What a difference a year makes! While most conferences and seminars were held last year in person, COVID-19 has changed the learning process for professionals seeking to improve their professional development. Almost all of the events listed below are being held via digital or virtual including international meetings and conferences.
Below are conferences that vary from practical information to research. Click on the information which is highlighted and it will take to you directly to the website.
The Brain and Autism: Linking Neurology and Interventions to Address Academic and Behavior Challenges
Date: February 11, 2021- 10 am – 11 am
Location: Virtual
Association for Behavior Analysis International 15th Annual Autism Conference
Synergy of Science and Practice Worldwide
Date: February 28-March 2, 2021
Location: Virtual
According to the Learning Disability Online website, It is estimated that 1 in 10 people have dyslexia which is between 5 to 15% of Americans.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is also known as a language-based disability. It is defined as difficulties with accurate and word recognition and by poor spelling which can affect reading fluency, reading comprehension, recall, decoding, writing, spelling, and sometime speech. Signs of dyslexia in adults include:
Poor spelling
Avoids writing task
Gifted and creative
Difficulty in following oral and written instructions
Difficulty staying on task
High level of frustration
Difficulty in retaining information
Test-taking anxiety.
Highly curious
Insightful
Curiosity
Good communication of stories read to them
American Disabilities Act
Employees diagnosed with Dyslexia are protected under the American Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits discrimination in all employment practices, including job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, training and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. It applies to recruitment, advertising, tenure, layoff, leave, fringe benefits, and all other employment-related activities.
Disability Definition
The American Disabilities Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communication and working.
Challenges in training employees with Dyslexia
recalling information
following instructions
May experience anxiety from test-taking
Reading takes longer
Training Strategies
People with dyslexia are visual learners. They learn best by seeing, watching, and observing. When training, use pictures, computers, PowerPoint and text.
Multisensory training helps the employee to use all senses when learning something new on thejob. Multisensory learning should include combining all senses including visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic.
Use demonstration when possible and give feedback whenever possible.
Accomodations
A diagnosis of dyslexia also qualifies under the American Disability Act (ADA). While some may not want to disclose their diagnosis, It’s always a good idea to make sure each person is comfortable in the training. The following are some suggestions:
Asking a participant diagnosed with dyslexia to read out loud can be tricky and make them feel uncomfortable
If your organization gives, test, look for alternatives such as allowing time to complete the test longer or giving a test orally.
Too much information may be overwhelming. Make sure instructions are clear.
Studies show that most accidents occur in the home. There are a number of factors that increases this number in a residential setting. For example, Staff are responsible for providing care to more than one person and the may also be responsible for a number of other duties including, preparing dinner, giving out medication and working on performance goals. Given these factors, it is vital that attention and skill is given during bathing time. One minute away, could lead to a disastrous event.
The following is a training curriculum that serves to train staff (Direct care Professionals) on bath safety. I have included the lesson plan also in a PDF format and a demonstrative checklist. Once completed, staff should be able to show their competency level in bathing an individual safely. This training also satisfies and supports Core Competency 5 (safety) and Core Competency 6(Having a home).
Title: Bath Safety Training
Description Training:
This module is intended to provide direct support professionals with principles and strategies which will assist them in the preparation, supervision and assistance necessary to ensure the safety of people with developmental disabilities. The first section focuses on identifying and evaluating required staff supervision. Section 2 includes the responsibilities of staff during bathing time.
Learning Objective(s):
Demonstrates steps to ensure all necessary bathing items are in the bathroom before preparing for bathing time.
Evaluate the level of supervision needed
Define the characteristics of a burn
Distinguish temperature for bathing vs. showering
Identifying the process of bathing residents to ensure the process is safely carried out.
Explain the risk for people with disabilities
Maximum Group Size:
Training segment 10- competency portion should be conducted one person at a time.
Blooms Taxonomy:
Remember
Understand
Apply
Required Employees: Direct Support Professionals
Materials:
Handout
Handout
Competency test
Competency
Training: 1 Hour
Objective 1: The participants will be able to explain bathing risk for people with disabilities
Lecture:
The trainer will begin this session with a brief introduction on the magnitude of the problem regarding accidental deaths, bathing injuries including scalding. In your own words, please say the following:
Studies show that after the swimming pool, the bathtub is the second major site of drowning in the home including residential settings with seizures accounting for most of the common causes of bathtub drowning.
The National Safety Council reported that one person dies everyday from using bathtub in the United States. That more people have died from bathtub accidents than all forms of road vehicle accidents.
Injuries from the bathroom included slipping and falling when entering or exiting the bathtub or shower.
A study concluded by the State University of New York State found bathing difficulties included maintaining balance when bathing and making transfers.
Inform participants the following:
Near-drowning happens very quickly. Within three minutes of submersion, most people are unconscious, and within five minutes the brain begins to suffer from lack of oxygen. Abnormal heart rhythms (cardiac dysrhythmias) often occur in near-drowning cases, and the heart may stop pumping (cardiac arrest). The blood may increase in acidity (acidosis) and, under some circumstances, near drowning can cause a substantial increase or decrease in the volume of circulating blood. If not rapidly reversed, these events cause permanent damage to the brain
Ask – How much water does it take to drown?
Answer- inches of water in the bathtub. Any amount of water that covers the mouth and nose.
Who is at -risk?
Tell the participants the following people are considered high risk for accidents and drowning in the bathtub or shower:
Older people
Residence with a history of seizures
Residents diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer
Residents who require assistance or supervision for mobility, transfer or ambulation.
Lack of understanding of one’s own physical and cognitive limitations.
Scalding
The trainer will introduce the segment on scald burns. Tell participants that individuals with physical, cognitive and emotional challenges are at high risk for burn injuries due to mobility impairments, muscle weakness and slower reflexes. Further explain that, sensory impairments can result in decrease sensation in the hands and feet with the resident not realizing the water is too hot.
The instructor will discuss the following handout:
Time and Temperature relationship to Severe Burns
Water Temperature
Time for a third degree burn to occur
155° F
1 second
148° F
2 seconds
140° F
5 seconds
133° F
15 seconds
127° F
1 minute
124° F
3 minute
120° F
5 minutes
100° F
Safe temperature for bathing
Objective 2: Define the Characteristics of a Burn
In this section, the trainer will give the definition of a burn, Explain to participants that a burn is damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by heat chemicals or electricity.
Further explain, Burns range is severity from minor injuries that require no medical treatment to serious, life-threatening and fatal injuries. Further explain that burns are categorized by degrees. Have participants turn to the handout on burns.
Superficial (first degree burns)
Causes : sunburn, minor scalds
Generally heal in 3-5 days with no scarring
Characteristics;
Minor damage to the skin
Color- pink to red
Painful
Skin is dry without blisters
Partial thickness (second degree) burns
Damages, but does not destroy top two layers of the skin
Generally heal in 10-21 days
Does not require skin graft*
Skin is moist, wet and weepy
Blisters are present • Color – bright pink to cherry red
Lots of edema (swelling)
Very painful
Full thickness (third degree) burns
Destroys all layers of the skin
May involve fat, muscle and bone
Will require skin graft for healing*
Skin may be very bright red or dry and leathery, charred, waxy white, tan or brown
Charred veins may be visible
Area is insensate – the person is unable to feel touch in areas of full thickness injury
*Except for very small (about the size of a quarter) full thickness burns will require a skin graft to heal. The patient is taken to the operating room where all the dead tissue is surgically removed. Skin is taken or harvested off an unburned or healed part of that person’s body and grafted or transplanted to the clean burn area. In seven to 14 days, this grafted skin “takes” or adheres to the area and becomes the person’s permanent skin. The donor site (where the skin was harvested from) is treated like a partial thickness burn and heals within 1- to 14 days.
Objective 3: Identify the process of bathing residents to ensure the process is safely carried out
The trainer will discuss the importance of following the appropriate steps when giving a resident a shower:
When escorting a resident to the bathroom, the following items should be gathered and taken to the bathroom:
Washcloth/bath sponge
Towel
Body wash/soap
Body lotion
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Hair shampoo
Hair conditioner
The trainer will remind participants not to leave the participants in the bathroom alone under any circumstances for those requiring supervision.
Ask- What circumstance might a person leave the person alone.
The participant should respond- none.
Click on the link below to download the competency checklist:
Special Needs Resource Blog will take a break during the holidays and will return Monday, January 4, 2016 with new information, tools and resources to post including more downloadable free tools and templates Monday thru Thursday. I am excited and look forward to sharing more resources with you in the new year.
Thanks to all of you for following my blog this year. Wishing you and your families joy and peace all through the holidays and throughout the new year. May the spirit of the holidays be with you throughout the new year. 🙂 🙂