TEDU 630: Trends and Issues in
Special Education
February 10 – March 10, 2010
Contacting Dr. Wehman
• I will make every attempt to be
available to you, but I do have
other commitments this
semester.
• I will check the course website
to check for assignments/
discussion board or questions
you may have.
• Email me whenever you need to
make contact.
How this class will run
• Combination of face-to-face meetings and
online work.
• Online work and readings will be the
equivalent of two face-to-face meetings
• Blackboard website
Blackboard website
• TEDU 630 Section C91 is our website
• You will need a VCU account and email
• See handout for information about setting
that up if you have not already
• VCU Help Desk: 828-2227
Blackboard website
• Contains information about the online
class sessions
• Combination of reading from text,
websites, research you do on your own,
etc.
Blackboard Website
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Assignments
Calendar
Powerpoint presentations
Links to important websites
Links to course information
Overview of course
• Introduction to special education
• Legal aspects of special education
• Developing Individualized Education
Programs
• Characteristics of students with disabilities
WEEK ONE: February 10, 2010
What is special education?
• It is the art and science of teaching
students who have disabilities…difficulties
and challenges in thinking, in moving, in
sensing, or in feeling.
• This course will seek to present an
overview of both art and science.
Guiding Principles: Providing Services
to Individuals with Disability
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The role of supports
Transition across the life span
Personal responsibility
Self-determination
Education in neighborhood schools
The art of special education:
Values
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Envisioning great expectations
Enhancing positive contributions
Building on strengths
Acting on choices
Expanding relationships
Ensuring full citizenship
***Person-first philosophy
Who are students with
disabilities?
• Total number of students with disabilities:
5 ½ million students ages six to twentyone(1999)
• 200,000 infants and toddlers
• 570,000 preschool children
• Age groups:
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3-5: 9.6%
6-11: 45.4%
12-17: 40.4%
18-21: 4.5%
Person-first language
• Language that reflects our current
understanding that
– Disability is only one aspect of who
someone is
– There is more that we don’t know about the
prognosis of a disability than we do know
– Labels limit the high expectations that we
can have
– Individuals with disabilities are a devalued
segment of our society and until that
changes, whatever language/term we use
will become devalued. However, as that is
happening, we have to be sure we’re not
adding to the problem.
Portrayal Issues
• Do not sensationalize a disability (“victim of”)
• Avoid using emotional descriptions
(“confined to a wheelchair”)
• Avoid labeling people into groups (the
disabled)
• Avoid portraying people who succeed as
remarkable or superhuman
• Avoid using the word “special” in regard to
disability…. “special entrance”
• Avoid putting disability issues into medical
context (client, patient)
Change these offensive terms
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Crippled
Normal
Wheelchair bound
Man who suffers from polio
Cerebral palsy victim
Epileptic
The learning disabled classroom
The special bus
Socioeconomic, geographic,
racial and ethnic profile
• The greatest number of special education
students come from low-income families who
live in urban areas and in poverty
• Many come from families that speak a language
other than English or with limited English
proficiency
• There is a disproportionate representation of
students from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds in programs for students with
disabilities.
• I became a self-advocate ten years ago. Being
a self-advocate is very important to me because
my self-advocacy skills taught me how to see
myself as a person because of all the labels
placed on me. People used to make fun of me
all the time.
• It is real hard for me not to be upset by being
called retarded or dummy, names like that. They
would really hurt my feelings. It is real hard for
me to deal with my feelings now. I have learned
that getting mad does not do any good. I have
learned to talk to people about how that makes
me feel.
• Nancy Ward.
What are the
results/outcomes?
• National Longitudinal Transition Study
– Adults with disabilities earn less, are more
likely to live in poverty, and are less likely to
go to college
• Graduation results
– One fourth of students with disabilities earned
a “regular” high school diploma in 1996-1997.
– Drop-out rate is double for students with
disabilities than for those without disabilities
History of Special
Education
• Early History
– Itard (1799) found a boy near the woods and tried to
“civilize” him. Named him Victor.
– Seguin became a student of Itard’s and developed
teaching methods.
– Montessori used those methods in her “Montessori
method,” first used with students with mental
retardation.
– Methods came to US. Howe founded Perkins School
for the Blind
– Gallaudet began teaching Alice Cogswell and became
principal at first school for the Deaf
– Alexander Graham Bell started out as teacher of
children who were deaf
– Anne Sullivan Macy
History of Special Education
• Later History
– Initial surge of interest, there was
disillusionment
– Rise of institutions
– Beginning of sterilization and eugenics
movement
– Fear
– Focus on protection of society
History of Special Education
• Services-based movement 1960-1980
– Kennedy’s presidency was impetus for
many changes
– Focus on families: the ARC
– Beginning of litigation
• Diana v. Board of Education (CA)
(1970)
• Parc v. Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania (1972)
• Mills v. Washington, DC Board of
Education (1972)
– Led to P.L. 94-142 (1975): Education of
all Handicapped Children Act (EHA)
P.L. 94-142: EHA
• All children with disabilities are entitled to a
free and appropriate public education
(FAPE)
• Ages 6-21
• Protected the rights of the parents
throughout the process (procedural
safeguards)
• Required the development of an
individualized education program
• Students must receive education in least
restrictive environment possible.
• Students qualified on basis of disability and
need.
History of Special Education
Supports-based movement (1980present)
• Inclusive education advocated by parents
& professionals
• Attention to early intervention is promoted
• Employment opportunities enriched
through Supported Employment
• Notion of supports is validated and
encouraged
• Focus on self-determination/self-advocacy
Educational law
amendments
• P.L. 94-142 has been amended four
times by Congress, most recently in
1997.
• Added infants, toddlers and
preschoolers to qualified students
• IDEA became name of law in 1990
to reflect person-first language
– Added autism and traumatic brain
injury as categories
– Added transition planning
– Expanded related services list
IDEA
• Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act
– Name change in 1990
– Reauthorization in 1997
– Now being reviewed for reauthorization,
changes
• It’s important to know what is being
considered, and make your thoughts
known.
• http://www.specialednews.com/was
hwatch/washnews/bushcommission
012002.html
Key components of IDEA
• Disability Categories
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Mental retardation
Specific learning disabilities
Serious emotional disturbances
Speech or language impairments
Vision loss
Hearing loss
Orthopedic impairments
Other health impairments
Deaf/blindness
Multiple disabilities
Autism
Traumatic brain injury
• Demonstrated need to specialized
instruction and related services in order to
receive FAPE
Disability Categories
• Specific Learning Disabilities
• Speech or language
impairments
• Mental retardation/cognitive
disabilities
• Emotional or behavior disorders
• Other health impairments
• Multiple disabilities
• Hearing impairments
• Orthopedic impairments
• Autism
• Visual impairments
• Traumatic brain injury
• Developmental delay
• Deaf-blindness
• 51.0 %
• 19.8 %
• 11.2 %
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0.8.4 %
03.5 %
02.0 %
01.3 %
01.2 %
00.8 %
00.5 %
00.2 %
00.03%
00.03%
Key components of IDEA
• FAPE
• Based on 14th amendment guarantee for
equal protection under the law
• Hendrick Hudson District board of Education
v. Rowley (1982)
– Does not have to be ideal education
• Part B: students ages 3-21
• Part C: students birth to age 3
Six principles of IDEA
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Zero reject
Nondiscriminatory evaluation
Appropriate education
Least restrictive environment
Procedural due process
Parental and student participation
Key components of IDEA
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Zero reject
Nondiscriminatory evaluation
Appropriate education
Least restrictive environment
Procedural due process
Parent and student participation
Key components of IDEA
• Zero reject
– All students with disabilities, no matter how
significant their support needs, are entitled to
a free and appropriate education
– Behaviorally, students whose behavior
problems are caused by their disabilities can
not be suspended or expelled from school
Key components of IDEA
• Nondiscriminatory Evaluation
– Purposes: determine whether a
student has a disability and the
nature of the special education
and related services the student
needs.
– Four-step process
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Screening
Prereferral
Referral
Nondiscriminatory evaluation
Key components of IDEA
• Nondiscriminatory Evaluation
– Full evaluation: should cover all aspects
of student’s life and education
– Formal evaluation: must follow certain
procedures
– Evaluation team (parents, general
education teacher, special educator, a
school district representative, an
individual who can interpret the
assessment results, others)
– Assessment instruments
Key components of IDEA
• Appropriate education
– IEP: individualized education program
– IFSP: individualized family support plan
– http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/ideapubs/lg2.pdf
– http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/stuguide/st1.pdf
The IEP
• The IEP is a written statement for each
student. It must include the following:
– Present levels of educational performance
– Measurable annual goals
– Services, supplemental aids and services,
program modifications
– The extent to which, if any, student will not
participate with students who do not have
disabilities
– Projected beginning date & frequency,
duration, and location of each
– Transition plans
– How student’s progress will be measured
Least restrictive environment
• Student in general education class
• Student in general education class,
consultative specialist provides
assistance
• Student in general education class for
majority of day, resource room for
specialized education
• Student in special education/resource
class for majority of day, attends general
education class for part of day
• Student in full-time special education
class
• Student in separate school
• Student receives homebound or hospitalbased instruction.
Procedural due process
• Parental safeguards
– Give consent in writing before initial
evaluation
– Give consent in writing before student
begins to receive special education
– Request an independent evaluation
– Participate on committees for
evaluation, placement, IEP development
– Inspect and review educational records/
challenge information
– Request copy of information from file
– Request a hearing concerning any
aspect of identification, evaluation,
placement, provision of FAPE.
Other laws to know
• Rehabilitation Act
• Technology-related assistance to
individuals with disabilities act of 1988
• Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act
– Prohibits discrimination in any program
or activity that received federal financial
assistance
– Applies to colleges, school programs,
etc.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
– Extends the civil rights of Section 504 to
public sectors of employment,
transportation, government,
telecommunications and privately-owned
businesses open to public.
Wednesday’s Class
• Read information on Special Education
Law and IEP from book.
• Begin to determine who you will do
interviews with.
• Read through the information on IEP
development on the website (under course
documents).
• Also, take some time to review the
information and the study guide.
• Read Chapter 2 on Parents and Families
Role in Special Education.
The Changing Face of the
Family
• Different family roles
– Fathers more involved in child care
– Grandparents often involved in child care
• Professional’s role
– Encourage all family members to participate
– Know family’s choices, preferences
Interacting with Changing
Family
• Importance of building relationships
– Avoiding negative stereotypes
– Appreciating the family’s knowledge
– Letting families make decisions
– Recognizing families as co-teachers
– Developing active listening to help bridge
communication gaps
– Respecting cultural diversity
Helping Families Manage
Stress
• Stresses on family
• Respite care for families
• Encourage family participation
nonjudgmentally
• Support systems provide respite
• Respite options available in most
communities
Advocacy and Empowerment
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Roads that lead to advocacy
Empowerment and self-determination
Support groups, advocacy organizations
Consumer-driven services
Siblings
• Have needs, too
• Challenges for siblings
• Communicating with siblings