Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Chapter 10/How can we account for individual differences (Special Ed.)? 3

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By Kristen Danielsen

In today's public schooling system, accounting for individual differences is very critical, as it affects how many students learn, and how much knowledge they retain. Accounting for individual differences in a special education classroom is vital. There are several reasons an individual may be on a roster for a special education class as well as several categories of special education. For example, one student may be diagnosed as Emotionally Disturbed or ED. Unitsevenschools.com defines Emotionally Disturbed as the inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. Some examples of ED behaviors are moods of anxiety, unhappiness or depression or inappropriate behaviors or feelings under normal learning conditions. Another category that is listed under special education is Mental Retardation, or MD. Healthatoz.com refers to mental retardation as the developmental disability that first appears in children under the age of 18, and is considered below the average on an intellectual functioning level as measured my standard IQ tests. There are even subcategories of mental retardation, such as mild, moderate, severe and profound retardation. In addition, there are many other characteristics and specifications that can cause an individual to become a student in a special education classroom. Considering that not every single student inside of a special ed classroom has the same disability, teachers must account for their individual differences. Some students will have a hard enough time learning the material presented to them, so special education teachers must make special accommodations for every single one of their students. Accommodating is the best way to account for each students personal needs. According to an Individualized Program Planning found on ERIC.ed.gov, accommodations is a change or alteration in the regular way a student is expected to learn, complete assignments or participate in classroom activities. After determining or learning what kind of disability the student has, accommodations should be considered to ensure that the student will be able to understand and demonstrate knowledge to his or her ability. Teachers also need to ask themselves the following questions for each student in their classroom: "What will help this student learn better?" By answering this question first, teachers will be able to form a curriculum or can accommodate the current curriculum to help the student learn most efficiently. Second question that needs to be answered, How has this student been taught to use? The answer to this question will make the classroom individualized for each student because the teacher would have already made prior arrangements if specific materials were needed. Answering these questions will help the teachers make the appropriate accommodations for each student. The Individual Program Planning has identified three general types of accommodations: environmental, instructional, and assessment accommodations.

{Good information, but where are your questions? Sonya Tinker}

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