Exceptionality and Special Education Chapter 1 This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited.

Exceptionality and Special Education

Chapter 1This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:

•any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;

•preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;

•any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Copyright © Pearson Allyn & Bacon 2009


Getting Oriented to Exceptionality and Special Education

• There is no single accepted theory of normal development, so relatively few definite statements can be made about exceptional learners. Reasons for optimism Importance of abilities Disability versus handicap Disability versus inability


Educational Definition of Exceptional Learners

• Exceptional learners are those who require special education if they are to reach their full human potential. Diversity of characteristics Need for special education

• Assessment must show that learner is unable to make satisfactory progress without special services.

Prevalence of Exceptional Learners

• Approximately 10 in every 100 students receive special education.

• Over 6 million students in the U.S. receive special education services.

• There have been changes in prevalence for certain disabilities.

• There are high-incidence and low-incidence categories.



Definition of Special Education

• Special education means specially designed instruction that meets the unusual needs of an exceptional student. Possible forms of special education:

• Special materials• Specialized teaching techniques• Specialized equipment and/or facilities• Related services


Providing Special Education

• Levels of integration How and how much the student differs

from average students Resources available in the school and

community

• Least Restrictive Environment


Continuum of Placement Options

Fig. 1.1


Teacher’s Roles

• Relationship between general and special education Radical reformers recommend that special

education be eliminated as a separate, identifiable part of education.

• No clear distinction between “at risk” students and those with disabilities

• Controversy about inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms


Approximate Percentages of Students with Disabilities in Various Placement Options

Fig. 1.3Source: Data from the annual reports of the U.S. Department of Education toCongress on Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.


Expectations for All Educators

• Maximum effort to accommodate individual needs

• Evaluate academic abilities and disabilities

• Refer for evaluation• Participate in

eligibility conferences

• Participate in writing individualized education programs

• Communicate with parents or guardians

• Participate in due process hearings

• Collaborate with other professionals


Expectations for Special Educators

• Academic instruction of students with learning problems

• Management of serious behavior problems

• Evaluating technological advances• Knowledge of special education law


History and Origins of Special Education

• 1800s: “normalization” and physicians• Itard and Séguin

Individualized instruction Sequence of educational tasks Stimulation of senses Arrangement of environment Reward for correct performance Functional skills Belief that every child should be educated to the

greatest extent possible • Howe and Gallaudet


Development of the Profession

• Emergence of psychology and sociology• Study of learning and development of mental

tests• Importance of families and communities• 1922: Elizabeth Farrell and the Council for

Exceptional Children Every student should have an appropriate

education and receive necessary health and social services.


Parents and Professional Organizations

• 1950: Parent organizations Informal group for parents Information regarding services and

resources Structure for obtaining needed services

• ARC• National Association for Gifted Children• Learning Disabilities Association, etc.


Legislation and Litigation

• PL 94-142 — Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975)

• IDEA — Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990)

• IDEA Amendments (1997, 2004)• ADA — Americans with Disabilities Act

(1990)


Major Provisions of IDEA

• Identification• Free, Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE)• Due process• Parent/guardian surrogate consultation• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)• Individualized Education Program (IEP)• Nondiscriminatory evaluation• Confidentiality• Personnel development, inservice


Trends in Legislation

• More federal deregulation• Too little federal funding• No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

Expectations about standardized testing and achievement


Individualized Education for Students with Disabilities

• Individualized Education Program (IEP) All teachers must be trained to understand its purpose and

function General educators should see IEPs as an opportunity to

solicit program supports Teachers must work more closely with parents Teachers must balance students’ needs for achievement in

the general curriculum with their need for specialized curricula

Hearing officers and courts are permitted to determine procedural violations of the IEP

• Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) For infants and toddlers with disabilities

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