| CODE | IAL2004 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Low-Incidence Disabilities | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Inclusion and Access to Learning | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit introduces students to those disabilities that though not so visible in our classrooms, when present can offer some challenges to the teaching and learning environment. It will introduce students to learners with sensory impairment (hearing and visual impairments), children who need special health care need due to neurological disabilities, children within the autism spectrum and childhood disintegrative disorders, those with severe and multiple disabilities and children with severe cognitive, metacognitive and memory problems leading to learning disabilities. This study-unit will therefore explore what is understood by low-incidence disabilities, their particular needs and why schools and communities feel particularly challenged in serving students with low-incidence disabilities. The curricula, instructional practices and planning models currently used with students with low-incidence disabilities will be explored together with ways on how an IEP can ensure greater access to the general curriculum and assessment systems for students with low-incidence disabilities. The study-unit will emphasise the importance of implementing pedagogical strategies within the Universal Design for Learning framework which prepare learners to take on independent, responsible, and productive roles as adults. Study-unit Aims: The aim of this study-unit is to equip future Learning Support Educators with the essential knowledge and skills to deal with low incidence disabilities. It aims to equip students with the necessary tools to implement inclusive pedagogical strategies, within the Universal Design for Learning framework, which prepare learners to take on independent, responsible, and productive roles as adults. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • Define the concept of Universal design for Learning; • Describe and identify low-incidence disabilities; • Label why schools and communities are particularly challenged in serving students with low-incidence disabilities; • Report and identify the needs of students with low-incidence disabilities; • Describe which curricula and instructional practices are currently used with students with low-incidence disabilities; • Review which planning models are in use for students with low-incidence disabilities; • Describe how IEPs can ensure greater access to the general curriculum for students with low-incidence disabilities; • Illustrate which approaches exist for enabling students with low-incidence disabilities to participate in state- and district-level assessment systems; • Describe how the UDL framework can increase access to the general curriculum for students with low-incidence disabilities. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • Implement the concept of Universal design for Learning to inform practice; • Classify what constitute low-incidence disabilities; • Inspect why schools and communities are particularly challenged in serving students with low-incidence disabilities; • Investigate the needs of students with low-incidence disabilities; • Implement curricula and instructional practices currently used with students with low-incidence disabilities; • Implement planning models in use for students with low-incidence disabilities; • Describe how IEPs can ensure greater access to the general curriculum for students with low-incidence disabilities; • Implement existing approaches for enabling students with low-incidence disabilities to participate in state- and district-level assessment systems; • Formulate how the UDL framework can increase access to the general curriculum for students with low-incidence disabilities. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main text - Turnbull, A., Rutherford Turnbull, H., Wehmeyer M., L., & Shogren, K.A., (2020). Exceptional Lives: Practice, Progress, & Dignity in Today's Schools, 9th editions (9th Edition). Pearson Supplementary Texts - Jackson, R. (2005). Curriculum access for students with low-incidence disabilities: The promise of universal design for learning. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. (Links updated 2011). Retrieved [20th September 2022] from http://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2005/ncac-curriculum-access-low-incidence-udl - West E M. (2015) Including learners with low-incidence disability. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. - Kurth, J. A., Morningstar, M. E., & Kozleski, E. B. (2014). The persistence of highly restrictive special education placements for students with low-incidence disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 39(3), 227-239. - Zambone, A. M., Bashinski, S. M., & King, L. H. (2021). Low-incidence disabilities. In Best Practices for the Inclusive Classroom (pp. 51-85). Routledge. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Marica Gatt |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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