Chapter three Summary
Chapter three is titled Inclusion and Multidisciplinary Collaboration in the Early Childhood and Elementary School Years. The chapter gives a description of the characteristics of evidence based inclusive schools, defines multidisciplinary collaboration and identifies its key characteristics such as the perception of parents as active partners in the education of their children, the sharing of well understood responsibilities by team members and promotion of peer support and cooperative learning (Hardman et al, 2011).The chapter also explores the importance of the provision of early intervention services to children with disabilities the earliest possible (Hardman et al, 2011).
The components of an individualized family service plans are also discussed in the chapter and identified as; evaluation of a toddler’s current levels of physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social development and adaptive development, evaluation of the resource ability of the family and its priorities and concerns for the development of a child with disability, the major expected outcomes for the child and the family and the timelines for such outcomes, the identification of specific unique needs of the child from the service and the identification of a service coordinator (Hardman et al, 2011).
The chapter also delves in the use of the evidence based instructional approaches for preschool-age children with disabilities. These approaches involve the location of children with disabilities and taking appropriate referral actions, developing individualized education program with specialists, developing a method of instruction appropriate to teaching functional skills and the development of inclusive preschool classrooms where students with disabilities are educated together with those without disabilities (Hardman et al, 2011).
In this chapter, the role of teachers, both special education and general education teachers, were identified as being collaborators, consultants and coordinators, popularly referred to as the “Three C’s” (Hardman et al, 2011).
As a teacher, this content is critical in dealing with students with disabilities. It gives an insight on how the teacher will effectively deal with all the parties involved in the provision of education to students with disabilities in general classrooms in the most appropriate manner. From this chapter, I have been able to learn in detail the methods which I may apply to best develop the cognitive abilities of toddlers and young children who have special needs (Hardman et al, 2011).
Chapter Four
The chapter begins by evaluating the options of employment available to people with disability after they leave school. The educational opportunities available to disabled students under the law have not yet translated into their full integration into the economic and social structures of their communities. (Hardman et al, 2011).
Chapter four also delves into person centered transition planning and the steps involved in its implementation. The importance of students with disabilities to prepare for post high school life is also discussed in chapter four. The chapter also describes in detail the various government funded and natural support to people with disabilities and how they may be of help in the transition to adulthood of students with special needs (Hardman et al, 2011).
As a teacher, this reading has enabled me to develop a better idea of the challenges that students with special needs face in their transition from school to adulthood and how best I can deal with their situation to improve the skills and abilities of each student with special needs to allow for the smoothest possible transition from high school to adulthood. It has also offered an insight on how I can best develop the abilities, skills and academic performance of students with special needs to ensure that they are not in any way disadvantaged when they transition to adulthood (Hardman et al, 2011).
Reference
Hardman M. L., Drew C. J. & Egan M. W. (2011) Human Exceptionality: School, Community, and Family, 10th ed: Wadsworth, Cengage learning.
