Refliction

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Chapter 5

Delivering Services to Young Children with Special Needs

Inclusive Learning Environments

Across the United States, there is a growing recognition that it is essential to provide intervention for children with special needs as early as possible in the most normalized setting.

(Bruder, 2010a; Campbell, Sawyer, & Muhlenhaupt, 2009; Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2011)

Inclusive Learning Environments

Inclusion - The social and instructional integration of children with disabilities into educational programs whose primary purpose is to serve typically developing individuals.

Table 5-1 Benefits of Preschool Inclusion

Simply placing a young child with disabilities in a typical early childhood program does not guarantee that the specific needs of the child will be fulfilled.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Young children with special needs are to be educated in settings as close as possible to a regular or general education environment.
The goal of the LRE principle is to prevent the unwarranted segregation of students with disabilities from their typical classmates.
An LRE is not a particular place but rather a relative concept.

Figure 5-1: A Continuum of Service Delivery Options

Full Inclusion

Full inclusion is a belief that all children with disabilities should be served exclusively (with appropriate supports) in general education classrooms

located in community-based programs or neighborhood schools

the same schools and classrooms they would otherwise attend if they did not have a disability

Full Inclusion

“Place is not what makes special education ‘special’ or effective. Effective teaching strategies and an individualized approach are the more critical ingredients in special education and neither of these is associated solely with one particular environment” Zigmond (2003)

Service Delivery Models

Home-Based Programs

Advantages

Familiar setting

Minimal disruption of regular routine

Parent intervention

Disadvantages

Responsibility placed on caregiver

Cultural diversity among professionals

Limited social interaction

Service Delivery Models

Center-Based Programs

Advantages

Development of social skills

Parents considered central members of team

Exposure to experiences for smooth mainstream transition

Disadvantages

Cost of transportation

Extended periods of travel time

Maintenance expense

Professional Teaming
and Collaboration

Multidisciplinary

Interdisciplinary

Transdisciplinary

Cooperative Teaching

One Teach, One Observe
One Teach, One Support
Station Teaching
Parallel Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Team Teaching

Delivering Individualized Services

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

Birth until their sixth birthday

Within 45 days of referral

Reviewed at least every six months

Family taken into account

Components for meaningful goals:

Functionality

Generality

Ease of integration

Measurability

Hierarchical relationship

Delivering Individualized Services

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Reviewed at least annually
Reevaluation occurs every three years

Age 3 to 21 years

Developed within thirty days following the evaluation

Should be developed before a placement recommendation

Participants: Parent/s or Legal Guardian, Teacher (General and Special Educator), Individual who can interpret evaluation results, District Representative

Delivering Individualized Services

Elements of a meaningful IEP

Current performance

Goals

Special education and related services

Participation with typical students

Participation in state- and district-wide assessments

Dates and places

Transition services

Measuring progress

Age of majority

Delivering Individualized Services

Section 504 Accommodation Plans

Who is eligible?

Student referred for Special Ed but does not qualify for IDEA

Individuals who are no longer eligible for services under IDEA

Students with history of substance abuse

Victims of abuse and neglect

Students with health needs such as diabetes or asthma

Student with a low IQ but who is not considered intellectually disabled

Delivering Individualized Services

Types of accommodations:

Preferential seating

Extended test time

Rest periods during the school day

Tape-recorded lessons

Modified attendance policies

Oral testing options

Peer note-taker

Outlines and study guides

Textbooks kept at home

Transition

The process of moving from one type of placement to another.
Key elements of this process include planning, coordination, cooperation, and follow up.
Vertical transitions occur across settings within the same time frame.
A horizontal transition refers to the provision of multiple services typically offered by different providers and delivered at different locations.

Transition

Three goals of transition planning process:

Ensure continuity of service

Minimize disruption of the family system

Promote individual’s functioning in the natural environment

Child involvement

Match between child abilities and requirements of new facility

Starting point

Transition

Family involvement

Attendance at meetings

Active role in decision making process

Professional involvement

All professionals need to work together on goals

Attempt to minimize difference between sending and receiving environments

Transition

Steps for Planning Effective Transitions

Form a transition team

Schedule meetings

Identify possible receiving settings

Identify basic transition tasks

Agree on assignments

Establish timelines

Decide communication procedures

Transition

Steps for Planning Effective Transitions, cont.

Agree on pre-placement activities

Plan for follow-up activities

Place child

Provide consultation and therapy services

Follow-up and evaluate

Chapter Summary

Full inclusion has been a controversial subject in the field of education for decades.

Although maximum integration is endorsed by many, placement decisions should always take into consideration the

child’s best interest.

Chapter Summary

Delivery of services must be designed to meet the individual needs of children and their families.

Early childhood educators should always be reminded that team collaboration is key to successful early intervention.