At a time when budget cuts are commonplace, staff shortages, larger class sizes, and an understanding of the laws governing special education in the US, it is imperative to build a learning environment. inclusive for all students, from those with physical and learning disabilities to the gifted, as well as all children in between.
Numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics reveal that about 70 percent of students attend elementary and high school. The number of children with special educational needs is also increasing.
With the focus on inclusive classrooms, both parents and teachers need to understand the legal requirements as well as the costs involved in special education in public schools.
What is special education?
Special education includes academic programs to help people with mental, emotional, or physical disabilities. The program may include children with severe disabilities and those with moderate or mild language difficulties, emotional or cognitive disabilities, or other impairments that make learning difficult. In some schools, educators use the best educational apps for kindergarteners to educate children.
What is the least restrictive learning environment?
Least restrictive environment means that schools that receive public funds must provide students the opportunity to attend regular classrooms as much as possible. Schools must allow special students to participate in a standard learning environment alongside neurotypical students.
In some cases, special children with severe disabilities may have to spend time in a special classroom designed to accommodate their particular disability, with the help of some of the best educational apps for kindergarten children. But most of their time, up to 80 percent, is generally spent in a regular classroom setting alongside neurotypical students.
Inclusion of special education
Giving all students the opportunity to attend regular classes, instructions and learning is what is known as inclusion. The term “inclusive classrooms” is quite new. It complies with the Rehabilitation Act (1973) and also the Education for Persons with Disabilities Act (1975). This last law was modified in 2012 to measure the success of special education programs.
Identification of special education students
Studies have revealed that after the age of seven, it is generally difficult to educate special children to achieve grade level performance. Children with mild to extreme physical and mental disabilities have a wide variety of special needs. It requires educators to focus on establishing a consistent classroom environment along with paced instruction, behavior management, and individualized lesson plans. The best educational apps for kindergarten kids can be very helpful in this regard. Research has suggested that the earlier children with special needs are exposed to these apps, the faster they will adapt to normal classrooms.
Children with special needs who do not receive early intervention often drop out of school at a much higher rate, which can be twice that of neurotypical students. Ultimately, it costs society much more than educating them properly.
The role of doctors
The family doctor can play an important role in helping to identify children with cognitive and physical disabilities. But it is primarily the responsibility of teachers and parents to determine if the child suffers from learning disabilities and needs special education.
