Special Ed Learning Disabilities Chart

Special Ed

Learning Disabilities Chart

Special Education in Brooke County, WV

At the elementary school level, Brooke County only as several dedicated special needs classroom in four of its primary schools (WV Dept. Of Education 2009). The largest of these is located at the Wellsburg primary school, and this was my place of observation concerning the implementation of special needs education practices and principles in action. Inclusion policies were not implemented especially strongly here; two high-functioning individuals were in the special needs classroom despite their obvious intelligence level. Behavioral and social issues related to their condition (both had autism spectrum disorders) might provide the explanations for this placement, however.

There are two team teachers and an aide in this classroom, allowing for a great deal of individualized and small group attention, which is in keeping with many basic principles and recommendations for most learning disorders and disabilities (LDA 2006). Disruptions were fairly frequent, but rarely escalated and were quickly clamed down by the teacher(s) and/or their teaching aide. Students were generally able to concentrate on their assigned tasks and in fact were engaged quite enthusiastically in their learning activities.

Student achievement was definitely impact by the diversity of needs and abilities in the classroom, as well as the teaching of several grades at once (1st through 3rd). The limitations were minimized by the teachers' obvious practice and ability, however, and in general the educational achievements being reached in this classroom indicate highly successful practices and skills (LDA 2006).

Parental Interview

After my observation of the special needs classroom at Wellsburg Primary, I had the opportunity to interview the parents of one of the children in the class who suffered from an autism spectrum disorder. We discussed their son's specific areas and degree of difficulty; he is high-functioning, but extremely resistant to change. This makes learning new things and interaction with others exceedingly difficult, as other individuals, of course, rarely conform their behavior to his exact expectations even when they can figure out what those expectations are.