Educating Students with Severe Disabilities

Chapter 1 of the Brown et al. text, Educating Students with Severe Disabilities, provides an introduction to issues in serving students with intense intervention needs. The purpose of the chapter is to prepare future teachers to (a) explain important aspects of any credible definition of students with severe disabilities; (b) identify and explain areas of concern and optimism in the field; and (c) discuss the basic principles of supporting students with intense needs. With these learning outcomes in mind, address the following points in your essay (2-3 doubled-spaced pages): •Identify at least two important concepts that should be included in a contemporary definition of severe disabilities. Why are these concepts important? How do they represent a change in the way we conceptualize diagnostic labels or classifications? How can changes in defining disability have an impact on how we serve students? •In addition to positive changes in how we conceptualize disability, discuss at least one other area where we have made progress in serving students with severe disabilities. Compare what you’ve experienced at your school to at least one issue that the chapter’s authors have identified as an area of concern. Provide one or more examples to illustrate the concern and explain how the situation might be improved. •Much of Chapter 1 is devoted to the fundamental principles of serving students with severe disabilities. For each of the three major principles (i.e., providing access to inclusive education, providing access to individualized curriculum; and providing access to purposeful instruction), list and describe one fundamental concept that is new to you or that has made you think differently about education for this population. •End your essay with a brief statement about how the authors have broadened your intellectual and/or affective perspective about teaching students with severe disabilities. PDF File : Chapter 1 of the Brown et al, text, Educating Students with Severe Disabilities-

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Contemporary definitions should emphasis on the need for reciprocal interaction with individuals who have some disabilities which can be termed as severe. The learning process should be inclusive for the individuals with severe disabilities. There has to be some form of identification of the needs that the individuals have and the variations……………………….