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Inclusion of children with special needs in the normal classroom
Co-teaching: An illustration of the complexity of collaboration in special education
Special education inclusion
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From the first day a child is born, parents are there to nurture their child, to support them as they grow and develop. There is a lot to learn about raising a child under normal circumstances, but when a child has special needs parents must learn this whole new language of medical and special education terms (Overton, 2005). Parents enter this new world where navigating for the best interest of their child is riddled with challenges and obstacles that they need to somehow overcome. This is especially true when parents are dealing with the special education program in their child’s school.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires parental involvement in the education of children with disabilities (Smith, Hilton, Murdick, & Gartin, 2005). The IDEA also guarantees civil rights to children with disabilities and encourages parents to act as an advocate for their child. This seems like it would encourage school professionals and parents to work close together in obtaining the best services needed for the child. Unfortunately it often leads to a struggle in balancing legislation, interpretation and understanding of the law, and a breakdown of communication (Yell, Shriner, & Katsiyannis, 2006). Parents often feel they have no voice in the educational system, which limits productive interaction between the parents and school personnel, and potentially has a negative impact on the student.
Collaboration between school and family is necessary to successfully create a positive, enriched, learning environment for the student. There are a few ways that parents can achieve this: positive support of school participation including homework, communicating with the school on a regular basis, volunteering in the school, a...
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... Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Sands, D., Kozleski, E., & French, N. (2000). Inclusive education for the 21st century: A new introduction to special education. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Smith, T. E. C., Hilton, A., Murdick, N. L., & Gartin, B. C. (2005). Families and children with special needs: Professional and family partnerships. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Trainor, A. A. (2010). Diverse approaches to parent advocacy during special education home- school interactions: Identification and use of cultural and social capital. Remedial and Special Education, 31(1), 34-47.
Yell, M. L., Shriner, J. G., & Katsiyannis, A., (2006). Individuals with disabilities education improvement act of 2004 and IDEA regulations of 2006: Implications for educators, administrators, and teacher trainers. Focus on Exceptional Children, 39, 1-24.
Parents have the right to be included in placement decisions, IEP developments, and evaluations. Schools should collaborate and communicate consistently with family members due to the fact they know their child better than anyone else and can be a powerful resource, as well as an advocate, for their development and education (American Foundation for the Blind, 2015). Furthermore, information regarding a student’s disability is highly confidential. IDEA clarifies that such information may be shared with only individuals who are working directly with the student (Friend, 2014).
As a parent, learning that your child has developmental disabilities can be a life altering moment in time and can cause a devastating chain reaction of events. These events have the potential to change family priorities and structure, hurt relationships, deplete financial savings and stability, and emotionally drain everyone intimately involved with you and your child. How do you find human services programs, agencies, or advocates, whose primary job is to help you provide everything your child needs? It certainly can be an overwhelming barrier, but it's the first step in giving you, your child, and your family a plan of action, goals, success, good mental health and bringing everyone back together.
Parents play a critical role in the planning of educational programs for their children. In efforts to increase parental involvement, instructions were added to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that mandated active parental participation during the preparation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). According to Lo (2008), when IDEA was reauthorized in 2004, additional parental rights were added that required the attendance of parents and every member of an IEP Team, unless both the parent and school agree to an absence and document that agreement in writing. That mandate emphasizes the importance of parental participation in educational programming for their children.
The implementation of policy and legislation related to inclusive education, thus being a focus on the diversity and difference in our society (Ashman & Elkins, 2009), would have vast implications on the way society views that which is different to the accepted “norm”.
Two years ago, I embarked on a journey that would teach me more than I had ever imagined. As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to finally begin my teaching career in a field I have always held close to my heart. My first two years as a special education teacher presented countless challenges, however, it also brought me great fulfillment and deepened my passion for teaching students with special needs. The experiences I have had both before and after this pivotal point in my life have undoubtedly influenced my desire to further my career in the field of special education.
Effective partnerships between families and school emerge from a mutual trust, respect and understanding of each other’s values and goals. By maintaining such partnerships, we create a healthy environment for children to develop. All families have something unique to offer and educators need to recognize this and make the most of it by incorporating all families into the school community.
The students in our classrooms, both special education and general education classrooms, require individualized education to reach their full potential. Each child’s potential is different just as each child’s road to reach it is different. Our job as teachers is to be there for the student’s to help them reach their potential through their own unique way.
Hyde, M. (n.d.). (2010). Inclusive Education: The Way to the Future. In: Anderson, C., Carpenter, L. & Conway, R. eds. Diversity Inclusion and Engagement. 2nd ed. Melbourne: Hyde, Carpenter and Conway, pp. 393.
There are two major federal laws that deal with the education of children with special needs. One of these laws is, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as IDEA (W.E.A.C, 2001). This law passed in 1975, was the first act to guarantee all students with disabilities a public education (Kluth, Villa & Thousand, 2001).
The law requires that this instruction fundamentally tailors to the unique need(s) of the child with the disability. Society considers children with disabilities minorities in the school, and since the late 1960’s parents, schools, legislators, and educators have been fighting for the rights of children with disabilities. In 1975 the first Act, P.L.94-142, Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed, setting all the guidelines for special education as a field (Bicehouse & Faieta, 2017). Researchers Spaulding & Pratt (2015) mentioned efforts to educate individuals with disabilities began as early as a century before the 1960’s reform movements. A time when the law did not afford a disabled person the opportunity to go to school or the family placed him or her in an
Special education is such a broad and sensitive topic to talk about as well as the several issues that come with the Special education topic. And although there are a variety of issues, such as: special education children being accepted, segregated from their peers, the financial ability to support many special education programs, and the fact that a lot of teachers are not properly certified and do not know how to handle special needs children; there are also many resolutions. Special education Awareness, peer understanding, support from the local and state government, proper teacher certification, and most importantly social unity and understanding amongst peers are all a part of this controversial issue and they will also help maintain and resolve the growing concerns in the Special education programs and the children.
“What does inclusive education mean for me as a teacher in 2014 and beyond? “
The mental development of a military child is effected by military life and the overall lifestyle of the family from their beliefs, morals, and spirituality. When counseling and mentoring children, challenges they endure need to be taken into consideration such as disability, deployment, and family culture. Deployments impacts children emotionally, academically, socially, and causes them to react with anger and violence. Counselors and community resources play a role in assisting military families through these significant events. Factors that affect the mental development of a military child includes but not limited to military divorces, long separations, due to extended training events or combat deployments, long work hours and parenting style. Having a child that shows signs of a serious intellectual, emotional, or physical disability can be very problematic for a military family. Children with disabilities that cause their behavior to affect their reaction to life can place a significant strain on the family dynamic. Everyone in the household will be affected by the disability and will have to receive counseling to better understand how to live a productive life.
Parent involvement is one of the most influential aspects of student motivation. The parents are the initial teachers of the child before the child goes to school and encounters education through a teacher. If a parent is completely engaged in the learning process with a child, there can be growth between the child and the parent simultaneously. The parents set an example for the child, so that the child understands that help is in the classroom and at home. Alma Wright, a first and second grade teacher, believes that parents in the classroom are a good way to stimulate children. She says, “Their active participation is a positive influence. The school is open for parents to share their talents and motivate their children” (Drew, Olds, and Olds, 1974, p. 71).
The support of a parent is the single most important factor in predicting success in school for young children (Bourquin). Parents who make it a point to get involved with the child’s education are communicating the importance of education to their child (Heffer). There are a variety of ways in which a parent can get involved. This can range from at home help and encouragement with homework, attending athletic ...