Chapter 5: Teaching Students with Other Special Needs

Online Lesson Contents			Objectives
Part 1: Objectives Part 2: Summary of Ideas Part 3: Chapter Activities Interactive Pages			Upon completion of this chapter the learner will: Describe and discuss the prevalence and characteristics of students with ADD and ADHD. Describe and discuss the prevalence and characteristics of students who are gifted, creative, or talented. Describe and discuss the prevalence and characteristics of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Describe and discuss the prevalence and characteristics of students at risk for school failure. List, describe, and be able to recommend adaptations and modifications to promote inclusion of students with other diverse learning needs. Describe the causes, issues in identification, and general classroom adaptations for students with ADHD and ADD. Analyze the issues in identification and general classroom adaptations for students who are gifted, creative, and talented. Discuss the issues in identification and general classroom adaptations for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Describe the issues in identification and general classroom adaptations for at-risk students.

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			Part 2: Summary of Ideas
Not all individuals with diverse learning needs are classified as disabled.			Students with diverse learning needs other than specific disability areas also are found in general education classes and can benefit greatly from teachers' assistance and attention. Students with diverse learning needs include those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, those who are gifted, talented, and creative, those from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those at risk due to factors such as poverty, drug use, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, and child abuse and neglect. Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be served under Section 504 or other legislation. Adaptations for this group of individuals may include behavioral approaches, cognitive-behavioral training, medication, or combinations of the three. Students who are gifted, talented, or creative may be identified by a variety of methods, including test scores, behavioral descriptions, and qualitative/descriptive methods. Students who are gifted, talented, or creative may be served by acceleration programs, enrichment programs, or a combination of approaches. Students who are culturally or linguistically diverse may also present some special learning needs. Teachers should adopt a culturally sensitive, pluralistic approach that incorporates an awareness of cultural differences and their implications for learning. Because students who are culturally or linguistically diverse are often overrepresented in special education placements, teachers should be particularly careful when considering referral for special education. Unbiased testing, culturally sensitive behavioral expectations, and prereferral intervention strategies can help address this important issue. Factors considered to put students at risk for school failure include poverty, drug use, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, and child abuse and neglect. Contact and communication with students in question, their families, relevant school personnel, and community agencies can help address risk factors.

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			Chapter Activities
Students with "other" learning needs represent an increasing population served in general education classes.		1.	Read Chapter 5. Use the Chapter 5 Graphic Organizer to "see" the big ideas in the chapter. Fill in blank sections of the graphic organizer.
		2.	Examine the following World Wide Web links and consider their perspectives based on information from Chapter 5. Print out useful information and add it to your class notebook. Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders http://www.chadd.org   Learning Disabilities Association of America http://www.ldanatl.org   National Association for Gifted Children http://www.nagc.org   Gifted World http://www.gtworld.org   National Foundation for Gifted and Creative Children http://www.nfgcc.org   Johns Hopkins University's Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth http://www.jhu.edu/~gifted   Multicultural Curriculum Resources http://www.wmht.org/trail/explor02.htm   National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect http://www.calib.com/nccanch   Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/earlywrn.html

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