Introduction To Exceptional Education

  EEX 2000

Prof. Joseph D. McNair

 Please Read:

See Course Syllabus

This course is designed to introduce you to Exceptional Education and maximize your interaction with educational technology.  You will be assigned articles to read for each class.  This frees up class time for enhanced student-teacher interactions. You are expected to :

  • "react" or "reflect" on each article or set of articles assigned.  A reflection paper is a short piece of expository writing consisting of a minimum of twenty-five word processed lines in a Microsoft Word document format. Please use Times New Roman or Arial fonts. Each reflection should have  the student's photograph attached. 

  • take all of your tests and quizzes on-line.  

  • submit all artifacts and assignments as stipulated on the syllabus and as required.

As such you will be required to do or observe the following:

  1. Upload your reflection papers  on the dates due to Webct and keep a word processed copy (file) on a jump drive or compact disk).

  2. Write your reflections in your own words. Plagiarized reaction papers will be returned. All reflections and original assignments (where appropriate) must be submitted to Turnitin.com before uploading to Webct.  Reflection papers must be 25 lines for full credit. Any paper less than fifteen (15) lines will receive no credit.

  3. Reflection papers are due by the designated due date (see Webct assignment box). Uploaded reflection papers will be determined late according to the date they were received. You must keep a copy and a back-up copy of each reflection on a cd-rom disk or a jump drive.  

  4. You are to download articles and web pages that you used to write your reflections and take your tests and save them on your floppy disk, your CD-RW or jump drive.  These will comprise part of the digital portfolio that you will submit at the end of the term.

  5. All assignments and artifacts as stipulated by the syllabus will comprise part of the digital portfolio.

  6. You will submit a digital portfolio at the end of the term consisting of all reflection papers, articles, quizzes, assignments and artifacts on a CD-RW compact disk. It must be submitted on the due date.  The digital portfolio comprises the final culminating semester assessment. You will not pass the class without the portfolio.

  7. On the first day of class you will be registered into the WEBCT program so that you can take your tests and quizzes.

  8. You will have three (3) attempts to take each test and quiz.  You will be credited for the best score of the three (3) attempts.

  9. You will download the a copy of each of your completed tests (the best performance). (The best of your three attempts) and save the test to your floppy disks or your CD-RW.

  10. Your digital portfolio will contain minimally 32 reflection papers, an equivalent number of articles/webpages, two (2) major class assignments, Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs) Artifacts (if appropriate) and seven (7) quizzes. 

  11. To receive an "A" in the class, you must attend 85% of the scheduled classes. Any grade earned will be lowered on letter grade if more than 15% of the classes have been missed. Missing more than 20% of the classes will cause you to faill the class.

  12. You must be in class before fifteen (15) minutes past the start time has elapsed. You will not be admitted after fifteen (15) minutes unless you have received prior permission by the professor. 

 

Week One and Two

Register for Webct and Turnitin

  • Review the history of the treatment of mental illness, the history of special education, the milestones in providing services to people with special needs and related notable events
  • Read and discuss literature on intellectual disabilities e.g. definitions, characteristics, federal laws regarding and individual education plans
Definitions of the Exceptionalities: A Beginning

http://www.coping.org/specialed/components.htm#Definitions

1. Mentally Handicapped (EMH, TMH, SPMH) The mentally handicapped student is one who may not be able to learn quickly or as much as most other students his age. This includes students who are EMH "educable," TMH "trainable," or SPMH "profound." In order to be eligible for "mentally handicapped" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State Board of Education Rules.

2. Specific Learning Disabled (SLD) The student with a specific learning disability is one who seems to have average or better ability, health, vision, hearing, and intelligence, but is still unable to learn things as easily or as quickly as most other students his age. In order to be eligible for "specific learning disabled" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State Board of Education Rules.

3. Hearing Impaired The hearing impaired student is one who has a loss of some or most of his ability to hear. This includes students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. In order to be eligible for "hearing impaired" programs and services, a student must meet all requirements listed in the State Board of Education Rules.

4. Blind/Visually Impaired The visually impaired student is one who has a loss of some or all of his ability to see. This includes students who are blind or partially sighted. In order to be eligible for "visually impaired" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State board of Education Rules.

5. Emotional Handicapped (EH, SED) An emotionally handicapped student may seem to act differently, think differently, or have different feelings than most other students his age. This includes students who are "severely emotionally disturbed - (SED)". In order to be eligible for "emotionally handicapped (EH)" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State Board of Education Rules.

6. Autistic The autistic student may seem to act, talk, think or behave very differently from other students his age. He may not like to be close to people. In order to be eligible for "autistic" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State Board of Education Rules.

7. Physically Impaired (PI) The physically impaired student is one who has a severe illness, condition, or disability which makes it hard for him to learn in the same ways as other students his age. In order to be eligible for "physically impaired" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State Board of Education Rules.

8. Speech and Language Impaired The speech or language impaired student is one who has problems in talking so that he can be understood, sharing ideas, expressing needs, or understanding what others are saying. In order to be eligible for "speech and language" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State board of Education Rules.

9. Homebound/Hospitalized A kind of Exceptional Student Education for a student who must stay at home or in a hospital for a period of time because of a severe illness, injury, or health problem. In order to be eligible for "homebound/hospitalization" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State board of Education Rules.

10. Gifted. A gifted student is one who is very, very bright or smart and who learns things much more quickly than other students his age. In order to be eligible for "gifted" programs and services, a student must meet all the requirements listed in the State board of Education Rules.

Reflection 1: What is an Exceptional Student

Reflection 2: Having read the History of Mental Illness and the History of Special Education, and Milesstones, what strikes you as most important about the care and treatment of people with special needs?

Reflection 3: After reviewing the powerpoint, Individual Rights of People with Intellectual Disabilities, reflect on what you think it would be like to have a disability or if you have one, share some of your experiences.

Reflection 4: What have you learned about intellectual disability?

Readings

Weeks Three, Four, & Five

  • Review the history of learning diabilities e.g. minimal brain damage, the controversy regarding vaccinations, Valett' typology, and developmental milestones in children aged 3-16.
  • Read and discuss literature on learning disabilities e.g. definitions, characteristics, federal laws regarding and individual education plans

Learning Disabilities

Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math.

Almost 3 million children (ages 6 through 21) have some form of a learning disability and receive special education in school. In fact, over half of all children who receive special education have a learning disability (Twenty-fourth Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Education, 2002). It's important, though, to realize that learning disabilities (LD) vary from person to person. One person with LD may not have the same kind of learning problems as another person with LD. One may have trouble with reading and writing. Another may have problems with understanding math. Still another person may have trouble in each of these areas, as well as with understanding what people are saying. http://www.nichcy.org/resources/LD1.asp

Reflection 5: Compare what you thought you knew about learning disabilites and what you have learned from the readings.

Reflection 6: Having reviewed the Developmental Milestones 3-16 and Common Signs of Children With Learning Disabilities, how has this helped you in identifying the learning diabled child?

Reflection 7: In your own words explain Dyslexia

Reflection 8: In your own words explain Dyscalculia

Reflection 9: In your own words explain Dysgraphia

Reflection 10: What are Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders ?

Reflection 11: What are Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

Rflection 12: What is your understanding of the I.E.P. process?

 

 

Readings

 

Weeks Six and Seven

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

From http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html#sect0

Deaf or hearing-impaired students may communicate using combinations of several different sign and lip-reading techniques, including finger-spelling and American Sign Language. Each is a separate language, and students may use different languages. Combinations of ASL and English are frequently used in educational situations - often combined with speech. Nearly every spoken language has an accompanying sign language.

In addition to sign language and lip-reading, deaf students may also use sign and oral language interpreters. These are professionals who assist deaf or hard of hearing persons with understanding communications not received aurally. Interpreters also assist hearing persons with understanding messages communicated by deaf or hard of hearing individuals. Sign language interpreters use highly developed language and fingerspelling skills; oral interpreters silently form words on their lips for speechreading. Interpreters also voice, when requested. Interpreters will interpret all information in a given situation, including instructor's comments, class discussion, and environmental sounds.

From http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html

Over time, the average hearing impaired student shows an ever increasing gap in vocabulary growth, complex sentence comprehension and construction, and in concept formation as compared to students with normal hearing. Hearing impaired students often learn to "feign" comprehension with the end result being that the student does have optimal learning opportunities. Therefore, facilitative strategies for hearing impaired students are primarily concerned with various aspects of communication. Other problems arise because deafness is an invisible disability. It is easy for teachers to "forget about it" and treat the student as not having a disability. It has also been shown that hearing impaired students with good English skills also have good science concept formation. (After "Mainstream Teaching of Science: A Source Book", Keller et al.)

  1. Deaf: "A hearing impairment which is so severe that a child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, which adversely affects educational performance."
  2. Hard of Hearing: "A hearing impairment, whether permanent of fluctuating, which adversely affects a child's educational performance but which is not included under the definition of 'deaf'."
  3. Deaf-Blind: "Simultaneous hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational problems that a child cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for deaf children or blind children." (All definitions are from IDEA.)

Reflection 13: What Is Meant by the "Auditory-Oral" Approach?

Reflection 14: What Is Meant by the Auditory-Verbal Approach?

Reflection 15: React to the article, A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School.

 

Readings

Weeks Eight and Nine

Blindness and the Visually Impaired

Legal Defintion of Blindness

From Exceptional Children by William Heward p.384-5)

The legal definition of blindness is based on visual acuity and field of vision. Visual acuity-the ability to clearly distinguish forms or discriminate among details-is most often measured by reading letters, numbers, or other symbols from the Snellen chart. A person with 20/20 normal vision can read a 3/8-inch letter at 20 feet. The familiar phrase "20/20 vision" does not, as some people think, mean perfect vision; it simply indicates that at a distance of 20 feet, the eye can see what a normally seeing eye sees at that distance. As the bottom number increases, visual acuity decreases.

A person whose visual acuity is 20/200 or less in the better eye after the best possible correction with glasses or contact lenses is considered legally blind by the federal government (Social Security Administration, 2000). If Jane has 20/200 vision while wearing her glasses, she needs to stand at a distance of 20 feet to see what a normally sighted person can see from 200 feet. In other words, Jane must get much closer than normal to see thir clearly. Her legal blindness means that she will likely find it difficult to use her vision in many everyday situations. But many children with 20/200, or even 20/400, visual acuity succeed in the regular classroom with special help. Some students' vis...

The definition of visual disability in IDEA emphasizes the relationship between vison and learning " an impairment in vision that even with correction adversely affects a child's educational performance." Students with visual impairments display a wide range of visual abilities-- from total blindness to relatively good vision. The precise clinicl measurements of visual acuity and visual field used to determine legal blindness have limited relevance for educatoprs. instead, educators classify students with visual impairments based on the extent to which the use vison and auditory/tctile means for learning (Bishop, 1996)

  • A student who is totally blind receives no usful information through the sense of vision and must use tactile and auditory senses for all learning
  • A child who is functionally blind has so little vision that she learns primarily through the tactile and auditory senses, however, she may be able to use her limited vision to supplement the information received from the other senses and to assist with certain tasks (e.g. moving about the classroom)
  • A child with low vision uses vision as a primary means of learning but may supplement visual information with tactile and auditory input

Reflection 16: What is your reaction to the story of Hellen Keller?

Reflection 17: After reading Visual Impairments, Eye Diseases and Conditions and About Blindness, what do you know now about Blidness/Visual Impairment disability?

Reflection 18: What have you learned about Assistive technology for te Blind and Visually Impaired?

Readings

Weeks Ten, Eleven and Twelve

Emotionally Handicapped

An emotional handicap is a condition which results in improper behavior that interferes with the individual's ability to learn and function under normal circumstances. Emotional handicaps are typically divided into three categories: psychologically disturbed, severely to moderately disturbed, and mildly disturbed. These disorders are characterized by behavior problems extending over a period of time which adversely affect the person's daily functioning, learning, occupation, or social life.

Someone with an emotional handicap may display any of the following symptoms:

  • An inability to learn that cannot be explained by other factors
  • The inability to build or maintain interpersonal relationships with peers
  • Inappropriate or disruptive behavior
  • A general feeling of unhappiness or depression
  • Unexplainable fears and anxieties
  • A tendency to develop physical pain associated with social or emotional issues
  • Aggressiveness or withdrawal
  • Compulsive behavior

From http://www.coc.state.sc.us/disturbed.html

Severe disturbance or severely emotionlly disturbed is the inclusive term for children and adolescents whose severity of emotional, mental and behavioral disturbance requires a comprehensive and organized system of care.

As these parameters indicate, the designation of "severe emotional disturbance" among children reflects a two dimensional relationship between the severity of the dysfunction and the system of care necessary to meet the needs of the severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. This two dimensional description can be further defined as:

  • SEVERITY OF DYSFUNCTION: In order for a child to be considered severely emotionally disturbed, the child's behavior must exhibit the following characteristics:
  • FREQUENCY:The behavior shall have occurred with sufficient frequency to be considered a pattern of situational inappropriate behavior which deviates substantially from behavior appropriate to one's age and cultural peer group.
  • INTENSITY:The behavior shall have occurred with sufficient intensity to be considered seriously detrimental to the child's growth, development or welfare, or the safety and welfare of others.
  • DURATION:The behavior shall have occurred over an extended period of time or to the extent the problem is disabling, handicapping or in some way interferes with the effective functioning of the individual.
  • SYSTEM OF CARE: The severity of the problem shall indicate the system of care necessary based upon the following criteria
    • Range of Service:The severity of the behavior is judged to require a range of services which necessitates the involvement of multiple agencies
    • Disruption: The severity of the behavior is judged sufficiently disruptive to lead to the removal of the child from his or her current home, school, community or therapeutic setting.
    • Persistence:The severity of behavior is judged persistent in spite of documented interventions provided in a coordinated and therapeutic manner.

Reflection 19: In your own words, how would you describe an emotionally handicapped or an emotionally disabled learner. Use examples from your own experience and identify the disability if you can.

Reflection 20: In your own words, how would you describe a severely emotionally disturbed learner. Use examples from your own experience and identify the disability if you can.

Reflection 21: Having read the articles Who are EH and SED Children?, How to Identify Emotional Disabilities and Emotional Disturbance, do you think you can identify learners with emotional disturbances? Have you known them in your own experience?

Reflection 22: Having read all of the articles on specific EH/SED diagnoses, do you think it is a good idea to include these learners in the regular classroom?

 

Readings

 

 

 

Week Thirteen

Speech and Language Disorders and Autism

From http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/speech.html

Speech and language disorders refer to problems in communication and related areas such as oral motor function. These delays and disorders range from simple sound substitutions to the inability to understand or use language or use the oral-motor mechanism for functional speech and feeding. Some causes of speech and language disorders include hearing loss, neurological disorders, brain injury, mental retardation, drug abuse, physical impairments such as cleft lip or palate, and vocal abuse or misuse. Frequently, however, the cause is unknown.

More than one million of the students served in the public schools' special education programs in the 1997-98 school year were categorized as having a speech or language impairment. This estimate does not include children who have speech/language problems secondary to other conditions such as deafness. Language disorders may be related to other disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, or cerebral palsy. It is estimated that communication disorders (including speech, language, and hearing disorders) affect one of every 10 people in the United States.

A child's communication is considered delayed when the child is noticeably behind his or her peers in the acquisition of speech and/or language skills. Sometimes a child will have greater receptive (understanding) than expressive (speaking) language skills, but this is not always the case.

Speech disorders refer to difficulties producing speech sounds or problems with voice quality. They might be characterized by an interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech, such as stuttering, which is called dysfluency. Speech disorders may be problems with the way sounds are formed, called articulation or phonological disorders, or they may be difficulties with the pitch, volume or quality of the voice. There may be a combination of several problems. People with speech disorders have trouble using some speech sounds, which can also be a symptom of a delay. They may say "see" when they mean "ski" or they may have trouble using other sounds like "l" or "r". Listeners may have trouble understanding what someone with a speech disorder is trying to say. People with voice disorders may have trouble with the way their voices sound.

A language disorder is an impairment in the ability to understand and/or use words in context, both verbally and nonverbally. Some characteristics of language disorders include improper use of words and their meanings, inability to express ideas, inappropriate grammatical patterns, reduced vocabulary and inability to follow directions. One or a combination of these characteristics may occur in children who are affected by language learning disabilities or developmental language delay. Children may hear or see a word but not be able to understand its meaning. They may have trouble getting others to understand what they are trying to communicate.

Reflection 23:What have you learned about Speech and Language Disabilities

Reflection 24: React to the three articles, UI speech pathologist examines cultural differences, speech issues, "The kids fitna walk to they school." and Difference or Deficit in Speakers of African American English?

Reflection 25: What is autism and autism spectrum disorders?

Reflection 26: What challenges would you face in trying to teach an autistic child?

Readings

Week Fourteen

Giftedness refers to children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others their age, experience or environment.  Gifted children and youth exhibit high performance capability in intellectual, creative, musical and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity or excel in specific academic fields.  They require services not ordinarily provided by schools.

It has been assumed in Federal reports and legislation that approximately 3-5% of the school population can be considered gifted or talented.  Since each state establishes its own definition of giftedness, percentages of children identified as gifted and talented vary from state to state.  In general, children are not identified and placed into gifted programs until at least the 3rd grade. 

Reflection 27: In your own words, describe a gifted and talented learner.

Reflection 28: React to the three articles, Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic Students, Gifted and Talented Minority Identification, Gifted Education: More than Just an IQ Score

 

 

 

Readings

 

Week Fifteen

Physical Disabilities

From http://www.csun.edu/~sp20558/dis/physical.html

Physical impairment refers to a broad range of disabilities which include orthopedic, neuromuscular, cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders. People with these disabilities often must rely upon assertive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and artificial limbs to obtain mobility. The physical disability may either be congenital or a result of injury, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation, heart disease, pulmonary disease or more. Some persons may have hidden (nonvisible) disabilities which include pulmonary disease, respiratory disorders, epilepsy and other limiting conditions.

Although the cause of the disability may vary, persons with physical disabilities may face the following difficulties:

Access Issues:

  • Inability to gain access to inaccessible building or room.
  • Decreased eye-hand coordination.
  • Impaired verbal communication.
  • Decreased physical stamina and endurance.

If a person uses a wheelchair, conversations at different eye levels are difficult. If a conversation continues for more than a few minutes and if it is possible to do so, sit down, kneel, or squat and share eye level.

A wheelchair is part of the person's body space. Do not automatically hang or lean on the chair; it is similar to hanging or leaning on the person. It is fine if you are friends but inappropriate otherwise.

Using words like "walking" or "running" are appropriate. Sensitivity to these words is not necessary. People who use wheelchairs use the same words.

When it appears that a person needs assistance, ask if you can help. Most persons will ask for assistance if they need it. Accept a "no thank you" graciously.

Accept the fact that a disability exists. By not acknowledging this fact is the same as not acknowledging the person.

People with physical disabilities are not "confined" to wheelchairs. They often transfer over to automobiles and to furniture. Some who use wheelchairs can walk with the aid of canes, braces, crutches or walkers. Using a wheelchair some of the time does not mean an individual is "faking" a disability. It may be a means to conserve energy or move about more quickly.

If a person's speech is difficult to understand, do not hesitate to ask him/her to repeat.

Provide assistance if you are asked. Never come up behind a person who uses a wheelchair and push them. Always ask first while facing the person. Never take the door out of a person's hand to assist them in opening it, they may be using the door for balance. Always ask if you can help first.

Reflection 29: Describe in your own words two (2) of the Neuromuscular/Mobility impairments.

Reflection 30: Describe in your own words two (2) of the Chronic Illnesses.

Reflection 31: A child has collapsed on the playground. You go to investigate and discover that the child is unconscious but breathing. There are rumors that thi child is infected with the HIV virus. What do you do?

Reflection 32: Evaluate this class and the teacher.

Readings
Week Sixteen