CHAPTER 6

Learners Who Are

Exceptional

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Learning Goals
1.

2.

3.

Describe the various types of disabilities

and disorders.
Explain the legal framework, planning,
placement, and provision of services for
children with disabilities.
Define what gifted means and
characterize approaches to teaching
children who are gifted.

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Learners Who Are Exceptional

Who Are Children
with
Disabilities?
Learning
Disabilities

Emotional and
Behavior
Disorders

Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity
Disorder
Mental
Retardation

Autism
Spectrum
Disorders

Physical
Disorders

Sensory
Disorders

Speech and
Language
Disorders

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Disability vs. Handicap

A disability involves a limitation on a

persons functioning that restricts the
individuals abilities.

A handicap is a condition imposed on a

person who has a disability. The condition
could be imposed by society, the physical
environment, or the persons attitude.

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Learning Disabilities
Children with Learning Disabilities

Normal intelligence or above

Difficulty in one or more academic subjects
No other diagnosed problem/disorder

Identified

Significant discrepancy between actual and

expected achievement
Response-to-intervention

Intervention enhanced by small-group

instruction, technology, direct questioning,
augmentation, and strategy cueing
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder
Children with ADHD

Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsivity

Intervention includes a combination of

academic, behavioral, and medical interventions

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Mental Retardation
Low intelligence
Deficits in adaptive functioning
Onset before age 18
CAUSES:
Genetic factors
Brain damage

Down syndrome
Fragile X syndrome
Infections
Environmental hazards
Fetal alcohol syndrome

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Mental Retardation

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Physical Disorders
Orthopedic Disorders: Restrictions of movement
because of muscle, joint, or bone problems
Cerebral Palsy:
lack of muscular coordination

shaking
slurred speech

Classroom
Accommodations:
computers
speech and voice
synthesizers
note taking

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Physical Disorders
Seizure Disorders: Nervous disorders characterized by
recurring sensorimotor attacks or movement convulsions
Absent Seizures
(< 30 seconds)
Brief staring spells
Twitching of eyelids

Tonic-Clonic
Loss of
consciousness,
rigidity, shakes

Classroom Accommodations
Become acquainted with monitoring procedures
Be aware of medications
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Sensory Disorders
VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

HEARING IMPAIRMENTS

Low Vision

Oral Approaches

Acuity between 20/70 and

20/200 with corrective
lens

Lip reading and speech

reading (reliance on
visual cues)

Educationally Blind

Manual Approaches
Sign language
Finger spelling

Cannot use their vision in

learning
Must use hearing and
touch to learn

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Classroom Accommodations
Visual Impairments:

Determine the modality (such as touch or hearing)

through which the child learns best
Front-row seating
Textbooks from Recording for the Blind
Use of Braille

Hearing Impairments:

Speak normally
Reduce distractions and background noises
Face the student for lip reading and gestures

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Speech and Language Disorders

Speech Disorders

Articulation

pronouncing words
incorrectly

Receptive

difficulty in receiving
information

Voice

Language Disorders

hoarse, harsh, too

loud/soft, pitch

Fluency

Expressive

inability to express
oneself

prolongation
spasmodic hesitation
repetition

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autistic Disorder

Onset within first three

years of life
Deficiencies in social
relationships
Communication
abnormalities
Restricted, repetitive, and
stereotyped behavior
patterns

Asperger Syndrome

Relatively good verbal

language; milder
nonverbal language
problems
Restricted range of
interests and relationships
Engage in obsessive
repetitive routines and
preoccupations

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Emotional and Behavior

Disorders
Serious, persistent problems that involve relationships,
aggression, depression, and fears associated with
school and personal matters.

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Aggressive, Out-of-Control
Behavior

Have serious emotional disturbance

Engage in aggressive, defiant, dangerous acts

Incidence greater in boys than girls

Occurs more in low-SES students

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Depression
Symptoms

Feelings of worthlessness
Feelings of hopelessness
Behaving lethargically for a prolonged period
Poor appetite
Sleep problems

Incidence

More likely in adolescence than childhood

Higher incidence in girls

Classroom Accommodation

Vigilance in recognizing symptoms

Refer students to school counselor
Cognitive therapy and drug therapy have helped
2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Anxiety
Anxiety involves a vague, highly unpleasant feeling
of fear and apprehension.
If intense and prolonged, it substantially
impairs school performance
Refer students to school counselor
Behavioral therapies have been effective

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Learners Who Are Exceptional

Educational Issues
Involving Children
with Disabilities

Technology

Legal Aspects

Placement and
Services and Parents as
Educational Partners
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Legal Issues
Public Law 94-142
(1975) requires that
all students with a
disability be given a
free, appropriate
education.

Individuals with
Disabilities Act (IDEA)
(1990/1997)
Special education
services will include:

Evaluation and eligibility

determination
Appropriate education
Individualized education
plan (IEP)
Least restrictive
environment (LRE)

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Placements and Services

Regular Classroom Teacher

Resource Teacher
Special Education Teacher
Related Services
Collaborative Consultation
and Interactive Teaming

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Strategies for Working with Children

with Disabilities

Follow students individualized education plan.

Participate in in-service education/training.
Use available support and seek additional support.
Become knowledgeable about the disabilities
represented in your classroom.
Be cautious about labeling children with disabilities.
Remember all children benefit from similar teaching
strategies.
Help children understand and accept children with a
disability
Keep up-to-date on available instructional and assistive
technology for educating children with a disability.

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Parents as Educational Partners

Let parents know you understand and appreciate

their childs individuality
Place yourself in parents shoes
Provide information about disability
Talk with, not to, parents
Avoid stereotyping
Establish and maintain effective communication
Talk with parents about erroneous media
portrayals of students with disabilities

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Reflection & Observation

Reflection:
What experiences have you had
with students with special needs?
How were their needs met in
schools and classrooms?
Observation:
What strategies does the teacher
use to engage all students?
What are some examples of the
teacher scaffolding students
responses? How might these
strategies affect student learning
and motivation?
2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Learners Who Are Exceptional

Children
Who Are Gifted

Educating Children
Who Are Gifted

Characteristics

Life Course of
the Gifted

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Characteristics of Gifted Children

Children Who Are Gifted

Are precocious
March to their own drummer
Have a passion for mastery
(Winner, 1996)

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Educating Children Who Are Gifted

Special classes
Acceleration and enrichment
in the regular classroom
setting
Mentor and apprenticeship
programs
Work/study and/or community
service programs
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Enter the Debate

Should teachers use heterogeneous grouping with regard to
ability in forming classroom learning groups?
YES

NO

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Crack the Case

Now What?
1.
2.

3.

What are the issues in this case?

Why do you suppose Ms. Inez makes light
of parents perceptions of their childrens
strengths?
How should Ms. Inez approach the parents
of the students she believes have ADHD?

2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Crack the Case

Now What?

4.

5.

6.

Is it appropriate for her to recommend

testing of any of the children? Why or why
not? Would it be appropriate for her to
recommend a particular doctor for this
testing? Why or why not?
If Alex can already read and subtract, are
there other skills he has likely mastered? If
so, what might they be? How might this
impact his experiences in kindergarten?
How should Ms. Inez address this?
2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.