1. ED775 Students with Severe
Disabilities
Class #2 (1/28/10)
Foundational Concepts and Practices
for Educating Students with Disabilities
2. Severe Disability:
• Children with severe disabilities refers to
children who, because of the intensity of their
physical, mental, or emotional problems,
need highly specialized education, social,
psychological, and medical services in order
to maximize their full potential for useful and
meaningful participation in society and for
self-fulfillment.
(IDEA Regulation 34 C.F.R., sec 315.4[d])
3. Severe Disability:
• Those who require ongoing support in one or
more major life activities in order to
participate in an integrated community and
enjoy a quality of life similar to that available
to all citizens. Support may be required for life
activities such as mobility, communication,
self-care, and learning as necessary for
community living, employment, and self-
sufficiency.
(TASH, Formerly The Association for Persons with
Severe Disabilities)
4. Disability Spread
• Generalizing disability characteristics, which
are oftentimes stereotypical traits, to specific
individuals.
• What are the consequences of disability
spread?
5. The Move Toward Inclusive
Education
• Areas of optimism:
– Access to the general education curriculum
– Alternate Assessment in statewide
accountability systems
– Transition to adult life
– Developing the ability for self-determination
through positive behavior support
6. The Move Toward Inclusive
Education
• Areas of continuing concern:
– Uneven/inconsistent access to inclusive
classrooms
– Questionable quality of curriculum and instruction
– Family frustration at lack of professional
responsiveness
– Challenging work conditions for special educators
– Limited post-school options
8. Components of an appropriate
Curriculum
1. Individualized participation
• No accommodations
• Support accommodations
• Program accommodations
• Program and support accommodations
9. Components of an appropriate
Curriculum (cont.)
1. Multi-level instruction
2. Curriculum overlapping
3. Goals=valued life outcomes
Many definitions focus on deficits
(What people w disab. CAN’T do)
Tells us nothing about them as people
Commonality: Need for extensive/ongoing support
Commonality: The Capacity to learn
Timothy W. v. Rochester School District (1989)
Zero-reject provision
Strongly affirmed in IDEA
Stereotypes
Broad Inferences
Assumptions
Generalizations
Defining people w. disb. Primarily/exclusively on their disability characteristics
EXAMPLE: Putting a negative label on echolalia, when in fact it is a way of communicating (And something typically developing children do, too: I.e. girl playing on phone)
Talking negatively in front of a nonverbal child, as if he cannot understand
Artificial, SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED barrier to socialization (influence quality of life)
Inclusion is NOT just a placement
is an IDEA to move from institutionalization to integration
Gen Ed curriculum: hard to assess students and know what they are capable of
Vocational schools, post-secondary programs (PACE university inclusion program)...
More opportunities now than ever
Why are some children in inclusion while others aren’t??
Role of teacher? Parent? IEP team? Principal? Para?
Parents frustrated with teachers and vice versa:
Teachers need to focus on the positive too
Parents can teach teachers lots about their children (abilities, reinforcers, routines, likes/dislikes)
Question for parents: What do you want your child to learn? What is most important?
List: behaviors you want to see more/less of
What is LRE??
Parent yesterday: 5 y.o girl with ASD, mom wants an 8:1:1 placement (6:1:1 is MORE restrictive)...
Type 2 v.s. Type 3 change to IEP
#2&3 Change of D75/Authentic work/Differentiated instruction
Modifications of curriculum
Adaptations to the lesson (delivery of instruction)
Sensory, behavioral, environmental
Use of different instructional methods
Least restrictive to more restrictive
2ND BULLET: accommodations on CHILD (Not related to academics, curriculum not changed)
3RD BULLET: accommodations on curriculum (changed to allow access to academics)
Differentiate instruction based on personal learning outcomes
“Shared activity”: each child works on the same activity, but each has separate/individual learning outcomes and tasks
Shared activity crossing multiple curriculum areas (ELA & Math goals interwoven)
“social cognition”
Self-sdetermination
Development of an individual
Work on better/happier quality of life
Learning to make choices,
Learning to ask for help
Making friends, being discrete
Figure out what works best for each individual child
“More is Better”: Very MISGUIDED
“Return on Investment”: Those who will benefit society will get more
Middle Ground: Only as specialized as necessary