Deck 1: Exceptionality and Special Education

Question 1

A six-month-old child who cannot walk or talk would best be described as having a(n)

A)disability.
B)age-appropriate disability.
C)age-appropriate inability.
D)instructional inability.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In comparison to typical students, students who are exceptional

A)have both similarities and differences.
B)are similar in almost every way.
C)are different in almost every way.
D)have the same instructional needs, but differ in ability level.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

By federal law, an exceptional student is eligible for special education when

A)a teacher recommends it.
B)careful assessment indicates he or she is unable to make satisfactory progress in the regular school program.
C)a parent requests it.
D)a teacher has recorded observations of behavior and assessment of academic performance for at least two months.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The majority of students who receive special education services fall within which age range?

A)3-12
B)6-17
C)9-18
D)12-21

Question 5

Which one of the following descriptions distinguishes best between a disability and a handicap?

A)Disabilities are functional impairments, while handicaps are disadvantages imposed on an individual.
B)Disabilities are more severe than handicaps.
C)Handicaps are caused by disabilities.
D)There is no real difference between the two; the terms are interchangeable.

Question 6

Dramatic increases in prevalence figures since 1995 have been recorded for children identified as having

A)learning disabilities.
B)mental retardation.
C)physical disabilities.
D)autism or traumatic brain injury.

Question 7

At present, about how many students in the United States receive special education?

A)about 1 million
B)about 3 million
C)about 4 million
D)over 6 million

Question 8

Although no two students are alike, to be considered "exceptional" for purposes of their school program, students must

A)have a disability related to their academic progress.
B)be handicapped.
C)require special educational services to achieve.
D)have a history of school failure.

Question 9

Prevalence refers to

A)the number of individuals having a particular exceptionality.
B)the probability of having a child with a particular exceptionality.
C)the percentage of a population having a particular exceptionality.
D)the distribution of exceptionalities across different segments of the population.

Question 10

Advances in drug treatments appear to hold the potential for a cure for

A)cerebral palsy.
B)cystic fibrosis.
C)Down syndrome.
D)muscular dystrophy.

Question 11

The single most important goal of special education is

A)identifying the types of disabilities.
B)placing all students in the regular classroom for the entire day.
C)finding and capitalizing on exceptional students abilities.
D)preventing disabilities.

Question 12

The number of students identified as having a learning disability

A)has more than doubled since the mid-1970s.
B)now makes up about one-third of the number of students receiving special education.
C)has remained fairly stable during the past 30 years.
D)has more than tripled since the mid-1980s.

Question 13

Which one of the following provides the best definition of special education?

A)Special education uses special equipment and materials.
B)Special education meets individual needs of exceptional students.
C)Special education is delivered by a certified special education teacher.
D)Special education provides greater structure and smaller classes.

Question 14

The most important characteristic of exceptional learners is

A)their physical limitations.
B)their disabilities.
C)their abilities.
D)their health concerns.

Question 15

Which one of the following students most resembles the "typical" student who receives special education services?

A)Joe is a high school student with a physical disability.
B)Lisa is an elementary school student with mental retardation.
C)Edna is a middle school student with a learning disability.
D)Sam is an elementary school student with a learning disability.

Question 16

Annette is a high school student who reads at the level of a typical third grader. She wants to get her driver's license, but is unable to read the driver's manual or the questions on the driving test. For purposes of driver training, Annette would be considered to have

A)a disability.
B)a handicap.
C)a disability and a handicap.
D)neither a disability nor a handicap.

Question 17

Doug Landis, an artist who is paralyzed from the neck down, uses a pencil attached to a mouth stick to draw. This illustrates how the focus on persons with disabilities should be

A)on what they can do.
B)on how they are limited.
C)on their miraculous achievements.
D)on what others can do to help them.

Question 18

According to national prevalence estimates, how many exceptional students would we expect to find in a school of 100 students?

A)1
B)5
C)10
D)20

Question 19

When special education works as it should, the outcome for students is

A)the ability to hide their disabilities.
B)the eradication of their disabilities.
C)instruction in a special class.
D)improved achievement and behavior.

Question 20

"Mental retardation" is now called

A)intellectual disorder
B)disordered reasoning
C)intellectual and functional disability
D)intellectual disability

Question 21

Which one of the following provides the best description of normalization?

A)the theory that disabilities are a matter of social perceptions and values
B)the belief that people with disabilities should have experiences as similar as possible to those of people without disabilities
C)the principle that schools should educate all students in the regular classroom, regardless of the nature of their disabilities
D)the philosophy that students with disabilities should be educated in the environment that will allow them to achieve their maximum potential as adults

Question 22

All of the following practices promote integration EXCEPT

A)normalization.
B)institutionalization.
C)full inclusion.
D)mainstreaming.

Question 23

Most of the earliest special educators were trained as

A)ministers or priests.
B)physicians.
C)regular classroom teachers.
D)social workers.

Question 24

The historical roots of special education are found primarily in the

A)1700s.
B)early 1800s.
C)late 1800s.
D)1900s.

Question 25

Which one of the following accomplishments is associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act?

A)mandate for early childhood special education
B)requirement that public transportation be made accessible to people with disabilities
C)provision of transition services to facilitate movement from school to work for people with disabilities
D)funding to provide technological assistance (e.g., computers, wheel chairs)to people with disabilities

Question 26

When did deinstitutionalization begin?

A)1900s
B)1950s
C)1960s
D)1980s

Question 27

The relationship between heredity, environmental factors, and disability is known as:

A)nature vs. environment
B)genetics vs. education
C)genetics vs. nutrition
D)nature vs. nurture

Question 28

The U.S. physician, educator, and political and social reformer who taught Laura Bridgman (who was deaf and blind)and helped found the Perkins School for the Blind was

A)Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.
B)Édouard Séguin.
C)Philippe Pinel.
D)Samuel Gridley Howe.

Question 29

The first special educators provided many of the ideas that form the foundation for special education practice today. They include all of the following EXCEPT

A)individualized instruction.
B)structured arrangement of the learning environment.
C)placement in the least restrictive environment.
D)emphasis on functional, life skills.

Question 30

Which federal provision requires that children with disabilities be provided with a free, appropriate public education?

A)Fourteenth Amendment
B)Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
C)Americans with Disabilities Act
D)Civil Rights Act

Question 31

Most historians trace the beginning of special education as we know it today to

A)Philippe Pinel.
B)Édouard Séguin.
C)Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard.
D)Thomas Gallaudet.

Question 32

Itard is best known for his work with

A)Victor, the "wild boy of Aveyron."
B)students who were deaf.
C)Laura Bridgman, a girl who was both deaf and blind.
D)students with physical disabilities.

Question 33

In the story about Kathy Koons, the 19-year-old with spina bifida, the principle of normalization is

A)fully realized by her family and school.
B)frightening to Kathy, who desires to be taken care of by others for the rest of her life.
C)impossible to apply to Kathy because her measured intelligence is too low.
D)supported by Kathy's school, but seems less supported at home.

Question 34

The founder of the Special Olympics was

A)Elizabeth Farrell
B)Eunice Kennedy Shriver
C)John F. Kennedy
D)Thomas Gallaudet

Question 35

Deinstitutionalization refers to the movement away from

A)placement in large residential facilities.
B)government responsibility for providing services for people with disabilities.
C)placement in small, community facilities.
D)parental responsibility for the care of children with disabilities.

Question 36

Parent organizations have served three primary functions. One of these has been

A)supporting teachers of children with disabilities.
B)evaluating special education programs.
C)donating funds for innovative programs.
D)providing information about services and resources.

Question 37

Effective national parent organizations have existed in the United States since

A)1800.
B)1920.
C)1950.
D)1975.

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a reason parents of children with severe disabilities cite for supporting inclusion?

A)to enable siblings with and without disabilities to go to the same school
B)to help their kids acquire social skills
C)because even though nondisabled students do not become more sensitive to students with disabilities, they should still have to see them
D)because their children can acquire more functional and academic skills due to higher expectations and good examples

Question 39

In the prerevolutionary era in Europe and America, what goal predominated in the actions of society towards people with disabilities?

A)protection
B)inclusion
C)prevention
D)adaptation

Question 40

What was one of Elizabeth Farrell's contributions to special education?

A)founded the Special Olympics
B)organized a parent lobby for children with disabilities
C)founded the Council for Exceptional Children
D)developed a technique for teaching children who were both blind and deaf

Question 41

The law does not require provision of special education services simply because a student has been shown to have a disability.

Question 42

Describe the differences between "disability," "handicap," and "inability." Use one example to illustrate each term.

Question 43

Identify and briefly describe the contributions of two individuals pertinent to the growth of special education.

Question 44

Because of the widely accepted theory of normal development, quite a few definite statements can be made about exceptional learners.

Question 45

Which of the following accomplishments is associated with IDEA?

A)requirement that schools provide individualized programs in the least restrictive environment for all students with disabilities
B)provision of free educational services to children with disabilities from birth to age 21
C)prohibition of discrimination against people with disabilities in schools, businesses, or recreational facilities
D)requirement that schools provide a free, appropriate public education for all exceptional students, including those with gifts and talents

Question 46

Special education legislation has become increasingly permissive rather than mandatory.

Question 47

Effective national parents' organizations have existed in the United States only since about 1950.

Question 48

P.L. 99-457 and IDEA mandate a free, appropriate public education for people ages three to twenty-one. In addition, P.L. 99-457

A)requires employers to provide special programs for people with disabilities.
B)requires schools to provide transitional programs for people with disabilities who are between the ages of 18 and 25.
C)provides incentives for states to develop early intervention programs.
D)requires schools to develop programs for students who are gifted.

Question 49

A disability is always a handicap.

Question 50

What is the relationship between normalization, deinstitutionalization, and inclusion? Define each term.

Question 51

Public schools may choose not to provide education for some children with disabilities.

Question 52

By definition, exceptional children require special education or related services to realize their full human potential.

Question 53

Describe two reasons for why it is so difficult to determine an exact figure for the prevalence of exceptional children.

Question 54

Which federal act requires most students with disabilities to take standard tests of academic achievement and to achieve at a level equal to that of students without disabilities?

A)Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
B)No Child Left Behind Act
C)Americans with Disabilities Act
D)Education for all Handicapped Children Act

Question 55

In the case of Hudson v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the school did not have to provide a sign interpreter for Amy Rowley, a child who was deaf, because she had an individualized program that allowed her to achieve at or above an average level for her age. The decision interpreted which component of P.L. 94-142?

A)due process
B)least restrictive environment
C)free, appropriate education
D)nondiscriminatory evaluation

Question 56

What is the distinction between litigation and legislation?

A)Legislation provides guidelines, whereas litigation specifies penalties for violating the guidelines.
B)Legislation involves passing a law, whereas litigation interprets the meaning of the law.
C)Legislation is mandatory and litigation is permissive.
D)Legislation can be changed, but litigation is permanent.

Question 57

We know considerably more today about how to educate exceptional learners than we did ten years ago.

Question 58

Under IDEA, each state and locality must have a plan to ensure all of the following EXCEPT

A)screening all students for possible disabilities.
B)protecting parents' rights to informed consent.
C)providing services to equal numbers of males and females.
D)providing training for personnel in meeting the needs of students with disabilities.

Question 59

In the vast majority of cases, we are unable to identify the exact reason why a child is exceptional.

Question 60

Litigation is now focused on ensuring that every child receives an education appropriate for his or her individual needs.

Question 61

Describe the role that parent organizations have played in meeting the needs of exceptional children and their families.

Question 62

Discuss the two reasons for which legal suits (for or against special education)might be filed.

Question 63

Discuss the relationship between litigation and legislation using the case of Hudson v. Rowley to illustrate the relationship.

Question 64

Compare and contrast two major laws that affect individuals with disabilities: IDEA and ADA. In doing so, describe the unique contribution of each and briefly discuss the ways in which the two laws are similar.