Service Delivery Model Observation Tracey Young SPE/513– Orientation to the Exceptional Child 07-20-2015 Instructor -Samantha Harvey Introduction Students with disabilities have several delivery models that are made available to them. These students that have been identified as having a disability are to be given an equal opportunity to be the recipients of a fair and public education just as their non-disabled classmates. It is a legal requirement that the students are placed in an LRE (Least Restrictive Environment). The needs of the students and the resources available to them play an important factor in the placement of those individuals who has been identified as disabled. The following information was derived through classroom …show more content…
observations and will serve to provide a detailed explanation regarding the basis for instruction and management in a self-contained and an inclusion service delivery model. Self-Contained Service Delivery Model The first observation to take place was a self-contained service delivery model and was conducted during a summer school session of a high school Algebra I class.
The disabilities identified were Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Emotional Disturbance (ED), and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The special education teacher began to interact with all of the students right as they entered the classroom and also while the teacher provided them with instruction. She was extremely personable and approachable. It was apparent that even though it was a three- week summer school session, she had established a connection with the students and, therefore, developed a learning bond in the process. The boys seemed to have a great bond as well, and they worked together to complete their assignments. There were also obvious interactions among the boys that were unrelated to the lesson but not disturbing or distracting to the class. The special education teacher jokingly came near the boys and began to talk to them and suggested they continue to work together to keep each other engaged. The special education teacher mentioned that there were times when the boys will not respond to encouraging them to stay engaged and will resist her advances. Therefore, she has to make the decision when to press on to get them involved and when to back off and give them some time with the hopes that they will …show more content…
self-adjust. The special education teacher stated that in this self-contained classroom setting her goal is to provide more individualized instruction to be able to fit the needs of the students. As the observation continued the special education teacher maintained that the self-contained classroom provided a small but very relaxed atmosphere for the students. The students are absorbed with the teacher and with the instruction. The teacher did reveal that there have been instances where the students did not respond or were not accepting of the special education teacher’s help, however with this self-contained classroom this was fortunately not the case. The teachers have both been able to develop relationships and learn about each student’s personalities and felt that it was due to the small classroom setting. The delivering of instruction is centered around hands-on projects and developing of skills such as copying notes from the board and test taking. The special education teacher made it known during the observation that she prefers to be in a self-contained setting because there is more opportunity to adapt and make adjustments as they are needed. The students are allowed to utilize classroom laptops for practice test purposes, calculators, a smart board, dry erase boards and markers, and the student’s personal cell phones as a means to contact or alert them of any assignments/ homework that may be due. The boys were allowed to choose their seats and decided to all sit together. The purpose was to make them feel that they are in a comfortable learning environment. The students were also given handouts and encouraged to participate in front of the class by showing their work on the dry erase boards. The boys helped each other with this as well. Because the class takes place during summer school, and the students will spend an extended amount of time in that particular classroom, they are given a break to avoid fatigue or frustration. As part of their accommodations, each of the boys is allowed extra time when taking a test or doing in classroom work. The teacher placed her objectives for the day on the dry erase board as a visual and used the objectives as an incentive to work towards a certain goal therefore receiving an additional break in the instruction as a reward. The teacher said that she knowingly provides more than enough objectives than they will be able to get to avoid running out of information or instruction. As the students approach the end of the class, the teacher will erase the additional objectives the class did not get to complete. There are posters all around the classroom providing instruction on how to sign up to receive text messages from the teachers, basic math facts, how to use a calculator and classroom rules and expectations. There is also a word wall to familiarize the students with commonly used math terms. Inclusion Service Delivery Model The second observation was conducted in an inclusion classroom. The content/subject was World History, and the class consisted of fifteen general education students and two special education students. There are normally three special education students present, but one was absent on the day of the observation. All three of the special education students were identified as having learning disabilities (LD) and all three are male. The special education students were positioned in different areas of the classroom with the purpose of blending them in with the rest of the general education students. The desks were set up in a traditional classroom setting of four or more rows. The inclusion teacher stated that she teaches two separate classes that each has a different dynamic. In this World History class the general education teacher uses the “one teaches, one supports” collaborative model. As the general education teacher, she provides the majority of the instruction to the class. The inclusion teacher and the general education seemed to have a great working relationship, and their teamwork was evident throughout the observation. The inclusion teacher provided the class with handout/worksheet materials and was actively involved in the lesson. She circulated throughout the classroom addressing each student. She also provided the general education teacher with assistance in the planning of the lesson before the students arrived, and class began. Both teachers try to interact with all of the students on an equal basis. In a situation where a student was struggling with the instruction that was being presented by the teacher, the other teacher was very patient and stepped in to take over and tried to offer other means of explanation. According to the general education teacher, as a part of their strategy to be able to reach all of their students they will switch roles and therefore the students don’t see one or the other as solely in the role as an assistant. The special education students in the inclusion classroom were displaying complications reading and comprehending the textbook portion of the instruction.
During a test, these students were taken to another classroom area so that the inclusion teacher was able to read the test to them. Self-reading in the inclusion classroom is sometimes avoided as much as possible. The inclusion teacher also stated that there have been tests where the amount of information was lessened to avoid additional frustration being added as they are already struggling with reading the test information. According to the general education teacher, students on occasion are encouraged to read out loud. However, there is more of a push for them to participate in classroom or group discussion. Students that are asked to read aloud are based on their ability. This type of interaction makes for a comfortable learning environment and participation with their peers. She stated that she tries to pre-teach information that they will be covering on that day in the form of a warm up when the kids first enter the classroom. Then when they are exposed to the information later on in the class, it is not a total shock of information to
them. Smart boards and dry erase boards are used to keep the students engaged. Because this is not a classroom setting where students would be encouraged to go up for participation, the boards are used to display notes and class information. The teacher also utilized printed notes to give to the students who are not good at taking classroom notes or choose not to. Each unit covered by the general education teacher is given a color for both the teachers and the students to maintain a system of organization and to identify the work that is being covered by the teacher. The inclusion teacher will assign a time to read over the notes with the special education students, possibly during class time. The students are allowed to use laptops for research purposes or in the event they do not have access to a computer at home. The student’s personal cell phones are also used as a means for the teacher to send text messages to alert the students of any assignments/homework that may be done. Because of the extended amount of time the students spend in the classroom and the amount of time they spend sitting in their desks, they are given a small break. After their break, the special education and general education students seemed re-energized, and the teacher regained their attention and they were ready to continue. During the observation, there were instances where students had to be told to put their phones away during class, but there were very few distractions and interruptions. It was evident that the behavioral accommodations or modifications in the classroom apply to both the general education students and the special education students. Conclusion The self-contained and inclusion service models that were observed provided an example of how teachers managed their classrooms and how modifications and accommodations can be made to meet the needs of the students. Each disability will have characteristics that will require their special considerations and attention. Students with disabilities have a legal right to receive a fair and equal public education just the same as that which would be provided to their non-disabled peers. Therefore, the services the students receive will be comprised of accommodations and modifications that are made to ensure students with disabilities have the opportunity to be successful. References
“to the maximum extent appropriate, handicapped children, including those children in public and private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not handicapped, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of handicapped children from regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the handicap is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. (P.L 94-142, Section 1412) (Villa p. 5).
It is required that the student be placed in the setting most like that of typical peers in which they can succeed when provided with needed supports and services (Friend, 2014). In other words, children with disabilities are to be educated with children who are not disabled to the maximum extent appropriate. Removal may only occur when education in regular classes, with the use of supplementary aids and services, cannot be achieved satisfactorily (Yell, 2006).
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
Students with high-incidence disabilities or HID are the most common in schools. The group of high incidence disabilities include students with emotional, behavioral or mild intellectual disabilities as well as those with autism, speech or language impairments and attention deficit disorder (Gage et al., 2012). Students with HID are usually taught within the general education classroom. There are either co-teachers or a resource teacher that takes the students out of the general education classroom for short periods of time to work in a more individual, structured environment (Personal Improvement Center, n.d.).... ...
What do we do with children with disabilities in the public school? Do we include them in the general education class with the “regular” learning population or do we separate them to learn in a special environment more suited to their needs? The problem is many people have argued what is most effective, full inclusion where students with all ranges of disabilities are included in regular education classes for the entire day, or partial inclusion where children spend part of their day in a regular education setting and the rest of the day in a special education or resource class for the opportunity to work in a smaller group setting on specific needs. The need for care for children with identified disabilities both physical and learning continues to grow and the controversy continues.
Students with learning disabilities have to search for a school that has the usual opportunities and amenities that fit their personality while also providing the services required by their learning disability and style. The student also needs to find a school where the people providing these services will be dedicated to helping them and fighting for the student’s rights under the American Disabilities Act.
Schools in today’s society are rapidly changing and growing striving to implement the best practices in their schools. Nonetheless, before a school can implement a program in their school, they need reliable evidence that the new program will work. A new program that schools are aiming to implement is inclusion in the classroom because of the benefits inclusion could bring. The implementation of inclusion is strongly connected by people’s attitudes whether they are positive or negative. However, while inclusion is being widely implemented, there is comparatively little data on its effectiveness. It may be that inclusion benefits some areas such as reading and social skills, more than it does others.
First, it is important to understand ADD and ADHD and how they can be identified. Within the classroom, a teacher may encounter a student who constantly squirms in their seat, stares out the window, and has a desk that is a complete mess. These are not poor students who do not care about school and learning. Often these students may be undiagnosed cases of Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These students can often be disruptive to themselves and the students around them, which causes serious educational problems. For this reason it is important for these students to be identified and to have their condition treated. Also, if untreated for a long period of time, the student?s self esteem and feeling of competence may be severely damaged (D?Alonzo, 1996).
The majority of students with disabilities should be in an inclusive setting. These students are generally placed based on the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Furthermore, the majority of these students are able to keep up academically with their peers, even
High Incidence disabilities are mild disabilities that affect most of the special education students in schools today. “Approximately 36 percent of all students with disabilities served under IDEA have specific learning disabilities.” (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer & Shogren, 2016 p. 104)The three areas that fall under the title of a high incidence disabilities are learning disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, and emotional/ behavioral disorders. Students with high incidence disabilities are taught and spend most of their time in the general education classroom. They are supported in the classroom with accommodations, modifications, paraprofessionals and related services to help them succeed. They may spend a portion of their day receiving support from a special education teacher, or another related service providers such as a speech pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, or social worker outside of the classroom. It becomes apparent when students start school which ones have a high incidence disability. This is because when they start school educators begin to notice they are different from their peers sometimes socially, behaviorally, or they begin to struggle academically. They all share some similar traits such as a short attention span and lower academic skills in certain areas or subjects. They may also have difficulties with their behavior or social development. At that point they may be referred to for testing or an evaluation to see what might be going on with the student.
As a teacher it is important if not crucial to create a safe learning environment for students, especially students with disabilities. Most schools implement many services that are available in order to support students with mild-extreme disabilities without excluding them from the other students. The ‘least restrictive environment’ (educational psychology for learning and teaching) is an environment that is close to what students without disabilities learn in. However, depending on the severity of the disability, after school classes or sessions may be required. Depending on the primary school year level, some students may not even be aware that their fellow peer has a disability if the student has not been singled out as being disabled. To engage behavioural or disabled students in learning a good strategy is to accompany the main teacher with a teacher aide. In a class of 25 or so students, one teacher is not able to get around to each student individually. One-on-one interaction with student and teacher is highly beneficial with certain students. So, by having a teacher aide in the classroom the main teacher can work with the students who are able to work more independently
Today, there is a greater focus on education for children with disabilities. Because schools cannot deny an education to children with disabilities, more disabled children receive an education and are not put into institutions. Despite the fact that many disabled children go to school, only 10% of these students are at or above proficient level in reading and math, and more than half of children with disabilities in the eighth grade lack basic reading and math skills. Improvements have been made in educating children with disabilities since the IDEA was passed, but further improvements will hopefully be made in the future to increase the education of disabled children
To begin with, full inclusion in the education system for people with disabilities should be the first of many steps that are needed to correct the social injustices that people with disabilities currently face. Students with disabilities are far too frequently isolated and separated in the education system (Johnson). They are often provided a diluted, inferior education and denied meaningful opportunities to learn. There are many education rights for children with disabilities to p...
According to standard 1, “beginning special education professionals understand how exceptionalities may interact with development and learning and use this knowledge to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities” (CEC Initial Level Special Educator Preparation Standards). This is shown through teaching students mastery, and using accommodations to do so, for students to achieve on level learning. More important than creating accommodations for students, is to understand where they come from. Mrs. Ottlinger new all her students and family to an almost personal level, she liked to know what was going in their life, and how she used the information to her advantage, on how she would teach a lesson, and give homework. She also was able to read the frustration level of her students, and when it was becoming too much for the student she would suggest a break, or a small activity that acted as a break without the student knowing. For example, one day, while doing Phonics First practice, a student was growing very frustrated while recalling the Latin roots of words (flashcards, which are part of the Phonics first method) an activity that was supposed to act as review. After writing the roots in the sand, Mrs. Ottlinger suggested that the student go wash his hands. As he left, Mrs. Ottlinger told me that this student never
The teachers were giving the students positive reinforcement throughout the day. In class we talked about how positive reinforcement helps the students to succeed in their classes. Another ah-ha moment was the environment of the classroom. The classroom had no windows at all. In class we talked about what kinds of things are distracting to students with ASD in classrooms and one of those things are the windows in classrooms. The third ah-ha moment was the parent sheets that the teacher and the school provide for the parents. In class we talked about how parent involvement is very important for the students with disabilities. The teacher fills out the parent involvement paper that lets the parents know how the child did in school this week and what their child needs to improve on. The students must give their paper to their parents to look at when they get home. The things that I had learned during my observation experience that I will use in the future for my classroom will be including student learning objectives in the classroom, using positive reinforcement, and get the parents more involved in their child’s education. I will go over with the students what the student learning objectives are in the beginning of class so the students will know what they will be doing and what they will be learning throughout the day. I also will use positive