Abstract
This chapter explored the urgent need to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills in special education. The substantial increase in students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom is contributing to an educational achievement gap between students with learning disabilities and those without. Data collected for this study using an online survey completed by 75 teachers across the United States indicated that, despite having a large population of students with various learning disabilities in their classrooms, their experiences in teaching them ranged from none to intermediate. Some of the teachers indicated that they have never received IEPs to help them understand the students' learning disabilities, whereas others have no knowledge of the different instructional strategies they can use to effectively accommodate students' learning needs. This chapter indicates that if teachers were better prepared by receiving more training focused on inclusion and special education, all students could benefit.
TopIntroduction And Background
Several policies and laws which include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) made it mandatory for the inclusion of students with learning disabilities in regular classrooms. This meant that teachers can now assume the extra responsibility of understanding each of these students’ learning disabilities and create content and instruction specific to those needs (Gottfried & Kirksey, 2020). There has always been the conception that teachers are usually the first to identify children who may need special services and are usually the ones who refer children for evaluation. With more than half of the children with special needs being included in the regular classroom environment (Bocala, Morgan, Mundry, & Mello, 2010; Holdheide & Reschly, 2008), teachers’ understanding of special education is imperative. Of the most notable challenges many teachers encounter in general classrooms is how to support learners with special needs and help them reach their full potential. When teachers lack the knowledge and understanding of inclusive education, then they are not willing and able to accommodate students with special needs, and this results in anxiety rather than success (Yan & Deng, 2019).
To provide the best possible education for the students, teachers need to develop a teaching method or approach that would allow all students in the classroom to be heard, understood, have a sense of belonging and feel included (Larivee, 2000). To do so, teachers must understand what difficulties students face so that with the right instruction, students with impairments can attain a high quality of life in diverse aspects (Baker et al., 2015). Research indicates that, teaching in a diverse environment can seem challenging but with the right knowledge and experience, it can be rewarding and a worthwhile life experience. The mere placement of children with learning disabilities in classrooms is not enough because teachers also need to be aware of and understand inclusive practices to help such children reach their potential. Hindle et al. (n.d.) argue that “in providing accommodations for students with learning disabilities, we need to remember that the disability will not always be visible and will not always impact the student's ability to function in the educational environment in the same way” (para.4). To assist disabled students, teachers must know about the student’s disabilities and the school must provide facilities to enhance learning and comfort. Learning can only be effective if students ‘physical, social, and mental needs are met.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Inclusion: The idea of treating students equally in the classroom without bias. This treatment begins with understanding every student’s learning needs and being able to accommodate them without bias or indifference.
Special Education: Tailored education that accommodates the student’s learning needs, specifically those with learning disabilities.
Individualized Education Plans: This refers to an individualized learning plan created for students with learning disabilities. This plan identifies the student’s symptoms and how they prevent the student from learning properly. Depending on the symptoms, the plan identifies how modifications and accommodations can be provided to the student to combat the symptoms that prevent proper learning from taking place.
Regular Classroom: A classroom specifically designed for students believed to not have any learning disabilities that prevent them from learning properly. This classroom is believed to have students who are at the same level of understanding the material being taught as well as benefiting from the same instructional approach the teacher uses.
Contained Classroom: This is a classroom specifically designed for students with learning disabilities. Until recently, students with diagnosed learning disabilities were required to learn separately from regular students with the belief that this classroom will provide the learning environment suitable for their needs.
Instructional Models: Refers to the different teaching methods the teacher uses in the classroom. Each lesson plan has its own teaching style, but most importantly, these teaching styles are designed to make sure that every student fully comprehends the lesson or material being taught. Each student learns differently, and each instructional model is designed to meet the needs of each student, which mostly benefits those with learning disabilities.
Learning Disabilities: These are symptoms that prevent students from learning effectively in the classroom. Such disabilities can prevent a student from understanding the same material that other students are comprehending without difficulty, not able to learn at the same pace with other students as well as other physical disabilities that can prevent a student from hearing, see, read, or write.