What is inclusion? - In the past, special education students were placed in their own private rooms...

What is inclusion?

- In the past, special education students were placed in their own private rooms with their own private special education teachers, often secluded from the rest of the student population.

- This no longer the case. - The big buzz now is “inclusion”.

What is inclusion?

- Inclusion is when special education students staying in the regular classroom for the entire school day.

- A special education teacher co-teaches with the regular education teacher.

Article from wiseGeek.com

Reflection – How best can we serve our special education students…..in an inclusion classroom, in a mainstreaming program, OR in a traditional special education program?

Support your answer with examples

What is inclusion?

- As you can see, there are still many changes occurring in special education. Many schools are making the commitment to go to a full inclusion program.

IEP – Individualized Education Plan

- Special Education students will have an IEP, which stands for the individualized education plan.

- It is your responsibility as a classroom teacher to comply and follow through with this plan.

- It is a legal and binding document.

SPED Categories – The more common ones - There are many different categories a student

can qualify in for special education, but I want to discuss some of the more common ones.

CI – Cognitive ImpairmentEI – Emotionally ImpairedHI – Hearing ImpairedVI – Visually ImpairedLD – Learning DisabledOHI – Otherwise health impaired

Activity

- On a piece of paper, make 6 columns and write each category at the top.

- List a couple of accommodations for each category

CI – Cognitive Impairment

EI – Emotionally ImpairedHI – Hearing ImpairedVI – Visually ImpairedLD – Learning DisabledOHI – Otherwise health impaired

Cognitive Impairment

- (Synonymous with “Mental Retardation”) a person with CI has a lower IQ score than chronological age mates, demonstrates intellectual performance more like that of a younger individual, and is developing intellectually at a slower rate.

- CI students will not learn as much as their age

mates and the learning difference between them and their age mates will increase over time.

Cognitive Impairment

- They struggle in a formal learning situation, cannot master higher-order thinking types of learning.

- They lack the strategies for information

processing and their working memory and long-term memory are compromised.

- They often have limited self-care skills and

social relationships. They struggle making and sustaining friendships.

Cognitive Impairment

- These students are often not included in the regular classroom setting.

- They learn basic self-care skills such as dressing, eating, and hygiene.

- You may have a child with a mild CI impairment but most CI students are secluded.

Emotional Impairment - IDEA defines Emotionally Disturbed (ED) as follows:

“Emotionally Disturbed means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance:

- An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors - An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers - Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances - A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression - A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated

with personal or school problems.

Characteristics - Aggressive/acting-out behaviors

- Social problems - Inadequate peer relationships

- Hyperactivity/distractibility - Academic deficits - Anxiety and Depression - Lying, cheating and/or stealing - Mood swings

- Withdrawn - Suicidal thoughts

Accommodations

- Get the student involved in activities with other students

- Discuss appropriate classroom behavior at

frequent intervals. Don't expect students to remember in May all the classroom rules that were established in September

- Emotionally disabled students benefit from

a highly structured program

Accommodations

- Be sure to seat an emotionally impaired child away from any distractions

- Whenever possible, give the student a sense of responsibility. Put the student in charge of something (operating an overhead projector, cleaning the classroom aquarium, re-potting a plant), and be sure to recognize the effort the student put into completing the assigned task

Accommodations

- Whenever possible, keep the activities short and quick

- Provide immediate feedback, reinforcement, and a sufficient amount of praise

Hearing Impairment - Hearing impairment may range from mildly

impaired to total deafness.

- Although it is unlikely that you will have any deaf students in your classroom, it is quite possible that you will have one or more who will need to wear one or two hearing aids.

Accommodations

- Provide written or pictorial directions

- Physically act out the steps for an activity. You or one of the other students in the class can do this

- Seat a hearing impaired child in the front of the classroom and in a place where he or she has a good field of vision of both you and the chalkboard

Accommodations

- Many hearing impaired youngsters have been taught to read lips.

- When addressing the class, be sure to enunciate your words (but don't overdo it) and look directly at the hearing impaired student or in his or her general direction

- Provide a variety of multisensory experiences for students. Allow students to capitalize on their other learning modalities

Accommodations

- It may be necessary to wait longer than usual for a response from a hearing impaired student. Be patient.

- Whenever possible, use lots of concrete objects such as models, diagrams, samples, and the like.

- Try to demonstrate what you are saying by using touchable items.

Visually Impaired

- It is quite likely that you will have students whose vision is severely hampered or restricted.

- These students may need to wear special

glasses and require the use of special equipment.

- Although it is unlikely that you will have a blind student in your classroom, it is conceivable that you will need to provide a modified instructional plan for visually limited students.

Accommodations

- Tape-record portions of textbooks, trade books, and other printed materials so students can listen (with earphones) to an oral presentation of necessary material.

- When using the whiteboard, use bold colors and bold lines. Also, be sure to say out loud whatever you write on the whiteboard.

- As with hearing impaired student, it is important to seat the visually impaired student close to the main instructional area.

Accommodations

- Provide clear oral instructions.

- Be aware of any terminology you may use that would demand visual acuity the student is not capable of.

- For example, phrases such as “over there” and “like that one” would be inappropriate.

- Partner the student with other students who can assist or help.

Characteristics

- Students who demonstrate a significant discrepancy between academic achievement and intellectual abilities in one or more of the areas of

- oral expression- listening comprehension

- written expression - basic reading skills - reading comprehension - mathematical calculation and reasoning - spelling.

Characteristics

- Teaching learning disabled youngsters will present you with some unique and distinctive challenges.

- Not only will these students demand more of your time and patience, they will also require specialized instructional strategies in a structured environment that supports and enhances their learning potential.

Characteristics

- It is important to remember that learning disabled students are not students who are incapacitated or unable to learn; rather, they need differentiated instruction tailored to their distinctive learning abilities.

Accommodations - Provide oral instruction for students with

reading disabilities.

- Present tests and reading materials in an oral format so the assessment is not unduly influenced by lack of reading ability.

Accommodations

- Break down information in chucks - Breaking down information on assignments and

tests allows the student to process information in smaller chunks.

- For example, if you have students do a matching

activity with 10 questions, have them do two different sets of 5 so it’s not so overwhelming.

- Also, limit the choices for multiple choice

tests and assignments. Instead of four choices, give them 3

Accommodations

- Provide learning disabled students with frequent progress checks.

- Let them know how well they are progressing toward an individual or class goal.

Give immediate feedback to learning disabled students.

- They need to see quickly the relationship between what was taught and what was learned.

Accommodations - Make activities concise and short,

whenever possible. - Long, drawn-out projects are particularly

frustrating for a learning disabled child. - In a testing situation, you may want to modify

the length of the test. - You also may need to give the student extended

time on assignments, projects, and tests.

Accommodations - Learning disabled youngsters have difficulty

learning abstract terms and concepts. - Whenever possible, provide them with concrete objects

and events—items they can touch, hear, smell, etc.

- Learning disabled students need and should get lots of specific praise.

- Instead of just saying, “You did well,” or “I like your work,” be sure you provide specific praising comments that link the activity directly with the recognition

- For example, “I was particularly pleased by the way in which you organized the rock collection for Karin”

Accommodations - When necessary, plan to repeat instructions or offer

information in both written and verbal formats. - Again, it is vitally necessary that learning disabled children

utilize as many of their sensory modalities as possible.

- Encourage cooperative learning activities when possible. - Invite students of varying abilities to work together on a specific

project or toward a common goal. - Create an atmosphere in which a true “community of learners”

is facilitated and enhanced.

Characteristics

- "Students are classified as having other health impairments when they have limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems”. 

- Examples of such problems include - asthma - diabetes

- epilepsy - hemophilia - leukemia

- ADD or ADHD may be included in this category

Characteristics

- Child may miss school frequently for doctor appointments or illnesses

- May have physical restrictions

- Inattentiveness due to health impairment and/or medications

- Other medication side effects, such as, increased thirst

- They may have academic lags

Accommodations – Depends on health impairment - Flexible time limits

- Freedom to use bathroom or drinking fountain as needed

- Frequent breaks - Reduced assignments

- Alternative assignments when absent frequently

Accommodations – Depends on health impairment - Alternative grading scale

- Allow child to escape assignment if necessary

- Safe Place

- Include School Nurse and Social Worker in IEP process

- Decrease distractions

- Flexible seating

Autism Spectrum Disorder – What is it? - It’s a developmental disability that

causes problems with social skills and communications.

- It can be mild or severe - It is different for every person – not all

behaviors exist in every child

Signs of autism - Communication

- Not speaking or very limited speech - Loss of words the child was previously able

to say - Difficulty expressing basic wants and

needs - Poor vocabulary development - Problems following directions - Repeating what is said - Problems answering questions - Speech that sounds different (robotic)

Signs of autism – Social Skills

- Poor eye contact - Poor play skills - Being overly focused on a topic or objects

that interest them - Problems making friends - Crying, becoming angry, giggling, or

laughing for no known reason or at the wrong time

- Dislikes being touched or held

Signs of autism – Reacting to the world around them

- Rocking, hand flapping, or other movements - Not paying attention to the things the child

sees or hears - Problems dealing with change in routine - Using objects in unusual ways - No fear of real dangers - Being either very sensitive or not sensitive

enough to touch, light, or sounds - Sleep problems

Accommodations/Modifications - Seating location – place seating away from high

movement areas - Offer a quiet place when needed – maybe a bean

bag chair in the room, the hallway, etc. - Allow student to enter school early and leave

early to avoid the chaos - Provide a visual organizer for the day - Tell students the schedule for the day. Some

students may want to know this in parts. - Provide a breakdown of time – Exp: gym is at

10:30 – 11:00, Math is from 11:00 – 11:30, etc. - For older students – tape their schedule to their

binder

Accommodations/Modifications

- Warn well in advance if there’s going to be a change in the schedule

- Only post necessary information around the classroom to avoid sensory overload

- Keep learning visual – use lots of diagrams, models, write on the board

- Avoid using figurative speech - Ask students to repeat the directions to you

after the other students have begun working - Provide the students with copies of the notes

– sometimes handwriting can be a problem

Where to go for help…

- There are many resources available for you to go to if you need to accommodate a special needs student in your room.

- Consult a special education teacher in your building

- Talk with your building principal - Look up suggestions on the Internet

- Use suggestions in the Vellom book, etc.

- Get into groups of 3

- I’m going to give you a scenario

- You are to solve this as a group and report out

- You have 15 minutes

Scenario #1

- You have a student who is high functioning academically, but struggles with written language and writing.

- What kind of modifications can you make

for this student?

Scenario #2

- You have a student who is reading two grade levels below his/her peers.

- What kind of modifications can you make for this student?

Scenario #3

- You have a student who has attention deficit disorder and at the same time has math skills that are two grade levels below his/her peers.

- What kind of modifications can you make for this student?

Scenario #4

- You have a student who has autism. He/she is very concrete in their understanding of the content. He/she struggles with sharing information verbally and following multiple step directions.

- What kind of modifications can you make for this student?

Scenario #5

- You have a student who oppositional defiant and at the same time they are very low in reading and writing.

- What kind of modifications can you make for this student?

Scenario #6

- You have a student who is wheelchair bound and manipulates a computer to communicate.

- What kind of modifications can you make for this student?

Scenario #7

- You have a student who is high functioning but cannot write at the same pace as his/her peers.

- What kind of modifications can you make for this student?

Scenario #8

- You have a student who is emotionally impaired and can be combative and unwilling to work with peers.

- What kind of modifications can you make for this student?

Referenceshttp://www.teachervision.fen.com/special-education/new-teacher/48460.html?page=2

http://akuehnel3.tripod.com/id9.html

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