EDUC211

FOUNDATIONS OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE

EDUCATION

MODULE 4:

Chapter 4:
Components of Special and
Inclusive Education
 Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

• Enumerate the process involved in Child Find through a pre-referral process;

• Identify the assessment tools, methods, and principles in working with children
with additional needs;
• Identify the different placements within a continuum;
• Compare accommodations and curricular modifications; and
• Identify ways how to involve parents as part of the home-school collaboration.

Activity

Story to tell.
 Getting to a school where children with special needs can learn is very daunting
enough. Nonetheless, an external barrier such as a disability may prove too difficult to
resolve in areas that are underprivileged or underserved. Children with disabilities may
experience several types of exclusion, often restricting their group involvement. It can
also mean that they don't go to school, or they don't get the support they need. Read
the article below.

Analysis

• How has Amir improved his talent?

By workinghard and passion.

• Describe the role of Karuna Foundation in aiding Amir.

They’re his bridge. They gave shelter and supports on Amir dream.
• What is the implication of developing Amir’s talent?
With hardwork and passion, he’s reaching his dreams and got acknowledge. He shows
his emotions to the painting.

Abstraction
 This lesson presents the procedures for implementing child find and its
governing laws and policies. This aligns with the goal of special and inclusive
education which is the integration of learners with special needs into regular
classrooms or mainstreaming but still meet their individual needs, and
eventually, they can participate in the community. In this lesson, you are
expected to analyze the procedures in implementing child find in special and
inclusive education. Discussions and interactive activities are made available for
you to reinforce your learning for this particular lesson.

I. CHILD FIND

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.

Who is covered by Child Find?

Children with disabilities from birth through age 21 are covered. This
includes children who are being home-schooled or who are in private school.
Child Find requires school districts to have a process for identifying and
evaluating children who may need special education and related services such
as counseling or a specific type of therapy. Even infants and toddlers can be
evaluated. They could then receive help for learning disabilities and
developmental delays through the government’s early intervention programs.
These programs help parents find out if their young children are on track. Then,
if needed, the programs can connect families with appropriate services early in
the child’s life.
Parents whose children don’t attend public schools may not know what kind of
help is available. Schools use various methods to reach those families. Outreach
efforts can include local media campaigns, notices to parents, and notices
posted in public places.
How do we find babies, toddlers, and preschoolers?
 Inform hospitals and local physicians.
 Interagency agreements with public health and early intervention.
 Public announcements
 Newspapers
 Posters in school offices
 Flyer at the post office
 Grapevine
 Church organizations

Components of the Child Find Program

 Clues that child might have a disability

 Parents tell a special education teacher or principal that they suspect a child
has a disability.
 A student is struggling academically, functionally, socially, and/or
emotionally.

A comprehensive Child Find System includes at least seven major

elements:

1. Definition of Target Population:

The state defines the criteria that determine which children are eligible for
help. Some states expand the target population to include at-risk children,
not just those who have disabilities or developmental delays.
2. Public Awareness:
The state raises public awareness about children who need help and the
services available to them, targeting parents, caregivers, educators,
school staff, physicians, and others.
3. Referral and Intake:
A child is referred for services; specific procedures vary, depending on
the specific place.
4. Screening and Identification:
The child is screened for possible disabilities or developmental delays.
5. Eligibility Determination:
Results of the screening are compared to the state’s eligibility guidelines,
which must be consistent with federal regulations.
6. Tracking:
The state tracks and follows up with children who are receiving services.
7. Interagency Coordination:
 Some states have multiple agencies that share responsibilities mandated
by IDEA. Resources must be coordinated to ensure the availability of
services.

How does the Child Find Program Works?

Public awareness and professional training are critical for successful

Child Find programs. For example, Mrs. Dela Cruz is a teacher at Early Learning
Preschool. She notices that Nicole rarely makes eye contact, does not respond
to her name, and speaks infrequently. From her participation in Child Find
activities, she recognizes that these signs indicate possible autism spectrum
disorder (ASD). Mrs. Dela Cruz follows her state’s Child Find policies for
notifying Nicole’s parents that she is being referred for screening for a possible
disability. Once Nicole’s parents provide their consent for her evaluation, it must
be completed within the state-specified time frame.
The referral of a child can sometimes be a delicate situation. Parents may
be less than receptive to the idea that their child might have a disability.
However, it is always best for the teacher to follow Child Find policies,
regardless of how the parents may respond. Once notified of the referral, the
parents do have the legal right to refuse evaluation and services. Furthermore,
an evaluation can bring peace of mind: the evaluation team might conclude that
the child does not have a disability, or if he or she does, that needed help is
readily available.

II. ASSESSMENT

This lesson presents the process of assessment in special education. This

aligns with the goal of special and inclusive education, which is the integration of
learners with special needs into regular classrooms or mainstreaming but still
meet their individual needs, and eventually, they can participate in the
community.

Assessment is the process of collecting information about a child’s strengths

and needs. It uses a problem-solving process that involves a systematic
collection as well as interpretation of data gathered (Salvia et al. 2013).
Teachers and administrators make instructional decisions based on the
assessment results.

Importance of Assessment
The importance of assessment should never be underestimated. In special
education, you will work with many professionals from different fields. You are
part of a team, often referred to as a multidisciplinary team that tries to
determine what, if any, disability is present in a student. The team’s role is
crucial because it helps determine the extent and direction of a child’s journey
through the special education experience (Pierangelo and Giuliani, 2006).
Consequently, the skills you must possess to offer a child the most global,
accurate, and practical evaluation should be fully understood. The development
of these skills should include good working knowledge of the following
components of the assessment process to determine the presence of a
suspected disability:
 Collection: The process of tracing and gathering information from the
many sources of background information on a child such as school
records, observation, parent intakes, and teacher reports.
 Analysis: The processing and understanding of patterns in a child’s
educational, social, developmental, environmental, medical, and
emotional history.
 Evaluation: The evaluation of a child’s academic, intellectual,
psychological, emotional, perceptual, language, cognitive, and medical
development to determine areas of strength and weakness
 Determination: The determination of the presence of a suspected
disability and the knowledge of the criteria that constitute each category.
 Recommendation: The recommendations concerning educational
placement and programs need to be made to the school, teachers, and
parents.

Purpose of Assessment

Assessment in educational settings serves five primary purposes:

 Screening and identification: to screen children and identify those who
may be experiencing delays or learning problems
 Eligibility and diagnosis: to determine whether a child has a disability
and is eligible for special education services, and to diagnose the specific
nature of the student's problems or disability
 IEP development and placement: to provide detailed information so that
an Individualized Education Program (IEP) may be developed and
appropriate
decisions may be made about the child's educational placement
 Instructional planning: to develop and plan instruction appropriate to the
child's special needs
 Evaluation: to evaluate student progress. (Pierangelo and Giuliani, 2006)

Common assessments in special education include:

Individual Intelligence Tests: As the name suggests, individual intelligence
tests are administered to student one-on-one.
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC): The school psychologist
usually administers this test, which measures a student’s intelligence in a
variety of areas, including linguistic and spatial intelligence. This is a
norm-based test, meaning that student performance is measured against
the performance of students at various grade levels.
• Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale (derived from the Binet-SimonTest): The
school psychologist or special education team administers this test,
which, like the WISC, is also norm-referenced. The questions are
designed to help educators differentiate between students performing
below grade level because of cognitive disabilities and those who do so
for other reasons.

Group Intelligence Tests: Group intelligence and achievement tests are often
administered in the general education classroom. It is through these types of
tests that a teacher might first suspect that a student has a learning disability.
These tests have two functions, measuring academic ability as well as a child’s
cognitive level.

Skill Evaluations: Specialists such as the school speech pathologist and the
child’s general practitioner use certain diagnostic measures for determining a
child’s gross motor skills, fine manipulative skills, and hearing, sight speech, and
language abilities. Teachers typically refer parents to a pediatrician or specialist
so that the student can receive a full physical and evaluation as part of the
process of gathering the evidence necessary to develop an individual education
program (IEP).

Developmental and Social History: The child’s classroom teacher, parents,

pediatrician and school specialists help formulate this narrative assessment.
They may fill out checklists, answer questions, participate in an interview or write
a report addressing a child’s strengths, challenges and development (or lack
thereof) over time. The focus here is on issues such as the child’s health history,
developmental milestones, genetic factors, friendships, family relationships,
hobbies, behavioral issues and academic performance.

Observational Records: Anyone who works with the child can provide
information about the child’s academic performance and behavioral issues.
Daily, weekly and monthly observational records that show a child’s
performance over time typically fall into the domain of the general education
teacher, as he or she is the individual working most closely with the child
regularly. The general education teacher also typically has a firm notion of how a
child’s work and behavior compare to that of other students of the same age and
grade level.
Samples of Student Work: The general classroom teacher also provides most
of the evidence in this domain. A folder of assignments, tests, homework, and
projects can provide a snapshot of a child’s abilities and challenges in
performing grade-level work. A more nuanced portfolio, which may include a
research project, a writing assignment with several drafts, or samples of work
throughout a thematic unit, affords the materials for an in-depth investigation of a
child’s learning style, thought process, and ability to engage in critical thinking
tasks.

Who and what is involved in the assessment?

1. Anyone involved in the child’s life and education might suspect a learning
disability or similar issue and ask specialists to explore it further
2. The first person to conduct an informal assessment is typically the classroom
teacher, though a guardian or pediatrician might start the assessment
process. At this point, the teacher should review student work and conduct
more formal observations of student behavior and performance to note any
issues.
3. A classroom teacher or pediatrician might request a referral to a medical
specialist, therapist, psychologist, or another specialist to focus on a
particular area of concern. These individuals keep written records of findings
and should write descriptions of any discussions concerning the child.
4. The school’s special education department or student study team begins
informal and formal evaluations. They will request that the classroom teacher
and other individuals working with the child submit any evidence gathered.

Assessment and Federal Law

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Public Law 105-476, lists
13 separate categories of disabilities under which children may be eligible for
special education and related services. These are:
 Autism: a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and
nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before
age 3
 Deafness: a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in
processing linguistic information, with or without amplification
 Deaf-blindness: simultaneous hearing and visual impairments
 hearing impairment: an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or
fluctuating
 Mental retardation: significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning
existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior
 Multiple disabilities: the manifestation of two or more disabilities (such as
mental retardation- blindness), the combination of which requires special
accommodation for maximal learning
 Orthopedic impairment: physical disabilities, including congenital
impairments, impairments caused by disease, and impairments from other
causes
 Other health impairment: having limited strength, vitality, or alertness due
to chronic or acute health problems
 Serious emotional disturbance: a disability where a child of typical
intelligence has difficulty, over time and to a marked degree, building
satisfactory interpersonal relationships; responds inappropriately behaviorally
or emotionally under normal circumstances; demonstrates a pervasive mood
of unhappiness, or tends to develop physical symptoms or fears
 Specific learning disability: a disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language,
spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,
think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations
 Speech or language impairment: a communication disorder such as
stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or a voice impairment
 Traumatic brain injury: an acquired injury to the brain caused by an
external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or
psychosocial impairment, or both
 Visual impairment: a visual difficulty (including blindness) that, even with
correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance

III. PLACEMENT

What does placement mean in special education?

Placement refers to the amount of time each school day that a student
spends in the resource or a general education classroom. The school district is
required to have a range of placements where your child can be taught,
including in the general education classroom.
Placement needs, ARDC (Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee). This
is a specific meeting where teachers and other support staff bring their expertise
on education, and you bring your expertise on your child – their needs, abilities,
and desires, and your expectations.
Together, you write the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Special Education Placement Options
In deciding the child’s placement, the ARD committee must make sure that the
child spends as much of their school day (as is appropriate) with children who do
not have disabilities. This includes academic, non-academic, and after-school
activities. This part of IDEA is called Least Restrictive Environment or LRE. And,
in this case, the word "appropriate" follows the definition of Free Appropriate
Public Education (FAPE).
The LRE for children with disabilities depends on each child’s unique needs. It’s
important to know that the school district cannot use a “one size fits all”
approach to educating children who have disabilities.

What is Least Restrictive Environment?

The least restrictive environment (LRE) isn’t a place; it’s a principle that
guides your child’s educational program. The word “environment” makes LRE
sound like a place. But it is more about your child’s educational program. Where
your child learns is only one piece of the program (Morin, 2020).
IDEA says two things about LRE that are important to understand when working
with the IEP team:
Your child should be with kids in general education to the “maximum
extent that is appropriate.”
Special classes, separate schools, or removal from the general education class
should only happen when your child’s learning or thinking difference—a
“disability” under IDEA—is so severe that supplementary aids and services can’t
provide your child with an appropriate education. A keyword here is appropriate.
It refers to what’s suitable for your child. Sometimes, putting a child in a general
education classroom isn’t suitable because a specific service or program can’t
be provided there.
The Educational Setting
There are some common placements in which students might get specific
services. Teams of trained teachers and aides are in all types of placements.
A student could be placed in a single setting all day or spend parts of the day in
different settings. For example, a student in a mainstream education classroom
all day might receive special education services in the same general education
classroom as part of regularly scheduled instruction time. Or, a student might go
to different educational settings for part – or all – of the day to receive special
education services.
Here are some educational settings your child could have:
• Mainstream (many people refer to this as General Education): Many
students receive special education and related services in a general
education classroom where peers without disabilities also spend their
 days. This is called inclusion. Some services that a student might receive
in a mainstream setting include: direct instruction, a helping teacher, team
teaching, co-teaching, an interpreter, education aides, modifications or
accommodations in lessons or instruction, or more teachers per student.

• Resource: This is a class for students who receive special education

services and need intensive help to keep up with grade-level work. The
class may have 1 or 2 students, or may have many students. However,
students receive instruction or support based on their unique needs. The
number of minutes your child spends in a resource class must be written
into the IEP.

• Self-Contained Programs: This is a general term for placements for

which the student needs to receive services outside of the general
education classroom for half of the school day or more. Placement in a
self-contained classroom has to be based on a student’s unique needs,
not on the disability alone.

IV. ACCOMMODATIONS

Technical Definitions:
 are supports and services provided to help a student access the
general education curriculum and validly demonstrate learning Ferry
(2011).
 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 & Shneider, 2020).
 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. Examples: Large
Prints, Braille, Audiotape, Tactile Graphics, Magnifier

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

Setting — A change in the environment where a child learns.

Examples: Reduce distractions to the student, change setting to permit
physical access, change setting to allow the use of special equipment

Timing and Scheduling Accommodations—Increase the allowable

length of time to complete an assessment or assignment and perhaps
change the way the time is organized.
Examples: Extended time, frequent breaks, change of activities

Accommodation in Perspective:
If a child has a visual impairment, would we deny him glasses to help his
vision? Glasses or contacts are an accommodation used by many people. It
would not be reasonable to say that if a person was denied glasses or contacts,
they would just “learn” how to see without that support.

Modifications: Technical Definition

• 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).
General Modifications

 Quantity: Modify the number of items that the child is expected to learn or
complete.
Example. Only completing the addition portion of a math
assignment that also includes subtraction, multiplication, and
division.
 Output: How a student responds to instruction.
Example. Instead of writing an essay, they may be given multiple
choice questions.
Curriculum Modifications in Special Education in the Philippines
(Adopted from Article V, Policies and Guideline of Special Education in the Philippines)
This section presents the curricular schemes which may be adopted for special
education programs depending upon the needs of the special learners:

(1) The regular curriculum prescribed for regular children,

(2) The modified curriculum which is the regular curriculum with certain
adaptations to the needs of special children, such as the inclusion of
orientation and mobility for children with visual impairment, and
(3) The special curriculum is designed for children with special needs and is
aimed primarily at developing adaptive skills and/or their potential.

Modified Curriculum

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 the
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 any useful alternative special
education delivery system shall be established to reach those who cannot
avail of regular institution-based programs.

Instructional Programs for Special Education

(Adopted from Article VI, Policies and Guideline of Special Education in the Philippines)

The ultimate goal of special education shall be the integration or

mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and
eventually in the community. Below are the educational services for children with
special needs (CSNs) in the Philippines:

Resource Room Plan – 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 some time for special instructions by the SPED
teacher.
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 evaluate performance.
Special Class Plan (Self-Contained/Segregated Plan) – Under this plan, usually,
pupils with only one type of exceptionality label are enrolled in the special class.
This plan is needed for those with more severe problems which make it
impossible for them to learn in a regular classroom setting. At times, they may
be with their normal peers, but not usually in an academic situation.
Special Day School – This type of school serves specific types of children with
moderate to severe disabilities. It offers a range of trained special educators and
a comprehensive array of medical, psychological, and social services.
Integration/Mainstreaming – This refers to the enrolment of a child with special
needs in a regular class with support services.
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 into the
academic subjects when qualified. o 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.
Residential School – The reason for placing a child in a residential school is
based on the premise that he can make greater progress in such a 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 counseling 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 the
operation, accident, or temporary illness, the disturbed, and the retarded pupils.
Services are provided by either a full-time itinerant teacher who instructs each
pupil in his own home about three times a week or the regular class teacher who
instructs her temporarily homebound pupils.
Note: A combination of plans may be considered where special children are not
concentrated in a particular geographic area; where there are not enough
children to justify employing more than one teacher or where the spread is great;
and/or where a variety of services is not feasible.

V. PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Parent Education and Community Involvement

(Adopted from Article XII, Policies and Guidelines in Special Education)

The constitution is clear on the importance of parental involvement in the

education of their children. Parents of children with special needs are
valuable members of the educational team in the program of rehabilitation
for the independent living of their children. The basic requirements under the
policies and guidelines in special education are that parents must:

 Parent education shall be a necessary component of the special

education program. As early as possible, parents shall be made aware of
 their children's handicaps and the intervention strategies needed to help
facilitate each child’s academic, social-emotional and communicative
development.

 Parents shall be provided with information and a process of sharing

experiences continuously with other parents experiencing similar
problems.

 Parents of children with special needs shall be directly involved in the

planning of educational and special services for their children. They shall
be helped to develop confidence in their abilities to cope with, care for
and teach their disabled children.

 The family of the child shall be involved in the process of habilitation and
rehabilitation. It shall be encouraged as the major rehabilitation unit.

 The training of trainers from among community volunteers, including

parents and family members of children with special needs, in basic
special education techniques as part of the community-based or home-
based rehabilitation services shall be conducted to promote programs on
early identification and intervention and to enhance home-school
relationships.

Understanding Parents and Families of Children with Disabilities

 All parents and family members must adjust to the birth of a child with a
disability or the discovery that a child has a disability.

Note: This adjustment process is different for each parent, and educators
should not make assumptions about an individual parent’s stage of
adjustment

 There are nine roles and responsibilities that parents of children with
disabilities must fulfill:

caregiver provider teacher

 behavior
parent of siblings
counselor management
without disabilities
specialist

advocate for
information school and
marriage partner
specialist community
services

 A family member’s disability affects parents and siblings without

disabilities in different ways during the different life-cycle stages.
 Respite care – the temporary care of an individual with disabilities by
nonfamily members – is critical support for families with children with
severe disabilities.
 Parent-to-parent groups give parents of children with disabilities support
from veteran parents who are experiencing similar circumstances and
challenges.
 Parents can and should learn to help teach their children with disabilities.

Parental Rights

One of the constitution’s foundational principles is the right of parents

to participate in educational decision-making regarding their child with a
disability. The law is very specific about what school systems must do to
ensure that parents have the opportunity to participate if they so choose.

Parents Rights Which means that …

Parents have the right to obtain You have the right to have your child evaluated by
independent educational professionals from outside the school district if you
evaluations disagree with an evaluation that has been conducted by
the school district.
 Parents have the right to receive a The school is required to notify you beforehand if they
prior written notice any time the wish to:
school district plans to evaluate • Evaluate your child
the student schedules a meeting
• Determine whether your child is eligible for
where decisions will be made special education services
about the student’s eligibility or
educational placement or • Change your child’s evaluation or educational
refuses to evaluate or change the placement or plan.
student’s plan or placement.
Parents have the right to consent The school must obtain your written, informed consent
to evaluations and the school before they can evaluate your child or begin to provide
providing special education special education services to your child (following initial
services. evaluation and eligibility).
Parents have the right to have You have the right to see your child’s educational
access to their child’s educational records, to have copies, and to have the records
records. explained to you by school officials.
Procedures for resolving parents’ complaints against
Parents have the right to present school districts include:
and resolve a complaint. • Mediation
• Resolution meetings

Supporting Parental Involvement

No defined procedure can be held up as a best practice concerning
parental involvement. The key objective should be to maximize parental
involvement and to make the experience for parents as positive and supportive
as possible. The following practices should be adopted as the basic minimum to
support parental involvement:

Adequate Advance Notification

When parents are invited to a planning meeting, it is helpful if this invitation is extended
at least one week in advance of the proposed date. Planning can be particularly
important where parents are working or where they need to make childcare
arrangements.

Encourage practical involvement of parents

Parents often ask ‘What can I do to help my child?’ and teachers and professionals
should give this question some prior consideration. Parents may volunteer to undertake
a task, such as listening to their child read every evening. Parents may also be involved
in monitoring behavior, including supporting interventions by giving rewards.

Information in writing
It may be helpful if parents are given written information about the processes so that
they can understand their roles, rights, and responsibilities and know what to expect
from the process.

Parent-Teacher Communication
The use of a different form of communication (in-service program, home-school
notebook, parent-teacher conferences). Continued communication with the family is
critical to the success of the program.

GOOD PRACTICE – PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

In some situations, it may be better if the parents’ views are
sought before the planning meeting, either by informal meeting,
questionnaire, or telephone interview. These mechanisms need not be
overly time-consuming and allow professionals to be aware of parental
issues in advance of the meeting. This also allows parents to have a
structured framework to work through in advance of the meeting and may
help them to clarify their thoughts and have some sense of what to
expect.

Application

Instruction: Read and analyze the given situation. Use the necessary
accommodations and modifications. (5pts.)

Situation 1
Consider a situation where you are a teacher-adviser of a sixth-grade class.
Your school is the SPED center in your district and you have one student who has
ADHD mainstreamed in your classroom. Let us assume, that he cannot keep still in
his seat, bullies his seatmate, and runs around the room at any time. You are
planning to have collaborative work among your students in your next lesson. How
will you deal with this particular student and make sure he participates in the group
activity?
I’ll inform his parents that I’m going to conduct an activity and also make them aware of their
childs handicap. I will also set a prize for those who behave and for the winner of the activity
so that I could capture his attention and focus on the group activity.

Assessment

Read the different scenarios and answer each of the questions

comprehensively. (5pts. each)

When loved ones don’t understand your kid’s symptoms and behaviors, it can be
devastating.

Situation 1
Shannon was upset when her father asked her not to bring her seven-year-
old daughter, Pippa to a family wedding. Pippa has autism spectrum disorder (ASD),
a condition whose symptoms vary from child to child but can include repeating
phrases or words, making noises to self-soothe, becoming overwhelmed in
stimulating environments, and preferring less physical and eye contact than the
neurotypical child. Pippa’s grandfather said he didn’t want her to ruin the festivities
by being “disruptive.”

Situation 2
“It hurts worse when that response comes from family because they are
supposed to love you unconditionally,” Stephanie says. The mother-of-two has been
shamed at family gatherings for the atypical behavior of her two sons, Robert
(seven) and Andrew (10), both of whom are on the spectrum. In family settings, they
may refuse to eat what other people are eating, engage in self-soothing behaviors
like humming and bouncing in their seats and repeat certain expressions.
Stephanie’s uncle has told her, on more than one occasion, that the boys just need
corporal punishment. “He believes there is nothing wrong with them except poor
parenting,” she says.

1. What the parents should do to their child with special needs?

They should pay more attentions to their child and attend seminar so that
they could learn and know what to do to their childrens.

2. How would the child find a program that helps the identified children with
disabilities?
There are so many programs to be mentioned and all they have to do is to
consult to a doctor and ask for suggestions for a better program that can
help their childrens disabilities.
3. Describe the implication of the child finding the program for children with
special needs.
They should do a consultations and research to find a program that are
suitable to their child’s disabilities

4. Suggests coping strategies that will help the parents to understand the
situation of their child with special needs. Your answer could be in bullet
form.
 Give attention to the problems of their child and list it.
 Support and show affection to them.
 Solve the listed problems one at a time.
 Search and Provide the needs of their child.
 Teach them proper manner and have more patience to them.

Bacasmot, Jocelyn et al., “Foundations of Special and Inclusive Education”.

Project Write Ched XI, 2020
Halal et al. (2020). Foundations of Special and Inclusive Education. Rex
Bookstore. Philippines
Sample IEP Template