Students With Special Needs Other Than Disabilities: Chapter 8

Students with Special Needs Other Than Disabilities

Understanding Section 504:

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 guarantees that a child with a disability receives an education that is comparable to an education provided to those who do not have a disability.

Since it is a civil rights law, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is an educational law, a child who receives services under Section 504 does not benefit from the same mandates as a child who receives special education services under IDEA.

Modifications and accommodations under 504 usually refer to improving building accessibility, classroom accommodations and curriculum modifications.

Section 504 reads:

“No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall solely, by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance (this would include public schools).”

A child with a disability is one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities. Major life activities include: Caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.

Examples of Disabilities that Fall Under Section 504 Instead of IDEA:

• Children with a normal ability to learn academically, but who have mobility impairment, use a wheelchair, have a neurological disorder, or are missing a limb.
• Children with a normal ability to learn academically but who have a medical condition such as epilepsy, hemophilia, diabetes, AIDS, arthritis, allergies, asthma, tuberculosis, ADHD, cancer, spinal bifida and cerebral palsy.
• A child who has frequent referrals for behavioral problems or is under a doctor’s care for a psychological condition such as anxiety or depression.

What About ADHD.........

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

A condition defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. ADHD is diagnosed when an individual has chronic and serious inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that is more severe and occurs more frequently than in peers.

“Behavior Characteristics of students with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder”

Tips for Teachers

• Learn more about ADHD. The resources and organizations at the end of this publication will help you identify behavior support strategies and effective ways to support the student educationally. We’ve listed some strategies below.
• Figure out what specific things are hard for the student. For example, one student with ADHD may have trouble starting a task, while another may have trouble ending one task and starting the next. Each student needs different help.
• Post rules, schedules, and assignments. Clear rules and routines will help a student with ADHD. Have set times for specific tasks. Call attention to changes in the schedule.
• Show the student how to use an assignment book and a daily schedule. Also teach study skills and learning strategies, and reinforce these regularly.
• Help the student channel his or her physical activity (e.g., let the student do some work standing up or at the board). Provide regularly scheduled breaks.
• Make sure directions are given step by step, and that the student is following the directions. Give directions both verbally and in writing. Many students with ADHD also benefit from doing the steps as separate tasks.
• Let the student do work on a computer.
• Work together with the student’s parents to create and implement an educational plan tailored to meet the student’s needs. Regularly share information about how the student is doing at home and at school.
• Have high expectations for the student, but be willing to try new ways of doing things. Be patient. Maximize the student’s chances for success.

Three Types of ADHD

1. Predominantly Inattentive
2. Predominantly Hyperactive- impulsive
3. Combined Type

Characteristics and Needs of Students Who Are Gifted and Talented:

Gifted children's behavior differs from that of their age-mates in the following ways: 

Many gifted children learn to read early, with better comprehension of the nuances of language. As much as half the gifted and talented population has learned to read before entering school.

 

• Gifted children often read widely, quickly, and intensely and have large vocabularies. 
• Gifted children commonly learn basic skills better, more quickly, and with less practice. 
• They are better able to construct and handle abstractions. 
• They often pick up and interpret nonverbal cues and can draw inferences that other children need to have spelled out for them. 
• They take less for granted, seeking the "how’s" and "whys." 
• They can work independently at an earlier age and can concentrate for longer periods.

“Learning Characteristics”
Gifted children are natural learners who often show many of these characteristics. 

• They may show keen powers of observation and a sense of the significant; they have an eye for important details. 
• They may read a great deal on their own, preferring books and magazines written for children older than they are. 
• They often take great pleasure in intellectual activity. 
• They have well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis. 
• They readily see cause-effect relationships. 

 Interventions for Students Who Are Gifted and Talented

1. Curriculum Compacting
2. Acceleration and Enrichment
3. Differentiation
4. Individualized Interventions

What about Diverse Students??????????????????????

Diverse Students Have…….

Lack of role models

High Failure Rates

Textbooks with cultural biases

Insensitive school policies and programs

Diverse Students at Risk……..

Living in poverty

Living with abuse or neglect

Living with substance abusers

Websites

http://www.ethnoconnect.com/html/articles_23.html

http://www.cmu.edu/cmites/giftedstudents.html

www.chadd.org