Educating Special Needs Students and the Exceptional Learner
The following essay will define intellectual disability, autism, severe disabilities, and
multiple disabilities, their causes, and the impact of the disabilities on the education of
the student with intellectual disability. Also, identifying areas of curriculum necessary for
students with severe disabilities and explain why. The essay will discuss the areas of
curriculum and the policies, procedures, and programs for the education of students with
intellectual disability, autism, severe and multiple disabilities.
Today, students are diagnosed with different types of disabilities. Some of these
disabilities are: intellectual disability, autism, severe disabilities and multiple disabilities. An
intellectual disability is a disability that affects an individual limitations in several areas of
cognitive function that interferes with the individual everyday life. Also, the individual has
problems with four types of intellectual processes: abstraction, sequencing, understanding social
contexts, and be able to read the emotional states of others. Intellectual disability can affect an
individual’s memory, learning and problem solving. Individuals who have an intellectual
disability have a mild intellectual disability. An intellectual functioning level IQ is below 70-
75. An intellectual disability is seen before the student turns 18. The cause of intellectual
disability can be caused by head injury, stroke, meningitis, brain abnormality and disease. The
intellectual disability can happen before the child is born or it can happen during childhood. For
some children, the cause of the intellectual disability is not known. There are some known causes
of intellectual disabilities they are: Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome. These known
causes happen before the child’s birth. There are other causes that happen before a child a
genetic condition called Prader-Willi syndrome. There are still other causes of intellectual
disabilities that do not happen until the child become older. The definition of Autism is a
developmental disorder that shows within the first three years of life of an individual. Autism
shows before the child is three years old. The way that autism works it affects the brain’s normal
development of social and communication skills. The cause of Autism is a physical condition
that is linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact of the abnormal biology
and chemistry in the brain is not known. But, there are some factors that can lead to autism they
are: genetic and environmental factors. Autism seems to have a number of genes involved. Some
of the genes make a child more prone to having autism. Some health problems are caused by
both genetic and environmental factors. These factors may also cause autism. Severe disabilities
are defined as an individual with extreme disabilities that functioning and achievement is
unusually difficult for the person. The causes of severe disabilities are: genetic, biological and
environmental factors. Multiple disabilities are defined as an individual who has impairments
like: mental retardation, physical mobility, learning, speech, visual and hearing. The causes of
multiple disabilities are from one of the impairments.
The impact of the disabilities on the education of the student with intellectual disability is
that the student can do well but, the student will need an individual education plan. The
determination of how much help is need depends of the intellectual disability. The areas of
curriculum necessary for students with severe disabilities are: including students with intellectual
disability into general education curriculum. The students with disabilities should use the same
curriculum used by their peers who do not have disabilities. The reason general education
curriculum is necessary is because it can give students access to learn the same curriculum as
their peers. The general education curriculum can increase student’s social skills and preparation
for their adult life. Another area of curriculum is adaptive skills. Adaptive skills are necessary for
students with severe disabilities because there are skills individuals need to live, work, and being
able to function in society. There are other areas of curriculum that needs to be included:
language and communication and motor skills. These skills are necessary skills to help students
to function. Transition planning should be included with individuals with disabilities. The reason
is because a plan is needed to prepare students for life.
The Mobile County School has district policies, procedures and programs for the
education of students with intellectual disability, autism, and severe and multiple disabilities.
The Alabama Student Assessment Program this program requires that all students to participate
in the Alabama Student Assessment Program. The assessment program requires all students must
be included in all assessments. Also, students must have their results included in the state
accountability system. The assessments are done in English. All students, including students with
limited English, must take state assessments as written in English. An Individualized Education
Program Team looks at the referral, documentation on intervention strategies and determine if
the student will be evaluated for special education services. The Individualized Education
Program Team determines should a child be evaluated for special education services, a written
notice, that meets the notice requirements. The rules must be given to the parents and the child
must be referred to the Building Based Student Support Team (BBSST). The IEP Team
determines that the student should be evaluated for special education services, the agency must
have the parent’s written consent for the evaluation. The public agency must develop and
implement procedures to identify and evaluate children suspected of having a disability that
affects their educational performance and who may need special education, designed instruction
and related services. Hearing and Vision screenings must be first evaluations conducted for all
children suspected of having a disability. A child who is identified having a developmental
delay, has to be reevaluated prior to their ninth birthday. Students for special education services,
at age nine, can no longer be eligible in the area of developmental delay. Students can continue
special education services, the child must also be eligible in another area of disability.
Conclusion
Today, there are many types of disabilities and there is information defining the
disability, their causes and their impact of the disabilities on the education of the student
with intellectual disability. There are areas of areas of curriculum necessary for students
with severe disabilities. There are policies, procedures and programs for the education of
students with intellectual disability, autism, and severe and multiple disabilities.
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