special education professionals

special education professionals

Advancing Special Education: A Comprehensive Guide for Professionals

1. Introduction to Special Education

Special education evolved in the mid-twentieth century in response to the educational needs of children deemed eligible for services. Practice is always deeply rooted in values, policies, and laws, often perpetuated in response to social injustices, and the field of special education is no exception. As you know, the history of special education is embedded in the broader efforts to afford rights to all individuals and prohibit discrimination on the basis of difference. As history would have it, the United States experienced two major movements in the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. Abolitionists of the sixties rejected the idea that inequality was legal and fought to eliminate discriminatory laws and establish equal rights for people regardless of race, gender, or religion. Similarly, the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century continued the plight of the abolitionists, who sought to eliminate discrimination against African Americans, women, and people with disabilities.

In this section, a comprehensive introduction to special education is provided. This aim introduces readers to the fundamental concepts of special education and presents a brief overview of the history, laws, and policies that have shaped the field. Furthermore, the eight categories of disabilities are discussed, and many children who are considered eligible for special education are introduced. Special education professionals need to be familiar with the laws that have shaped the field of special education. Consequently, an explanation and brief discussion are provided on the PL 94-142, now known as IDEA, law that mandates special education and related services. The No Child Left Behind (2001) law, which has greatly affected the provisions of services to children with exceptionalities, is also introduced. However, it is important to note that lack of space has prohibited us from introducing and discussing all the anti-discrimination laws that have shaped the field of special education.

2. Foundations of Special Education Practice

Culture and Diversity: Culture and diversity considerations in special education cover such topics as family involvement and creating a climate that includes students with disabilities. From the micro view of the classroom, it is only the diverse instruction-logistics especially that must be managed differently in a 4th or 5th generation inclusive classroom. Sowing the seeds of respect is the one factor at the top of the list. Fostering a fair and democratic classroom is the second. In this chapter’s section on disability awareness, the theme specified under culture and diversity is for preservice teacher candidates to, “Develop activities and/or materials that promote the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to create a classroom climate of understanding, acceptance, and high expectations for students with [disabilities].” In other words, as teacher candidates in class, it’s not “learning about special education” that really matters; what really matters is doing what works for all students. Given that, the special educator must be to some degree differentiated so that the individual needs of the child with a disability can be met. Back to learning when, where, and how the instruction is being differentiated!

Legal and Ethical Issues: Special education operates under an integrated tapestry of legal and ethical issues.

Roles and Responsibilities: The roles of special education professionals have experienced considerable change from the somewhat narrow focus on “medical” things, that which we would say ‘counts,” to a broad assistive design philosophy of doing that which makes the greatest number of students educated in today’s classrooms.

Historical Evolution: The historical evolution of special education from small, private, often religious-based schools to public schools is as much a history of developing court case law as it is about changes in teaching practice. Arising from that case law are a number of state and national codes that come face-to-face with the issue of student rights. We also discuss the emergence of vocational rehabilitation encompassing several phases that have created the contemporary transition program.

Theoretical Foundations: Special education is informed by an array of theoretical perspectives, including developmental psychology, child study, learning theory, and behavior science. A variety of these theories are applicable to all students and provide the foundation for general education as well as special education practices. The philosophical issues include an emphasis on individual differences and the notion that it is the responsibility of the adult world (be that family or community or society) to meet the needs of all children. This is often encapsulated in the motto, “All children belong in school.”

3. Assessment and Individualized Education Plans

An IEP is designed to create aid for students at any level. The key is to assure that work is both meaningful and necessary. An area to be discarded might include modifications in classes or settings that don’t yield necessary reinforcers or repetitions. Professionals and providers periodically holding IEP meetings affords the timed opportunity for feedback on the areas of need and for changes in the treatment focus. Reviewing an IEP at unscheduled and overly frequent intervals, say every two months, disallows the necessary time for data-collection feedback to be able to determine necessary IEP modifications. Further, it hinders the structured habitual patterns of a student and hinders progress while under continuous change.

Determining the impact of students’ learning, behavior, and social involvement allows educators to design and enact services, learning opportunities, and interventions that target the specific needs of each student. As well, the identification of a child’s unique strengths and learning preferences can add significantly to the successful and continued encouragement for growth. With the legislative focus on individualization, educators are now obligated to develop assessment information that targets the student’s needs and offers the reader specific information to guide the construction of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). There is a wide variety of media, materials, and/or assessment procedures to ascertain the decisions for learners with orthopedic impairments, learning problems, behavioral disorders, mental retardation, mental health disorders, hearing impairments, and visual impairments.

4. Effective Instructional Strategies for Diverse Learners

5. Collaboration and Advocacy in Special Education

Inclusion and collaboration in education are critical. Collaboration enhances the outcomes for special needs students and promotes healthy relationships and collaboration between general and special education teachers. Often, collaboration does not occur naturally and must be learned and implemented purposefully. Several factors must be in place to facilitate a successful, student-centered collaboration among all members of an educational team. These members should include general and special education teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals or support staff, the student and parents, and a group of additional members who may have an invested interest in the student’s welfare or activity in the school. While this book addresses many issues of advocacy, we would be remiss to not mention it in order to ensure that those who wish to make a difference have the necessary information. A major advocacy group is the Arc of the United States. The Arc is the nation’s leading organization for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The final section addresses collaboration and advocacy in special education. The importance of collaborative partnerships among general and special education teachers, administrators, and other members of the educational team, families, and community stakeholders is highlighted. Additionally, advocacy is an intricate part of supporting the full continuum of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Recommendations are provided for collaborative partnerships as well as advocacy efforts on behalf of students, their families, and the community.