Facilities

Facilities
Special education services are delivered in many different settings and facilities depending on the services to be provided, the age of the child, and the need for other related services. School districts must provide a full range of settings to meet individual needs of children with disabilities, but U.S. law requires that a child with a disability must be educated in the “least restrictive” setting. For example, children with mild disabilities may be educated in regular classrooms with or without teachers trained in special education. Some students with more severe disabilities require more restrictive settings, such as separate schools, hospitals, or modified facilities within their own homes.

In conventional classrooms, teachers trained in special education collaborate with other teachers to plan and carry out instruction for students with special needs. Children with severe health or behavioral problems may receive education services in separate facilities or hospitals from many different teachers and specialists. A child with severe behavior problems, for example, may receive a combination of education, mental health, and social services. Infants and toddlers with disabilities often receive assistance in the home or in community settings, such as a school or hospital. Such assistance, known as early intervention services, focuses on treating existing disabilities or preventing their occurrence. As older children with disabilities prepare for adult life, planning increasingly centers on functional skills within community, work, and living environments; continuing education and training; and identification of support services, as needed, in the community.

 

Instructional Services

Special education services make use of an extraordinary array of instructional methods and settings that make it possible for all students to learn. Special educators plan and evaluate instruction in an individualized manner to accommodate each child’s unique strengths and weaknesses. In planning instruction, teachers often use methods known as ecological assessments to consider environmental factors that influence learning, such as school, home, and community environments. Many students with disabilities receive instruction in traditional subjects, such as reading, writing, language, and math. To evaluate a student’s progress, teachers often rely on a method known as curriculum based assessment, which monitors progress within the student’s own curriculum rather than against the educational programs for other students.

Specific fields of special education address the needs of students with specific disabilities. These disabilities include (1) behavior disorders, (2) learning disorders, (3) mental retardation, (4) physical disabilities, (5) vision impairments, and (6) hearing problems. Special education also includes the field of education for gifted students.

For Students with Behavior Disorders

Instructors teach social skills to help all students demonstrate the behavior needed to develop and maintain satisfactory relationships with peers and others. When students with disabilities have problems with behavior, special educators often use principles of instruction known as applied behavior analysis, which analyzes and alters the sources or consequences of problem behavior. Behavior analysis consists of defining and analyzing the specific task to be learned, direct and frequent measurement of student performance, and providing systematic feedback to the student. Behavior modification techniques help students to deal with anger and other emotions, to solve problems better, and to manage their own behavior. See also Education of Students with Behavior Disorders.

For Students with Learning Disorders

Several different instructional techniques are used for students who have problems learning, remembering, and communicating information. Among these techniques is Direct Instruction, a method based on a systematic curriculum design and highly structured, fast-paced lessons in which students participate actively and often. Another method is known as learning strategies instruction, which is designed to teach a student specific learning skills, such as strategies to enhance memorization or problem-solving skills. Teachers may also help students to work around individual learning disorders. For example, teachers may allow a student with memory problems to use a tape recorder to dictate notes and record class lectures. See also Education of Students with Learning Disorders.