Module 2: Components of Special and Inclusive Education

Lesson 1: Child Find, Assessment and Evaluation Process

What is Child Find?

Child Find is a continuous network of public awareness events, infant screening and
assessment programs designed to find, identify and compare all young children with disabilities
and their families seeking special pre-school care as early as possible.
Child Find is a legal requirement that schools find all children who have disabilities and
who may be entitled to special education services. Child Find covers every child from birth
through age 21. The school must evaluate any child that it knows or suspects may have a
disability (Lee, 2020). It is also in compliance with the provisions of the IDEA (Individuals with
Disabilities Educational Act) and State Laws, each LEA (Local Education Authority) shall
ensure that all LEA-resident students with disabilities ages 0-21 who need special education and
related services are found, located, and assessed.

The special education process under IDEA is designed to ensure that each individual
child's needs are carefully considered and addressed. Learn ten steps in the special education
process, from evaluation to reviewing student progress. Below is the process of screening and
evaluation in special education.

The federal law IDEA ensures that guidance is clear for schools to determine if students
need special services. This must be completed through a Child Find process. Schools must use
screening to get an idea of whether a student is showing signs of potentially needing special
education support services.

1. The child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.
There are two common ways a child can be identified as possibly needing special
education and related services.
 Child Find
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The state must identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities
in the state who need special education and related services. To do so, states
conduct "Child Find" activities. A child may be identified by "Child Find," and
parents may be asked if the "Child Find" system can evaluate their child. Parents
can also call the "Child Find" system and ask that their child be evaluated.

 Referral or request for evaluation

A school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she
has a disability. Parents may also contact the child's teacher or other school
professional to ask that their child be evaluated. This request may be verbal or in
writing. Parental consent is needed before the child may be evaluated. Evaluation
needs to be completed within a reasonable time after the parent gives consent.

2. The child is evaluated.

The evaluation must assess the child in all areas related to the child's suspected
disability. The evaluation results will be used to decide the child's eligibility for special
education and related services and to make decisions about an appropriate educational
program for the child. If the parents disagree with the evaluation, they have the right to
take their child for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). They can ask that the
school system pay for this IEE.

3. Eligibility is decided.
A group of qualified professionals and the parents look at the child's evaluation
results. Together, they decide if the child is a "child with a disability," as defined by
IDEA. Parents may ask for a hearing to challenge the eligibility decision.

4. The child is found eligible for services.

If the child is found to be a "child with a disability," as defined by IDEA, he or
she is eligible for special education and related services. Within 30 calendar days after a
child is determined eligible, the IEP team must meet to write an IEP for the child. Once
the student has been found eligible for services, the IEP must be written. The two steps
below summarize what is involved in writing the IEP.

5. An IEP meeting is scheduled.

The school system schedules and conducts the IEP meeting. School staff must:
contact the participants, including the parents notify parents early enough to make sure
they have an opportunity to attend schedule the meeting at a time and place agreeable to
parents and the school tell the parents the purpose, time, and location of the meeting tell
the parents who will be attending tell the parents that they may invite people to the
meeting who have knowledge or special expertise about the child.

6. The IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.

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The IEP team gathers to talk about the child's needs and write the student's IEP.
Parents and the student (when appropriate) are part of the team. If the child's placement is
decided by a different group, the parents must be part of that group as well.
Before the school system may provide special education and related services to
the child for the first time, the parents must give consent. The child begins to receive
services as soon as possible after the meeting.
If the parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their
concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. If they
still disagree, parents can ask for mediation, or the school may offer mediation. Parents
may file a complaint with the state education agency and may request a due process
hearing, at which time mediation must be available.

7. Services are provided.

The school makes sure that the child's IEP is being carried out as it was written.
Parents are given a copy of the IEP. Each of the child's teachers and service providers has
access to the IEP and knows his or her specific responsibilities for carrying out the IEP.
This includes the accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided to
the child, in keeping with the IEP.

8. Progress is measured and reported to parents.

The child's progress toward the annual goals is measured, as stated in the IEP. His
or her parents are regularly informed of their child's progress and whether that progress is
enough for the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year. These progress reports
must be given to parents at least as often as parents are informed of their nondisabled
children's progress.

9. The IEP is reviewed.

The child's IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once a year, or more often if
the parents or school ask for a review. If necessary, the IEP is revised. Parents, as team
members, must be invited to attend these meetings. Parents can make suggestions for
changes, can agree or disagree with the IEP goals, and agree or disagree with the
placement.
If parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their
concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. There
are several options, including additional testing, an independent evaluation, or asking for
mediation (if available) or a due process hearing. They may also file a complaint with the
state education agency.

10. The child is re-evaluated.

At least every three years the child must be re-evaluated. This evaluation is often
called a "triennial." Its purpose is to find out if the child continues to be a "child with a
disability," as defined by IDEA, and what the child's educational needs are. However, the
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child must be re-evaluated more often if conditions warrant or if the child's parent or
teacher asks for a reevaluation.

Lesson 2: Educational Placement of Students with Special Needs

Educational placement means the overall instructional setting in which the student
receives his education including the special education and related services provided. Each local
educational agency shall ensure that the parents of a child with a disability are members of the
group that makes decisions on the educational placement of their child.

The illustration above, shows that base of the continuum represents a least restrictive
environment. While the top of the continuum, illustrates the most restrictive one. As the
placement move to top, meaning the condition of the child has a high severity. Obviously, the
base of the continuum implies that the condition of the child is not severe. Meaning, the child is
able to perform and adapt to the environment, just like regular students do.

Regular class or General Education

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It includes students who receive the majority of their education program in a regular
classroom and receive special education and related services outside the regular classroom for
less than 21 percent of the school day. It includes children placed in a regular class and receiving
special education within the regular class, as well as children placed in a regular class and
receiving special education outside the regular class.
Being a part of the regular education classroom is also referred to as inclusion or
mainstreaming. Inclusion means that the student with a disability attends a regular education
class with same or similar age peers, most of whom do not have a disability. The school district
must provide appropriate supports and services in that inclusive environment. A placement will
be considered “regular” if at least 50% of the children in the placement do not have a disability.
• Full Integration – A child with special needs sits in the regular class in all academic and
non-academic subjects.
Inclusion – All children with disabilities, regardless of the nature and severity of their
disability and need for related services, receive their total education within the regular education
classroom.

In-class Support
Students are included in a regular class but receive additional support or services without
pulling out from the class. The shadow teacher is present to provide the needs of the students
whenever it is needed. The shadow teacher might be SPED teacher or personnel who is expert to
provide the needs of the students. Example: a deaf student is enrolled in a regular class. If ever
the student has difficulty to communicate to the teacher, a shadow teacher might be needed. The
shadow teacher will serve as an sign language interpreter between the teacher and the student
who is deaf.

Resource room
It includes students who receive special education and related services outside the regular
classroom for at least 21 percent but not more than 60 percent of the school day. This may
include students placed in resource rooms with part-time instruction in a regular class.
Partial Integration – A child with special needs enrolled in a special class is integrated
with regular children in non-academic activities like work education, physical education, arts,
school programs, etc., then gradually integrated in the academic subjects when qualified.
The child is enrolled in the regular school program but goes to a resource room to use the
specialized equipment either in a tutorial situation or in a small group. The resource room teacher
functions both as an instructor and as a consultant.
Pull-out – A kind of program where a student enrolled in a regular classroom reports to
the resource room for a period of time for special instructions by the SPED teacher.

Often, a child may receive services in a combination of environments, for example, when
your child attends a regular education classroom for a part of the day, and a special education
classroom for certain subjects. Some students may benefit from being outside of the regular
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education classroom for a portion of the day, for example for academic subjects where the
student may need more assistance than can be provided in the regular education classroom.
These students may attend a Resource Room or Academic Support Classroom for whatever
percentage of the day is determined necessary by the IEP team and attend a regular education
classroom for the remainder of the day. Services and supports will follow the student in both
settings, as needed. The teacher in the Resource Room or Academic Support Classroom will
have specialized training in working with students who need more specialized accommodations,
modifications, or adaptations. The teacher in the regular education setting typically has not
received specialized training that would be required for students with complex support needs.

Self-contained
Education in a self-contained classroom means that the student will be placed with other
students with disabilities for the majority of the school day. These classrooms may be disability
specific – for example, an autism support classroom – or may integrate students with different
disabilities. Each state has regulations concerning how many children can be in a self-contained
classroom. For example, in Pennsylvania, an autism support classroom may not have more than
eight children, unless a waiver is obtained. For a student who is easily distracted, socially
anxious, or who simply needs more personalized assistance, having fewer students in a class is
an advantage. These classes are taught by special education teachers who have gone to school
and have specialized training in working with students with disabilities.

Residential facility
It includes students who receive education in a public or private residential facility, at
public expense, for more than 50 percent of the school day. Most of the students lived in the
institution like school for the blind. The reason for placing a child in a residential school is based
on the premise that he can make greater progress in such setting than in any other. Residential
schools provide special education services that are qualitatively and quantitatively superior to
those available in local communities. They also offer comprehensive diagnostic and counselling
services, and vocational and recreational services.

Hospital Instruction
Provision of children confined to hospitals, sanatoria, and convalescent homes is a
service of special education. The types of children in need of hospital instruction are the severely
emotionally disturbed, the profoundly retarded who are bedbound, the crippled, those with
chronic and/or serious health disabilities, and recovering patients. Both bedside tutoring and
group instruction are made available to the above.

Homebound Instruction
This plan is provided by the local school system to serve the chronically ill, usually the
bedridden, the convalescents from operation, accident or temporary illness, the disturbed, and the
retarded pupils. Services are provided by either a full-time itinerant teacher who instructs each
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pupil in his own home about three times a week, or the regular class teacher who instructs her
temporarily homebound pupils.

Itinerant Teacher Plan

An itinerant or traveling teacher serves one or more regular schools depending on how
many pupils need special help. She gives direct and consultative services to children. In addition,
these specialists observe, diagnose, make referrals, requisition textbooks and equipment, prepare
instructional materials and evaluates performance.

Lesson 3: Accommodation and Curricular Modification

Accommodations
 are supports and services provided to help a student access the general education
curriculum and validly demonstrate learning.
 Refers to changes that remove barriers and provide your child with equal access to
learning. Accommodations don’t change what your child is learning, instead, they change
how your child is learning.
 It allows a student to complete the same tasks as their regular peers but with some
variation in time, format, setting, and/or presentation (Kessler & Schneider, 2020).

Examples of Accommodations:
 Time: • extend the time allotted to take a test, finish an assignment, learn a concept, or
complete an activity. Examples: Extended time, frequent breaks, change of activities.
 Setting: • students can take tests in a distraction free space – potentially a resource room
so it is easier for the child to focus. This accommodation may be as easy as preferential
seating (does the student need to be close to the board to see or next to the teacher to
hear?)
 Presentation: • Allow students to access information in ways that do not require them to
visually read standard print. These alternate modes of access are auditory, multi-sensory,
tactile, and visual.
 Response: • Allow students to complete activities, assignments, and assessments in
different ways or to solve or organize problems using some type of assistive device or
organizer. Examples: Scribe, Calculators, Word Processor, Spelling Devices •
Individualized changes made to the content and performance expectations for students
Ferry (2011). • Are changes in what students are expected to learn, based on their
individual abilities (Kessler & Shneider, 2020).
Examples of Modifications:
 Quantity: • Modify the number of items that the child is expected to learn or complete.
(Depending on how it is written in the IEP, this could include entire sections of the
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curriculum. I.E: Only completing the addition portion of a math assignment that also
includes subtraction, multiplication and division)
 Output: • How a student responds to instruction For Example: Instead of writing an essay,
they may be given multiple choice questions. Instead of open-ended questions, they may
be given a yes/no strategy option
 Alternate Goals: • Use the general education curriculum while adapting the goal or
outcome expectation. For example: Instead of taking the MEAP test, the student takes the
MI-Access.

Curriculum Modifications
 It is the regular curriculum with certain adaptations to need the needs of special children,
such as inclusion of orientation and mobility for children with visual impairment, and
Special Curriculum-which is designed for children with special needs and aimed
primarily at developing adaptive skills and/or their potential.

 The modified curriculum for the visually impaired shall include sensory training, special
instruction in Braille reading and writing, mathematics, orientation and mobility, Braille
music, and typing.

 The modified curriculum for the hearing impaired shall emphasize

communication and language development based on the philosophy of Total
Communication which is tailored to meet the individual child's communication,
and educational needs. The curriculum, in addition, shall include special
instruction in speech and speechreading, auditory training and rhythm. The multi-
sensory approach shall be maximized and speech/speechreading and sign
language shall be encouraged starting in Grade I.

 The modified curriculum for children with behavior problems shall include
special activities and instructional techniques for the normalization of behavior
with emphasis on moral, civic and spiritual values as well as training in
livelihood, and technical and academic skills to prepare them for the world of
work.

 Special Curriculum
The curriculum for the physically handicapped child shall include functional
exercises. • The special curriculum for the mentally retarded shall emphasize training in
self-care, socialization, motor and prevocational and vocational skills. For the more
severely retarded child, emphasis shall be on development of self-care skills. • All special
schools shall strengthen their vocational and technical training programs. Arrangements
shall be made to enable the child with special needs to attend special courses offered in
the regular vocational schools whenever practical. • A community-based, home-based or
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any useful alternative special education delivery system shall be established to reach
those who cannot avail of regular institution-based programs.

Lesson 4: Working with Families and Professionals

In your collaboration with families, acknowledge and respect their strengths and unique
background, while realizing their ability to make decisions that are right for them (Hanson &
Lynch, 2004). This means that when family wishes and decisions are different from what you
would recommend, you will respond to the family’s decisions with respect. Ultimately,
meaningful communication and relationship-building will enrich the process for both yourself
and families.

Strategies in Working with Families of Children with Special Needs

 Understand family life
Appreciating and respecting the extra work it takes for families to care for and
educate children with special needs is important. At the age of 3 months, Ella began a
weekly schedule of six hours of physical, speech, developmental, music, and
occupational therapies. She engaged in oral motor exercises three times daily.

 Learn about the disability

As an educator, you may be familiar with a particular disability diagnosis, such as
Down syndrome, but there is wide variation in its manifestations among children.
Therefore, it is crucial to learn as much as you can about the individual child.

 Communicate frequently with families

As is true with families of all children, ongoing two-way communication between
teachers and families is key in working successfully with families of children with
disabilities. You can arrange a meeting with the child’s parents prior to the child’s start in
your program or school. To get to know each other, find out as much as possible about
the child and the family’s goals for their child’s learning and development, and tell
parents how you design your program to meet individual children’s needs:
A. Provide a simple questionnaire for the family to specify important information
about the child’s likes, dislikes, personality traits, skills, special health needs
or medications, and emergency contacts.
B. Continue to stay in regular contact through formal and informal conferences,
phone calls, notes, and e-mails. Keep a record of all communication with
family members, including dates and the content of the communication.
C. Do not hesitate to ask the parents questions or request advice about learning or
behavior issues that arise during the day and if they have experienced similar
incidents at home. For example, after working cooperatively with a family, a
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kindergarten teacher determined that the reason their daughter refused to come
inside at the end of recess was because the ringing bell on the school wall was
painful to hear, due to her sensory integration disorder. After the class lined
up in a different location away from the bell, the child willingly joined her
class in line.

Approaches and Practices Working with Families of Children with Special Needs
 Recognizing the family as a constant in the child’s life; caregivers and service systems
may come and go
 Facilitating collaboration between families and professionals
 Honoring and respecting family diversity in all dimensions (cultural, racial, ethnic,
linguistic, spiritual, and socioeconomic)
 Recognizing family strengths and the different approaches that families may use to cope
 Sharing unbiased and honest information with family members on an ongoing basis
 Encouraging family-to-family support and networking
 Acknowledging and incorporating the developmental needs of the child and other family
members into your practice
 Designing and implementing services that are accessible, culturally and linguistically
respectful and responsive, flexible, and based on family-identified needs

How does Parents Deal with Stress?

A. Stage 1: Denial
Denial is the worst stage for a child with special needs. Early intervention is critical and
if a parent is unwilling to believe they have a child with special needs crucial time is lost. Some
parents never get out of this stage and the only one that loses is that poor child. It is a parent’s
job to be their child’s advocate and that can’t happen until they come to terms with the disability.
B. Stage 2: Anger
Once in the second stage, the parents recognize that denial cannot continue. In this stage
the child starts getting the crucial help they need but often times the parents alienate themselves
from their friends, family and often times each other. During this stage there are many stresses
on the marriage and sometimes this anger will lead to divorce. The parents need to get past this
anger while creating a strong support network. If the parents stick together often times their bond
will become stronger and the marriage will flourish.

C. Stage 3: Bargaining
The third stage involves the hope that the parents can somehow cure their child. Usually,
this involves prayer to a higher power, ―Just let my child be like other children and I will do
whatever you want‖. What the parents need to learn is the joys of being special. Every child has
unique abilities and skills. Through therapies, practice and trial and error you will find what
makes your child special. My son has a bigger heart then anyone I have ever met and continues
to amaze me with his generosity every day. Denial Shock Grief
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D. Stage 4: Depression
During the fourth stage, the parents start to blame themselves. They think they did
something to cause their child to have a disability. Instead of blaming the world and each other
they blame themselves. Trying to cheer someone up in this stage is very hard. Common sense is
thrown out the window. The individual needs to realize on their own that they are not to blame.
E. Stage 5: Acceptance
In this last stage, parents can start to dream again. They buckle down and do the hard
work it takes to raise a special needs child but now they also see the beauty in it. They see their
child as they are and not defined by their preconceived ideas. This child has talents and abilities
far beyond what they ever imagined. While they might struggle at social interaction or sports,
they might flourish somewhere else. My son’s brain works in pictures and has become my
personal navigation system in the car. He directs me through the city with an ease I still don’t
have myself. He also has become a great swimmer. While he was not able to keep up in
traditional team sports in the water, he has the advantage. Also, unlike many of life’s losses
raising a child with special needs is an ongoing commitment. It would not be unusual to run
through these stages more