1. Introduction to Early Childhood Education
Special Needs

2. GPS Focus Standards: IECE-7:
IECE-7:
Students will discuss ways to adapt the curriculum and classroom for children with special needs.
a. Explain laws regarding children with disabilities.
b. Define mainstreaming and inclusion.
c. Demonstrate strategies for integrating children with disabilities into programs.
d. Discuss the relationships of children with special needs with their peers, teachers, and others.
e. Explain interventions to use when working with special needs children, such as adapting the environment (e.g. child with impaired vision, gross motor impairment, or hearing impaired).
GPS Academic Standards:
SSCG6
SSPVB1: Concepts related to measurement and nature of intelligence
SSPVB2: Identify abnormal behavior and treatment
ELA9-12RL5, ELA9-12RC1, ELA9-12LSV1, ELA9-12LSV2
National / Local Standards / Industry / ISTE: NFACS4.5

3. UNDERSTANDINGS & GOALS~IECE-7
Enduring Understandings: Enduring understandings are statements summarizing
important ideas and have lasting value beyond the classroom. They synthesize what
Students should understand – not just know.
The early childhood curriculum helps children develop sensitivity toward those with special needs.
Social skills are especially important for children with disabilities and the inclusive early childhood program can help them, as well as the other children in the class, develop the skills to get along with all their peers.
Essential Questions: Essential questions probe for deeper meaning and
understanding while fostering the development of critical thinking and problem-solving
skills. Example: Why is life long learning important in the modern workplace?
What do all children have in common?
How can you help to encourage children’s relationships with peers of differing abilities?
How can you help children develop sensitivity and understanding toward those who are of a different ability?
How can you support the social development in children of different ages and abilities?
How can you include children with disabilities in an early childhood program?
What are children who have different disabilities like?

4. OPENING
Miguel, a lively four-year-old, has a hearing impairment. He can speak and understand only a few simple words. Rosie, an active five-year-old, is color deficient. She cannot identify the primary colors. Stephen has cerebral palsy. He needs special help to develop fine-motor skills. Toby is a two-year-old who has taught herself to read. These are children who have special needs.

5. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
SPECIAL NEEDS TERMINOLOGY IECE-7: Students will discuss ways to adapt the curriculum and classroom for children with special needs.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Inclusion
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Referral
Hearing impairment
Articulation problems
Visual impairment
Chronic health needs
Asthma
Hemophilia
Learning disability
Behavior disorder
Autism
Giftedness
Acceleration
Enrichment

6. ECE-Special Needs VOCABULARY
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)-requires that states provide education for children who are developmentally delayed.
Inclusion-placing children with special needs in regular classrooms.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)-written for each child with a diagnosed disability.
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)-outlines family needs, goals for child, services, how child is learning, and a plan for transitioning.
Referral-suggesting a professional parents can take their child to see.
Hearing impairment-problem in one or more parts of the ear.
Articulation problems-omissions, distortions, or substitutions of vowels or consonants or both

7. ECE-Special Needs VOCABULARY
Visual impairment-any eye or nerve problem that prevents people from seeing normally.
Chronic health needs-an illness that persists over a period of time.
Asthma-chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways.
Hemophilia-genetic blood disease in which the blood cannot clot normally.
Learning disability-having a problem with one or more basic skills of learning.
Behavior disorder-a condition that affects an individual’s social and emotional functions.
Autism-inability to interact with others socially.
Giftedness-creative or productive thinking, general intellectual, leadership, psychomotor ability, specific academic aptitude, visual or performing arts
Acceleration-process in which a gifted child is assigned to a class with older children.
Enrichment- range and depth of experiences is broadened to provide the child with a special curriculum.

8. WHAT IS A SPECIAL NEED? Autistic Developmentally Delayed (DD)
Dual Sensory Impaired
Emotionally Handicapped (EH)
Hearing Impaired
Physically Impaired
Visionally Impaired
Gifted/Prodigy
Profoundly Mentally Handicapped (PMH)
Specific Learning Disabled (SLD)
Behavior Disorder
Speech and Language Impaired
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

9. Playing the diversity (special needs) card game.

10. Individualized Education Plans
Federal law requires that an IEP be written for each
child with a diagnosed disability. Each IEP requires six components:
Description containing an assessment of child’s current level of performance.
Annual goals for the child
Short-term educational objectives
Statement outlining the involvement of the child in the regular educational program
Specific services provided with a time line noting beginning and ending dates
Evaluation criteria that will be used to decide if educational objectives are met

11. Teacher’s Role Take part in identifying children with special needs.
Work with resource persons to design individual programs.
Teach children who have special needs and non-disabled children in the same classroom.
Share information with parents and make suggestions for referrals.
Base program decisions on input from several resources.
Encourage parents to participate in their child’s education.

12. Teacher’s Role Identification
Need a strong child development background
Recognize when a child is lagging in reaching a milestone
Informal observation may be used for assessing a child’s needs
Referrals
Help parents see a need for their child’s treatment.
School staff are obligated to consider the results.

13. Hearing Disorders Teaching Suggestions
Get down to the child’s eye level
Get the child’s attention before speaking
Speak in normal volume and speed
Speak clearly and distinctly
Use the same sentence structure
Pause and wait for a response
Repeat, rephrase, or demonstrate
Encourage other children to imitate you
Use gestures and facial expressions
Let the child sit in front of you
Use concrete materials to demonstrate abstract concepts.
Provide classification games and puzzles
Label classroom
Select simple, large and uncluttered illustrations
Teaching safety by using traffic signals
Teach daily routines and transitions using a light switch
Use a picture poster to point to the upcoming activity

14. Speech and Language Disorders
Identification
Speech impairments- interference with specific sounds or sound blends
Child’s speech is generally impaired when it calls attention to itself
Articulation Problems
The terms lazy tongue and baby talk are frequently used to describe articulation problems
Use language that is proper for the child’s developmental level
Voice (Phonation) Disorders
Voice characteristics include pitch (lowness or highness), loudness (amount of volume), flexibility (changes in pitch) and quality (harshness, hoarseness, etc)
Stuttering
Characterized by repetition, hesitation, and prolongation
Often under certain conditions that some children stutter.

15. Vision Disorders Early Identification Types of Visual Disabilities
Excessive rubbing of the eyes
Clumsiness and trouble moving around the class
Adjusting the head in an awkward position
Moving materials close
Squinting
Crossed eyes
Crust on eye
Iris on one or both eyes cloudy
Crossed eyes or an eye turned inward
Red, encrusted, or swollen eyelids
Excessive blinking
Types of Visual Disabilities
Amblyopia-lazy eye
Glaucoma-failure of eye fluid to circulate in proper way
Nearsightedness-unable to see things far away
Farsightedness- difficult time seeing objects that are close
Color Deficiency-color blindness
Uncorrectable Conditions- cannot be corrected by glasses, surgery, or other means

16. Teaching Suggestions Always create a need to see.
Include a study unit on sight to help all the children understand vision.
Purchase chalkboards with a dull finish
Hang children’s work at their eye level.
To ensure a safe environment, items should be picked up right after play
Auditory clues are important
Have a number of large print books in the reading area
Provide many tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), and auditory (sound) clues to structure the environment
Use auditory reminders for transition times
Always encourage children to describe what they remember using their senses.

17. Physical Disabilities
Types
Teaching Suggestions
Cerebral Palsy-neurological disorder that results from damage to the brain
Spina Bifida- a condition in which the bones of the spine fail to grow together
Muscular Dystrophy-genetic condition characterized by weakness in the muscles
Amputation-missing a limb and fitted with a prosthesis
Modify chairs
Provide space for special equipment
Provide ramps
Raise tables
Glue knobs on puzzle pieces
Secure carpeting or rugs
Provide two-handled mugs
Serve finger foods

18. Health Disorders
Allergies- reaction of the body to a substance in the environment (inhalants, Ingestants, Contactants, Injectables)
Arthritis- condition brought on by inflammation that produces painful swelling of the joints
Asthma-chronic inflammatory disorder
Cystic Fibrosis-persistent and serious lung infections
Diabetes-insulin is not produced by the pancreas to burn or store foods as energy
Epilepsy-convulsive disorder caused by damage to the brain
Hemophilia-genetic blood disease in which the blood cannot clot normally
Leukemia- a form of cancer that affects the blood-forming organs and the blood

19. Other Disabilities Cognitive Disabilities Learning Disabilities
Down Syndrome- chromosome disorder that is the most identifiable from of mental retardation
Learning Disabilities
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)-trouble focusing and staying on task
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)- overactive, restless, and impulsive
Social or Emotional Impairment
Autism-unable to interact with others socially

20. Gifted Children Creative or productive thinking
Gifted Areas
Teaching Suggestion
Include acceleration and enrichment in the program
Move through activities at faster pace
Use audiovisual materials, games, and field trips
Provide open-ended learning activities
Design instruction to match their skills
Understand the problems these children face
Help child improve social skills
Creative or productive thinking
General intellectual activity
Leadership ability
Psychomotor ability
Specific academic aptitude
Visual or performing arts

21. Identification of a Gifted Child
Constant curiosity
Social/emotional behavior exceeds their peers
More independent and motivated
Early speech
Advanced vocabulary for age
Keen observation skills
Unusually long attention span
Inquisitive nature
Flexibility
Persistence
Strong sense of responsibility for age
Self-criticism
Tendency to strive toward perfection
Good memory
Awareness of others’ feelings

22. IEP Process PowerPoint
GUEST SPEAKER

23. Barriers Activity
Write and perform a brief story or puppet show script that could be used to help preschoolers learn about a specific disability.

24. Observation Topic Special Needs

25. Special Needs Assignment
Observation Journal
Heading- Observation Journal, Early Childhood Education, Name, Date, Class~Woodson/Smith
What did you do? (Provide details)
What are you thoughts about what you did? (Your feelings about the experience)
Special Needs Powerpoint Presentation
Name of your special need (Name, Class Title, Special Need)
How is a child with this need identified? What “causes” the special need?
What are the ranges of abilities for a child with this special need?
What are six major teaching strategies used with a child with this special need?
How can a child with this special need be included in a regular classroom?
Questions Answered
Bibliography

26. Sourcebook Notes IECE-7: Students will discuss ways to adapt the curriculum and classroom for children with special needs.
Define the following terms:
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Inclusion
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Referral
Hearing impairment
Articulation problems
Visual impairment
Chronic health needs
Asthma
Hemophilia
Learning disability
Behavior disorder
Autism
Giftedness
Acceleration
Enrichment
Name the six components of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
What is the teacher’s role in working with special needs students?
Why is early detection of a special need important to a child’s successful development?
Identify the types of disorders in the disabilities listed below.
Hearing Disorders
Speech and Language Disorder
Vision Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Health Disorders
Gifted Areas