Important Notes

Weeks 1 – 3

NOTE – Page Numbers are for SeventhEDITION TEXT

Covers Chapters 1, 2, 17 & 18

I.Q.

Outdated I.Q. Classification System

IQ Range	Classification
70-80	Borderline deficiency
50-69	Moron
20-49	Imbecile
below 20	Idiot

Current I.Q. Classification System

IQ Range	Classification
50-69	Mild
35-49	Moderate
20-34	Severe
below 20	Profound

Ø Know the difference between full inclusion and mainstreaming P. 4

Ø Council for Exceptional Children (C.E.C.) major professional organization for students with disabilities (www.cec.sped.org) P. 5

Ø Prior to the passage of PL 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975) students with moderate - severe disabilities were excluded from public education (approximately 1 MILLION students) P. 8

Ø Students with mild impairments were facing failure in the public schools due to the fact they were placed in the general education classroom with little or no assistance. P. 8 & 10

Ø Many students were inappropriately placed in special education classrooms due to culture or language barriers (class discussion of Larry P & P.8)

Ø “Education” related legislation – PL 94-142 (1975) FIRST major piece of legislation giving students with disabilities a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

o FAPE

o Non-Discriminatory testing

o Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student with disabilities

o Parents have the right to participate in the development of the IEP

o Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

o Tests and other assessment must NOT DISCRIMINATE (Larry P case)

o Due Process for parents and students (SCHOOLS have this right as well)

Page 9

Ø Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (I.D.E.A. – 97) is the reauthorization of IDEA (which is the reauthorization of EHA or PL 94-142) Current legislation is IDEIA 2004

v IDEA 97 Expanded prior legislation by providing the following:

Ø Allows states to serve youngsters 3 – 9 (child find)

Ø Requires students with disabilities to participate in state and district wide assessments

Ø Mandated that charter schools serve students with disabilities

Ø IEP teams include special education AND general education students

Ø IEP identifies the extent of participation in and progress with the general curriculum

Ø Discipline provisions (mainly for schools – helps direct)

FOR YOUR INFORMATION INSET P. 9

CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION AFFECTING SCHOOLS

Ø Section 504 (of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973)

Ø No “otherwise qualified” handicapped individual will be excluded… (class discussion & P.9) Bottom Line: You MUST make accommodations for students – NOT special education legislation – NO funding!

Ø Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA– 1990)

§ National mandate to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities (in employment, public accommodations such as restaurants, theaters etc)

§ Ramps, height of drinking fountains, public transportation, telecommunications etc P. 9

Including Students with Disabilities

· “Labeling” is de-emphasized

· Students learn from each other (socialization, appropriate behaviors)

· Collaboration with general education staff helps everyone! (P.11-13)

Ancillary Services include: School Social Worker, School Psychologist, Teacher Consultant, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, transportation, etc. (class discussion & 12 & 13)

Elementary General Education teacher is typically the FIRST person to recognize a learning problem and ask for a referral for testing to determine eligibility for special education services

School Psychologist does the testing to determine eligibility for special education but MUST have WRITTEN Parental Permission!

A Multi-disciplinary Evaluation Team (M.E.T.) is developed that includes parents, teachers (general & special education), administrator, school psychologist and any other knowledgeable person (student when appropriate).

When it is determined that student is eligible for special education services, the team will decide the appropriate placement (ALWAYS BEGIN WITH FULL TIME GENERAL EDUCATION AND WORK TOWARD MORE RESTRICTIVE PLACEMENT AS APPROPRIATE) LRE P.14

I.E.P. is developed – class discussion and P. 14-19

I.E.P. is reviewed EVERY YEAR!

I.E.P. is re-evaluated Every THREE YEARS (testing – can NOW waive testing)

SOME Characteristics of….P 361 – 364 NOTE…

· May dominate discussions

· May be glib, making fluent statements based on little or no knowledge or understanding

· May be impatient

· Nosey

· Struggles with rules, regulations and standard procedures

· Argumentative

· Challenges authority

· Unorganized

People First Language

Say “the girl in the wheel chair” as opposed to the “crippled girl” or “wheel chair girl” (P. 20)

Largest group of students with disabilities are Learning Disabled (L.D.) – AVERAGE intelligence or above! (52% of special education population) P 58 & 59

Culturally and Linguistic Diverse Students

· Concerns: Testing, Placement, Programming, Parental & Professional expectations and relationships (discussion)

· Review “inclusion tips for the teacher” P. 390

At Risk for School Failure

Note Page 395 top…on a typical day…

· Depending on the definition of “at-risk,” as many as 35 – 40% of the K-12 population can be considered at-risk (p. 408)

· “At-Risk” has NO static definition (p. 396)

· Can be considered some of the following groups (list is NOT comprehensive): latch-key kids, sexually active teenagers, neglected children, students with health concerns, students who have issues with the law, potential drop-outs, students with depression, students living in poverty, students with eating disorders & social/emotional problems (not identified as special education students)

· Typically, “Dropouts are usually from low-income or poverty settings, often from a minority group background (exception Asian-American). (P.399)

· Dropout rates higher among males than females (P. 398 FYI)

· Suicide is the THIRD leading cause of death among adolescents (after unintentional injury and homicide) P. 400

· Drop-out rate is about 14.5% (P. 399)

· Males are 4-5 times as likely to succeed at a suicide but females are 3 – 9 times more likely to attempt suicide. (P. 400)

v Each year HALF of the 15-19 year old girls in the U.S. are sexually active (P.407)

v In the above identified group, 1 MILLION pregnancies occur each year (P.407)

v 90% of the babies born to this group (40% of the pregnancies end in abortion) (P.407)

v 50% of the mothers in this group do NOT finish high school (P.407)

v Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects the teenage mother from discrimination – schools are obligated to continue to provide educational programs for these children (P.407)

§ More than 3 MILLION cases of child abuse and neglect are reported annually (P.408)

§ No single set of characteristics (profile) can be associated with those who abuse children (P.408) (note some “similar” characteristics reported in child abusers)

§ It is difficult to determine the extent of child abuse (number of cases) because it is estimated that only 20% of the cases are reported (P.409)

§ Educators MUST report ANY suspected abuse or neglect (3200 form – Family Independence Agency F.I.A.)

ü 25% of all adolescents exhibit symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia or obesity (P. 412)

ü Anorexia is most likely to occur in 14 or 15 year-old girls and usually begins with dieting that turns into an obsession (P. 412)

Ø Of the 2.5 MILLION juveniles arrested in 1999, 27% involved a female – much MORE likely to be a MALE (P. 413)

Ø Those who are arrested before age 12 are much more likely to continue with their anti-social behavior into adulthood. Those arrested later in their teens, are more likely to be a “one-time” offenders.

(P. 413)

Neglect of personal appearance, a noticeable change in sleeping habits and energy, and a sense of not belonging to anyone (loss of friends, giving away possessions) are all possible warning signs of SUICIDE (P. 402)

To reduce the effects of a suicide…(P.403)

The three main signs of alcohol and drug abuse are characterized as changes in… (performance, appearance/physical changes, behavior) (P.405)

Approximately what percentages of adolescents show signs of an eating disorder? (P. 412)

Who should be in attendance in an IEP? Parents, administrator, special education teacher, general education teacher, ancillary staff if appropriate, any knowledgeable person who knows the student including an advocate and the student if appropriate.

If a student is labeled C.I. (cognitively impaired) they must have a deficit in what two areas? Adaptive behavior and Intelligence (I.Q.)

52% of the students identified as “Special Education” students have the label “LD”

The State of Michigan used labels such as EMI, TMI, SMI to identify students with mental retardation. The state is attempting to use language that is closer to Federal language. WHAT is the CURRENT label the state uses to identify students with mental retardation? Cognitive Impaired (C.I.)

Know the categories of C.I. (Mild, Moderate, Severely, Severely and Multiply, Profound) AND the state assessments for each category of student (Functional Independence, Supported Independence, Participation).

Students who are MORE severely impaired are most likely to come from what kind of background (SES)

How many students (with disabilities) could you expect in a “typical” classroom? P. 7 At LEAST 10% more typical is 12%

Page 9 – Read the “For Your Information” inset. Identify seven components of EHA

(PL 94-142)

1. FAPE

2. IEP

3. Parent Input

4. LRE

5. Test cannot discriminate

6. Due Process

7. Some $

Tell me about another piece of legislation often called the “Civil Rights Act for Persons with Disabilities.” P.9 Lecture Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“otherwise qualified” example – Laura)

John is a student who has a physical disability and a mental impairment. It is very clear that he is handicapped. Mary, on the other hand, is labeled Learning Disabled and her impairment is not very noticeable (except in the classroom). Who is most likely to be teased at school and why – John or Mary? Lecture – expectations

Know the continuum of placement options (use mine if you wish – easier than the one in the text p. 18).

Most Restrictive Least Restrictive

Identify at least four professional organizations (website would be very helpful) that could provide some level of support for working with “special needs students.”

A score is given for each sign at one minute and five minutes after the birth. If there are problems with the baby an additional score is given at 10 minutes. A score of 7-10 is considered normal, while 4-7 might require some resuscitative measures, and a baby with Apgars of 3 and below requires immediate resuscitation.

Test	0 Points	1 Point	2 Points
Activity (Muscle Tone)	Absent	Arms & legs extended	Active movement with flexed arms & legs
Pulse (Heart Rate)	Absent	Below 100 bpm	Above 100 bpm
Grimace (Response Stimulation or Reflex Irritability)	No Response	Facial grimace	Sneeze, cough, pulls away
Appearance (Skin Color)	Blue-gray, pale all over	Pink body and blue extremities	Normal over entire body – Completely pink
Respiration (Breathing)	Absent	Slow, irregular	Good, crying