SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
School Counselors Assisting Students with Disabilities
Ana Cristina Garza
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
This article talks about the role and responsibilities of the counselor working with special need students. It emphasizes the importance of the involvement of the counselor in developing IEP’s (Individualized Education Plan), it also explains how this process is an excellent opportunity for school counselors to gain experience working with students in special education programs, and with teachers and parents (Owens, 2011) School counselors also are responsible of providing services to help and guide students to the right path in not only their education for
…show more content…
We have students that are blind but their cognitive ability is perfect, but they are still considered to be in the special need program, the regional school of the deaf is located in the school that I work for, I worked with the inclusion children that just need in class support, or have accommodations for their assignments, and I am currently working with self-contained unit, children that are lower-functioning and that need supervision and care during the whole school day, and will not be successful in the regular education …show more content…
(Owens, 2011) According to the article Frye-Myers, (2005) quotes “students with disabilities become more handicapped by their lack of personal and social skills than by their academic skills deficits, and research indicates that strong personal and social skills are necessary for future success as an adult” This quote sums up the importance of the counselor getting involved with the student and focusing in their strong areas rather than the weak and build up from there, making the student confident that their academic achievement is very important but having the personal and social skills is a vital asset in someone’s
Bryant, D. P., Smith, D. D., & Bryant, B. R. (2008). Teaching Students with Special Needs in
What do we do with children with disabilities in the public school? Do we include them in the general education class with the “regular” learning population or do we separate them to learn in a special environment more suited to their needs? The problem is many people have argued what is most effective, full inclusion where students with all ranges of disabilities are included in regular education classes for the entire day, or partial inclusion where children spend part of their day in a regular education setting and the rest of the day in a special education or resource class for the opportunity to work in a smaller group setting on specific needs. The need for care for children with identified disabilities both physical and learning continues to grow and the controversy continues.
In 1991 the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was replaced by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law was passed to provide free and appropriate public education to every child with a disability. It requires that each child with a disability “have access to the program best suited to that child’s special needs which is as close as possible to a normal child’s educational program” (Martin, 1978). The Individualized education program (IEP) was developed to help provide a written record of students’ needs and procedures for each child that receives special education services. The IEP will list all the services to be provided, the student's performance level, academic performance, and modifications in place for the student.
Mainstreaming in education of deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) students has become a way for everyone to benefit. The improvements of the Individual with Disability Education Act (IDEA) have led to a better understanding of D/HH inclusion. The 1970s IDEA’s main focus for D/HH students was to integrate them into classrooms with their hearing peers so that they could “learn” to hear (Rosen). The problem with this notion is obvious though; a person with a hearing loss cannot “learn” to hear. Since the 1970s inclusion has been slow to change. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that Congress realized that schools were not facilitating communication well with D/HH students. This led to IDEA mandating that all Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for D/HH students need to address communication difficulties between the student and his or her hearing peers and teachers (Rosen). Even though communication supports are now mandated, D/HH students who have been placed in mainstream schooling still face many problems, including being ostracized by peers and unaccommodated by teachers. However, when the students, teachers and school system are open to creating a D/HH inclusive classroom, everyone is presented with a new environment from which they can learn.
One obstacle that I believe many special needs students and families will face is understanding and dealing with the disability itself. Speaking from experience, this process can take time to understand and accept. This is where a special education teacher plays a significant role, assisting the student and family with information and support for understanding the student’s disability, facilitating education programs, and most importantly hope and progress for a bright future. Another obstacles that students with disabilities may face, is social interaction and acceptance. It is vital that all special education teachers and programs, try to incorporate strong social connections with their regular education peers and other community members and
There are many parts involved in the education, implementation and transition of students with disabilities. Parents, teachers, resource teachers, outside agencies and community partners all are involved to help transition the student into the post-school world.
Students with disabilities need Unified Classes to help with the development of basic skills. These basic skills can include eye contact, reaction, memorization, and articulation. The majority of these students have difficulty in social situations, whereas students that are deemed “normal” do not have difficulty with those basic social skills. In the article “Students with Disabilities: Transitioning from High School to Higher Education” mentions the types of skills students with disabilities need to strengthen. “Furthermore, they will need to develop or strengthen their self-advocacy skills” (Eckes et. al. Page 17). Without the development of the skills listed, students with disabilities would have no way of speaking for themselves. Self advocacy is an important skill, because it includes many of the basic social skills, listed above, used in everyday life. Researchers from the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research performed a study on how well students with multiple and severe disabilities improve their skills of alertness and communication in the classroom. They performed multiple tests involving voluntary participation of the students to help increase their alertness and communication, over a period of time. Their results showed that students with severe disabilities were able to improve their alertness and communication skills through classes with teachers and aides. Students build upon skills previously developed and make continuous progress throughout their schooling. This study helps prove that Unified Classes are excellent ways for students with disabilities to improve or develop social
In my classroom I will make sure that the children with special needs are benefiting from instruction. I will pair this student up with someone who is capable of helping. The student will be getting my instruction as well as help from one of their peers. I will be aware that this student is a learner with special needs and I will teach this student at a level in which he/she is comfortable. I will make sure I am aware of everything that I can about this student?s special needs. I will be in a tight contact with the student and his/her parent/guardian so I can be aware that they are working with him/her at home. If this isn?t the case then I will pair this student up with another student after school, with myself, or with someone else that would be willing to give this student extra time.
Counselors have large shoes to fill. They not only administer assessments, but are also involved in group counseling, individual counseling, and have to plan and implement comprehensive school guidance programs. A counselor must know and be competent in all realms of their position. School counselors work with all children, including children with disabilities in various settings within the school (Villalba, Latus, Hamilton, & Kendrick (2005 p 449). As stated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school counseling services must be made available to all students in special education programs as part of their right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Clark, 1998). School counselors are to take on this role in the educational and personal-social well being of students in special education programs. Federal law does require that children, who receive special education services, and do not display appropriate behavior have a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) team (Villalba, Latus, Hamilton, & Kendrick (2005) p 449). This team constructs a BIP. Since counselors should be active on the FBA team, there is a need here that must be addressed because this article defines a lack of knowledge present with practicing counselors. With that, counselors do receive relevant training throughout their program. There are only so many classes and hours of instruction that the pre-counselors receive. The curriculum that is generated encompasses what counselors need, but could their be a few gaps and missing pieces? This study was conducted to determine counselors awareness, knowledge, and role in the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) process (Villalba, Latus, Hamilton, & Ken...
Full and fair access to educational opportunities was often denied to children who were different because of race, culture, language, gender, or exceptionality (Banks and Banks 293). Because local school officials did not have any legal obligation to grant students with disabilities the same educational access that other non disabled students enjoyed, many schools denied enrollment to children with learning disabilities. This exclusion had to be corrected making it necessary to make laws governing the education of exceptional children. As a consequence, in 1975 Law 94-142, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law has changed education throughout the country affecting and changing the roles of special educators, schools, administrators, parents and many other professionals involved in the...
In the past 50 years much has changed about how we treat disabled children and the opportunities that they receive. Society is progressing to understand and except people with special needs, and with this societal change many rules and regulations have been created to help protect the rights of special needs children. 1963—Universities were given government funding under the University Affiliated Facilities (UAF) act. They worked to serve infants and children with developmental delays and disabilities. 1965-
IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). A school social worker will aid
Education is a profession which requires a teacher to be able to communicate with a multitude of students on a variety of levels. There is not a class, or student for that matter, that is identical. Therefore, teachers must be able to identify and help educate students from all different types of backgrounds and at different levels. Teaching a singular subject presents difficulties, but teaching students with disabilities should not be one. There are three main teaching areas that need to be focused on when teaching a student with a learning disability. Teachers need to focus on the strategies that will assist students with reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and maintaining appropriate behaviors in a classroom setting.
To begin with, full inclusion in the education system for people with disabilities should be the first of many steps that are needed to correct the social injustices that people with disabilities currently face. Students with disabilities are far too frequently isolated and separated in the education system (Johnson). They are often provided a diluted, inferior education and denied meaningful opportunities to learn. There are many education rights for children with disabilities to p...
For my observation experience I went to Southern High School in Harwood, MD. Southern High School has a special education department for the students with disabilities. The teacher that I met with for this classroom observation was Ms. West. In the classroom there were at least four assistant teachers that helped Ms. West throughout the school day. The assistant teachers helped Ms. West co- teach the class and were there to help the students if they needed extra help. The school also has a couple of student aides that come in to help the teachers and the students in the classroom. There were at least twelve students in the classroom. The students in the class had many different exceptionalities such as learning disabilities, Down syndrome,