1. Teaching Students With Exceptionalities
What is an exceptionality
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

2. Definitions of Exceptionality
Students with disabilities
Covered by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Students identified as “gifted”
Other students requiring special help
Section 504 of the Voc. Rehab. Act (1973)
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

3. Definitions of Special Education
FAPE
IDEA
LRE
Continuum (Cascade) of Services
IEP
MDT
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

4. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
Special Education
Specially designed instruction that meets the unusual (unique) needs of an exceptional student/
Materials/Equipment
Curricula
Instructional methods
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

5. Principles of Special Education (Saleh, 2016)
Zero Reject
Free Appropriate Public
Non-Discriminatory Testing and Evaluation (appropriate evaluations)
Least Restrictive Environment
Parent and Student Participation
Procedural Safeguards
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

6. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
Zero Reject
The requirement to provide special education to all students with disabilities is absolute between the ages of 6 and 17. If a state provides educational services to children without disabilities between the ages of 3 to 5 and 18 to 21, it must also educate all children with disabilities in those age groups. Each state education agency is responsible for locating, identifying, and evaluating all children, from birth to age 21, residing in the state with disabilities or who are suspected of having disabilities. This requirement is called the child find system.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

7. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
FAPE
Free and Appropriate Public Education
Guaranteed by IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Students identified under IDEA must be provided an education
like everyone else (appropriate)
without undue hardship to the student/family (free)
Development of an Individualized Education Plan
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

8. Appropriate Evaluation
The IDEA requires that schools conduct “appropriate evaluations“ of students who are suspected of having a disability. An appropriate evaluation must be implemented by a team of knowledgeable and trained evaluators, must utilize sound evaluation materials and procedures, and must be administered on a non-discriminatory basis.
Children should not be subjected to unnecessary assessments or testing, and evaluations must be geared toward planning for the child’s education and future instruction.
Finally, an appropriate evaluation must determine and make recommendations regarding a child’s eligibility for special education services in a timely manner.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

9. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
IEP
Individual Education Plan
a plan specifically developed for individual students identified under IDEA
the plan must include instruction in all areas of suspected disability with appropriate short and long term goals and objectives.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

10. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
LRE
Least Restrictive Environment
Students under IDEA must be provided FAPE
in the least physically and academically segregated setting possible
Possible is not the same as Always or Best
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

11. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
Parent Participation
States, schools, and school boards must ensure that the parents of a child with a disability are members of any group that makes decisions regarding the placement and LRE of that child.
Parents have the right to
equal participation in this process,
notification of a planned evaluation,
access to planning and evaluation materials, and
involvement in all meetings regarding their child’s placement.
Additionally, parents retain the right to refuse further evaluation of their child.
Both students and parents must be invited to IEP meetings, and the IDEA explicitly establishes a role for the parent as equal participant and decision maker.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

12. Procedural Safeguards (Right to Due Process)
Safeguards protect parental access to information pertaining to placement and transition planning; and procedures are put in place to resolve disagreements between parents and schools regarding the placement of a student.
Under the IDEA procedural safeguards, parents have a right to review all educational records pertaining to their child, receive notice prior to meetings about their child’s evaluation, placement, or identification, and to obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) for consideration at such meetings.
If disagreements arise, parents have the right to request mediation or due process hearings with state-level education agencies, and beyond that may appeal the decision in state or federal court.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

13. Continuum (Cascade) of Services
Range of possible settings for service to students with disabilities
General Education classroom to residential/clinical settings.
Range of teachers/specialists
Range of curriculum
Range of instructional methods
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

14. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
MDT
Multidisciplinary Team
Evaluation team composed of general and special educators, specialists, and parents to evaluate students for eligibility and determine placements
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

15. Expectations of Educators
Special Educators
Consult on accommodations and instruction
Conduct formal and informal assessments
Ensure referrals are appropriate
Lead IEP teams
Collaborate with parents and teachers
General Educators
Teach well and appropriately
Accommodations
Classroom evaluations
Make appropriate referrals
Participate in IEP teams
Collaborate with parents and teachers
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

16. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
Make accommodations
No such thing as an “average” student
No such thing as an “average exceptional student”
Teachers are expected to accommodate to the learning needs of the students in front of them.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

17. Evaluate strengths and challenges
Make legally appropriate assessments
Appropriate comparisons
Use a wide range of assessments
Specify difficulties operationally
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

18. Make appropriate referrals
Need to demonstrate that
classroom-based accommodations were unsuccessful
all strategies used are documented
difficulties are educationally relevant
difficulties are not the result of cultural/ethnic, linguistic, or socio-economic in nature
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

19. Serve on teams for determining eligibility and instruction
A legal requirement of IDEA
Requires ability to collaborate and discuss relevant instructional and assessment issues with parents and others.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

20. Communicate with parents/caregivers
Special educators must have appropriate skills in communicating their efforts to serve students on IEPS
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

21. Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.
Collaboration
Educators must work together to ensure classroom placements are appropriate and objectives of the IEP are being met.
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

22. General Education Role in Special Education
General Educators are responsible for making referrals
others include
parents
judges
lawyers
social service agencies
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

23. What Should You Do Before Making a Referral?
Talk to the parents
Check student records
Analyze information
Change instruction
Document your efforts
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

24. What must be proved in a referral?
A convincing case that
a problem exists
the problem could not addressed through regular education
the problem is based on a legal definition of disability
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

25. What must be proved in a referral?
A convincing case that
the problem is not primarily the result of culture/ethnicity, second language differences, or socio-cultural variables
the problem requires special education to address it
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.

26. Special Educators’ Role
Do not make referrals
Help conduct educational and behavioral assessments
Work in teams to determine eligibility and placement
Help develop IEPs
Implement and evaluate IEPs
11/22/2018
Manuel T. Barrera, III, Ph.D.