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Foundations of Special Education Response Journal

ED 242 Common Assessment

The following course objectives will be met in this assignment:

(a) List the disability categories under Federal Law (InTASC 2, 9)
(b) Describe the common characteristics of each disability with emphasis on high incidence (InTASC 2)
(c) Describe the process by which a person is identified under IDEA (InTASC 2, 9)
(d) Identify the components in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) (InTASC 2)
(e) Identify how someone else’s story impacts my understanding of that person’s rights and my responsibilities to them (InTASC 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
(f) Identify the legal, moral and ethical obligation we have to one another in the context of diversity and inclusivity (InTASC 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9)

The course essential questions this assignment focuses on are:

● What’s the process for identifying people with a disability?
● What do I believe about people with disability, about inclusion?
● What assumptions do I have about disability?
● What is my role in supporting people with disabilities?
● What impact does disability have on various environments? (family, friend group, work environment, public places, social interactions, etc)

The College of Education Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) this assignment meets are:
Challenge of Integrated Practice and Collaboration
● COE SLO: Butler Students will articulate and apply required content knowledge within their area(s) of study.
Excitement of Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring
● COE SLO: Butler Students will use critical reflection as a basis for improving their own professional practices and creating positive,
inclusive, and developmentally appropriate instructional environments that inspire learners.
Strength of Integrity and Responsibility
● COE SLO: Butler Students will display an ethical commitment and take responsibility for their interpersonal and professional interactions.
Appreciation of Diversity and Similarities
● COE SLO: Butler Students will have a defined set of values and principles and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes and skills that enable
them to work effectively in a culturally responsive manner.

The ISTE Technology Proficiencies this assignment meets are:

● Candidates use technology to improve their efficiency.
● Candidates use technology to support their ongoing professional development.

In order to stay committed to our practice of critical reflection and culturally responsive work, this electronic response journal will be a place for you
to track your learning and a resource for you to reference in the future. The following prompts were written to guide your thinking and learning
throughout this course. You will use the resources on Moodle, class discussions, and your own research to inform your responses.
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This is a self-directed assignment designed to be worked on throughout the course, but it will be assessed at the end of the course as a summation of
your learning. The documentation of your thinking serves as a means to monitor your progress in the course. As your understanding deepens, you
should revise your responses.

Your response to each prompt should be 100-200 words.

IDEA Disability Categories (Objective (a) and (b))

Note: Please add your reflection notes after each lesson.
● IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - Reauthorized to IDEIA (I stands for Improvement) - Federal Special
● Most students with the mild disability can be in class with some support, they still are in class
● 55-77 deviation is called a moderate intellectual disability, they could be stuck at a certain reading level for ever for example
● Lower the IQ the higher chance there are physical disabilities
● IQ is absolutely impacted
● Intellectual Disability is across the board

Traumatic Brain Injury

Autism
● Autism affects about 1 in every 88 children(old data)
● Term Autism refers to an entire spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties,
and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior
● Said there are as many different kinds of autism as there are people who have it
● Even though people focus on negative behaviors there are a lot of positive attributes
● They are thinking about things in pictures
● Pictures mean everything to them
● Recognize that their sensory channels are highly sensitive and need varying degrees of modulation
● New data is 1 in every 68 has autism
● More prevalent in boys
● If twins are born they have 95% of a chance to both have autism
● There is a genetic link, but we do not know where autism lives
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● Is a developmental disability, so shows up in the developmental years

● By age three is when autism will show up
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Emotional and Behavior Disorders

-Is an emotional disability characterized by an inability to build or keep satisfactory interpersonal relationships with people
-An inability to learn which cannot be explained well by intellectual sensory or health factors
-Mood disorders:
-Major depressive
-Bipolar
-Seasonal affective
-Cyclothymic
-Disruptive mood dysregulation
-Depression caused by physical illness
-Anxiety disorder types:
-Panic
-Social anxiety
-Phobia
-Generalized anxiety

Specific Learning Disabilities

● How do you know if someone has a specific learning disability?
● It is the most prevalent disability
● A person needs to have at least an average IQ to be diagnosed with a specific learning disability(average=85-115)
● They should be able to work pretty independently in the classroom, just needs a little more help
● More prevalent in more reading and writing, there are some in math
● More prevalent in boys than girls
● When a teacher sees a kid is struggling with certain things(ex. not able to comprehend reading like others in class and age is an issue because
should be able to do it at a certain age) they will gather some people together and figure out a plan for the child, if need more assistance will
do more intense things(response to intervention(RTI))-get more and more help before go to special education
● Do not normally test for a specific learning disability until about 2nd grade because children are still developing and learning
● At some point a child that is struggling too much will be tested to see if they have a learning disability
● If IQ is average can rule out an intelligent disability
● IQ test tells what child should be able to do
● Achievement test is what the child is actually doing
● Then IQ and Achievement tests are compared
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● If not specific learning disability IQ and Achievement are similar

● Child with a specific learning disability have an average IQ, but their Achievement score is 15 points off(belove IQ)
● IEP provide services(people to help, accommodations(mostly extra time)
● 504 only provides accommodations(no people to help usually, like no special ed aide)
● Causes:
○ Not your fault if you have a learning disability
○ Everyone’s brain are wired differenrtly
○ Neurologically based
○ There are some environmental factors:
○ Things can cause it like lead paint, when child is developing, can rewire the brain
○ If a kid does not have access to books, there is a missed opportunity for them to have the power of reading
○ If living in poverty or malnourished, or does not have a library there is brain rewiring also
○ There are also some genetic factors especially for boys
● Most common learning disability is dyslexia, occurs when reading
● A specific learning disability that affects reading and related language-based processing skills is called Dyselxia
● The severity of Dyslexia can differ in each individual but can affect reading fluency, decoding, reading comprehension, recall, writing, spelling, and
sometimes speech and can exist along with other related disorders
● Dyslexia is sometimes referred to as a Language-Based Learning Disability.

Intellectual Impairments: -People with intellectual disabilities are usually defined as having an IQ of 70 or below, but they can still do many things.
-“Research reveals that portrayals in the media of people with intellectual disabilities tend to show them as one-dimensional objects of pity” (Pardun,
2005)(93). -“Fewer than 11 percent of students with intellectual disabilities are fully included in regular education classrooms”(Smith and
O’Brien)(93). -Some studies show that students with intellectual disabilities could benefit from being tutors. -Engage students by linking lesson to
their personal lives and use things that are interesting for them. -“People with intellectual disabilities learn best from instruction that is experiential,
vivid, hands-on, and down-to-earth”(102). -“Use role play and improvisation to teach new material”(103). -“Only 15 percent of families report that
their adult family members with intellectual or developmental disabilities are employed in any capacity either part-time or full-time”(The Arc,
2011)(104).(hard to find meaning in there and hard for families and to support themselves). -“Still today, too many workers with intellectual
disabilities, earning subminimum wages, labor in ‘sheltered workshops’ where they engage in repetitive tasks such as assembling boxes or stuffing
envelopes under close supervision”(National Disability Rights Network, 2010)(104). -“Research suggests that people with intellectual disabilities are
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often more energetic and reliable in their work roles than typically developing individuals”(106). -99% of people with down syndrome report that
they are happy. -A lot of people with intellectual disabilities are interpersonal, being in smaller group setting can make them feel more comfortable,
also they are probably a lot smarter than you think and it can help them to share their ideas. -People with intellectual disabilities need time to think
and process things, could be those who process slowly.

Speech and Language Impairments

-Might be issues of communication involve hearing, speech, language, and fluency
-A speech impairment is usually characterized by a difficulty in articulation of words
-Some are stuttering or problems producing particular sounds

ADHD
-A disorder that it hard for someone to pay attention or focus
-Also, makes it hard for someone to control impulse behaviors
-The person might also be restless and almost constantly active
-Can continue into adulthood

Visual Impairments
-Also known as vision impairment or vision loss
-Is a decreased ability to see
-Causes problems that are not able to be fixed by glasses or contacts
-Often is defined as a best corrected visual acuity of worse than 20/40 0r 20/60
-Total blindness is the inability to tell light from dark, or you cannot see at all
-Severe reduction in vision
-Reduces a person’s function at certain or all tasks

Hearing Impairments
-Hearing loss
-Is a partial or total loss of hearing]
-A deaf person has little to no hearing
-Hearing loss may occur in one or both of a person's ear(s)
-Classified based on the severity and type of hearing impairment
-The severity can me mild, moderate, severe, or profound
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-The nervous system could be effected

-There are two main types of hearing loss

Orthopedic Impairments
-One that includes impairments caused by congenital anomalies
-Refers to a child whose severe orthopedic impairment affects their educational performance to the degree that the child has to have special
education
-Could be an impairment that causes a deformity or absence of some limb
-Could be a birth trauma
-Could be burns
-Could be fractures
-Could be a genetic abnormality

Understanding Exceptionality and Special Education and its Process (Objective (c))
What are the main principles of IDEA? How does each principle protect students with special needs and their families?
-IDEA is the federal law that provides protections for students with learning and other disabilities • Among the key provisions are
the right to a free and appropriate education, placement in the least restrictive environment, and parent participation • The law also
establishes safeguards to ensure enforcement.
-Free appropriate public education(required as a country to provide all children with an education, public schools have to accept all who walk in the
doors no matter the disability, public schools cannot deny you, they get a bunch of Federal money, a private school you do not get that Federal
money so they do not have to accept children with disabilities)
-Appropriate evaluation(a parent asks for an evaluation then one is done, has to be done by someone who knows how to do an evaluation, a child
who needs an evaluation by consent by a parent will get one, evaluations can be expansive)
-Individualized education plan(plan put together after the evaluation happens, papers are confidential, write down things that will help support the
child)
-Least restrictive environment(offer the most support without enabling them, offer just enough support so we are still pushing them and it is the
perfect amount of support so they are pushed and know that they are capable)
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-Parent participation(parents needs to be asked and give permission of everything that is done with child, the parent is the final say, parents need to
sign and agree, parents are a really important part of the conversation, help the parent part of the team)
-Procedural safeguards(the right that the parent has)

What is your definition of exceptional learners?

-An exceptional learner is someone who learns in a little bit of a different way than others and they might just need some extra help. This means that
they are usually put into special education which gets them the extra help they may need. Sometimes these students cannot learn in a regular class
setting, so they might be put into a different class setting to help meet their needs.

How do you define special education?

-Special education is where a child is being educated to meet their specific individual needs. It is a program, usually, in a school designed to help
children who are exceptional learners get their specific needs met. It is meant for students who have learning disabilities or mental challenges.

What is your perspective on the progress of special education?

-I think that special education is going in the right direction, but with that being said there could always be more improvement on it. It is super
important for children with disabilities to get their needs met because they matter just as much as someone without a disability. These children should
not be penalized just because they learn in a different way and I think this is getting a lot better. I feel like at first people did not want to have to deal
with students with disabilities because it could be too hard to handle, but I truly believe that times have changed and there is way more inclusion for
these students. We want to keep it this way and not go back to what it was in the past/

The Special Education Process (Objective (c) and (d))

Describe the special education process in your own words beginning with the identification of a possible disability through the implementation of the
IEP, if the student is eligible to receive services.

IRIS Module - The Pre-Referral Process: Procedures for Supporting Students with Academic and Behavioral Concerns OPTIONAL:
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/preref/
Describe three benefits of the pre-referral process.

List the six stages of the pre-referral process and briefly explain each of them.
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Why is it important to begin the initial team meeting with a discussion of the student’s strengths?

Social Imagination Questions (Social Imagination Books Study Assignment Link) (Objective (e) and (f))
IRIS Module - What Do You See? Perceptions of Disability AND Social Imagination Book Analysis
Optional: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/da-5/
Questions: What did you see? What feelings did you have about the photos? What thoughts did you have about the individuals in this challenge? Do
perceptions matter?

- Initial Questions/Thoughts 1st time: I saw many pictures of different people doing many different things. Some people are in wheelchairs,
one person is holding cups, one person is holding a golf club and looks really excited, and it looks like there is a person in a wheelchair with
her family. These individuals could have many kinds of abilities or disabilities. I felt like some people might be judging them based on the
way they look instead of actually knowing who they are. I think perceptions do matter because people could be judged because of that which
can be bad or hurtful.
- Notes: CAEP standards for the accreditation of educators are designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of new instructional
practitioners and the evidence-base used to assess those qualities in the classroom. CEC standards encompass a wide range range of ethics,
standards, and practices created to help guide those who have taken on the crucial role of educating students with disabilities. InTASC Model
Core Teaching Standards are designed to help teachers of all grade levels and content areas to prepare their students either for college or for
employment following graduation. NCATE standards are intended to serve as professional guidelines for educators. They also overview the
“organizational structures, policies, and procedures” necessary to support them. People with disabilities also have a broad array of abilities.
- Initial Questions/Thoughts 2nd time: I saw people who looked like they had many different kinds of abilities and disabilities. They each were
doing various things and some were just pictures of them. I thought that same of them did not look like they had disabilities because of the
way they looked and I think that is making assumptions. Some people look a certain way, but that does not mean they do or do not have a
disability. Therefore, perceptions do matter because people are making assumptions about others before they even know them based on the
way they look. I feel that is it good I went through this module because I got to know the people in the pictures better, so that I do not make
assumptions about them. Perceptions of someone's work should not matter.

What fiction book did you read? What non-fiction chapter did you read? What did the books teach you about students with exceptionalities?
-I read the fiction books All the Bright Places, Stargirl, and Rules -For non-fiction I read a book called Fully Alive
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-These books taught be to accept people for who they truly are no matter what. It is really easy to not think about people with exceptionalities and
just push it aside because it might not have anything to do with you, but that is not what should be happening. It is really important to keep those
people in mind because they are still humans like the rest of us and they still matter. Maybe try to put yourself in their shoes and think about if you
were someone with a disability. How would you want others to treat you? Would you just want them to ignore you or would you want them to come
say hi to you and show you that they care? You would probably want them to show that they care, so you need to do the same with people who have
disabilities. It is not fair to them to be pushed off to the side because it makes them feel like they are less than and that is totally not the case. People
with disabilities just think in different ways and just work a little bit differently. If anything that just makes them unique and and they should not think
that that having a disability is a bad thing.

What did the books teach you about the role(s)/perspectives of peers, families, and educators?
-These books taught me that they care what others think about the. For example, in Rules Catherine, who is the main character, really cared what
Ryan and Kristi thought of her brother, David, and her friend, Jason. She did not want Krisit to know that Jason is in a wheelchair because she felt
self conscious. Catherine felt like Kristi would think differently of her and not want to be her friend anymore and she was more worried about herself
instead of Jason. Also, she did not want people to bully her brother especially Jason because that got her really mad. She felt bad when people would
make fun of her brother just because he has a disability and is a little bit different than others. Catherine kept telling David that Ryan is not his true
friend and David never understood that. She also had a lot of rules that she made for her brother to follow because she wanted to him try to act like a
“normal” person, but that was something that was difficult for him to do. Something Catherine always wanted to make sure her mom did was keep
an eye on David.

What terminology was used for exceptionality (if any)?

-Disability

In what ways did the stories emphasize similarities rather than differences among characters with and without exceptionalities?
-In both Stargirl and Rules Catherine and Leo have a hard time accepting others for who they are, at first. Leo wants to be with Stargirl, but then he
sees how people in his school look at him differently and he feels self conscious. He realizes that he is becoming just as unpopular as Stargirl is and
he does not like that very much, so him and Stargirl break up. This kind of happens to Catherine, in Rules, also because she doesn't want her
neighbor Kristi to know that Jason has a wheelchair. Catherine feels self conscious and she does not want people to treat her differently. In both of
the books Jason, David, and Stargirl all just want to live their lives and be who they truly are. They don't really care what others think.

How are aspects of culture portrayed? Consider how financial conditions, social settings, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity may have
impacted the character.
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-In both Stargirl and Rules the two main characters, Catherine and Leo, want to be accepted by their peers and do not want to be seen as different.
They are very concerned for their social aspect. At first, Catherine is self conscious of what people will think if they know Jason is in a wheelchair and
also she is sometimes her brother’s disability can get to her. Leo is a bit similar to Catherine because when he starts dating Stargirl he sees his peers
viewing him in a different way and he gets self conscious, so he breaks up with Stargirl. In the end of both of these books , both these main
characters learn to accept people for who they are.

If you were put in charge of a movie production about a person who has an exceptionality such as the child portrayed in the book you read, what
type of perceptions would you want to make sure are portrayed in your movie? What myths could you debunk? What clichés and stereotypes would
you want to make sure to avoid?
-I would want to make sure that this person is seen as someone who is not different than others. Yes they might have a disability and that might make
them seem different, but I want to make that word not seem like it is such a bad thing. I feel like there are a lot of bad connotations that go along
with that word and I want to have those not be as prominent. Also, I would want people who do not have disabilities to know that it is okay to be
friends and associate themselves with people who have an exceptionality. Leo and Catherine both are self conscious at first, but I want that to not
happen right away because it makes the people who have that exceptionality feel less than.

Do you think people’s perceptions of others play a role in the success of children with disabilities? Why or why not?
-Yes. I think that the way people perceive people with disabilities is really important and can have a huge impact on people who have disabilities.
People with disabilities do not want to be seen as less than and sometimes they are seen in that way just because of their disability. It seems like they
cannot do as much as other people who do not have a disability and this is unfair. I feel like people who have disabilities can be judged really easily
without even getting to know them first. We need to lift them up and let them know that they are not less than. They might learn in a little bit of a
different way, but that is totally okay and should not be seen as a bad thing. It is super important to let people with disabilities know you are on their
side because this will make them feel loved, cared for, and like they have someone on their side cheering for them. .

Universal Design for Learning (Objective (f))

What is your understanding of UDL and differentiation? In what ways are these approaches similar? How are they different?
-UDL is a really good way to make sure everyone is being included and therefore no one is left out
-Differentiation means that you are tailoring instruction to meet individual needs
-UDL and differentiation are similar because you are making sure people are being included and getting what they need
-UDL is more for a whole group of people where differentiation is just for one specific person
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Explain how UDL and differentiation apply to the Response to Intervention framework?

How is utilizing UDL in instruction an ethical obligation of teachers?

-Teachers should be using UDL because it is not fair if people are left out, make sure everyone is getting their needs met
-UDL also provides the same kind of flexibility in the classroom and teachers can educate a group who is diverse and this is done by building in that
flexibility so learners can access information
-This will help students better show what they have learned and give them multiple ways they can show it

Inclusive Practices and the Continuum of Services (Objective (d) and (f))
What needs to be considered in LRE placement decisions? Who decides placement and where is this documented?

IRIS Module - Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities
OPTIONAL: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/acc/#content

What are accommodations? How do they differ from modifications?

A student’s accommodations might differ from one setting to another. Explain why this might be the case and offer an example.

Name at least three accommodations categories. For each, give an example of an accommodation and describe how it could support a student with a
disability.

Closing Thoughts on What it Means to be a Professional Educator (Objective (e) and (f))
What role do practitioners’ dispositions toward students with identifiable differences (e.g. students with IEPs, English language learners, students
identified as gifted, people with physical impairments, and/or social differences) play in their potential to thrive? How can an educator’s disposition
support or threaten their best learning?
-Educators need to make sure that they are supporting each child and making sure each individual child is getting their specific needs met, this is
supper important because each child is different and that means they all will need their needs met that is specifically geared to them
-Also, they need to make sure students with identifiable differences know they are not alone and that the teachers are there to help them in anyway
they might need to make sure they can thrive
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-Educators need to show a commitment to the students and their learning because this will make the students with identifiable differences feel cared
and loved for
-Educator’s disposition can threaten their best learning by ignoring the students and not doing what is best for them, basically if the educators seem
like they do not care for the students and this will hinder their learning
-If educators communicate in an effective way this will support students with identifiable differences and help them learn in the best ways possible

What knowledge, skills, and dispositions do you need to work on in order to be ready to move into the next level of learning?
-I need to work on making sure I can meet each individual child’s needs because each child is different which means they will each need something
different to have their needs met
-Also, I need to make sure that I am patient when working with each child because I cannot lose my temper with my future students especially the
ones who have disabilities
-I need to make sure that I am communicating to the best of my abilities, so that not only child is understanding what I am trying to do and say, so
that other educators understand where I am coming from as well

Emerging Basic Competent Proficient Total

Professional
Communication
SLO Strength of Integrity and
Responsibility
Organizational Framework
SLO Excitement of Teaching,
Learning and Mentoring
ISTE Technology Proficiencies and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Communicates own ideas
Communication is ineffective, and there is no
effectively but connect ideas to
attempt to connect ideas to other resources.
other resources in limited ways.
Student curates information to
Student does not create a collection of
artifacts, and submitted product
create a minimal collection of
artifacts that demonstrate
demonstrates minimal new knowledge
knowledge in order to improve
towards improving professional practice.
professional practice.
Communicates and connects complex
Communicates clearly and effectively ideas clearly and effectively by
and attempts to connect ideas using creating or using a variety of
some embedded links to digital resources embedded links to other digital
such as pictures, video, voice over, resources such as pictures, video,
music, etc. within the electronic journal voice over, music, etc. within the
to support responses. electronic journal to support
response.
Student curates information to create a Student curates information to create
collection of artifacts that demonstrate a collection of artifacts that
some connections or build knowledge demonstrate meaningful connections
in order to improve professional and build knowledge in order to
practice. improve professional practice.

Disability Categories and
Characteristics
Objectives (a) (b)
SLO Challenge of Integrated Practice
and Collaboration
Understanding of IDEA
Objective (c)
Understanding of IEP
Objective (d)
Understanding of and
Responsibility to Students
with Disabilities
Objective (e)
Legal, Moral and Ethical
Obligation
Objective (f)
SLO Appreciation of Diversity and
Similarity
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Content Objectives
All (10) categories are addressed All (10) high incidents categories are
Some categories are addressed with All (14) categories are addressed with
with a somewhat complete list of addressed with a mostly complete list of
incomplete list of characteristics. a complete list of characteristics.
characteristics. characteristics.
The process and principles of IDEA are The process and principles of The process and principles of IDEA are The process and principles of IDEA
partially discussed and an incomplete IDEA are discussed and a partial defined and accompanied by definition are well-defined and accompanied by
definition of exceptional learners and special definition of exceptional learners of exceptional learners and special thorough definition of exceptional
education may be included. and special education is included. education. learners and special education.
Most components of an IEP and All of the components of an IEP and
Few components of an IEP and an a limited
an explanation of the process are
The components of an IEP and an
a thorough explanation of the process
explanation of the process are included. explanation of the process are included.
included. are included.
It is present in the reflection that It is clear through various pieces of
It is not present in the reflection that the
the student is learning to value
It is clear through reflection that the
reflection that the student values the
student is learning to value the impact of student values the impact of learning
learning about learners with disabilities, and
the impact of learning about
about learners with disabilities, and can
impact of learning about learners with
learners with disabilities, and can disabilities, and can draw a connection
does not appear to be drawing connections
draw some connection to their
draw a connection to their responsibility
to their responsibility to ensure that
to their responsibility to those students. to those students.
responsibility to those students. those students’ rights are met.
Legal, moral or ethical obligations are
Legal, moral or ethical obligations
Legal, moral and ethical obligations are
Legal, moral and ethical obligations
are explored and few personal are thoroughly explored and deep
superficially explored and no personal explored and some personal connections
connections are made to how this personal connections are made to
connections are made to how this knowledge are made to how this knowledge will
knowledge will impact student how this knowledge will impact
will impact student ability to thrive. impact student ability to thrive.
ability to thrive. student ability to thrive.
Total Points: