Educational Programs

A Review of Educational Programs

ESE315: Survey of Exceptional Students

Susan Agbulos

April 1, 2013

A Review of Educational Programs

Special education is an approach/educational practice catering to children and persons with disabilities and other special needs. IDEA has established some principals for the education of children with disabilities. Special education exists primarily because many students are not capable of receiving the same level of education as other children if taught in the same manner and techniques. The initiative of legislative action was to affirm the rights of all children, even those who are/were most difficult to teach. The placement for students with disabilities was formed. The three placements that I will be discussing are the least restrictive, inclusion, and most restrictive placement.

A special education student often has different needs, they learn in a different way and interacts socially in a different way than other students. A continuum of placement options must be considered when dealing with children that have a disability (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, & Shogren, 2013). Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is the setting closest to a regular school program, yet must still meet the child’s special education needs (Meyen, 1999).

This can be a good thing by having a LRE for students, because this allows them to be around other students who are the same age and they would not have to feel like they are an outcast because they are different. The bad thing about having a LRE student is that they can at some point become hostile and the situation may change to where someone is picking on them and trigger them to act out. At that point the teacher and the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will have to evaluate the LRE.

Many placements in the IEP’s program are not permanent. The team must determine if goals can be achieved in a regular classroom or inclusive education. Inclusion is part of a much...