Tom Steele

EDUC 503
Special Education Information Pamphlet

Types of Disabilities
1- Learning Disabilities -

a)

b) Learning disabilities are interruptions or inhibitions of the psychological processes

involved in using or understanding spoken or written language. These problems are
often indicated by the inability to read, write, speak, think, listen, or conduct complex
problem solving such as doing math problems. This blanket term includes disorders like
dyslexia, dyscalculia, and auditory and visual processing disorders (teachingld.org).
Those who are dyslexic or dyscalculic struggle to read letters and numbers because
their brain mixes them up during the processing of the visual information, resulting in
them being scrambled, turned upside down, and even being turned into unintelligible
symbols. Auditory and visual processing disorders involve the brain’s inability to process
the information it receives through these mediums, resulting in students being unable to
understand what is being seen or said (ldaamerica.org).

c) Coteaching is one effective instructional method which can be used as an approach to

providing assistance to students with learning disabilities. This involves a gen-ed teacher
and a special ed teacher working together to plan out the classroom environment, lesson
plans, and individualized students interventions, and then performing instruction
together. A second approach to assisting students with learning disabilities is something
called collaborative consultation. Collaborative consultation is very similar to the
coteaching method, except that the general education teacher is the only one performing
 instruction, instead following the guidance and advice of a special education teacher with
who they are collaborating during planning (teachingld.org)

2- ADD/ADHD -

a)

b) ADD (attention deficit disorder) and its more severe form, ADHD (attention deficit and
hyperactivity disorder) lead to student inability to pay attention, to maintain focus, and to
a difficulty in controlling their own behavior (ldaamerica.org). Symptoms include students
being easily distracted, talking out of turn, difficulty following directions or following
through on tasks, disorganization, movement between tasks quickly without completing
 them, and difficulty listening, among others (help4adhd.org). While a large number of
students with ADHD (between 20-30%) also have learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD is not
considered to be a learning disability, and is instead in a separate category all its own,
because the effects of it reach far beyond the academic setting. ADHD is often
accompanied by depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or tourettes (chadd.org).

c) Despite not being a learning disability, ADD/ADHD does qualify students for special
education services. Strategies for teachers working with ADD/ADHD students involve
things like teaching non-verbal cues to let the student know when they are off task, using
body language like standing close to a student that is talking constantly instead of
working, using the student’s name when talking to them to redirect attention, increasing
the student’s ability to engage in the lesson by making it more engaging, providing
positive attention and reinforcement to the student as often as possible, and breaking
lessons up into shorter segments. Another method that is used is to employ the
student’s peers as helpers in policing their attention as well but this can often backfire
and cause embarrassment and arguments if not handled properly (teachingld.org).

3- Emotional/Behavioral Disorders -

a)

b) Emotional disturbances or disorders can refer to anyone who exhibits an inability to

conduct context-appropriate behavior, an inability to maintain relationships with those
around them, especially peers and mentor figures, depression or anxiety, and
manifestation of physical symptoms in relation to stress inducing stimuli, like school. To
be qualified as EBD (emotional behavioral disorder) these symptoms must be present
over an extended period of time. The most obvious symptoms will be those related to
social behavior and settings, where it is clear that the student does not know how to
appropriately behave. These disorders can range in severity, and can sometimes
present dangers to the student suffering from it and those around them if severe enough
(Scruggs, 2010).
 c) Adapting to students with EBD is a careful process. If you are aware that a student with
an EBD will be entering into your classroom, it is a good idea to remind your students to
practice tolerance and acceptance. Depending on the student, giving them classroom
roles, like materials gatherer, can help integrate them into the social setting. However,
this should only be done after you have gotten to know the student, as forced social
interactions can sometime be detrimental to those with EBD. Rules and consequences
should be made very clear within the classroom. Creating a positive relationship with the
student by establishing respect for them as a person and not defining them by their
disorder is another good idea to use within the classroom setting. An important piece to
remember is that it is a good idea to ask students to consider how their actions have
affected other before reprimanding them for a specific behavior. Students with EBD often
don’t give consideration to this fact before they do something, so drawing their attention
to this can be very helpful (Scruggs, 2010)

4- Intellectual Disabilities -

a)

b) An intellectual disability is characterized by a degree of impairment of cognitive, social,

and academic processes as well as adaptive behavior. This means that students have
trouble acquiring, understanding, and relaying knowledge, as well as possessing
difficulties in picking up on social cues and changing their approach to a situation as the
situation changes. This can also be accompanied by memory issues such as low
retention of new information, and attention span issues. Students suffering from
intellectual disabilities can often be ostracized by their peers in social settings because
of these issues, which can lead to other serious problems like social anxiety and
depression (Rosenberg, 2013).
 c) Teaching students with intellectual disabilities can be assisted in a number of ways:
teachers can scaffold tasks by starting out with simple, low-dimension problems and
removing any stimuli that may interfere with the student’s cognition, and then slowly
ramping up the difficulty of the task over time. To address memory problems, the most
effective technique is to be concise with your initial presentation of information, leaving
out any extraneous information and focusing only on meaningful content. Drawing strong
connections between content and student relevance can also help this as well as the
issues with low attention spans. The biggest help to students with low-level intellectual
disabilities on improving their social skills is for them to be included in a general
education setting for at least part of the day. Being in this setting allows them to be
exposed to general socially accepted behavior and norms, as well as helping to teach
them about social cues. Sometimes, directly teaching about how social interactions work
can be helpful as well (intellectualdisability.info).

Rights and Obligations According to IDEA

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) affords certain rights to children
with disabilities and their parents. Every student with disabilities is guaranteed a right to a free,
appropriate public education, which means that a student’s education should be designed for
their needs and to prepare them for their future. Students are guaranteed appropriate
evaluation, which means that they should not be subjected to unnecessary assessments or
testing, and evaluations must be geared toward planning for the child’s education and future
instruction. Students have a right to an individualized education plan (IEP), which uses the
student’s evaluation to map out the special steps that should be taken in order for them to be
successful in their education. They are guaranteed the least restrictive environment for their
education, which basically says that their education environment will only be as specialized as is
necessary for their continuing education. This keeps all special education students from simply
being reallocated to special-ed only schools without an express need for them to be there.
Parents are guaranteed the right to be a part of placement decisions. Parents must be notified
of the desire to submit their child for evaluation, and they have the final say in all matters
relating to adjustment of the student’s education. They are guaranteed access to their child’s
academic records, and will receive written notice prior to any actions being implemented by the
school (sites.ed.gov, 2017).
IDEA also puts schools under certain obligations. Many of these involve upholding the
rights that students and parents are guaranteed. Schools are required to prepare an IEP for a
student whose evaluation shows that it is necessary, and to implement that IEP with the consent
of the parents. They are required to allow parents to participate in the decision making process
and meetings related to alterations of the student’s education, and to defer to the parent’s
wishes in relation to this. After having conducted an evaluation, schools are required to come up
with a plan and recommendations regarding a student’s eligibility for special education in as
timely a manner as possible. Schools must supply consistent and thorough reports of students’
academic progress and make them available to the parents, as well as use this information in
the consideration and reforming of plans regarding the student’s education moving forward
(sites.ed.gov, 2017).

The IEP Process

Overview:
The creation of an individualized education program (IEP) is a multi-step process. First,
a child who is potentially in need of special education services must be identified. This is usually
left up to the educators, but parents may request their child be put into the evaluation process if
they desire. Once the child has been identified, the evaluation process begins. This involves
assessing the child in all areas that are related to the one in which the child’s suspected deficit
lies. If parents are unhappy with this evaluation, they make take their child for an individualized
evaluation, which they may request that the school pay for. Once the evaluation is over, the
results are then assessed by a group of professionals together with the parents. During this
assessment, the group decides whether or not the student fits the criteria of a student with
special needs, a decision which the parents may challenge. If it is found that the child fits the
eligibility of a student with disabilities, then the IEP process begins. The IEP must be written
within thirty days of the date when the child was determined to be eligible. Once written, the IEP
is then put into action within the student’s educational experience (wordpress.com, 2011).

Referral Process:
Although the referral process can be initiated by the parents, it is usually initiated by one
or more of the student’s educators who are familiar with them. If the educator notices that the
student’s behavior or performance within the academic environment may indicate a need for
special attention to their education process, they may bring this to the parents’ attention and
request that the student be evaluated for special needs. Should the parent provide consent, the
evaluation must be initiated within 60 days of the consent being given (Kupper, 2011).

Evaluation Process:
Once the referral process has been completed, evaluation begins. Often, student
performance in a specific area, such as cognition, is what sparks the referral process, so when it
comes time for the evaluation, all areas related to the suspected trouble area must be tested. If
the parents decide that they disagree with the way in which the evaluation is being conducted,
who is conducting the evaluation, or anything else related to the evaluation process, they may
get a second opinion through an independent educational evaluation. Once the evaluation
process has ended, the results are then used to transition into the assessment process (Kupper,
2011).

Assessment Process:
During the assessment process, a group of experts get together with the parents to
examine the results of the student’s evaluation. While looking at the results, the experts discuss
their findings with the parents, and together, the group decides if the student in question is a
child with a disability. If the experts decide that the child is not, and the parents disagree, they
may challenge this decision by requesting a hearing. If the child is found to be a child with a
disability, and the parents still wish to move forward, then the IEP process must begin within
thirty days of this determination (Kupper, 2011).

IEP Implementation Process:

The IEP process begins with a meeting of the school staff involved, which the parent
may attend if they desire to do so. The parents must be explicitly notified of everyone who will
be attending the meeting, where and when it will be held, and that the parents may bring
anyone who has special knowledge or expertise about the child to the meeting with them.
During this meeting, the team proceeds to write the student’s IEP, taking into consideration all of
the student’s needs. Once the IEP has been written, if parents disagree with any part of it, they
may discuss these disagreements with the IEP team and try to come to some sort of an
agreement. Once the parents consent to the plan, the school may begin implementing it and
providing the special services that the plan dictates as part of the student’s needs. Goals are set
for the student, and the student’s progress towards these goals is monitored in order to give the
parents frequent feedback about how the IEP is working for the student. At least once a year,
the IEP is reviewed by the team, but it can be reviewed more often at the request of the parents.
During this review, changes or necessary revisions may be suggested and implemented for the
parents to sign off on, after which point the new, revised IEP is put into action. Students with an
IEP must be reevaluated every three years to determine whether or not they still meet the
criteria of a child with disabilities, except in cases where the school and parents agree that
reevaluation is unnecessary. Should the student be found to still qualify, the IEP process
continues for them. If they are found to no longer qualify, then the IEP is no longer necessary,
and it is discontinued (wordpress.com, 2011; Kupper, 2011).

References:

Kupper, L. (2011). The Basic Special Education Process Under IDEA 2004. National Dissemination Center
for Children with Disabilities.
Rosenberg, M.S. (2013, July 24). Primary Characteristics of students with intellectual disabilities.
Retrieved from https://www.education.com/reference/article/characteristics-
intellectual-disabilities/

Scruggs, T.E. (2010, July 10). Emotional Disturbance. Retrieved from https://www.education
.com/reference/article/emotional-disturbance/

(2017). IDEA. Retrieved from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/

(2017, March 23). HElp! IEP Time!. Retrieved from asdhelp.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/help-iep-time/

(2016, May 14). Understanding ADHD. Retrieved from http://www.help4adhd.org/

(2016, May 14). Teachers working With ADHD Students. Retrieved from http://www.chadd.org/
Understanding-ADHD/For-Professionals/For-Teachers.aspx

(2017, January). Support for Educators. Retrieved from https://ldaamerica.org/educators/

(2017). Understanding LEarning Disabilities. Retrieved from http://teachingld.org/understanding-ld