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What is the difference between special education and regular education
The importance of inclusive education
The importance of inclusive education
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I posed this question prior to my research; do special education students receive the same attention and level of education as students in regular education? Through investigation and observation, I explored the differences between regular education classrooms and special education classrooms to see if there were in fact inequalities between the two. Prior to doing research, I assumed that all education was alike, and that regardless of special needs, the educational institution provided an equal opportunity for all students to learn. This paper will show the level of equity and reflect on the social justice of special education in the current school platform. It will outline the research that I have conducted and demonstrate the negative assumptions about special education teachers and their students, and show examples of the lack of funding and resources for special education departments. I conducted research by observing and interviewing several different school/ classroom settings. The first class I observed was at a Therapeutic Day school on the North West side of Chicago. The class included nine students between the ages of nine and fifteen and their learning abilities range from zero comprehension through average grade level. Only three of the students were within average grade level for their age, the rest of the students are at or below the second grade level. The teacher explained that one student (who is ten years old) has profound mental retardation and has a one year old cognitive level. This student is also the student who bites and hits when he becomes frustrated. Three of the students need diaper changes throughout the day; the others need constant attention and assistance. The classroom had only one te... ... middle of paper ... ...special ed students from being harassed. My findings on the prejudices depict all regular education teachers, however, from my research, there seems to be a general lack of respect for the special education field. Unfortunately, my hypothesis of having an equal opportunity for all students to learn would prove to be fallacious, special education schools do not receive the same respect or funding as general education. I believe that the failure stems from the individual institutions. If the school and staff do not show support and be an advocate for special education programs, the local, state, and federal government will follow suit. Like every agency, it must grow and change with the current economic and sociologic state that it is in, the current school platform and regulations are outdated and inappropriate for the needs of these special students.
Kauffman brings up an excellent point, why isn’t the government comparing children that receive special education to those children who don’t receive special education. Wouldn’t it make sense to compare two things that are similar instead of trying to compare two things that are no way alike? Why don’t we focus on making special education as good as it can be? We should work to make sure students with disabilities learn everything they can at their own speed in special education (Kauffman, 2003 p. 3). Not scraping the whole system. Basically general education students are the wrong comparison to determine if the special education system is working or not. “The PCESE asked the wrong question and suggested dedicating ourselves to closing the wrong gap. Their approach is about as helpful as dedicating ourselves to closing the gap between 5 and 7” (Kauffman, 2003 p. 3).
A longstanding national issue that continues to concern the public is the disproportionate representation of children from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in special education. The fact is that the proportion of minority students in the population of school-age children has risen dramatically to over 35%, which is increasing the diversity of students in many public schools throughout the nation. This makes the phenomenon of disproportionality especially troubling. With a growing population of minority children comprising a greater percentage of public school students, we must be responsive to the growing needs of an increasingly diverse society. The overrepresentation of minority students in special education has been posed as an issue for more than 3 decades, but it is worth asking whether the efforts of legislative actions, educational reforms and legal challenges have really made improvements to this issue. More importantly, disproportionality should be examined as a correlation to underlying conditions that can pose a great effect upon not only the quality of a child’s education, but also ______.
Special education includes addressing students’ academic needs as well as their behavioral needs. A student with a disability is not exempt from disciplinary measures, as students with can suspended and even expelled from the school environment. More specifically, students with emotional disturbance can display maladaptive behaviors. These maladaptive behaviors can generate unsafe learning environments. More importantly, the creation of an effective behavior intervention plan (BIP) is imperative. The development of a BIP can aid in the reduction of maladaptive behaviors, thus decrease the likelihood of a suspension or expulsion. My current role as a special education program specialist permits the
Whether it was in school, the classroom or the home environment students with disabilities may exhibit various behavioral problems. Occasionally, these behaviors are hostile, aggressive, and disruptive and may impede learning for the ones who display such behaviors as well as others. It often a challenge to deliver a lesson or maintain control of the class due to the fact that teacher may not have sufficient knowledge on how to manage these types of behaviors. In “When the Chips are Down” Richard Lavoie give helpful advice that emphasizes on dealing with behavioral issues in a successful manner and also how these problems can be anticipated before they start.
This Semester I observed a three-year-old girl named Allie. Allie attends preschool at Land of Learning; she is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It was my pleasure observing her and getting to know her. She is a very sweet outgoing girl that doesn’t let her disability get to her. I observed and assisted Allie throughout her days at preschool. I assisted her and observed her with recess activities, eating lunch, and daily school projects. My past observation experiences I observed at Westgate elementary school in a class room mixed with students with learning disabilities, ADHD and also ELL students the class was taught by Ms. Lewis. I observed a second grade ELL classroom and also a fourth grade classroom. I observed these students during school
Disproportionate identification of minority students in special education is a major concern in schools today. This paper describes the issues in the assessment process with minority students and how we have arrived at a situation where minorities are being misdiagnosed into special education programs. Additionally, several legal cases are mentioned which show numerous actions and rulings that have tried to correct the disproportionate identification in special education. Some of the legal cases discussed include Larry P. v Riles, Diana v. State Board of Education, and Guadalupe v. Tempe Elementary School, which all significantly impacted special education today. Additionally, the Individual with Disabilities Education Act has enforced that minority groups must receive an equal education in the least restrictive environment possible. It is our duty as teachers and citizens to abide by these laws and find different ways to assess and correct the disproportionality of minority groups that exists today.
... problem of disproportionate minority representation in special education. The Journal of Special Education, 32(48), 48-51.
Special education is a large part of the education system, which includes the mentally retarded, people with learning disabilities, the emotionally disturbed, hearing impaired, visually impaired, etc. Many people fail to include this system as one that can possibly involve discrimination, but those enrolled in special education has increased among all racial classifications. Between 1980 and 1990, the entire population enlisted in special education has increased. European American increased by 6%, African Americans increased by 13%, Hispanic Americans increased by 53%, and Asian Americans/Pacific Americans increased by 107.8% (Ford, Obiakor, p. 8). In the end, it is these students who ultimately experience low rates of employment, low income, and growing rates of incarceration. Another survey indicates t...
Harry, B., & Klingner, J. (2006). Why are so many minority students in special education? Understanding race and disability in schools. New York and London: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for children with disabilities in a Least Restrictive Environment to not have their needs met adequately. Some parents think that teachers do not have the proper skills to help their child with disabilities flourish in the classroom. Two concerns/challenges are that typical developing students will imitate inappropriate behaviors made by students with disabilities and students with disabilities could potentially get teased about their disabilities and inappropriate behaviors. As said by Virginia Buysse and Donal B. Baily, Jr. (1993) “… the opportunities for young children with disabilities to interact with peers in integrated settings must be carefully
Sapon – Shevin states when students are uncomfortable with their peers who are different from them this situation can be a teaching moment for the teacher, in other words educate the students on the differences of others, not only disabilities, b...
However, it still met with inconsistent criticism due to the myth that “positive intervention” doesn’t work and draining resources of regular courses. However, evidences shown prove the opposite effect. Special education is constant need of more funding – especially when it constantly gets budget cuts from congress and thus, schools are unable to keep up with the afford to provide the necessary need of special education (Wall 2014). So the myth of special education draining resources is the no way the truth. How could they be able to drained resources from other students if the programs themselves are in limited supply? Lack of understanding and easy to become a scapegoat for the blame of overall score of a school being poor is quite easy to pit the blame. Another reasoning is due to socialization—the label of being placed in special education is rather an unfortunate burden that could follow the child (Huerta 2015). Often times, stereotypes are attached and are considered inferior to other students, potentially adding onto potential fears. In order to improve any form of education for special education, funding a provided them resources should be considered the first thing to look
Would you want to be taught in a school where you were different from all the other kids? Probably not. Special needs students would do better if they were in separate classes from other children. Separate special needs classes are necessary. Separate classes will help special needs students, and give them a good environment to learn in.
For my observation experience I went to Southern High School in Harwood, MD. Southern High School has a special education department for the students with disabilities. The teacher that I met with for this classroom observation was Ms. West. In the classroom there were at least four assistant teachers that helped Ms. West throughout the school day. The assistant teachers helped Ms. West co- teach the class and were there to help the students if they needed extra help. The school also has a couple of student aides that come in to help the teachers and the students in the classroom. There were at least twelve students in the classroom. The students in the class had many different exceptionalities such as learning disabilities, Down syndrome,