Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education

This course shall deal with philosophies, theories and legal bases of
special needs and inclusive education, typical and atypical development of
children, learning characteristics of students with special educational
needs (gifted and talented, learners with difficulty seeing, learners with
difficulty hearing, learners with difficulty communicating, learners with
difficulty walking/moving, learners with difficulty with difficulty
remembering and focusing, learners with difficulty with self-care) and
strategies in teaching and managing these learners in regular class.
14 DISABILITY
CATEGORIES

"School Image" by Wokandapix is in the Public Domain

WHAT ARE THE 14 DISABILITY
CATEGORIES? • Multiple Disabilities
• Autism
• Orthopedic Impairment
• Deaf-Blindness
• Other Health Impairment
• Deafness
• Specific Learning Disability
• Developmental Delay
• Speech or Language
• Emotional Disturbance Impairment
• Hearing Impairment • Traumatic Brain Injury
• Intellectual Disability • Visual Impairment/
Blindness
 AUTISM
According to IDEA (2017), autism is "a developmental disability significantly
affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction."

Interventions, modifications, or
accommodations:
• Role-play social situations.
• Provide picture schedules and other visual
communication systems.
• Use behavior charts and reward systems.
• Allow computer use to alleviate
handwriting challenges.
• Allow for extra time or shortened
assignments when necessary. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
 DEAF-BLINDNESS
IDEA (2017) defines deaf-blindness as "concomitant hearing and visual
impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and
other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in
special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with
blindness."
Interventions, modifications, or
accommodations:
• Provide small-group and individual instruction.
• Make interactions balanced (taking turns).
• Provide tactile experiences.
• Reduce assignments as needed.
• Develop consistent and predictable routines.

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

 DEAFNESS
According to IDEA (2017), deafness is "a hearing impairment that is so
severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information
through hearing, with or without amplification."
Interventions, modifications, or
accommodations:
• Provide note-taking support.
• Provide sign language communication.
• Reduce visual distractions.
• Ensure media has captions.
• Use priority seating.

Photo by Andrei Lazarev on Unsplash

 DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
IDEA (2017) classifies developmental delays "in one or more of the following
areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication
development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development."
Interventions, modifications, or accommodations:
• Clearly mark boundaries in the classroom.
• Build lessons around student preferences and
interests.
• Be specific when giving praise or feedback.
• Provide succinct and clear instructions.
• Pair students with supportive peers.
• Maintain a predictable schedule.
Photo by Simon Launay on Unsplash
 EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE
IDEA (2017) defines emotional disturbance as a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics:
"(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. (C)
Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. (D) A general pervasive mood of
unhappiness or depression. (E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school
problems."

Interventions, modifications, or
accommodations:
• Set up goals aimed at social interactions.
• Include students in planning and goal
setting.
• Clearly state behavioral expectations and
consequences for misbehavior.
• Provide highly structured environments.

Photo by DANNY G on Unsplash

 HEARING IMPAIRMENT
According to IDEA (2017), a hearing impairment is "an impairment in hearing,
whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness.”
Interventions, modifications, or accommodations:

• Use of personal hearing devices or FM systems.

• Provide visual supplements.
• Minimize background noise.
• Obtain students attention prior to speaking.
• Frequently check for understanding.
• Use speech-to-text software.
• Provide assistance with note-taking.
Photo by pb826 on Pixabay
 INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
IDEA (2017) defines an intellectual disability as below average "general intellectual
functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested
during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance."
Interventions, modifications, or

accommodations:
• Chunk assignments into smaller segments.

• Provide visual guides for demonstrating steps in

a task.
• Teach through modeling and demonstration.
• Allow extended time to practice new skills.
• Focus instruction on daily activities.
Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash
 MULTIPLE DISABILITIES
IDEA (2017) defines multiple disabilities as simultaneous "impairments (such as intellectual disability-
blindness or intellectual disability-orthopedic impairment), the combination of which causes such
severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for
one of the impairments."

Interventions, modifications, or
accommodations:
• Focus on student’s areas of strength.
• Create personalized schedules.

• Modify tasks and assignments and

encourage participation with the class.
• Provide appropriate accessible resources
using available technology.
Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash
 ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT
IDEA (2017) identifies orthopedic impairments as an impairment "that adversely affects
a child’s educational performance." They include impairments caused by a congenital
anomaly, a disease, or other causes.

I n t e r ve nt i o n s , m o difications, or
a c c o m m o d a t i o ns :

• P r o v id e a p p r o p r ia te s e a ti ng to develop
u s e uf l po s t u r e a n d m o v e m en s.t

• F o c u s in s t ru c t i o n on developing gross and

if n e m o t o r s k li l s .

• Provide breaks as needed.

• P r o vi d e a c c e s s t o to o ls d te c h n ologies Photo by Lance Grandahl on Unsplash
p( e n c li g r pi s , w r i tin g b oard s, w o r d
 OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT
According to IDEA (2017), "other health impairment means having limited
strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental
stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational
environment" and adversely affects educational performance.
Interventions, modifications, or
accommodations:
• Allow students extra time to transition between
activities.
• Seat the student close to the teacher.
• Maintain an organized classroom and teach the
student strategies to stay organized.
• Allow extra time to complete assignments.
Photo by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay
 SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY
IDEA (2017) defines a specific learning disability as "a disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that
may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do
mathematical calculations."

Interventions, modifications, or
accommodations:
• Provide instructions orally and in writing.
• Allow for verbal resources rather than
written responses when appropriate.
• Allow frequent breaks.
• Provide extended time for tests and
assignments.
• Provide spaces to work that are free from
distraction.
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
 SPEECH OR LANGUAGE
IMPAIRMENT
According to IDEA (2017), a speech or language impairment is defined as "a
communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language
impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance."

I n t e r ve nt i o n s , m o difications, or
a c c o m m o d a t i o ns :

• Provide additional time for assignments.

• A lo w st u d e n ts to d e m onstrate learning one-on-
on e wh e n a p p ro pr ai t e.

• Provide augmentative communication devices.

• G iv e ex t ra ti m e t o a llow students to
co m m u n cai t e id e a s.

Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash

 TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
IDEA (2017) defines a traumatic brain injury as "an acquired injury to the brain caused by an
external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial
impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance."

I n t e r ve nt i o n s , m o difications, or
a c c o m m o d a t i o ns :

• Allow extra time to complete assignments.

• Provide breaks when needed.
• A l lo w s t u dents to record class for later
pl a y ba c k .

• Reduce quantity of work in favor of quality.

• A v o id p la c ing the student in high pressure
si ut a oit n s .
 VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS/BLINDNESS
According to IDEA (2017), a visual impairment is "an impairment in vision
that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance."
Interventions, modifications, or accommodations:
• Use a print size appropriate to the visual impairment.
• Verbalize as you write on the board.
• Provide assistance with note-taking.
• Provide priority seating.
• Avoid red ink.
• Allow students extra time to get comfortable with the
layout of the classroom.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act § 300.8 (2017)

Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash