CAS CAS Educational & Transition Planning Competency 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does FAPE stand for in special education law?
- Free Appropriate Public Education (Correct answer)
- Full Academic Progress Evaluation
- Functional Assessment of Placement and Environment
- Federal Authorization for Program Eligibility
Correct answer: Free Appropriate Public Education
FAPE — Free Appropriate Public Education — is a core entitlement under IDEA, guaranteeing students with disabilities access to special education and related services at no cost to families.
Question 2: The least restrictive environment (LRE) principle requires that students with ASD be educated:
- Exclusively in special education classrooms
- In the most segregated setting available
- With non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate (Correct answer)
- Only in home or hospital settings
Correct answer: With non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate
LRE mandates that students with disabilities be educated alongside non-disabled peers to the greatest extent appropriate, with removal only when necessary.
Question 3: Which type of curriculum modification involves simplifying the complexity or difficulty of content while maintaining access to the same general education curriculum?
- Curriculum compacting
- Accommodations
- Modifications (Correct answer)
- Enrichment
Correct answer: Modifications
Modifications change what the student is expected to learn or demonstrate, reducing the complexity or amount of content, unlike accommodations which change how a student accesses learning.
Question 4: A CAS professional wants to help a student with ASD generalize newly learned vocational skills across multiple community settings. Which strategy is most effective?
- Teaching the skill in a single controlled environment only
- Practicing the skill in one setting until mastered, then stopping
- Systematically teaching and practicing the skill across varied environments, people, and materials (Correct answer)
- Relying on the skill to transfer automatically without planning
Correct answer: Systematically teaching and practicing the skill across varied environments, people, and materials
Planned generalization instruction — varied settings, trainers, and materials — is the most effective way to ensure skills transfer beyond the initial teaching environment.
Question 5: Self-determination skills important for transition-age youth with ASD include:
- Dependence on others for all decision-making
- Abilities such as goal-setting, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and self-management (Correct answer)
- Academic skills exclusively
- Compliance with adult-directed routines only
Correct answer: Abilities such as goal-setting, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and self-management
Self-determination encompasses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that allow individuals to take control of their own lives, including self-advocacy and goal-directed behavior.
Question 6: Which federal law specifically protects adults with ASD from disability-based discrimination in employment?
- IDEA
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Correct answer)
- The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Correct answer: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment (Title I), public services, and public accommodations across the United States.
CAS CAS Educational & Transition Planning Competency 2
What does FAPE stand for in special education law?