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Adapting Curriculum For Students With Special Needs

One of the most important things to keep in mind when working with students with special needs is that they can learn.

In many cases, it is not the lack of understanding or knowledge that causes problems but rather the manner of presentation, response requirements, and level of presentation.

Adapting curriculum for students with special needs is an essential part of being a special educator. The focus of this NASET Professional Development course will be on various strategies surrounding adaptation of curriculum for students with special needs. After taking this course you will understand the following:

• Curriculum Adaptations
• Ways to Adapt Instruction
• Checklist of Suggestions for Adapting the Curriculum
• Strategies for Adapting Tests and Quizzes
• Adapting Response Mode
• Working with the Child with a Learning Disability in the Classroom
• Working with the Child with an Emotional Disturbance in the Classroom
• Working with the Child with Intellectual Disabilities in the Classroom
• Adapting Grading Systems
• Reporting to Parents

Factors Affecting Curriculum for Students with Special Needs

After taking this course you will:

• Understand academic factors that can affect curriculum performance
• Understand environmental factors that can affect curriculum performance
• Understand intellectual factors that can affect curriculum performance
• Understand language factors that can affect curriculum performance
• Understand medical factors that can affect curriculum performance
• Understand perceptual factors that can affect curriculum performance
• Understand psychological factors that can affect curriculum performance
• Understand social factors that can affect curriculum performance

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

Prior to the passage of P.L. 94-142, many students with disabilities were excluded from school entirely, and many others were offered an education that was not appropriate to their needs. ? When P.L. 94-142 was enacted in 1975, it required that States submit plans that assured all students with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Today, IDEIA requires that all States demonstrate that they have in effect “a policy that assures all children with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education.” But what really is a FAPE? What’s mandated in order to provide FAPE to all children receiving special education? The focus of this NASET video course will be to discuss in detail a free appropriate public education.

This is a course that contains two video lectures, an accompanying PowerPoint Presentation file and PDF of the PowerPoint slides for your notes.

Testing Accommodations And Modifications

As an educator, you will frequently be asked about the need for a student to have some type of accommodations or modifications on his or her IEP. Alternate testing techniques are accommodations or modifications that consider the individual needs of a child having a disability, and as a result, modify testing or classroom procedures or formats. These accommodations or modifications attempt to provide these students with an appropriate opportunity to participate in testing or classroom situations.

These techniques must appear on the student's IEP and provide the opportunity to demonstrate a child with a disability’s mastery of skills without being unfairly restricted by the presence of that disability. Children classified by the IEP Committee are entitled to alternate testing and classroom accommodations or modifications if there is substantiated evidence for such a need in the testing or background of the child. There are no limits as to the number of accommodations or modifications, but only include them in the IEP if they will enable the child to be more successful in school.

Because adapting the content, methodology, and/or delivery of instruction is an essential element in special education and an extremely valuable support for students, it’s equally essential to know as much as possible about how instruction can be adapted to address the needs of an individual student with a disability. The special education teacher who serves on the IEP team can contribute his or her expertise in this area, which is the essence of special education.

After taking this course, you will understand:

• The Difference Between Accommodations and Modifications
• Examples of Accommodations and Modifications
• How Accommodations or Modifications are Most Often Made
• Accommodations in Large Assessments 
• Student Eligibility for Use of Testing Techniques
• Criteria for Allowing Use of Accommodations and Modifications
• Accommodation or Modifications Which Modify Manner of Presentation, Manner of Response and Process Used to Derive Response
• Special Education Teacher’s Role and Responsibilities for Implementation of Accommodations and Modifications

Evaluation and Eligibility of Children with Suspected Disabilities

The process of a child moving from general education to special education has many steps. The federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets forth very specific steps and procedures to ensure that children with suspected disabilities are evaluated for special education and determined eligible for services in a step-by-step manner. Each step along the way often has many parts, and it is imperative as a teacher that you understand the nature of the special education process involving evaluation and eligibility. This NASET professional development course will focus on the identification, evaluation and eligibility of children with suspected disabilities. After taking this video lecture course, you should understand the following:

• Child Find
• Indicators of Children Who May Have a Suspected Disability and Need an Evaluation
• How Students Are Identified For An Evaluation For A Suspected Disability
• Child Study Teams (CST)
• Parental Consent
• Consent v. Agreement
• Evaluation Standard
• Multidisciplinary Teams
• Discriminatory Evaluations
• Validity and Reliability
• Standardization
• Comprehensive Evaluations
• Testing and Report Writing in Native Language
• Eligibility
• Eligibility Committees
• Annual and Triennial Reviews

This is a course that contains four video lectures, an accompanying PowerPoint Presentation file and PDF of the PowerPoint slides for your notes.

Identification of Children for Special Education Services

After taking this course you will:

• Know the purpose of the special education process
• Know about identifying high risk children
• Know how referral are made for a suspected disability
• Know the sources of referrals to the Child Study Team
• Know about Child Study Teams
• Know the membership of the Child Study Team
• Know the options of the Child Study Team
• Know about Pre-Referral Strategy Plans

Annual & Triennial Reviews - What Special Education Teachers Need to Know

A very important role for the special education teacher is demonstrated in the annual review and triennial review process.

These reviews are a legal responsibility of the district and must be provided to all classified students who reside within the school district. The Annual Review involves a yearly evaluation by the district’s IEP Committee of the student's classification and educational program. Included in these two general areas are a review of related services provided, the need to add or remove test accommodations or modifications, parents concern or requests, academic progress, transportation needs, goals and objectives and the development of a new IEP for the upcoming school year.

The Triennial Review Process involves the complete reevaluation of a child classified with a disability every 3 years in order to determine whether or not the conditions upon which the original classification was determined are still evident.

This course will prepare you with all the knowledge of what materials and information you will need to make a professional presentation at each of these meetings.

Recreation And Leisure Activities For Students With Disabilities

Studies indicate that between 12 and 20 percent of the American population - perhaps 40 million people - have some type of disability. That's a huge segment of U.S. society that historically has been denied access to outdoor recreation - by facilities built with only able-bodied people in mind, by a lack of special equipment and by a lack of special consideration.

In recent years, however, two things have helped open the outdoors to individuals with disabilities: First, across the nation there are several nonprofit groups with the mission of improving the quality of life for people with disabilities by providing opportunities for outdoor recreation, often using specially adapted equipment.

Another door to the outside opened in 1990, when Congress passed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. It ensures basic civil rights for individuals with disabilities, and requires that, on any facility built for public use, reasonable efforts be made to provide access to people with a lack of mobility.

Since then, hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities built with government funds have been designed to make access easier for the wheelchair-bound and people using walkers, canes or crutches.

Armed with the law, activists for individuals with disabilities began lobbying state and local agencies for other opportunities. Access for individuals with disabilities in the outdoors has multiplied exponentially with the construction of state and federal projects. In this NASET Professional Development Course, you will learn about:

• Overview of Leisure Options
• Importance of Leisure
• Activities to Explore
• Fitness Activities
• Home Activities
• Community Activities
• Sports Activities
• Issues for Special Educators
• Planning for Success
• Considerations Before Embarking on New Leisure Pursuits
• Advantages of Special Leisure Programs
• Individual Concerns When Faced with Leisure Activities
• Mastering Leisure Activity Skills

Extended School Year Services

Congress enacted the Education of All Handicapped Children’s Act in 1975 to ensure that all children with disabilities receive FAPE. In 1991, with the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Congress reiterated that central standard. Inherent in the provision of FAPE is the principle that education must be individualized to meet the unique needs of each child. Because each child’s education is determined by an IEP team, specific criteria for the determination of the need for ESY were not prescribed by IDEA.

As the school year ends, parents may want to know if their children are entitled to Extended School Year Services (ESY). These services are provided to children with special needs that the school feels may lose his/her knowledge of what they learned over the summer months unless they are given added services during this time. The need for ESY services must be determined on an individual basis by the CSE.

Some students with disabilities have difficulty retaining skills during long school holidays and/or summer. If a student requires a significant amount of time to recoup mastered skills, then the IEP committee should discuss whether the student needs extended educational and/or related services during school breaks.

The determination of whether a child will receive ESY services will be made by the IEP committee; and the individualized education program (IEP) developed for ESY must include goals and objectives.

This program of services is paid for by the district and is of no cost to parents. Because of the nature of such services, all cases are determined on an individual basis, since these services will not be required by all students with disabilities. Such services are given only when the child meets certain criteria outlined by law and district policy.

Any decision regarding needed ESY programming must consider the child's history of significant regression and limited recoupment capability.  In other words, the IEP Team must look backward and forward when considering the need for ESY programming.

In addition to significant regression (the significant loss of knowledge) and/or limited recoupment (the ability to gain back what is lost), courts have set forth other ESY criteria to be applied by a Team, as follows:

1. the degree of the child's impairment
2. the parents' ability to provide structure at home
3. the child's rate of progress
4. the child's specific behavior and/or physical problems
5. the availability of alternative resources
6. the child's ability to interact with non-disabled children
7. the specific curricular areas in which the child needs continuing attention
8. the vocational and transition needs of the child
9. whether the service requested is "extraordinary" rather than usual in consideration of the child's condition.

Only when all factors are considered together by the child's Team can a determination be made as to how much service will be offered.

When there is no previous record of a child's substantial regression after a significant break in service, a Team should still consider the need for an ESY program if the following circumstances are present:

1. there is lack of progress in meeting short-term objectives over two marking periods, resulting in little or no progress made over the school year
2. there are significant regression/recoupment problems over short-term vacation periods or other breaks in the school year, and /or
3. the unique nature of any specially designed instruction or related services due to the disability of the student requires such extended school year programming.

Since proposed ESY programming must take into account the probability of substantial regression, school districts should ensure that special education service providers maintain quantitative and qualitative data regarding the child, including anecdotal records on the rates of both learning and relearning, as well as a child's attainment of IEP goals and objectives.

The focus of this NASET Professional Development Course will be on extended school year services. After taking this course, you should understand the following:

• Definition of Extended School Year Services
• What are NOT ESY Services
• Eligibility for Extended School Year Programs and Services
• Obligation to Provide Extended School Year Programs
• Deciding if a Student Needs Extended School Year Services 
• IEPs and ESY
• Programs and Services with ESY
• Length of Time for ESY
• Recreational Programs and ESY
• Specialized Instruction and ESY
• Transition Services and ESY
• Paraprofessionals and ESY
• Concluding Thoughts

Employment Options For Students With Disabilities: A Guide For High School Educators

NASET offers a Professional Development Course on vocational assessment titled, Vocational Assessment and Training: A Guide for High School Educators. If you have not yet taken that course, it might be in your best interest to do so before taking this one, as it will lay the foundation for the principles to be discussed.

Once a vocational assessment process is complete, a student with a disability should be presented with a variety of training and work options, depending upon the results of the evaluation. Many options and directions are available.

This NASET Professional Development Course provides an overview of employment options and procedures necessary for the preparation of a student with disabilities to adult life. After reading this section, you should understand the following:

• Internships and Apprenticeships
• Adult education
• Trade and Technical Schools
• Competitive Employment
• Supported Employment
• How Do Parents Know If Their Children Need Supported Employment?
• Sheltered Workshops
• Other Avenues to Employment
• Volunteering
• International Exchange Programs
• The Military
• Starting and Maintaining a Business
• Job Search Methods
• Developing a Resume
• Job Application Forms
• Ways of Finding a Job
• Applying and Interviewing for Jobs

Travel Training For Students With Disabilities: A Guide For High School Educators

Transportation provides us all with access to the wider opportunities of society employment, postsecondary education, job training programs, recreation. Traveling by car, by cab, or by public transportation systems such as bus and subway enables us to go to work and come home, go to school or other training programs, visit friends, take care of daily needs such as grocery shopping, and enjoy recreational activities.

Yet, many individuals with disabilities have traditionally been isolated from these societal opportunities, because they lacked a means of transportation. For many, driving a car was not possible, due to a visual, physical, or cognitive disability. Public transportation systems were often inaccessible due to structural barriers. Still other individuals were unable to use the transportation systems that were available, because they lacked the training, or "know-how," to use these systems safely.

Today, the lack of access to transportation that many individuals with disabilities have experienced is changing. Recently enacted federal legislation clearly intends to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate independently and successfully in society. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recognizes the critical role that public transportation plays in the lives of many people and mandates that public transportation systems become accessible to people with disabilities. It also mandates that paratransit services are available and accessible to individuals who are unable to use public transportation.

Unfortunately, availability of transportation is not the only impediment to independent travel for people with disabilities. They must also know what systems of transport are available, how to access these, how to plan their travel, and how to execute their travel plans safely. For many individuals, learning how to travel on public transportation requires systematic training. Travel training, then, is often a crucial element in empowering people with disabilities to use the newly accessible transportation systems in our country.

To this end, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can be of importance. The IDEA requires public schools to provide what are known as "transition services" to youth with disabilities, to prepare them for the transition from school to adult life. While accessible transportation and transportation training are not specifically mentioned within IDEA, clearly the ability to use available transportation systems may be critical to a student's transition into the adult world. Thus, both the ADA and the IDEA provide individuals with disabilities, their families, school systems, service providers, community agencies, and transit systems with compelling incentives to work together to ensure that individuals with disabilities learn how to use accessible transportation.

The focus of this NASET Professional Development Course will be to discuss transportation concerns of students and adults with disabilities. After taking this course, you should understand the following:

• Overview of Travel Training
• Skills Required for Traveling Independently
• Beginning Travel Training
• The Process of Travel Training
• The Necessity of Travel Training Programs
• Benefits from Travel Training Programs
• The Importance of Equal Access to Transportation
• Where to Look for Travel Training Programs
• Travel Training Guidelines for People with a Cognitive Disability
• Travel Training Guidelines for People with a Physical Disability
• What to Look For in a Travel Training Program
• Teaching Travel Skills to Persons who are Blind or with Visually Impairments
• Evaluating the Quality of Programs that Teach Travel Skills
• Public Transportation and the ADA

New Teacher Course: Meetings and Communication with Parents and Staff Members

New Teacher Course: Meetings and Communication with Parents and Staff Members - Research suggests that many of the fears that parents have regarding their children starting the school year may be alleviated by a meeting before the start of school. This would allow you, as a teacher, to get to know the parents on a more personal level, allow them to meet you on a more comfortable basis, give you an opportunity to discuss any fears or concerns, give you an opportunity to find out their child’s interests and strengths, and break down barriers that come with fear of starting school.

If you can begin this process a week before school, then consider sending home a letter to parents introducing yourself and inviting them in to the room or to just come in and get to know each other. However, you will want to make sure that your classroom is set up so that each parent gets a good feeling of organization and comfort. Keep this meeting very informal.

Least Restrictive Environment: Educational Placement For Children With Disabilities

Placement decisions for students with disabilities are to be based on an existing IEP, and therefore must be made after the development of the IEP. IDEIA contains several requirements governing the location of the educational placement. Perhaps most important, IDEIA requires that children with disabilities must be educated with those without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. This requirement applies to nonacademic activities and extracurricular activities, for example, lunch and recess, as well as academic activities. The requirement that “children with disabilities must be educated with those without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate” is referred to as the Least Restrictive Environment or the LRE. The least restrictive environment is composed of various continuums of placements that range from least restrictive to most restrictive. This NASET Professional Development course will focus on the least restrictive environment (LRE). After taking this course, you should understand the following:

• Overview of LRE
• Inclusion Classrooms
• Resource Rooms
• Special Education Classroom (Self-Contained Classrooms)
• Residential Facilities
• Hospital and Homebound Instruction
• Determining Placement of a Student
• Annual Reviews
• Changing Educational Placements
• Extended School Year Services

Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less. This course will provide the reader with a basic overview of autism and important educational considerations to consider.

Allergies: Teachers' Roles and Responsibilities

Teachers have a responsibility to be aware of important information on all their students that may impact their learning or safety. Specifically, many children may have allergies, many of which are life-threatening in nature. When you have a student with a life-threatening allergy in your class, there are issues that you need to understand in order to ensure the safety of that child. Not knowing your responsibilities places the child in jeopardy as well as potential professional and legal implications. Collaboration among parent(s)/guardian(s) and all school departments; including school nursing personnel, teachers, administration, guidance, food service, transportation services, custodial staff, and after school personnel, is essential for a successful school experience for students with life?threatening allergies and other serious health issues. The focus of this NASET Professional Development course will be on understanding life threatening allergies and the roles and responsibilities often seen by teachers when working with children diagnosed with them.

Historical Overview of the Legal Issues in Special Education

Historical Overview of the Legal Issues in Special Education - Generally, over the years, special education has been restructured and transformed by legislation. Today, we have a federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. An “appropriate” education differs for each child with a disability because it is based on his or her individual needs. IDEA specifies in some detail how school systems and parents are to plan the education that each child receives so that it is appropriate—meaning, responsive to the child’s needs. The plan that parents and school staff develop is documented in writing through the individualized education program (IEP), which the school is then responsible for carrying out.  IDEA has been revised many times since 1975 and it remains the cornerstone of special education. But how did we get to this law? The path was not an easy one. This lecture takes teachers through the history of special education and how state and federal laws were enacted.

Topics covered include:

• Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
• 14th Amendment of the US Constitution
• 1960s—What happened during that time regarding special education?
• Parc v. Commonwealth of PA
• Mills vs. Board of Education of D.C.
• Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act
• P.L. 94-142
• Six key provisions of P.L. 94-142
• Key points about P.L. 99-457
• IDEA
• Definition of Reauthorization
• Today under IDEIA—What do we know?

IEP (Individualized Education Program) Development

The centerpiece of IDEIA is the requirement that each student receiving special education and related services has an individualized education program (IEP). The contents of the IEP are designed to provide a road map for the child’s educational programming during the course of the coming year. The IEP is the primary mechanism for ensuring that students receive an appropriate education. An IEP summarizes all the information gathered concerning the student, sets the expectations of what the student will learn over the next year and describes the special education and related services the student will receive. The development of an IEP is a collaborative effort between the LEA and parents to ensure that a student’s special education program will be appropriate and meet his or her individual unique needs. IDEIA spells out very clearly the required components of an IEP. This NASET Professional Development course will address the required components of an IEP under IDEIA. Topics covered include:

• The child’s present levels of educational performance
• A statement of measurable annual goals
• A description of how the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured
• A statement of the special education placement, related services, and assistive technology services to be provided.
• An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with children without disabilities
• A statement of any accommodations or modifications in the administration of state or district-wide assessments of student achievement
• The projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications.
• Transition Services
• Transfer Rights at the Age of Majority

Methods Of Assessment In Special Education

Assessment in special education is a process that involves collecting information about a student for the purpose of making decisions. Assessment is primarily a problem-solving process. There are many different types of assessment methods used in the assessment process. Special educators need to be very aware of the various methods of assessment used in special education, along with their specific advantages and disadvantages. This NASET video professional development course will provide you with the most common types of assessment methods. After taking this course, you should understand the following:

• Definition of assessment
• Observations
• Types of observations
• Observational techniques
• Advantages and disadvantages of observations
• Interviews
• Types of interviews
• Advantages and disadvantages of interviews
• Portfolio assessments
• Types of portfolio assessments
• Tests
• Validity
• Reliability
• Norm-referenced tests
• Standardization
• Criterion-references tests

Identification and Evaluation of Children with Suspected Disabilities

The identification and evaluation of a child with a suspected disability is a critical step in the special education process. Under IDEIA 2004, each local education agency (LEA) must establish procedures by which children in need of special education and related services are identified. These are known as "Child Find" efforts. States are left to develop their own identification procedures, but IDEIA requires an active effort to identify children in need of special education services. Evaluation procedures determine "whether the child has a disability and the nature and extent of the special education and related services that the child needs." The evaluation of a child for a suspected disability must be individualized, meaning that the procedures and methods of evaluation must address a student's unique needs, rather than be a general assessment that can be used interchangeably with all students. The focus of this NASET video professional development course will address the step-by-step process in the identification and evaluation of a child with a suspected disability. After taking this course, you should understand the following:

• Overview of the evaluation of a child with a suspected disability
• Indicators of Children Who May Have a Suspected Disability and Need an Evaluation
• How Students Are Identified For An Evaluation For A Suspected Disability
• Child Study Teams (CST)
• Parental Consent
• Consent v. Agreement
• Evaluation Standards Under IDEA
• Multidisciplinary teams (MDT)
• Validity
• Reliability
• Components of a Comprehensive Evaluation
• Eligibility Meetings
• Parent Refusal to Consent
• Annual and Triennial Reviews

Dispute Resolutions: Resolution Meetings, Mediation and Due Process Hearings

What happens if parents disagree with a school district over their child's identification, evaluation and/or placement? What happens if the two parties cannot agree on what is "appropriate" for the child? When this occurs, parents can initiate a due process hearing. There, an impartial, trained hearing officer hears the evidence and issues a hearing decision. During a due process hearing, each party has the opportunity to present their views in a formal legal setting, using witnesses, testimony, documents, and legal arguments that each believes is important for the hearing officer to consider in order to decide the issues in the hearing. But there are many steps involved before a matter ever goes to due process. This NASET Professional Development course will focus on dispute resolutions in special education. After taking this course, you should understand the following:

• Overview of Dispute Resolutions
• Resolution Process
• Resolution Meetings
• Mediation
• Steps Involved in Mediation
• Confidentiality and Mediation
• Due Process Hearings
• "Impartial" and its Meaning
• Parent Rights in Due Process Hearings
• Decisions Made by Hearing Officers
• Appeals

Postsecondary Education And Students With Disabilities: A Guide For High School Educators

Several years ago, students with disabilities had limited choices when it came to choose a college or university that could provide accommodations. With the advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the disabilities rights movement, accommodations for students with disabilities became commonplace. Now, one can apply to several different types of postsecondary educational institutions.

Colleges offer an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to continue their education and earn tangible evidence of education such as a certificate or degree. Junior and community colleges offer a variety of courses that, upon successful completion of the prescribed courses, may lead to a certificate or associate degree. Community colleges are publicly funded, have either no or low-cost tuition, and offer a wide range of programs, including vocational and occupational courses. They exist in or near many communities; generally, the only admissions requirement is a high school diploma or its equivalent. Junior colleges are usually privately supported, and the majority provides programs in the liberal arts field. Four-year colleges and universities offer programs of study that lead to a bachelor's degree after successful completion of four years of prescribed course work.

In high school, the school district was responsible for providing any or all support services necessary for an individual with disabilities to participate in the educational process. The college or university does not have the same legal obligation. They are required by law to provide any reasonable accommodation that may be necessary for those with disabilities to have equal access to educational opportunities and services available to peers without disabilities, if requested.

Title II of the ADA covers state-funded schools such as universities, community colleges, and vocational schools. Title III covers private colleges and vocational schools. If a school receives federal dollars, regardless of whether it is private or public, it is also covered by the regulation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, requiring schools to make their programs accessible to qualified students with disabilities.

Under the provisions of Section 504, universities and colleges may not:

• limit the number of students with disabilities
• make preadmission inquiries as to whether an applicant is disabled
• exclude a qualified student with a disability from a course of study
• discriminate in administering scholarships, fellowships and so on, on the basis of a disability
• establish rules or policies that may adversely affect students with disabilities

For college students with disabilities, academic adjustments may include adaptations in the way specific courses are conducted, the use of auxiliary equipment, and support staff and modifications in academic requirements. These modifications may include:

• removing architectural barriers
• providing services such as readers, qualified interpreters, or note takers for deaf or hard-of-hearing students
• providing modifications, substitutions, or waivers of courses, major fields of study, or degree requirements on a case-by-case basis
• allowing extra time to complete exams
• using alternative forms for students to demonstrate course mastery
• permitting the use of computer software programs or other assistive technological devices to facilitate test-taking and study skills

The focus of this NASET Professional Development Course will be to cover the following areas related to postsecondary education and students with disabilities:

• Disability-Related Support Services
• Social Skills
• Financial Aid
• Disability Related Expenses
• Vocational Rehabilitation and Financial Aid
• Issues to Consider When Looking into Postsecondary Education
• Frequently Asked Questions about the Admissions Process
• Checklist for Assessing Colleges for Accessibility
• Accommodations for Specific Disabilities
• Distance Learning and Adults with Disabilities
• Enrolling in a Distance Learning Program Selecting a Program
• Access to the Student Services at the College
• Conclusion:  Keys to Success

Preparing For The Start Of The School Year As A Special Education Teacher

The best advice in preparing for a new school year is to begin as early as possible. There are many things that you can do before the start of school that will facilitate your experience and make the school year more productive for you and your students. The first day of school should not be the first day you learn about your students. This would be a major mistake and will inevitably make classroom management more difficult.  The focus of this course is to address how to prepare for the beginning of the school year. After taking this course you should understand the following steps involved in classroom preparation:

STEP #1:  Learn About Your Incoming Students

STEP #2: Learn the Number and Types of Schools Attended by Each Student

STEP #3: Review Available Medical Records

STEP #4: Review Each Student’s Permanent Record Folder

STEP #5: Review Past Teachers’ Reports or Comments

STEP #6: Review Prior Report Cards

STEP #7: Review Standardized Test Scores (Both Individual and Group)

STEP #8: Review, Very Carefully, Each Student’s IEP (Individualized Educational Program)

Related Services

Related services help children with disabilities benefit from their special education by providing extra help and support in needed areas, such as speaking or moving. Related services are defined in IDEIA as: “transportation, and such developmental, corrective and other supportive services….as may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.” Related services must be provided to all eligible children in special education. But, just because a child is in special education doesn’t mean he/she will be eligible for related services. IDEIA includes a long list of related services that schools must provide to students who need them to receive a meaningful education. It is important to note, however, that this list does not include all of the services which a school district may be required to provide. The focus of this NASET professional development course will be to address some of the most common related services offered to children with disabilities. After taking this course you should understand the following:

• Overview of related services
• Transportation
• Speech and language therapy
• Psychological and Counseling Service
• Occupational and Physical Therapy (OT/PT)
• Orientation and Mobility Services
• Medical Services
• School health service
• Parent counseling
• Travel training

Respite Care

Over the years, there has been a growing awareness that adjustment to the special needs of a child influences all family members. This awareness has generated interest and has led to the development of support services for families to assist them throughout the lifelong adjustment process. Within the diversity of family support services, respite care consistently has been identified by families as a priority need (Cohen & Warren).

Respite care is an essential part of the overall support that families may need to keep their child with a disability or chronic illness at home. United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. (UCPA) defines respite care as a system of temporary supports for families of individuals with developmental disabilities which provides the family with relief. “Temporary” may mean anything from an hour to three months. It may also mean “periodically or on a regular basis.” It can be provided in the client’s home or in a variety of out-of-home settings,” (Warren and Dickman). Respite services are intended to provide assistance to the family, and to prevent “burnout” and family disintegration. Since not all families have the same needs, respite care should always be geared to individual family needs by identifying the type of respite needed and matching the need to the services currently available or using this information to develop services where none exist. Once identified, it is also important for families to have ready access to that type of respite, in an affordable form.

This NASET Professional Development course will provide educators with a basic understanding of respite care and its importance to families of individuals with disabilities. After taking this course, you should understand the following:

• Definition and Overview of Respite Care
• History of Respite Care
• Respite Care as a Family Support
• Benefits of Respite Care
• Benefits of Respite Care to the State and Communities
• Educator Suggestions: Helping Parents Determine Whether Respite Care is Necessary
• Contact Groups for Parents and Teachers
• Seeking Respite Care Services in the Community: Questions to Ask

Self Determination: A Guide For High School Educators

One of the most significant concepts to emerge in the last few decades is the awareness of the importance of self-determination in the life of an individual with a disability. For too long, professionals made decisions for people with disabilities with little input from the individual or parents. While these decisions were motivated by good intentions, they may have overlooked the desires, hopes, and aspirations that remained hidden within the person with disabilities. As our society has become more sensitive to the needs and rights of the disabled, we have moved to the concept of self-determination as a crucial element in the design of a life plan.

Self-determination is a person's ability to control his or her own destiny. A crucial part of the concept of self-determination involves the combination of attitudes and abilities that will lead children or individuals to set goals for themselves, and to take the initiative to reach these goals. To do this one must be in charge, which is not necessarily the same thing as self-sufficiency or independence, make his or her own choices, learn to solve problems effectively, take control and responsibility for his or her life, learn to experience and cope with the consequences of making decisions on his or her own.

Martin and Marshall summarize the evolving definition of self-determination in the special education literature as describing individuals who, “know how to choose-they know what they want and how to get it. From an awareness of personal needs self-determined individuals choose goals, and then doggedly pursue them. This involves asserting an individual’s presence, making his or her needs know, evaluation progress toward meeting goals, adjusting performance and creating unique approached to solve problems”.

Self-determination is the process by which a person controls his or her own life. This is important to everyone. According to Tom Nerney, Executive Director of the Center for Self-Determination, the five principles of self-determination are:

• Authority
• Confirmation
• Support
• Freedom
• Responsibility

Developmental disability systems support self-determination when:

• People have the freedom to plan their own life and to pursue the things that are important to them with the support of independent planning and support coordination.
• People have the freedom to experience the same life opportunities as other people their age, connected with others in their communities.
• Each person has authority over his own individual support budget.
• All those involved demonstrate confirmation of the critical role self-advocates and their families must play in making decisions in their own lives and in designing and operating the system they rely on.
• People have the freedom to choose and set up the support they need to pursue the life they envision.
• People enjoy the freedom of economic independence and security, with opportunities to earn adequate income.
• People take responsibility for decisions in their lives and for the support money allocated to them with the assistance of an independent fiscal intermediary.

This NASET Professional Development Course will focus on self-determination and students with disabilities. After taking this course you should understand the following:

• Overview of Self-Determination
• Development of Self-Determination Skills
• Learning Self-Determination
• Research on Self-Determination
• Community Inclusion and the Importance of Self-Determination
• Social Inclusion and the Importance of Self-Determination
• Self-Advocacy and the Importance of Self-Determination
• Promoting Self-Determination in Youth with Disabilities: Tips for Families and Professionals
• Closing Thoughts

Statistics Used in Special Education

Statistics! This one 10-letter word tends to instill more fear and anxiety in undergraduate and graduate students than any other word we know. The fact is, whether you are an avid fan of statistics or generally do not enjoy it, you absolutely have to know statistics when you are doing special education assessment. Statistics play a vital role in the understanding of disability awareness. Although there are numerous reasons to know statistics, of primary importance to special educators is that without a proper understanding of it, you cannot interpret test results. When large sets of data are being presented, it is important that they be organized in a fashion that makes some sense to the reader. In special education, this is done through methods known as descriptive statistics. Statistics summarize and describe data. In this NASET Video professional development course, we discuss basic descriptive statistics used every day in special education. After taking this course, you should be able to understand (and in some cases be able to calculate) the following:

• Measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode)
• Frequency distributions
• Range
• Standard deviation
• Normal curve
• Purpose of the normal curve in special education
• Application of normal curve in special education
• Correlations

Test Score Interpretation

As an educator, you will need to understand the scores that the various professionals of the multidisciplinary team report when they do their evaluations of children for a suspected disability.  You may even be required to administer certain educational tests for a student.  Therefore, it is essential that no matter what your role in the assessment process, you understand basic statistics and scoring terminology found in test manuals and used in assessment.

This course will provide you with the most frequently used terms used in assessment regarding test administration, statistics and scoring terminology. After taking this course, you should understand the following (in alphabetical order)

• Age Equivalents
• Grade Equivalents
• Measures of Central Tendency
• Mean
• Median
• Mode
• Percentile Ranks
• Predictive validity
• Range
• Raw Scores
• Reliability
• Reliability Coefficients
• Scaled Scores
• Split-half reliability
• Standard Deviation
• Standard Scores
• Standard Error of Measurement
• Stanines
• Test-retest reliability
• T Scores
• Validity
• z Score

Transition of Students with Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators

Less than 30 years ago, students with disabilities had limited choices when it came to choosing a college or university that could provide accommodations. However, with the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, along with the disabilities rights movement, accommodations for students with disabilities have become more commonplace. Now, a student with a disability is able to apply to several different types of postsecondary educational institutions.

Colleges offer an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to continue their education and earn tangible evidence of education, such as a certificate or degree. Junior and community colleges offer a variety of courses that, upon successful completion of the prescribed courses, may lead to a Certificate or Associate's degree. Community colleges are publicly funded, have either no or low-cost tuition, and offer a wide range of programs, including vocational and occupational courses. They exist in or near many communities; generally, the only admissions requirement is a high school diploma or its equivalent. Junior colleges are usually privately supported, and the majority provides programs in the liberal arts field. Four-year colleges and universities offer programs of study that lead to a Bachelor's degree after successful completion of four years of prescribed course work.
In high school, school districts are responsible for providing any or all support services necessary for an individual with disabilities to participate in the educational process. Colleges and universities do not have the same legal obligation. They are required by law to provide any reasonable accommodation that may be necessary for those with disabilities to have equal access to educational opportunities and services available to peers without disabilities, if requested.

The focus of this NASET Professional Development course is to address the transition of students with disabilities to postsecondary education.

Transition Services on the IEP: A Guide for High School Educators

Since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), Public Law 94-142, in 1975, Individualized Education Programs (IEP) have been a requirement of law for all children and youth with disabilities found eligible for special education. Each student’s IEP must list goals and objectives for educational activities and include information about the student's assessment and educational placement, the instructional content areas to be addressed throughout the year, the timelines and persons responsible for activities corresponding to the goals and objectives, how student progress will be evaluated, and the related services that each student needs to benefit from his or her special education. With the newest amendments to the EHA -- now entitled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA - a new component has been added to the IEP. Beginning no later than age 16 (under the federal law; states may differ), each student now must also have included in the IEP a statement of the transition services that he or she needs to prepare for such post-school outcomes as employment, postsecondary education, adult services, independent living, and community participation. Traditionally, the IEP has been designed for a maximum of one year, breaking annual goals into short-term objectives. With the addition of transition services, the IEP becomes longer term, with objectives spanning across several years. For the first time, planning is oriented towards life after high school, with plans including adult services agencies and community agencies, where applicable. This is an enormous step forward in the concept of preparing students educationally, and requires a great deal of insight, foresight, and planning on the part of students, parents, and school and other agency professionals.

The focus of this NASET Professional Development is course is to provide an overview of the various issues involved in transition services in the IEP for high school educators.

Vocational Assessment and Training: A Guide for High School Educators

Crossing the threshold from the world of school to the world of work brings a significant change in everyone's life. School is an entitlement, meaning that it is an environment that our system of government supplies for all of our citizens. The workplace is the opposite; no one is entitled to a job.

One of the most important aspects of transition planning is the preparation of students for the world of work. Up to now, the focus has been on helping students fulfill the educational requirements for graduation from a secondary school. Now comes a very real and practical issue that can create many concerns. With the proper information and resources, this next phase of the transition process can also be very rewarding. Parents and educators must fully understand vocational options to help children make the best decisions for his or their future.

The purpose of this section is to give you a strong working knowledge of vocational assessments. After taking this NASET Professional Development Course, you should understand the following:

• Overview of Vocational Assessments
• Purpose of Vocational Assessments
• Trends in Vocational Assessment
• The Vocational Assessment Process
• Informal and Formal Assessment
• Levels of Vocational Assessment
• Level I Vocational Assessment
• Level II Vocational Assessment
• Level III Vocational Assessment
• Components of a Vocational Assessment
• Other Assessment Options during the Vocational Transition Phase
• Situational Vocational Assessment
• Confidentiality
• Specific Professionals Trained to Help Parents and Their Children Plan and Prepare for Employment
• · Skills Checklist 
• Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)
• Services Provided by DRS Agencies
• Rights and Responsibilities When Involved with DRS Services
• Conflict Resolution Options with DRS

Speech and Language Impairments: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education

This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of speech and language impairments.  It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.

Calculation of Age

• Chronological Age
• Why Not Just Ask Children Their Ages?
• Years-Months-Days
• Right to Left Subtraction Rule
• Rounding Up Ages
• Calculation of Age

Intellectual Disability: Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Special Education

This course will provide you with the criteria and process used in the determination of special education eligibility for children with the suspected disability of intellectual disability.  It is designed in a step-by-step format for the reader to gain a greater understanding of how diagnoses are made, and the specific requirements for eligibility.

Introduction to Learning Disabilities

Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. Almost 3 million children (ages 6 through 21) have some form of a learning disability and receive special education in school. In fact, over half of all children who receive special education have a learning disability. This course will provide you with a basic understanding of learning disabilities.  The content includes a general overview on learning disabilities pertaining to the IDEA definition , prevalence, causes, signs and characteristics, types, detection, and treatment.

IEP (Individualized Education Program) An Overview

As general education teachers involved with students with special needs you have been given a very important responsibility in the education of these children. Our experience has shown that the resistance to working with children with disabilities usually develops from a lack of understanding, education, and skill knowledge on the part of the teachers. Once general education teachers are provided these skills and knowledge they can offer a tremendous amount to students with special needs in an inclusion setting, a mainstream setting for a child in a special education class, or in collaboration with the resource room teacher who the child sees every day from your class.  The purpose of this course is to familiarize you with the Individual Education Plan (IEP) written for every child with special needs. While you may never be asked to write an IEP, you will provide certain information that will be included into the final version. In order to make this a very practical course we will assume nothing and explain everything that we feel you will need to know to have a working knowledge of this area of special education.