Please read each question carefully. Answer each question thoroughly and comprehensively with essential details, examples, and appropriate grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Some questions have multiple components and ALL parts MUST be answered. Use APA 6th Edition. Must use double space. (Arial / 12).
Answers
Mental Handicaps: Instructional Strategies
Chapter 1
Who are students with severe disabilities?
The definition of students with severe disabilities is controversial and lacks a consensus. For example, the historical attempts to define the concept focuses on the identification of deficits in areas influencing human functioning, such as intellectual, orthopedic, academic, sensory, behavioral, and social. However, the view is limited, and led to a change in focus to the reciprocal interaction between the individual capabilities of individuals with severe disabilities, including differences in academic, intellectual, orthopedic, behavioral, sensory, and social functioning. Understanding the differences between the current level of functioning of an individual and demands from the social environment informs the necessary social support to ensure participation in learning. Support model enables students with severe disabilities to engage in learning. However, social perceptions affect the interactions with students with severe disabilities by determining how the society perceives them, such as the stereotypes that cause their segregation.
Chapter 2
Parent rights and responsibilities
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 focuses on the rights of students with disabilities to obtain quality education. Therefore, the principles of the Act have critical implications on the rights and responsibilities of parents of students with disabilities. The first principle is Zero reject, which supports the right of the child and parents to participate in education without discrimination, which leads to the second principle of Non-discriminatory evaluation. Parents have the right to ensure that their children have necessary support to engage in individualized education program (IEP) or individualized family service plan (IFSP). The third and fourth principles are appropriate education and least restrictive environment, which creates an effective environment for the achievement of IEP/IFSP goals. The fourth principle ensures that parents are engaged in shared decision-making regarding their children’s education. Parent and student participation and procedural due process are necessary to ensure accountability. The six principles spells out the place and right of parents of students with disabilities in education.
Chapter 3
Assumption of Assessment
Various assumptions create the foundation for assessment and planning that promotes student competency. First, the assumption that all students have the capacity to learn, which motivates teachers to assess them to establish how they learn and the effective teaching methods. Secondly, the assumption that students with severe disabilities fail to demonstrate achievement in education previously, it could be due to underdeveloped communication systems. Therefore, effective communication systems can support learning and proven through assessment. Third, the assumption that assessments should be responsive to the needs of the student, including language, cultural heritage, and disability.
Chapter 4
Foundations of meaningful measurement
A six criteria process is used in evaluating the validity and importance of behavior changes: “(a) statistical significance, (b) clinical significance, (c) social validity, (d) internal validity, (e) treatment fidelity, and (f ) quality of life” (p.92). Statistical significance is the comparison of behavior before and during or after an intervention to determine whether the change is beyond chance. Clinical significance is the implication of the actual behavior change. Social validity is the importance of change in an individual’s life. Internal validity is the proof that behavioral change occurs due to the independent variable only. Quality of life is the extent to which the individual is capable of living a productive life. Treatment fidelity is the accuracy of the procedures’ implementation to support behavior change.
Chapter 5
Learning environment
General education classes and community-based instruction on student learning helps students with disability to have the opportunity to learn in a conventional classroom setting. They differ from the tendency to teach students with disability in specialized education systems. General education classes and community-based instruction provides the students with the necessary resources to learn in a social setting. The model also achieves the inclusion goal where students with disability are taught as an important part of the society instead of segregating them. They also learn as part of an education community, which provides them with the opportunity to participate in society.
Chapter 6
Elements of systematic instruction
The three-term contingency is the process through which behavior is broken down into the parts: discriminative stimulus, operant response, and reinforcer/punisher. It involves the use of a stimuli to motivate behavior (operate response), which leads to a reinforcer or punisher depending on the specific behavior, positive or negative.
A discrete behavior is one that requires a single response, such as requesting an object verbally, while chained behavior necessitates a number of individual behaviors, such as washing hands.
A learning trial is an event that is meant to promote the learning of a procedure or skill, while a session is a learning generally equivalent to a lecture, lesson, or seminar.
Chapter 7
Research on inclusive education benefits
Various short- and long-term benefits are evident in inclusive education for students both with and without disabilities. For the students with disabilities, inclusive education provides an opportunity to learn from peers and to develop social skills that will be helpful in the long-term. They also have the chance to receive appropriate educational programs and curriculum relevant to their needs. Students with and without disabilities benefit from social interaction, as well as cooperation and collaboration. They learn to accommodate and appreciate differences, which are an important part of their social outcomes.
Chapter 8
Inclusion of Students with More Severe Disabilities in MTSS
Various obstacles affect the involvement of students with more severe disabilities in a less restrictive setting, including lack of adequate information, negative attitude within the society regarding the inclusion, parental concerns, educator resistance, institutional barriers, and lack of adequate resources. Some of the effective solutions includes sensitization in the community, use of accommodations to support students with severe disabilities, and acquisition of adequate resources.
Reference
Snell, M. E., & Brown, F. E. (2013). Instruction of Students with Severe Disabilities: Pearson New International Edition. Pearson Higher Ed.