National Center on LowIncidence Disabilities

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Preparing Professionals in Low-Incidence
Disability Fields  Federal and State Strategies
to Address Critical Shortages

• A teleconference discussion sponsored by the
  Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ)
• May 9, 2005

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What are the issues?

• (3) DEFINITION.In this section, the term low
  incidence disability means
• (A) a visual or hearing impairment, or
  simultaneous visual and hearing impairments
• (B) a significant cognitive impairment or
• (C) any impairment for which a small number of
  personnel with highly specialized skills and
  knowledge are needed in order for children with
  that impairment to receive early intervention
  services or a free appropriate public education.
• IDEIA of 2004, Section 662(c)

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Highly qualified what?

• Teachers of Students who are Deaf and Hard of
  Hearing
• Teachers of Student who are Deafblind
• Teachers of Students with Significant Support
  Needs
• Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments
• Others . . .

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Teacher preparation involves

• Specialized skills (e.g., braille, sign,
  knowledge of medical supports)
• More credit hours (generally more than the
  Masters degrees 30 hours)
• Extensive field work

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Teachers prepared fora variety of roles

• Itinerant
• Resource room (usually found only in large
  cities)
• Inclusive classes
• Separate classes
• Specialized schools

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Teachers prepared for a heterogeneous population

• Typical cognitive development
• Total blindness to near-normal vision
• Total deafness to hard of hearing
• Multiple disabilities
• No two alike, but
• More alike than different.

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But, not enough of them . . .
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Meaning of Highly Qualified is Clear, When

• Teaching in specialized class
• Teaching in resource room or
• Teaching in specialized school.

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Meaning of Highly Qualified is Ambiguous, when

• Teaching is itinerant
• Teaching is consultative or
• Teaching assignment (caseload) changes.

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Where do you draw the line?

• A special education teacher who provides only
  consultative services to a highly qualified
  teacher . . . Should be considered a highly
  qualified special education teacher if such
  teacher meets the requirements of Section
  602(10(A). Such consultation services do not
  include instruction in core academic subjects but
  may include adjustments to the learning

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• environment, modifications of instructional
  methods, adaptation of curricula, the use of
  positive behavioral supports and interventions,
  or the design, use or implementation of
  appropriate accommodations to meet the needs of
  individual children.
• House Report 779, 108th Cong., 2nd Session 171
  (2004)

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How does one classify braille?

• A medium for reading? or
• Reading itself?

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How does one classify Nemeth mathematics code?

• A medium for doing mathematics?
• Mathematics itself?

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How does one classify sign?

• A medium for communication, or
• An essential element of a Deaf studies
  curriculum?
• A bridge to literacy?

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Where does the classroom teacher leave off, and
the low-incidence teacher begin?
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• Can the classroom teacher teach these specialized
  skills?
• Does the classroom teacher want to?
• Would the classroom teacher then be considered
  highly qualified if he or she did?

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Teaching is different

• More than adjustments to the learning
  environment
• More than modifications of instructional methods
• More than adaptation of curricula
• More than use of positive behavioral supports and
  interventions
• More than accommodations . . .

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Teaching children with low-incidence disabilities
means

• Interpretation
• Explanation
• Building relationships to concepts
• Different perspectives
• Non-visual or limited visual
• Non-auditory/visual -- augmented auditory
• Spoken language or sign
• Non-motoric
• Mediation

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Fears

• Waivers
• 2 states already waive residential schools from
  the highly qualified requirements
• Inclusion compromised
• Children with more severe disabilities placed in
  more restrictive environments
• Highly Qualified fluctuates from year-to-year
  and student-to-student

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More Fears

• Shortage of low-incidence teachers becomes even
  more acute
• Why would anyone do this to themselves?

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Regulatory language that may help

• The special educator for students with
  low-incidence disabilities
• Is consistently supported by a strong IEP team
  that meets regularly to ensure that student
  content standards are being met OR
• Consistently maintains a documented direct
  reporting relationship with a related academic
  content-area teacher OR
• Is team teaching with a Highly Qualified
  academic core content teacher.
• Guidance for Highly Qualified Teachers in
  Colorado (2005)

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For more information on low-incidence
disabilities, see

• http//www.NCLID.unco.edu
• Read our issues papers at
• http//nclid.unco.edu/newnclid/index.php?blogid33
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