An increasing number of students require specialized health care procedures during school hours. Procedures such as tube feedings, clean intermittent catheterization, suctioning, and ventilator management are becoming more commonplace in the school setting. Who performs the procedures and is responsible for them being correctly implemented varies across school districts and states. Although consensus can be difficult to reach regarding other critical areas surrounding specialized health care procedures. Two critical areas have been identified and are as follows: First and foremost, all teachers need to maintain a safe, healthy environment for their students in collaboration with others in the school. This includes learning about their students' specific physical and/or health impairments, physical health care procedures, and treatment regime. A teacher should know the major problems and emergencies that could arise with each student. There should be a plan in place to know how to respond should a problem occur. Teachers should also know general safety skills such as universal precautions, general first aid, and CPR. Second, specialized health care procedures should be viewed as independent living skills, which students should be taught. Specialized health care procedures and other health management skills should be considered for goals and objectives. These objectives could target independent performance, partial participation, directing someone else in performance, or knowledge of the task. It is the educational team's responsibility to consider how students can participate in their own self-care. The plan for and establishment of instruction in the area of self-management skill development must include input from appropriate health care specialists, such as nurses, OTs, and PTs. Teachers of students with physical and health disabilities are responsible for providing expertise in the area of instructional strategies and adaptations to promote student learning of these procedures. Even when health care personnel are responsible for performing these procedures, teachers must work closely with them, providing appropriate instructional strategies, error analysis, and correction procedures. Society can steal the dreams of people with disabilities. It defines what people with disabilities are capable of, provides ready-made programs instead of letting these individuals choose their own path; holds low expectations for their achievement, giving praise for mediocre performance instead of expecting the best; and limits their experiences under the guise of protection or safety. Dreams are the essence of a free society, the privilege to dream and the freedom to make that dream come true. This is true for all people. Source: https://ebookschoice.com/new-developments-for-special-educators-and-students-with-disabilities/

1. New Developments For Special Educators
And Students With Disabilities
An increasing number of students require specialized health care procedures
during school hours. Procedures such as tube feedings, clean intermittent
catheterization, suctioning, and ventilator management are becoming more
commonplace in the school setting. Who performs the procedures and is
responsible for them being correctly implemented varies across school districts
and states. Although consensus can be difficult to reach regarding other critical
areas surrounding specialized health care procedures. Two critical areas have
been identified and are as follows:
First and foremost, all teachers need to maintain a safe, healthy environment for
their students in collaboration with others in the school. This includes learning
about their students' specific physical and/or health impairments, physical health
care procedures, and treatment regime. A teacher should know the major
problems and emergencies that could arise with each student. There should be a
plan in place to know how to respond should a problem occur. Teachers should
also know general safety skills such as universal precautions, general first aid, and
CPR.

2. Second, specialized health care procedures should be viewed as independent
living skills, which students should be taught. Specialized health care procedures
and other health management skills should be considered for goals and
objectives. These objectives could target independent performance, partial
participation, directing someone else in performance, or knowledge of the task. It
is the educational team's responsibility to consider how students can participate
in their own self-care.
The plan for and establishment of instruction in the area of self-management skill
development must include input from appropriate health care specialists, such as
nurses, OTs, and PTs. Teachers of students with physical and health disabilities are
responsible for providing expertise in the area of instructional strategies and
adaptations to promote student learning of these procedures. Even when health
care personnel are responsible for performing these procedures, teachers must
work closely with them, providing appropriate instructional strategies, error
analysis, and correction procedures.
Society can steal the dreams of people with disabilities. It defines what people
with disabilities are capable of, provides ready-made programs instead of letting
these individuals choose their own path; holds low expectations for their
achievement, giving praise for mediocre performance instead of expecting the
best; and limits their experiences under the guise of protection or safety.
Dreams are the essence of a free society, the privilege to dream and the freedom
to make that dream come true. This is true for all people.
Discipline/Violence
Preventing violence and discipline problems in our schools calls for
comprehensive, school-wide programs, specialized interventions for students who
need additional help, and educators who make an effort to connect with each of
their students. Specific guidelines follow.
Instituting School-wide Behavioral Supports
- Develop a team-based approach to using and evaluating best practices. The
teams should include an administrator, grade level or department representation,
individuals with expertise on behavioral strategies and issues such as

3. psychologists and other support staff, and a parent. The administrator must
actively support the staff by providing budget, additional staff, and resources.
- Adapt and sustain research-validated practices
- Make behavioral instruction proactive. Educators should give direct instruction
in appropriate social behavior, model appropriate the behavior, give students
opportunities to practice the behavior and become fluent at it, and give positive
feedback.
- Provide a continuum of instructional behavior support. The intensity of
intervention must increase as the intensity of problem behavior increases.
Schools can't throw simple solutions against complex problems, such as using
parent volunteers to manage students who are chronic behavior challenges.
Schools should use individuals who know the strategies to address those
problems.
- Use data-systems to guide decision making. These systems should inform staff
as to what is currently in place, as well as what is and is not working. The data
should be applied to the school's goals for its students.
The Surprise Killers
We learn about students who have a hidden potential for violence and suicide
and we stressed the need for educators to be aware of "quiet," anti-social
students who suddenly erupt, killing themselves and/or others.
These unidentified students have often experienced a high degree of rejection.
They become such non-entities, their teachers and peers, and even family
members, do not know them. To fend off their alienation, they may join a deviant
peer group such as the "trench coat mafia" referred to in the Columbine High
School deaths.
To help such students we recommend that educators make it a point to support
the rejected student and establish credibility with him or her. Strategies to do so
include greeting each student respectfully; treating each student with respect and
dignity even when there is a classroom disturbance; and providing relevant
instructional materials that is age appropriate, well-paced, and at an appropriate
academic level.

4. Educators should pay attention to any feelings of unease they may experience
with a student. In such instances, the educator should refer the student for
evaluation and seek help from other professionals.
Assessment
States have been struggling to enact the mandate that they must include and
report the scores of students with disabilities in state- and district-wide
assessments. While only some states know how many students with special needs
are included in broad-based assessments, others have the information but lag
behind in analyzing it. However, with the data available, we know that the
number of students included in assessments vary greatly, ranging from one state
that includes all students with disabilities to a state that includes only 14% of such
students in assessments. States also report differences in how the scores for
students with disabilities are used. Most use the scores for state-wide policy
decisions and to target low-performing schools for additional funding. They are
also used to guide decisions about curriculum or instruction, general school
reforms, and individual student issues, such as graduation or promotion.
One assessment quandary special educators are trying to navigate is high stakes
testing. Currently, some states use exit exams, which students must pass to
graduate, and many more are planning to institute such exams. While some
special educators fear students with disabilities will fail exit exams and be unable
to graduate, others warn that high stakes testing can be used as an excuse to
exclude students with special needs from state-wide assessments. In addition,
such tests may exacerbate the drop-out rate of students with disabilities.
Special educators are also worried that their students will be unable to meet state
standards. However, if teachers and parents expect students with disabilities to
live and work in their communities, we must be sure they have the skills and
knowledge to do so. The key is to ensure our students get the resources they
need to master the required subject matter. Another problem is that states and
legislatures are looking to high stakes testing as a means to enact negative
consequences for teachers and schools. Punishment is not an effective way to
change behavior.
Overuse of accommodations is also a concern. Special educators may over-
accommodate on state-wide assessments, thinking the accommodations "can't
hurt." However, providing accommodations that aren't needed are antithetical to

5. independence. Furthermore, students may not receive accommodations in the
workplace, and those who don't need them shouldn't grow dependent on them.
Effective Treatments for ADHD
In general, a combined therapy using medication and behavior therapy or
medication alone outperforms behavioral therapy in treating ADHD, but one must
look at the child's characteristics to determine the best type of therapy for ADHD.
The results of a national study comparing various treatments for ADHD are:
- For children with anxiety and ADHD, a combined therapy worked best.
- For children with aggressive/oppositional behavior and ADHD, a combined
therapy or medication worked better than behavior therapy alone.
- For children with ADHD or conduct disorder, behavior therapy only showed no
gains.
Though the study shows that medication is effective for children with ADHD,
many parents and educators are still reluctant to use it. As a result, children may
receive lower dosages than they need to suppress their symptoms. Placing
children on Ritalin or other medication for ADHD may lead to substance abuse.
Children get into substance abuse through delinquency. With proper medication,
kids make it in the real world. To determine the best treatment for a child with
ADHD, one must consider all factors, such as whether the child has anxiety or if
there are circumstances occurring in the home that may affect the child. Each
child with ADHD must receive an intensive evaluation and frequent monitoring to
ensure the most appropriate treatment.
Reading
While we have made great strides in learning how to teach children to read, the
battle is far from over. Researchers have identified methods that help the
majority of young children learn to read, but we do not know how to prevent
reading difficulties in all children. Another major problem is that we still do not
know how to help non-readers master this essential skill once they have
progressed beyond the third grade. This is problematic, for it is at the fourth
grade that reading moves to expository writing, which gives students the

6. information they need to master content. Non-readers also lose essential
vocabulary acquisition, which is often correlated with intelligence.
To help ensure young students learn to read, schools must take a proactive
approach, recommended reading experts. First, they must consistently deliver
quality reading instruction in kindergarten through second grade. Torgesen
recommends using phonemically explicit instructional approaches, as they have
the strongest impact on reading growth. Second, schools must provide more
intensive, explicit, and supportive instruction for children who are at risk of
reading difficulty. Third, schools should employ an assessment system that gives
educators feedback on each child's mastery of the basic reading skills, such as
alphabetic understanding, phonological awareness, and fluency, on a weekly or
monthly basis. We can't wait until the end of the year to decide if kids are making
progress.
Providing Access to the General Education Curriculum
Giving students with disabilities access to the general education curriculum entails
major shifts in the way teachers approach instruction. First, both general and
special education teachers need to be able to communicate and work effectively
with other professionals. Second, they must share decision-making on assessment
and instruction. And third, they must employ more flexible teaching approaches,
including who will teach what, where the instruction will occur, and how the
students will be grouped both in and out of class.
Educators may also need to base instructional units on the content their students
should master. This structure will influence the way teachers group children and
gather feedback, as well as the instructional approaches they will use.
Finally, educators must monitor students' progress in the general education
curriculum. Continuous flat profiles in critical target areas is not acceptable.
Accommodations/Modifications
Educators should provide a continuum of accommodations that allow students
with disabilities to access the general education curriculum. While
accommodations involve changing the way content is delivered, sequencing of
material, or timelines for mastery, they still allow students to work toward the
content established in state standards.

7. Special educators should be leery of making modifications, which change the
knowledge and skills a student is expected to master. When making even simple
modifications, we can take him or her "out of the loop" for success on state - and
district-wide assessments.
Special Education Law and You
- Evaluations: Decisions concerning a child's disability and educational program
must be based on a number of assessments, including informal teacher
assessments and observations, as well as input from parents. Educators should
also be able to articulate the educational basis or rationale for a decision.
- Educational Methodology: The courts have stated that they will not resolve
disputes on educational methods. The courts recognize that there are many
different ways to teach a child with a disability.
- The emphasis on students with disabilities participating in the general
education curriculum should not result in major expansions or in detailed goals,
benchmarks, or objectives in every content area. The new focus should result in
attention to accommodations that allow students to participate in the general
education curriculum.
Discipline
- Manifestation Determination — A school can decide a child's behavior was not
a manifestation of the child's disability and the child's disability did not impair his
or her ability to understand the impact, consequences, and ability to control
behavior. To show that a child understands the impact and consequences of his or
her actions, educators can use anecdotal stories of their daily interactions with
the child.
While the school cannot decide whether or not the student's behavior was a
manifestation of his or her disability without the parents' presence, the school
can meet to discuss the issue. In fact, it's often a good idea to give staff a time to
vent behind closed doors.
- Behavioral Assessments — A behavioral assessment would not require
parental consent if it is a review of existing data. If the behavioral assessment

8. involves formal evaluations or psychological or other assessments and
procedures, the school should get parental consent.
- Continuing Educational Services — If a child is removed from the educational
environment for more than 10 days, school personnel and the special education
teacher determine what services the child will receive. That could mean that
homework would be sent home.
- Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) — LRE is being applied to pre-school
children, and districts must ensure that a continuum of services is provided to this
population. LRE is also being considered for the extended school year, which is
based on the child's potential for regression, the rate of recoupment, or other
factors such as the child being on the brink of a breakthrough in his or her basic
skill area.
Crises in the Classroom
In today's turbulent climate, more of our students will experience crisis than ever
before, and as educators we are called upon to help them through these difficult
times in their lives.
Special education teachers often play a crucial role with their students who are in
crisis. Some students with special needs may be particularly at risk when they
experience crisis, and special educators need to know how to help them get the
support they need, as well as how to work with them in the classroom. Because of
the close ties special education teachers often develop with their students, the
special educator may be a student's first confidant when crisis hits. As a result,
the special educator needs to know how to help her or his students educationally
and emotionally and, if necessary, get additional support.
Though most special educators have received little or no formal training in
working with students in crisis, many have developed communication and
problem-solving skills that help their students cope with difficult times.
However, teachers can only go so far. For schools to effectively help their
students in crisis, they must have a crisis action plan that addresses a continuum
of situations, from personal issues such as divorce or death to disasters such as
fires and earthquakes. They also need crisis intervention teams that can respond

9. immediately to different situations. The most effective plans include community
agencies as well as school resources to provide services for students.
Special Education Students At-Risk
Some students with special needs, particularly those with learning disabilities or
emotional disturbance, are at-risk during crises. These students, who may have
difficulty knowing how to get what they need under normal circumstances, may
struggle more than others when dealing with crisis. Likewise, students who do not
have a good sense of logic and consequences or who do not read social clues well
will suffer more in crisis situations. Such students can feel a total loss of control
and respond to the situation from a totally emotional base rather than a rational
or intellectual model.
Some students with learning disabilities are also more susceptible to joining a
gang, where they gain a sense of belonging they do not find in the classroom.
Also, students from diverse backgrounds may suffer more during times of crisis
because their poor English skills keep them from expressing their experiences
and/or feelings, or they do not have a support group to help them through the
crisis.
The Special Educator's Role
The special education teacher's role can become very complex when he or she
has students in crisis. The special educator may function as a counselor as well as
a teacher during difficult times, and in some areas that do not have extensive
resources, may be called upon to act as the mental health professional when no
one else is available.
Many special education folks are so caring and concerned, they are very good at
dealing with crises in people's lives.
Most special educators agree that crisis in the classroom must be addressed.
When a crisis occurs that affects a majority of their students, many special
educators reserve class time to talk about the crisis, how it makes everyone feel,
and how students can handle it. We must set aside class time and process the
situation as a class.

10. If the crisis is a natural disaster such as an earthquake, some educators develop
lesson plans to help students understand what has happened. Any teacher in
disaster preparedness can develop some simple lessons students with special
needs can understand.
Other teachers develop writing or drawing activities to help students express their
feelings about the crisis, or they may have students read a book that deals with a
particular issue so the students know they are not alone in their experience.
Addressing a group crisis as a class can be a straightforward decision, but the
situation can become more complicated when crisis affects a single individual.
Many times, a student will reveal a personal trauma in the middle of class, and
the teacher must determine on the spot the most appropriate action to take. He
or she must meet the individual student's needs, as well as those of the rest of
the class, and safeguard the student's privacy.
Depending on the topic, when a single student brings up an issue in class, many
special education teachers will take some time to talk with the student, and
possibly, include the class in a discussion of the feelings that arise from the event.
Others try to talk to the student alone by assigning the other students individual
work, sending the class to another educator so the teacher can talk to the student
privately, or meeting with the student at another time.
Special educators also help students who are in crisis by temporarily cutting back
on their expectations for the student. They may extend deadlines, give smaller
assignments, or make other adjustments in workloads. However, it is important to
try to keep the student engaged in school so that he or she is not too distracted
by grieving.
Special educators further help their students in crises by being on the lookout for
any changes in behavior or lack of progress that signal the need for professional
help. Teachers can keep a journal stating what has occurred, the progress the
student is making, and the teacher's interventions (met with the parents, sent the
student to a counselor, confidentially informed staff of the situation).
Getting Support for Students in Crisis
Special educators can be a great help to their students by being their friend,
showing they care, and engaging in active listening when their students are in

11. crisis. But some students require more help than teachers have been trained to
provide. When an educator sees that a student is not improving over time,
observes changes in behavior, or is faced with a situation in which a student may
be hurt or could hurt others, he or she should get assistance immediately.
Resources include counselors, school psychologists, school nurses (many of whom
are trained in mental illness), and community agencies.
The classroom teacher needs to walk a fine line between taking on what maybe is
the job of the psychologist, particularly with a student who has emotional issues.
Special educators recommend working closely with a student's parents when a
crisis occurs. Special education teachers can share their observations with
parents, offer to send them forms or other information they might need, and give
them ideas for resources in the community and at school. If an entire family is in
crisis, the teacher's input can help parents focus on the needs of the child.
Teachers also face times in which students do not want their parents to know
about their situation or the student may be the victim of parental abuse.
However, the teacher may be held responsible if she or he did not report a
confidence and the student is harmed or harms another. Furthermore, teachers
are required by law to report any suspicion of abuse to the authorities. In these
difficult situations, teachers can talk with the student to determine who should be
told of the problem and help develop plans to protect the individual. Teacher can
say something like, "This is a really big problem, and you are very upset. Someone
else has to be told. Help me decide who will be that person. I'll stay with you, and
we'll talk until you help me decide. I understand you don't want me to tell your
mom or dad, but I've got to tell somebody."
One of the most frustrating things teachers encounter when working with
students in crisis is that they do not have the power or authority to get resources
working for a child. Despite that fact, teachers need to know who can do what
and where and how to get the student the services he or she needs.
School-Wide Interventions
In the face of the escalating violence students experience, more and more schools
are developing crisis intervention strategies. Many schools have school crisis
teams, involving psychologists, counselors, nurses, administrators, and peer
mediators, that teachers can call on when a student or students are in crisis.

12. When a crisis affects a large portion of the school population, experts from other
schools, other districts, or the community may be called on to assist.
Experts stress that teachers and staff should be told what the actual extent of the
problem is and how to discuss the crisis so that everyone tells the same story and
rumors are dispelled. Students who are involved need to have access to phones
so they can contact their families. In addition, when a school-wide crisis occurs, a
room needs to be set up where students can go when they feel particularly grief-
stricken, uncertain, or confused.
Some schools also hold discussion groups for students who are dealing with the
same type of crisis. Different groups address specific topics such as drugs, grief,
girls' issues, gangs, etc. Crisis seems to have made itself a chronic guest in our
classrooms. Therefore, teachers can expect to spend more of their time helping
students through crisis. It is a role for which we have received little preparation,
but one we need to master if we are to help our students succeed in their world.
In summary, teachers have a responsibility to develop knowledge and skills
regarding their students' health care needs. Maintaining a safe, healthy
environment and viewing their students' specialized health care needs as
potential educational targets requiring the teacher's expertise in instruction are
two issues that require more attention and commitment.
Jeff C. Palmer is a teacher, success coach, trainer, Certified Master of Web
Copywriting and founder of https://Ebookschoice.com. Jeff is a prolific writer,
Senior Research Associate and Infopreneur having written many eBooks, articles
and special reports.
Source: https://ebookschoice.com/new-developments-for-special-educators-
and-students-with-disabilities/