TExES Special Education EC-12 (161) Book + Online

Jill L. Haney, James Wescott, Jamalyn Jaquess

• Verlag: Research & Education Association
• Jahr: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780738684147
• Thema: Education
• Thema: Teacher Training

REA's TExES Special Education EC-12 (161) Test Prep with Online Practice Tests Gets You Certified and in the Classroom!

Our test prep is designed to help teacher candidates master the information on the TExES Special Education EC-12 (161) exam and get certified. It's perfect for college students, teachers, and career-changing professionals who are looking to become Texas Early Special Education teachers.

The book is aligned with the TExES Special Education EC-12 exam and targets exactly what teacher candidates need to know to excel on the test. A comprehensive review guides prospective Special Education EC-12 teachers through all the content topics tested, including: understanding individuals with disabilities; promoting student learning and development; promoting student achievement in mathematics, English language arts and reading; and professional roles and responsibilities.

A diagnostic test and 2 full-length practice tests are offered online in a timed format with instant scoring, diagnostic feedback, and detailed explanations of answers. Each test features every type of question, subject area, and skill you need to know for the exam. Our online practice tests replicate the TExES question format, allowing you to assess your skills and gauge your test-readiness.

The online tests at REA's Study Center offer the most powerful scoring and diagnostic tools available today. Automatic scoring and instant reports help you zero in on the topics and types of questions that give you trouble now, so you'll succeed when it counts.

The book includes the same two practice tests that are offered online, but without the added benefits of detailed scoring analysis and diagnostic feedback.

This test prep is a must-have for anyone who wants to teach Special Education in Texas!

PART I: DOMAIN I

Understandind Individuals with Disabilties and Evaluating Their Needs

CHAPTER 1

Competency 001

Competency 001

The special education teacher understands and applies knowledge of the characteristics and needs of students with disabilities.

Chapter 1 will focus on Competency 001—the characteristics and needs of students with disabilities. Under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), there are 13 categories, as follows:

1. autism

2. multiple disabilities

3. specific learning disability

4. other health impairment

5. speech/language impairment

6. orthopedic impairment

7. emotional disturbance

8. visual impairment/blindness

9. hearing impairment/deafness

10. mental retardation

11. traumatic brain injury

12. developmental delay

13. intellectual disability

Characteristics of Learning Disabilities

Competency 001 addresses the fundamental reason for needing Special Education teachers and Special Education services in the public school system. It is essential that those seeking certification in special education and those who are current Special Education teachers pay attention to past and present research regarding learning disabilities.

The topic of learning disabilities and their causes and characteristics is an interesting and complex one. Learning disabilities manifest differently and are as unique as the children they affect. It is important to have a good understanding of how various learning disabilities act upon the basic cognitive functions in different ways.

Learning disabilities have a wide variety of characteristics, and their impact on learning is just as diverse. These impacts include the following:

• reading difficulties

• attention difficulties

• poor motor abilities

• psychological processing deficits

• inability to use cognitive strategies consistently

• oral language difficulties

• expressive language difficulties

• written language problems

• mathematical deficits

• social skill deficits

• perception deficits

Impact on Learning

Often, learning disabilities manifest as learning problems in more than one academic, social, or emotional area or may manifest in only one area of learning but in a very specific and severe manner. The areas that tend to cause the most difficulty in learning are as follows:

• reading

• written language

• mathematics

Impact on Reading

Some of the most common reading deficiencies are due to language learning disabilities. Word analysis, fluency, and reading comprehension are affected the most and at different levels according to the severity of the disability.

Word Analysis

Children with language learning disabilities may have difficulty associating sounds to letters. Analyzing letters, words, sentences, and different texts is a skill that provides the foundation for achievement in reading. At early ages, due to letter and word identification problems, children with language learning disabilities develop reading skills at a slower rate. This stagnation can be evident in every area of learning.

Fluency

Students with fluency issues read at a slower rate and often do not read with expression or intonation. Fluency difficulties are often a result of learning disabilities that affect processing. Below grade-level fluency rates for elementary children are very common for those with learning disabilities.

Reading Comprehension

Ultimately, the goal of reading anything is to achieve comprehension. Word analysis and fluency are the building blocks to comprehending written text. Unfortunately, without these building blocks for reading comprehension, learning diminishes.

Impacts on Written Language

Spelling, language processing, and written language are three major skill areas that are problematic for students with learning disabilities. Language learning disabilities that affect reading skills often affect writing skills as well. This is why these students usually struggle in both areas.

Spelling

Spelling words is often difficult because oral language processing requires sound discrimination to identify the sounds of individual letters and combinations of letters. This type of learning disability affects word analysis and fluency as well.

Language Processing

Language processing, either expressive (spoken) or receptive (internal processing), is a deficit area for many students with disabilities. Problems with identifying appropriate speech sounds, choosing and using appropriate words in speaking and writing, and identifying appropriate sentence structure and grammar usage are often affected. These deficits invariably cause problems in reading and written language development.

Written Language

Written language tasks or assignments, especially if they are longer, can be tedious and frustrating for students who have written language deficits. Written language deficits are often associated with language learning disabilities, which affect reading and language processing as well. Weak skills in grammar and sentence structure often affect written language.

Impacts on Mathematics

Deficits in reading seem to receive more attention than in mathematics. However, many students struggle in math due to learning disabilities. Difficulty understanding concepts such as place value, time, fractions, or decimals is common among students with learning difficulties. Remembering and ordering numbers and information is also a common problem, and reading to solve word problems is significant.

Special Education teachers will need to have a strong working foundation of knowledge on the types and characteristics of learning disabilities so that levels of appropriate service match with the varied needs of these students.

Intellectual Disabilities

According to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, an intellectual disability is defined as “having significant limitations in mental functioning, communication, social skills, and independent living skills.” The Center outlines the most common reasons for children with intellectual disabilities:

• Problems During Pregnancy: Children could be born with fetal alcohol syndrome or rubella, for example.

• Problems at Birth: Not enough oxygen during delivery can cause intellectual disabilities.

• Genetic Conditions: Down syndrome, mental retardation, Fragile X syndrome, and PKU are examples of genetic conditions that cause intellectual disabilities.

• Accidents: A child can suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of an accident.

Disorders

Behavioral Disorders

Students with learning disabilities have higher rates of behavioral problems. Behavioral/emotional disorders are characterized by the following:

• an inability to learn, which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors

• an inability to build satisfactory relationship with peers and teachers

• inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal situations or circumstances

• a general pervasive mood or unhappiness or depression

• a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fear associated with personal or school problems

Autism

Children with autism have lifelong difficulties in communication and social interaction, and have restrictive or repetitive interests and behaviors. Children with autism or related disorders may not interact and may avoid eye contact.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 88 children are currently born with autism—an estimate much higher than a generation ago. Autism appears to be increasing, although it is not known how much of that increa...