed one idea emerging in our field related to Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) as a separate disorder rather than an ADHD subtype, yet it is one that overlaps with ADHD (mainly Inattentive Type) in 54% of cases. He describes the characteristics of individuals with SCT as: (a) slow and inaccurate in information processing; (b) daydreamy, mind wandering, staring, easily confused, mental fogginess; (c) hypoactivity, sluggish movement, lethargy; (d) socially withdrawn, shy, anxious; (e) much lower rates of aggression, ODD and CD comorbidity. Dr. Barkley shared that ADHD Inattentive Type SCT is important diagnostically because ADHD is a productivity disorder, whereas SCT is an accuracy disorder (and, as a result, there is generally greater concern for school failure in SCT cases). He noted that children with SCT seem to have less of a clinically impressive response to stimulants, but may benefit from social/ organizational skills training, CBT and psychosocial (home-school) treatments. Like many researchers specializing in work with individuals with ADHD, Dr. Barkley concurs that the prefrontal cortical networks involved in executive functioning (EF) processes are the same networks that are associated with selfregulation and ADHD. While there are more then 30 definitions around the construct of EF at this time, Dr. Barkley noted that the most common components of EF are the following: (a) self-awareness/metacognition; (b) inhibition and interference control; (c) nonverbal and verbal working memory; (d) emotional/ motivational self-regulation, and (e) planning and problem-solving. He also asserted that these processes develop in a step-wise hierarchy, where each EF process needs the earlier ones to function well. This conceptualization of executive functioning may be especially helpful to school psychologists who are engaging in initial behavioral consultation or assessment to determine intervention needs. Dr. Barkley also discussed how many tests (e.g. Wisconsin Card Sort, Stroop, etc.) that

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purport to measure EF typically only find that 35-50% or fewer of ADHD cases are impaired. Given these data, he felt that this resulted from the tests failure to evaluate social factors (e.g. emotional regulation) or capture an individuals ability to enact and sustain goal-directed behavior across long spans of time. In summary, Dr. Barkley shared his understanding of ADHD to be a disorder of performance (not skill), that typically involves doing what you know (not knowing what to do), the when and the where (not the how or what) and a general disorder of self-regulation across time (aka time blindness).
Given

what Dr. Barkley has learned from assessing individuals with ADHD over time, he shared sound guidelines for assessment considerations and for a general treatment plan (determined on a case-by-case basis) for children with ADHD (see table, below):

ASSESSMENT
1- Current concerns about the student (e.g. unstructured parent interview) 2- History of these concerns, incl. onset, course, periodicity (e.g. semi-structured interview) 3- Differential diagnosis (e.g. BASC-2, CBCL, DSM) 4- Determining developmental inappropriateness (e.g. Conners, structured interview, ADHD-IV scale) 5- Assessing for comorbid disorders (e.g. cognitive screening, achievement battery, DSM criteria) 6- Establishing domains of impairment (e.g. parent/teacher interviews, Social Skills Rating System) 7- Consider parental adjustment issues (e.g. SCL-90, AARS-IV) 8- Survey child and family strengths (e.g. interview re: talents/aptitudes to offset deficits) 9- Map out community resources (e.g. phone contact with social services, etc.) 10- Consider collateral professional evaluations (e.g. physician)

INTERVENTION
I. Evaluation (diagnosis) II. Education (family counseling) III. Medication IV. Modification (behavior) V. Accommodations (home/school/community) EMPIRICALLY PROVEN TREATMENT 1. Psychopharmacology 2. Parent education about ADHD 3. Parent training in child management 4. Family therapy for teens 5. Regular physical exercise 6. Teacher education about ADHD 7. Teacher training in classroom mgmt./accomod. 8. Special education services/504

9. Residential treatment 10. Parent/family services (e.g. for caregiver depression, substance abuse) 11. Parent support groups (e.g. CHADD)

In conjunction with explaining the nuts and bolts of what works for children with ADHD, Dr. Barkley also shared information about unproven/disproved therapies, such as elimination diets, megavitamins, play therapy, or chiropractic skull manipulation. He stated that research does not support the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for children with ADHD (unless there is a presence of comorbid depression or anxiety). He also has found that social skills training has often failed in the clinic (1 in 4 kids got worse, most likely from modeling behavior from peers with similar deficits). This may be a helpful support format for children with inattentive type of SCT cases, but generally speaking his rule of thumb for this support is that it should be done by teachers (not small pull-out groups) with the peers that the child with ADHD needs to work with every day. Though medication has been found to be the most salient treatment for ADHD given a large body research in this area, psychosocial treatment in combination with this treatment option generally is still felt to result in greater effectiveness than a single modality treatment. Regarding supporting parents through the process of diagnosis and treatment planning, Dr. Barkley suggested that parents are shepherds, not engineers. He went on to explain that children with ADHD are not simply a product of their parenting. He said that parents and teachers may choose their pasture, guide and encourage them but they dont design the sheep! He felt that demystifying ADHD (what it is, what it is not) and helping families to know what to expect and how to work around challenges is a key component in all treatment programs. Continued on pages 8 and 9

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Understanding the Management of ADHD continued from page 7 Throughout the rest of the presentation, Dr. Barkley highlighted methods for helping students to compensate for EF weaknesses and expanded strategies added on to his 20 Best Ideas for ADHD Management in the school setting (see tables, below). Dr. Barkley noted that the school is the setting that tends to be most adversely affected for children and teens with ADHD; however, symptoms can be effectively managed in this setting with behavioral modification methods and classroom accommodations. He took care to explain at length why each of these strategies predictably work well for young children and adolescents. As an example, when asked about providing children with ADHD extended time for tasks, he noted that giving a child an extra hour to complete work doesnt help people who already dont have a concept of an hour. Dr. Barkley said that the keys to success in school for the child with ADHD include teacher attitude toward and knowledge of ADHD, and the willingness to implement and sustain these interventions. Dr. Barkley reminded the participants that ADHD is a chronic condition and as such, interventions should not expected to be time-limited, just as providing a ramp for a wheelchair-bound individual for 6-8 weeks does not mean you could remove the ramp after that time period and he/she would then be expected to walk independently into the building.

STRATEGIES FOR EF DEFICITS

SUGGESTION EXAMPLE

Externalize important information at key points of performance Externalize time and time periods related to tasks and important deadlines Break up lengthy tasks or ones spanning long periods of time into many small steps Externalize sources of motivation

Sticky notes, agenda books, lists, cards, watches Timers, clocks, counters Do a piece a day (or more frequent) Identify tasks and settings in which consequences are too delayed/non-existent; put artificial consequences (tokens, points, prizes, privileges) into these large gaps and increase accountability (check-ins) with others to see that the goals are being met Use marbles, numbers, timelines, calculators for math and cards, paper, word processing programs for text Routine physical exercise; visualizing/talking about future rewards before start of task; 3+ minutes of relaxation; 10 minute breaks between EF tasks; statements of selfefficacy and encouragement

Externalize mental problem-solving Replenish the childs resource pool

70 Great Ideas for ADHD Management in the School Setting

1. Teachers are shepherds, not engineers remind them of the opportunities to coach not change 2. Reduce delays, externalize time 3. Externalize important information 4. Externalize motivation (think win/win) 5. Externalize problem-solving (make manual) 6. Use immediate feedback 7. Increase frequency of consequences 8. Increase accountability to others 9. Use more salient and artificial rewards 10. Change rewards periodically 11. Touch more, talk less 36. Progress monitor effectively for doctor re: meds 37. Have an ADHD liaison for parent-teacher coordinated care 38. Do not retain in grade- ADHD is disorder of production only 39. Use Sept. to establish behavioral control 40. Decrease total workload (e.g. 30% rule) 41. Give smaller quota of work at a time (10 minutes of work, 3 minute break) 42. Use traditional desk arrangement 43. Seat child close to teaching area 44. Target productivity first, accuracy later 45. Do not send home unfinished work for parents to do (home is not point of performance for class work) 46. Give weekly homework assignments to better prepare parents

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12. Act, dont yak! 13. Keep your sense of humor 14. Use rewards before punishment 15. Make plan/anticipate problem settings 16. Keep a sense of priorities 17. Practice forgiveness (child/self/parents) 18. Get color-coded binders for HW/class work 19. Use participatory teaching methods (e.g. have child use pointer, mime, act as secretary) 20. Practice skill drills on computers (e.g. reader rabbit, math meter) 21. Let students use white boards to show answers rather than picking the first hand up (rewards impulsiveness, not thoughtfulness) 22. Assign a homework study buddy 23. Intersperse low and high appeal activities 24. Consider after-school tutoring, books on tape, etc. 25. Require continuous note-taking whenever child is viewing, reading or listening to something 26. Increase praise, approval, appreciation 27. Use token/point system to organize consequences 28. Use a Daily Behavior Report card 29. Try team-based (group of 4-5 kids) rewards 30. Try a tone-tape with self rewards (variable interval schedule for frequency of tone, avg. is 30 seconds child marks on index card if on-task; teacher monitors) 31. Allow access to rewards often each day 32. Keep reward to punishment ratio to 2:1 33. Establish a chill out or cool down space 34. Create a formal time-out space in class or in a private room (not in hallways) 35. Allow students to keep an extra set of books at home 47. Reduce/eliminate HW grades 1-6

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48. Allow some noise or music during HW 49. Peer tutoring (trained dyads, supervised by teachers) 50. Allow some restlessness at work area ("Don't expect a 'cadaver classroom' where the students do nothing") 51. Give frequent exercise breaks 52. Rethink timed tasks (if class expected to finish in 30 minutes, allow the ADHD child 30 minutes on a timer, but let them start and stop timer as often as needed) 53. Be as animated and theatrical as possible - students with ADHD notice was is new to the environment (e.g. change of tone or volume in voice or introducing new materials) 54. Touch child on shoulder or arm when praising , reprimanding or instructing 55. Schedule the most difficult subjects in the AM 56. Use direct instruction, programmed learning and highly structured materials 57. Have the child choose the initial work goal (e.g. How much do you think you can start with?) 58. Train keyboarding in early grades 59. Make transition plans for difficult settings (e.g. STOP before proceeding, review 2 to 3 rules, establish reward/punishment, give them something active to do and monitor) 60. Post rules for every subject/class prominently 61. Try a 3-sided stop sign for young kids (red=lecture rules, yellow=desk work rules, green = play rules) 62. Have the child restate the rules at the onset of activities 63. Give a physical reminder that time is passing (e.g. watch, sand timers, etc). 64. Personalize punishment mild, private, direct reprimands tend to work best 65. Incentives for appropriate behavior must be present for punishment (loss of reward) to be effective 66. Utilize response-cost systems (loss of tokens) 67. Assign moral essays (e.g. Why I will not hit others) 68. Swift justice is the key to discipline assign a consequence within 2 minutes or dont assign it at all 69. Do not use out of school suspension; in-school suspension as a last resort 70. For testing, provide a distraction-free environment and breaks (time off the clock) after brief test periods

This presentation was extraordinarily valuable, and my colleague and I found that many of these suggestions translated back into our practice almost immediately. While many of these strategies should not be expected to work for every child (as no such one-size-fits-all approach makes practical sense), many are creative ideas that could realistically be implemented in a public school setting with committed teaching staff. Dr. Barkley graciously allowed participants to photocopy his presentations in whole or in part. For anyone interested in the more detailed (72 page) PowerPoint outline of the discussion, feel free to email me at [email protected]. Please also do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or requests for further clarification about any of the information summarized for the purposes of this article.

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Breaking the Behavior Barrier

Written By: Erin OKeeffe
Breaking the Behavior Barrier is a reoccurring column that highlights classroom-wide intervention ideas to help teachers improve behavior management so the focus can be kept on learning. Intervention: Catch them being good: Jackpot Game Materials Needed: Bowl or hat to put student names in, slips of paper with students names, bag of candy or other inexpensive reinforcers Grade Levels: Elementary and Middle School Purpose: This is an easy way to motivate students to stay engaged. When the class is doing independent work, they will know they have a chance to win the jackpot, but only if they are engaged and following directions when their name is selected. Students will not know when the teacher is drawing names to win a prize so they need to stay on task consistently so they dont lose their prize if their name is selected. Steps for Implementation: Place each students name on a slip of paper and put it in the bowl. Fill a bag with candy or other reinforcers. Explain to the students that each of their names has been put in the bowl one time. Names will be picked randomly during independent work time. If the selected student is on task, they will get to pick something from the prize bag. If he or she is not on task, another student will be selected instead. Periodically draw student names from the bowl and announce who has won the jackpot, mentioning how that students behavior warrants a prize. If the student is not on task, let him/her know that their name was drawn and why it will have to go back in the bowl this time.

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Maryland School Psychologists Association WHERE Promoting the learning of all Maryland school children.

Please join us for MSPAs 5th Annual Legislative Day

Each year, we encourage our members to arrange appointments with their Maryland Senators and Delegates to discuss current issues and to promote the field of school psychology. This year, we hope to see you there! Follow these easy steps to participate: 1. Find your legislators and contact them! http://mdelect.net/ 2. Set up an appointment for January 12th to meet with the legislators or their staff between 8:30 and 12 in their offices. 3. On January 12th, before your meetings, come to the House Building in Annapolis, for breakfast and discussion. During breakfast, meet with the MSPA Legislative Committee about talking points for you to share with your legislators at your prearranged meetings. 4. After your meetings return to the House Building for a meet and greet with other local legislators and MSPA members. 5. At 12:30 pm, you are invited to the MSEA headquarters to have lunch and participate in the MSPA Executive Board meeting. 6. Bring business cards to share for follow-up contact information. Every member counts and every face-to-face meeting with legislators helps promote the field of School Psychology and its importance to the students (and parents) of Maryland. YOU can make a difference!

Date Time

January 12, 2012

8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Location

Montgomery Delegation, Room 170 House Building, Annapolis, MD

RSVP

[email protected]

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Multi-cultural Corner
Free Cultural Opportunities for Students & Families in Baltimore Written By: Jennifer Lisa Ganz
Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) http://www.artbma.org/ As the website states, The Baltimore Museum of Art is freefor everyone, every day! The varied exhibits include early African art, Native American works, and the largest Henri Matisse collection in the world. The BMA is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. on weekends, and is closed on Monday and Tuesday. The Basilica http://www.baltimorebasilica.org/ The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is Americas First Cathedral. The Basilica, built from 1806-1821, was called "the worldwide symbol of religious freedom" by Pope John Paul II. It is open for tours every day except Sunday. Hopkins Symphony Orchestra Free Concert http://www.jhu.edu/jhso The Hopkins Symphony Orchestras 20th Annual Free Concert for Students & Families will be held at 1:00 p.m. on March 3, 2012. After the hour-long performance, audience members are invited onto the stage to meet the musicians and view their instruments. Maryland Historical Society Museum http://www.mdhs.org/museum The Maryland Historical Society Museum is home to many of Marylands most significant artifacts. Items on display include everything from Native American archeological finds to Francis Scott Keys original manuscript for the Star Spangled Banner. The museum is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Best of all, admission is free to visitors on the first Thursday of every month! Miracle on 34th Street http://www.christmasstreet.com/ For a bit of Baltimore culture, families can take a tour of the holiday light display on 34 th street in Hampden. Over the last sixty-four years, this Maryland attraction has grown to reach national recognition! The festive light display can be viewed every night until January 1st. The Walters Art Museum http://thewalters.org/ General admission to The Walters Art Museum is free, though tickets may be required for special exhibits. Many types of art can be viewed at The Walters including Islamic works, Japanese art, and armor. The Walters is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

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BCASP News and Notes

The Public Affairs Committee sent gift baskets to member James Blanchard as he makes his recovery and Lynne Kramer for her recovery and retirement. A donation to CHERUBS (The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness, and Support) was made in honor of Reid Unangst, Meredith Unangsts son. The Social Committee is hard at working planning a community outreach project for the spring. Look for more information coming soon about volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity or the Maryland Food Bank. The BCASP Holiday gathering took place on Wednesday, December 14th at the DuBurns Arena in Canton. Thanks to all you came out to make this an enjoyable and festive networking gathering. The Social Committee is in the process of gathering information regarding BCASPs members attendance at the NASP Convention in Philadelphia. This information will be used to assist members in finding roommates and travel buddies if necessary, and we will be arranging a Happy Hour for members while at the convention. If you have not received this information in an email, please contact Nadine Warrick. We hope to see you there! MSPA will hold their annual NASP party on Wednesday February 22nd around 8pm. Look for details coming soon. The MSPA Winter Protocol is available to current MSPA members on the MSPA website. Topics include the identification of emotional disabilities, the importance of consultation training in internship by two of your own BCASP members, and the Spotlight on a Baltimore County Psychologist (an article idea taken directly from BCASPs newsletter!) . A correction to BCASPs last newsletter. There was a misspelling in the article, "Addressing the Needs of Muslim Students." It should have stated "Imam Shaheed" instead of "Iman Shaheed." Jessica Munch (President), Kate Shoemaker (Past-President), and Pam Cocol (President-Elect) met with Beckie Milburn, Coordinator of Psychological Services, on Friday, December 9th in order to discuss concerns of BCASP members. BCASP members had written emails, discussed issues at the last BCASP meeting as a group, and brought concerns more informally to the BCASP board. Beckie was extremely receptive to our feedback and tried to answer questions we had. Those of us who met with Beckie have already noticed some changes and are pleased by them. We are going to meet again with both Beckie and Dr. Rivka Olley, Supervisor of Psychological Services, in January to follow-up. After that meeting, we are hoping to share a more comprehensive update on what was discussed and what progress has been made in addressing the members' concerns. A recent article in the Baltimore Sun discussed updates to the Baltimore City Contract. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-12-12/news/bs-md-ci-teacher-contract-anniversary-20111212_1_mariettaenglish-baltimore-teachers-union-union-contract Applicants to the model status recently received an update email from the JGP regarding the delay in the process which was supposed to have been complete by the end of November. The JGP acknowledges that the model process has been significantly delayed, yet they indicate that their number one priority is to ensure that PPRC members are equipped to score applicants hard work in the most fair and consistent way possible. Although the email stated that applicants will begin to be scheduled for presentations after returning from break, the JGP informed the PPRC that presentations will likely not take place until March. The JGP reiterates that all accepted applicants will review their pay increase retroactive to July 2011. Check your inbox for monthly email blasts from our President, Jessica Munch, with updated BCASP News & Notes. If you have not received these email blasts and are a current member in good standing, please contact Jessica Munch.

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BCASP MEMBERS!

Looking for Leadership Experience?

Do you want to add some leadership experience to your professional portfolio? Ever thought of giving back to your collegial community? Do you know a colleague who demonstrates great leadership potential?

IT IS NOT TOO EARLY TO THINK OF NOMINATING FOR 2012-2013 BCASP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, OR VOLUNTEER TO BE A LEADER! MANY COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS AND BOARD POSITIONS WILL BE OPEN! For more information contact Brad Petry at [email protected]

Volume 3, Issue 2

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Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists 2011-2012 Officers: President Jessica Munch Past-President Kate Shoemaker President-Elect Pamela Cocol Secretary Eve Northurp Treasurer Sam Chavez BTU Representative James Blanchard

Thank you for reading! Your Newsletter Committee & Contributors

Christina Burton Pamela Cocol Layout & Design Editor Jennifer Ganz Jessica Munch Editor-In-Chief Liz Niemiec Erin OKeefe Teresa Serkes Cindy Smith