Sped

Components of
Special and
Inclusive
Education
o Objectives
At the end of this chapter, students are expected to:
 Enumerate the processes involved in Child Find through the pre-
referral process.
 Identify the assessment tools, methods, and principles in
working with children with additional needs.
 Identify the different placement within a continuum.
 Compare accommodation and curriculum modifications.
 Identify ways how to involve parents as part of the home-school
collaboration.
I. Child Find Through A Pre-
Referral Process.
Referral for evaluation and special education services begins by identifying students
who have additional needs and who may be at risk for developmental disabilities
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 development delays
and seek consultation with pediatrician and other specialties.
Pre- Referral Processes
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 pre-referral team is compromised
of special education teachers, counselors, administrators and
psychologist who collaborate determine reasons for the observed
challenges (Hallahan et al. 2014). They collaborate to find
ways to meets the needs of children with developmental delays.
Taylor (2009) provided an assessment model begins with a pre-referral
process.
Children with noted developmental delays and difficulties are identified
through observation and use norm-and criterion-referenced tests.
They are not immediately referred for special education testing but are
first provided with necessary academic and behavioral support needed to
address noted challenges. They collaborate to find ways to meets the
needs of children with developmental delays.
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. Very young students
who are at-risk or suspected to have additional needs may also be
identified through community-based screening.
Child development and social workers use developmental screening
tools such as the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)
Checklist that covers items expected typical development. Once a
program of pre-referral intervention has been designed, implementation
and evaluation follow to determine how effective it is in addressing the
needs of the child.
Pre referral Process
Carl’s Pre-Referral Process
Ms. Reyes, a 3rd Grade teacher, has always been baffled by one of
her students, Carl. She has observed that Carl is very creative. He
loves to draw and is quite good at it. He is fluent and stories. She
noticed, however, that unlike his peers who can already read short
stories for Grade 3 and write paragraphs well, Carl is still
struggling at the word level. Although he can create his own
stories through oral narration, he can’t seem to write them down
without having spelling errors. He gets very frustrated in such
tasks that when he needs to answer essay questions in a test, he
just scribbles a word or two and stops trying altogether.
Ms. Reyes, together with the other subject teachers and the Guidance
Counselor, discussed Carl’s behavior and performance in terms of his
strengths, needs, and strategies that have worked in the past. They
have noted that giving him a list of high-frequency words and sight
words has been helpful. They suggested him to pair him up with a
classmate who is able reader to help him during writing tasks. They
had a meeting with his parents and informed them that he will be given
supplementary reading and writing practice worksheets to be answered
at home to build automaticity in reading.
And finally, he was recommended to join an after-school
English remedial class to address his reading and spelling difficulties.
Ms. Reyes decided to refer Carl to the school’s Guidance Team
to determine reason to account for his difficulties. The team advised
Ms. Reyes on what she needed to do in the prereferral process. Ms.
Reyes collected his sample works across subject areas, reviewed his
report cards from the previous grade levels, and had a sit-down
meeting with the rest of his teachers.
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.
A. Assessment
Purposes
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.
A. Assessment
Purposes
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
Tests - school psychologists, educational diagnosticians, and
other related professionals use a variety of assessment tools
to ensure that results are valid and reliable.
Norm-referenced tests are standardized assessments that
compare that compare a child’s performance with a
representative sample of students of the same chronological
age.
Criterion-referenced test compare a child’s performance

based on established standards and competencies and can
be used to describe student performance (Jennings et al.
2006 as sited in Spinelli 2012).
B. Methods of Assessment
Informal Assessment - professionals also use informal and
non-standardized assessments, which are considered more
authentic and thus can be primarily used to describe
performance and inform instruction.
Authentic Assessments - provide students the opportunity

to apply knowledge and skills in meaningful, real-world
setting (e.g., classroom, playground, etc.) rather than in
artificial and contrived setting (Dennis et al. 2013).
C. Assessment 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.
C. Assessment Principles
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
What is the best Placement for Carl?
A general education classroom is the least restrictive

environment for a child with additional needs. Access to the same
learning experiences and opportunities is provided typically developing
students. Thus it is considered as the “most normalized or typical setting”
(Gargiulo, 2012).
Additional support in the form of accommodations or changes
in expectations through curriculum modifications may be provided but
still within the same classroom as peers within the year level .
III. PLACEMENT
What is the best Placement for Carl?
Students who may be part of the general education class are
pulled-out of their class to receive instruction from a specialist teacher in
a resource room. In such placement, it is assumed that the child will
benefit more from either a small-group or individualized instruction with
specialist teacher who will be able to more intensively target his learning
needs.
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.
IV. ACCOMMODATIONS AND
CURRICULAR MODIFICATIONS
A. Accommodations - supports provided to students to help
gain full access content and instruction, without altering the
curriculum standards and competencies expected and to
demonstrate accurately what they know. 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).
Presentation Accommodations - Children with disabilities may need
specialized presentation formats especially those with sensory impairments
so they can learn the same content alongside typically developing peers .
Response Accommodations - Response accommodations allow students

with disabilities and additional needs a variety of ways to complete
assignments, written tests, performance tasks, and other activities. Providing
such instructional and assessment supports allows them to access the same
learning experiences as other students in a general education classroom.
Response accommodations - allow students with disabilities and additional
.
needs a variety of ways to complete assignments, written tests, performance
tasks, and other activities. Providing such instructional and assessment
supports allows them to access the same learning experiences as other
students in a general education classroom .
Scheduling Accommodations - changing time allotment, schedule of tasks and
assessments, and management of time are some types of scheduling
accommodations, students with slower ability in processing information and
directions well as with focusing issues may need these types of accommodation.
B. Modifications -
curriculum modifications are provided for students with
significant or severe disabilities where content expectations are altered,
and the performance outcomes are changes in relation to what are
expected of typically developing students of the same age (DEC 2007).
It includes changes in instructional level, content and performance
criteria, as well as the breadth and depth of content being learned by
students.
Carl’s Learning Supports
Centered given the significant delays in Carl’s reading and spelling

performance, the team decided to provide him with different types of
accommodation that adjusted the presentation of what is learned, how he
responds, as well as the timing when tests are given. Ms. Santos prepared his
reading materials and worksheets using a bigger font size and more space in
between lines to allow him to point to words as he reads, and use a ruler so he
would not lose his place while reading.
Carl’s Learning Supports
In tests that require extensive writing, he is still made to write

as much as he could and after which he is asked to either give a verbal
explanation to support what he has written or he dictates his oral
responses to a scribe. The teacher now considers the oral exam, as
respectful accommodation as Carl is still able to access the same
learning standards and opportunities despites his difficulties.
V.PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Another component of an inclusive and special education is parent

involvement. It has long been established that parent involvement in
education, planning, and management of children with disabilities and
additional needs is essential as they are the primary caregivers and have
direct influence on their children.
V.PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parent involvement has been found to be directly
related to academic achievement and improvements in the school
performance of children. Educational support and collaboration with
teachers have been found to promote child success in school (Reschly &
Christenson 2009).
Moreover, programs for children with disabilities become more
effective and successful when children and families are involved
(Newman 2004 cited in Heward 2013).
A. Home-School Communication
Having established the critical role of parents in a student’s
developmental and academic progress and achievement, it is essential that
there is a close home and school collaboration and communication. To
establish partnerships, problem-solving, two-way communication, and
shared decision making are some of the practices needed. Communicating
with parents may be done in several ways:
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Written Communication
Digital Communication
Home-School Contracts

Sped

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sped

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sped

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Components of

Criterion-referenced test compare a child’s performance

Authentic Assessments - provide students the opportunity

A general education classroom is the least restrictive

Inclusive education espouses that all students, to the maximum

Response Accommodations - Response accommodations allow students

Centered given the significant delays in Carl’s reading and spelling

In tests that require extensive writing, he is still made to write

Another component of an inclusive and special education is parent

You might also like