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  • Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Supports in the General Education Classroom
Challenge
Initial Thoughts
Perspectives & Resources

Why should students with significant cognitive disabilities be included in general education classrooms?

  • 1: Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
  • 2: Inclusion in Policy and Practice
  • 3: Access to General Education Curriculum

How can teachers best plan for and teach students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms?

  • 4: Goals, Services, and Supports
  • 5: Collaborative Practices
  • 6: Addressing Instructional Needs
  • 7: Addressing Communication Needs

Resources

  • 8: References, Additional Resources, and Credits
Wrap Up
Assessment
Provide Feedback

Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Supports in the General Education Classroom

Perspectives & Resources

young boy smiling

Objectives:

By completing this module’s Perspectives & Resources section and reviewing its accompanying activities, you will be able to:

  • Recognize the value of including students with significant cognitive disabilities in general education classrooms.
  • Explain the importance of general education curriculum access for all students.
  • Understand the types of services and supports that can be used to support students with significant cognitive disabilities.
  • Describe strategies to address the instructional and communication needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities in general education environments.

Standards

This IRIS Module aligns with the following licensure and program standards and topic areas. Click the arrows below to learn more.

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

CAEP standards for the accreditation of educators are designed to improve the quality and effectiveness not only of new instructional practitioners but also the evidence-base used to assess those qualities in the classroom.

  • Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

CEC standards encompass a wide range of ethics, standards, and practices created to help guide those who have taken on the crucial role of educating students with disabilities.

  • Standard 2: Learning Environments
  • Standard 5: Instructional Planning and Strategies
  • Standard 7: Collaboration

Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC)

The DEC Recommended Practices are designed to help improve the learning outcomes of young children (birth through age five) who have or who are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. Please note that, because the IRIS Center has not yet developed resources aligned with DEC Topic 8: Transition, that topic is not currently listed on this page.

Environment

  • E1. Practitioners provide services and supports in natural and inclusive environments during daily routines and activities to promote the child’s access to and participation in learning experiences.
  • E2. Practitioners consider Universal Design for Learning principles to create accessible environments.

Instruction

  • INS2. Practitioners, with the family, identify skills to target for instruction that help a child become adaptive, competent, socially connected, and engaged and that promote learning in natural and inclusive environments.
  • INS4. Practitioners plan for and provide the level of support, accommodations, and adaptations needed for the child to access, participate, and learn within and across activities and routines.

Teaming and Collaboration

  • TC1. Practitioners representing multiple disciplines and families work together as a team to plan and implement supports and services to meet the unique needs of each child and family.

Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC)

InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards are designed to help teachers of all grade levels and content areas to prepare their students either for college or for employment following graduation.

  • Standard 2: Learning Differences
  • Standard 3: Learning Environments
  • Standard 7: Planning for Instruction

When you are ready, proceed to Page 1.

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