Learners with Exceptionalities

4.1 Define the concept of intelligence, and explain how the idea of multiple intelligences changes this definition.

• Intelligence: The ability to acquire and use knowledge, solve problems, and reason in the abstract, and adapt to new situations in our environments.
• Multiple intelligences suggests that overall intelligence is composed of eight relatively independent dimensions. This theory supports the idea that students can be intelligent in some areas, but may not excel in others. In addition to Gardner's dimensions of intelligence (linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist), there is also the idea of emotional intelligence.
• So, the definition of general intelligence is kind of an all-encompassing view of the multiple intelligences. Having any one intelligence may make it easy to acquire and use information related to that dimension, while acquiring and using it in another may be really challenging. The same can be applied to solving problems and reasoning in the abstract. Adapting to new situations is often a skill of emotional intelligence because that's often the part of us that is challenged by changes in our environments.

4.2 Explain the legal foundation of special education.

• 1975 - Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Central to this act was the guarantee of a free and appropriate public education for all students with exceptionalities. Combined with three later amendments, IDEA provides the additional following guidelines:
• Identifies the needs of students with exceptionalities through assessment that doesn't discriminate against any students.
• Involves parents in decisions about each child's education program.
• Creates an environment that doesn't restrict learning opportunities for students with exceptionalities.
• Develops an individualized education program (IEP) of study for each student.
• Also develops an individualized family service plan (IFSP) that provides that same services as an IEP, but targets children from birth to age 2.

4.3 What are the major categories of exceptionalities found in classrooms?

• Learning Disabilities
• Difficulties in acquiring and using listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities.
• Communication Disorders (speech or language impairment)
• Interfere with students' abilities to receive and understand information from others and to express their own ideas or questions.
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Limits intellectual functioning - difficulties in learning and problems with adaptive skills such as communication, self-care, and social interaction.
• Behavior Disorders/Emotional Disturbance
• Serious and persistent age-inappropriate behaviors that result in social conflict, personal unhappiness, and school failure.

4.4 What roles do classroom teachers play in helping students with exceptionalities succeed in their classrooms?

• Identify students you suspect have exceptionalities.
• Discrepancy Model: One method of identifying students with exceptionalities that focuses on differences between classroom performance and tests, achievement and intelligence tests, or subtests within tests. (Used in the past.)
• Response to Intervention (RTI) Model: A method of identifying a learning disability that focuses on the specific classroom instructional adaptations teachers use and their success.
• Collaborate with other professionals.
• Involves communication with parents and other professionals to create the best possible learning environment for students.
• Integrates learning experiences for students with exceptionalities into the general education classroom.
• Modify instruction to meet students' needs.
• Teach in small steps, and provide detailed feedback on homework.
• Involve students with exceptionalities by calling on them as often as other students.
• Carefully model solutions to problems and other assignments.
• Provide forms of organization for the content you're teaching (outlines, charts, graphs).
• Increase the amount of time available for tests and quizzes.
• Use available technology.
• Teach learning strategies.
• Is of particular importance because students often approach tasks passively or use the same strategy for all objectives. Must be taught explicitly.