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End Reflection
John Mitchell
Ivy Tech Community College
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Teaching Special Need Students
My response to teaching an entire class or just one student would be that it is challenging.
I am educated on many different diseases and disorders that students might have but they take
extra patience, time, and encouragement to teach. I know there are many different successful
instructional strategies, plans, and programs to use but teaching these students is a big
responsibility. These student’s futures are basically in the educator’s hands and it is their job to
teach effectively and efficiently. IEPs are another issue that is important to point out because
everything you document for a student is valuable for learning all their skills and abilities so it is
nerve racking that if you misinterpret a certain behavior the result can tamper what the student
learns or decrease their opportunities. According to the textbook, a major problem is that the IEP
is often written at the wrong time and for the wrong reason. Another common error in writing the
IEP is a reliance on state standards. A “standards-based” IEP is on that focuses on outcomes
based on state standards rather than on individual student needs (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen,
2015).
Even though teaching the special needs is a challenge, being knowledgeable about special
needs can help me in the long run. Regardless if I do not feel comfortable, and I am not saying I
don’t, I will be able to interpret certain triggers that can lead me to helping a student in need. For
instance, a behavior that is abnormal for a typical child. According to the textbook, examples of
symptoms associated with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity would include easily
distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another. Also,
having difficulty focusing on one thing, bored with a task after only a few minutes, not seeming
to listen when spoken to, daydreaming, or struggling to follow instructions (Hallahan, Kauffman,
Pullen, 2015). These are only some symptoms for one disorder and having to remember to be
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cautious when labeling or diagnosing children because there are many disorders or diseases that
have the same or similar symptoms.
Appropriate Environment
There are many different disorders and diseases that students might have that could place
them in different environments. I think for most disorders and diseases, students should be in a
socializing environment amongst other non-special students. For instance, inclusion is a great
way for some special need students to learn their social cues and skills. Social Interaction is great
for students with intellectual disabilities because most of the symptoms are lack of sociability or
socially incompetent. According to the textbook, whether or not one supports the concept of
inclusion, the fact is that most educators favor some degree of integration of students with
disabilities with nondisabled students. Schools generally use a few methods to help students with
disabilities participate in the general education classroom. A method of instruction for promoting
socialization is classwide peer tutoring, which is all students in the general education classroom
routinely engage in peer tutoring for particular subject matter, such as reading or math. Partial
participation is another method and it means having students with disabilities participate, on a
reduced basis, in virtually all activities experienced by all students in the general education
classroom (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). Socializing disabled and nondisabled students
together has proven to help the disabled with their learning abilities and increase the success rate
for their transition to adulthood.
In my beginning reflection, I thought that socializing with the general population or
nondisabled students was appropriate but this course proved me wrong. According to the
textbook, people that are deaf and hard of hearing should be placed among others that are alike.
This process forms the deaf culture. People who can hear have little difficulty finding people
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with whom to communicate. People who are deaf, however, can face problems in finding others
with whom they can converse. Studies have demonstrated that many students who are deaf are at
risk for loneliness. Because of the low prevalence of hearing impairment, the child who is deaf
usually ends up being the only one in class and perhaps the school with a hearing impairment.
Researchers have found that integrating a small group of children who are deaf into preschool
classrooms can result in their achieving higher levels of social competence compared to placing
just one child who is deaf in the classroom. The need for social interaction is probably most
influential in leading many people with hearing impairment to associate primarily with others
with hearing impairment (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015).
Another disorder that is believed to be more successful with being in segregated
classroom is emotional or behavioral disorder. According to the textbook, some educators,
researchers, and parents have made the case that students with emotional and behavioral
disorders who are at high risk for continued problems need the structure and support of a special
class; being in a separate class can be better than being included in general education. Educators
who serve students with the most severe emotional or behavioral disorders provide ample
justification for specialized environments for theses children and youth (Hallahan, Kauffman,
Pullen, 2015).
Additional Accommodations
I believe students with special needs should receive additional accommodations because
they have the right to have a fair education and an equal opportunity. My thinking has not change
from my beginning reflection because I believe in equality. This course has reinforced my view
because I have experienced and read about behaviors students unintentionally possess that are
very obscured. For instance, my nephew that has aspergers and emotional disorder had violent
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tendencies and didn’t process information the same as nondisabled students but he still was an
intelligent person.
Receiving extra assistance or time should be reasonable applicable because if a child has
ADHD then his brain functions are sporadic and has issues with focusing on a subject for too
long. It is only reasonable for that child to receive additional accommodations. According to the
textbook, students with ADHD may experience difficulties with behavioral inhibition, including
the ability to wait one’s turn, recognize inappropriate responses, or resist distractions. Functional
behavioral assessment (FBA) is an important tool for teachers to use with students with
emotional or behavioral disorders, as well as for student with many types of other disabilities
when they also have behavioral problems. FBA is often extremely useful in educational
programming for students with ADHD. Functional behavioral assessment involves determining
the consequences, antecedents and setting events that maintain inappropriate behaviors
(Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). This is an example that additional accommodations can be
useful and should be used for students with disabilities.
Interest In My Future Profession
This course has reinforced my view on not becoming a special, gifted or talented
education teacher because I knew it is a very challenging task. I know to be any type of teacher it
takes patience, love, and care for a student but juggling it to very high levels is my forte. The
contributions from this course that have reinforced my decision are the behaviors and additional
accommodations that a child has or will need.
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Reference Page
Hallahan, D., Kauffman, J., & Pullen, P. (2014). 1,2. In Exceptional learners: An introduction to
special education (Thirteenth ed., p. 27, 31, 33, 159, 165, 198, 273). Pearson, Allyn
Bacon.