Many math workbooks (Spectrum and similar) begin each chapter with a Pretest. The function of the pretest is to check what student already knows and then adjust teaching accordingly by accepting both the student’s skills and learning needs.

Unfortunately, it is not so simple with students with special needs, as it is much harder to uncover their hidden skills — especially when they do not communicate in a way we understand.

There is a risk of squashing the child’s understanding of its surroundings, demoting the concepts she/he already created to adjust to the world, and causing confusion instead of clarity.

I believe that was the case with Robert as I described it in the post Educational Researchers, Where are You?

There are, however, other examples. When Robert was taught to follow a picture schedule, his therapist demanded that he always touch the picture on the page before he reaches for the object presented in this picture activity. But Robert, upon seeing a picture, immediately reached for the game or toy. Touching the picture in front of him must have seemed to him completely redundant. He didn’t touch (or point) and thus he failed (in the eyes of his therapists) and thus he couldn’t proceed to the next page and the next activity. The fact that Robert could follow the picture schedule just be turning the pages and following the order was ignored.

Years ago, I wrote how Robert became agitated when on the way to the park our car passed by McDonald’s. He tapped on the front of his car seat and on the window, he kicked and made noises (at that time he couldn’t say one word). We, his parents, already trained in some behavioral management techniques, decided to ignore his behavior. He became even louder and angrier. I knew that it was a so-called “extinction outburst” and that we should ignore that as well. But for reasons I cannot explain, and against everything I had been told about extinction, I said, “Yes Robert, this is McDonald’s, but we don’t go there now, we will go to McDonald’s after we walk in the park.” To my complete surprise, Robert immediately calmed down. Only then I realized that what Robert wanted more than fries and chicken nuggets was to be understood and acknowledged.