EARLY INTERVENTION, AUTISM & GIFTEDNESS EXCEPTIONALITIES REPORT Brandyn Miller EDU Professor Joe Davis

EARLY INTERVENTION

Early Intervention are the services provided to families of infants and toddlers, age birth-3 who are at risk of developing a disability. These services are provided through Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students are referred for special education evaluation 6 months before 3 rd birthday.

EARLY INTERVENTION IDEA STANDARDS Early intervention is the process of providing services, education and support to young children who are believed to have an established condition, developmental delay or special need that may affect their development or impede their education later in life. IDEA Law Says students must be provided for: “to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the child, early intervention services must be provided in natural environments, including the home and community settings in which children without disabilities participate.”

HISTORY OF EARLY INTERVENTION Congress established the Early Intervention program in 1986 to: enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities reduce education costs by minimizing the need for special education minimize the likelihood of institutionalization, and maximize independent living enhance the capacity of families to meet their child's needs. In 2004, President Bush reinstated the Part C IDEA standards with more rigorous standards and minimums set for providing services.

EARLY INTERVENTION DIAGNOSES Primary referral sources for Early Intervention Services: Hospitals Physicians Child care & early learning programs Local educational agencies (LEAs) Social service agencies Health care providers

EARLY INTERVENTION DIAGNOSES CRITERIA Step One- Referral Step Two- Parental notification & Consent Step Three- Evaluation of: Cognitive Development Hearing & Vision Communication Social & Emotional Development Adaptive Development Step Four- Develop Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Reviewed every 6 months Referred to LEA 6 months prior to 3 rd birthday

EARLY INTERVENTION ACCOMMODATIONS The number of infants & toddlers receiving Early Intervention services under IDEA in 2011 was 336,895. Examples of services include: Parent/Caregiver Education Family support therapy Cognitive & Developmental therapies All services are provided free of charge to eligible families

EARLY INTERVENTION LEGAL ISSUES Pardini v. Alleghany Intermediate Unit This court case argued that the “Stay Put” provision, stating that Early Intervention services provided prior to the formation of an IEP, must but continued, and without proper parental consent may not be removed or substituted. The PA courts argued that unless state laws differ from the IDEA regulations, the Stay Put provision is to be followed, and services may not be removed. IDEA 2004 has provided many types of Special Education law, such as the Stay Put Provision, that makes the transition from Part C to Part B very regulated.

AUTISM

“ ” A GROUP OF COMPLEX DISORDERS THAT CAUSE ALTERED BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, AND ARE CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFICULTIES IN SOCIAL INTERACTION, VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION, AND REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS, THAT VARY IN SEVERITY AND TYPE. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS ARE SEPARATED INTO 4 DIFFERENT GROUPS: ▪AUTISM ▪CHILDHOOD DISINTEGRATIVE DISORDER ▪PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER- NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED ▪ASPERGER SYNDROME Autism Spectrum Disorder is medically defined as

AUTISM IDEA DEFINITION Autism, as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interactions, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Not all students with Autism with have visual signs of the disorder at or before age 3. MUST affect the student’s performance in the educational setting.

HISTORY OF AUTISM Psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler coined the terms “autism” and “autistic” to describe an aspect of schizophrenia in which a person withdraws from the outside world into himself Leo Kanner, psychiatrist, used the term “autistic” in his publication to describe children with characteristics similar to how we define it today Hans Asperger uses the term autistic to describe four boys with characteristics of what we refer to as Asperger Syndrome today Psychologist Bernard Rimland publishes a book that insists autism is a biological disorder, not an emotional illness caused by unfeeling parents Autism is added to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are added to the DSM

AUTISM DIAGNOSES No Cure for Autism Treatment plans include behavioral, speech, and family therapy Specially trained physicians and psychologists administer autism-specific behavioral evaluations. For toddlers: The Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT)

AUTISM DIAGNOSES Criteria for Diagnoses Deficits in social communication & interaction in multiple situations, currently and documented in the past Deficits in social-emotional responses, causing abnormal relationships Deficits in nonverbal communication used for social interaction. Including body language and hand gestures. Severe deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. The following behaviors presented currently and in the documented past: Stereotypic & repetitive movements Insistence schedules and lack of change Restricted & abnormally intense interests and focuses Hyperactivity to sensory input Symptoms should be present in the early development but may not become fully evident until later in life. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning. These instances are not better explained by intellectual disability. Social communication should be below expected for developmental level.

AUTISM EDUCATION ACCOMMODATIONS In 2006, approximately 194,000 students ages 6 through 21 were identified as having autism and received special education services under IDEA Educational Accommodations: Extra time to complete assignments & Tests Alternative assignments & Tests Slower paced instructions Modified grading & Tests Physical Classroom Modifications

LEGAL ISSUES IN AUTISM Zachary Deal v. Hamilton County Department of Education Deal family sued the HCDE for denying appropriate services and using laws to extend services that are not developmentally appropriate. County School Board Of Henrico County v. R. T., a minor Family was denied an alternative LRE and denied basic principles of FAPE. The minors IEP was not properly developed, and goals were often not meet.

GIFTEDNESS

Giftedness is a form of special education for students who comprehend and work at a level higher than most peers at the educational level. These students may have higher IQ’s and often require extra work in order to keep them on track. Gifted students often learn things at a faster pace, and are very good with complex cognitive thinking.

GIFTED IDEA DEFINITION Giftedness is defined as: Children with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplisment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities. To be considered gifted, the student must not only possess the ability to perform above grade level, but also apply that knowledge and ability.

HISTORY OF GIFTEDNESS The National Defense Education Act passes. First large-scale effort by the federal government in gifted education The Marland Report The first formal definition is issued The Office of the Gifted and Talented Officially recognized as part of the U. S Office of Education National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Established at the University of Connecticut and included researchers from: University of Virginia Yale University University of Georgia National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) publishes Pre-K through Grade 12 Gifted Program Standards NCLB begins to provide grants for Gifted Education Services

GIFTED DIAGNOSES CRITERIA Generally, students are recommended for Gifted Services by their Parents, Teachers, or by themselves. General behaviors to be observed for gifted recommendation Perfectionism & idealism Sensitivity to Expectations Extreme boredom due to understanding of class materials Abstract & Complex thinking Extreme feelings about success and failure Gifted students also excel in certain areas: Creative Thinking Intellectual Ability Academic Ability Leadership Visual/Performing Arts Psychomotor Abilities

GIFTED EDUCATION ACCOMMODATIONS Accommodations can happen through: Changes in the regular classroom Part-time assignment to both regular and special classes Full-time grouping with students of similar abilities & achievement Acceleration or grade advancement

LEGAL ISSUES IN GIFTEDNESS Gifted students are not covered within the IDEA act, but are still entitled to a good education as a civil right. E.N. v. M. School District, 2007 This case involved a student in Pennsylvania, that due to his extreme development, skipped kindergarten and entered 1 st grade a year early. Several years later, the parents attempted to claim that the school was not providing appropriate gifted education services, and took them to court. The courts determined that the students services should be determined based on his current grade, not age, due to his previous grade acceleration, and therefore did not meet the requirements to remain in the gifted education program.

REFERENCES Early Intervention i.index.htm i.index.htm content/uploads/docs/legacy/pa rtc/1a-trainerguide.pdf content/uploads/docs/legacy/pa rtc/1a-trainerguide.pdf ildren/childcareearlylearning/early interventionservices/ ildren/childcareearlylearning/early interventionservices/ app/briefs/pardini.pdf app/briefs/pardini.pdf Autism autism autism dia/documents/ASD- Collection/asd_ppt4_programming.p pt dia/documents/ASD- Collection/asd_ppt4_programming.p pt ect/Module%201%20Lesson%201.pps ect/Module%201%20Lesson%201.pps 05/accommodations.asp 05/accommodations.asp elaw/06/henrico.va.rt.htm elaw/06/henrico.va.rt.htm articles/autism.deal.mayerson.analys is.htm articles/autism.deal.mayerson.analys is.htm Giftedness defined/ defined/ d=607 d=607 ?id=548 ?id=548 /Principal/2009/M-J_p57.pdf /Principal/2009/M-J_p57.pdf