Sariah Gresham

Theoretical Framework

The progressivism educational philosophy dictates my current beliefs about special

education the most because its about seeing each childs individuality and learning hands on. I
support that the progressivism stresses that students should test ideas by active experimentation.
What I have learned through this course and my experiences in the community has reinforced
these beliefs. In my community service, I experienced that by allowing individuals to test facts
for themselves, they better obtain the information.

Practice

It is because of federal law such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that
allows these students the education and assistance they need. I would prefer to work with
students that have intellectual disabilities. Although every individual is unique, some
characteristics to keep in mind of individuals in this population is impaired cognitive
functioning, generalizing knowledge, and motivational factors such as learned helplessness.
Out of all the inspiring people we learned about this semester the Father of Special Education,
Jean-Marc Itard has touched my heart the most. Itard proved that individuals with intellectual
disabilities are able to learn and gain skills, by his efforts in teaching Victor, the wild boy.

Evidence-based Practices and Strategies

Reading and math are important but i would love to focus more on daily living skills such
as functional curriculum. Some strategies that teach efficiently to individuals with intellectual
disabilities is community-based instruction to learn real life situations, along with task analysis
which breaks down complex tasks. Its better to monitor progress for functional curriculum with
criterion-referenced assessments to identify in a student which particular skills are exceeding or
need additional instruction. Some examples of goals for a student with an intellectual disability
that could be included in an IEP is improve reading comprehension by participating in reading
group daily, independently count out money when making a purchase in the community, or
improve writing skills while practicing to write full name.
 Sariah Gresham

Human Diversity

Its important to recognize that humans are diverse so that students from culturally diverse
backgrounds aren't misclassified or inappropriately placed. I learned that different cultures are
interesting and to respect morals and views that may be different from my own. I will be
practicing this understanding in the classroom when I meet parents and follow what they want
for their own children.