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What is special educa6on? Why is it necessary? And is it helpful?
Special educa6on is not just good educa6on for typical students but is instruc6on that differs
significantly from what is effec6ve for typical students (Kauffman et al., 2018). Special
educa6on is designed to help meet the educa6onal and unique needs of a student with any
type of disability. The curriculum is different from the students’ peers, so it beZer fits them as a
student. Not everyone learns the same and student should not be expected to learn the same
way. Special educa6on is necessary, because school is hard enough without having a disability.
Special educa6on helps students learn and stay with their peers as much as possible. Every
student deserves a chance at educa6on, even if their path to get there looks a liZle different.
“So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them” (“Bible
gateway passage: Genesis 1:27 – New interna6onal version, n.d.). “So, in everything, do to
others what you would have them do to you” (“Bible gateway passage: MaZhew 7:12 – New
interna6onal version, n.d.).
The Individuals with Disabili6es Educa6on Act (IDEA) en6tles every affected child in the
United States from infancy to young adulthood to a free appropriate public educa6on through
early interven6on (EI) and special educa6on services (Lipkin et al., 2015). The Individual with
Disabili6es Educa6on act was passed in 1975 by congress. This act was a response to the public
belief that there was a long-term benefit to educa6ng children with disabili6es. This act is
federally funded to all states for early interven6on services for infants, toddlers, and school
aged children with disabili6es to help pay for services that they may need in order to advance.
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IDEA does have several requirements that have to be followed. Each child has to be observed
and must receive an individualized educa6on program (IEP). An IEP describes the child’s specific
need and services. The goal of IDEA was always to provide free appropriate public educa6on
(FAPE) designed to meet the needs of the individual student through special educa6on and
related services (Colson & Smothers, 2018). The Individuals with Disabili6es Educa6on Act also
requires that students with disabili6es must be provided FAPE in the least restric6ve
environment (LRE) (Colson & Smothers, 2018).
There are many characteris6cs of students who receive special educa6on. Specific
learning disabili6es, speech or language impairment, other health problems, and au6sm is just
the start of the characteris6cs of children who will receive special educa6on. A lot of kids have
a speech delay and special educa6on keeps them that liZle extra help that they need to get
caught up. Au6sm is becoming one of the top disabili6es for children who receive special
educa6on. The number of children diagnosed with au6sm has increased to 1 out of every 150
(Loiacono & Allen, 2008). There are different ways to become eligible for special educa6on.
Children with disabili6es since birth or early childhood that have already been diagnosed by a
pediatrician arrive a public school with a diagnosis and transi6on plan in hand. The public
schools “accept” the diagnosis and set about designing and individualized educa6on program
(IEP) for the child (MacMillian et al., 1997). The services these children can receive are not
limited to speech therapy, audiology services, applied behavior analysis, psychological services,
physical and occupa6onal therapy, social workers, and so much more.
There are many different environments for educa6onal services to be delivered. The
least restric6ve way is full inclusion. The general educa6on classroom is viewed as the least
4
restric6ve environment (Orlich et al., 2016). Students that are in full inclusion all day long
usually have minor learning disabili6es. Such as a reading or math delay or a mild case of
au6sm. When a student is in inclusion all day the student will usually have a support person
that comes in and checks on them and provides them with a liZle extra help. The special
educa6on resource room would be more restric6ve than full inclusion. A resource room for
special educa6on where students with disabili6es are pulled throughout the day to a one on
one or small group session for extra help and support. In the resource room the students come
for specified periods of 6me for special training or services. They spend the other por6on of the
day in general educa6on classes (Hammill, 1972). A more restric6ve environment is the special
educa6on contained classroom (Orlich et al., 2016). Students that would be in the self-
contained classroom room usually have a severe disability. These can include severe au6sm,
some down syndrome children, non-verbal children, severe behavioral problems, etc. In a self-
contained classroom the children are in that room all day with maybe a thirty minute to an hour
excep6on where they will go to inclusion or to specials (Art, P.E. Computer). Not all students in
the self-contained classrooms get to go to inclusion class. Students in self-contained classroom
receive a handful of other services throughout the school day. These include applied behavior
analysis, speech, occupa6onal therapy, and more.
When it comes to general educa6on teacher they s6ll need to be aware of the laws
when it comes to special educa6on students. They need to know the laws and policies, so they
can deliver necessary and appropriate services to students with special needs (PaZerson, 2005).
Knowing what special services, they are provided will help them understand how to help that
student while they are in their care. It can help the teacher beZer know how to help the
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student learn, since they will probably learn different from the other students in class. The
general educa6on teachers also need to know and understand what an individualized educa6on
program (IEP) is and how to execute it with that student. Another important role of a general
educa6on teacher in special educa6on is to meet with special educa6on teachers on a regular
and provide informa6on necessary for modifica6ons and adapta6ons to be developed and
implemented (“Specific roles of general educators in serving students with disabili6es and their
parents,” 2013). This role is important, so the teacher can make sure the student is update on
what they need and how to help them succeed.
Special educa6on is important to help all children of all kinds succeed in life. Every child
no maZer what their disability deserves the same educa6on and opportuni6es that children
without disabili6es receive. The importance of having different levels on special educa6on is
that not every disability is the same and needs the same amount of support. It is important for
children with disabili6es to be included in regular general educa6on classes to get peer
interac6on and to make them feel the same as student without disabili6es. It is important for
general educa6on teacher to know how to help service students in their class with disabili6es,
so that they can succeed in their educa6on goals. The laws in special educa6on are in place to
make sure those students get the support they need. “If anyone has material possessions and
sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that
person?” (1 John 2:17). “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of
all who are des6tute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy”
(Proverbs 31:8-9).
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References
Adams, H. (n.d.). What does the Bible say about disabilities? Bible Study
Tools. https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-the-bible-
say-about-disabilities.html
Bible gateway passage: Genesis 1:27 - New international version. (n.d.). Bible
Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201%3A27&version
=NIV
Colson, T. L., & Smothers, M. J. (2018). FAPE, LRE, and related laws: Implications for inclusion and co-
teaching. Murray State's Digital
Commons. https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/ktej/vol5/iss1/1/
Hammill, D. (1972). The Resource-Room Model in Special Education.
journals.sagepub.com. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002246697200600
406?journalCode=seda
Kauffman, J. M., Hallahan, D. P., Pullen, P. C., & Badar, J. (2018). Special education: What it is and why
we need it. Routledge.
Lipkin, P., Okamoto, J., Norwood, K., Adams, R., Brei, T., Burke, R., Davis, E., & Friedman, S. (2015,
December 1). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for children with special
educational needs. American Academy of
Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/136/6/e1650/33895/The-
Individuals-With-Disabilities-Education-Act
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Loiacono, V., & Allen, B. (n.d.). ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS PREPARED TO TEACH THE
INCREASING NUMBER OF STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM? ERIC - Education Resources
Information Center. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ814449.pdf
MacMillan, D., Gresham, F., Bocian, K., & Siperstein, G. (1997). The Role of Assessment in Qualifying
Students as Eligible for Special Education: What Is and What's Supposed To Be.
Orlich, D. C., Harder, R. J., Trevisan, M. S., Brown, A. H., & Miller, D. E. (2016). Teaching strategies: A
guide to effective instruction. Cengage Learning.
Patterson, K. (2005). What Classroom Teachers Need to Know About IDEA'97. ERIC - Education
Resources Information Center. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ683477.pdf
Special education. (2017, March). Center for Parent Information and Resources | Your Central Hub for
Parent Centers Serving Families of Children With
Disabilities. https://www.parentcenterhub.org/iep-specialeducation/
Specific roles of general educators in serving students with disabilities and their parents. (2013). Project
IDEAL. https://www.projectidealonline.org/v/specific-roles-general-educators/
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