The Who's and Why's of Special Education

After reading Ch. 1, I have learned a lot about who is eligible to receive special education and why we have special education. But first, it is important for us to recognize the law and acts that have been passed to make all of this possible. For example, IDEA, Brown vs. BOE, No Child Left Behind Act, Section 504, and many more. All of these together have made it possible for kids with special needs to have the chance and ability to learn at and attend public schools just like all other children. It protects them from inequality when it comes to education. It allows them to be educated in general classroom settings with the other kids that do not have special needs.

I thought it was so interesting to read about who qualifies for special education. The list goes as follows:

• Learning Disability (LD): when there are difficulties in reading, writing, and computing. It is the most common disability and half of special needs students have LD.
• Speech of language impairment (SLI): difficulty producing the sounds of language or meaningfully using language to communicate.
• Intellectual Disability (ID): limitations in intellectual ability and adaptive behavior.
• Emotional Disturbance (ED): problems in the social-emotional area where learning is affected.
• Autism: a neurological disorder where the person cannot make social interactions and connections and have difficulty in social responsiveness. It may be mild or severe.
• Hearing Impairment (HI): partial or complete hearing loss.
• Vision Impairment (VI): partial or complete vision loss.
• Deaf-Blindness: where there is both significant hearing and vision loss.
• Orthopedic Impairment (OI): physical limitations that makes it difficult to move or complete motor activities.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): when learning, behavior, social skills, and language are affected due to a serious brain injury.
• Other Health Impairment (OHI): a health disorder that is so significant it affects learning. ex. cancer, sickle-cell anemia, and diabetes.
• Multiple Disabilities: where there are two or more disabilities simultaneously. Usually physical and intellectual. 
• Developmental Delay (DD): a category that can be used as an alternative to specific disability labels.

Because of the laws and acts that have been passed, these students are protected and reserve the rights to receive the same education in general education settings coupled with special education classes. It is then the educators responsibility to make modifications and accommodations to the students needs, as created by IDEA. I think its great that these students are receiving education in this way because it allows them to learn to make those social connections and grow rather than just be around other kids with special needs.