The basis and history of special needs education
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Special needs education • As a science special needs education researches education and families from the aspects of special needs.
• Special education or special needs education is the practice of educating students with special needs in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs
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What are special needs • Special Needs" is an umbrella underneath which a staggering array of diagnoses can be wedged. Children with special needs may have: – – – – –
mild learning disabilities profound cognitive impairment food allergies or terminal illness developmental delays that catch up quickly or remain entrenched – occasional panic attacks – serious psychiatric problems www.aokk.fi
What 'special educational needs' means • The term 'special educational needs' has a legal definition, referring to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age.
• People with special needs may need extra help in a range of areas, for example:
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• schoolwork • reading, writing, number work or understanding information • expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying • making friends or relating to adults or other people in general • behaving properly in school • organising themselves • some kind of sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school
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Persons with disabilities • UN 13.12.2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • Persons with disabilities are those who have a long term physical, mental,congnitive or sensory disability, that can hinder their complete and equal participation to society with other people. www.aokk.fi
• The concept of disability is based on the individual’s physical or mental differencies • Content of the concept disability is always determined in social context. • The society defines as people with disability those who can not cope the minimum standards for the members of the given society. • Disability is no longer considedered a characteristic of the individual, but a disadvantage associated with the structure of society. www.aokk.fi
• Ability/Disability = the ability of the individual compared to the requirements of the environment.
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Where it all started…. • Jean Itard (1774 -1838) – French revolution • Freedom, brotherhood and equality
• ”The wild boy Victor of Aveyron (1799) – He tried to teach Victor systematically with his education methods. • Every human being is borna as a Tabula Rasa (blank slate). All his behavior, learned skills and knowledge are determined by his experiences.
• Priests and teachers – Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Fröbel www.aokk.fi
Attitudes towards children with disabilities Persecution
Pity
Active rehabilitation
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Historically disability had three separate groups: 1. Impairment (hearing, seeing, touching) 2. Disability (problems with mental capacity) 3. Problems with interaction
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The early days in education of the people with special needs • 1760 first school for the hearing impaired children in Paris • Development in Finland: – Schools for deaf children in Porvoo 1848, in Turku 1860 and to Kuopio 1862 – First sign language later oral method. – School for blind children started in Helsinki 1865 – First vocational school for deaf people in turku 1948 – School for developmentally disturbed children was established in 1877 – School for physically handicapped children in 1890
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Identifying Individuals with Special Needs • • •
• • • •
At the beginning of the 20th century, it was widely assumed that measuring an individual’s intelligence was possible. Alfred Binet thought that human intelligence could be precisely measured. In 1904 Binet was asked by the French government to produce a measurement system that would identify children who could not work in classrooms at the same level as “normal” children. Binet produced a version of his test in 1908 that measured the mental age of the child, later called intelligence quota (IQ) Binet felt that his test should provide a general guide to identifying the special needs of students. He did not feel that intelligence could be captured with a single number or measurement. In many instances mental testing has proved highly discriminatory and has been used for purposes that were not always in the best interest of the individual. www.aokk.fi
The basic principles of special education Based on law Educational equality and equal educational services
Prevention of social exclusion Career Guidance
Special needs education
Accessibility
Teachers trained to support special needs students www.aokk.fi
Early recognition of learning difficulties and problems Special education is an integral part of school curricula
Where is it provided? Special education institute
Integrated in mainstream classes
Workplace Receive parttime special needs education
WHERE Special classes Individual support
Small teaching groups
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What is vocational special needs education and training? The Constitution of Finland stipulates that no one shall, without an acceptable reason, be treated differently from other persons on the grounds of health, disability or any other reason that concerns his or her self. . Each education provider is responsible for organizing special needs education and training and services for students in special needs education and training.. Vocational special needs education and training (VET) is intended for students who need special support with their studies and subsequent placement. In vocational education and training, students are integrated in the mainstream education if possible, or in special needs groups or both. In the case of students with severe disabilities, vocational special education institutions provide training and rehabilitative instruction and guidance. Vocational special needs education can be also provided through apprenticeship training www.aokk.fi
Who it concerns? students with special needs due to disability, illness, delayed development, emotional disorder or other reason these may be physical disability, emotional disturbance, social problems, developmental disorder (ADHD), learning difficulties from auditory, visual or linguistic impairment learning difficulties originating from chronic illness, drug abuse, allergy, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, or any other reason We should always look at the primary reason for needing special education. www.aokk.fi
How you recognize difficulties? Tests in maths, reading, writing Teachers´ observations Information from parents Interviews Medical or psychological statement IEP from basic school
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Grounds for special education In the statistics on special education in vocational education, the grounds for special education are starting from 2004 as follows: 01. Perception, attention and concentration difficulty, such as AD/HD or ADD 02. Linguistic difficulties, such as severe reading difficulty, dysphasia, dyslexia 03. Interactive and behavioral disorders, such a social maladjustment 04.Slightly delayed development, student has extensive learning difficulties 05. Severely delayed development, medium or severe mental handicap 06. Chronic psychological illnesses, mental health problems, rehabilitating drug abusers www.aokk.fi
Grounds for special education •
07. Chronic somatic chronic illnesses, such as allergy, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer 08. Learning difficulties related to autism or the Asperger's syndrome 09. Difficulties of mobility and motoric functions, such as musculoskeletal disorders, the CP syndrome, dwarfism 10. Auditory impairment 11. Visual impairment 12. Other reason necessitating special teaching. The grounds for IEP are determined by the primary reason for needing special education. www.aokk.fi
In USA • Legal Protections for Persons with Disabilities in IDEA ’04 • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – 1990, 1997 – Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) – Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) – Individual Education Plan (IEP)
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Integration • Integration- child adapting to the host environment – Is politically neutral and infers a model of service delivery – Gradually assimilating into a structured setting or environment – The ‘setting’ is not required to change to meet the needs of the child
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Inclusion • The host adapting in order to meet the needs of the child • Framed within the ‘ecological paradigm’(Mitchell, 2001) • Has a strong ideological element • Reflects a shift in a paradigm from a ‘Needs’ base to a ‘Rights’ base (Lindsay,2007)
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INCLUSION • The practice of providing a child with disabilities with his or her education within the general education classroom, with the supports and accommodations needed by that student .
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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
• Sets annual goals – Progress monitoring to ensure adequate progress
• Identifies specially designed instruction and accommodations to help student be successful www.aokk.fi
IEP • Students in need of special educational or student welfare services are provided with an individual education plan. • If general support is not enough, pedagogical assessment shall be done and a plan for the intensified support handled in the pupil welfare group of the school. Following this a learning plan is drawn up for the pupil.
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IEP process Transition planning
Implementation Followi ups Assessment
Assesment of students performance
IEP Co-operation
Making the IEP
Definining the need for special support
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Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers • Classroom Teachers – Manage learning environments & programs – Participate in development of standards – Assist with curriculum development – Act as members of school-based management teams – Establish program priorities to meet student’s needs
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Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers • Teachers have primary responsibility for students’ education including … – – – – –
Diagnosing students’ education and support needs Prescribing the programs to meet these needs Developing instructional goals and objectives Preparing lesson plans for an entire class Modifying strategies and curriculum content to meet the instructional objectives established for individual students
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Discussion Questions •
What is an appropriate education for a student with special needs?
•
What are the arguments for and against inclusion of students with special needs into regular classrooms?
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Learning disabilities • Learning disability is a classification including several areas of functioning in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors.
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LD and interpretations Underachievement •Hastiness – Slowness •Sloppiness •Behavior problems Depression
Interpretations
Problems with self-esteem
•Lazy •Don’t listen •Not focusing •Dum •Giftless •Sloppy •Anti-social www.aokk.fi
Lack of effort deprecation
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Problems with reading and writing? Definition – Dyslexia is a life-long language processing difficulty that is neurobiological in origin
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Problems with reading and writing • Myths about Dyslexia • Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed until a child is 8 to 11 years old • If a dyslexic child doesn’t read by age 12, it is too late. They won't be able to learn to read. • Many children who experience reading and writing problems in kindergarten through third grade will outgrow those problems • Children with dyslexia are just developmentally delayed
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• Myths about dyslexia • Intelligence and learning how to read are related. Therefore if someone doesn't read well, they can't be smart • Gifted children cannot be dyslexic or have other learning disabilities
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Facts about dyslexia • Due to difficulty processing language • Children are born with Dyslexia and do not outgrow it
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Facts about dyslexia • Affects at least 1 out of 5 children (in USA) in Finland 5-10% of every age class
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Facts about dyslexia • Affects as many girls as boys • Early intervention is essential
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Facts about dyslexia • Of children who display reading problems in first grade, 74% will be struggling readers in ninth grade and into adulthood unless they receive informed and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness
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Some do’s and do not’s Language The Preferred Do
The Preferred Don’t
Clear, short sentences Hyphenate words to fill up between 15-20 words; 60-70 line ends characters Simple, straightforward language Glossary of terms, concepts and subject-specific abbreviations
Overuse of abbreviations New terminology in continuous prose without explanation
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Graphics The Preferred Do
The Preferred Don’t
Present text and pictures separately
Overlap text and pictures
Diagrams, tables on separate page
Overuse of text, pictures and diagrams on page
Horizontal, un-angled text, pictures or diagrams
Angled, moving or horizontal/vertical combination of text, pictures or diagrams
Clear, visible text on diagrams or tables
Overuse of animation
Present all bullet points One graphic detail on slide at the same dissolving into the next time (PowerPoint) (PowerPoint)
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder • ADHD – An individual with hyperactivity may have some or all of the following symptoms: – Fidget and squirm in their seats – Talk nonstop – Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight – Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, doing homework, and story time – Be constantly in motion – Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities
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• An individual with inattention may have some or all of the following symptoms: – Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another – Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task – Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable – Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new – Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities – Not seem to listen when spoken to – Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly – Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others – Struggle to follow instructions
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Reasons ADHD Students Misbehave 1.
Frustration because they have a different perception of the situation. 2. Lack of structure. 3. They act the role of being “bad.” 4. They don’t know how to ask to get what they need so they act out. 5. The classroom is full of distractions. 6. The child feels misunderstood. 7. Hunger. 8. They feel overwhelmed with tasks assigned. 9. They feel criticized. 10. They are stuck in the “victim cycle.” Note: From Appelbaum Training Institute’s How to Handle the Hard-to-Handle Student Resource (2005). w w w . a o Handbook, kk.fi
Other Solutions To Helping The ADHD Child • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Make lessons very clear Use lots of visuals Pair students together to complete assignments Provide hand signals Use behavioral contracts Use sticker charts Allow students to move around Allow more time for tests Put luggage tags on book bag to remind students of what to bring home Put sponges or mouse pads on desks for students who like to tap Have special highlighters for students to use Use picture mats or file folders cut into thirds to chunk assignments Provide headphones for students to use Note: From Appelbaum Training Institute’s How to Handle the Hard-to-Handle Student Resource Handbook, (2005). www.aokk.fi
About Asperger syndrome • Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, which is a lifelong disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people.
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Difficulties with AS • They find it difficult to tell people what they need, and how they feel. • They find it difficult to meet other people and to make new friends. • They find it difficult to understand what other people think, and how they feel. www.aokk.fi
How do people with Asperger syndrome behave? • They can have good language skills. But some people with Asperger syndrome think that people always mean what they say. For example, someone with Asperger syndrome might not be able to tell when someone is joking. • They may only talk about their favourite subject. • They may be very interested in some things. For example, they may be very interested in trains or the weather. • They may want to take part in games or activities with other people. But they may not know how to do this. • They may like to play the same game or do the same thing every day.
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Accommodations • -are supports or services provided to help students progress in the general education curriculum and demonstrate their learning. These do not mean big changes in the instructional level, content, or standards. Rather, support is provided so that students have an equal opportunity to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned. www.aokk.fi
ACCOMMODATIONS - Provisions made in how a student accesses/demonstrates learning
• They do not substantially change instructional level or content • Provides student an equal access to learning • Provides student equal opportunity to demonstrate what is known • Based on individual strengths and needs • May vary in intensity and degree
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Accommodations are: • Techniques utilized to help students access curriculum • Strategies that validly demonstrate what students have learned • Methods used that alter the academic setting or environment so students can easily access information www.aokk.fi
Accommodations are also: • Approaches to information that level the laying field for students with disabilities – Extended time – Large print – Braille – Signed instruction
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Other Accommodation Definitions - (Eshilian, & Hibbard, ‘98) • Appropriate arrangements that allow for access to same information, activities, opportunities, ex: books on tape, computer writing programs, tape recorders, calculator, checklists, dictation of answers, etc. www.aokk.fi
Accommodations do NOT: • Change the information to be learned • Change the amount of information that is to be learned…modifications do this!
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MODIFICATIONS - Changes in what a student is expected to learn and demonstrate
• Change in the instructional level or benchmark • Change in the number of key concepts mastered within a benchmark or unit of study • Changes in content
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MODIFICATIONS • Changes in tests or course presentation, location, student response, time requirements or other attributes that are necessary to ensure success for a student with disabilities to participate but do not fundamentally alter or lower the standard or expectations or invalidate the test.
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Modifications • -change the content and performance expectations for what a student should learn. For example, a student may work at a different level ( for example, at a 4th grade level instead of a 6th grade level in reading) or study fewer concepts or skills. www.aokk.fi
Don’t be fooled by
“Adaptations” for this refers to: • Accommodations and Modifications • Changes made in instructional and assessment practices to facilitate student success. For example: – – – – –
Size Time Input Output Difficulty
√ √ √ √
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Participation Level of Support Alternate Goals Substitute Curriculum
Find the answers to the following questions • • • • • • • • • •
1) What is vocational special needs education and training? 2) Who it concerns? 3) What is Personal/individual Study Plan? 4) What is Individual Education Plan or Individual Education Program? 5) What are learning disabilities? 6) How do you support students with reading and writing disorders or difficulties? 7) What are perception, attention and concentration difficulties such as AD/HD or ADD? 8) What are the most common mental health problems among youth and how could students be supported with mental health problems? 9) What does accessibility mean in education? 10) What is inclusive education?
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