How Can You Teach All Learners in Your Inclusive Classroom? Chapter 8, Section 5

1. How Can You Teach All Learners in Your Inclusive Classroom?Chapter 8, Section 5 Taylor Kerns, Katie Mullen, Amelia Neiger, Daniela Romero, Cheyney Smith

2. Collaborative Consultation • Definition: an approach in which a classroom teacher meets with one or more other professionals (ex: a special educator, school psychologist, resource teacher) to focus on the learning needs of one or more students

3. One teacher describes her approach when she discovered that one of her students had special needs: I taught a Down’s syndrome child who was very frustrated. I convened a meeting that included district experts, his parent, and a resource teacher, suggesting a change in educational strategy. All agreed to pilot the plan, and things have worked more smoothly ever since. It was a very rewarding experience (Sallie Mae Corporation 1995,11).

4. Duties of these specialists • They monitor the progress of each student, set goals, and are constantly at work to make sure that the student is successful. • Each participant of the IEP is held equally accountable for the progress of the individual.

5. Types of special educational professionals • Consulting teacher- a special educator who provides technical assistance such as arranging the physical setting, helping to plan for instruction, or developing approaches for assessing students’ learning • Resource-room teacher- a special educator who provides instruction in a resource room for students with disabilities • School psychologist- consults with the general education teacher and arranges for the administration of appropriate psychological, educational, and behavioral assessment instruments; may observe a student’s behavior in the classroom

6. Cont… • Speech and language specialist- assess students’ communication abilities and works with the general education teachers to develop educational programs for students with speech and/or language disorders • Physical therapist- provides physical therapy for students with physical disabilities • Occupational therapist- instructs students with disabilities to prepare them for everyday living and work-related activities