PLO 9: INFORMATION, MEDIA, AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS Presentation To General Educators/Colleagues Tarnisha Wright MAED CAPSTONE

IDEA, LRE, FAPE, IEP

 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA was originally adopted as a law in 1975, and later was amended in  This law was enacted by the government to ensure that disabled students were provided with an equal opportunity to education everywhere in the United States (Turnbull et al., 2013).  There are six principles associated with IDEA, which covers the rights students entitled to under this act, as well as the responsibilities of schools and districts.

 Under the IDEA, students with disabilities are entitled to FAPE, which is a Free Appropriate Public Education.  FAPE refers to special education and other services that are tailored to meet the specific needs of each student, or specifically “meet the unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living” (Saleh, 2013).  It is the responsibility of all schools and districts to ensure that all students with disabilities receive FAPE.

 The second principle under the IDEA requires that appropriate evaluations are conducted for students who are suspected of having a disability.  The appropriate materials and procedures should be utilized by trained evaluators, who are responsible for administering each evaluation on a non-discriminatory basis.  These evaluations must be focused toward planning for future instruction of the student, as well as used to determine any recommendations for the student’s eligibility for special education services (Saleh, 2013).

 The third principle under the IDEA refers to the Individualized Education Plan or the IEP.  The IEP is a written plan developed by a team, used to help ensure that each student has access to FAPE.  Previous evaluations are used as a basis for the development of an appropriate IEP to meet the unique needs of each student.

 IDEA requires that several factors be included in an IEP:  1) Present levels of educational performance;  2) Annual goals;  3) Services to be rendered and supplementary aids to be received;  4) Explanation of instances where student is not participating in general classroom;  5) Student progress reports; and  6) Parent and child concerns, as well as strengths and needs of student (Turnbull et al., 2013).

 The fourth principle under the IDEA requires student placement in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) possible.  This means that the IEP team should exhaust every avenue which would allow the student to participate in the general education setting (Saleh, 2013).

 The fifth principle of the IDEA sets a provision for the inclusion of parent participation in the placement decisions of the student.

 IDEA also proposes several procedural safeguards to assist in the enforcement of student and parental rights under this federal law (Saleh, 2013).

Learning Disabilities Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities Intellectual Disabilities

 IDEA defines Specific Learning Disabilities as a “disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations”.  Learning disabilities may differ from student to student. Some may have difficulties in math, while others may struggle with reading or writing (or all three).  Students with LD usually have average or even above average intelligence. However, their brains process information differently, which requires some specialized help (NICHCY, 2011).

Modifications  Embedded learning opportunities  Differentiated instruction  Providing visual or graphic organizers to accompany oral cues  Scaffolding key concepts  Teaching students learning strategies Inclusion Tips  Utilize peer tutors to help student when he/she is not sure what to do  Use curriculum-based measurement to enhance student awareness about his or her progress  Give student the opportunity to tutor others in areas of strength

A condition that is accompanied by one or more of the following characteristics over an extended length of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects educational performance:  Inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors  Inability to build or maintain relationships  Inappropriate behaviors under normal circumstances  A general, pervasive mood of unhappiness  A tendency to develop physical symptoms associated with personal or school problems (IDEA, 2004)

MODIFICATIONSINCLUSION TIPS  Classroom-centered intervention  Service Learning  Conflict Resolution  Use a buddy system to promote collaboration  Pair students with others who model desired social behaviors  Involve classmates in conflict resolution  Capitalize on student’s strengths by promoting student involvement in activities that utilize this strength

LEARNING DISABILITIES EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS  Difficulty in social skills  Academic Problems  Impulsiveness  Low Achievement  Perceptual Difficulties  Memory and thinking disorders  Difficulty in social skills  Academic problems  Impulsiveness  Low Achievement  Disruptive Behavior  Aggressive Behavior  Socialized Aggression

 IDEA defines ID as “significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects a child’s educational performance”.  Limitations in intellectual functioning  Limitations in adaptive behaviors

MODIFICATIONSINCLUSION TIPS  Prelinguistic milieu teaching  Self-determined model of instruction  Community Based Instruction  Teach skills to enable students to self-regulate behavior  Include social skills as an important part of transition instruction  Create opportunities for community-based instruction, and include class members as well

LEARNING DISABILITIES INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES  Difficulty in social skills  Academic Problems  Impulsiveness  Low Achievement  Perceptual Difficulties  Memory and thinking disorders  Usually average or above average intelligence  Difficulty in social skills  Academic Problems  Difficulty with independence or self- help skills  Limited cognitive ability  Deficits in memory  Score of below 70 on intelligence test

EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES  Difficulty in social skills  Academic problems  Impulsiveness  Low Achievement  Disruptive Behavior  Aggressive Behavior  Socialized Aggression  Difficulty in social skills  Academic Problems  Difficulty with independence or self-help skills  Limited cognitive ability  Deficits in memory  Score of below 70 on intelligence test  Tantrums or Self-Injurious behaviors

 Due to the demands of inclusion, all general education teachers should be aware of special education laws.  General education teachers should also educate themselves on the strategies and techniques used to support students with disabilities in the general education classroom.  To be an effective educator, all teachers must be aware of the components of IDEA, FAPE, LRE, and the IEP.  LD, EBD, and ID are among the most common disabilities teachers will encounter in the classroom.  Knowledge of these disorders, along with the modifications and inclusion tips to support students, will make teachers far more effective in the classroom.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. (2010). Emotional disturbance. Retrieved from emotionaldisturbance#info Saleh, M. (2013). Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities: 6 Priniciples of the IDEA. Retrieved from childs-rights/6-principles-of-the-individuals-with- disabilities-education-act-idea Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R., Shogren, K.A., & Wehmeyer, M. (2013). Exceptional lives: Special education in today’s schools (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River. Pearson.