CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION

Childhood Special Education

Childhood Special Education

Introduction

Special needs children are children who, due to significant medical, physical, cognitive, emotional, or learning issues, require different, usually complete accommodations from schools and learning environments than do classic children. For example, children with Dyslexia become easily lost and disoriented during regular class instruction because they do not understand the letters and words as easily as their classmates. Children with Cerebral Palsy may need to use a wheelchair, as well as other assistive devices, to help them navigate school grounds. Children with ADHD can require extra organizational support with regard to note-taking, homework and testing. Without the presence of classroom accommodations designed to address each of these children's special needs, they would likely fail to meet their academic potential. (Thorson, 2009)

Within the United States public education system, children's special needs protected by law. Special needs children are entitled to be educated according to an individualized education plan (IEP) designed to meet their unique educational needs which details the adjustments to traditional educational programming they require so as to best meet their learning needs. By accommodating these children's specialized learning requirements, social schools and educational systems work to ensure that each child can benefit from a formal education. (Wenner, 2009)

Early Childhood Education

IDEA requires local school districts to provide special education services to preschool aged children meeting eligibility requirements. Originally IDEA preschool programs limited to children between the ages of 3 and 5 years, but the most recent version of IDEA provides incentives for states to provide early intervention services to children from birth until 3 years who show developmental delays, or who are at risk for such delays. Being "at-risk" means that these children have biological, medical, or environmental characteristics that they share in common with children who later developed disabilities. The goal of these early childhood interventions is to prevent children from developing disabilities or to preventing disabilities from worsening before children enter school. (Frankena, 2010)

Children who may qualify for these services are infants or toddlers up to age 3 who: 1) diagnosed with a severe medical condition including but not limited to Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and brain injury or, 2) who have biological risks like low birth weight or premature birth or, 3) who have environmental risks such as extreme poverty, homelessness, parental substance abuse, abuse or neglect. Often pediatricians, birth hospitals, and other providers will connect families with their state's early intervention programming if they suspect a need. However, parents who were concerned can also ask their pediatrician, day care provider, or local school district about these services. (McCollum, 2009)

According to IDEA, these early intervention programs are intended to serve families in their natural environment, mainly at home, or even the hospital soon after birth. Sometimes, these programs will also include an office-based component for families to participate. Normally, families will have their first appointment at home with a nurse, social worker, or other community outreach worker assigned to them in the role of case ...