CHFD312 Special Needs Students

 

CHFD312 Special Needs Students

American Public University System (APUS)

 

CHFD312 Week 1 Discussion

Part 2: First Experiences

Reflect on your first experience in school, or when you were in a classroom with a student with special needs. Discuss how you felt about this student's disability and how you perceived the student's education to be similar to or different from your own.

Note- this may require you to spend time thinking back to your school years. I know some may have brothers or sisters who received services, or, are currently working in the field, but I am looking for your perspective of when you were a peer to this population. How did others treat them? What observations may you have? Where are they now? What special treatments did they get academically? 

  

CHFD312 Week 1 Assignment

Instructions

 IDEA Procedural Safeguard # 1 Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

Description: According to the Individual's with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all children are afforded the right to a free and appropriate public education. This means, that irrespective of a student's educational needs, under the law (i.e., IDEA), they are afforded the right to access a free and appropriate public education. At times, the extent of a student's educational needs may extend outside of the range of educational services that their school district offers (e.g., students who may require a therapeutic day school placement but their school district may not have a therapeutic day school within the district). In this case, the school district would still responsible for meeting the educational needs of the students even if the student required an educational placement outside of their home school district. Visit FAPE online at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/edlite-FAPE504.html for more information regarding this procedural safeguard.

Scenario: Michael has been referred for special education services after teachers and his parents had tried several problem-solving efforts within his current school and classroom to help meet his educational needs. Results from Michael's full case study evaluation suggest that he possesses behaviors consistent with an emotional disability and requires special education services for more than 50% of his school day in order to help meet his educational needs. Michael's Individual Education Program (IEP) team decides that he requires a therapeutic day placement in order to meet his educational needs. An administrator within Michael's home school district states that the school district does not offer a therapeutic day placement option for students and Michael must attend a placement outside of the county. This placement will cost over $7,000 per month, but the school has stated they can only pay $4,000 per month for an out of district therapeutic day placement. If you search out costs for this type of service you will find it is on the low end for a halftime placement. The school explains Michael is a new student this year and the cost was not budgeted for; the school district claims they simply do not have the money. To make this assignment more personable, the setting for this is in either the school district you currently live in or your childhood school district.

Based on what you have learned about FAPE, explain why or why not the cost -sharing for the parents is an acceptable solution for Michael.  In the first sentence- tell me "yes this is acceptable" or "no this is not acceptable". Use the rest of the paper to support your point. You may then comment on the placement outside the county if you wish. To make this more personable, search out your local school district's budget and see how if Michael was a student in your district, how he would fare. Would they be covered?  NO fence riding- one or the other.

   

 

CHFD312 Week 2 Discussion Inclusion

Inclusion of students with disabilities into the regular education classroom, is an important component of IDEA. Read arguments regarding inclusion (both pros and cons) from both of the websites listed below and write a response regarding inclusion and whether you believe it is practical or not.

Including Students with Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

Inclusion: The Pros and Cons

Part two- The topic we will have this week and in the coming weeks is advocacy. I have included a case study. It is a real 504 plan. Briefly- what happened was this student received a D in his English class, the first D ever. The problem is there are safeguards in the 504 that were not followed. You can read along in the narrative and see just how long it takes for an advocate to get things addressed (Yes, this is an actual narrative from emails and meetings).

/content/enforced/29364-452743/Week 2 case study part one 504 Plan..docx

/content/enforced/29364-452743/Week 2 case study part two.docx

What are your thoughts about what happened? Was the procedure followed? If you were the parent, what are your options? Any surprises?

THURSDAY morning I will be posting what happened and the second part of the story. Don't be late in your initial post this week! I would like to hear your thoughts on the rest of this story!

Discussion Guidelines

Important note: Posts are accepted only in the week in which they are due.  Early or late posts to the discussion are not accepted for grading.  While you may prepare a post ahead of time, you may only submit it during the actual week of the discussion.  

    

 

CHFD312 Week 2 Assignment

Instructions

Directions: Read the scenario below and then respond to the questions/statements which follow.

Scenario: Sally is a third-grade student with an identified specific learning disability in the academic areas of reading comprehension and math reasoning. Sally requires a resource level of support whereby she spends the majority of her school day within her general education third-grade classroom. Sally spends at least 20% of her school day receiving specialized instruction in the areas of reading comprehension and math reasoning (i.e., the academic areas where her disability manifests itself). Sally's specialized instruction may include small group instruction with the special education teacher outside or inside of her classroom.
Based on what you have learned about inclusion:

  • Are Sally's current special education services consistent with the inclusion model? You will need to state "yes Sally's instruction is consistent with the inclusion model" or "no, Sally's instruction is not consistent with the model in the first sentence. Then explain why? Why not? Notice this assignment is 750 words long as is week 7. 
  • What could Sally's general education third-grade teacher do to help support Sally within the third-grade classroom? (Discuss at least 3 accommodations.)


           

 

CHFD312 Week 3 Discussion Specific Learning Disabilities

One of the most common exceptionalities you may encounter as an educator is a Learning Disability.  It is not always possible to be well versed on each exceptionality that you may encounter so it is important to rely on resources that can be accessed in a time of need. You can pick one or two topics from this list in addition to RTI --dyslexia, processing disorders, non-verbal disability, auditory processing, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or learning disabilities. Sorry, ADHD is not on this list, we will get to it in a few weeks. Explain what the exceptionality is, how it is addressed in schools, and any common problems these students may face.

 

 

CHFD312 Week 4 Discussion Communication Disorders

Communication Disorders

Scenario:

Jane is a first grade student who appears to be experiencing both expressive and receptive language difficulties. She has attended her home school since kindergarten and both Jane and her parents are native English speaking. Her kindergarten teacher did not document any difficulty with language in school records or mention anything to the parents.

Her first grade teacher has noticed that Jane experiences problems with orally expressing herself clearly and responding appropriately to what others say to her without a visual support or repeated attempts but no formal interventions have been tried.  Jane's parents have not been contacted yet. Her first grade teacher is concerned that Jane may have a specific learning disability because her language is affecting her ability to read, and do math, however she is not sure about how to get Jane the help that she may need.

Which of the two solutions works best?

  1. Should Jane's teacher be referring her, now, for an evaluation related to a Specific Learning Disability (SLD)? Why? Why Not? (Consider the following:  Rti requirements for a referral for SLD, classroom interventions or strategies used, parent contact and other ideas as appropriate) 
  1. What interventions in the classroom could Jane's teacher implement in order to help Jane with her expressive and receptive language problems? Describe at least 3 interventions.

      

 

CHFD312 Week 5 Discussion Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

1. Name some of the challenges students with ADHD face in school and later in life. What are some common ways that students and their families address these challenges?

2. What are some ways that educators can support students with ADHD and address these challenges within the school environment?  Discuss the types of instructional strategies and accommodations that may be used.  Would the student with ADHD be served under an Individual Education Program or under a 504 plan? Why?  Support your discussion with references to outside resources.

  

 

CHFD312 Week 6 Discussion Autism

Never has a disorder received so much attention, research and discussion as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  It seems as if the more we learn about the disorder, the more we need to learn.
What factors account for the high prevalence of rates in ASD among children today?  What are some current treatment methods for Autism?  Support your discussion with research and not opinion.

 

   

 

CHFD312 Week 7 Discussion Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Injury

 Many traumatic injuries can be prevented. Think First  is an organization that addresses prevention (research and policy) of injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), and other injuries. Explore the website and:

  1. Discuss a minimum of one prevention strategy to prevent TBI in children and youth.
  2. Describe the role teachers and other school staff should play in the area of prevention. Should schools be responsible for prevention programs? If not who?

      

 

CHFD312 Week 8 Discussion Gifted Children

Gifted children are those who display extremely high cognitive, academic and/ or performance achievement skills. A child who is gifted may be identified in these areas: high general intellect, creativity, leadership, visual and performing arts, and/ or, emotional and social characteristics.  Children who are identified will also receive some form of differentiated instruction plan as required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Some school districts may call this an Individual Education Plan. (This education plan is not to be confused with IEP's mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).)  Please visit the link below and answer then answer the following questions:

  1. Based on your reading, what means do school districts use to help identify gifted children?
  2. What (if any) differentiated education services do you think are available to gifted children?
  3. In your opinion, should gifted children receive special/ differentiated education services? Why? Why Not?

     

 

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