Discuss the overall process that you went through in making decisions for the student in the case study. What did you learn? What part of the process was most difficult?

Mary Urich

SPE - 330

January 27, 2016

Placement Option for a Special Needs Student

Special education and such related programs are designed for those students who are physical, mentally, emotionally or socially delayed (Jain, 2011). In the Individuals and Disabilities Act (IDEA), these programs are defined as designed instructions cost-free for the parents meant to meet the unique needs of children living with a disability. The following discussion focuses on the three placement options and how the suitability to Jacob`s case. Jacob is a 5th-grade student with ADHD, emotional and behavioral disorder.

Inclusion Class

In the inclusion class, also known as the mainstream placement, the student is placed in a regular education class among his or her peers (Jain, 2011). However, along with the regular teacher, a special –education teacher is included in the classroom as an external observer. The duties of the special needs teacher are to develop and adjust the curriculum to the child`s abilities. The special needs teacher is a professionally trained to observe and learn the nature of the child`s needs. Hence, the teacher can best decide how the curriculum can be designed to suit the child`s need.

In inclusion classes, the benefit is that the child is not in isolation but gets to be with the other students in the mainstream of the school life. Since, the child is in the same class with the higher-achieving peers, the system may not provide the most intensive help the child requires. In Jacob`s case, due to his condition, he is not in good relation with his peers but seems interactive with younger kids and adults. Inclusion classes that would require Jacob to be with his peers would, therefore not work well for him.

Resource Room

A resource room is another placement method for students with special problems. In this kind of system, students who are identified as having problems in a particular subject may be moved to the Resource Room (Jain, 2011). In this room, there is a special needs teacher who works along with a group of special needs groups. The teacher therefore uses techniques that work most effectively for a special-needs population. Resource rooms are beneficial in that they help provide assistance only where the need arises as well as letting the student remain within the mainstream.

The resource room, however, lack the routine and structure of a self-contained classroom. Resource rooms are therefore more like the special tuition areas where the student gets help on the subject that is pulling them back. The aim of this placement method is to help the student achieve the same level of understanding as their grade-level work demands. The special needs teacher has to observe keenly and identify accurately the factor preventing the student from catching up.

The resource room placement method would not work effectively for Jacob since in the system; a child is allowed in the mainstream. Given the nature of Jacob`s problem, he cannot relate well to the peers and can therefore not be maintained in the mainstream along with the peers. Also, the resource room placement method is designed for students with problems only, in particular, subjects. Jacob, however, seems to have more than one subject problems since he is accessed to have 3rd-grade skill while he is in 5th grade.

Self-Contained Class

On the other hand, a self-contained class as a placement method refers to removing the special needs child from the general population and placing them in a controlled environment (Jain, 2011). In this controlled classroom setting, as with the other placement methods, the child is in the hands of a special needs teacher who acts in the capacity of a regular teacher. The special needs teacher will, therefore, observe the student closely and decide on how best to cope with the student.

In a self-contained classroom, the students may be using different academic levels with different resources compared to their mainstream friends. The students may use, different textbooks and at times, totally different curricula. Self-contained class placement method is, therefore, a different experience designed to help the student learn at an individual pace. The class is also custom made to suit the needs of the student. The class offers appropriate expectations, routine and structure though some students may require higher specialization.

The self-contained class is the best placement method to help Jacob. In this kind of placement method, Jacob is assured of learning at his individual level and may learn to socialize with people of his nature. In this placement method, Jacob gets to interact more with the teacher, and this gives enough time for the teacher to learn of Jacobs needs. The time helps to develop a curriculum that suits Jacob`s needs. In the self-contained class, Jacob does not have to struggle to keep up with other students which boost his self-esteem.

Other related services that would help improve or manage Jacob`s case are such as life skill training that could last till he turns 22 years old. In life skill training, Jacob is equipped with ways to overcome behavioral issues, social as well as academic issues. The training helps Jacob realize when he makes people uncomfortable and learns of how to relate better to other people. He could also learn to control his voice when speaking to other people who controls how other people relate to him.

Social Behavioral Skills (SBS) which is also known as applied behavioral skills is another related service that Jacob could be enrolled. In this program, Jacob will learn through the help of trained teachers how to make life decisions and social skills that promote self-responsibility with other students around him. This program goes a long way in helping Jacob relate well with his peers as he does with other people of different ages. Social skills will help Jacob have a feeling of self-motivation and responsibility, and maybe then, he could take his studies seriously.

Technology can be used to bring the special children into the general classroom so that they do not have to be singled out. Students with learning disabilities benefit a lot from assistive technology (AT) that embraces their strengths and minimizes their challenges. Assistive technology is available to help students with all kind of disabilities from physical impairments to cognitive problems. The use of technology in schools enhances learning, and this is an effective tool for most students. In that, the technology works for the students by eliminating their challenges (disabilities) and enhancing their strengths (abilities) (Almekhalfi & Tibi, 2012).

Just like any other kind of technology, assistive technology will help the students work easily and more quickly. Assistive technology is also designed to increase the student`s independence, such that they can do more work on their own (Almekhalfi & Tibi, 2012). The technology ranges for most elaborate and expensive to the simple and at low-cost depending on the family capability. Assistive technology includes enlarged texts for students with poor vision, and simplified computers for students with motor difficulties. Non-verbal students could use talking switches while students with reading problems can use computers that scans and reads books. The technology helps the teacher to select tools and materials that address the student`s strengths and weaknesses.

Cooperative or collaboration teaching is an approach in education where the special and the general teachers work in a coordinated way to teaching a heterogeneous class jointly (Obiakor, Bakken & Rotatori, 2010). The various models of this type of teaching include; alternative, parallel, team, one teach/one support, and station models of teaching. The best model of teaching, however, would be the team teaching where both teachers assume active roles and share the instructional role. Team teaching while properly implemented indicates evidence of both teachers working together to integrate their role in the lesson. The models present a chance for the teachers to work as equal partners in the lesson.

Team teaching model also allows for the teachers to share in the act of planning for the lesson, the teaching as well as the assessment of the processes (Obiakor et al. 2010). Consequently, the collaboration will involve all the aspects of curricula development, establishing instructions, evaluation, and behavior and classroom management. In this model, the teachers work as a team and are therefore expected to include a commitment regarding their skills and experience.

Summary

The most appropriate classroom setting for a student like Jacob would be the self-contained classroom setting. Since, in this kind of setting, Jacob is assured of learning at his individual pace and may learn to socialize with people of his nature. In this placement method, Jacob gets to interact more with the teacher, and this gives enough time for the teacher to learn of Jacobs needs. Also, there is no worry about making other people uncomfortable since having been isolated from the others, Jacob will not have to interact with them.

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards represents critical emphasis in the study of special education for teachers preparing to join in the field. There are some seven standards that the professionals should observe in the conduct of their duties. Some of the standards aligned with the self-contained class method of placement are the first two standards.

The first standard requires that the teacher understands the individual differences in learning for their students (Nagc.org, 2016). The teacher should also focus on the impacts of culture, family background and economic status on the student. In the self-contained class, the teacher has enough room and time to learn the student`s needs at a personal level. The second standard requires teachers to consider multiple learning environments for the student. The standard also requires teachers to create safe and culturally responsive environments for learning that the self-contained classes can provide (Nagc.org, 2016).

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