An Introduction to
Learning Resources
Required Resources
- Course Text: Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education
Note: For each chapter, read the designated sections up to “Educational Approaches”
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- Chapter 4, “Intellectual Disabilities” (pp. 132–1 47)
- Chapter 5, “Learning Disabilities” (pp. 172–179, 181–182, 184–192)
- Chapter 6, “Emotional or Behavioral Disorders” (pp. 213–2 21, 224–233)
- Chapter 7, “Autism Spectrum Disorders” (pp. 257–265, 268–2 71)
- Chapter 8, “Communication Disorders” (pp. 297–3 14)
Optional Readings and Resources:
- American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
http://aaidd.org/
- National Down Syndrome Society
http://www.ndss.org/
- “Understanding Learning Disabilities”
Division of Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children
http://teachingld.org/understanding-ld
- Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders
http://www.ccbd.net/
- The National Autism Association
http://nationalautismassociation.org/
- “The Language of Autism”
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/the-language-of-autism/
- IDEA 2004: “Definitions of Disability”
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,regs,300,A,300%252E8,
Content Review
Directions:
- Respond to each item. Each response should be concise and 2- to 3-paragraphs in length.
- Use MS Word to write your responses, and submit your answers to all three questions in one Word document.
- Copy and paste each question within the document, so that your Instructor can see which question you are responding to.
- This week you have been learning about mental retardation/intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and communication disorders. Choose two categories that are of the most interest to you. Describe two ways in which they differ from each other, and then explain a relationship or similarity that may exist between the two categories.
- As the course text explains on page 257, the field of autism has gone from a “relatively unrecognized disability” to “one of widespread interest in education and society in general.” Based on your reading, describe the five conditions that are meant by the term “autism spectrum disorder.” Also, based on current knowledge, identify the common characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder and explain the concept of the “spectrum” in terms of those characteristics.
- Think back to what you learned about early intervention in Week 1 and what you have learned about each of the categories you studied this week. Choose one category and consider the potential influence of early intervention on this category. Then explain how quality early intervention coul
