Guidance for the Antiracist Educator: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies for Disability and Diversity

Racism in the United States has risen to the forefront of public awareness through the national outrage, grief, and terrible injustice and bias that continues to dictate the fates of individuals in our communities of color. Centuries of systemic racism require our organization to publish innovative evidence-based practices for use in a wide variety of educational programs and settings around topics related to racial and cultural practices. This special edition of Teaching Exceptional Children (TEC) emphasizes racially and culturally competent and sustaining practices when working with students with disabilities who also experience another social identity.

Access to the care network by children and adolescents with special health needs

Objective: to understand the access to the care network for children and adolescents with special needs from the perspective of professionals. Methods: qualitative study carried out in an Association of Parents and Friends of Exceptional Children. The semi-structured interview was used,with representation through the cloud of words. Participated in the research 11 professionals who work in health care and special education. Results: from the professionals’ perspective, the access to the network of care for children and adolescents comes from the special care and education offered by the Association. The participants highlighted the difficulties of access of children and adolescents to health services and the diversity of activities used so that they can socialize, interact, and form bonds. Conclusion: the access of children and adolescents to the attention network occurs through the services of the Association, represented by the clinic for health care and the school for development and social inclusion.

Creative Empathy

This chapter is designed to inform and educate the reader about the trials and tribulations of two young men with disabilities. Their journey through the K–16 educational system is discussed, as are their triumphs and struggles as they learn to survive in a nondisabled world. The chapter relates the two men's scenarios to the theory of social justice as well as breaks down the most common myths and misconceptions about people with exceptionalities. The chapter concludes by conveying instructional strategies developed by the University of Michigan School of Education's Teaching Works and the University of Florida's CEEDAR Center and the Council for Exceptional Children that can be used by any teacher to get to know their students well and develop successful intervention strategies.

Exceptional Children

In addition to the children who show typical development, there are also children who show atypical development. Individuals whose development varies compared to their peers and whose differences are identified by experts are called individuals with special needs. Individuals with special needs can be children with intellectual disabilities, sight, hearing impairment, language and speech disorders, physical disability and chronic illness, specific learning difficulties, children with autism spectrum disorder and gifted children. The causes of special needs are generally prenatal causes, which can often be hereditary and can be classified as natal and postnatal. The identification of individuals with special needs from early ages and the use of appropriate intervention methods are vital for these children. Children who are happy and a future producing part of society due to early recognition and accurate education methods are directly related to the quality of the intervention performed.

Utility of Psychometric and Dynamic Assessments for Identifying Cognitive Characteristics of Twice-Exceptional Students

The purpose of this research was to examine the utility of psychometric and dynamic assessment for the identification of a twice-exceptional (2E) group of students who showed both mathematical high abilities and specific learning disabilities. Of a population of 800 students, 30 (14 boys and 16 girls) ages 10 to 12 years were selected and identified as twice-exceptional at three public elementary schools in Amman, the capital of Jordan. A combination of three psychometric tests and one dynamic math assessment tool was used to recognize the cognitive and perceptual characteristics strengths and difficulties among students. Both psychometric and dynamic assessment models were found important and complementary to one another for the identification of cognitive and perceptual characteristics of twice-exceptional children. The findings were reported and discussed.

The Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health’s Position Statement on Solitary Confinement

This document, from the Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH), provides clear and compelling support for the abolishment of solitary confinement with incarcerated youth and young adults in juvenile and adult correctional facilities. This is the first position statement from DEBH on the topic, and the information includes (a) a definition of solitary confinement, (b) discussion of its use, (c) an explanation of the impacts of solitary confinement on youth, (d) identification of systemic issues that perpetuate the use of solitary confinement, (e) an examination of U.S. laws concerning the use of solitary confinement, (f) a declaration of principles, and (g) recommendations for policy and practice.