Critical Concepts in Special Education

Scaffolding Instruction

Scaffolding enables a learner to perform a skill or carry out a task that would be beyond his or her unassisted efforts. Scaffolding encompasses many strategies and should be based on assessment of the learner’s current performance. It is a flexible, temporary support designed to be gradually removed as performance improves.

Collaboration and Teaming

A dynamic process of effective communication and mutual effort across stakeholders (e.g. learners, families, school personnel, community members) involving shared resources, collaborative decision making, and joint accountability to achieve meaningful outcomes.

Individualization

A systematic and collaborative process to develop and adapt environments, supports, and instruction to individual needs. Individual considerations include the strengths, cultural, and family contexts, preferences, and priorities of the learner and family.

Data-Based Decision Making

Continuous, purposeful process of collecting, interpreting, presenting, and using data to inform actions that support positive educational outcomes. Data-based decision making considers the learner’s progress within the contexts of instruction, curriculum, and environment.

Inclusion and Diversity

Inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure the right of every learner and family to full membership in classrooms, schools, and communities. Supports enable all learners to be engaged participants in social, academic, and extra-curricular activities.

Leadership and Advocacy

Advocacy and leadership are guided by research and professional standards with a robust understanding of context, including perspectives across stakeholders. Leaders and advocates actively engage a range of strategies to facilitate effective practices, systems, and policies to support learners outcomes for an individual or across learners.