TOPICAL MODULE

PROF EDUC 2: FOUNDATION OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE

EDUCATION

CHAPTER 4 COMPONENTS OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

CHAPTER 4
COMPONENTS OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
 INTRODUCTION

The pieces of an inclusive education system include the academic, non-academic, and

extracurricular areas of school. The focus should be on inclusion of all children in these three
major components of this system. The academic area includes the traditional classroom, media
center, and student intervention settings. This chapter, the aim is to describe the components
and processes involved in identifying children through assessment and providing varied means
of support.

OBJECTIVE

At the end of this chapter, learners should be able to:

1. Explain what is the component of special and inclusive education;

2. Identify the different placement and;
3. Identify the ways on how to involve the parents as part of the home-school collaboration.

Before we continue, let us know how much you know about the different components in special
and inclusive education. After answering the question, we will go back to our discussion.

Write true if the statement is correct and false if it is not.

1. If a child is suspected to have a disability it should be immediately be referred for special

education testing.
2. The main goal of special and inclusive education is to educate students who have disabilities
in the regular classroom and still meet their individual needs. 
 3. Inclusive and special education allows children with special needs to receive a free and
appropriate education along with general education students in the regular classroom.

What is Special and Inclusive Education

Special education is defined as an 'education designed to facilitate the learning of individuals who,
for a wide variety of reasons, require additional support and adaptive pedagogical methods in order to
participate and meet learning objectives in an educational programme. Inclusive education means all
children in the same classrooms, in the same schools. It means real learning opportunities for groups
who have traditionally been excluded – not only children with disabilities, but speakers of minority
languages too.

I. Child find through a Pre-referral Process

A pre-referral process is a preventative approach intended to address struggling students'

academic or behavioral challenges in the classroom. All students who need extra support should
participate in interventions designed to meet their specific needs. Referral for evaluation and special
education services begins by identifying students who have additional needs and who may be at risk for
developmental disabilities. School guidance counselors, early childhood teachers, primary school
teachers, and community-based daycare workers are often the first to notice such developmental delays
in children. In other Instances, the parents themselves notice the delays and seek consultation with
pediatricians and other specialists.

A. Pre-referral Process

A pre-referral process is a preventative approach intended to address struggling students'

academic or behavioral challenges in the classroom. All students who need extra support should
participate in interventions designed to meet their specific needs. The pre-referral process was
developed to ensure researchers are provided reasonable accommodations and modifications before
they are referred for special education assessment. The pre-referral process allows experts to use
strategies that draw on the researcher's strengths and meet their educational needs.

A child noted to have significant difficulties in relation to expected competencies and

developmental milestones may be referred by parents and teachers for observation and assessment. A
team of professionals, known as A. Pre-referral Process a pre-referral team, is comprised of special
education teachers, counselors, administrators, and psychologists who collaborate to determine reasons
for the observed challenges (Hallahan et al. 2014). They collaborate to find ways to meet the needs of
children with developmental delays.

Taylor (2009) provided an assessment model that begins with a pre- referral process. Children
with noted developmental delays and difficulties are identified through observations and use of norm-
and criterion- referenced tests. They are not immediately referred for special education testing but are
first provided with the necessary academic and behavioral support needed to address noted challenges.
In his assessment model, Taylor (2009) explained that the initial step is to determine teaching areas
where a learner will benefit from additional support through a variety of means.

A referral is simply a request for an evaluation. This referral can be made by the parent or
guardian, the classroom teacher, any member of the school district (public or private). A judicial officer,
or a student. A meeting may be scheduled to voice concerns.

B. Pre-referral Startegies

Pre-referral uses a problem-solving team to help teachers find effective teaching strategies for
use with students who exhibit academic or behavioral difficulties. Of course, the mere fact that a
student displays such behavior does not necessarily mean that the student requires special education
services.

Design to provide immediate instructional and/or behavior management support to a child. This
lessons the number of cases referred for special education and makes efficient use of time and financial
resources that could have been spent for special education assessment (Heward 2013)

Examples of pre-referral Strategies are:

 Observation of the child’s behavior, including interactions with parents, teachers,

and peers.

 Interview of parents and teachers to gather more information about the child.

 Review of school record

 Depending on the information gathered, corresponding changes can be made to manage the child's
needs, such as modification of the classroom environment (e.g., seating arrangement, group change,
and teacher's proximity in class), instructional support, and relevant classroom and behavior
management (Mcloughlin & Lewis 2009).

II. ASSESSMENT

Assessment is the process of collecting information about a child's strengths and needs. It uses a
problem-solving process that involves a systematic collection as well as interpretation of data gathered
(Salvia et al. 2013). Teachers and administrators make instructional decisions based on the assessment
results. Assessment is the systematic basis for making inferences about the learning and development of
students. It is the process of defining, selecting, designing, collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and using
information to increase students' learning and development.

It's about measuring the progress of student learning. Thus, assessment is defined as a “process
of gathering data to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of student learning”. The general
purpose of formative assessment is to give educators in-process feedback about what students are
learning or not learning so that instructional approaches, teaching materials, and academic support can
be modified accordingly.

A. Assessment Purposes

Assessment is a key part of today’s educational system. Assessment serves as an individual

evaluation system, and as a way to compare performance across a spectrum and across populations.
However, with so many different kinds of assessments for so many different organizations available (and
often required) these days, it can sometimes be hard to keep the real purpose of assessing in view. So,
what’s really at the heart of all these assessments?

The purpose of assessment is to gather relevant information about student performance or

progress, or to determine student interests to make judgments about their learning process. After
receiving this information, teachers can reflect on each student’s level of achievement, as well as on
specific inclinations of the group, to customize their teaching plans. Assessment purposes is to improve
students' learning and teachers' teaching as both respond to the information it provides. Assessment for
learning is an ongoing process that arises out of the interaction between teaching and learning.
 Assessment has a variety of purpose in special and inclusive education. It begins with initial
identification that was explained in the previous section in Child Find and the pre-referral process. The
results of an assessment are used to decide on a child's educational placement and to plan instructional
programs for a child identified to have additional needs. Progress monitoring and evaluation of teaching
programs and services is another, the purpose of which is to determine how effective programs are to
assist the inclusive teacher and the special education teacher (Giuliani & Pierangelo 2012).

There are a variety of assessment methods that regular and special education teachers can use.
This section covers the following:

(1) interviews

(2) observations,

(3) checklists or rating scales, and;

(4) tests.
 B. Methods of Assessment

Diagnostic assessments are sets of written questions (multiple choice or short answer) that
assess a learner's current knowledge base or current views on a topic/issue to be studied in the course.
Diagnostic assessments are intended to help teachers identify what students know and can do in
different domains to support their students' learning. These kinds of assessments may help teachers
determine what students understand in order to build on the students' strengths and address their
specific needs. Formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that
can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. More
specifically, formative assessments: help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target
areas that need work. Formative assessments help teachers identify concepts that students are
struggling to understand, skills they are having difficulty acquiring, or learning standards they have not
yet achieved so that adjustments can be made to lessons, instructional techniques, and academic
support.

Criterion-referenced assessment means that teacher judgements about how a student does in

an assessment task are based on standards and criteria that are pre-determined and made available to
students at the time the assignment is set. Standards are a specified and definite level of achievement
that may be attained. criterion-referenced tests compare a child's performance based on established
standards and competencies and can be used to describe student performance (Jennings et al. 2006 as
cited in Spinelli 2012). Scores are typically reported as simple numerical scores, percentage of correct
responses, letter grades, or graphic score reports. Such assessment data are more useful and relevant as
these provide specific skills a child has mastered and those that need additional instruction (Gargiulo
2012).

Informal assessments are non-standardized measures that are often personalized to the student.
They can be given flexibly throughout the school year to provide a snapshot of a student's skill in a
specific area at any given time. Authentic assessment is the measurement of "intellectual
accomplishments that are worthwhile, significant, and meaningful," as contrasted with multiple-choice
tests. Authentic assessment can be devised by the teacher, or in collaboration with the student by
engaging student voice. 

An example of authentic assessment is observation of young students as they interact with family
members, peers, and objects in naturally occurring activities across settings (e.g., home, school,
playground, etc.), and routines. During observations, teachers and specialists can use running records
which focuses on the occurrence of behaviors as they happen sequentially. Clay (2000 as cited in Dennis
et al. 2013) identified essential information to be included in a running record:

 Date and time of the observation

 Names of children involved
 Location of the incident
 Verbatim recording of what the children said
 Actual events that occurred

C. ASSESSEMENT PRINCIPLES
 Assessment practices should be anchored on principles as provided by the Division for Early
Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Student (DEC) (2014). Child- and family-centered practices, a
team-based approach. application of individualized and appropriate process, and use of genuine and
meaningful communication that adhere to ethical and legal practices are the recommendations
provided by the DEC. Thus, a variety of assessment methods and tools, use of authentic measures, as
well as involvement of the family are necessary to make decisions for placement and instructional
planning (DEC 2014).

III. PLACEMENT

The results of the assessment are used to choose a child's proper educational placement along a
continuum from the least to the most restrictive environments. Student performance is evaluated
throughout the evaluation, and the team decides whether any adjustments to the educational
placement along the continuum are necessary. Teams will base this decision on their observations,
assessment results, and other criteria, with the aim of moving toward the least restrictive learning
environment. Sound judgments are made to allow for flexibility in the child's placement based on their
needs, skills, and abilities.

The least restrictive setting for a child with special needs is a general education class. The same
learning opportunities and experiences as those available to students who are usually developing are
available. The "most normalized or typical setting" is what it is regarded as (Gargiulo, 2012). In the same
classroom with peers from the same year level, additional support in the form of accommodations or
changes in expectations through curriculum adaptations may be offered.

Another option for placement is to have the kid take a general education class while also
receiving extra help during the school day from speech, physical, or occupational therapists or
counselors. When such sessions are held, either as a service provided after school or during the school
day, options may be offered.

Students who could be enrolled in general education classes are removed from the class to
attend lessons in a resource room with a specialist teacher. The assumption in such a placement is that
the child will benefit more from either small-group or individualized instruction with a specialist
instructor who can more precisely target his learning needs.

Some students require more comprehensive assistance than what is offered in a general
education program. Teams may choose to suggest that a kid be placed in a more constrained
environment, such as a self-contained special education class that is nonetheless housed in a general
education building. All students in this learning environment receive individualized and small-group
instruction from a special education teacher alongside peers who have special needs and disabilities.
Depending on the objectives of the program, students may get the chance to interact with peers who
are typically developing through school community-building activities.

Some student who require more rigorous teaching and resources are educated in a special
education class in a special education school as they move up the placement continuum. Students with
impairments and other needs are worked with in an environment that is highly specialized by teams of
specialists, including the special education teacher.
 A residential facility, where students live and receive their educational support around-the-
clock, is an example of a setting at the other end of the continuum that is the most limiting or isolated.
In order to manage their medical condition and learn as much as they can, children with multiple
disabilities, frequently of the severe variety, are given access to home- or hospital-based programs.

Inclusive education espouses that all students, to the maximum extent possible, is provided
access to general education classroom with the provision of support to remove barriers to enable
success. Figure 4.2 presents this continuum of educational placement options (Spinelli 2012).

Home/Hospital Program

Residential Facility

Special Education Class in a Special Education

General Education Class with Resource Center Instruction

General Education Class (inclusive or co-taught with a special education teacher)

General Education Class with Related Services

General Education Class with Modifications

IV. Accommodation and Curricular Modification

In an inclusive general education classroom, students with disabilities and special needs may require
accommodations in the form of instructional support and other supplemental services. Modifications to
the curriculum are offered to those who require more extensive support.

A. Accomodations

Without changing the expectations for curriculum standards and competencies, accommodations
are aids that are given to students to assist them fully access the information covered in class and during
instruction. They also enable them to demonstrate their knowledge appropriately. Barriers to education
access are eliminated when special needs students receive accommodations in a general education
classroom. Children are able to get around the effects of their disability as a result. Altering tools, toys,
or materials, switching the setting for certain activities, allowing more time for tests and chores, and
changing the structure of worksheet responses are a few examples of adjustments.
 Accommodations may be provided both during assessment and instruction, depending on the
learning profile and needs of a child and may vary in terms of presentation, response, setting, and
scheduling (Beech 2010).

1. Presentation Accommodations

Specialized presentation formats may be necessary for disabled children, especially for those
with sensory impairments who must learn the same material with generally developing peers. Examples
of presentation accommodations are shown in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1 Accommodations in Presentation

Learning Needs Examples of Accommodations

Visual Support Minimize visual distraction

Visual cues (e.g., use color-coded text,

highlighting) Use of larger print
materials (font size, illustrations)

Use of sign language

Videos with closed captioning

Auditory and comprehension support Read aloud by a peer

Auditory and comprehension support

Audio books

Digital text that reads aloud or gives

definition of words

Text-to-speech software

Advance organizer or story guide

Highlighting or color coding

Listening and Focusing Advance organizer

Explicit verbal or visual cues; physical

prompts Repeat/Clarify directions and
important information

Note-taking support
 Copy of directions

2. Response Accommodations

Students with disabilities and special needs can complete assignments, written tests,
performance tasks, and other activities in a number of ways thanks to response accommodations. They
are able to participate in the same learning experiences as other children in a general education
classroom when such instructional and assessment aids are made available. Examples of response
accommodations for students with disabilities and other needs are presented in Table 4.2.

Learning needs Examples of accommodations

Writing difficulty (e.g.. errors in Different size/diameter of pencil,
spacing, visual- perceptual or spatial- marker, or crayon
orientation, illegible handwriting)
Pencil or pen grip (triangular, pear-
shaped) Scribe to record dictated
responses Handwriting

Finger spacer

template/guide on the student's desk

Visual cues on paper

Different types and sizes of paper

Written expression difficulty Electronic dictionary with spell check

Online dictionary Word processor with

spelling and grammar check

List of sight words

Writing cue cards Writing templates,

outlines, and graphic organizers

Math difficulty Calculator

Concrete models and manipulatives

Visual representation

Problem - solving guides

Graphic organizers
 Special paper - graphing paper for
computation

3. Setting accommodations

Students who require assistance with conduct, attention, or the organizing of space and resources
may require changes to the location or circumstances of the learning environment. A setting adjustment
might let a kid who is easily distracted work in his own study carrel in a quiet area of the school where
he won't be interrupted by outside stimuli. Another option is to let a kid who is still having trouble
reading fluently take a silent reading comprehension test in a separate room under the supervision of an
adult so she may hear herself read aloud and so gain a better understanding of the narrative.

4. Scheduling accommodations

Changing time allotment, schedule of tasks and assessments, and management of time are some
types of scheduling accommodations. Students with slower ability Information and directions well as
with focusing issues may need these types of accommodation. Some examples of accommodation that
can modify scheduling are: (1) extending time for assignments and assessments; (2) providing breaks in
between tasks; (3) providing a visual schedule or a checklist of individual responsibilities; (4) providing
predictable routines and procedures; and (5) providing an electronic device with alarms and cues.

B. Modifications

For students with major or severe disabilities, curriculum adaptations are offered in which the
performance standards are changed in comparison to those for students of the same age who are
usually developing and the content requirements are changed (DEC 2007). A student with a handicap
still has the right to access the same learning opportunities as other students in the general education
class when instruction and assessment are adapted, but the tasks are more considerate and suited to
the student's needs and skills.

Modifications to the curriculum can be made to the instructional level, the content, the
performance standards, and the breadth and depth of the material that students are learning. It is
possible to provide more, less, or entirely alternative content and resource resources to students with
impairments or special needs. Additionally, they might be evaluated according to various criteria that
are better suited to their needs and skills, such having fewer learning objectives, shorter courses, or
fewer vocabulary words to master.

Curriculum changes may be mentioned in the student's Individual Educational Plan (IEP) by
educational teams in charge of instructional planning. These adjustments are required so that kids can
access the general education curriculum as well.

1. Parent involvement
 Another component of an inclusive and special education is parent involvement. It has long been
established that parent involvement in education, and management of children with disabilities and
additional needs essential as they are the primary caregivers and have direct influence their children.

Family involvement in planning and decision making is important because families know their
child best. Family input is instrumental in making sure that the student receives appropriate support,
and that necessary changes are made so they can be fully included in the classroom.

A. Home-school Communication

Home to school communication is an important way for parents and teachers to keep each other
informed about a child's progress and needs. For students with disabilities, it is even more essential to
support children while optimizing their learning at home and at school.

Good two-way communication between families and schools is necessary for your students'
success. Not surprisingly, research shows that the more parents and teachers share relevant information
with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve
academically.

1. Parent-teacher Conference

A parent teacher conference helps to communicate to parents the areas their child are excelling
in and to give them specific ideas of how to improve upon their child's performance in school. Talk about
the conference with your child. Talk about the positive points, and be direct about problems. Tell your
child about any plans you and the teacher created. Keep in touch with the teacher during the school
year.

2. Written Communication

Written communication is the exchange of information, ideas, or messages through written

language in the form of letters, emails, notes, and more. Written communication is any written message
that two or more people exchange. Written communication is typically more formal but less efficient
than oral communication.

A few common forms of written communications include memos, bulletins, emails, faxes, and
written advertisements. Written communications are advantageous in many business settings, but in
some cases, they may not be the best method of informational exchange.

3. Digital Communication

Digital communication is the use of online tools like email, social media messaging and texting to
reach other individuals or a specific audience in order to share a message. Even something as simple as
reading the text on a webpage like this can be considered digital communication.

There are many types of digital communication, commonly referred to as digital communication
channels. These include email, phone calls, video conferencing, and many types of instant messaging like
SMS and web chats. Even blogs, podcasts, and videos are considered forms of digital communication.
 There are many benefits of digital communication, including the ability to reach a large audience
with minimal effort, the ability to communicate more effectively and efficiently, and the ability to
connect with people from all over the world.

4. Home-school Contacts

A home school agreement is a contract of commitment that outlines responsibilities between

the school, the parents, and their child in order for the said child to obtain the benefits that they can get
during the period of homeschooling. This agreement is designed to a) articulate the vision, mutual goals
and expectations of the partnership, b) outline current services, staffing and schedules, and c) clarify
roles, responsibilities and communication mechanisms at the school site.

B. Other ways to involve parents

When parents are involved in their children's education, children are more likely to do
well in school and have better social and emotional development. Parental involvement
improves student achievement, self-esteem, and behavior. It also helps to build strong
relationships between parents and their child's school. Some tips for parents to get more
involved in their child's education include attending school functions and meetings, volunteering
in the classroom, helping with homework, and staying up-to-date on your child's progress.

Review

Let us go back to the beginning part of the chapter 4 and see if you are able to meet the
objective. Answer the following question by using your knowledge and what you have learned from the
chapter. When you are ready, show and explain your answer.

1. What is the important of knowing and understanding the processes involved in Child find
through a Pre-referral Process?
2. How are Child find through a Pre-referral Process different from Assessment?
3. Why should parents of children with disabilities understand and be involved in the process of
planning and decision making?

Reflect

Do you agree that children with disability and children with not can be together in one school?
Justify your answer.

Practice
 1. Is the use of online tools like email, social media messaging and texting to reach other
individuals or a specific audience in order to share a message. Even something as simple as
reading the text on a webpage like this can be considered digital communication.
a. Home-school contact
b. Digital communication
c. Written communication

2. Students who require assistance with conduct, attention, or the organizing of space and
resources may require changes to the location or circumstances of the learning environment. A
setting adjustment might let a kid who is easily distracted work in his own study carrel in a quiet
area of the school where he won't be interrupted by outside stimuli.
a. Scheduling accommodations
b. Setting accommodations
c. Parent involvement

3. Specialized presentation formats may be necessary for disabled children, especially for those
with sensory impairments who must learn the same material with generally developing peers.
a. Presentation accommodation
b. Parent-teacher conference
c. Assessment

4. is a preventative approach intended to address struggling students' academic or behavioral

challenges in the classroom.
a. Pre-referral Process
b. Modification
c. Accommodation

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