Special Education Fundamentals Flashcards

What does 'inclusion' mean in special education practice?

Answer: Educating students with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers with appropriate supports

Inclusion means that students with disabilities participate in general education settings with the supports and services needed to succeed.

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, who qualifies for a 504 plan?

Answer: Students with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

Section 504 has a broader definition of disability than IDEA and covers students who may not need special education but require accommodations.

What is 'differentiated instruction' in the context of supporting students with disabilities?

Answer: Adjusting content, process, product, or environment based on individual student readiness and needs

Differentiated instruction involves intentional planning to meet diverse learner needs within the same learning environment.

What is 'positive behavioral interventions and supports' (PBIS)?

Answer: A school-wide framework that uses proactive, data-driven strategies to improve student behavior

PBIS is a tiered, evidence-based framework that emphasizes prevention and teaching of expected behaviors rather than reactive punishment.

Which of the following is the CORRECT sequence of steps when a student is first suspected of having a disability?

Answer: Obtain parental consent → Conduct evaluation → Determine eligibility → Develop IEP

IDEA requires parental consent before evaluation; eligibility is determined from evaluation results before an IEP can be developed.

What is 'response to intervention' (RTI) and how does it relate to special education?

Answer: A tiered instructional framework used to identify students who may need special education through increasingly intensive interventions

RTI uses multi-tier intervention data to identify students with learning difficulties, and lack of adequate response can be part of determining a specific learning disability.

What is a 'self-contained' special education classroom?

Answer: A setting where students with disabilities receive most of their instruction separately from general education peers

Self-contained classrooms serve students with more intensive needs who require a separate, smaller environment for the majority of their instruction.