Special
Education Overview | Back to HOME |
Special Education refers to the instruction specifically designed to meet the special needs of children with exceptionalities. Special Education first referred to the education received by people with mental retardation. Since then, the term has expanded and now encompasses mental retardation; physical, emotional or neurological disabilities; social maladjustment; speech and language impairments; hearing and visual impairments; giftedness and the list can go on and on. When they first started working with people with disabilities, they would not allow them to attend public schools, but instead attended asylums or special schools related to their medical status. I have listed some historical events that effected the way we see special education today.
| Year | Historical Event | Impact on Education |
| 1973 | Vocational Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) | This act required "no otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." |
| 1975 |
Education for all Handicap Children Act (also
known as Public Law 94-142) It was renamed the 'Individuals with Disabilities Education Act' in 1990 |
According to the text, it is “protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and improving the results for infants, toddlers, children and youths with disabilities and their families.” This act enabled all children with disabilities to be education in all public schools. |
| 1986 | Amendments of 1986: Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Public Law 99-457) | This established statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency, programs of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with handicaps and their families. |
| 1997 & 2004 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: IDEA (105-17, 108-446 2004) | This law mandated that all children receive an education regardless of the severity of their disability. IDEA was reauthorized in '97 and '04 and was divided into four separate parts. Children are eligible to receive services if they do not achieve appropriate to their age level, the IEP process was shortened, increase of special education teachers, and school districts are required to reduce overrepresentation of students from diverse backgrounds. |
| 2002 | No Child Left Behind (NCLB) | President Bush passed this bill stating that by the year of 2011 all children will be qualified as "high achievers" and no one will be left behind. The act requires a lot of highly qualified teachers and stronger public schools. It is focused on three main subjects of study: Math, Reading and Science. |
Sources: http://www.learningrx.com/history-of-special-education.htm, http://www.napcse.org/specialeducationlaw/section504.php, "Parents as Partners in Education: Families and Schools Working Together by: Eugena Hepworth Berger, http://www.isbe.net/nclb/default.htm
| Autism |
A developmental disability that affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction. Usually noticeable before the age of three. The term does not apply if a child's educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance. |
| Deafness | A hearing impairment in which a child cannot process linguistic information through hearing |
| Deafness/Blindness |
Hearing and visual impairments occurring at the same time. Causes severe communication and other developmental and education problems. |
| Hearing Impairment | An impairment with hearing whether it be permanent or fluctuating, and affects the child's educational performance. However it is not included under the definition of "deafness." |
| Mental Retardation | Is when functioning is significantly below average and affects the child's educational performance. Children with mental retardation may take longer to learn to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They will learn, but it will take them longer. There may be some things they cannot learn. |
| Multiple Disabilities | A combination of two or more disabilities that affects the child's educational performance, (for example, mental retardation - blindness, learning disability - orthopedic impairment). The term does not include deaf-blindness. Orthopedic Impairment Caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., club foot, absence of some member), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures). |
| Other Health Impairment | Having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, due to chronic or acute health problems. Emotional Disturbance Having the inability to learn, build relationships, express appropriate behaviors, physical symptoms, or fears. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. |
| Specific Learning Disabilities | A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes reading, listening, thinking, speaking, writing, spelling, or doing math. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of mental retardation; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. |
| Speech or Language Impairment | Refers to a communication disorder that affects a child's educational performance. Such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment. |
| Visual Impairment | Includes partial vision and blindness. A visual impairment even with correction that will affect educational performance. |
| Severe Disability | A primary disability that: severely impairs cognitive abilities, adaptive skills, and life functioning; may have associated severe behavior problems; has the high probability of additional physical or sensory disabilities; and requires significantly more educational resources than are provided for the children with mild and moderate disabilities in special education programs. |
| Developmental Delay | A disability affecting a child ages two through eight: who is experiencing developmental delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development; and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. |
Sources: "Parents as Partners in Education: Families and Schools Working Together by: Eugena Hepworth Berger
Referral
- A written request for an evaluation of a student who is
suspected of having a disability and who may need special education
- This referral can be placed by parents or guardians,
school personnel, professionals or other agencies
Evaluation
- This is the process used by an IEP (Individualized
Education Plan) team to determine eligibility for special education services
- They must include non-discriminatory testing procedures and
needs to be comprehensive enough to identify a full range of needs
Eligibility Determination
-The IEP team gets together when the evaluation is
complete
- The team determines whether a child is eligible under one
or more of the IDEA eligibility categories
Individual Education Program (IEP)
- A legal document, that as the centerpiece of IDEA,
developed by the IEP team
- The document states details the special education and
related services district will provide to meet the student's individual needs
- The IEP must be reviewed at least annually.
Placement
- Placement for each student is individually determined based
on the child's IEP.
- The IEP team must determine the child's placement at least
annually.
Sources: http://www.guhsd.net/GUHSD/programs/speced/parents/Initial%20Referral%20Procedures.pdf
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Who's on the IEP Team:
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The Seven Steps to an IEP
1. The Pre-Referral
* The main purpose of this step is to
document and explain students' difficulties and challenges, test the
effectiveness of classroom accommodations, assess the power of various
instructional interventions, and monitor students' progress
2. The Referral
* A referral is the act of referring
a child to special education services for the implication of special education
services
* Referrals can come from a variety
of people including: parents, teachers, doctors, nurses and day care
professionals.
* An example that may cause a
referral may be a three year old who does not talk, or more apparent things like
a missing limb or facial differences causing something like cerebral palsy
3. Identification
* "The purpose of this step in the
IEP process is to determine whether a youngster has a disability, whether
special education is required, and what types of services are needed."
* The evaluations are conducted by a
team included professionals who have expertise in that particular area of
concern
* The members evaluate the child to
find a list of both strengths, weaknesses and needs
* During this time, an arrangement of
data is used to inform the team members about the student's abilities (Medical
history, interactions with other students, educational performance and other
relative factors.)
4. Eligibility
* Information gathered during the
previous step is now used to identify those students who actually have a
disability and will qualify for educational services.
* The IEP team than gathers and
determines what components of special education and related services are needed
in order to give the student the appropriate education.
* Education of students who do not
meet the eligibility requirements is under the general educators responsibility.
5. Development of the IEP
* The IEP must make decisions about
the appropriate education, services and placements. The assessment results are
used to make these decisions.
* The team will now begin formulizing
the individualized education needed by the student. They will determine the
resources needed for that student to access the general education curriculum,
the appropriate goals set for that child, and also create a good education
program for the student.
6. Implementation of the IEP
* The IEP will lay out the
appropriate education for the student, including the extent to which the student
participates in the general education curriculum, the accommodations the student
receives for instruction and testing, and the multidisciplinary services needed
to support the student's education.
* The IEP team will also specify
alternate assessment procedures if a student has goals that differ or whose
curriculum is different than that of the general classroom.
* Once a student's goals are achieved
it is either decided that the student no longer needs special education
services, or new goals should be administered.
7. Evaluation and Reviews
* The IEP must be reviewed at least
annually. The purpose of the IEP review meetings is to ensure that students are
meeting their goals and making educational progress.
* Specified testing and assessment
may be created for students with an IEP. This type of assessment is not very
formal and may happen weekly or even daily. The purpose of these measurements of
progress is to guide instruction and to ensure the interventions scheduled are
effective.
Tips for Parents During IEP Meeting
-
Send your agenda to the
district a few days ahead of time
- Remember you are a full and equal member of the IEP team
- Be an active listener
- Discuss issues your child has that may affect his ability to
receive educational benefits in the general education environment
- Write to the school and request that all reports,
evaluations, goals and objectives be given to you at least five days prior to
the meeting
- Make sure your child's IEP goals are SMART (Specific,
Measurable, uses Action words, are Realistic,
and Time specific)
- Ensure that you understand everything that is being said and
proposed at the meeting. If not ask for clarification.
- Bring your child to the meeting if appropriate
Find more tips at
http://wrightslaw.com/info/iep.tips.eason1.htm
Sites for Parents:
Kids Together, Inc- a site
that includes tips for parents about the IEP process, information about IDEA and
more information on how to help your child and make them feel included.
Education.Com- This site explains the seven steps listed above in greater
detail and includes other information that may be beneficial to parents.
Teaching Methodology for Exceptional Children
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all children with disabilities must have an education that is individualized to meet their needs. That is, every child with disabilities must have an IEP in which teachers, parents, administrators and others created a plan that will provide the best education possible for that student. This act also states that every child with disabilities must receive education in "an environment that promotes interaction with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate to that student's need, known as a least restrictive environment."
As a teacher, teaching both students with and students without disabilities, I will have to use a variety of teaching methods and strategies. Some of these teaching strategies will be collaborative, cooperative, engaged, problem-based, and discovery-based learning. Each of my lessons need to include at least one of those styles if not more. A combination of all of these will allow me to create learning environment that is most effective for all of my students. There are also four different types of learners I will have to keep in mind while teaching. There is kinesthetic learning, in which that learn best with out of seat activities and enjoy moving around; auditory learners, who learn best by hearing; visual learners, who learn the best by seeing; and tactual learners who learn best by actually touching and manipulating objects.
Teaching to meet the needs of all your students is not going to be easy and is going to take a lot of time, patience and creativity. Lesson plans will have to be created to incorporate a variety of learning styles in order to meet the each of the ways my students will learn. I will work towards providing my students will the best possible learning environment. I will ensure that each one of my students will receive the best education as well.
Sources: "Parents as Partners in Education: Families and Schools Working Together by: Eugena Hepworth Berger
Notice, as parents you have the following rights and responsibilities:
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Source: "Parents as Partners in Education: Families and Schools Working Together by: Eugena Hepworth Berger
Other rights and responsibilities can be found at: http://specialneedseducation.suite101.com/article.cfm/parental_rights_in_special_education