Special Education can be a very rewarding part of education and that is not limited to the teachers who specialize in it. Every teacher can greatly benefit from understanding certain things about special education. The first of which is that all students are capable of great things and so we cannot discriminate against those whose greatness maybe assessed in different ways.
There are a few things to know about special education and this blog is a quick run down of a few of those things. The first thing to know is that every student deserves a”free and appropriate education.This spelled out clearly in IDEA. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that any student that has a disability that effects their ability to learn can receive related services according to their needs. This covers ages 3-21 only.
This is separate from another piece of legislature, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This covers what IDEA does not, including all ages and those who can participate in academic activity but not physical activity.