This document discusses working with families of children with disabilities. It notes that over 10% of students receive special education services and teachers need to understand related terminology and issues. The objectives are to explain how children with disabilities differ from other special needs students, describe the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its principles, discuss the impact of disabilities on families, and assess the importance of community support. Early identification and intervention help families ensure their children achieve maximum potential. Teachers should establish collaborative relationships with families through open communication and respect.

1. WORKING WITH FAMILIES OF
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
CHAPTER 5

2. WHY THIS TOPIC MATTERS?
• Over 10% of the total school population in the U.S. are eligible
for special education services.
• The majority of children with disabilities will be placed in general
education classrooms. As a teacher, you will be expected to
understand the terminology and issues related to special
education.
• Learning how to work with families of children with disabilities will
enable you to teach their children more effectively.

3. OBJECTIVES
• Explain how children with disabilities differ from children with
other special needs.
• Describe the importance of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) for families and how IDEA’s six principles
governing the education of students with disabilities pro-vide
support for them and their children.
• Discuss the impact that a child with disabilities can have on a
family.

4. OBJECTIVES
• Describe why the early identification of disabilities is desirable
and how early intervention helps families ensure that their
children achieve their maximum potential
• Define individualized education plan (IEP), least restrictive
environment (LRE), and inclusion .
• Assess the importance of community agencies in meeting the
needs of persons with disabilities and the needs of their
families.

5. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
• Gifted and talented children
• Children who are linguistically or culturally different from the
mainstream
• Children who are at risk for school failure because of poverty or
other social conditions
• Children with health and medical conditions that may impede their
success in school
• Children with disabilities

6. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND
INDIVIDUAL WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION
IMPROVEMENT ACT (IDEIA)
• Early Intervention Services
• Categories of children with special needs (13)
• Section 504
• Children (Ages 3 – 21)

7. INDIVIDUAL WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION
IMPROVEMENT ACT (IDEIA)
• History
• Public Law 94 – 142 (1975) – Parent Advocacy
• Six principles of Special Education Reform
- Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
- Nondiscriminatory and multidisciplinary evaluations
- Individualized Education Program (IEP
- Least Restrictive Environment
- Procedural safeguards
- Parent and student participation

8. FAMILIES RAISING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
• Emotional Impact
• Multicultural Issues
• Medication
• Respite and Support

9. EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION
• Early Identification and Intervention for Infants and Toddlers
- Child Find
- Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) – Figure 5-1 (page 131)
• Children with Disabilities in School
- Preschool Program
- Continuum of Services
general education (GE) class only – GE class with consultation of co-
teaching – Itinerant teacher – Resource teacher – self-contained special
class – special day school – homebound or hospital instruction – residential
school

10. GENERAL EDUCATORS AND
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
• The Referral Process
• The Screening Process
• The Assessment Process
• Eligibility for Services – IEP Team
- IEP – Components of an IEP – Figure 5-3 (page 136)
- Accommodations – assistive technology, electronic books
- Related services – transportation, speech-language services, physical and
occupational therapy, counseling services
• Inclusion – Least Restrictive Environment

11. IMPLICATIONS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
TEACHERS
Teachers establish collaborative relationships through:
• Friendliness
• Optimism
• Patience
• Sincerity and honesty
• Tact
• Responsiveness
• Openness to suggestions
• Respect for each family’s strengths, culture, language, and ability to make decisions for
their child.

12. COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
• Helping and Supporting Parents (Asset Map)
- resources
- organizations
- agencies
- network
• Children with Disabilities in the Community
- clubs
- before- and after-school care

13. IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY AGENCIES
• Activities, field trips, recreational classes, dances, and other
gatherings geared to children with particular disabilities.
• Day and residential camps for children with various physical,
behavioral, and cognitive disabilities.
• Clubs, scout troops, before- and after-school child-care programs,
sports teams, performing arts groups, and other activities with
their typically developing peers

14. PARTNERING WITH PARENTS
• Parent collaboration is essential in the process of
determining the best educational setting for children
with disabilities
• Helping parents negotiate the complex process of
identifying children with special needs and the legal
procedures involved in making a placement is an
important task for teachers