Leadership, Motivation, Inspiration and
Students with Disabilities
Presentation to the Fine Arts Staff
August 21, 2007
Mollie Laut
Director of Special Education
Horry County Schools
As a result of this session, fine arts teachers will:
• Know the major laws impacting the educational
services for students with disabilities
• Understand how these laws impact fine arts teachers
• Understand why fine arts teachers make such a
difference for individuals with disabilities
• Know where to find support if you have questions
Who are students with
disabilities?
The Facts
Students with Disabilities in Horry County Schools
6,093 Total (December 1, 2006)
State
HCS
15.48%
16.86%
Percentage by Disability in HCS
60%
LD
50%
40%
30%
Speech
20%
10%
0%
EMD
Other
ED
OHI
Preschool
National Trends
Who are the faces of people
with disabilities?
Famous Faces
Walt Disney
Stephen Hawking
George Patton
Agatha Christie
Marlee Matlin
Albert Einstein
James Brady
Helen Keller
Winston Churchill
Mel Tillis
Woodrow Wilson
Bruce Jenner
Not-So-Famous Faces
Not-So-Famous Faces
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus
Stepanek, best known as
“Mattie”, has been writing
poetry and short stories since age
three. Mattie’s poems have been
published in a variety of
mediums, including 7 of his own
books.
What are the laws that govern Special Education?
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - 2001
All students must be proficient …
Americans with Disabilities (ADA) – elimination of
discrimination in all areas receiving federal funding
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – protects
civil rights of persons with disabilities
Family Education Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) –
protection of educational records/confidentiality
The laws (continued…)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act (IDEA 04)
1975: EHA –
1 million children excluded from school due to
disabilities
large #s of students in general ed classes were
experiencing failure because their disabilities had
not been detected
1990: renamed to IDEA & revised
1997: revised with key changes
2004: IDEA 04
The Special Education Cycle
Evaluation/Data Collection
Implementation
of
IEP Services
Collaboration
Eligibility
Communication
Placement (Least
Restrictive Environment)
IEP Development
IDEA
• Governs who, what, how and when delivery
of services to students with disabilities
• Outlined in a document called an IEP:
- Living document, updated at least
quarterly, changed, if needed
- Outlines specially designed instruction &
supports
Major provisions of IDEA 04
• All students with disabilities are entitled/
guaranteed a free, appropriate public
education (FAPE)
• An Individualized Education Program (IEP)
must be developed for each student with a
disability
• Parents have the right to participate in
planning their child’s educational program
Major provisions of IDEA 04 (continued…)
• Tests and other assessments used with
students with disabilities must not
discriminate on the basis of race, culture, or
disability.
• Due process procedures must be in place to
protect the rights of students with
disabilities and their parents.
• Contains specific provisions regarding the
discipline of students with disabilities – was
the misconduct a result of the student’s
disability?
Major provisions of IDEA 04 (continued…)
• Federal funding is provided to states to
help offset the costs of educating students
with disabilities...ages 3-21
• Students with disabilities must participate
in statewide assessments –
accommodations allowed if necessary or
alternative assessments
• Requires “team” to develop IEP – including
regular educators and parents
Major provisions of IDEA 04 (continued…)
• Requires IEP to include student’s
involvement with and progress in general
education curriculum
• Requires the use of research-based
interventions – what works?
• Students with disabilities are to be
educated in the least restrictive
environment, that is, with students not
identified as having disabilities, whenever
possible.
Why are the laws and regulations important to
educators?
• Special Education is one of the most litigated areas in
the field of education
• The law governing special education is an extensive
piece of federal legislation and subject to endless
interpretations
• As an educator, the courts have ruled that “ignorance
of the law” does not excuse educators from their duty
to implement the requirements
So what does this legal information mean to me?
• You will have students with disabilities in your
classroom
• They will be your responsibility while in your
classroom
• You will be an active contributing member of an IEP
Team
• They have a right to be in your classroom just as all
students do
What do you need to know?
• What are the student’s accommodations while in
your classroom
• Who is the student’s special education teacher and
how will you communicate with her/him
• How will you communicate with the student’s
parents
• How will you use a paraprofessional if assigned to
work with a student?
What is LRE?
• Full-day Regular Class
• Full-day Regular Class with Consultative Services
• Full-day Regular Class with Direct Special Education
Services
• Part-day Regular Class with Part-Day Special
Education Services
• Full-day Special Education Class with Part-day
Regular (social)
• Full-day Special Education Class
• Full-time Special Residential School
• Home/Hospital
What makes special education so special?
Special Education is not a place. It is a set of “services”
provided to/for a student with disabilities.
Accommodations
Co-Teaching
Assistive Technology
Strategic Interventions
Intensive Interventions
Content Enhancement Routines
Special Education IS Support & Services
IDEA says…
• A student qualifies as a student with a
disability under set criteria and
• Needs specially designed instruction
– Adapting the content, methodology or delivery of
instruction to address the needs of the student.
– Ensuring access to the general curriculum so the
student can meet the educational standards of the
district.
When work, commitment and pleasure all
become one and you reach that deep well where
passion lives, nothing is impossible.
Talk with your neighbor about…
How this quote is relevant to your work
with all students in your school, and
why you receive all the students with
disabilities in your class
Language is a powerful tool
• Be sure to use “people first” language
– Example: a student with a learning disability
– Nonexample: a self contained student
• Emphasize abilities…
– Example: uses a wheelchair, or walks with crutches
– Nonexample: is crippled or confined to a wheelchair
One last note of encouragement…