Introduction to Individuals with Exceptionalities

What is assistive technology, and in what ways can it help a child with a disability?

" any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whereto acquired commercially of the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability" alternative and augmentative communication devices low vision aids positioning and mobility devices adaptive toys and games

Why is it that you should never rely on written messages as the sole method of communicating with parents? What percentage of "parents' rights" materials is written for parents understanding?

Because only 2-4

Why does hearing loss sometimes go undetected in young children?

Because they can't respond to say that they can't hear or understand someone asking them questions or trying to communicate with them. They can also be born with fluids in their ears that may disappear.

Researchers have consistently found a higher-than-usual incidence of _____________ problems among students with learning disabilities.

Behavioral

Which gender is more likely to have externalizing disorders?

Boys

Which gender is twice more likely to receive special education services?

Boys are twice as likely than girls

How is an intellectual disability defined by an IQ test?

IQ scored under 70

What is self-determination?

Self-Determined learners set personal goals, make plans to meet those goals, choose and implement a course of action, evaluate their performance, and make adjustments to better meet their goals.

What service option provides the most support but is generally the most restrictive for students with learning disabilities?

Separate Classroom

What does the law stipulate about the least restrictive environment?

Separate is not equal. The student should be in as inclusive a learning environment as possible

What are the initial reactions of parents who learn that their child has a disability?

Shock, denial, and disbelief

How is an intellectual disability defined by IDEA?

Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time] with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance

What co-teaching model would be best if you wanted to lower the student-teacher ratio?

Station teaching: each teacher takes half of the class and then they can switch later

What is respite care?

Temporary relief care designed for families of children or adults with special needs

Give some examples of folklore of the blind.

That they are all helpless and needy or that they are mean and uncooperative.

Identify the principles of effective communication.

The six dimensions: communication, commitment, equality, skills, trust, and respect Accept parents' statements Listen actively Question effectively Encourage Stay focused

Explain total communication.

Using various forms of communication together, like speech and ASL.

What is echolalia? Provide an example.

Verbatim repetitions of what people around them have said. Uncle Greg.

What are the characteristics of Ménière's disease?

Vertigo, dizziness, vomiting

What does a student with low vision use as a primary means of learning?

Vision, but may use auditory and tactile methods to supplement learning.

What areas are defined as major life activities in the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Walking, dressing, not leisure activity

How can a student with a hearing loss qualify for special education services?

When it adversely affects educational performance.

When is a child with a communication disorder eligible for special education services?

When it affects educational performance

What are the major principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Act?

everyone with a disability is entitles to FAPE there is a 0 rejection rate nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation LRE for the students due process safeguards for children and parents parent involvement and shared decision making early intervention for infants and toddlers special ed services for preschoolers assistive technology provisions scientifically based instruction

Why does prevalence of intellectual disabilities vary greatly from state to state, and what causes these differences?

Widely differing criteria for identifying students with disabilities Prevalence figures also vary from state to state

As a child with hearing loss gets older, what does the achievement gap usually do? Why is this?

Widens as the child falls more and more behind. This is because they usually get mainstreamed and the ideas become more complex?

When must an IEP be revised?

Yearly

When are most students with mild intellectual disabilities identified?

school age, 2 or 3 grade

What are some factors that can improve the functioning of children with autism in general education classes?

social integration; following rules

What is required for all students with disabilities whose school performance is

adversely affected by behavioral issues? Curriculum goals to improve their behavior.

Describe a closed needs assessment.

Asks parents to select from a list of topics they would like to learn more about. (bed time behavior, interactions with siblings, homework, making friends).

What is the IDEA definition of autism?

- Developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction Evident before age 3 Adversely affects a child's performance Engages in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements Resists environmental change or change in routine Sensory overload Does not apply if there is an emotional disturbance

What are some examples of screening tests used to evaluate emotional and behavior disorders?

- RTI: useful for educational problems Direct Observation and Measurement: directly focuses on a child's behavioral problem Functional Behavior Assessment: done as a team, indirect and direct measures, to help understand why the student has challenging behavior Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL): a collection of checklists and assessment devices for children 6-18 where characteristics are rated on a scale. Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS): assesses a student's strengths in 52 items across 5 areas of functioning interpersonal, intrapersonal, family involvement, school functioning, affective strengths Systematic Screening for Behavioral Disorders (SSBD): a 3 step multiple gating screening process for narrowing down who has severe behavior problems ABC recording: Antecedent events that trigger the problem, the Behavior itself, Consequences that maintain the behavior

Under IDEA, what principle states that no child with a disability can be excluded from a free appropriate public education?

0 rejection rate

If Sarah needs to stand at a distance of 20 feet to see what a normally sighted person can see from 100 feet, what is her visual acuity? What is the visual acuity of someone considered legally blind?

20/100 and 20/200

IDEA requires an IEP for all students with disabilities between what ages?

3-21

What percentage of deaf students leave school functionally illiterate?

30

What percentage of students receives special education under the specific learning disabilities category?

42

What is glaucoma?

A structural impairment when the optic nerve is damaged.

What is the language of the Deaf culture in the U.S. and Canada?

ASL

What are similarities and differences between students with Asperger syndrome and students with autism? Does not have a language delay, average or above average intelligence

According to recent research, what are the possible causes of autism? Genetics, environmental, and neurological; deviation disorder; unknown causes; clear genetic corruption

Explain the genetic component of autism.

Autism tends to occur more frequently than expected among individuals who have certain medical conditions, including fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, congenital rubella syndrome and untreated phenylketonuria (PKU).

What are some advantages and disadvantages of labeling students with a disability?

Advantages: recognizing meaningful differences in learning or behavior the 1st step to responding to differences provides access to accommodation services not available to the general public helps practitioners and researchers have common ground for language used may lead to protective behaviors from peers enables disability specific awareness groups to promote specific programs and spur legislative action makes needs more visible to policy makers and the public Disadvantages: focuses on shortcomings may stigmatize the child and lead peers to reject or ridicule him/her may cause teachers to have low expectations may negatively affect child's self-esteem may become a scape goat may take away child's uniqueness and categorize him/her may become a built in excuse for poor instruction disproportionate representation takes time and money

What are the four related pervasive developmental disabilities included under the

American Psychiatric Association's current definition of autism spectrum disorder?

What is learned helplessness?

An individual's expectation of failure, regardless of his efforts, based on experiences of repeated failure. They will then set incredibly low expectations or often give up soon after starting.

What teaching method is supported by scientifically validated research?

Applied behavioral analysis

What is the most prevalent physical disability among school aged children?

Cerebral Palsy

What is a resource teacher? What is their role?

Certified special educator whose primary role is to teach required academic skills, social skills, strategies to students referred to the resource room

What is the most common way to identify a severe discrepancy between expected and actual achievement? What is a drawback to using this approach to identifying children with learning disabilities?

Comparing students IQ score with her grade on a standardized test and confusion about exactly how discrepancy should be determined led to widely differing procedures

Define phonological awareness.

Conscious understanding of knowledge which is made up of sounds Most important aspect in learning how to read

What are some ways you can increase participation and engage as many students as possible in a lesson?

Cooperative learning Positive feedback Having the children teach and help each other Use response cards

What can infants who can hear do at 1 month?

Discriminate between speech sounds.

Define and provide an example for the four basic kinds of speech-sound errors.

Distortions: using another speech sound, "Schleep" instead of sleep Substitutions: substituting one sound for another, "doze" instead of those, "train" for crane Omissions: omitting certain speech sounds, "cool" instead of school, "possed" instead of supposed Additions: adding extra sounds, "buhrown" instead of brown, "hamber" instead of hammer

What are the ten guidelines for communicating with parents and families?

Don't assume that you know more about the child and their needs than the parents do. Junk the Jargon. Don't let assumptions and generalizations about parents and families guide your interactions. Be sensitive and responsible to their cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Don't be defensive or intimidated. Refer families to other professionals when needed. Help parents strive for realistic optimism. Start with something parents can be successful with. Respect a parent's right to say no. Don't be afraid to say IDK.

What are the two language disorders, and how are they different from one another?

Dysarthria and Stuttering: Dysarthria: slurred, choppy, or mumbled speech, slow speech, limited tongue lip and jaw movement, abnormal pitch and rhythm, hoarse or breathy voice or speech that sounds nasal and stuffy - caused by impaired movement of the muscles used for speech production from brain damage Stuttering: repeated words, disfluencies, using uh or um a lot, cause is unknown, may be genetic

Define pica.

Eating things that aren't food

What is the IDEA definition of emotional disturbance, and why is it considered vague?

Everyone's definition of acceptable behavior is different.

List environmental causes of intellectual disabilities.

Poverty and malnutrition Minimum early language opportunities Child abuse and neglect, parental drug use or smoking Social deprivation Lack of access to medical care Parental immaturity or disability, parental lack of preparation

How is the AAIDD definition of an intellectual disability different from IDEA's definition?

Intellectual disability is characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills, this disability originates before age 18

What are some advantages in using the response to intervention approach?

It saves time and intervention can begin earlier

What is the largest disability category in special education?

Learning Disabilities

What should be the curriculum focus for students with emotional disabilities?

Manipulating their social skills

What is considered the "king-pin behavior" of students with emotional disabilities?

Noncompliance

When are short-term objectives required on an IEP?

Only for children who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards (e.g., an alternate, non-standard curriculum). Alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards are intended for children with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

What is the fundamental, defining characteristic of students with learning disabilities?

Presence of significant and specific achievement deficits

Define each of the five dimensions of language.

Phonology - how sounds can be sequenced Morphology - rules for the meanings of sounds Syntax - rules governing the meaningful arrangement of words into sentences Semantics - rules for the meaning of word and combos of words, word meanings and the relationship between words that conveys meaning. Pragmatics - rules for the governing of social use of language Provide one example for each of the five dimensions of language. Phonology: A phoneme is the smallest basic consonant or vowel sound that can change the meaning of a word. For example, in the word bill, there are three phonemes: /b/, /i/, /l/. By changing any one of the phonemes the speaker can produce a word with a different meaning such as: pill, ball, or bin. Morphology: adding plural markings, using inflections, prefixes, and suffixes. Syntax: putting words in proper order, using negatives correctly, using proper structure, using prepositions Semantics: using synonyms, homonyms, and antonyms, abstract terms, differentiating between different types of things (all animals are not called dogs) Pragmatics: smiling while conversing, following along with a conversation

List some common feelings of siblings of children with disabilities.

Positive: protective and nurturing helpful affection Negative: - resentment and jealousy uncertainty about the disability and its effect on them uneasiness around friends

What is an open-ended question? Give an example.

Prompting an explanation and information rather than just a yes or no question. "How has Harry been doing with his homework this week?" rather than "Did Harry struggle with his homework this week?"

What academic area is most problematic for students with learning disabilities?

Reading comprehension in 80

If you are color blind, what colors are the most difficult to distinguish?

Red and green

According to studies, which is more effective in increasing student participation: hand raising or response cards? Why?

Response cards because they promote active learning and provide more opportunities for feedback from the teacher.

How are children with intellectual disabilities similar to children without disabilities?

Same long term memory

What does the No Child Left Behind Act put a special emphasis on in regards to educational programs and practices?

Scientifically based instruction by highly qualified teachers and accountability for student learning

How do you determine the least restrictive environment for a child? Once the LRE is determined, is this decision permanent for the student?

The LRE is the setting that is the most similar to a general education classroom and also meets the individual child's special education needs. The placement is intended to be flexible, with students moving from one placement to another as indicated by their needs, their IEP should be reviewed at least annually and changes can be made.

What is the name of the first parent group organization to advocate for children with disabilities?

The National Society for Crippled Children in 1921

Define visual acuity.

The ability to clearly distinguish forms of discriminate details at a specific distance.

In the United States, who are the majority of people with hearing loss?

The elderly, adults

Define residual hearing.

The hearing that is left after some or most of it has gone.

Define aphasia.

The loss of speech functions and inability to speak often but not always because of brain lesions

Who has the most powerful influence on the life of a child?

The parents.

In most states, what is the first step you take once you encounter a child with a behavior or learning problem that is not currently receiving special education services?

The pre-referral intervention process: Response To Intervention (RTI) through universal screenings, continuos monitoring of student progress, and several levels of increasingly intensive instructional interventions before referral for formal assessment.

What is meant by an annual goal on an IEP?

The progress that a student should make over a year when changes are implemented to his or her educational process.

What is emphasized in the IDEA definition of visual impairment?

The relationship between vision and learning

What are social stories? How can they be used?

They are stories that can be read to children or students that show them proper ways to behave in society and are meant to correct negative behavioral tendencies.

Why do children who are blind often have more difficulty than sighted children on cognitive tasks?

They cannot connect to the task because the lack the experiences that many sighted children have.

What are functional academic skills?

They increase students' independence, self-direction, health and fitness, and enjoyment in everyday school, home, community, and work environments

Why is the number of students with visual impairments larger than the number reported in IDEA?

They may be listed under the multiple disabilities category.

What is the ultimate goal of No Child Left Behind?

To make all children proficient in reading and math (their goal was by 2014) especially focusing on children from low-income families

What is the role of the cones of the eye?

To manage light sensitivity

How do you determine if someone has an emotional disturbance?

having the following for a long period of time and it affects educational performance: an inability to learn (unrelated to other factors) inability to build relationships with teacher and peers inappropriate feelings or behavior under normal conditions a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

What are the requirements for a nondiscriminatory evaluation?

non-biased multi-factored methods tests must be administered in the child's native language identification and placement decisions cannot be made on the basis of a single test score known as "protection in evaluation procedures"

What is the best way to effectively teach a student with an emotional or behavioral disorder?

teacher praise high rates of active responses by students: choral responding and response cards clear instructional strategies, including direct instruction and individual plans and self-management positive behavior support including individual plans and self-management Explain Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support. What is the desired ratio of positive to negative reinforcements /interactions between adults and children? 4-1 ratio a strategic framework made up of organizational systems and research based practices for establishing a positive school culture. This includes 3 tiers: Primary Prevention: universal supports for all children 80