Ed-D 420 Inclusion of Exceptional Learners

Charter of Rights and Freedoms “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has a right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” Government of Canada, 1982.

Exceptional Education in Canada  Special Education means:  “programming and or services designed to accommodate students within the public school system whose educational needs require interventions different from or in addition to those needed by most students”  Accommodation – changes in how (e.g., Braille) a student is taught  Modification – changes to what (e.g., telescoping or calculators in place of long division) a student is taught  BC is different (as always) and speak to adaptation and modification of the what and the how is more across designations

Dominant Themes for Exceptional Students in Canada: To move from a goal of access for as many as possible to success for as many possible (inclusion to accountability) This is usually accomplished with an IEP (written guideline of accommodations, modifications and services to be provided. Three concepts we will discuss that aid in this idea of “learning for all.” 1. Universal design for learning ~ digital curb cut 2. Differentiated instruction ~ task, group, assess 3. Progress monitoring ~ RTI

Exceptional Learners are Students: who are Gifted or Developmentally Advanced with Learning Disabilities (LD) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with Speech and Language Exceptionalities with Behaviour and with Intellectual Disabilities with an Autism Spectrum Disorder who are Hard of Hearing or Deaf with Visual Impairments or Blind with Physical Disabilities

Inclusive Language Do not use or say Do use or say The blind; visually impaired impairment Confined to a wheelchair; wheelchair-bound Crippled The deaf The hearing impaired Epileptic Fit The handicapped Insane; mentally diseased has schizophrenia; person who has depression Mentally retarded Normal Physically challenged Do use or say Person who is blind; person with a are visual Impairment wheelchair-bound Person who uses a wheelchair; wheelchair user person with a spinal cord injury Person who is deaf, hard of hearing Person who has epilepsy Seizure Person with a disability Person with a mental health disability; person who has schizophrenia; person who has depression Person with an intellectual disability Person who is not disabled Person with a physical disability

The ADAPT Strategy Step 1 Accounts of students’ strengths and needs ~ file and IEP Step 2 Demands of the classroom ~ academic physical, emotional Step 3 Adaptations ~ adapt or bypass Step 4 Perspectives and consequences ~ how does this fit with your approach Step 5 Teach and assess the match

The Inclusive Classroom  How does Penny ensure that the students with special needs get the help they need without overlooking the other students in the class?  In what ways do the teachers demonstrate co-operative teaching? What are the benefits of working together, as opposed to Penny working with her students in a separate group?

The Inclusive Classroom ~ next step  Most students with learning disabilities currently receive their instruction in general-education classrooms. Some fear that students who are fully included in the regular- education classroom will not get the academic support they need. What would you say to a parent who voiced this concern? When and how should remediation occur when a student is lacking specific prerequisite academic skills, such as writing in complete sentences?  What kinds of accommodations might be made for a student with learning disabilities in the regular-education classroom? How would you make these accommodations without negatively influencing the other students in the class?