Beverly Rainforth

Use of Instructional Time in Classrooms Serving Students with and without Severe Disabilities

This investigation explored the use of teacher and student time in an inclusive elementary school where students with mild to profound disabilities were enrolled in general education classrooms. Participants included 6 students with severe disabilities and 12 students without disabilities. Observers recorded time used for instruction, as well as levels and types of student engagement and types of interruptions. Students in each group evidenced comparable levels of engaged time, and students with severe disabilities had no effect on losses of instructional time. Results were discussed in light of this schools contextual characteristics and the inclusive schools movement.

Integrating Related Services in Community Instruction.

Community-based instruction and transdisciplinary teamwork have been advocated as desirable elements of educational services for students with severe disabilities. As more students receive instruction in community environments, the need for related services personnel to participate in program development and implementation in off-campus locations becomes more evident. This article presents guidelines and examples of how transdisciplinary teams can deliver services to students with severe disabilities in community environments. Recommendations are also given for scheduling and other aspects of effective teamwork.

Transdisciplinary Teamwork and Integrated Therapy: Clarifying The Misconceptions

&NA; The provision of transdisciplinary and integrated therapy services for students with severe disabilities in educational settings has been widely discussed in practice and in the literature While there are many proponents of the model, a great deal of controversy and confusion exists. Much of the controversy centers around issues of role clarification, logistical and practical constraints, and discipline accountability and liability in assessment and intervention. This article was written as a complement to an earlier article “Providing related services to learners with severe handicaps in educational settings: Pursuing the least restrictive option.”1 In the earlier article, a rationale for and discussion of educationally related therapy services that are transdisciplinary and integrated were provided. The purpose of this article is to further the service provision discussion by presenting common misconceptions and related clarifications for transdisciplinary and integrated therapy services provided to students with severe disabilities in educational settings.

Preparing Teachers to Educate Students with Severe Disabilities in Inclusive Settings despite Contextual Constraints

Inclusive education has been advocated for students with severe disabilities based on the least restrictive environment mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, but remains an obscure practice. Some professional groups assert that preparing teachers to provide inclusive education is the sole responsibility of school districts. Teacher educators in colleges and universities must also assume this responsibility, even when the surrounding communities do not provide exemplars or even support this innovation. This article describes a course intended to prepare special education graduate students to educate students with severe disabilities in inclusive settings. Course methods are guided by the Concerns Based Adoption Model (Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, & Hall, 1987) with emphasis on course participants applying course content in public school settings. Anecdotal data and a pre-/postcourse evaluation using the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (Hall, George, & Rutherford, 1986) suggest that the course effectively contributes to preparing teachers for inclusive education for students with severe disabilities and reduces teacher concerns related to managing this innovation.

providing Related Services to Learners with Severe Handicaps in Educational Settings : pursuing the Least Restrictive Option 1

The provision of occupational and physical therapy as educationally related services in public schools continues to present many unique challenges and opportunities for allied health and education professionals. Effective educational programs, in part, depend on related services that support exemplary curricular and instructional practices. Trans-disciplinary teamwork and integrated therapy models effectively complement educational practices for learners with severe handicaps. These approaches account for student learning characteristics and a values base which promotes the provision of services in least restrictive environments. A continuum is described that distinguishes between therapy services that are related and those not related to educational programming. Integrated, least restrictive therapy services are advocated.

Promoting the Instructional Inclusion of Young Children With Disabilities in the Primary Grades

We describe a process of curriculum adaptation that was used by teachers in an inclusive elementary school. It was used to enhance the degree to which young children with mild to profound disabilities were instructionally integrated in primary grade classrooms. The underlying assumptions of the process are described, as are the components of the process. We use case study examples of 3 students with mild to profound disabilities to demonstrate how the process can be applied in content area subjects to optimize the instructional inclusion of students, while not sacrificing the individualized nature of instruction. Implications for teaming and school practices are presented.

The Primary Therapist Model

When occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) are provided as related services in educational settings, federal law, professional guidelines, and validated practices have pointed to appropriate models of service provision. Issues such as personnel shortages, professional isolation, and questionable educational relevance of services all create barriers to use of recommended practices. The overlap between OT and PT in special education suggests one strategy to help address these barriers: a primary therapist model. In this model, an OT or PT is assigned as primary therapist, with consultation from the other discipline as required to meet student needs. Potential benefits of the model, challenges in implementation, the best practice framework needed to support the model, and the need for research on costs and benefits are discussed.

Biobehavioral State and Orienting: Implications for Educating Profoundly Retarded Students.

Programs for profoundly retarded students generally follow two approaches: operant conditioning, which is often ineffective with this population, and sensory stimulation, which has little empirical support. This article reviews the literature on biobehavioral state and orienting in an attempt to identify conditions that are prerequisite to or facilitate learning. Several areas are identified where further research is needed.

Functional Home Programs: A Model for Therapists

A model is described which can assist occupational and physical therapists in developing functional home programs with families of children with significant physical disabilities. A case study was employed to illustrate the application of the Family Daily Routine model (Vincent, Salisbury, Laten, & Baumgart, 1979) and a method whereby specific therapy goals could be addressed by parents and siblings. By assessing the typical routine within a family and working collaboratively to identify naturally occurring teaching opportunities, parents can reinforce program plan objectives without significant disruption to family activities. The position of the model within the greater scope of home-school partnerships was also addressed.

Analysis of Physical Therapy Practice Acts: Implications for Role Release in Educational Environments

Many physical therapists in educational settings still resist “role release” with claims of legal or ethical restrictions, despite 30 years of advocacy for transdisciplinary teamwork. Laws from 51 states and territories were analyzed to determine how physical therapy practice is defined. Laws delineated practices and procedures that physical therapists commonly use and some they may not use. Some laws also defined roles of physical therapy support personnel. Laws specified that only a licensed physical therapist may use the title, physical therapist, or claim to provide physical therapy services. No law specified that only a physical therapist may use certain procedures, but guidance was given for responsible delegation of responsibilities. Implications for physical therapists working with educational teams and the rationale for role release are discussed.