As a Special Education Teacher, I am committed to working with children who have challenging behaviors. My objective is to help students develop self-regulating skills and to be able to function as part of a group. I believe that every child should be given the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential of communication and functional independence in order to build self-esteem and self-awareness. Through the mastering of these essential skills, a student will gain the ability to reach their fullest potential in all aspects of their lives. My overall goal is to make difference in the lives of my students by providing an educational program that will maximize the abilities of my students and prepare them for a more independent setting to
If students are limited to only a resource room for their educational experience they run the risk of receiving a narrowed curriculum reduced to practice of individual skills. Exclusion from general education classrooms may also result in lowered expectations because students are not exposed to peers with skills that they are working towards learning. Also, other students would not have opportunity to have a friendships different from those that they already have. Special needs students should be working towards the same academic standards as social goals students of their same age yet with instructional supports and accommodations and modifications as needed (p. 1 IRIS). Excluding them from the general education classrooms could also make it so the students is less likely to perform well on assessments because they have had significantly less exposure to its
Society has significantly become more understanding and aware of people with disabilities since the establishment of Public Law 94-142. By incorporating parents, teachers, and health care professionals in the evaluation process, the child has a better chance of having their needs met with all the challenges they face in school and at
So many federal laws and regulations have paved the way for individuals with disabilities to be able to have the equal opportunity for success. Education was not always an option for everyone, there was a time when receiving an education was a privilege. When writing about IDEA Garguilo states that “we consider this law to be one of the most important pieces, if not the most important piece, of federal legislation ever enacted on behalf of children with special needs” (page 45). This law allowed for all children with disabilities to receive a free appropriate education. IDEA changed the way for these individuals allowing for a: FAPE, LRE, IEP, procedural due process, nondiscriminatory assessment, and parental participation. Students with and
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law enacted in 1990 and reauthorized in 1997 and 2004. It is designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities by ensuring that everyone receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE), regardless of ability. Furthermore, IDEA strives not only to grant equal access to students with disabilities, but also to provide additional special education services and procedural safeguards.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by schools that receive federal financial assistance. Every year, the school district must identify students with disabilities within their district. Public schools have a responsibility in providing free and appropriate education to students with disabilities in the school district’s regardless of the severity or nature of the disability. Education is intended to ensure the needs of a student with disabilities are met just as the needs of a student without disabilities.
Of course, we are not talking here about students whose comprehension is severely impaired, because they are usually schooled individually and have a special grading system, adjusted to their needs and abilities. But in the classrooms there are often students with less obvious disabilities, which, although less severe, can also create academic challenges. Some of them, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia, are directly related to learning and may affect the speed at which students acquire the material. Others, such as anxiety or ADHD may not only disrupt learning, but also are very likely to cause discrepancies between the students’ subject knowledge and their exam and assignment results.
A fundamental aspect of a quality education involves data driven decision-making in regards to instructional practices. After analyzing information obtained throughout the years, the United States Department of Education recognized a need for a program that would help to alleviate the growing number of students being referred for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). In the search for a solution, response to intervention was developed. Response to intervention (RTI) was designed as a framework for districts to adopt that would move students through tiers of interventions to increase student success while decreasing the number of students qualifying for special education services.
bonuses, facility improvements, and allotments` for technology advancement from the state government. (If “success” is shown.) This point is brought to life in the national Blue Ribbon School Award. Eligibility for this honor is determined by a single factor hidden behind many little details: student success on standardized tests. All “subcategories” of the school, and the school as a whole, must be in the top fifteen percent in the state rankings for all standardized testing. In addition, they must show effort in “closing the gap” between the “subcategories.” At Ennis ISD, the Caucasian population of students may be in the top ten percent, however the African American student population’s low scores can only be pejorative to their ability
In today’s education world, an essentialist viewpoint is most prominent. This means that student learning should be focused on certain crucial subjects and they should be taught the same way in every classroom in our country. This view has led to the prevalence of standardized testing as a focus of teachers and the Common Core State Standards. Whether or not this is the correct way to teach youth, America agrees that everyone deserves an appropriate education. This is expressed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Included in ‘everyone’ are students who have been placed in foster care. These students struggle in the world of academics. Sanchez (2004), Goemans (2015), Stone (2007). Before introducing ways that teachers can help
Special Education is an umbrella title for an educational department that focuses on the rehabilitation of students and providing services for students who require extra academic support to be successful in the current school setting but are also in need of learning life skills that will help them to be successful later. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines special education as “classes or instruction designed for students with special educational needs” (Merriam-webster.com, 2017). To assist students with disabilities, the United States government continues to use the current reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 which is currently known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of December 2015
A special education teacher and mother of three children, one with an intellectual disability of Down syndrome, diagnosed as mild and high functioning, participated in interviews with the author. The interview questions focused on the respondent’s experience and views on psychoeducational testing, which determines a student’s cognitive abilities and academic performance levels that ultimately yields recommendations for instructional planning (Bell, S. M., 2002). In conclusion, the interview includes a reflection of the two interviews through a compare and contrast as well as how the interviewees’ perspective on psychoeducational testing corresponds to the author’s personal and professional roles.
A. Gain the audience’s attention: Koch states in the article Special Education in 2000 that 1.7 million disabled children were not able to attend public schools until IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, was implemented (Koch, 2000).
Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress. Working together is success” (Brainy Quote). From here, the concept of inclusive education, including students with and without learning disabilities as peers in the same classroom, originated. The aim of this type of education is to get students with learning disabilities involved in the society. Teachers and fellow students will also provide help for students with disabilities; in this way, students with learning disabilities will be motivated to study as they feel that they are a part of a group instead of being isolated in special places. Thus, they will achieve higher grades. Moreover, they will be greatly engaged in the society as they are building bridges with their peers from several backgrounds. On the long run, teachers, parents, and the society as a whole would develop. Students with learning disabilities should be included in the “normal” classroom because it improves their academic performance, social behavior, and communication language.
One most important tip is for teachers should educate themselves and learn as much as they can about intellectual disabilities. There are some techniques and strategies that teachers can also use to support children educationally. First teachers must recognize that they can make a difference in student’ lives by finding out what their strengths and interests are, focus on them, and create opportunities for success. Teachers must also be concrete as possible by demonstrating what they mean rather than giving directions verbally and tasks that are longer in steps should be broken down into smaller steps and provide assistance when necessary. As it relates to student skills, teachers should teach life skills such as social skills and occupational awareness and exploration by involving students in group or club activities. Finally, teachers should provide the student and parents with immediate feedback and work with the student’s parents and school faculty in creating and implementing an IEP that is tailored and meet the student’s needs (Center for Parent Information &