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Session 10
Jordyn Aldrich
EDU-2010
SLCC
September 16, 2015

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Many factors play into the life of a child with special needs; environment and
surroundings are key factors in the success of the child. There is need for support from every
area in his or her life and laws targeting the childs education, while beneficial, are not enough.
Children with disabilities arent the only ones impacted, the familys needs are also effected. It is
just as important to meet the needs of the children as it is the family.
One of the resources to aid in the lives of the entire family is called the Early Intervention
Programs and Services. The sooner the intervention takes place in the childs life the more
beneficial it will be for the childs health and development as well as more cost effective for the
family. All early intervention services must be designed and delivered within the framework of
informing and empowering family members (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2014). The highly
beneficial intervention program is set up with a wide variety of services and contacts creating a
peace of mind for the families facing disabilities.
As the child gets older and begins their education there are more hands at work. A major
component in this aspect is the general education teacher. Considering that 95 percent of all
general education teachers are currently working directly with students with disabilities in their
classroom, (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2014) the general education teachers have a big role to
play. They assess the childs individual needs to see what can be done in a general education
class, what areas are more limited and need attention, and the needs that might not be met in the
general education setting. This might not seem vital but without the general education teachers
opinion the child may not receive the opportunities most fitting for his or her education.
The gathered information from the general education teacher is given to the special
education teacher who, amongst other duties, serves as a recourse to general educators and

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parents on effective instructional practices for students with disabilities (Hardman, Drew, &
Egan, 2014).Not only does the special education teacher then provide the general education
teacher with the tools to meet the childs needs, but the parents as well. The special education
teacher also takes on the role of developing and implementing the IEP, then acting as the liaison
between the school and the parents so the childs home life can reflect whats being implemented
in the class.
Ultimately, the childs wellbeing is whats most important, and that means taking a look
at the bigger picture. Educating the family, providing teaching tools, as well as establishing
communication and support to create a home environment that empowers the family will create
every advantage for the child. All parties involved in this development play an equally important
role and come with great responsibility.

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References Hardman, M., Drew, C., and Egan, C. (2014). Human Exceptionality School,
Community, and Family. 11th ed. UNITED STATES: Cengage.