1. Supporting Learners with special needs online
By:
Cassandra, Joy, Maggie, & Molly

2. Introduction
Online learning offers unique benefits to students with a variety of disabilities.
While students with disabilities may face unique challenges in the online setting, there are many modifications, accommodations, and levels of support that can increase student success.
Currently, there are no specific federal guidelines regulating special education in the online setting, online programs do fall under IDEA.

3. Assistive Technologies
Technology resources that reduce barriers to learning for students with disabilities in the traditional and online setting
Assistive technologies help students access information and demonstrate their understanding
Examples of Assistive Technologies in Online Setting:
Speech-to Text and Text-to-Speech software
Talking software
Word prediction software
Modified hardware (monitors, keyboards, mice, tablets)
Screen readers

4. Laws and Statutes for Individuals with Disabilities
Source: Microsoft Clip Art Gallery

5. IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Provides federal funds to state agencies to guarantee that children with disabilities will receive a free and appropriate public education.
Disabilities are defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities.” This also includes but not limited to developmental disabilities, hearing impairments, speech and language impairments, visual autism, and traumatic brain injuries.
What teachers should do to ensure you are in compliance?
Identify students who qualify for special services
Development and management of an individualized education program (IEP)

6. Section 504 of the RA Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act
Is particularly important to schools because this act defines disabilities more broadly than IDEA and includes most physical and mental impairments. (Cerebral Palsy and other chronic conditions).
No funds are available for students designated as meeting the criteria for section 504.

7. ADA American with Disabilities Act
Similar to 504 but this act does not address education specifically.
Title I, II, III of ADA is intended to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities in work and public spaces.
In regards to education, ADA applies to those elements of the learning environment that students use to access school. It also applies to brick-and-mortar facilities, which must be ADA compliant.

8. Applying Special Education Laws in Online Environments
Students with disabilities are entitled to the same rights in all public schools regardless of whether that school is a traditional school, a charter school virtual school, or some combination of the three.

9. What are online teachers responsible for?
Identifying and evaluating learners in need of Special Education
Creating IEPs
Providing accommodations and modifying lessons and curricula
Contracting for face to face or virtual speech, occupational therapy & social work.
Providing accommodations for testing.

10. Students with autism

11. Autism in the Online Setting
The success of students with Autism in an online learning program often depends on the severity of the disability.
Many students with Autism have found success in the online setting.
Benefits of the virtual classroom for students with Autism:
Reduced social stigma found in traditional classrooms and schools
Reduced sensory stimulation
Common and consistent schedules and routines
Allows for hyper-focused behavior
Source: Microsoft Clip Art Gallery

12. Online Socialization and Autism
Socializing and improving communication skills are critical for students with Autism. The online learning environment offers unique and effective ways to address these issues:
-Modeling of expected communication online by the instructor at the beginning of the course
-Scaffolded and structured communication that is closely monitored by the instructor
-Facilitated interaction between students (structured)
-Guiding of communication and teaching opportunities done individually (and privately) with student

13. Source: google.com/images
Gifted students
Source: google.com/images

14. Source: google.com/images
Important stats
3 million -Number of U.S. students identified as gifted and talented
28- Number of states that require a program or service for gifted and talented students
36 - Number of states that do not require general education teachers to have
any training in working with gifted and talented students
68% Identified gifted students who are white
13% Hispanic
9% African-American
9% Asian/Pacific Islander
1% American Indian
Jason Arthurs for Education Week
Source: google.com/images

15. Challenges gifted students face
Staying engaged during lessons
Being challenged
Acceptance from peers
Perfectionism
Competitiveness
Unrealistic view of abilities
Rejection of peers
Parent/Social Pressure
Underachievement
Difficulty with social relationships
Refusal to do routine, repetitive assignments
Inappropriate criticism of others
Lack of awareness of impact on others
Lack of sufficient challenge in schoolwork
Depression (often manifested in boredom)
High levels of anxiety
Difficulty accepting criticism
Hiding talents to fit with peers
Nonconformity and resistance to authority
Excessive competitiveness
Isolation from peers
Low frustration tolerance
Poor study habits
Difficulty in selecting among a diversity of interests

16. Benefits of an online environment
Individualized attention
Expanded course selection
Flexibility and Pacing
Reduce of social pressures
Establish connections with peers
Allows students to explore more advanced courses

17. Strategies to Help gifted students
Balance individual and collaborative activities
Provide flexibility/pacing
Provide clear, consistent, and specific feedback
Create highly engaging and interactive learning environment
Provide highly adaptive curriculum (so it constantly assesses and evaluate students understanding)
Provide meaningful communication with peers
Incorporate Multiple Intelligences
Allow students to be creative
Provide highly adaptive curriculum (so it can constantly assess and evaluate students understanding
Provide synchronous opportunities so students can communicate in real time

18. Strategies to Help gifted students
Create highly engaging and interactive learning environment
Provide synchronous opportunities so students can communicate in real time
Provide highly adaptive curriculum (so it can constantly assess and evaluate students understanding

19. At risk students

20. At Risk Students
An online environment can provide at risk students with flexibility and the ability to take control of their learning
Engagement is the key
Students need to feel successful early on in order to stick with it
Teachers need to build positive relationships to promote confidence
Steady communication with support team is necessary for students who are not taking responsibility for their learning

21. Available Research: Online learning for students from special populations
“We don’t really know at this point which [methods] tend to be the most effective…We need to get a much more fine-grained level of understanding.”
Cathy Cavanaugh, University of Florida

22. Resources
Scenarios retrieved from NSBA Rice, Kerry. (2012). Making the Move to K-12 Online Teaching: Research-Based Strategies and Practices. Boston, MA : Pearson. Ash, K., Quillen, I., & O'Conner, M. C. (n.d.). E-learning for special populations. (2011). EDUCATION WEEK, 31(1),1-13. Retrieved from n_week_elearning_specialpopulations_ pdf Challenges gifted students face retrieved from risk-whos-listening

23. Resources
Challenges gifted students face retrieved from bstaclesGifted.pdf

24. Breakout sessions

25. Scenario #1
The USA Today reports that the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has sent a letter to school officials across the United States informing school districts that they must give disabled students equal access to extracurricular activities. According to the Laws, is this legal?

26. Scenario #2
A mother contacted T and T Community Care Center, a private daycare provider, about enrolling her daughter there. After disclosing to T and T Community Care Center that the child suffers from a tree nut allergy, the mother was informed that T and T could not enroll the child because it lacked the staffing to meet the child’s special needs and attending liability issues. The mother filed suit against T and T, alleging its decision to refuse admission amounted to discrimination on the basis of a disability in violation of Section 504.

27. Scenario # 3
The boy entered kindergarten in 2007 and by January 2008 was promoted to the first grade and evaluated for gifted education. He was identified as gifted in May J.P.’s education went well, the suit states, until the second half of the school year, when he “began to experience peer harassment,” including comments, gestures (some of a sexual nature), aggression, and one instance of a notebook containing derogatory writing and drawings of the boy. According to the suit, J.P.’s behavior deteriorated to the point he began injuring himself. Although the teacher and a counselor wanted an evaluation done, the unidentified principal’s policy was to reject efforts to get any students evaluated for disabilities.

28. Scenario 4
You have just been told that your English Literature 101 course will consist of only gifted students. What can you do to ensure your students will be successful in this course? What roadblocks should you avoid?