This document discusses working with special needs students and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). It explains that students with disabilities may qualify for IEPs to receive accommodations. Parents, teachers, and counselors collaborate to ensure students receive needed services. Some disabilities that may qualify students for services include autism, deafness, emotional/behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, orthopedic impairments, speech/language impairments, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairments, and learning disorders. Schools use differentiated instruction and assistive technologies to accommodate special needs. Examples of accommodations discussed include textbooks in large print or simplified language, screen readers, and optical character recognition software.

1. WEBQUEST: WORKING
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
STUDENTS & IEPS
Tasia “Tee” Kilgore
Georgia Southern University
ITEC 7530
Dr. Carlson

2. Students with special needs may qualify for
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to receive
the necessary accommodations for
learning. Parents, teachers, and school
counselors work collaboratively to ensure
that students are receiving these services.
Overview

3. Individuals with Disabilities
Education Improvement Act (IDEA
2004)
 Some of the disabilities that may qualify for services
include but are not limited to:
 Autism spectrum disorder.
 Deaf/hard of hearing.
 Emotional and behavioral disorder.
 Intellectual disability (mild, moderate, severe, profound).
 Orthopedic impairment.
 Speech-language impairment.
 Traumatic brain injury.
 Visual impairment.
 Learning Disorder
Georgia Department of Education 2010

4. Inclusion: Special Needs Students in
the Classroom
 More than two-thirds of American students
with special needs are in regular classrooms
for part or all of the day.
 Federal legislation mandates inclusion to the
greatest extent possible.
 Public Law 94-142: Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
 IDEA grants educational rights to people with
cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities
from birth to age 21.
Ormrod 2011

5. Keep in Mind…
Each school system has a specific process for
qualifying students for these types of services
and each student must be properly evaluated
and meet the criteria.

6. So…how do we accommodate
through our instructional practices?
 Presenting lessons through differentiated
instruction
 Consider Gardner’s theory of multiple
intelligences
 Linguistic
 Logical-Mathematical
 Spatial
 Musical
 Bodily-Kinesthetic
 Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal
 Naturalistic

7. Any item, piece of equipment, or product
system used to increase, maintain, or
improve functional capabilities of individuals
with disabilities
Assistive Technology

8. Optical Charge Recognition
(OCR)
Read & Write Gold is a Comprehensive
Literacy software with features such as Text-
to-Speech with highlighting, Word Prediction
while typing, Study skills for organization and
research, Scanning Documents & Books with
OCR, highlighting and exporting with
Bibliography, Fact-Mapping and Brainstorming,
and Web apps for the iPad.
http://assistivetechnologyforeducation.com/examples-of-assistive-technology/

9. Screen Readers
Computer software for individuals who are
Blind and need screen reading and keyboard
shortcuts to access the internet, email, and
other computer applications for
communication, employment, education,
research, productivity, etc.
http://assistivetechnologyforeducation.com/examples-of-assistive-technology/

10. These are tools that are available to special
needs students that do not require the use
of technology
Sans Technology Practices

11. Large Print Textbooks
For students who have difficulty seeing or vision
disabilities, textbooks and other readings are
available in larger print and alternate colors to
help students read the text more easily

12. Lower Level Reading – “Rewriting”
the Textbook
For students who have difficulty
learning/reading or struggle cognitively, some
textbooks are rewritten at a lower level, using
more simple text to aid student comprehension

13. What Resources are Available?
 Georgia Department of Education
 Kids Health from Nemours
 National Center for Learning Disabilities
 PBS Parents

14. References
Cennamo, K. S., Ross, J.D., & Ertmer, P.A.
(2014). Technology integration for meaningful
classroom use: A standards-based approach
(2nd ed.) Wadsworth,Cengage Learning,
Belmont, CA.
Georgia Department of Education. (2014).
http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-
and-Assessment/Special-Education-
Services/Pages/Special-Education-Rules.aspx
Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis. (2011). Educational
Psychology: Developing Learners. Boston,
MA: Pearson Education