Blog 17

The section in chapter 2 on pgs 75-90 on exceptional children was very important information for me as a general education teacher. Although, I will not be in the field of special education I will still have children with varying needs and maybe even a learning disability and IEP in my general education classroom. As a general education teacher I believe it is so important to be inclusive to all children and differentiate instruction for all independent learners to be successful. This chapter is a great resource to me as a teacher because it covers every learning disability and the misconceptions and needs of a specific learning disability. A favorite quote from this section is "A learning disability is not due to lack of intelligence." (pg. 76) This quote is so important because often people and even educators associate a disability with lack of intelligence and this is not good. Teachers especially should see the child or student first and see an exceptional child as one more child that needs individual attention to be successful in the classroom. My favorite section was the section on ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) which is over diagnosed and misdiagnosed all the time. So many times I have heard teachers in my internships whisper oh that kid can't hold his attention, that kid bounces off the wall, that kid must be ADHD! The table on 2.6 was wonderful because it has the misconceptions and facts about the disability and is full of information for parents and teachers about ADHD. I think it is so important as an educator to be informed about exceptional children and accommodations and modifications that can be made for all children. This chapter is awesome and definitely a resource for all educators special education and general education.