Academic Instruction for Students With Moderate and Severe Intellectual Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms

June E. Downing is Professor Emerita of Special Education at California State University, Northridge, and prior to that was at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she did research and prepared teachers to work in the area of moderate, severe, and multiple disabilities. She is a national leader in the field of special education that targets the needs of students with severe disabilities, especially with regard to inclusive education. She has published numerous articles, chapters, monographs, and seven books on students having severe and multiple disabilities. She served for six years on the Executive Board of TASH, an international advocacy organization for individuals with severe disabilities, and was a past president of the California Chapter of this organization—CalTASH as well as AZTASH. She has served as an associate editor of Research and Practices for Persons With Severe Disabilities and currently serves on this board as well as several other professional editorial boards. She is presently serving as an educational consultant, traveling extensively in the United States and abroad to do presentations on various subjects.

• Foreword. by Diane Ryndak - Diane RyndakPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author1. Teaching Students With Moderate to Severe Intellectual Disabilities in General Education Classrooms: Foundational BeliefsKey ConceptsA Historical Perspective: Where We Came FromThe Present Situation and ChallengeWhat is Inclusive Education?What is Not Inclusive EducationWho Are We Talking About?Summary2. Instructional Strategies and Teaching ArrangementsKey ConceptsCharacteristics of Effective Instruction for All StudentsClear ExpectationsAnalyzing Tasks for Improved LearningWhat We Know About Teaching Students with Moderate to Severe Intellectual DisabilitiesThe Importance of Student InterestsComponents of the Teaching TaskPrompting StrategiesConsequences of the BehaviorUsing Sequences of Different Prompts to Teach Students: Shaping BehaviorMaintaining and Generalizing SkillsTeaching Arrangements in General Education ClassroomsSummary3. Determining Student Needs: What to TeachKey ConceptsLimitations of Standardized AssessmentFamily and Child-Based Assessment ProcedureRecord ReviewObservational AssessmentsWhat’s the Class Doing?Interpreting Content StandardsBlending Student/Family Goals with State StandardsIdentifying Learning OpportunitiesWriting IEP Goals and ObjectivesSummary4. Teaching Core Curriculum to Students With Moderate to Severe Intellectual DisabilitiesKey ConceptsThe Critical Need to Adapt Curriculum to Make it MeaningfulIdentifying the BIG Ideas from Core CurriculumDetermining Prompts to Use for a Particular Student and LessonExamples of Students Receiving Direct Instruction Across Grades and Instructional ArrangementsLarge Group InstructionGeneralization of Skills TaughtSummary5. It Takes a Village: Teaching as a Collaborative EffortKey ConceptsThe Expectation of Team CollaborationTeam Members Involved in InstructionCredentialed TeachersCo-TeachingSupporting General Education OwnershipParaprofessionals as TeachersRelated Service ProvidersParent VolunteersPeers as TeachersA Few Cautions When Using PeersThe Need for Information and TrainingEffective Use of Team MembersThe Importance of ConsistencyGeneralization of Skills Across Team MembersSummary6. Keeping Track of Student Progress, by Kathryn D. Peckham-Hardin and June E. DowningKey ConceptsTypes of Data Collection StrategiesLinking Data Collection Methods to the IEP ObjectivesCollecting Data While Teaching in General Education ClassroomsExamples of Collecting Data During Instructional TimesTest Taking by the ClassTraining Paraprofessionals and Others to Take DataThe Need for Alternate AssessmentSummary7. He’s Getting It! Now What? Taking Learning to the Next LevelKey ConceptsInvolving the Student in Planning Next StepsWriting IEP Objectives to Reflect Next StepsUsing Standards and Performance Indicators to Determine Next StepsUsing Task Analyses to Determine Next StepsUsing Life Needs to Determine Next StepsPostsecondary OptionsNext Steps for Nonacademic SkillsSummaryReferencesIndex

"June Downing has a talent for explaining complex information in easily understood ways using practical examples that reflect exemplary, evidence-based educational practices. This book goes a long way in conceptualizing access to the general education curriculum for students with severe intellectual disabilities and operationalizing it within typical regular class activities. It is a valuable resource for teachers, special educators, parents, and related service providers interested in extending inclusive opportunities for students with severe disabilities."