Edu-503, Inclusive Education

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER ADHD
What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
ADHD affects children and teens and can continue into adulthood. ADHD is the most commonly
diagnosed mental disorder of children. Children with ADHD may be hyperactive and unable control
their impulses. Or they may have trouble paying attention. These behaviors interfere with school and
home life.
It’s more common in boys than in girls. It’s usually discovered during the early school years, when
a child begins to have problems paying attention.
Adults with ADHD may have trouble managing time, being organized, setting goals, and holding
down a job. They may also have problems with relationships, self-esteem, and addiction.
Symptoms in Children
Symptoms are grouped into three categories:
Inattention. A child with ADHD:
 Is easily distracted
 Doesn't follow directions or finish tasks
 Doesn't appear to be listening
 Doesn't pay attention and makes careless mistakes
 Forgets about daily activities
 Has problems organizing daily tasks
 Doesn’t like to do things that require sitting still
 Often loses things
 Tends to daydream
Hyperactivity. A child with ADHD
 Often squirms, fidgets, or bounces when sitting

 Doesn't stay seated
 Has trouble playing quietly
 Is always moving, such as running or climbing on things (In teens and adults, this is more
commonly described as restlessness.)
 Talks excessively
 Is always “on the go” as if “driven by a motor”
Impulsivity. A child with ADHD:
 Has trouble waiting for his or her turn

 Blurts out answers
 Interrupts others
Symptoms in Adults
Symptoms of ADHD may change as a person gets older. They include:
 Chronic lateness and forgetfulness

 Anxiety
 Low self-esteem
 Problems at work
 Trouble controlling anger
 Impulsiveness
 Substance abuse or addiction
 Unorganized
 Procrastination
 Easily frustrated
 Chronic boredom
 Trouble concentrating when reading
 Mood swings
 Depression
 Relationship problems
Causes of ADHD
The cause of ADHD isn’t known. Researchers say several things may lead to it, including:
 Heredity. ADHD tends to run in families.

 Chemical imbalance. Brainchemicals in people with ADHD may be out of balance.
 Brain changes. Areas of the brain that control attention are less active in children with ADHD.
 Poor nutrition, infections, smoking, drinking, and substance abuse
during pregnancy. These things can affect a baby’s brain development.
 Toxins, such as lead. They may affect a child's brain development.
 A brain injury or a brain disorder. Damage to the front of the brain, called the frontal lobe,
can cause problems with controlling impulses and emotions.
Sugar doesn’t cause ADHD. ADHD also isn’t caused by watching too much TV, a poor home life,
poor schools, or food allergies.
ADHD can't be prevented or cured. But spotting it early, plus having a good treatment and education
plan, can help a child or adult with ADHD manage their symptoms.
ADHD Treatment
Many symptoms of ADHD can be managed with medication and therapy.
Medication: Medications called stimulants can help control hyperactive and impulsive behavior and
increase attention span. They include
 Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin)
 Dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine)
 Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)
 Methylphenidate (Concerta, Daytrana, Metadate, Methylin, Ritalin, Quillivant)
Stimulant medications don’t work for everyone with ADHD. Nonstimulant medications may be
prescribed for people older than 6. These include:
 Atomoxetine (Strattera)
 Clonidine (Kapvay)
 Guanfacine (Intuniv)
Dietary supplements with omega 3s have shown some benefit. Vayarin, a non-pharmaceutical
supplement that contains omega-3s, is available by prescription only.
Therapy: These treatments focus on changing behavior.
 Special education helps a child learn at school. Having structure and a routine can help
children with ADHD a lot.
 Behavior modification teaches ways to replace bad behaviors with good ones.
 Psychotherapy (counseling) can help someone with ADHD learn better ways to handle their
emotions and frustration. It can also help improve their self-esteem. Counseling may also help
family members better understand the child or adult with ADHD.
 Social skills training can teach behaviors, such as taking turns and sharing.
Support groups of people with similar problems and needs can help with acceptance and support.
Groups also can provide a way to learn more about ADHD. These groups are helpful for adults with
ADHD or parents of children with ADHD.
What to Expect
Many people with ADHD live successful, happy, full lives. Treatment helps. It’s important to pay
attention to symptoms and see a doctor regularly. Sometimes, medication and treatments that were
once effective stop working. You may need to change the treatment plan. For many people, the
symptoms of ADHD get better in early adulthood, and some are able to stop treatment.
https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd#2-5
2. Wang’s Adaptive Learning Environments Model
(ALEM)
• Creating school learning environments

• Learn basic academic skills
• Increasing students confidence
• Responsive to student needs.
• to provide school staff with ongoing professional development.
• Evaluation based on diagnostic informal assessments by the teacher.
1. Students Learn how to perform independently.
2. Students make a successful change to their real world.
2. Enhancing the teaching routine.
3. Teach social interaction skills and motivational techniques
Unit: 3
Teaching Methods for Children with Special Needs
1. Peer Assisted Learning

Peer-assisted learning strategies (PALS) are a research-based instructional program with
evidence of effectiveness for classroom use. The main purpose of PALS is to support the
learning of all students through peer (classmate) support. PALS was designed to accommodate
academic diversity in general education classrooms and can include all students in the classroom.
Because students work with peer partners during PALS, the teacher can differentiate
instructional materials, pacing and feedback to target individual students’ learning needs. While
using this strategy, teachers carefully partner a student with a classmate. Partners then work
together on various activities that address the academic needs of both students. Pairs are required
to be changed over time so that children can learn from a diverse set of peers.
Process
In PALS, higher-performing readers are paired with lower-performing readers to practice critical
reading skills. Typically, the teacher rank orders all the students in the classroom based on
reading skill level, using recent reading assessment data. Then, the teacher splits the rank-
ordered list in half and pairs the top student from the top half with the top student from the
bottom half, and so on, until all students are paired. This way, each pair includes a stronger and a
weaker reader, but the difference are not so large as to introduce frustration between partners or
difficult in selecting appropriate reading materials. The teacher also considers students’ social
and behavioral skills and adjusts pairs accordingly. Pairs work together for about four weeks, and
then the teacher re ranks the class (again using recent assessment information) and creates new
pairs, allowing students the opportunity to work with a variety of peers. Reciprocal peer tutoring.
During PALS, partners take turns being Coach and Reader: One student provides encouragement
and correction to the other student (who is reading). The teacher provides explicit training in
these roles and PALS procedures through brief scripted lessons and provides a set of structured
prompts and corrective feedback for the Coach to use while the Reader reads. In each PALS
session, students take turns as both Coach and Reader, allowing the weaker Reader to observe a
more fluency reading model and practice critical skills with immediate feedback, while
providing the stronger Reader with the opportunity to practice and refine critical reading skills.
The highly structured, consistent procedures allow students to conduct PALS independently, and
they foster high engagement. Differentiate reading material. Because students work in pairs
during PALS, the teacher can select material that is appropriate for the weaker Reader in each
pair. The teacher selects texts at the instructional level of the weaker Reader (i.e., the weaker
Reader should make no more than one error per 10 words read). Students read multiple texts
across the school year during PALS.
Mentoring and Evaluation
Teacher monitors and provides positive reinforcement to pairs. Because students work in pairs
during PALS, the teacher is able to walk around the classroom to ensure students are following
procedures, to determine that reading materials are appropriate and to provide individualized
feedback as needed. Teachers can award points to pairs for engaging in specifi reading behaviors
(e.g., reading with expression) and social behaviors (e.g., providing help to the Reader). PALS
pairs also award themselves points for completing each activity.
Peer Assisted Learning Strategies

1. Partner Reading (students reading to each other out loud)
2. Retell (paraphrasing the meaning of a story to student peer)
3. Paragraph shrinking (summarizing a story to a peer)
4. Prediction Relay (making predictions about the next steps in the story)
2. Direct Instruction
The term direct instruction (DI) has been used in a generic manner for over 100 years to refer to
any academic instruction led by the teacher. Direct instruction model is based on the principles
of explicit teaching, behavioral psychology and classroom management research. However, over
the years, a substantial body of research has developed that indicates that this approach can be
extremely effective with students with a variety of disabilities and those at risk for falling behind
academically. DI represents a highly structured approach to learning based upon behavioral
principles, with an emphasis on high levels of academically engaged time, corrective feedback
and learning to mastery through the use of small-group instruction.
Principles of Direct Instruction
There are a number of basic principles underlying DI model. Two of the most important are that
all children can learn if they are taught using the proper approaches and that all teachers can be
successful if provided with the proper training and materials.
DI is intended to be used with students who are struggling academically, so sessions are
therefore intensive, designed to support a student grasping critical concepts within a relatively
short period of time. In order to achieve this goal, all features of curriculum design and
instructional delivery are controlled by the teacher (or more accurately, by the curriculum).
Maximizing teacher control is thought to minimize chances of students misinterpreting the
information being taught and maximize the impact of instruction.
Process
Direct instruction lessons typically follow a specific pattern or process that teachers follow
through the use of ‘scripts’ that ensure consistency and minimize off-topic discussion. All
lessons begin with a short statement of the goals of the lesson and a review of previous learning
related to the topic of interest. New material is then presented in a series of small subtasks or
steps. Each step is taught separately, with the components combined into a whole process only
after the mastery of each step is demonstrated. Detailed instructions and explanations are
provided, with teachers frequently modeling and providing examples of the behavior they are
attempting to teach, often through the use of ‘think aloud’ strategies. Instructors use prompts
(e.g., cue cards) and ask a large number of questions to students, who respond in various
groupings (as a whole group through choral responding, in pairs, and individually). This allows
for a continuous check on understanding. Students are provided with adequate practice
opportunities and correction after each step that they are taught. During initial opportunities, they
are guided to fin the correct responses via systematic feedback, prompts, and corrections.
Independent practice does not take place until all individuals in the group have demonstrated
adequate levels of understanding (80% correct) in order to avoid students practicing incorrect
responding. Progress is monitored continuously, even during independent seatwork, in an effort
to diagnosis difficulties and intervenes early when they are present. Each lesson is closed with a
review of what was learned and a group assessment of whether the goals of the lesson were met.
This review not only focuses on the specific of what has been taught but also upon their
application in a variety of contexts.
DI has been used in studies of reading comprehension and summarization, to teach students to
combine sentences, develop ‘process skills’, test-taking strategies, basic literacy, math skills, oral
and written language comprehension.
3. Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning is a strategy designed to be implemented with an entire classroom of
diverse learners across the curriculum. Cooperative learning was developed by Roger T. Johnson
and David W. Johnson at the University of Minnesota. During cooperative learning, students are
organized and work together in small heterogeneous (mixed ability) groups to maximize their
own and each other’s learning. After receiving instructions from the teacher, the students work
on an assignment until all group members successfully understand and complete it. Cooperative
learning is based on the premise that students benefit from each other’s skills and knowledge,
and they are working toward the same goal — to accomplish learning tasks. Cooperative
learning facilitates active engagement in a community of learners. By facilitating learning in
diverse groups, students are being prepared for life in today’s society. Cooperative learning
groups can be informal or more structured.
Components of Cooperative Learning
1. Positive interdependence (students depend on one another’ skills and knowledge to
succeed)
2. Promote interaction (students motivate and help each other to learn)
3. Individual and group accountability (evaluation of individual and group contributions to
ensure the group activity benefit all)
4. Interpersonal and small-group skills (building social skills to work well as a team)
5. Group processing (providing group feedback)
Process
When incorporating cooperative learning in your instruction, plan for necessary supports of
students with disabilities and struggling learners to assist them to be successfully engaged. For
example, if students are reading any materials, make sure that the reading level is appropriate for
the students. If a student has a hearing impairment or is nonverbal, ensure that they have an
effective way to communicate via sign language, pictograms or technology. If the student has a
physical disability and is unable to use hands or finger to write, have an alternative strategy in
place, such as an assistant note-taker or a speech-to-text device. For students with disabilities,
cooperative learning often works well when implemented together with direct instruction to
teach basic concepts before students work together in groups.
Types of Cooperative Learning
1. Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)
Students work as teams to ensure that all members have mastered the objective. Each student
takes an individual test on the material, and scores are averaged for each team.
2. Jigsaw Procedure
Each group member learns an essential part of the topic by working with an expert group and
then returns to the home group where the members work together to combine the knowledge to
complete the task.
3. Team-Accelerated Instruction
(TAI) is used in math, where it combines quality interactive instruction with cooperative
learning. Students receive instructions on the topic from the teacher in small homogeneous
teaching groups. Students then practice the skills learned in four- or five-member heterogeneous
learning teams at their own pace, using materials appropriate to their specific needs.
4. The Three-Step Interview
This strategy focuses on developing students’ active listening skills, helping to develop student
note-taking skills and the ability to share information with others. Students are placed into
groups of three, and each is assigned a role: interviewer, interviewee and note-taker. The roles
rotate after each interview.
Instructional Adaptations
Adaptations are a key element of the practices that lead to the successful inclusion of young
children. Adaptation is defined as the process of adjusting or modifying materials, environment,
interactions, or teaching methods to support the individual child. Adaptation also refers to the
adjustment or modification, for example the pencil grip that enables a child to use the pencil.
There are a group of adaptations that can be used by the teacher in a regular classroom.
1. Modifying Instruction: concrete classroom demonstrations, monitoring classroom
understanding, adjusting the pace, giving immediate feedback, using multiple modalities;
2. Modifying Assignments: providing models, breaking tasks into small steps, shortening
assignments, lowering difficulty levels;
3. Teaching Learning Skills: study skills, note-taking techniques, learning strategies, test-
taking skills;
4. Altering Instructional Materials: using alternative materials, taping textbooks, using
supplementary aids;
5. Altering Curriculum: lowering difficulty of course content;
6. Varying Instructional Groups: using peer tutoring, using cooperative groups;
7. Enhancing Behaviour: providing praise, offering encouragement, using behavioural
contracts, using token economies, having frequent parental contact;
8. Facilitating Progress Monitoring: reading tests orally, giving extended test-taking time,
giving frequent short quizzes, providing study guides, retaking tests, obtaining direct
daily measures of academic progress, modifying grading criteria.
General adaptations/modifications used by teachers in inclusive classroom

In order to meet the needs and abilities of individual students with mild disabilities or learning
difficulties, efficient teaching programs and practices must regularly make use of suitable
adaptations or modifications. Adaptations permit the teacher to adjust teaching practices so that
they accommodate the learning needs of individual students. A teacher can use various
adaptation to meet the learning needs of children with disabilities.
1. Adaptations of the course content

The content which is taught in general education is determined with a curriculum program. The
course content of inclusive students must be individualized according to the needs of the students
and must be made available in a systematic way. Adaptations of the content are the organization
function, level and scope of the context which will be taught according to the students’ needs.
Goals of these adaptations should also be established similar to other students, and should be
appropriate. Emerging information communication technologies that incorporate text, graphics,
sound and digitized images present multi-modal approaches to many areas of the curriculum and
are well suited to alter instruction for individual students. Audio and visual supplementations
will assist those students who may have sensory impairments in addition to learning difficulties.
Consider level and student interest while developing curriculum. Integrate skills and concepts
throughout an inclusive curriculum and only select those goals which are realistic and attainable.
2. Adaptations in the teaching process
Teachers provide a major contribution to the student with the offer of adjustments for differences
in course content. For this reason, in general education classes, different teaching ways (focus,
interaction change, pause and use different senses, etc) should be adopted with integration based
approach to present content. Contrary to traditional teaching, differentiation of the teaching
process within integration approach provides a more effective and efficient learning concept.
This differentiation can be applied to all students or only to the inclusive student. Adaptations in
the teaching process can be listed as preparing students to learning, making changes to the
instructions given during training (to use oral or written instructions), using various assistance
and tips, using visual elements such as symbols, charts, diagrams, graphs and images, providing
the student opportunities to learn, changing speed of education, using a more open and fluid
expression, duplicating samples, summarizing, identifying different strategies to make the
student correct errors, teaching again for common errors, and using the appropriate
reinforcement processes.
3. Adaptations of teaching methods and techniques
Due to the fact that each student is different, teachers are in need of using different instructional
methods and techniques and the adaptation of these techniques. Activities prepared by the
teacher must be based on the child's managing his creativity and must be directed to his
independence within the activity in accordance with knowledge of teacher, grouped teaching
methods used in the inclusive environments as teacher-centered and student centered teaching
methods. Direct teaching method, especially applied behavior analysis techniques, peer-mediated
instruction, accurate teaching methods, cooperative learning, group discussions, contextual
learning, self management strategies, computer-assisted education are listed as the other teaching
techniques.
4. Adaptations of the learning environment
Adaptation of the learning environment is an essential step for the effectiveness of learning.
There are two types of environment adaptation for students with special needs. The first of these
versions allows the participation of the student's in the learning environment. These are
adaptations of educational environment; the other is the adaptations of the physical environment.
To arrange educational environment, teachers can make presentations to the whole class
according to students' learning styles, create small groups, make them work as pairs, and if
necessary, make one-to-one education. Physical environment adaptations of the classroom must
be arranged in a secure way so that the student can move freely. Temperature, amount of light,
cleanliness, noise level, size of the class, seating arrangement and students’ accessibility to
learning materials are physical properties that directly affect learning.
5. Adaptations of the instructional materials
Adaptations of the material which is an important element of instructional adaptations made in
order to facilitate and support learning of student should be –considering the features of students-
cheap, secure, robust, portable, practical, and easy to scatter and collect. Textbooks, teacher-
made tools and models (worksheets, graphic organizers, picture cards, etc.) are commonly used
materials in educational settings. In addition, various teaching materials like computer software
and hardware, optical and non-optical tools, electronic tools, flash cards, television, video, tape
player, radio and recording devices are technical products which are developed or adapted for
individuals who are affected by the deficiency. While choosing and using these materials which
are considered as effective inclusion practices, teacher should decide with respect to
characteristics of the inclusive student different from other students.
6. Adaptations made in measurement and evaluation
It is not sufficient that instructional adaptations are just involved in the teaching process. For a
valid and reliable measurement of student outcomes, measurement and evaluation should be
made based on the adaptations of the progress of each individual. Adaptations to be made in this
process can be listed as selecting and creating appropriate measurement and evaluation system
for students (such as multiple choice, gap filling and true-false, taking advantage of open-ended
questions, open tests, open-book tests, large print texts, using sample or template/model),
adapting success criteria, and examination time (extending the amount of time or taking a break
during the evaluation, etc.), adapting test environment (exam location, seating arrangement, or
keeping objects which distract attention away, etc.), changing the type of instruction and the type
of the expected response, arranging evaluation as small groups or individual basis, informal
assessment, authentic assessment, and using anecdotal records, using account papers or story
forms for evaluation, evaluating students in multiple sessions, continuing evaluation for days,
evaluating with oral assessment or embedded assessment in the form of activities. Each
measurement results in a grading situation and it may be mentioned of ten evaluation methods.
These include: the traditional system (Letter grades or percentages), the system of passing or
failing, evaluation based on IEP, criteria or qualification level system, multi-system, shared
system, scoring system, the student’s self-comparison, the contract system, portfolio assessment,
rubric.
Strategies for Teaching Special Education Classes
Special education classes provide a unique service to physically or mentally challenged students.
The ideal special education classroom provides quality instruction to students with disabilities.
While the push in education these days seems to be toward online education and the inclusion of
special education students within mainstream classrooms, special education classes are still
needed for more severely disabled students. The purpose of the special education classroom
setting is to provide more intensive, individualized attention to the students who most need it.
However, even in special education classroom settings there can be a wide a range of skill levels
and abilities. How can teachers provide quality instruction to all students? Here are some
strategies that special education teachers can use to benefit all of their students:
1. Form small groups

Forming small groups of two or three students within the class grouped according to their level
can help with personalizing the teaching while not sacrificing class instruction time. For
example, in math class, one group could be working on the basics while a more advanced group
could be working on their geometry skills. Students would be grouped together according to
similar skill levels and objectives along their education pathway.
2. Create classroom centers

Classroom centers are another effective way students can be grouped. Each center would
specialize in one area or level. The centers would be self-contained in terms of instructions and
all lesson materials. They would also be somewhat self-explanatory and self-guided to allow the
teacher to rotate among the different centers and provide appropriate guidance. A teaching
assistant, parent or volunteer could help facilitate the groups. Such centers would strike a balance
between being self-explanatory, without totally giving up more direct teacher time.
3. Blend ‘the Basics’ with more specialized instruction

Still another way of instructing multiple levels of students is to teach general concepts to the
whole group while pairing it with individual instruction. Since every school subject has some
general concepts that could be relevant, individual students can benefit from this no matter what
their level of proficiency.
Reading comprehension strategies, the basics of math, organizing writing ideas, or even a
scientific theory are some examples of general concepts that could be taught to support what
each student is learning in that area. Students can then apply this knowledge to their particular
individual assignments. However, the teacher could always add some additional content for more
advanced students.
4. Rotate lessons
Lessons within the different groups or centers could be rotated so that on any given day the
teacher could introduce new material to one group, while only having to check in on others who
are doing more independent activities. The teacher assistant could also be of service within such
a lesson cycle.
5. Try thematic instruction
Thematic instruction is where a single theme is tied into multiple subject areas. This method of
teaching has been shown to be very effective in special education classrooms. A “theme” could
be anything from a current event, honing the skill of reading comprehension, a writing topic or a
historical event. For example, a historical event could be tied into all other subjects. The theme
should be attention-getting — something that will grab the students’ interest and keep them
engaged.
6. Provide different levels of books and materials

Since there will be a variety of proficiency levels in the classroom, be sure to have different
levels of textbooks and other teaching materials available for each subject. Having a range of
levels on hand will ensure that each student can learn at the appropriate level. This minimizes
frustration and maximizes confidence and forward momentum in the student.
As you can see, teaching special education students effectively can be enhanced with some
adjustments. Regardless of the severity of their disabilities, classes can be structured in a way
that caters to the individual level of functioning.
Doing so does not mean giving up quality personal instruction time. No matter what the content
areas or variety of levels your students are working on, harmony and integration are possible.
Strategies such as grouping, learning centers, rotating lessons, choosing class themes and having
a flexible array of texts and materials can help teachers to provide ideal instruction and support
within their special education classes.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
What is Special Education?
Special education programs are designed for those students who are mentally, physically, socially
and/or emotionally delayed. This aspect of “delay,” broadly categorized as a developmental delay,
signify an aspect of the child's overall development (physical, cognitive, scholastic skills) which
place them behind their peers. Due to these special requirements, students’ needs cannot be met
within the traditional classroom environment. Special education programs and services adapt
content, teaching methodology and delivery instruction to meet the appropriate needs of each child.
These services are of no cost to the family and are available to children until they reach 21 years
of age (states have services set in place for adults who are in need of specialized services after age
21).
The strides made in special education advocacy and policy have come far. Primarily established
through the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) External link , the law was later
amended into the Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 External link .
Education for All Handicapped Children Act, 1975
In 1975, Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, more commonly known as the Education for All
Handicapped Children Act (EHA). The goal of EHA was to ensure children with disabilities gained
access to a free and appropriate public education. This law provided local and statewide support
and protection to children and youth with disabilities, as well as their families.
Under EHA, all public schools were granted federal funding that provided equal access to
education for children with physical and/or mental disabilities. Schools were required to evaluate
children and create an educational plan that paralleled the academic experience of their non-
disabled peers. EHA requirements also provided parents and families the necessary support
systems to ensure their child received appropriate and adequate services, along with the services
needed to dispute decisions made on behalf of the child.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was amended in 1997 and is now known
as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The amendments made in IDEA
provide children and youth with disabilities access to a higher quality of education-related services,
ensuring all students the complete access to the most appropriate education within the least
restrictive environment.
Under IDEA’s legislation, all states receiving federal funding must:
 Provide all students with disabilities between the ages of three and 21 with access to an
appropriate and free public education
 Identify, locate and evaluate children labeled with disabilities
 Develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each child
 Educate children with disabilities within their "least restrictive environment." This
environment is ideally with their typically developing peers but is dependent on individual
circumstances
 Provide those students enrolled in early-intervention (EI) programs with a positive and
effective transition into an appropriate preschool program
 Provide special education services for those children enrolled in private schools
 Ensure teachers are adequately qualified and certified to teach special education
 Ensure that children with disabilities are not suspended or expelled at rates higher than
their typically developing peers
Above all, these federal provisions enacted by IDEA ensure that all children with disabilities are
provided with the adequate services and resources necessary for them to succeed within and
beyond the educational system alongside their non-disabled peers.
Types of Disabilities
The umbrella term of special education broadly identifies the academic, physical, cognitive, and
social-emotional instruction offered to children who are faced with one or more disabilities. Under
the IDEA, these disabilities are categorized into the following areas:
1.Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder refers to a developmental disability that significantly affects

communication (both verbal and nonverbal) and social interaction. These symptoms are typically
evident before the age of three and adversely affect a child’s educational performance. Other
identifying characteristics of those with ASD are engagement in repetitive activities/stereotyped
movements, resistance to change in environment and daily routine and unusual responses to
sensory stimuli.
2.Deaf-Blindness
Deaf-blindness refers to concomitant visual and hearing impairments. This combination causes
severe communication, developmental and educational needs that cannot be accommodated
through special education programs solely for those children with blindness or deafness.
3.Deafness/Hearing Impairment
Deafness means a child’s hearing impairment is so severe that it impacts the processing of
linguistic information with or without amplification and adversely affects a child’s educational
performance. Hearing impairment refers to an impairment (fluctuating or permanent) that
adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
4.Developmental Delay
Developmental delay is a term designated for children birth to age nine, and is defined as a delay
in one or more of the following areas: cognitive development, physical development, socio-
emotional development, behavioral development or communication.
5.Emotional Disturbance
Emotional disturbance refers to a condition that exhibits one or more of the following
characteristics both over an extended period of time and to an exceptional 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 and/or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and
teachers
 Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
 A general pervasive mood of unhappiness/depression
 A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school
problems
Emotional disturbance does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted unless they are
determined to have an emotional disturbance as per IDEA’s regulations.
6.Intellectual Disability
Intellectual disability is defined as a significantly below average functioning of overall intelligence

that exists alongside deficits in adaptive behavior and is manifested during the child’s
developmental period causing adverse effects on the child’s educational performance.
7.Multiple Disabilities
Children with multiple disabilities are those with concomitant impairments such as intellectual
disability and blindness or intellectual disability and orthopedic impairment(s). This combination
causes severe educational needs that cannot be met through programs designed for children with
a single impairment. (Deaf-blindness is not identified as a multiple disability and is outlined
separately by IDEA.)
8.Orthopedic Impairment
Orthopedic impairment(s) refer to severe orthopedic impairments that adversely affect a child’s
academic performance. Orthopedic impairment(s) include those caused by congenital anomalies
and diseases, as well impairments by other causes (i.e. Cerebral Palsy).
9.Other Health Impairment(s)
Other health impairments refer to a limitation in strength, vitality or alertness, resulting in limited
alertness to one’s educational environment. These impairments are often due to chronic or acute
health problems — including ADD/ADHD, epilepsy, and Tourette’s syndrome — and adversely
affect the child’s educational performance.
10.Specific Learning Disability
Specific learning disability refers to a range of disorders in which one or more basic psychological
processes involved in the comprehensive/usage of language — both spoken or written —
establishes an impairment in one’s ability to listen, think, read, write, spell and/or complete
mathematical calculations. Included are conditions such as perceptual disabilities, dyslexia (also
dyscalculia, dysgraphia), brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction and developmental aphasia.
Specific learning disabilities do not include learning problems that are the result of visual, auditory
or motor disabilities, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance or those who are placed at an
environmental/economic disadvantage.
11.Speech/Language Impairment
Speech or language impairments refer to communications disorders such as stuttering, impaired

articulation or language/voice impairments that have an adverse effect on a child’s educational
performance.
12.Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Traumatic brain injury refers to an acquired injury to the brain caused by external physical forces.
This injury is one that results in a partial or complete functional disability and/or psychosocial
impairment and must adversely affect the child’s educational performance. TBI does not include
congenital or degenerative conditions or those caused by birth-related trauma. TBI applies to
injuries that result in impairments in one or more of the following areas: cognition, language,
memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, psychosocial
behavior, physical functions, information processing, and speech.
13.Visual Impairment (Including Blindness)
Visual impairment, which includes blindness, refers to impairment in one’s vision that, even after
correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term “visual impairment” is
inclusive of those with partial sight and blindness.
In order to be deemed eligible for state special education services, IDEA states that a student’s
disability must adversely affect his or her academic achievement and/or overall educational
performance. While defining these adverse effects are dependent on a student’s categorical
disability, eligibility is determined through a process of evaluations by professionals such as a
child’s pediatrician/specialists, school psychologists and social workers. After a student is deemed
able to receive such services, their progress is annually reviewed.
14.Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

An Individualized Education Program (commonly referred to as IEP) is a document, mandated
by the IDEA, which clearly defines the individual goal and objectives set for a child with a
disability. These programs are written documentation of the special education program and
academic modifications required to meet the child’s individual needs. The two main purposes of
a student’s IEP are to:
1. Set reasonable learning goals for the student, and

2. State the required services that the school district needs to provide for said child.
IEPs are developed by a team including the child’s teacher(s), parents, and supporting school
staff. This team meets annually (at minimum) to assess the academic and developmental progress
of the student, design appropriate educational plans, and adhere any changes if necessary. The
main goal these reviews is to ensure that the child is receiving appropriate and adequate services
within their least restrictive environment.
While each child’s IEP is unique, IDEA mandates that all IEPs must contain the following
specific information:
 Student’s present level of academic achievement and overall performance

 Annual goals and/or objectives for the child (milestones that both parents and school staff
feel is reasonably achievable within the next year.)
 Special education and related services, including supplementary services such as adaptive
communication devices, adequate transportation services, and appropriate school
personnel
 Portion of the day that the child will be educated apart from his or her typically-
developing peers
 Participation and/or modification to district-, state-, and nation-wide assessments
 How child’s progress will be measured
For a much more detailed explanation of everything that goes into creating an IEP, as well as an
overview of the basic Special Education Process under IDEA, please refer to the U.S.
Department of Education's Guide to the Individualized Education Program External link .
Become a Special Education Teacher
Just as with general education certification, becoming a certified Special Education teacher
allows you to work with a wide range of student ages, grade levels, and abilities. Special
Education programs are designed to meet the specific and unique instructional needs of each
child, allowing students to be grouped homogeneously by developmental stage (ability) rather
than by age. This unique aspect of Special Education allows teachers to provide aid and
instruction based on the students' skill level, rather than biological age. This unique aspect of
Special Education allows educators to provide aid and instruction based on a child’s interest and
ability, rather than biological age. However, most certification programs are categorized by the
student’s age, allowing teachers to become certified for the following age groups:
 Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education programs: Birth - Age 4
 Childhood Special Education: Kindergarten - 6th Grade
 Secondary Special Education: 7th - 12th Grade
 A number of special education certification programs offer a general certification in birth
to 21 years old, allowing educators to work with virtually any age demographic
Where Can Special Education Teachers Work?

Deciding on a career in special education allows you to work with a wide range of children of
different ages and abilities, as well as a number of unique work environments. Special education
teachers are able to work in a number of environments, including but not limited to the
traditional classroom. It is a unique ability of special education teachers to reach students outside
of the traditional classroom, allowing the needs of a broader population of children to be met.
Work environments for those certified in Special Education may include:

 Specialized/self-contained schools
 Self-contained classes among general education settings (may include Resource Room,
ELL classes, Alternative Education programs)
 General education classrooms (both public and private schools) operating under
an inclusion/CTT model
 Self-contained and Inclusion model preschool programs
 Early Intervention programs — includes both at-home and at-site services
 Residential facilities
 Home programs
 Health agencies and clinics
 Hospitals
Student Demographics
The inclusive education classroom model where students with special needs are taught in
classrooms alongside their general education peers. This model most often operates under a co-
teaching strategy, also known as CTT (Collaborative Team Teaching) or ITT (Integrated Co-
Teaching) External link , in that the classroom has both a General Education and Special
Education teacher.
The difference between inclusion classrooms and self-contained classrooms is that special needs
students in inclusive classrooms are typically labeled as having mild to moderate disabilities,
while students within self-contained classrooms are labeled as having severe/multiple
disabilities. While both mild/moderate and severe/multiple disabilities fall under the same special
education category, the needs of these students vary, so it is important that you find a degree
program that allows you to focus on your demographic of students.
Teaching Students With Mild-to-Moderate Disabilities

Becoming certified to teach students with mild to moderate disabilities prepares you to help
children whose special needs hinder their academic achievement, usually in areas of math,
reading, writing, and socialization. Students with mild to moderate special needs spend part or a
majority of their school day in a general education/CTT classroom occasionally supplemented
with time in speech, resource room, occupational therapy, etc.
Individuals looking to work with students with mild to moderate disabilities should look into
school programs that focus on preparing educators to work within that specific demographic.
Special education programs such as our partner USC Rossier Online External link tailor their
programs so that teachers are aptly prepared for succeeding in a co-teaching classroom model.
The special needs of students with mild to moderate disabilities may include learning disabilities,
speech/language disorders, behavior disorders, ADD/ADHD and/or high-functioning Autism
Spectrum Disorder.
Teaching Students With Severe/Multiple Disabilities

Becoming certified to teach students with severe/multiple disabilities prepares you to work with
students whose special needs inhibit their performance — not only on an academic level but also
in terms of their physical capabilities and life skills — leading to severe educational needs. The
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) defines severe
disabilities External link as individuals with severe to profound developmental and/or
intellectual disabilities. The severity of these disabilities must require “ongoing, extensive
support” in life and/or social activities in order to participate in educational and community
activities.
Those looking to work with students who have severe and/or multiple disabilities will most
commonly work in specialized private school settings or in self-contained special education
classes in a general education setting. Teachers with a degree in severe/multiple disabilities also
have the opportunity to work with government agencies, non-profit organizations and private
institutions devoted to students with severe developmental disabilities.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS'
The term 'special educational needs' has a legal definition, referring to children who
have learning problems or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most
children of the same age. Many children will have special needs of some kind at some
time during their education.
Help will usually be provided in their ordinary school, sometimes with the help of
specialists. If your child has special educational needs, they may need extra help in a
range of areas, for example:
 schoolwork
 reading, writing, number work or understanding information
 expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying
 making friends or interacting with adults
 behaving properly in school
 organizing themselves
 some kind of sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school
 ability to understand things
Children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) may need extra help because of a
range of needs.
 Communicating and interacting - for example, where children and young people have speech,
language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of
language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others
 Cognition and learning - for example, where children and young people learn at a slower pace
than others their age, have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum, have difficulties
with organisation and memory skills, or have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of
their learning performance such as in literacy or numeracy
 Social, emotional and mental health difficulties - for example, where children and young
people have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people, are withdrawn, or if
they behave in ways that may hinder their and other children's learning, or that have an impact
on their health and wellbeing
 Sensory and/or physical needs - for example, children and young people with visual and/or
hearing impairments, or a physical need that means they must have additional ongoing support
and equipment
Unit: 3

Process

Process
succeed)
Process
2. Jigsaw Procedure
complete the task.
taking skills;
supplementary aids;


techniques.
rubric.



advanced students.
4. Rotate lessons
a lesson cycle.
engaged.

COMPONENTS OF
LEARNING IN INCLUSIVE
EDUCATION
COMPONENTS OF LEARNING
• Knowledge.
• Skills.
• Dispositions.
• Feelings.
KNOWLEDGE
• Knowledge includes facts, information, and concepts that teach students what to do.
With the Three Dimensional Model, students learn information about the student with
disabilities. Students attending a general classroom need to prepare for the inclusion of a
student with a disability by obtaining more knowledge about the disability. For instance,
students' may learn that a classmate with Asperger's syndrome has difficulty socializing,
dominates discussion, continues to adhere to the same topic during discussions, and in
general, communicates poorly. The students' may learn that a classmate with an attention
deficit hyperactive disorder has difficulty being still, makes decisions without regard to
consequences, and becomes easily distracted.
SKILLS
• Skills are small units of action or specific behaviours that can be fairly easily observed and that occur in a
relatively short period of time. While the increase in knowledge teaches students about the
characteristics of classmates with disabilities, the development of skills teaches students how to
communicate and interact more successfully with their peers with disabilities. In the case of
the classmate with Asperger's syndrome, the students will need to develop skills designed to facilitate a
two-way discussion. Students' knowledge of the characteristics is necessary, but not sufficient. Students
may understand that a classmate with Asperger's syndrome struggles with effective communication
without knowing how to interact successfully in spite of the understanding. Likewise, students without
disabilities may become aware that a classmate with Down syndrome may need assistance in completing
work through brief sequential steps. The small units of action or skills learned by the students are an
integral part of the model.
DISPOSITIONS
• Dispositions. Dispositions are different from skills and knowledge. Katz (1989) suggests
that dispositions can be thought of as habits of mind, tendencies to respond to situations
in certain ways. While knowledge is about understanding the characteristics of a disability
and skills are about how to communicate and interact successfully regardless of the
disability, the development of dispositions is more about the explanations for student
behaviours based on their "belief systems. Curiosity, friendliness, being bossy, bullying,
and creativity are examples of dispositions
DISPOSITIONS
• There is a difference, for instance, in having reading skills and having the desire or
disposition to read. There is also a difference in classmates having the skill to
communicate with a student with disabilities and having the will or disposition to
communicate with the classmate. For example, students may develop the skills to
communicate with a classmate who processes information very slowly or who stutters
badly without demonstrating a desire or disposition to include the classmate during
social activities or cooperative learning activities. A question such as, "What are your
thoughts about peers being separated from the group?" is designed to encourage
students to think more seriously about the inclusion of classmates alienated because of
their differences and/or lack of abilities.
FEELINGS
• Feelings are subjective emotional states that can be considered both innate and learned
but are based upon an individual's thoughts or dispositions. Student's self-oriented
feelings may include feeling confident, secure, lonely, competent, inferior, and connected.
Student's other-oriented feelings may include the feeling of concern, compassion, and
empathy toward another classmate or classmates. They may feel uneasy near a classmate
with a particular physical disability, especially where there may be a loss of limb. However,
an emphasis on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the student with the
physical disability can more easily result in a replacement of the uneasiness
with more positive feelings.The students will be more inclined to
demonstrate friendship and caring once the uneasiness diminishes.
FEELINGS
• In this model, feelings are an integral part of the preparation of students for inclusion. The
positive feelings resulting from the increase in understanding, the development of skills,
and the development of dispositions contribute to the students' propensity to show
caring, especially to classmates' whose disabilities may alienate and separate them from
peers. Through this emphasis on knowledge building, skill enhancement, and fostering
positive dispositions, students' without disabilities learn more positive thoughts and
feelings about students' with disabilities and become more inclined to take more positive
action.
MODEL FOR PREPARING CHILDREN FOR
INCLUSION
• Create environment
• Identify the differences and lack of abilities
• Improve the relationship among all students
• Focus on disposition
• Communication and interaction
• Activities
Models of Inclusion
In response to the call for full inclusion, several alternative service delivery models have been
developed and implemented. Each model has its own unique quality, yet there are several common
elements among them. One key element, and what proponents believe is paramount to the success
of full inclusion, is the collaboration between General and Special education teachers. By sharing
responsibilities through team teaching, the two sectors are able to develop a more comprehensive
program that could adapt to the needs of all students (Reynolds,
Wang, and Walberg, 1987).
1. Push or Full Inclusion
"Push In" has the special education teacher enter the classroom to provide instruction and
support to children. The push in teacher will bring materials into the classroom. The teacher
may work with the child on math during the math period, or perhaps reading during the
literacy block. The push in teacher also often provides instructional support to the general
education teacher, perhaps helping with differentiation of instruction.
"Full Inclusion" places a special education teacher as a full partner in a classroom with a
general education teacher. The general education teacher is the teacher of record, and is
responsible for the child, even though the child may have an Individual Education Program.
There are strategies to help children with IEPs succeed, but there are also many challenges.
No doubt not all teachers are well suited to partner in full inclusion, but skills for
collaboration can be learned.
2. Wang’s Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM)

One of the most multifaceted programs to integrate special education students into the classroom
is Wang’s Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM). This model was designed to create
school learning environments in which all students can learn basic academic skills and increase
their confidence in their ability to cope with the social and intellectual demands of school (Wang,
Rubenstein, and Reynolds 1985). The ALEM combines a prescriptive learning component
consisting of highly structured and hierarchically organized learning activities with an exploratory
learning component consisting of a variety of learning activities aimed at increasing schools’
capabilities to accommodate individual learning needs. The Adaptive Learning Environments
Model is designed to provide instruction that is responsive to student needs and to provide school
staff with ongoing professional development and school-based program implementation support
to achieve student success. Instruction is based on diagnostic test results and informal assessments
by the teacher. Every student is expected to make steady progress in meeting the curricular
standards. Learning tasks are broken down into incremental steps, providing frequent opportunities
for evaluation.
3. Team Teaching Inclusionary Model
Another model of inclusion that has shown success is team teaching. In this model the general
education and special education teachers join together and teach all students in one class as
partners. According to Walther (1996), effective co-teaching occurs when the teachers are equal
partners. They must both contribute to every phase of the class work, including planning and
evaluation. Successful team teaching needs to be effectively planned and supported with needed
resource materials. Time is also a key factor. Changing to a team teaching approach does not
happen in one year. It is a developmental process that needs adjusting by trial and error.
The team teaching inclusionary model comes with many reported benefits for the teachers and the
students, both special and general education. In her longitudinal study on co-teaching experiences,
Walther-Thomas (1996) reports that Learning Disabled students benefit by having improved self-
esteem and motivation along with enhanced academic performance. She also reports that general
education students increase their academic performance and social skills.
4. Strategies Intervention Model (SIM)
Another highly recognized program that facilitates the inclusion of special education students is
the Strategies Intervention Model (SIM). "The model is based on the belief that all students should
develop their potential as independent and strategic learners across learning, social, motivational,
and decision-making areas" (Tralli, Columbo, Deshler., and Schmaker,1996). Directly correlated
with this belief is a three step strategy intervention curriculum. The curriculum serves as a support
system that helps adolescents with learning disabilities transition into the secondary general
education environment. In response to the demands and expectations the students are taught
learning strategies for acquiring, storing, and expressing content objectives. In addition, the special
education teachers were responsible for teaching a more comprehensive set of strategy systems to
the Learning Disabled population. This allows the Learning Disabled student, who is generally an
ineffective learner with poor processing skills, to develop a coping technique by using one or
several of these strategies in combination. These strategies are designed to give the students a
roadmap he or she can use to successfully meet the demands of learning in secondary classes. The
second strategy intervention is aimed at enhancing the teaching routine in the general education
classroom. Enhancing the routine entails using graphic organizers, relating information to
students’ prior knowledge, and previewing the content before instruction. The third and final
intervention strategy is designed to teach social interaction skills and motivational techniques. A
specific strategy entitled "Share Behaviors" prepares the student for involvement in team meetings
and conferences regarding their education. Students are encouraged to inventory their strengths
and assist in their own planning.
5. Circle of Inclusion Model
The "Circle of Inclusion," is the most "personnel-intensive" model of Inclusion. This model is
primarily used in the education of very young children (birth to age eight) but includes elements
to assist in a student’s transition to other educational or societal environments. The Circle of
Inclusion model has been adapted in various settings from Montessori to traditional public
elementary settings.
Frequent meetings are held to review the progress and needs of each child in a Circle of Inclusion
classroom. The Circle of Inclusion model also assures ample opportunity for the development of
social, emotional and interpersonal skills of the disabled student. Another element of this model
addresses this social objective.
Children are encouraged to work together and teachers "team teach." Everyone is aware of the
strengths and weaknesses of others in their classroom. By becoming actively involved with
disabled students, typical students and the teaching team can develop an appreciation for and
successful methods for optimizing the special students’ abilities.
6. Systematic Assessment for Inclusion: The Saale Model
The SAALE Model (Systematic Approach for Assessing/Accessing the Learning Environment) is
a framework for making decisions on how to teach students with special needs and all students
served in inclusive setting. This is the cornerstone for creating an Inclusive Classroom. The
SAALE Model is a process for Differentiating Instruction to ensure student’s success. The model
provides a framework to help educators decide where in the instructional day (or in which
environment) a student is having or will have a mismatch. According to (Wood, 1989), research
on the SAALE Model shown that the use of the SAALE process provides significant educational
gains in diverse populations.( as cited in Wood, J. W,
2009).
The SAALE Model Process.
According to the SAALE Model, content and students interact in three major environments: The
learning Environment, Teaching Environment and the Evaluation and Grading Environment. Each
of three environments are ongoing and include technology. At any point a student may experience
a mismatch. When a mismatch occurs and is identified using the checklist, the point of
interventions is identified and the appropriate research- based strategy is implemented.
Understanding the mismatch is crucial when using the SAALE Model. Mismatches are not caused
by child or teacher. A mismatch is simply a point where the child cannot succeed because the
teacher has expectations that are not compatible with the student’s abilities. Children are not going
to adjust to the environment; the environment must be adjusted to the student.
Models of Inclusion
In response to the call for full inclusion, several alternative service delivery models have been
developed and implemented. Each model has its own unique quality, yet there are several common
elements among them. One key element, and what proponents believe is paramount to the success
of full inclusion, is the collaboration between General and Special education teachers. By sharing
responsibilities through team teaching, the two sectors are able to develop a more comprehensive
program that could adapt to the needs of all students (Reynolds,
Wang, and Walberg, 1987).
1. Push or Full Inclusion
"Push In" has the special education teacher enter the classroom to provide instruction and
support to children. The push in teacher will bring materials into the classroom. The teacher
may work with the child on math during the math period, or perhaps reading during the
literacy block. The push in teacher also often provides instructional support to the general
education teacher, perhaps helping with differentiation of instruction.
"Full Inclusion" places a special education teacher as a full partner in a classroom with a
general education teacher. The general education teacher is the teacher of record, and is
responsible for the child, even though the child may have an Individual Education Program.
There are strategies to help children with IEPs succeed, but there are also many challenges.
No doubt not all teachers are well suited to partner in full inclusion, but skills for
collaboration can be learned.
2. Wang’s Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM)

One of the most multifaceted programs to integrate special education students into the classroom
is Wang’s Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM). This model was designed to create
school learning environments in which all students can learn basic academic skills and increase
their confidence in their ability to cope with the social and intellectual demands of school (Wang,
Rubenstein, and Reynolds 1985). The ALEM combines a prescriptive learning component
consisting of highly structured and hierarchically organized learning activities with an exploratory
learning component consisting of a variety of learning activities aimed at increasing schools’
capabilities to accommodate individual learning needs. The Adaptive Learning Environments
Model is designed to provide instruction that is responsive to student needs and to provide school
staff with ongoing professional development and school-based program implementation support
to achieve student success. Instruction is based on diagnostic test results and informal assessments
by the teacher. Every student is expected to make steady progress in meeting the curricular
standards. Learning tasks are broken down into incremental steps, providing frequent opportunities
for evaluation.
3. Team Teaching Inclusionary Model
Another model of inclusion that has shown success is team teaching. In this model the general
education and special education teachers join together and teach all students in one class as
partners. According to Walther (1996), effective co-teaching occurs when the teachers are equal
partners. They must both contribute to every phase of the class work, including planning and
evaluation. Successful team teaching needs to be effectively planned and supported with needed
resource materials. Time is also a key factor. Changing to a team teaching approach does not
happen in one year. It is a developmental process that needs adjusting by trial and error.
The team teaching inclusionary model comes with many reported benefits for the teachers and the
students, both special and general education. In her longitudinal study on co-teaching experiences,
Walther-Thomas (1996) reports that Learning Disabled students benefit by having improved self-
esteem and motivation along with enhanced academic performance. She also reports that general
education students increase their academic performance and social skills.
4. Strategies Intervention Model (SIM)
Another highly recognized program that facilitates the inclusion of special education students is
the Strategies Intervention Model (SIM). "The model is based on the belief that all students should
develop their potential as independent and strategic learners across learning, social, motivational,
and decision-making areas" (Tralli, Columbo, Deshler., and Schmaker,1996). Directly correlated
with this belief is a three step strategy intervention curriculum. The curriculum serves as a support
system that helps adolescents with learning disabilities transition into the secondary general
education environment. In response to the demands and expectations the students are taught
learning strategies for acquiring, storing, and expressing content objectives. In addition, the special
education teachers were responsible for teaching a more comprehensive set of strategy systems to
the Learning Disabled population. This allows the Learning Disabled student, who is generally an
ineffective learner with poor processing skills, to develop a coping technique by using one or
several of these strategies in combination. These strategies are designed to give the students a
roadmap he or she can use to successfully meet the demands of learning in secondary classes. The
second strategy intervention is aimed at enhancing the teaching routine in the general education
classroom. Enhancing the routine entails using graphic organizers, relating information to
students’ prior knowledge, and previewing the content before instruction. The third and final
intervention strategy is designed to teach social interaction skills and motivational techniques. A
specific strategy entitled "Share Behaviors" prepares the student for involvement in team meetings
and conferences regarding their education. Students are encouraged to inventory their strengths
and assist in their own planning.
5. Circle of Inclusion Model
The "Circle of Inclusion," is the most "personnel-intensive" model of Inclusion. This model is
primarily used in the education of very young children (birth to age eight) but includes elements
to assist in a student’s transition to other educational or societal environments. The Circle of
Inclusion model has been adapted in various settings from Montessori to traditional public
elementary settings.
Frequent meetings are held to review the progress and needs of each child in a Circle of Inclusion
classroom. The Circle of Inclusion model also assures ample opportunity for the development of
social, emotional and interpersonal skills of the disabled student. Another element of this model
addresses this social objective.
Children are encouraged to work together and teachers "team teach." Everyone is aware of the
strengths and weaknesses of others in their classroom. By becoming actively involved with
disabled students, typical students and the teaching team can develop an appreciation for and
successful methods for optimizing the special students’ abilities.
6. Systematic Assessment for Inclusion: The Saale Model
The SAALE Model (Systematic Approach for Assessing/Accessing the Learning Environment) is
a framework for making decisions on how to teach students with special needs and all students
served in inclusive setting. This is the cornerstone for creating an Inclusive Classroom. The
SAALE Model is a process for Differentiating Instruction to ensure student’s success. The model
provides a framework to help educators decide where in the instructional day (or in which
environment) a student is having or will have a mismatch. According to (Wood, 1989), research
on the SAALE Model shown that the use of the SAALE process provides significant educational
gains in diverse populations.( as cited in Wood, J. W,
2009).
The SAALE Model Process.
According to the SAALE Model, content and students interact in three major environments: The
learning Environment, Teaching Environment and the Evaluation and Grading Environment. Each
of three environments are ongoing and include technology. At any point a student may experience
a mismatch. When a mismatch occurs and is identified using the checklist, the point of
interventions is identified and the appropriate research- based strategy is implemented.
Understanding the mismatch is crucial when using the SAALE Model. Mismatches are not caused
by child or teacher. A mismatch is simply a point where the child cannot succeed because the
teacher has expectations that are not compatible with the student’s abilities. Children are not going
to adjust to the environment; the environment must be adjusted to the student.
7. Resource Room Model
With drawl (or pull out). The child getting this type of support will receive some time in the resource rooms
are classrooms (sometimes smaller classrooms) where a special education program can be delivered to a
student with a disability. It is for the student who qualifies for either a special class or regular class
placement but needs some special instruction in an individualized or small group setting for a portion of
the day. Individual needs are supported in resource rooms as defined by the student's IEP. Sometimes this
form of support is called Resource and room which refers to the withdrawal portion of the day and sometime
in the regular classroom with modifications and or accommodations which is the resource support in the
regular classroom. This type of support helps ensure that the inclusion model is still in place.
Resource Room
Resource rooms are classrooms where a special

education teacher instructs and assists students identified
with a disability. These classrooms are staffed by special
education teachers and sometimes paraprofessional. The
number of students in a resource room at a specific time
varies from state, but generally consists of at most five
students per teacher. Mainstreaming in education
typically includes this service to students with special
needs. These students require special instruction in an
individualized or small group setting for a portion of the
day. Individual needs are supported in resource rooms as defined by the student's Individualized Education
Program (IEP). The student getting this type of support will receive some time in the resource room which
is referred to as 'removal from the regular education environment' portion of the day and sometime in the
regular classroom with modifications and or accommodations which is specialized instruction with their
non-disabled peers. Special education support within the regular education setting is part of the inclusion
model.
Special class Approach

Approach
Learning disabled children often struggle with oral compression and will require strategies and approaches
to ensure that they can comprehend material and information that is presented orally. In the classroom,
much information is presented orally and it is critical to ensure that those with deficits in oral
comprehension have their needs met. The following strategies will assist both teachers and parents:
Present information in short and simple sentences.

Always check to ensure that the child understands by repeating or rephrasing your
instructions/directions. Use voice intonation to keep his/her attention.
Whenever possible, use visual aids and or charts to reference as you're talking.
Use organizers whenever possible such as sub-titles, lists of instructions, sequence of tasks
to be done and reference them as you're giving instructions/directions.
Provide ample 'wait' time. As the student to repeat for the class what the expectations are.
Teach strategies to these students that include rehearsing mentally, how to focus on key
words and how to use mnemonics (an example of mnemonics would include the steps for
long division - Dracula Must Suck Blood which prompts the child for divide, multiply,
subtract and bring down)
Provide group learning situations whereby the student is prompted and or assisted by group
members.
Review orally presented material regularly and provide taped versions if necessary.
Programs Where Student Receive Education in General Classroom
The Regular Education Initiative (REI),
The Regular Education Initiative (REI), first formally introduced in 1986 by former Assistant Secretary of
Education, Madeleine C. Will, called for general educators to become more responsible for the education
of students who have special needs in school. Mainstreaming, the practice of placing students with
disabilities into regular education classrooms, has been accepted for some time; nevertheless, however,
Will lent official sanction to the notion that regular education should take over even more of the functions
traditionally thought the province of special education. In essence, she questioned the legitimacy of special
education as a system of education distinct from general education.
The REI, as articulated by Will, was vague with regard to how much regular education should assume
responsibility for the education of students with disabilities. In fact, that vagueness has contributed to the
current debate in the 1990s over the roles of special versus regular education in educational programming
for students with disabilities. Today, views on the inclusion of students with disabilities range from full
inclusion--the belief that all students with disabilities should be educated solely in the regular classroom--
to the belief in the maintenance of a full range of service delivery options (the continuum of services option),
including residential institutions, special schools, special classes, resource rooms, and regular classes.
Methods to Enhance Inclusion of Students with Disabilities
Classroom Environment
Provide the use of a study carrel when necessary.

Seat student in area free from distractions.
Eliminate all unnecessary materials from student desk to reduce distractions.
Use a checklist to help student get organized.
Keep an extra supply of pencils, pens, books and paper in the classroom.
You may have to allow the student frequent breaks.
Have an agreed upon cue for student to leave the classroom.
Reduce visual distractions in the classroom.
Time Management and Transitions
Space short work periods with breaks.

Provide additional time to complete assignment.
Allow extra time for homework completion.
Inform student with several reminders, several minutes apart, before changing from one activity to
the next.
Reduce amount of work from usual assignment.
Provide a specific place for turning in assignments.
Presentation of Materials
Modify expectations based on student’s needs.

Break assignments into segments of shorter tasks.
Give alternative assignments rather than long written assignments.
Provide a model of end product.
Provide written and verbal direction with visuals if possible.
Break long assignments into small sequential steps, monitoring each step.
Highlight to alert student attention to key points within the written direction of the assignment.
Check that all homework assignments are written correctly in some kind of an agenda/homework
book. Sign it and have parents sign it as well.
Number and sequence steps in a task.
Provide outlines, study guides, copies of overhead notes.
Explain learning expectations to the student before beginning a lesson.
Make sure you have the student’s attention before beginning a lesson.
Allow for student to use tape recorders, computers, calculators and dictation to obtain and retain
assignment success.
Allow oral administration of test.
Limit the number of concepts presented at one time.
Provide incentives for beginning and completing material.
Assessment, Grading and Testing
Provide a quiet setting for test taking; allow tests to be scribed if necessary and allowing for oral
responses.
Exempt student from district wide testing if possible.
Divide test into small sections.
Grade spelling separately from content.
Allow as much time as needed to complete.
Avoid time test.
Change percentage of work required for passing grade.
Permit retaking the test.
Provide monitored breaks from test.
Behavior
Avoid confrontations and power struggles.

Provide an appropriate peer role model.
Modify rules that may discriminate against student with neurological disorder.
Develop a system or code that will let the student know when behavior is not appropriate.
Ignore attention seeking behaviors that are not disruptive to the classroom.
Arrange a designated safe place that student can go to.
Develop a code of conduct for the classroom and visually display it in an appropriate place where
all students can see it, review it frequently.
Develop a behavior intervention plan that is realistic and easily applied.
Provide immediate reinforces and feedback.
Delivering an academic program to a room full of unique students is certainly a challenge.
Implementing some of the listed strategies will provide a comfortable learning place for all students
regardless of their academic abilities.
Unit: 3

Process

Process
succeed)
Process
2. Jigsaw Procedure
complete the task.
taking skills;
supplementary aids;


techniques.
rubric.



advanced students.
4. Rotate lessons
a lesson cycle.
engaged.

Unit: 3

Process

Process
succeed)
Process
2. Jigsaw Procedure
complete the task.
taking skills;
supplementary aids;


techniques.
rubric.



advanced students.
4. Rotate lessons
a lesson cycle.
engaged.


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ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER ADHD

What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Hyperactivity. A child with ADHD

 Often squirms, fidgets, or bounces when sitting

Impulsivity. A child with ADHD:

 Has trouble waiting for his or her turn

 Chronic lateness and forgetfulness

 Heredity. ADHD tends to run in families.

• Creating school learning environments

Teaching Methods for Children with Special Needs

1. Peer Assisted Learning

Peer Assisted Learning Strategies

General adaptations/modifications used by teachers in inclusive classroom

1. Adaptations of the course content

1. Form small groups

2. Create classroom centers

3. Blend ‘the Basics’ with more specialized instruction

6. Provide different levels of books and materials

Education for All Handicapped Children Act, 1975

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Under IDEA’s legislation, all states receiving federal funding must:

1.Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder refers to a developmental disability that significantly affects

 An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors

Intellectual disability is defined as a significantly below average functioning of overall intelligence

9.Other Health Impairment(s)

10.Specific Learning Disability

Speech or language impairments refer to communications disorders such as stuttering, impaired

12.Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

13.Visual Impairment (Including Blindness)

14.Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

1. Set reasonable learning goals for the student, and

 Student’s present level of academic achievement and overall performance

Become a Special Education Teacher

Where Can Special Education Teachers Work?

Work environments for those certified in Special Education may include:

Teaching Students With Mild-to-Moderate Disabilities

Teaching Students With Severe/Multiple Disabilities

Teaching Methods for Children with Special Needs

1. Peer Assisted Learning

Peer Assisted Learning Strategies

General adaptations/modifications used by teachers in inclusive classroom

1. Adaptations of the course content

1. Form small groups

2. Create classroom centers

3. Blend ‘the Basics’ with more specialized instruction

6. Provide different levels of books and materials

1. Push or Full Inclusion

2. Wang’s Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM)

1. Push or Full Inclusion

2. Wang’s Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM)

Resource rooms are classrooms where a special

Special class Approach

Present information in short and simple sentences.

The Regular Education Initiative (REI),

Methods to Enhance Inclusion of Students with Disabilities

Provide the use of a study carrel when necessary.

Space short work periods with breaks.

Modify expectations based on student’s needs.