Inclusive Education for Students with Severe Disabilities

1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
June E Downing ◽  
Joanne Eichinger ◽  
Lllly J Williams
Keyword(s):  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Elementary School Principals ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Professional Role ◽  
General Educators ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Educational Programming ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Different Levels

Structured interviews were conducted with elementary school principals, general educators (k-6), and special educators at different levels of inclusive educational programming to determine perceptions toward inclusive education for learners with severe disabilities. Comments from the 27 participants were categorized according to the main questions asked during the interviews, with similar comments aggregated per category. Comparisons made by professional role and level of implementation regarding inclusive education revealed several concurring statements as well as some discrepancies. Differences in perception of inclusive education for students with severe disabilities across professional role and level of implementation of respondents are described. Implications for future research and inclusive educational practices are discussed.

scholarly journals Involvement and Participation of Students With Severe Disabilities in SWPBIS

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Kurth ◽  
Alison L. Zagona
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Educators ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Tiered System ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities

With more schools implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) and achieving valued student outcomes associated with these efforts, the inclusion of students with extensive and pervasive support needs (i.e., “severe” disabilities) in this tiered system must be considered. These students remain programmatically and physically separated from general education instruction and activities. Given that SWPBIS is implemented in general education settings and it is designed to support all students, the purpose of this study was to investigate SWPBIS coaches’ perceptions of the involvement of students with extensive support needs in SWPBIS processes and procedures within one state. Findings suggest the coaches believe that students with extensive support needs are physically and programmatically separated from Tier 1 SWPBIS instruction and activities, with few general educators expressing participation in facilitating their involvement. Implications and recommendations for these findings are provided.

Examination of the Effects of Video Prompting Across Different Types of Tasks

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 200-211
Author(s):  
Helen I. Cannella-Malone ◽  
Eliseo D. Jimenez ◽  
John M. Schaefer ◽  
Megan Miller ◽  
Hollie Byrum
Keyword(s):  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Task Type ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Video Prompting ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Living Skills ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities

Video prompting has a strong evidence base as an effective strategy to teach students with severe disabilities a variety of skills including daily living skills. This study examined whether differences in daily living tasks (i.e., multistep, multicomponent, and sequential tasks) would impact skill acquisition using video prompting by three participants with severe to profound disabilities. Results indicated that although video prompting was effective broadly, aspects of task type taught may affect the pace of an individual’s acquisition. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Accomplishing More Together

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth E. Biggs ◽  
Carly B. Gilson ◽  
Erik W. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Professional Relationships ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities

Fostering and maintaining strong collaborative relationships are critically important for paraprofessionals and special education teachers working together to provide a high-quality education for students with severe disabilities. Through in-depth interviews with 22 teachers and paraprofessionals comprising nine educational teams, we examined educator perspectives on what influences the quality of their professional relationships, as well as how their perspectives on these influences converged or diverged. Teachers and paraprofessionals identified five themes of influences to the quality of their relationships: teacher influences, paraprofessional influences, shared influences (i.e., related to the collective efforts of teachers and paraprofessionals), administrative influences (i.e., related to school and district leaders), and underlying influences (i.e., related to contextual or other factors). The findings highlight the complex nature of these relationships and emphasize the importance of supporting teachers and paraprofessionals as they work together to meet the needs of students with severe disabilities. We offer recommendations for future research and practice aimed at strengthening the quality and impact of special educator–paraprofessional collaborations.

The Nature of Interactions between Students with Severe Disabilities and Their Friends and Acquaintances without Disabilities

1994 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marquita Grenot-Scheyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Developmental Level ◽  
Child Characteristics ◽  
Functional Movement ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities

Children with severe disabilities and their friends without disabilities were compared with children with severe disabilities and their acquaintances without disabilities on a range of characteristics and their interactions were examined. The sample included 20 children with severe disabilities and 11 children without disabilities. Dyads (child with severe disabilities and his/her friend without disabilities, child with severe disabilities and his/her acquaintance without disabilities) were videotaped while playing with a variety of games during two periods of 15 min each. Considering child characteristics first, the friends and acquaintances did not differ in developmental level, language age, or functional movement. There also were no significant differences between the groups on social competence. In regards to interactions, there were several differences between the friend and acquaintance groups, but the majority of these differences were not statistically significant. The results are interpreted and implications for future research and educational programs are suggested.

Practices and perceptions of German itinerant teachers in the field of visual impairment: Exploratory research focussing on three types of itinerant services

2020 ◽  
pp. 026461962097214
Author(s):  
Hisae Miyauchi ◽  
Wiebke Gewinn
Keyword(s):  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Dual Role ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
School Based ◽  
Itinerant Teachers ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Collaborative Skills

This study aimed to clarify the practices and perceptions of itinerant teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) in inclusive education following three different types (i.e., school-based, school-based single role, and centre-based), identifying the salient factors that enable them to fulfil their roles. To date, the majority of the existing research has focussed on centre-based itinerant TVIs, with scant attention paid to the other itinerant types. This study mitigates this lack of research. Designed as an exploratory study to provide a useful reference for future research, the study employed a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews with nine German TVIs. The results showed more similarities than differences among the three types of TVIs in their daily tasks, needed qualities and skills, and overall perceptions of the job. Two crucial elements enabled these TVIs to work effectively: the existence of a large community of TVIs and TVIs possessing good ‘collaborative skills’. The school-based dual role seemed to provide much-needed emotional and technical support. Further investigations are needed on the factors that contribute to a good ‘team’ or a ‘community’ of TVIs and on the effectiveness of the school-based dual role.

Fissuring Barriers to Inclusive Education for Students with Severe Disabilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-17
Author(s):  
Charles Dukes ◽  
Lauren Berlingo
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Education Environment ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Intense Debate

Inclusive education for students with severe disabilities has and continues to spark intense debate. To what extent should students with severe disabilities be educated in nonsegregated environments, particularly the general education environment? For some, there is no question, but history indicates many do not agree. Agran and colleagues provide a clear, concise summation of the rationale for continued segregation of students with severe disabilities. This commentary extends those arguments, speculating on how perceptions about people with disabilities manifest in society and in schools in particular, often resulting in continued segregation and far less inclusion than might be expected or warranted.

“Developing That Balance”: Preparing and Supporting Special Education Teachers to Work With Paraprofessionals

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth E. Biggs ◽  
Carly B. Gilson ◽  
Erik W. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Education Of Students

The prominence of paraprofessionals in the education of students with severe disabilities highlights the importance of ensuring special education teachers provide effective supervision and support. The authors conducted in-depth individual interviews with members of nine educational teams—a total of 22 teachers and paraprofessionals—to identify (a) the competencies they consider important for special education teachers to work effectively with paraprofessionals and (b) their recommendations for equipping teachers to develop these competencies. Participants identified 10 competencies addressing three areas contributing to balanced leadership: knowledge, skills, and dispositions. They also recommended eight avenues for leadership development spanning three broad pathways: university-based preparation, school/district support, and personal development. The authors’ findings suggest the need to embed development of these competencies within existing training and support programs for teachers. The authors offer recommendations for future research and practice targeting teacher development in these areas.

Comparison of the Instructional Contexts of Students with Severe Disabilities and Their Peers in General Education Classes

2000 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
John McDonnell ◽  
Nadine Thorson ◽  
Camille McQuivey
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Group Instruction ◽  
Instructional Interactions ◽  
One To One ◽  
Instructional Contexts ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Independent Work

This study examined the instructional contexts of six students with severe disabilities and six peers without disabilities enrolled in the same general education classes. The two groups of students were compared on (a) the extent to which they were the exclusive focus of instruction; (b) the amount of one-to-one, small group, and whole group instruction that they received and the amount of independent work they were asked to complete; (c) who delivered instruction; and (d) the types of instructional interactions that were directed toward them. Data were collected using The Code for Instructional Structure and Academic Response — Mainstream Version (MS-CISSAR; Carta, Greenwood, Schwartz & Miller, 1990). The results indicate that students with severe disabilities were much more likely than their typically developing peers to have instruction focused exclusively on them and to receive one-to-one instruction. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for educational programs for this group of students and future research.

Useful Practices in Inclusive Education: A Preliminary View of What Experts in Moderate to Severe Disabilities are Saying

2000 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lewis Jackson ◽  
Diane Lea Ryndak ◽  
Felix Billingsley
Keyword(s):  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Challenging Behavior ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Moderate To Severe Disabilities ◽  
Related Service ◽  
Successful School

We examined the opinions of experts in the field of moderate to severe disabilities on useful practices for inclusive education across nine categories of practices: Promoting inclusive values in the school; collaboration between general and special educators; collaboration between educators and related service providers; family involvement; choosing and planning what to teach; scheduling, coordinating, and delivering inclusive services within the school; assessing and reporting student progress on an ongoing basis; instructional strategies; and supporting students with challenging behavior. An examination of emergent themes within each category yielded a rich description of the depth and breadth of practices that are perceived by these experts as useful in promoting and sustaining successful school inclusion. Importantly, many of the identified practices require some level of educational service restructuring, including redefining the roles and functions of special education teachers, related services personnel, and classroom teachers. We also found that our sample of experts relied on sources of information other than empirical research in the development of their stores of wisdom on useful practices. Although preliminary in nature, our study contributes to the growing body of literature on inclusive education. It describes a range of practices perceived by a sample of experts to be associated with successful school inclusion. It also identifies a number of important themes that can inform future research in this area.

scholarly journals Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Preparedness to Teach Students With Severe Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms: A Saudi Arabian Perspective

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402095065
Author(s):  
Rashed Aldabas
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Preparedness To Teach ◽  
Practical Implications

Successful inclusive education for students with severe disabilities (SD) relies on the preparedness of their teachers. This descriptive study investigated special education teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach students with SD in inclusive educational settings. A survey was sent to 382 teachers of such students. In general, findings indicate that participants were confident that they were prepared to teach students with SD in inclusive education. Findings also show that the lowest levels of confidence were reported by participants with the shortest working experience, participants who have taught students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities and those with multiple disabilities, participants who have taught in the lower grades, and those who have already taught in general classrooms. The practical implications of the findings are discussed for supporting successful implementation of inclusive education for students with SD in terms of improving special education teachers’ preparedness.

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