An Overview of Special Education

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An Overview of Special Education

• Teacher Cadets, D.F.H.S.

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What is Special Education?

• Special Education is the educational program
  designed to meet the unique learning and
  developmental needs of an exceptional student.
• It recognizes the unique nature of each
  individual student.
• It is planned specifically to address areas of
  need for the student with disabilities.
• What areas of need might Special Education
  programs address?
• What similarities/differences do you see between
  Special Education and General Education?

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People First Language

• Speak of the person first, then the disability.
• Emphasize abilities.
• Dont label people as part of a disability group
  (i.e., BD kids)
• Why have terms used to describe individuals with
  disabilities changed over the years?

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Normalization, Deinstitutionalization, Inclusion

• Wolfsenberger individuals with disabilities
  should have opportunities to live a normal
  life.
• How do we see this principle at work today?
• What is inclusion?

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Best Practices for Inclusion

• Three assumptions
• Adequate teacher preparation
• Students with disabilities are productive
  learners
• Students and teachers are provided with adequate
  supports
• QUESTIONS?

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Federal Laws

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1973
• PL 94-142 Individuals with Disabilities Act
  (EHA), 1975
• PL 101-476 Individuals with Disabilities
  Education (IDEA),1990
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),1990
• PL 105-17 IDEA,1997
• PL 107-110 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of
  2001
• What law has had the most profound impact on how
  students with disabilities receive services?
  Why?

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IDEA Categories of Disability

• Autism
• Deaf-Blindness
• Deafness
• Emotional Disturbance
• Hearing Impaired
• Mental Retardation
• Multiple Disabilities
• Other Health Impaired
• Orthopedic Impairments
• Speech or Language Impairment
• Specific Learning Disability
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment
• Is it necessary to use categories to label
  individuals with disabilities? Why or why not?

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Key Components of IDEA

• Zero Reject
• Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Nondiscriminatory Evaluation
• Due Process and procedural safeguards
• Technology-related Assistance Related Services
• Parental Involvement
• What do you think is the most critical component
  of IDEA? Why?

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Educational Programs

• Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
• Individualized Transition Plan (ITP)
• Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• 504/Accommodation Plan
• What is the difference in these plans?

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Service Delivery

• Regular classroom with no supports
• Inclusion with supports
• Full inclusion or pull-in programming
• Team teaching
• Co-teaching
• Consultation/collaborative teaching
• Resource room (up to 3 hours per day)
• Self-contained special education class (most or
  all of ones day)
• Separate day school
• Residential setting

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Learning Environments for Exceptional Children
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Placements (1997-98)
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Individualized Education Programs

• Required by PL 94-142 (IDEA) and require plans
  for transition services by age 16 for all
  students
• Specifies plans for services, placement,
  transitional planning, and other assurances
• Designed after careful examination and assessment
  by a number of multidisciplinary specialists

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Purposes of IEPs

• Instructional directionRemedy to the Cookbook
  approach
• Form the basis for evaluationlearning objectives
  determine effectiveness and efficiency of
  instruction
• Improved communicationfacilitate interaction and
  reference between school staff, teachers,
  parents, and students

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IEP team members

• Parents of the student
• Special education teacher
• General education teacher
• Local education agency representative
• Person to interpret evaluation results
• Student (when appropriate)
• Other persons invited by parents or school

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IEP components

• Frequency, location, and duration of services
• How progress to annual goals will be measured
• Procedures for informing parents of progress
• Transition services (age 14)
• Transfer of rights before reaching age of majority

• Present Level of Performance (PLOP)
• Annual goals/short-term objectives
• Related services
• Program modifications or supports
• Modifications to assessment
• Start date for services

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PLOP and Annual goals

• PLOP Provides basis for subsequent goal setting
• Should be viewed as summaries of strengths and
  weaknesses
• Can take a variety of forms

• Annual Goals predict long-term goals that can
  be evaluated clearly
• Make the IEP measurable
• Common features?
• Should be positive, precise, and relevant to
  student needs

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Short Term Objectives (STO)

• Serve as stepping stones toward annual goals
• Specific representations of the skills to be
  learned
• Should be specific, observable, measurable,
  student-oriented, and positive
• Must reflect major instructional achievements
  between current performance level and ultimate
  goal
• Typically 38 objectives per IEP

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504 or Accommodation Plans

• Accommodation plans are a direct result of
  Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act
• Students must have an impairment that
  significantly limits one major life activity
• Walking
• Seeing
• Hearing
• Speaking
• Breathing
• Learning
• Working
• Caring for oneself
• The school must provide reasonable
  accommodations comparable to those provided to
  their peers.