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Study Guide

Field 060: Students with Disabilities

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Sample Selected-Response Questions

Competency 0001 
Foundations of Special Education

1. Tara is a seventh-grade student classified as having an emotional disability. She attends general education classes for most of the school day and receives consultant teacher services from a special education teacher. She also attends individual and group counseling sessions each week. Recently, Tara has exhibited disruptive behavior in her general education classes that has interfered with her ability to learn. A behavioral intervention plan was developed for Tara to address this behavior, and the special education teacher will be collaborating with her general education teachers to implement the plan. Which approach would likely be most effective for the special education teacher to use in collaborating with the general education teachers?

  1. establishing a notebook system in which the teachers can record their observations of Tara, and using this information to update the plan as needed
  2. meeting with the teachers to discuss the plan, and conducting classroom observations of Tara to monitor her progress
  3. providing the teachers with copies of the results of Tara's functional behavioral assessment ( F B A ) and explaining how the results were used to develop the behavioral intervention plan
  4. asking the teachers to read through the plan carefully, and offering to be available for support as situations arise with Tara in their classrooms
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Correct Response: B. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of effective strategies for communicating and collaborating with general education teachers, school staff members, paraprofessionals, related service providers, medical personnel, volunteers, and representatives of community agencies to help students with disabilities achieve desired learning outcomes. The key to building effective collaboration between teachers is ongoing communication. Discussion between all teachers involved in the implementation of a behavior plan—including ideas, questions, and concerns—is an integral part of the management of a behavioral intervention plan. Progress monitoring—including classroom observations and ongoing data collection—is a critical component of an effective behavioral intervention plan.

Competency 0001 
Foundations of Special Education

2. The primary purpose of the Child Find provisions included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been:

  1. establishing a federal database of every child in preschool through twelfth grade who receives special education services that includes the disability category and related services.
  2. requiring that every child who has a disability diagnosed before 36 months of age receive early intervention services in a clinical setting.
  3. maintaining that every child from birth through 8 years of age who attends public schools participates in a mandatory annual comprehensive special education evaluation.
  4. ensuring that school districts have a process in place for identifying and evaluating every child from birth through 21 years of age who is suspected of having a disability.
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Correct Response: D. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, state policies, and ethical guidelines (e.g., related to referral, assessment, eligibility, placement within a continuum of services, behavior management planning and implementation, mandated reporting, maintaining confidentiality). The Child Find mandate was included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA Section 300.111) to establish the legal obligation of school districts to identify all children, from birth to age 21, who may need special education services. The identification requirement specifically includes a provision requiring that all local education authorities (LEAs) implement a comprehensive system to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities.

Competency 0002 
Knowledge of Students with Disabilities

3. A special education teacher co-teaches a sixth-grade science class with a general education teacher. The integrated co-teaching class has twelve students with disabilities, including students with learning disabilities, and other health impairments. The teachers are planning an assignment in which students will keep daily journals of their observations of the movement of the Sun, Moon, and stars. Which strategy would be the best for promoting all students' active participation in this activity?

  1. meeting with the students who have disabilities to discuss the assignment and identifying any subtasks from which they should be excused
  2. dividing the class into small, heterogeneous groups and assigning a proficient writer in each group to write the journal entries for that group
  3. giving the special education teacher the primary responsibility for monitoring and directing the work of the students who have disabilities
  4. allowing students to choose among a variety of formats, including drawing, writing, and digital media, to use to record and present their findings
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Correct Response: D. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of the different ways in which students with disabilities learn, including students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and developmentally and age-appropriate strategies for addressing those differences. Students with disabilities will often require unique approaches to learning. A special education teacher must possess an understanding of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional needs and how they affect a student's learning. Additionally, the special education teacher must be able to identify a range of techniques that are likely to aid a student's access to and progress in the curriculum. Classroom activities and interventions should be responsive to the abilities, needs, and interests of the student, and should seek to find ways of meaningfully integrating the student with the activities of typical peers.

Competency 0002 
Knowledge of Students with Disabilities

4. An intellectual disability is primarily characterized by:

  1. a significant limitation in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.
  2. stereotypical behaviors that result in difficulty sustaining attention on tasks.
  3. a strong discrepancy between a student's intellectual aptitude and academic performance.
  4. ongoing patterns of inattention that affect a student's educational performance.
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Correct Response: A. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics, identification criteria, etiologies, and medical aspects of various types of disabilities (e.g., learning disability, intellectual disability, autism, multiple disabilities). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) established categories and criteria for eligibility for special education services. To be determined eligible for special education services under the category of intellectual disability, a student must be determined to have a significant limitation in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that adversely affects the student's educational performance. These factors must be determined by the results of an individual evaluation of the student.

Competency 0003 
Assessment and Individual Program Planning

5. Use the information below to answer the question that follows.

Dominic is a seven-year-old student who was referred for a special education evaluation due to a lack of progress in mathematics despite receiving Response to Intervention (RtI) intensive interventions. The Committee on Special Education ( C S E ) determines that he is eligible for special education services due to a learning disability in mathematics. Excerpts from his evaluations and teacher observations are shown below.

Excerpts from the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory
of Basic Skills II symbol registered trademark ( C I B S I I symbol registered trademark )
Skill (Underline the skill for each correct response and make notes as appro­priate.) Number of Correct Responses times Point Value equals Student's Score
Rote counting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 times 0.5 point each equals 5/5
Numeral Compre­hension (Matches quantity with numerals) 2 1 4 3 5 0 times 2 points each equals 0/10

Anecdotal Teacher Observation, November

Dominic is able to rote count to 20. He is not able to complete the daily calendar skills or count the number of students in class such as 12 boys, 11 girls despite the fact that I have demonstrated these skills every day since September. Dominic does not recognize numerals 1  to 10, match quantities of items, or indicate which group of items has more or less, even when using highly motivating objects such as stickers, toy animals.

On the basis of the information provided, which intervention should the special education teacher recommend for Dominic?

  1. daily curriculum-based probes focused on developing computational fluency
  2. intensive practice that incorporates interactive mathematics software focused on developing counting and matching skills
  3. multisensory instructional techniques focused on developing number concepts
  4. weekly self-charting of progress focused on developing mastery in basic mathematics skills
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Correct Response: C. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of how individual evaluation assessment information is used to make eligibility, program, and placement decisions for students with disabilities; evaluate instruction; monitor progress of students with disabilities; and make responsive, research-based, and timely adjustments to instruction. Research shows that students learn, understand, and remember material that is presented to them in a variety of modalities. Individuals with disabilities respond well to multisensory teaching methods that involve active learning. By attending to the available assessment data on a student, informed decisions can be made about the nature and types of interventions that are most likely to help the student make progress.

Competency 0003 
Assessment and Individual Program Planning

6. Which component must be included in the individualized education program (IEP) of a student with a disability?

  1. documentation of which staff will be held accountable for monitoring the student's progress
  2. a description of the student's present levels of educational performance
  3. an explanation of the academic responsibilities expected of the student's parents/guardians
  4. the student's projective level of achievement, based on the student's disability profile
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Correct Response: B. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the components of IEPs and the roles and responsibilities of special education teachers in developing, implementing, monitoring, and modifying IEPs, transition plans, and behavioral intervention plans. The present level of educational performance section of the IEP identifies the unique needs of the student, including the current level of functioning, and strengths and needs as related to the student's disability. Present level of performance statements lay the groundwork for the development of IEP goals and the services to address the individual needs of students. Present level of performance statements must be developed with consideration to a number of factors, including the results of the most recent individual evaluations and those of State and district-wide assessments; parents'/guardians' concerns; special factors related to communication needs, limited English proficiency, behavior, and assistive technology needs; and the results of transition assessments.

Competency 0004 
Strategies for Planning and Managing the Learning Environment and for Providing Behavioral Interventions

7. Before the school year begins, a special education teacher is meeting with a fifth-grade teacher whose class will include Kyle, a student with high-functioning autism. Kyle enjoys making detailed drawings of bridges during free time. Although Kyle is quite verbal, he demonstrates difficulty in social communication and pragmatic language skills. When there are changes in his routine, Kyle becomes very anxious and bangs his head with his fist. In the fifth-grade classroom, Kyle will be supported by a paraprofessional. The fifth-grade teacher asks for advice regarding how to create a safe, productive learning environment for Kyle. Which response would be most appropriate for the special education teacher to make?

  1. "Provide Kyle with a visual schedule and ask the paraprofessional to review the schedule with him at the beginning of each day."
  2. "Set up a study carrel in the classroom where the paraprofessional can work with Kyle one-on-one without distractions."
  3. "Establish cooperative-learning groups so that Kyle can gain practice in developing his conversational skills."
  4. "Seat Kyle next to an outgoing classmate who can model for him how to transition from one class activity to the next."
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Correct Response: A. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of how to create and maintain a safe, productive learning environment for all students, including establishing routines and appropriate physical arrangements. In this scenario, a visual schedule created by or reviewed with the student at the start of each day would be the most effective strategy for the special education teacher to implement. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder ( A S D ) often become anxious if predictable routines are not in place. Visual schedules also allow the student to prepare self-regulation strategies to adjust effectively to anxiety-producing events that may occur in the day. This reinforces a student's perception of her or his environment as being safe and predictable, both of which are important to learning and social interaction.

Competency 0004 
Strategies for Planning and Managing the Learning Environment and for Providing Behavioral Interventions

8. A special education teacher is part of a team of teachers who are designing a behavioral intervention plan ( B I P ) to support a student with traumatic brain injury ( T B I ). A portion of the  B I P  is shown below.

Target Behavior: Verbal refusal to comply with teacher-given directions

Behavior Motivation: Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) results indicate behavior is escape-motivated. Antecedents include situations in which the student is unclear on task expectations.

Intervention:

Prevention Strategies:

According to this information, which additional strategy would likely be most effective to include in the  B I P ?

  1. The teacher will break down assignment components with the student to create a sequential task checklist.
  2. The teacher will sit next to the student during small-group work to closely monitor the student's work focus.
  3. The teacher will allow the student to select several peers of the student's choice to work with on group tasks.
  4. The teacher will ensure that the student understands how participation will affect the final grade for the task.
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Correct Response: A. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of strategies for developing, implementing, monitoring, and modifying behavioral interventions for students with disabilities, including strategies for providing positive behavioral interventions and supports. Students with  T B I  may be easily overwhelmed with assignment components and organizational processes. In this scenario, the  B I P  is designed to provide scaffolding for the student to alleviate behavior that is interfering with the student's progress. By breaking down the assignment components into a sequential task checklist, the teacher is promoting the student's independence in completing tasks and maintaining high expectations for the student to manage tasks successfully with appropriate accommodations and explicit instructional supports.

Competency 0005 
Instructional Planning and Delivery to Promote Students' Success in the General Curriculum

9. Lyman is a 12-year-old student with a learning disability in reading comprehension. He attends a general education sixth-grade class and receives resource room services daily to address his reading needs. Lyman has a large oral vocabulary, a good sight vocabulary, and grade-appropriate decoding skills, but he struggles with reading comprehension. He diligently reads assigned textbook chapters for his classes, but he can provide little information about them afterward. He can usually name a few of the topics that were discussed, but he cannot summarize a passage. When teachers ask him specific questions about a reading selection, his answers demonstrate little or no grasp of the concepts presented or of the relationships between them. Which strategy would be likely the most effective for building Lyman's reading comprehension skills?

  1. encouraging Lyman to read assignments more slowly, to give himself additional time to process and comprehend the information
  2. having Lyman take a comprehension test after each reading assignment, and then review the text to find the answers to questions he has missed
  3. helping Lyman develop the habit of starting reading assignments as early as possible, to give himself time to re-read for greater comprehension
  4. teaching Lyman to break reading assignments into manageable parts, and to use self-questioning to monitor his comprehension
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Correct Response: D. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of research- or evidence-based explicit and systematic instruction and intervention in reading for students with disabilities, including reading in the content area. Research shows that students with a learning disability in reading comprehension benefit from breaking large assignments into smaller, manageable parts, especially for independent academic tasks requiring sustained attention. The practice of active reading skills, such as self-questioning techniques, is proven successful in monitoring independent comprehension. It assists the reader in predicting, investigating, and answering questions about the text. This increases the reader's engagement and comprehension.

Competency 0005 
Instructional Planning and Delivery to Promote Students' Success in the General Curriculum

10. A special education teacher uses a concrete-representational-abstract ( C R A ) teaching sequence with a high school student who has a learning disability in mathematics. Which sequence of activities best illustrates the use of this strategy?

  1. The student memorizes math facts using flashcards; completes a worksheet of math facts, using various strategies to solve the problems; and then takes a test on the material.
  2. The student manipulates three-dimensional shapes in order to understand volume, draws pictures of the shapes, and then solves volume problems using numbers and formulas.
  3. The student learns formulas for area and perimeter, completes area and perimeter word problems, and then works in a small group to measure the classroom's area and perimeter.
  4. The student practices solving a division problem using a traditional algorithm, models the problems using base-ten blocks and drawing the problem, and then completes drill-and-practice activities in division problems that need extra work.
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Correct Response: B. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of research- or evidence-based explicit and systematic instruction in mathematics for students with disabilities. The concrete-representational-abstract ( C R A ) sequence of instruction is a three-part instructional strategy for mathematics that is designed to build on the stages of cognitive development to teach complex content.  C R A  supports the learning of foundational mathematical concepts prior to learning the "rules." This promotes a deeper conceptual understanding that is essential to mathematical aptitude.

Competency 0006 
Strategies for Teaching Communication Skills, Social Skills, and Functional Living Skills

11. Jesse is a 17-year-old eleventh grader who has a mild intellectual disability associated with Down syndrome. Jesse spends part of the school day in general education classes and part of the day in a resource room for support with functional and academic skills. He reads at a fifth-grade level, and has mastered various fundamental mathematics concepts, including the operations of addition and subtraction and the use of a calculator. Jesse recently began working part time in a supermarket, and now brings home a small weekly paycheck. One of Jesse's Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) goals is to improve his money management skills. His special education teacher wants to help him learn to make checking account deposits and withdrawals and to use an A T M independently. Which strategy would likely be the most effective for this purpose?

  1. inviting a bank representative to the resource room to talk with Jesse about managing money and to answer any questions he may have
  2. engaging Jesse in role-playing with photocopied materials and a calculator, followed by community-based authentic instruction
  3. arranging for Jesse to play computer-generated games that involve decision making regarding various types of financial transactions
  4. creating relevant word problems for Jesse that build on his skills with a calculator and the mathematical concepts he has mastered
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Correct Response: B. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of how to plan and implement instruction in personal management skills, career development and occupational skills, and independent living skills, including instruction in community-based settings. Role-playing offers individuals with intellectual disabilities a safe and supportive environment to practice new skills. The special education teacher can break down the steps into manageable tasks that can be taught and practiced repetitively as a means of consolidating learning. By providing the student with actual samples and materials, the task facilitates the transfer of skills into the community-based authentic instruction.

Competency 0006 
Strategies for Teaching Communication Skills, Social Skills, and Functional Living Skills

12. A general education class includes a student who receives special education services for a communication disorder involving expressive language and articulation difficulties. The student has an individualized education program ( I E P ) goal related to maintaining conversation with peers. The student's teachers would like to incorporate the student's work on this goal into class activities. Which strategy would likely be most effective for the special education teacher to recommend for this purpose?

  1. holding whole-class discussions in the class on a regular basis and recording students' participation
  2. allocating time for students to engage in structured academic talk during daily instructional groups
  3. encouraging students to include conversations between characters in stories that they are writing
  4. having students watch a video in which children their age engage in conversations about various topics
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Correct Response: B. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies for fostering communication skills of students with disabilities, including students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Scheduling time for students to engage in structured academic conversations is an evidence-based strategy for expressive language development that supports understanding and processing of content and vocabulary. Oral language or speech is the representation of thinking and integrating knowledge and concepts into practice. A student with a communication disorder would benefit academically and socially from engaging in structured academic discussion opportunities in the safe environment of the classroom.