Providing Reasonable Accommodations Students with Disabilities: A Paradigm Shift of Inclusion, Access, and Opportunity
Providing Reasonable Accommodations
Students with Disabilities: A Paradigm Shift of Inclusion, Access, and Opportunity
Today
• Overview• Scenarios – Table Work• Federal Laws/Policies: ADA & IDEA• Old Terms vs. New Terms• Old Paradigms: Segregation, Exclusion, Avoidance• New Paradigms: Inclusion, Access, Opportunity• Examples of Reasonable Accommodations that Benefit All
Old and New Terms
Old Paradigms• Handicapped• Alternative Schools• Mainstreaming• Deaf and Dumb• Retarded (“Slow”)• Crippled• Wheel Chair bound
A New Shift• Reasonable
Accommodations• Person with a Disability• Diversity• Special Needs Child• Accessible
Important Terms Under ADAReasonableAccommodationUnder ADA, an employer may be required to modify or adjust a job or certain aspects of the way that it is performed in order to accommodate a person who is otherwise qualified to do the job absent the disability.
DisabilityA physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (e.g. walking, breathing, talking, seeing, hearing).One who is regarded or treated as being impaired.Must be permanent to be covered under ADA.
Essential FunctionTo be considered eligible under ADA, an employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Important Terms Under IDEA
• Child with a Disability – Includes hearing, speech, visual impairments, emotional disturbance, autism, traumatic brain injury, multiple disabilities• Special Education – specially designed instruction at no cost to
parents, to meet unique needs of a child with a disability• IEP – Individualized Education Program for children with
disabilities (in general 9 different categories)• Developmental Delay – Children age 3 thru 9. Measured by
diagnostic instruments and evaluation• FAPE – Free Appropriate Public Education – in conformity with an
IEP. Includes preschool, elementary and secondary school
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
The Seven Mountains of Influence in a Society
• Media (flow of information)• Government (Laws, Public
Policies)• Religion• Arts & Entertainment
(shapes values)• Family (shapes community)• Business (Commerce,
Science & Technology)• Education
Classification of Disabilities – School-Aged Children
HIGH INCIDENCE• Communication disorders
(speech and language impairments)
• Specific learning disabilities (e.g. ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• Mild/Moderate mental disorders• Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
LOW INCIDENCE – does not exceed 1% at anytime
• Blindness• Low Vision• Hearing impairments• Developmental delay• Complex Health Issues• Autism• Serious Physical Impairment
Figuring Things Out
Nature of Disability• Learning – ELL, SPED• Physical – Mobility, Breathing,
Allergies, Medical, Visual• Emotional – ADD, Anxieties,
Anger• Relational – Separation Anxiety• Psychological – Multiple
symptoms
Causal Factors• Cognitive, Language in Home• Accidents, Perinatal Addictions,
Surgeries, Rx Requirements• Homelessness, Poverty, Abuse• Divorce, Family Turmoil, Sibling
Abuse, CPS Interventions, Bullying
Why Children With Disabilities Matter So Much• The incidence of homelessness, child abuse, and bullying is
staggering in our society• Our children are less healthy than they were a few decades
ago – they are more involved in sedentary activities• Language, and cultural dynamics are impacting the way
teachers differentiate and deliver educational services in the classroom• Economic disparities continue to widen the gap between
families who can afford effective interventions and those who cannot
It’s Not Just About Programs and Things
• A Shift in Thinking and Approach Matters• Training, Collaboration, and
Sensitivity Makes a Difference• Involving Parents In a Way
that is Non-Threatening and Respectful of Differences• Marshalling Community
Resources and Partners Matter
• This is Not A PROBLEM• Just About Everybody Under
the Sun has some type of disability• A Parent Advisory Group can
help you figure out GREAT accommodations that will benefit all students• Corporate and Non-Profit
entities that LOVE children want to help!
Using Learning Styles to Accommodate
MASTERY LEARNERS• Want to Learn Practical
Information• Love drills and practice• Need focused instruction• Modeling helps them more• Need immediate feedback
INTERPERSONAL LEARNERS
• Want to learn about things that affect people’s lives• Love discussions• Need cooperative learning
activities and role playing• Instructor must pay attention
to their successes and struggles
Learning Styles Continued…
UNDERSTANDING LEARNERS• Love logic, debate, and
inquiry• Love independent study• Do better when they get
immediate feedback, positive encouragement• Need to be allowed to
question the logic of things
SELF EXPRESSIVE LEARNERS
• Love using their imaginations to explore ideas
• Love creative and artistic activities, and non-routine problems
• Have difficulty learning from drills
• Need activities involving visuals, and tactile resources
Using Technology to Accommodate
• Study Buddies utilize a hand-held console with a visual and interactive interface. Learning is individualized with academic cartridges in math, reading, and spelling.
• E-readers such as Nooks allow students to read along• IPADS allow students to do independent research, and even compose
their own projects and presentations in real time. They are tactile and are seen as “cool” by students from K through 12.
• There are ergonomic keyboards, and assistive speech and language software programs that will accommodate a diversity of disabilities
• Sports and recreational equipment frequently offer an alternative design for individuals with disabilities
Using Software Programs to Accommodate• There are any number of software programs, such as IXL
which utilize a differentiated approach to RTI. It utilizes a variety of interactive question types, is adaptive to student abilities, helps students decode new words, tracks and monitors student progress, can be accessed by parents from home.
Using “Disguised Learning” to Accommodate• Recreational/Physical Activities: Using Wii programs that allow
students movement without touching or contact• Origami (Japanese paper folding)• STEM
• Gardening – Encourages cooperation, team work, and respect for living things, includes math and science
• Robotics – Encourages higher level thinking, makes math and science “cool”
• Chess – Encourages higher level thinking• Lego architecture and projects• Forensics, Rocket clubs, book clubs (using e-readers)
Using Interventions to Accommodate
• Reading Specialists• Character education “baseball cards,” coloring books, and role
playing to reward and instruct• Speech Therapists• External Vendors to teach music and art therapy• Board games, puzzles, old fashioned flash cards, and math and
vocabulary bingo games• Using volunteers or older children as reading buddies• 1:1 and Small group Tutoring
Without Community & Diversity, Bullying Will
PrevailTeach Children to Value and Respect People Differences – It
Makes For a Rich and Wonderful World to Live In!