Parents as Partners in the Special Education Process

The purpose of this chapter is to provide Pre-K through college educators, parents, and administrators who are involved with special education, insight into the processes and procedures from the perspective of a parent. The parent's perspective and involvement with their special needs child is critical in shaping the lifelong, special education experience. The literature and research shows a strong correlation to student success when parents are actively involved in this process. Rooted in the federal and state guidelines from the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all students are entitled to education services from birth through age 21. Recommendations for the Individual Education Plan process as well as strategies for navigating special education services are revealed in this narrative.

Specific Learning Disabilities

This chapter discusses best practices in providing supports for students diagnosed with reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and spelling (dysorthographia) deficits. It examines some impacts of these and associated conditions on learning. The recommended strategies for leveraging learning for the identified population are all evidence-based. Per the author, early intervention is key to providing students with learning disabilities a meaningful learning experience. An early intervention involves the use of multiple measures to diagnose a student's present level of performance primarily with a view to finding strengths (Strengths can be used to mitigate deficits) and learning gaps, utilizing evidence-based systematic instruction delivered with treatment fidelity, and an ongoing progress monitoring.

Mathematical Approaches and Strategies

Recent shifts in standards of instruction in the United States call for a balance between conceptual and procedural types of teaching and learning. With this shift, an emphasis has also been placed on ensuring teachers have the knowledge and tools to support students to improve student performance. Since many struggle in learning mathematics, teachers need practical ways to support students while also building their conceptual knowledge. Research has highlighted many promising approaches and strategies that can differentiate instruction and provide needed support. This chapter highlights various examples found in the research and explains how the approaches and strategies can be used to maximize student learning in the inclusive classroom.

Supporting Secondary Students with Disabilities in an Inclusive Environment

This chapter is designed to inform and educate secondary (Grades 6–12) pre-service teachers on how to provide content and design assignments for students within the special education continuum. The chapter is divided into 12 sections, one for each IDEA disability category. Each section includes the definition and characteristics of the specific category as well as how it impacts learning. The prevalence of the exceptionality occurring in the secondary classroom is also discussed, thus informing pre-service teacher candidates about which disability categories they are most likely to encounter while teaching. Also included in each section is a discussion and examples of various research-based instructional strategies and assignments as well as resources such as websites or illustrations that can be utilized.

Instructional Scaffolding to Promote an Autonomous Learner

An autonomous learner has developed an intrinsic motivation that drives him or her to pursue learning for the inherent satisfaction and enjoyment that stems from the acquisition of knowledge. This chapter presents strategies for teachers to develop a classroom of more autonomous learners. In addition to some strategies and sequencing of activities to maximize their impact, the chapter presents Universal Design for Learning as a framework for thinking about all teaching and ways to apply differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all learners. While there is a focus on the experience of a novice teacher, the content of this chapter is relevant for all educators looking to reinvigorate their practice to empower students to be more in command of their own learning.

Implementing Effective Student Support Teams

Pre-service teachers in a K-12 setting, encounter students in need of academic and behavioral supports. One method of providing supports to struggling students in the general education and special education setting is through the problem-solving process of pre-referral intervention, hence forth referred to as Student Support Teams (SST) within Response-to-Intervention. During the SST process, student's academic and/or behavioral difficulties are considered through a multidisciplinary approach. Research demonstrates the use of a multi-tiered problem solving approach as a means to provide supports for students prior to special education eligibility and placement. Additionally, there are concerns regarding implementation and teacher perceptions (Powers, 2001) on the effectiveness of the intervention and collaboration between general education and special education teachers (Graden, 1989). This chapter discusses historical aspects, purpose and process, best practices, and challenges of SSTs, while presenting strategies for teachers and educators to effectively implement the SST process.

The Masking Effect

Twice exceptional students, those who are both gifted and have learning or behavioral difficulties, are an often under-served population. This chapter recommends approaching twice exceptional student needs holistically using a Response to Intervention model. The chapter defines the twice exceptional learner, and discusses intelligence theory in relation to both giftedness and twice exceptionality. The chapter further recommends a combination of RtI universal screening identification practices and traditional gifted and talented education identification methods, as well as multiple differentiation techniques to support the needs of this special population.

Best Practices Implementing Special Education Curriculum and Common Core State Standards using UDL

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a model for collaboration between general education and special education teachers using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to align common core state standards with instruction for students with special needs. A history of how UDL came to be and how it is now a strategic tool to support all learners is explored. Best practices are offered as supportive instructional strategies. An example of how UDL can be aligned with Common Core State Standards and the goal(s) found in an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) will also be provided. This model supports collaboration between general education and special education teachers in an effort to ensure that general education curriculum can be accessed by students with special needs.

Educating the Whole Child

There is increasing consensus that schools have an important role to play in raising healthy children through teaching and learning of social and emotional skills. The purpose of this chapter is to provide insight for preservice teachers on social emotional learning (SEL): the definition of SEL, research on SEL, effective SEL programs, suggested strategies new teachers can include in their classrooms, and implications for schools of education and professional development. The authors conclude the chapter by discussing five key factors in the development and implementation of SEL initiatives in the setting.

Addressing the Needs in Reading of the Dyslexic Learner in the Inclusive Classroom

Many children in the nation are not proficient readers. Many of them are affected by learning disabilities and disorders. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was designed to help meet the needs of these children. However, children diagnosed with dyslexia were excluded from special education services because they did not qualify. Though advances in technology have identified dyslexia as stemming from a neurological difficulty to process language skills necessary for learning to read, dyslexic children continue to fall outside the qualification guidelines for special educational service. For this reason, many classroom teachers find themselves with children in their classes who are unable to read and who will not receive extra help. The aim of this chapter is to share teaching ideas, methodologies, and strategies which will help the classroom teacher address some of the needs of the dyslexic learner within the regular classroom setting.