What is special education?
The special education teachers’ responsibilities usually fall into three categories: direct teaching (and preparing for it), preparing appropriate reports and other paperwork, and collaborating with other professionals and parents.
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and community than would be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.
Common special needs include learning difficulties, communication challenges, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, and developmental disorders. Students with these kinds of special needs are likely to benefit from additional educational services, different approaches to teaching, access to a resource room and use of technology.
Intellectual giftedness is a difference in learning and can also benefit from specialized teaching techniques or different educational programs, but the term "special education" is generally used to specifically indicate instruction of students whose special needs reduce their ability to learn independently or in a classroom, and gifted education is handled separately.
The opposite of special education is general education. General education is the standard curriculum presented with standard teaching methods and without additional supports.
What special education teachers do
The special education teachers’ responsibilities usually fall into three categories: direct teaching (and preparing for it), preparing appropriate reports and other paperwork, and collaborating with other professionals and parents.
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and community than would be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.
Common special needs include learning difficulties, communication challenges, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, and developmental disorders. Students with these kinds of special needs are likely to benefit from additional educational services, different approaches to teaching, access to a resource room and use of technology.
Intellectual giftedness is a difference in learning and can also benefit from specialized teaching techniques or different educational programs, but the term "special education" is generally used to specifically indicate instruction of students whose special needs reduce their ability to learn independently or in a classroom, and gifted education is handled separately.
The opposite of special education is general education. General education is the standard curriculum presented with standard teaching methods and without additional supports.
When do you need special education?
In order to qualify for special education a child must be diagnosed as having a disability and the disability must be found to "adversely affect educational performance" so as to require special services.
Referral and evaluation for special education varies widely. For children with severe disabilities, a physician and the parents usually identify and refer the child to our special education teachers. Other disabilities or deficits in the child's developing physical and cognitive abilities may be identified by teacher and parent observation or revealed by academic or developmental tests. Most school districts have standardized programs to screen large numbers of children between kindergarten and third grade. Other disabilities may be subtle or compensated for, such as dyslexia, and may not be discovered until demands on the student increase in college.
After referral, a meeting is held to determine whether the child should be assessed or evaluated to determine the type of disability he or she may have.
Tests attempt to identify the cognitive (academic), social, or physical tasks that the child has difficulty performing and why the difficulty exists, i.e., what disability or disabilities are present. Tests may include: reading, writing, spelling, and math tests; psychological or intelligence tests; speech and language; vision and hearing tests; or an examination by a physician. Parents must consent to all testing, evaluation, and placement and can appeal most decisions if they disagree with the conclusions.
How to get a special education teacher
Our tutors can refer their students to our special education teachers if they suspect that there are underlying causes to the students learning roblems.
Schools can also contact a spec ed teacher listed on our website if they want spec ed teaching for a student, diagnosis of a learning problem and a report on the learning status of a student. We also have school psychologists who work with the spec ed teachers and the tutors if one of the following is needed:
Evaluation
- Evaluate eligibility for special services.
- Assess academic skills and aptitude for learning.
- Determine social-emotional development and mental health
- status.
- Evaluate learning environments.
If you or your child needs help of a spec ed teacher please go to spec ed teachers list to get information on how to contact one in your neighborhood.
To contact a school psychologist please go to the school psychologists list.