Abstract
Special education provides service and access to students and families who have varied life experiences that manifest as variations in development, learning, and behavior. The contention of this paper supports the notion of refocusing our efforts on developmental and learning theories that take into consideration human variance and individual difference to inform intervention selection in special education. The author briefly discusses the current practice of Special Education in the United States and presents definitions of divergence versus deficit to build the argument that focusing inadequacy of student performance as opposed to variation in student performance can lead to inaccurate identification of appropriate strategies for students with exceptionalities. A definition of deficit model in conjunction with cultural and social implications, with regard to students identified as having emotional and behavior disabilities will be discussed. Emotional intelligence and moral development are introduced as theoretical models that can inform selection and classroom use of preventative mental health curriculum and interventions designed to improve student capacity in emotion-based utility, perspective taking, and decision making.
Highlights
Special education provides service and access to students and families who have varied life experiences that manifest as variations in development, learning, and behavior
Banks understand that the children and youth we serve are different, why is special education couched in a deficit service provision model? This question provides the framework for this paper, which discusses the notion of the divergence of students who receive special education services and aligns interventions with student learning, behavioral differences, and thinking differences
Acknowledging distinction results in increased probability to identify individual students’ needs and implement programming based on their differences, which is directly aligned with the explicit purpose of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Summary
Special education provides service and access to students and families who have varied life experiences that manifest as variations in development, learning, and behavior. From Deficit to Divergence: Integrating Theory to Inform the Selection of Interventions in Special Education. T. Banks understand that the children and youth we serve are different, why is special education couched in a deficit service provision model? This question provides the framework for this paper, which discusses the notion of the divergence of students who receive special education services and aligns interventions with student learning, behavioral differences, and thinking differences. The thesis of this paper supports the notion of refocusing our efforts on developmental and learning theories that take into consideration human variance and individual difference to inform intervention selection in special education. Emotional intelligence and moral development are introduced as theoretical models that can inform selection and classroom use of preventative mental health curriculum and interventions designed to improve student capacity in emotion-based utility, perspective taking, and decision making
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
