Special Education - What is it, how it works & resources

Special Education - What is it and how does it work? Resources for parents, teachers & students.

I want to educate parents, teachers and students about Special Education services & resources.

I have my Master's degree in Special Education. I am a cross categorical special education teacher for 7th & 8th grade students. I specifically teach Language Arts, Reading, & Social Studies. I believe Reading and teaching it to students is the most important academic area!

Cross Categorical means I have students in my classroom with various disabilities such as; cognitive, emotional, learning, & physical.

The Resources here can be extremely helpful. Please add any resources you have used and found helpful to the lists.

Thanks!

Teddi

What is Special Education?

Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and community than would be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.

Common special needs include learning disability, communication challenges, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, and developmental disabilities.What is special education? from New Zealand's Ministry of Education Students with these kinds of disabilities are likely to benefit from additional educational services, different approaches to teaching, access to a resource room and use of technology.

Intellectual giftedness is a difference in learning and can also benefit from specialized teaching techniques or different educational programs, but the term "special education" is generally used to specifically indicate instruction of students whose special needs reduce their ability to learn independently or in a classroom, and gifted education is handled separately.

The opposite of special education is general education. General education is the standard curriculum presented with standard teaching methods and without additional supports.

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

What is a Disability?

The World Health Organization defines Disability as follows:

"Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations.

Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person's body and features of the society in which he or she lives.''"http://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/

An individual may also qualify as disabled if he/she has had an impairment in the past or is seen as disabled based on a personal or group standard or norm. Such impairments may include physical, sensory, and cognitive or intellectual impairments. Mental disorders (also known as psychiatric or psychosocial disability) and various types of chronic disease may also be considered qualifying disabilities.

A disability may occur during a person's lifetime or may be present from birth.

A physical impairment is any disability which limits the physical function of limbs or fine or gross motor ability.

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"What is an IEP?

Read more about it below"

What is an IEP (Individual Education Plan)?

Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document.

The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.

To create an effective IEP, parents, teachers, other school staff and often the student must come together to look closely at the student's unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge, experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum. The IEP guides the delivery of special education supports and services for the student with a disability.

General Steps in the Special Education Process

Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.
Child is evaluated.
Eligibility is decided.
Child is found eligible for services.
IEP meeting is scheduled.
IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.
Services are provided.
Progress is measured and reported to parents.
IEP is reviewed.
Child is reevaluated.
Contents of the IEP

By law, the IEP must include certain information about the child and the educational program designed to meet his or her unique needs. This information covers topics such as current performance, annual goals, special education and related services, accommodations, participation in state and district-wide tests, needed transition services, and measured progress.

The IEP Team Members

The team that writes a child's Individualized Education Program includes the parent(s), regular education teacher(s), special education teacher(s), other individuals from the school and district, and the student when appropriate.

A meeting to write the IEP must be held within 30 calendar days of deciding that the child is eligible for special education and related services. Each team member brings important information to the IEP meeting. Members share their information and work together to write the child's Individualized Education Program. Each person's information adds to the team's understanding of the child and what services the child needs.

Writing the IEP

To help decide what special education and related services the student needs, generally the IEP team will begin by looking at the child's evaluation results, such as classroom tests, individual tests given to establish the student's eligibility, and observations by teachers, parents, paraprofessionals, related service providers, administrators, and others. This information will help the team describe the student's "present levels of educational performance" in other words, how the student is currently doing in school. Knowing how the student is currently performing in school will help the team develop annual goals to address those areas where the student has an identified educational need.

The IEP team must also discuss specific information about the child. This includes:

the child's strengths; the parents' ideas for enhancing their child's education; the results of recent evaluations or reevaluations; and how the child has done on state and district-wide tests.
Depending on the needs of the child, the IEP team also needs to consider special factors, which include behavioral issues, limited proficiency in English, blindness or visual impairment, communication needs, deafness or difficulty hearing, and assistive technology.

It is important that the discussion of what the child needs be framed around how to help the child:

advance toward the annual goals; be involved in and progress in the general curriculum; participate in extracurricular and nonacademic activities; and be educated with and participate with other children with disabilities and non-disabled children.
Based on the above discussion, the IEP team will then write the child's IEP. This includes the services and supports the school will provide for the child. If the IEP team decides that a child needs a particular device or service (including an intervention, accommodation, or other program modification), the IEP team must write this information in the IEP.

After the IEP is Written

When the IEP has been written, parents must receive a copy at no cost to themselves. Everyone who will be involved in implementing the IEP must have access to the document. This includes the child's:

regular education teacher(s);
special education teacher(s);
related service provider(s) (for example, speech therapist); or
any other service provider (such as a paraprofessional) who will be responsible for a part of the child's education.
Each of these individuals needs to know what his or her specific responsibilities are for carrying out the child's IEP. This includes the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that the child must receive, according to the IEP.

Parents Permission

Before the school can provide a child with special education and related services for the first time, the child's parents must give their written permission.

Source: http://www.ncld.org/content/view/343/ as of September 11, 2008

What is IDEA?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities. It addresses the educational needs of children with disabilities from ages birth to 26 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(21)(B)(i) in cases that involve 13 specified categories of disability.

The IDEA is "spending clause" legislation, meaning that it only applies to those States and their local educational agencies that accept federal funding under the IDEA. While States declining such funding are not subject to the IDEA, all States have accepted funding under this statute and are subject to it.

The IDEA and its predecessor statute, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, arose from federal case law holding the deprivation of free public education to disabled children constitutes a deprivation of due process. It has grown in scope and form since over the years. IDEA has been reauthorized and amended a number of times, most recently in December of 2004, which contained several significant amendments. Its terms are further defined by regulations of the United States Department of Education, which are found in Parts 300 and 301 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

In defining the purpose of special education, IDEA 2004 clarifies Congress' intended outcome for each child with a disability: students must be provided a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that prepares them for further education, employment and independent living. 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.

Under IDEA 2004:

*Special education and related services should be designed to meet the unique learning needs of eligible children with disabilities, preschool through age 21.

*Students with disabilities should be prepared for further education, employment and independent living.

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Hold on...

There are a few more definitions you might need below.

What is an LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)?

As part of the U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the least restrictive environment is identified as one of the six principles that govern the education of students with disabilities. By law, schools are required to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment for students who have disabilities.

"Least restrictive environment" means that a student who has a disability should have the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled peers, to the greatest extent possible. They should have access to the general education curriculum, extracurricular activities, or any other program that non-disabled peers would be able to access. The student should be provided with supplementary aids and services necessary to achieve educational goals if placed in a setting with non-disabled peers. Should the nature or severity of his or her disability prevent the student from achieving these goals in a regular education setting, then the student would be placed in a more restrictive environment, such as a special classroom or a hospital program. Generally, the less opportunity a student has to interact and learn with non-disabled peers, the more that the setting is considered to be restricted.

To determine what an appropriate setting is for a student, a team will review the student's needs and interests. The types of educational settings for students with disabilities will vary. With the differences in needs and interests among students with disabilities, there is no single definition of what an LRE will be for all students.

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

What is Inclusion for students who receive special education services?

Inclusion in the context of education is the practice, in which students with special educational needs spend most or all of their time with non-disabled students. Implementation of this practice varies; most schools use it only for selected students with mild to moderate special needs, for which is accepted as a best practice.

[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3130/is_n4_v54/ai_n28582666/pg_2/?tag=content;col1], accessed August 19, 2009

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

Special Education Resources & Links for Teachers

CEC - Council for Exceptional Children: The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.
WebQuests: A WebQuest is a learning activity used by educators. During this activity learners read, analyze, and synthesize information using the World Wide Web. A a WebQuest is "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet.
Book Adventure: Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. Book Adventure was created by and is maintained by Sylvan Learning.
ZAC Browser - Zone for Autistic Children: You have found the best environment on the Internet for your autistic child. ZAC is the first web browser for Autistic children.
Teacher Student Loan Cancellation: The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program grants loan forgiveness of up to $17,500 for teachers in certain specialties and up to $5,000 for other teachers, who teach for five years in certain low-income schools and meet other requirements.
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia: Sharing the latest dyslexia research results, plus assessment and teaching methods
Education Page: Many helpful links for teaching writing, phonics, remediation & more. It is a must vistit for teachers and parents. It is extremely helpful
Free After School Kit: Young people face many choices - choices that can affect the rest of their lives, decisions that many are unprepared to make. Often unable or unwilling to turn to parents for guidance this kit can help!
TeacherXpress - The Education Web - All in One Place - For Busy Teachers: Welcome: The latest information to help teachers and educators make the most of the Internet in primary, elementary, middle, and secondary schools around the world, but especially in the UK and Europe.
Community for Teachers & Their Blogs/Sites: Here is my page with my profile.
Free Technology for Teachers: If You're a Special Education Teacher...: Great resource for technology in the classroom
Teacher Sol’s DEN Blog: A very good blog by a teacher
Flashcards, vocabulary memorization, and studying games: Quizlet is a lightning fast way to memorize vocabulary lists. It's like flashcards, but much more fun and interactive.
iPods help special-education students excel - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News: Interesting article about using iPods with Students who receive special education services.
Deborah Kerwood's Show & Tell Blog about Differentiated Instruction: She teaches in a middle school in Cairo, Egypt. My students are in pull out special education classes. Her blog is very interesting. I encourage other teachers to visit.
Word Walls and Pointers: Word walls are a collection of words for beginning readers to use to promote learning in reading and writing. WordWalls are most effective when the children help to generate them. This lens will point out various types of WordWalls used in classrooms, how they can be used to promote reading and writing.
Special Edition Spread the Word about Stopping Bullying: Bullying is an undeniably large problem. Help provide parents with tools they can use today to take an active role in reducing bullying.
Inclusive Schools- Information & Resources: Want to find out more about Inclusion this is a great place to start.
Blogs That Promote Unconventional Discussion : The Teaching Palette: Great resources for teachers
Teach Effectively!: Evidence-based teaching methods for helping students who are at risk for school failure or who have disabilities.
Free Resources from the Net for (Special) Education: Quick Links. Free Resources from the Net for (Special) Education
Educational and Assistive Technology to support Universal Access and Universal Design for Learning by Paul Hamilton.
iAbida - Individual Communication Management: Provides a 360 degree view of special needs individuals. See daily schedules, track daily behavior and graph the progress, receive alerts about any changes, share pictures, videos or audio files and allow parents or teachers to post quick notes to the team or individuals.
Using Technology to Differentiate Instruction - TheApple.com: One of the major benefits of using technology in the classroom is the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of every student.
Schoolwide Fundamentals Teachers' Blog - An Excellent resource for teachers: The Schoolwide Fundamentals blog space is meant to facilitate conversation between educators across the country. A virtual workshop community for sharing and structuring ideas about learning. Our mission is not only to support the fundamentals of reading and writing so essential to academic success but also to make blogging easy and interactive for teachers unacquainted with today's social technologies.
Teaching All Students: Excellent blog for all teachers!!! Full of technology related stuff.

Free Stuff for Teachers Only!

Freebies for Teachers & Other Teacher Resources

I am a Special Education teacher and I love getting freebies. As teachers we spend a lot of our own money on items. I already have a lens and a website for baby & kids freebies and I thought it was time to create a place to feature all the great...

Special Education - What is it, how it works & resources

Special Education - What is it and how does it work? Resources for parents, teachers & students.

What is Special Education?

What is a Disability?

"What is an IEP? Read more about it below"

What is an IEP (Individual Education Plan)?

What is IDEA?

Hold on...

What is an LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)?

What is Inclusion for students who receive special education services?

Special Education Resources & Links for Teachers

Free Stuff for Teachers Only!

Discount School Supplies

Reading Resources

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Resources to Help with Reading

Kids have fun at the same time!

Math Resources

Have a great resource?

What is your favorite online Special Education/Education resource? Add the link here.

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Resources for Teaching Students with Disabilities

Special Education Resources & Links for Parents & Students

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Does Your Child Need Help In School?

Is Your School System Giving You the Run Around? Or Do You Just Need Advice?

More Resources for Parents & Students with Disabilities

Great Video that explains Special Education & the IEP Process

Introduction to Special Education

Many Famous People have Disabilities

Disability & Disorder Resources

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"What is an IEP?

Read more about it below"