·
How is a student
identified for special education referral?
A parent, or administrator, or a counselor
recognizes a consistent need or problem exhibited by the student. The needs could be cognitive, behavioral, or
physical in nature that a general educator is not trained to deal with.
·
Who takes
responsibility for the progress of the child before and after the referral?
If
the parent and the counselor agrees to give special support to the student, a
special education professional that has received training in methods for
dealing with special needs students accompanies the student to their
classes. And works collaboratively with
general educators to share in the responsibility for ensuring that the students
with identified disabilities will meet with success.
·
What is the school
administration's directive for special education?
Our
school administrators directives on special education come from DoDEA policies
with state:
DoD
Instruction 1342.12, "Provision of Early Intervention and Special
Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents."
In DoDEA, special
education and related services are available to eligible students, ages 3
through 21 years of age. To be eligible for special education:
·
The child must have an
identified disability;
·
The disability must
adversely (negatively) affect the child's educational performance; and
·
The child must require a
specially designed instructional program.
·
What provisions are
made for students identified for special education?
Typically
at the High School level, the student is given an assistant which accompanies
him / her to their classes to assist.
They are also given other classes with a specialized set of curriculum
designed for the particular special need.
·
What is the level of
parent involvement in referral process and special education?
If a child is approved as eligible for special education,
the parent must then approve the program.
The special educators also train the parent in understanding what they
can do to better enable their child toward success.
Summary of Teacher Interviews:
If
I recognize the student is struggling with academic, emotional, or physical
disabilities the teachers suggested the most appropriate course of action is to
refer them to a counselor who is specifically trained in such matters. These teachers, generally, identified said
students by their consistent struggle to keep up with standardized
expectations. Before being accepted into a special education program, the
teachers explained that they employed various teaching methods that
consistently work on students without disabilities.
·
What are the signs of
a struggling student?
·
Are there alternate
methods of instruction tried out before referring the student for special
education? If yes, what are they?
