ED26
SPECIAL EDUCATION: ISSUES AND PRACTICE
Program in Education
Swarthmore College
Spring 1999 Dr. Margie Inman Linn
Wednesdays, 1:15-4:00 Phone: 499-4291 w.
543-6972 h.
e-mail: mlinn2@swarthmore.edu
Course Description:
The course is designed to provide students with a critical overview of special education including its history, the classification and description of exceptionalities, and its legal regulation. Major issues related to identification, assessment, educational and therapeutic interventions, social/psychological aspects, inclusion and working with parents and families are examined and integrated with knowledge gained through students' placements in special education settings.
Course Requirements:
- Placement - 1/2 day per week (10 weeks) in a special education setting.
- A weekly journal based on your observations/experiences in your placement.
- Come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings.
- Research Paper.
- Special Topic Project.
- Case study presentations.
- Australian e-mail project.
- Final Exam.
Assignments:
1. Journal. You are expected to keep a weekly journal reflecting on your experiences in your placement. It is expected that the class readings will inform your writing. I am interested in cognitive and affective reactions to your experiences and will read and comment on your journals frequently.
2. Research Paper. Identify a problem/issue in the field of special education within your particular area of interest (e.g., autism, social/emotional disorders). Define/describe your field of interest, discuss why you selected this topic and discuss the problem or current debate within that field. Review the related literature, particularly research studies. Write a 10 page synthesis of the literature. Offer your viewpoint and your rationale for your opinion.
3. Special Topics Group Project. Choose a topic from the field of special education/disability studies. Prepare a presentation (15-20 minutes) that will inform the class about the major issues connected with this topic. For example, you may stage a debate (inclusion for children with severe behavioral challenges) or a support group meeting (the stages of acceptance for families with children with disabilities). This is your chance to be creative. Write a 2 page summary/fact sheet (with references and relevant websites) and distribute to the class prior to your presentation.
4. Case studies. Prepare 2 case studies of children who interest you from your placement. Find out as much information as you can about these children through observations, discussions with teachers and assistants, review of the child's records, and examination of the child's work. Present your case to class including your hypotheses of what interventions are successful with this specific child.
5. Australian e-mail exchange. You will be assigned the e-mail address of a student in special education from University of Queensland. Develop an interview about special education policy and practice in Australia. When you get your reply, refine your questions based on the responses and send it again. It is hoped that you will develop a dialogue with the student about cross-cultural issues in special education. Present your findings to the class.
Readings:
1. Introduction/defining disability
Berube, M. (1994). Life as we know it: A father, a son and genetic destiny. Harper's Magazine, p. 41-51.
2. Observation techniques
Cohen, D.H., & Stern, V. (1983). Recording the behavior of children with special problems and, Recording children's behavior with one another. In Observing and recording the behavior of young children. New York: Teacher's College Press.
3. History/legal issues
Special education for children with disabilities: Analysis and recommendations (1996), p. 4-24. The future of children. Palo Alto, CA: The David and Lucille Packard Foundation.
Martin, E.W., Martin, R., & Terman, D.L. (1996). The legislative and litigation history of special education, p.25-39. The future of children. Palo Alto, CA: The David and Lucille Packard Foundation.
4. Classification and Placement Process
Reschly, D. (1996). Identification and assessment of students with disabilities, p. 40-53. The future of children. Palo Alto, CA: The David and Lucille Packard Foundation.
Hocutt, A. (1996). Effectiveness of special education: Is placement a critical factor?, p. 77-102. The future of children. Palo Alto, CA: The David and Lucille Packard Foundation.
5. Mental Retardation - delay v. deviance perspectives & multicultural issues
Batshaw, M. & Shapiro, B. (1997). Chapter 16: Mental retardation. In M. Batshaw (Ed.), Children with Disabilities, Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
Goodman, J.F. (1992). When slow is fast enough: Educating the delayed preschool child. Chapters 1-3. Guilford Press: New York.
Hodapp, R., Burack, J., and Zigler, E. (1990). The developmental perspective in the field of mental retardation. In R. Hodapp, J. Burack & E. Zigler (Eds.), Issues in the developmental approach to mental retardation. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
6. Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Kephart, B. (1998). A slant of sun: One child's courage. New York: Norton.
Grandin, T. (1995). Thinking in pictures and other reports from my life with autism. Chapters 2,3,4. NY: Vintage.
Additional Readings
Rutter, M., & Schopler, L. (1987). Autism and pervasive developmental disorders: Concepts and diagnostic issues. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17, 159-185.
Greenspan, S.I. (1995). Chapter 4, The self-absorbed child. In S. Greenspan, The challenging child: Understanding, raising, and enjoying the five "difficult" types of children. Addison-Wesley: New York.
7. Inclusion for Low Incidence Disabilities
Ashman, A. & Elkins, J. (1996). School and integration. In Stratford & Gunn (Eds.), New approaches to Down syndrome. London: Cassell.
Mesibov, G.B., & Shea, V. (1996). Full inclusion and students with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 337-346.
Cohen, L. & Martin, R. (1994, February, 22). Schools for all, or separate but equal? The New York Times, p. A 21.
8. Learning Disabilities - identification and diagnosis
Goldin, A. (1998). The incoherent brain: Learning to teach the learning disabled. Harper's Magazine, 55-64.
Spear-Swerling, L., & Sternberg, R.J. (1998). Curing our "epidemic" of learning disabilities. Phi Delta Kappan, 399-401.
Church, R., Lewis, M. & Batshaw, M. (1997). Chapter 23: Learning Disabilities. In M. Batshaw (Ed.), Children with Disabilities, Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
Sleeter, C.E. (1986). Learning disabilities: The social construction of a special education category. Exceptional Children, 53, 46-54.
Additional Readings
Tucker, J., Stevens, L.J., & Ysseldyke, J.E. (1983). Learning Disabilities: The experts speak out. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 16, 6-24.
Coleman, J.M., & Minnett, A.M. (1992). Learning Disabilities and Social Competence: A Social Ecological Perspective. Exceptional Children, 59, 234-246.
9. Attention Deficit Disorder - Diagnosis/Overdiagnosis & Medical Management
Kohn, A. (1989). Suffer the restless children. The Atlantic Monthly, 264, 90 - 100.
Barkley, R. A. (1990). Chapter 2: Primary symptoms and conceptualization and Chapter 15: Educational placement and classroom management. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.) Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. NY: Guilford Press.
10. Social and Emotional Disturbance
McIntyre, T. (1993). Reflections on the new definition for emotional or behavioral disorders: Who still falls through the cracks and why. Behavioral Disorders, 18, 148-160.
Taylor, R.L., & Sternberg, L. (1989). Chapter 8: Teaching students with behavioral or emotional problems. In Exceptional Children: Integrating Research and Teaching. NY: Springer-Verlag.
Short, R.J., & Shapiro, S.K. (1993). Conduct disorders: A framework for understanding and intervention in schools and communities. School Psychology Review, 22, 362-375.
Werner, E.M. (1984). Resilient children. Young Children, 68-72.
11. Physical Challenges/Sensory Deficits
Cohen, Leah Hager. (1995). Train Go Sorry, New York: Vintage Books.
Ysseldyke, J. & Algozzine, R. (1995). Chapter 13: Teaching Students with Medical, Physical, and Multiple Disabilities.
12. Inclusion for High Incidence Disabilities
Zigmond, N. (1995). An exploration of the meaning and practice of special education in the context of full inclusion of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 109-115.
Baker, J.M. & Zigmond, N. (1995). The meaning and practice of inclusion for students with learning disabilities: Themes and implications from the five cases. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 163-180.
Zigmond, N. & Baker, J.M. (1995). Concluding comments: Current and future practices in inclusive schooling. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 245-250.
13. Family Issues
Featherstone, H. (1980). A difference in the family: Living with a disabled child. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books.
14. Social Policy
Lubeck, S., & Garrett, P. (1990). The social construction of the at-risk child. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 11, 327-340.
Fine, M. & Asch, A. (1988). Disability beyond stigma: Social interaction, discrimination, and activism. Journal of Social Issues, 44, 3-21.
Singer, J. & Butler, J. (1987). The education for all handicapped children act: Schools as agents of social reform. Harvard Education Review, 57, 125-152.
Kozleski, E.B., Cessna, K. & Bechard, S. & Borock (1993). Lessons from policy decisions: Politics and services for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 19, 205-217.
15. Models of Service Delivery - cross-cultural perspectives
Chapman, J. (1992). Learning disabilities in New Zealand: Where kiwis and kids with LD can't fly. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 25, 362-370.
Opp, G. (1992). A German perspective on learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 25, 351-360.
Wiener, J. & Siegel, L. (1992). A Canadian perspective on learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 25, 340-371.