Part1 As a classroom teacher, you will have many students in your class who meet the federal guidelines for eligibility for special education services. You may think that even though the child is in your room for all or part of the day, the special education teacher is really “in charge.” The reality is, you are responsible for every child in your classroom, and it is important to understand as much as you can about every child. Federal law has divided the various exceptionalities into categories, primarily to ensure that all children in need of services are considered. Review this week’s resources to familiarize yourself with the federal categories. As you develop the Discussion posts and assignments, pay particular attention to people-first language. Be aware of how the words you choose imply meanings that are not acceptable. For example, if you write, “Johnny suffers from deafness,” you are saying that there is something wrong with Johnny. We don’t say that Johnny suffers from being thin, or being blond, or being a good reader. We say Johnny is thin, he is blond, or he is a good reader. Similarly, we say Johnny is mild, moderately, or severely deaf. Using the resources, select one category of exceptionality. Use a digital tool such as Canva (or any other online tool with which you are comfortable) to create an infographic (or other creative representation) that explains your selected category of exceptionality. Along with your infographic, post your written response to the following: Define the category using your own words. Imagine a child with the category of exceptionality you selected. Discuss the benefits and challenges for the student, family, and teachers of teaching this child in an inclusive setting. Explain how two students with this exceptionality may perform differently and what accommodations will allow them to perform successfully. Search online for an organization that supports teachers and families of students with this exceptionality. Include the URL for that organization in your initial post. Part 2 As you learned in Week 4, federal law states that all placement decisions must be made by each child’s case study committee, which minimally includes the child’s parent, regular teacher, and special education teacher, as well as an administrator (or representative). You also learned that all children are entitled to receive instruction in the least restrictive environment (LRE). You have likely had some experience in classrooms yourself—either through your own children or through conversations with teachers and/or parents—in which children with differing needs were receiving instruction. You may have listened to descriptions of situations in which the perception is that one or two children took time away from the other children due to their unique needs. You may have listened to other perspectives in which the perception is that a child’s placement in the grade-appropriate classroom was required, acceptable, fair, and valuable. While the placement of the child may be open to discussion, it can be agreed that all children must be properly prepared for middle and high school. As stated in the Minnesota Graduation Standards, “Elementary and middle school students have to master preparatory content standards.” Proper preparation for future education is a challenge faced by all educators and parents. This is something that must be continually evaluated to ensure the success of all students. For this Discussion, use the grouping format below to determine your assigned perspective. The hypothetical children are in grades 1–3. Candidates who have a last name starting with A–L: Write a letter from the perspective of a family member of a child with mild to moderate special needs thanking the classroom teacher for working with the child in the regular classroom. Candidates who have a last name starting with M–Z: Write a letter from the perspective of a family member of a high-achieving child expressing concern that the child is in an inclusion class. For both of these posts, review the Minnesota Graduation Standards and Profile of Learning Standards (see this week’s resources). Discuss how the current placement of the child will either hinder or support the child’s future education. Use the resources to validate the issues
