Introduction to Exceptional Psychology

• Exceptional Children has physical attributes/learning characteristics differ from norm (below or above) the requires SPED.
• Exceptional children include:

  • with learning and behavioral problems
  • with physical disabilities or sensory impairment
  • with superior intellectual abilities or talents
• Impairment - loss or reduced function of a body part or organ (ex. missing limb).
• Disability - when an impairment limits an ability to perform certain tasks (eg. walk, see, read).
• Disability - societal and environmental barriers result from impairment.
• Handicap - specific challenge faced due to interaction between impairment and environmental barriers (eg. can't attend class because of no ramps).
• Disability

  • can't draw, hold objects through hands.

  Impairment

  • Missing Arms

  Handicap

  • can't attend to school because of no ramp.
• Benefits of Labelling and Classifying Exceptional Children

  • meaningful differences
  • lead to a protective response from peers.
  • special needs become more visible.
  • funding and resources for research.
• Disadvantages of Labelling and Classifying Exceptional Children

  • people always think what they can't do.
  • reject or ridiculed
  • low expectations from teachers.
  • negatively affect self-esteem
• Special Education - intervention to prevent, eliminate, and overcome obstacles that keep child with disabilities from learning and active participation in school and society.
• Three Basic Types of Intervention

  • Preventive
  • Remedial
  • Compensatory
• Preventive Intervention - keep potential or minor problem from becoming a disability.
• Three Levels of Preventive Intervention

  • Primary Prevention
  • Secondary Prevention
  • Tertiary Prevention
• Primary Prevention - reduce number of new cases of a disability. Also eliminates and counteract risk factors to not acquire disability.
• Secondary Prevention - aim at individuals exposed to or are displaying specific risk factors. To eliminate and counteract effects of risk factors.
• Tertiary Prevention - aim individuals with disability to minimize the impact of condition.
• Remedial Intervention - eliminate specific effect of disability that aims to teach pwd skills for independent and successful functioning.
• Compensatory Intervention - teaching substitute skill that enables a person to engage and perform task despite disability.
• Special Education - interdisciplinary team of professional working together with parents/families, bear primary responsibility for helping exceptional children.
• Functional Curriculum - describe knowledge and skills that some pwd need to achieve success and independence in different settings.
• Individually Planned - based on assessment and input from parents and students.
• Specialized - involved unique or adapted teaching procedures.
• Intensive - instructions with attention to detail, precision, structure, clarity.
• Goal Directed - help student achieve greatest possible personal self-sufficiency and success.
• Guided by Student Performance - systematic, ongoing monitoring of progress