Summary chapter 7 - Essay Example

Schloss and Schmidt (2006) that with special needs have been excluded from general education and educators are unprepared and sometimesunwilling to participate in inclusive programs. Notably, legislation is moving towards inclusive approach and such regulations as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) warrants that students with disabilities get appropriate educational services. The authors identify three major challenges of inclusion approach in secondary setting: absence of necessary skills in secondary students with disabilities, educator’s workload and absence of motivation, specific organizational structures.

Schloss and Schmidt (2006) stress that special education is a collaborative process and the consultant teacher plays a crucial role in it. The consulting teacher provides services to both secondary teachers as well as their students. Key elements of effective collaboration are willing participants, understanding roles of the two teachers, agreement on goals, sharing responsibility for the student’s problem, sharing responsibility for success (failure) of the intervention developed.The authors identify a number of advantages of using the consulting teacher and some of these benefits include increased level of students, efficient teamwork, reduction of costs of special education.

Exposing nondisabled students to collaborating with disabled learners has a positive impact on both parties as students acquire the necessary communicative skills. Schloss and Schmidt (2006) note that it is possible to develop an effective consultant teacher program by considering characteristics of the consultant teacher, responsibilities of consultants, gaining acceptance. The consultant teacher’s responsibilities include identification of the problem behavior, establishing objectives, designing the program, developing an evaluation plan, provision of in-service training, implementation and monitoring of the program, termination of the program, dissemination of results.

It is also noted that resource rooms may be a good alternative to the secondary setting. Reference ListSchloss, M.A., & Schmidt, R.J. (2006). Collaboration and the role of the consultant teacher. In P.J. Schloss, M.A. Schloss, & C.N. Schloss (Eds.), Instructional methods for secondary students with learning behaviour problems (pp. 176-193). New York, NY: Pearson.