SPED class: Week 2

Hello and welcome to week two of my special education learning experience!

This week we read chapter one of the book entitled, Including Students with Special Needs: A Classroom Guide for Classroom Teachers. In the first chapter of this book it really focused on what special education was and the different components that comprise it such as specially designed instruction, or SDI for one. The book spoke that SDI is tailored to meet the individual needs of the student with a disability. The student is closely monitored and their progress is documented to see if they can be eligible for SDI.

The other two components of special education are related services, or assistance beyond academic instruction that enables students to benefit from special education, and supplementary aids and services, or a broad array of supports that enable students with disabilities to participate in general education, extracurricular activities, and other school settings so that they can be educated with peers who do not have disabilities.

The underlying theme that I received from this reading was very impactful to me. As I read this chapter I noticed that besides talking about all the ways that we can help and to teach those with special needs, it is more important to treat them equally. I feel like a lot of times we treat those who have a disability differently than others who could be deemed as "fully functioning". Relating to religion here for a moment I feel that we need to come see these elect individuals as chosen sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. So many times when I meet these individuals I feel such a contentment emanate from them. They just ooze innocence and a lack of corruption. I feel that as current or future parents we need to learn to see these children (and adults) as something more then just a person with an illness. We need to look past the imperfections and to see the inner child of God. We need to have more Christ-like love and respect towards those different from us.

See ya!