NPC Special Education Needs & Inclusive Practices 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) becomes distressed by unexpected schedule changes. What is the BEST proactive strategy a paraprofessional can use?
- Ignore the behavior and redirect to the next activity
- Provide advance notice and a visual schedule showing the change (Correct answer)
- Remove the student from the classroom until calm
- Ask the student to explain why they are upset
Correct answer: Provide advance notice and a visual schedule showing the change
Visual schedules and advance notice reduce anxiety for students with ASD by making changes predictable.
Question 2: Under IDEA, the term 'least restrictive environment' (LRE) means students with disabilities should be educated:
- Only in self-contained special education classrooms
- In separate schools designed specifically for disabilities
- With nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate (Correct answer)
- Exclusively through one-on-one paraprofessional support
Correct answer: With nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate
LRE requires that students with disabilities be educated alongside nondisabled peers to the greatest extent possible based on individual needs.
Question 3: A student with dyslexia struggles to decode written text during a science test. Which accommodation is MOST appropriate?
- Allow the student extra recess instead of the test
- Provide text-to-speech software or read the test aloud (Correct answer)
- Simplify the test questions to fewer words
- Excuse the student from the assignment
Correct answer: Provide text-to-speech software or read the test aloud
Text-to-speech and read-aloud accommodations address decoding barriers without altering the content being assessed.
Question 4: A paraprofessional notices a student with an intellectual disability is being excluded from a group activity by peers. What should the paraprofessional do FIRST?
- Tell the peers they will be disciplined
- Facilitate the student's inclusion by prompting the group to include them (Correct answer)
- Pull the student aside to work independently
- Wait to see if the student resolves the situation alone
Correct answer: Facilitate the student's inclusion by prompting the group to include them
Facilitating inclusion by prompting peers supports social integration while modeling inclusive behavior.
Question 5: Which behavior support strategy involves teaching a student a new, appropriate behavior to replace an unwanted one?
- Extinction
- Punishment
- Replacement behavior training (Correct answer)
- Token economy
Correct answer: Replacement behavior training
Replacement behavior training identifies functionally equivalent behaviors that meet the same need as the problem behavior.
Question 6: A student with cerebral palsy uses a communication device. During a class discussion, the teacher skips the student because the device takes time. What should the paraprofessional do?
- Accept that the pace of class must be maintained
- Speak on behalf of the student to speed things up
- Advocate quietly to the teacher to allow adequate wait time for the device (Correct answer)
- Remove the student to a quieter setting to use the device
Correct answer: Advocate quietly to the teacher to allow adequate wait time for the device
Paraprofessionals should advocate for appropriate wait time so students with AAC devices can fully participate.
Question 7: The purpose of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is to:
- Determine eligibility for special education services
- Identify the function or reason behind a student's challenging behavior (Correct answer)
- Create a report for the student's permanent record
- Assess a student's academic performance level
Correct answer: Identify the function or reason behind a student's challenging behavior
An FBA analyzes antecedents, behaviors, and consequences to understand why a behavior occurs.
NPC Special Education Needs & Inclusive Practices 2
A student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) becomes distressed by unexpected schedule changes.
What is the BEST proactive strategy a paraprofessional can use?