Author Bio

Irene is a special education, multiple disabilities instructor with ten years experience in various settings. She has worked in an inclusionary model public high school and elementary school, an MR/DD facility ages 3-21, an alternative school with elementary aged students, and a public vocational/career center for students aged 18-21.

Irene began a successful & first in-house multihandicapped resource room for an inclusionary model public elementary school. With that, she wrote many individual behavior plans, while serving as an Intervention Consultant and also as that district’s first Specialized Instruction Team Leader. She developed the district’s first summer autism program, co-authored a $30,000 "Successful Model for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder" grant, and co-published the grant article in "Highlights in Special Education" from the Ohio Department of Education. Irene served on her "Effective Schools" District Core Team, Building Leadership Team and In-Building Facilitation Team, while also serving on her district-wide technology team. She attended a two-day state technology conference in Columbus, along with regular education teachers, and secured a $5,000 augmentative / assistive technology device for a non-verbal student with autism. Irene also provided in-home academic & behavioral consultation to new students and parents entering her classroom.

After successful implementation of her own behavioral and academic strategy, “Red and Green Choices”, many teachers, parents, school psychologists, and principals scheduled classroom observations and wanted to know exactly what she was doing. So, Irene decided to publish the adult strategy book, “Red and Green Choices, A Positive Behavioral Development Strategy for Students with Autism or Behavioral Predispositions” and then complimented the approaches with two behaviorally directive children’s books, “Cindy T’s Circle Time” and “Niki’s Next Grade”. She continues to expand her supportive teaching tools with her most recent endeavor of creating “Red and Green Choices” classroom posters for general education and special education classrooms and teachers. Irene continues to provide strategies through her web-site writings and presentations.

Irene's techniques and program philosophies continue to expand, as

►“Autism-Asperger's Digest" magazine featured the adult strategy book in their May/June 2004 issue. (link: Articles)
►The British "Good Autism Practice Journal" comprised a book review of "Red and Green Choices" in their October 2006 edition. (link: Articles)

Irene uses her pseudonym, "Green Irene", to retain anonymity.

Beginning the 2005-06 school year, Irene began her career shift with a new teaching position at a local ESC (Educational Service Center) for high school Multiple Disabilities students aged 17 to 21. Irene was quite hesitant to begin incorporating Red and Green Choices for students with the ability to work in community based job-sites, but is thankful to report after the first quarter / nine weeks that each student - does NOT want "red" on their paper (daily sheet home). Irene is still amazed by the effect of her strategies, no matter what the age:

"Even though I am now in a high school setting, the students' responses remain the same... through establishing a 'behavioral trust' relationship with each child through consistent and concrete reactions and results (consequences)... students amazingly realize a behavior needs to be changed - and are willing to be responsible for their own actions and reactions!"

"It's the same predicted response I created in "Niki's Next Grade" in 2003-- the students do NOT want red on their paper. I had an 18 year old student (2005) trying to negotiate with the program teacher (regular education teacher) to not tell me of his red choice.. because he would get red on his paper and his dad would see it. I remember when my kindergartner did this to the classroom aide in gym class! The kindergarten student make red choices, and after realizing the set consequence, tried to negotiate with her to not tell me, because he did NOT want red on his paper."

"This is of course, after establishing the 13 Fundamentals.. being available for support and assistance, remaining firm and positive, while negotiating with each student to find out what motivates them to make green choices. The 'red' naturally fades when an alternative or appropriate and desired response if offered consistently - when the adult is a trusted person - known for being consistent, precise and supportive."

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY
Integrating portions of PBS (Positive Behavior Support), ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), FBA (Functional Behavioral Analysis) and my own behavioral theories and principles through the application of such programs based on individual students’ ages and ability levels to attain appropriate and desired behavioral responses to environmental stimulus

Red and Green Choices interventions address the implementation of setting high, reasonable, and achievable behavioral or academic standards, then expecting students to choose acceptable and tolerable green solutions to situations through the application of common behavioral principles, positive behavior supports and interventions and Red and Green Choices principles.

This strategy sets specific adult characteristics and expectations including positive phrasing, remaining calm, consistent and firm during child perceived chaotic situations. Red and Green Choices necessitates its thirteen fundamentals for successful and effective implementation. The program could be implemented on an individual student basis, a classroom level, a core school-wide plan or as a district-wide strategy to ensure preventive proactive behavioral & academic strategies and supports for students, staff and parents.

IN-SERVICE PRESENTATION LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Attendees will be able to;
     -Integrate Red and Green Choices’ Thirteen Fundamentals for successful and effective program operations,
     -Complete a Red and Green Choices Behavioral Stand; A 10 Part Plan to Developing A Specific Individual Approach”,
     -Design a Red and Green Choices intervention program for successful implementation of positive behavior supports and interventions
          for individual students, classroom-wide, school-wide or district-wide strategies

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