Exceptionality
346 - Psychology of Exceptional Children
(1-16-12)
I. How do we know things?
authority
tradition
revelation
reasoning
experience
scientific investigationobservation and experiment -- empiricism
II. Being exceptional
exceptional adj. 1. Unusual; esp., unusually good 2. requiring special education, as because mentally handicapped
exception n. 1. an excepting 2. a person or a thing different from others of the same class; the case to which a rule does not apply 3. an objection
Webster's New World Compact School and Office Dictionary (1982)
differences:
Physical
appearance
sensory
motor
healthBehavioral
ability
actions
emotions
attitudes & beliefs
III. Aspects of how exceptionality is viewed
Standards of difference: on what basis do we judge someone to be exceptional?
Relative standards: vary with culture, society, time
Distress--pain & suffering [DSM-IV-TM]
Functional--impairment & limitation [DSM-IV-TM]
Sociological--violating rules (deviance)
Mathematical or Statistical--unusual
Tolerance--bothers us (the audience)
Leo Kanner: "annoyance threshold of the child's environment"
Caretaker concerns (Achenbach, 1982)
enduring trait
perceived change
developmental comparison
Absolute standards: universal
Idealistic
Pathogonomic
The nature of the exceptionality: how are the exceptional different from the rest of us?
categorical--qualitative difference (difference is of kind)
dimensional--quantitative difference (difference is of degree)
comparison of categorical vs. dimensional systems: Seven Children
Level of analysis: what do we pay attention to?
symptom or sign: a behavior, an action, a characteristic
syndrome: a pattern of symptoms
disorder: a syndrome that persists and has negative consequences
disease: a disorder that where we fully understand the mechanisms
IV. Unique features of childhood and adolescence affecting our understanding of exceptionality in youth
Source of referral
Language
Environmental dependence
Developmental status
Rapidity of change
qualitative & quantative changes with growth
V. Classification and diagnosis of exceptional states in childhood and adolescence
Purposes of classification
advance understanding
communicate among professionals
make dispositions
statistical record keeping
Possible negative effects of classification
inaccuracy and invalidity
stigma & shame
negative bias & expectations
sign & symptom, syndrome, disorder, disease
1-25-12
DSM-IV-TR & ICD-9-CM (ICD-10)
American Psychiatric Association (APA)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DMS-IV-TR) (APA, 2000)
American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Medical Association (AMA), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations (UN)
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM)
International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10)
IDEA
PL 94-142 the federal Education for all Handicapped Children Act
now titled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
1975 PL 94-142 (Part B of the Education of the Handicapped Act)
a “free and appropriate public education” for school-aged children with disabilities
1986 PL 99-457 extended the rights and protections of school aged children to preschoolers aged 3-5
1997 reauthorization of IDEA
2004 reauthorization of IDEAEligibility under IDEA
The student must be identified as having 1 of 12 disability conditions and demonstrate a need for special education and related services
mental retardation
specific learning disabilities
serious emotional disturbance
speech or language impairments
vision loss
hearing loss
orthopedic impairments
other health impairments
deaf-blindness
multiple disabilities
autism
traumatic brain injury1986 reauthorization of IDEA gave states and local educational agencies the option of dropping categories for children ages 3-5
Could define a child with a disability as a child experiencing developmental delays in one or more of the major life activities and needing special education and related services
5 basic tenets of IDEA drive eligibility
1. nondiscriminatory & multidisciplinary assessment
2. parental safeguards & involvement in the educational process
3. a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) based upon the student’s IEP
4. the development & implementation of an individualized education plan (IEP)
5. right to learn in the least restrictive environment (LRE)Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Provides coverage for some children who would not fall within IDEA
PL 101-336 The American Disabilities Act of 1990
provides a mandate to provide reasonable accommodations or modifications to students who would not qualify under IDEA to create a fair and level playing field in their educational program
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