Educating Special Needs Students and the Exceptional Learner

Educating Special Needs Students and the Exceptional Learner The following essay will define intellectual disability, autism, severe disabilities, and multiple disabilities, their causes, and the impact of the disabilities on the education of the student with intellectual disability. Also, identifying areas of curriculum necessary for students with severe disabilities and explain why. The essay will discuss the areas of curriculum and the policies, procedures, and programs for the education of students with intellectual disability, autism, severe and multiple disabilities. Today, students are diagnosed with different types of disabilities. Some of these disabilities are: intellectual disability, autism, severe disabilities and multiple disabilities. An intellectual disability is a disability that affects an individual limitations in several areas of cognitive function that interferes with the individual everyday life. Also, the individual has problems with four types of intellectual processes: abstraction, sequencing, understanding social contexts, and be able to read the emotional states of others. Intellectual disability can affect an individuals memory, learning and problem solving. Individuals who have an intellectual disability have a mild intellectual disability. An intellectual functioning level IQ is below 70- 75. An intellectual disability is seen before the student turns 18. The cause of intellectual disability can be caused by head injury, stroke, meningitis, brain abnormality and disease. The intellectual disability can happen before the child is born or it can happen during childhood. For some children, the cause of the intellectual disability is not known. There are some known causes of intellectual disabilities they are: Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome. These known causes happen before the childs birth. There are other causes that happen before a child a genetic condition called Prader-Willi syndrome. There are still other causes of intellectual disabilities that do not happen until the child become older. The definition of Autism is a developmental disorder that shows within the first three years of life of an individual. Autism shows before the child is three years old. The way that autism works it affects the brains normal development of social and communication skills. The cause of Autism is a physical condition that is linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact of the abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain is not known. But, there are some factors that can lead to autism they are: genetic and environmental factors. Autism seems to have a number of genes involved. Some of the genes make a child more prone to having autism. Some health problems are caused by both genetic and environmental factors. These factors may also cause autism. Severe disabilities are defined as an individual with extreme disabilities that functioning and achievement is unusually difficult for the person. The causes of severe disabilities are: genetic, biological and environmental factors. Multiple disabilities are defined as an individual who has impairments like: mental retardation, physical mobility, learning, speech, visual and hearing. The causes of multiple disabilities are from one of the impairments. The impact of the disabilities on the education of the student with intellectual disability is that the student can do well but, the student will need an individual education plan. The determination of how much help is need depends of the intellectual disability. The areas of curriculum necessary for students with severe disabilities are: including students with intellectual disability into general education curriculum. The students with disabilities should use the same curriculum used by their peers who do not have disabilities. The reason general education curriculum is necessary is because it can give students access to learn the same curriculum as their peers. The general education curriculum can increase students social skills and preparation for their adult life. Another area of curriculum is adaptive skills. Adaptive skills are necessary for students with severe disabilities because there are skills individuals need to live, work, and being able to function in society. There are other areas of curriculum that needs to be included: language and communication and motor skills. These skills are necessary skills to help students to function. Transition planning should be included with individuals with disabilities. The reason is because a plan is needed to prepare students for life. The Mobile County School has district policies, procedures and programs for the education of students with intellectual disability, autism, and severe and multiple disabilities. The Alabama Student Assessment Program this program requires that all students to participate in the Alabama Student Assessment Program. The assessment program requires all students must be included in all assessments. Also, students must have their results included in the state accountability system. The assessments are done in English. All students, including students with limited English, must take state assessments as written in English. An Individualized Education Program Team looks at the referral, documentation on intervention strategies and determine if the student will be evaluated for special education services. The Individualized Education Program Team determines should a child be evaluated for special education services, a written notice, that meets the notice requirements. The rules must be given to the parents and the child must be referred to the Building Based Student Support Team (BBSST). The IEP Team determines that the student should be evaluated for special education services, the agency must have the parents written consent for the evaluation. The public agency must develop and implement procedures to identify and evaluate children suspected of having a disability that affects their educational performance and who may need special education, designed instruction and related services. Hearing and Vision screenings must be first evaluations conducted for all children suspected of having a disability. A child who is identified having a developmental delay, has to be reevaluated prior to their ninth birthday. Students for special education services, at age nine, can no longer be eligible in the area of developmental delay. Students can continue special education services, the child must also be eligible in another area of disability. Conclusion Today, there are many types of disabilities and there is information defining the disability, their causes and their impact of the disabilities on the education of the student with intellectual disability. There are areas of areas of curriculum necessary for students with severe disabilities. There are policies, procedures and programs for the education of students with intellectual disability, autism, and severe and multiple disabilities.