SED 381: Nature & Need for Individuals with Cognitive Impairment

Final Exam

Directions: Below are 20 questions based on topics spanning the semester. Answer each question
as thoroughly as possible. Some questions are essays and require more detail, others are
questions where you will need to list your responses. The point value is indicated next to the
question.

1. Describe the essence of Brown vs. Board of Education (1954). What is the connection to
education? What is the connection to special education? (3 points)

- Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 ruled that segregation in public schools was
unconstitutional. Before this case and ruling the term separate but equal was
frequently used. In terms of segregation, this term meant that races were separated
but still being treated equally and because they were separate, they were still equal,
but this was not the case. Since this was not “fair” nor equal the term separate but
equal from Plessy vs. Ferguson was now overturned due to Brown vs. Board
- In terms of special education, this connects because during this time the vast
majority of our special education population was isolated and not included in public
schools. They were separate but not equal. This was not the turning point for special
education but connects with the court case ruling because it shows that all
individuals are diverse and an appropriate education that is not segregated.

2. Describe the essence of the Elementary & Secondary Act of 1963. What is the
connection to education? (2 points)
- This federal law was to provide funding to states to provide and improve
educational opportunities for students living in poverty. This was the turning point
in providing a better education for disadvantaged children to level the playing field.
3. Describe the essence of the Vocational Act of 1973. What is the connection to the field of
disabilities? (2 points)

- This was also called the No Child Left Behind Act of 1973. This was to better
include those individuals with disabilities in schools. This act helped put an end to
discrimination toward those with disabilities. This also included discrimination in
the workforce. In class, when we discussed this, we went over, and I believe watched
a video about this act and how this means we could no longer discriminate over who
is working in public places. This is a huge connection to the field of special
education because this is when the formation of special education would start over
the coming years and start to progress. This act showed that we need to create an
environment in all areas that has a sense of safety for not only students in schools
but for all individuals with disabilities.

4. Describe the essence of PARC v. Pennsylvania (1971). IDEA? (2 points)

- This court case was started by a boy who had a disability being denied school.

Johnny’s family wanted to provide him with an education, and they wanted him to

attend school, but the school district denied him an education due to his disability.

PARC then got involved and sued Pennsylvania due to denying the right to

education for someone with a disability as well as preventing due process. The

ruling in 1972 was that the Pennsylvania educational laws were unconstitutional,

and the state must provide free public education to all children. This is where IDEA

comes into play for the state of Pennsylvania which provides individuals with

disabilities education, and this was soon to come to all states.

5. Describe the essence of the Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act 1975. What
impact does it have today on special education? (5 points)
- This is also known as PL.92.142; this was the first national law that required schools
to provide a free and appropriate public education to all students which a disability
from the ages of 3 to 21. This is a huge turning point for special education, but this
law is still in place and has helped create others; it is to still provide an appropriate
education for all children regardless of their disability. But this is for all schools that
accept federal funding. This does not include schools that do not, such as private
schooling. But all schools that accept federal funding must provide all individuals
with an appropriate education.

6. List the 6 pillars of the current IDEA. (IDEIA 2004). (6 points)

- FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education

- LRE: Least Restrictive Environment
- Appropriate Evaluation
- IEP: Individualized Education Program
- Procedural Safeguards
- Parent Participation

7. What was the purpose of the Eugenics movement? (2 points)

- This was designed to improve the human race but manipulating breeding. By doing
so this focused on sterilizing the “feebleminded” while trying to improve the human
race.
8. How did organizations, such as the Council for Exceptional Children and parents help the
field of special education? (2 points)

- This group included parents, teachers and educators, administration, and more but
they dedicate themselves to improving the educational success of individuals with
disabilities as well as those who are gifted and talented. This is a community that
supports and advocated for these individuals whom society sees as outcasts. The
Council for Exceptional Children and parents help provide different resources and
programs to better improve the education that is being provided for these students
to better meet the needs of the individual students.

9. Why is it important that we understand the causes of a disability? (3 points)

- It is important to know the causes of a disability for many reasons first being to
know if this is something that is hereditary and if it runs in the family. This is
important to know because a family should/needs to know if this is something that
can be passed down to other children they may have or if this can continue to get
passed down through different generations. This is also important because if it is
caused by an environmental factor there are things such as a change of environment
and accommodations that can occur to improve the situation. Cognitive
impairments are not curable but there are accommodations that can happen if the
cause of the disability is known to better the individual.

10. What is the definition of CI based on MARSE rules? (3 points)

- The cognitive impairment should be manifested during the developmental period
and be determined through the demonstration of all of the behavioral
characteristics listed: Development is 2 standard deviations below the mean as
determined through intellectual assessments, scores within the lowest 6th percentile
 on standardized testing in reading and writing (this does not apply if the student is
not of age, grade, or mental age for formal standardized testing), lack of
development primarily in the cognitive domain, impairment of adaptive behavior,
and adversely affects the student’s educational performance. The determination of
impairment must be based upon a full evaluation that is individualized by a
multidisciplinary evaluation team and this must include a psychologist.
Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) with ... (n.d.). Retrieved
October 12, 2022, from
https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/mde/specialeducation/MI-rules/
MARSE_Supplemented_with_IDEA_Regs.pdf?rev=a9fd6c0ae03548fdad9195e24c4020ac

11. What are the three basic measures used for CI? (3 points)

- IQ Testing
- Adaptive Behavior Skills
- Summative Assessments

12. What is the importance of adaptive rating scales? (2 points)

- This is a tool that is used to develop a plan for an individual who has a disability.
The major domains that these scales show are communication, daily living skills,
motor skills, and adaptive behavior skills. This must be appropriate to the
individual's culture, and this is in an interview format. This helps show
improvement in IEP goals, shows occupational interests, can be filed to keep a
running record over the years, and is a high-stakes test that is summative. This is
commonly used as a transition assessment to show student growth and the interests
of the student to be able to plan for a transition out of school.

13. What is the purpose of a task analysis? (2 points)

- The purpose of a task analysis is to take skills a child is having a hard time doing at
all or doing in the correct order and break them down step by step. Once it is
 broken down step by step you use these steps to teach the individual how to do these
tasks and you document it each time it is done. You may start by using verbal cues,
hand-over-hand, or doing it with the student and you want to chart this to show
progress you shy away from assisting the student and they start to grasp the task on
their own without help. By the end of the task analysis, you want to see the charting
growth that shows the individual is now doing the task independently. For example,
I created one for a student who had a hard time washing their hands. I created a
step-by-step chart and used it every time the student washed their hands. The adult
helping the student would mark every step on if there was a verbal cue used if they
did hand over hand, or if the student did it independently. By the 2nd week of doing
this, we were constantly writing an “I” on every step because the child was able to
do the entire skill independently by using the task analysis for some time.

14. List three techniques for motivation. (3 points)

- Power: This doesn’t mean the student wants your power, but they want their own.
Give them choices on what they are going to write about, if you are going to have
them do four of the 8 math problems let them pick even or odd, or let them choose
their job for the day.
- Praise the student: Show them they are doing a great job when they do their work
or complete things they are not motivated to do. Show the students you’re proud of
them.
- Working with others could also provide motivation. The video we watched in class
talked about how students’ bond over work and bond over each other’s successes so
let them work together at times when they can to collaborate and celebrate.

15. List three behavior techniques. (3 points)

- Positive reinforcement: Showing the student when they do something positive or
good, they will receive points toward something, a sticker on their sticker chart, or a
5-minute brain break.
- Negative reinforcement: Taking something away the child has already earned such
as a sticker off their sticker chart or taking away recess time.
- Whole class: Use a bucket filler and a jar to put pom-poms in toward a class reward
to show positive classroom behaviors for the entire class.

16. List in order the LRE ladder (bottom: least restrictive to the top-most restrictive) (8
points)

- Hospitalization or institutionalized setting

- Separate facility- EX. Porter Center
- Day treatment programs
- Full-time self-contained room
- Self-contained-room with push-in/inclusion
- General education with resource room
- Full-time general education with TC or speech
- Full-time general education

17. What is the importance of transition planning? (2 points)

- Transition planning is so important because it is crucial to find the best fit for the
individual after graduation. During the transition period, it is important to find out
the interests of the individual and some of their life goals, if they have any. Some
may continue the transition period after high school and go to day programs that
continue to teach them life skills and daily living skills, some may do a work-based
program but finding their interests entail finding the right fitting job, and some may
live at home still or move on to an assisted living type apartment. It is crucial to find
the best fit for the individual, so they are still working in their least restrictive
environment even though they are not in school anymore.

18. What should drive a student’s service? (1 point)

- THE NEED DRIVES THE SERVICE!

19. What is the purpose of assistive technology? (3 points)

- This is important to find the needs of the students and find what best helps them
with those needs. Assistive technology can help with communication, the most
common one I have seen in the school setting is a LAMP which is in an iPad of some
sort and the student can click on pictures to say words or sentences to ask and
answer questions, state their needs, and communicate with their peers even though
they are non-verbal. There are low-tech options too that are just as important; if a
student has a hard time gripping a pencil, we can provide them with a pencil grip,
and this is something that is simple and low-tech but still helps improve their
writing skills. This is so important because it helps build everyday skills by using
equipment that can be low-tech, mid-tech, or high-tech to provide the students with
the need to improve their skills.

20. List four tips for working successfully with parents. (4 points)

- Communicating is key, communicate on a regular basis with the parents. This

means that we do not only call home or stop the parents in passing when a child did
something bad but also for the good things too. If you are only calling home for the
bad there is not going to be a negative relationship that is built but if there is active
communication that is done on a daily to weekly basis, then there will be a success in
working and communicating with the families.
- Listen to the parents, when the parents come to you with questions or concerns
listen to them. They are trusting you with what they have to say, and you should
listen to be able to answer their questions or help them find out where their
questions can be answered.
- Provide resources to the families. If you show the families, you care not only for
their children but also about them this will create a comfortable environment for
them so you can successfully work as a team.
- This needs to be done for any of the previous ones but gets to know the child’s
family/parents. Get to know their background, their traditions, and have them as a
guest in your room to share things such as a family tree project to show interest in
their heritage so you can celebrate things with them. Get to know them on a deeper
level to show them you care about them and care about their thoughts and feelings
as well.