Chapter One Definitions, Characteristics and Current Directions

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Changing Scene In Special Education Recent Changes in State Certification for Special Education Teachers Non-categorical and Cross-categorical Certification Mild Disabilities

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved What are Mild Disabilities? Composition of Mild Disabilities –Learning Disabilities –Mental Retardation –Emotional/Behavioral Disorders –Other Disabilities

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Characteristics of Students with Mild Disabilities Disorders of attention Poor motor abilities Psychological processing differences Poor cognitive strategies of learning Oral language difficulties

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Characteristics of Students with Mild Disabilities (CONT.) Reading difficulties Writing difficulties Mathematics difficulties Poor social skills

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Example of Visual Perception Source: Illustrations by W.E. Hill in Puck, 1915.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Type of disabilityPercentage of total school enrollment Percentage of all disabilities High-Incidence Categories Learning disabilities Language impairment Mental retardation Emotional disturbance Other health impairment Low-Incidence Categories Autism Hearing impairment Orthopedic impairment Visual impairment Traumatic brain injury0.04 0,4 Developmental delay Multiple Disabilities Deaf-Blindness All disabilities Percent of Students with Disabilities

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Composition of Students with Disabilities

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Characteristics at Different Age Levels Preschool children Elementary-age children Secondary students Adults

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Learning Disabilities A neurobiological disorder in one of the basic processes in understanding spoken or written language. The term was first introduced in 1963 by Sam Kirk. The Learning Disabilities Association of America.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Definitions of Learning Disabilities Federal Definition: IDEA –Psychological Processing Disorder –Difficulty in Learning Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities (ICLD) Definition –Social Skills Disorders National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) Definition –Intrinsic to the Individual

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Common Elements in the Definitions Central Nervous System Dysfunction Uneven Growth Pattern/Psychological processing Deficits Discrepancy Between Potential and Achievement Exclusion of Other Causes

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Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Mental Retardation Definition of Mental Retardation –Limitations in cognitive ability –Limitations in adaptive behavior Other terms –Cognitive disabilities –Intellectual Disabilities American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Mild mental retardation 87% General education classes 41%

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Definition of Emotional Disturbance –Inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors –Inability to build interpersonal relationships –Inappropriate types of behavior –Mood of unhappiness or depression –Physical symptoms or fears Emotional disorders Behavioral disorders General education class 29%

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Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Impact of the Law No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act: IDEA-2004 Section 504: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 The role of Case Law

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Special Education Laws 1975Education for All Handicapped Children Act PL Individuals with Disabilities Education Act PL Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 PL Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act PL

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved History of Learning Disabilities 1.Foundation phase: 1800 –1930 Brain Research 2.Transition phase: Clinical Study of Children 3.Integration phase: School Programs

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Timeline: Phase in the Field of Learning Disabilities

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Changes in Terminology Brain-injured child 1947 Minimal Brain Dysfunction (MBD) Learning Disabilities Alfred Strauss Peter Clements Dept of HEW Samuel Kirk

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Current Issues and Directions Inclusion practices Including students in general education Standards-wide standards High stakes testing Cultural and linguistic diversity English Language Learners (ELL) Assistive and Instructional Technology