Special Education Pt.1 Module #5-(Readings) "Physical exceptionalities"

Discussion Board Response

After completing all readings, respond to the following on the Discussion Board: What is the role of support staff in supporting students with special education needs? What is the role of the teacher? What can you do, as the classroom teacher, to ensure that a student with EA or CYW support is not affected by 'responsibility by default'?



Topic 1: Physical Disability

Learning Goal

We are learning to...

we critically explore and integrate research in the scholarship of pedagogy into teaching practice.

Readings...

Special Education in Ontario Schools by S. Bennett, D. Dworet and K. Weber - Chapters 13 & 15

Teaching Assistants Don't Boost Pupils' Progress, report finds.pdf

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/sep/04/teaching-assistants-classroom-improvements



The Ontario Ministry of Education defines a Physical Disability as a condition of such severe physical limitation or deficiency as to require special assistance in learning situations to provide the opportunity for educational achievement equivalent to that of pupils without exceptionalities who are of the same age or development level.


Students with physical disabilities, including students with chronic health problems, often face challenges both socially and academically in school due to their conditions. These students may feel socially isolated for various reasons. They may be unable to participate in other activities that other students participate in or they may spend time alone receiving therapy, self-care or they may be working alone using adaptive technology etc.


With suitable accommodations many students with Physical Exceptionalities are able to complete a regular academic program. A regular classroom placement should be the first consideration. Those who are in self-contained special education classes are integrated into age or grade appropriate classrooms for academic and social opportunities. Due to mobility, safety and personal care needs, students with physical disabilities are sometimes supported by an Educational Assistant for the majority of the school day.


Blind and Low Vision


The Ontario Ministry of Education defines blind and low vision as a condition of partial or total impairment of sight or vision that even with correction affects educational performance adversely.


Children with visual impairments will often need the assistance of specialized teachers and equipment along with other accommodations to learn (e.g., Braille, optical aids, mobility assistance, etc.). Incidental learning does not happen with children with a visual impairment. They require support and direct teaching to learn things that other students may just pick up. It goes without saying, that a teacher must utilize all learning modalities to effectively have these students acquire concepts. Many students with a visual impairment often lack positive social skills and the ability to effectively interact with others. Many will experience isolation without support. Assistive technology and an inclusive classroom help them to achieve success.


“Responsibility by default is not unusual in the case of students with severe disabilities [and sometimes those without severe disabilities too]. Most of the time, it occurs when an educational assistant becomes the sole teacher, classroom caregiver, or even, unfortunately, the sole companion of a student with profound needs. The issue is a particularly difficult one to solve, for the student's needs are usually very demanding, and it is both realistic and sensible for the needs to be dealt with by the person who is most familiar and competent. Often this is the educational assistant."


“This type of management runs counter to the purpose of an inclusive classroom placement and is also antithetical to the objective behind placing a student in a self-contained class in a neighbourhood school.” (Bennett, Dworet & Weber, 2013, p. 201)


Topic 2: Students' Needs


Learning Goal


We are learning to...
enhance awareness of holistic learning environments conducive to the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, linguistic, cultural, spiritual and moral development of the student.


Readings...
Special Education in Ontario Schools by S. Bennett, D. Dworet and K. Weber - Chapter 7
Learning for All 2013.pdf , p. 42-50
http://www.teachspeced.ca/teaching-strategies-students-special-needs?q=node/663

Knowing what a student needs are requires an assessment. When are assessments completed? Teachers are assessing their students all day every day. There are formal assessments of course, but a teacher in a classroom performs student assessments continuously. They observe and monitor their students' academic progress, socialinteractions and behaviours as an integral part of their teaching day.


"Student needs are deficits in specific skills that impede academic, physical, behavioural and self help activities in daily living or social achievement. Student needs are determined by teachers and/or other professionals (sometimes through formal assessments) and in consultation with parents/guardians. Student needs can be effectively addressed through appropriate teaching strategies." Source: OTF's teachspeced.ca

https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/5b8eb30e9a185/57759?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27Teaching%2520Assistants%2520Don%2527t%2520Boost%2520Pupils%2527%2520Progress%252C%2520report%2520finds.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20190718T224132Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21599&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIBGJ7RCS23L3LEJQ%2F20190718%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=36e881c99ba4565a08a3e582a7ae5ede495f551e459a228b4ae860e77169a870

http://www.teachspeced.ca/teaching-strategies-students-special-needs?q=node/663

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First and foremost we as teachers are required to follow the standards of practice as outlined by the OCT; Professional Knowledge, Professional practice; Leadership in Professional Learning Communities; Ongoing Professional Learning. Each of these standards falls into areas that need to be inferred in a class by class situation. Just as a student doesn't choose their teacher; a teacher doesn't get to choose their students. It is recognized that some classes provide more challenging situations for teachers, but as a doctor takes an oath to save every life the same-regardless murdered, criminal, homeless-a teacher takes a role in educating the students equitably. There are myths and misunderstandings (I think), that make it clouded by the EA/TA, parents and Teacher about the roles of each in the classroom/outside of classroom.

The teacher is provided with an EA to help make a classroom a more effective learning environment for the students. parents are usually unaware that the EA is working under direction of the teacher/school board based on case by case needs/facts. In situations that an EA is needed, the parents are/should be working in a "team-based approach" to provide supports for their child, the student. The EA is under instruction and direction of the classroom teacher (http://autismontario.novosolutions.net/default.asp?id=77) which means the student will receive supports needed as observed by the school and teacher. The parents need to communicate and work with the school/teacher to provide background information on a day to day or week to week basis (however/whatever is reasonable in the particular situation). For students with diseases or disorders that have been familiarized in the school, usually the most times for communication are during transition periods.

In new occurring cases, the first year could be entirely focused on communication of observations taken in class, it depends on the case/situation. By no means does any of this put the teacher in a position of ease because the teacher still needs to provide curriculum insight and specialized instruction/differentiated content to the Ea/TA for student support. TA/EA support staff are exactly-support staff. If they were specifically teachers for that student, they would have their own classroom and be teaching curriculum designed for students with special needs. Again, this is from my perspective and understanding. I have never had support staff in any classroom I have been in, I would curious to see what the communication between, the teacher, parent and support staff would be like on a week-to-week basis in regards to functionality, who would contact the parents and who would be designing the modified instruction for the student-form my perspective it would be the teacher in both cases-am I right? or?

References:

https://www.oct.ca/public/professional-standards/standards-of-practice