Chapter 7

Counseling with Exceptional Children

Making a Case for Counseling Exceptional Children

Include those children receiving special education services

Include those who are gifted and twice exceptional

Special Education personnel are the primary service providers for exceptional groups

Counselors needs to clarify their feelings and attitudes about exceptional groups

Counselors need to gain knowledge and training for working with these groups

Overview and History of Special Education 1950’s: civil rights movement

1960’s and 1970’s: parents of disabled children forced public schools to stop segregation

Two federal laws prohibited discrimination of disabled children by 1975

Landmark Public Law 94-142: access to public education for all students from age 3 to 21

Today this law is known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA, 1997)

Six provisions: child find, nondiscriminatory assessment, individualized education program, least restrictive environment, due process safeguards, parental involvement

Additional educational provisions were added in the most recent revision of IDEA in 2004

Special Education are provided for: Specific learning disabilities

Speech and language impairments

Serious emotional disturbances

Mental retardation

Multiple disabilities

Hearing/visual impairments

Orthopedic impairments

Traumatic brain injury

autism

Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act

Provides for educational modifications and services to persons with disabilities that do not adversely affect their educational performan modifications: reduced/modified class work, different testing approaches, teacher’s aide, sitting in front rows, etc.

Culture and Special Education Federal law prohibits disproportionate representation of exceptional children by race and

ethnicity

Despite these laws, African American, American Indian, and Latino students are over-represented in special education

There are numerous causes for culture inequities

Prevention of inequalities: pre-service teacher training, culturally sensitive screening, culture fair identification and assessment measures: early, effective educational supports; involvement of family and acceptance of family culture

Culture and Gifted Programs Lower rate of culturally diverse students in gifted programs

Prevention of inequalities: pre-service teacher training, culturally sensitive screening, culture fair identification and assessment measures: early, effective educational supports; involvement of family and acceptance of family culture

Gifted Education Started to be a legal topic in 1972: laws support research and

programming for the gifted and talented

Definition of giftedness: a complex group of talents

Funding for gifted education has become more limited

Twice Exceptional Students Have both a learning disability and gifted talents

Often are not included in gifted programs

Can be assisted by advocating for accurate identification, facilitating communication among service providers and family, collaborating on academic programming, offering emotional support, providing educational and vocational planning

Students With Developmental Disabilities

Categorical Descriptions

SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES: Experience difficulties in an encapsulated

areas of cognitive functioning

Adaptive functioning is mostly intact

Low self esteem, poorly defined self concept

Difficulties in language skills and perceptual-motor functioning

EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE At least low-average to average

intellectual functioning

Academic difficulties and discipline problems

Poor relationships with students without disabilities

Poor self concept and low self esteem

MILD MENTAL RETARDATION

Prevalence: 2% in the school age population

Delayed in terms of social and emotional functioning

Lower levels of self esteem: more unfavorable self concept

Poor adaptive behaviors (low tolerance, low frustration levels)

Perceptual- motor and language functioning are significantly delayed

Counseling students with developmental disabilities

Understand characteristics and needs of these groups

Be familiar with laws and rights pertaining to these groups

Provide parents with referrals

Consult with teachers

Plan educational and social interventions

Include these groups fully in the general classroom

Help promote social and emotional adjustment

Act as role models for working with disabled students

Build positive self esteem and empower these students

Train self advocacy skills

work with the whole family

Counseling students with specific learning disabilities

Note the need for remedial services for specific areas of functioning

Know that a federal law mandates inclusion of these students in regular classrooms

Consult with teachers about accommodations

Do team work with the resources specialist

Provide early post secondary planning

Work on social adjustment issues with these students

Consult with a psychiatrist about medication

Offer support to parents

Counseling students with emotional disturbances

Provide a stable, supportive environment with clear rules and limits

Be familiar with childhood and adolescent disorders

Advocate for accommodations for these students

Provide teachers with social skills and behavioral strategies for dealing with these students

Have training in crisis counseling and mandated reporting laws for child abuse

Recommend family therapy

Counseling students with mild mental retardation

Coordinate multiple services due to developmental delays in most areas of functioning

Advocate for appropriate accommodations

Promote tolerance for students with mental retardation

Teach behavioral modification techniques to teachers and parents

Consider appropriate individual counseling services despite cognitive limitations

Counseling students with physical and neurological disabilities

In General:

Work closely with disciplinary team

Offer counseling and self advocacy skill training

Transition plan should be in place for child by age 16

Orthopedic impairments:

Recognize child’s strengths and coordinate services with specialists

Assist parents in advocating for appropriate assessment and services at school and through community resources

Multiple Disabilities:

Have understanding of disabilities

Work with all involved parties

Assist parents in advocating for school and community resources

Develop plan to promote the long term adjustment of these students

Work on areas of self esteem, self help, and social skills

Students with Physical and Neurological Disabilities

Categorical descriptions: Orthopedic impairments:

.2% of school age pop. in US Musculoskeletal, spinal cord, and neurological impairments

Multiple Disabilities: .3% of school age pop. In US Difficulties experienced are more than the sum of difficulties with individual

disabilities Many combinations of disabilities are possible

Students with ADHD disorder 7.4% of children and adolescents truly suffer from the disorder Developmentally inappropriate hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity

symptoms must be evident in child by 7 Three subtypes of ADHD: predominately inattentive type, predominately

hyperactive-impulsive type, combined type Linked to difficulties in behavioral inhibition, executive functioning, and

self regulation Children with ADHD may or may not qualify for educational services

Counseling Students with ADHDcomprehensive approach to include:

Behavioral modification

Self management strategies

Social skills training

Stimulant medication

Teacher consultation

Family counseling

Support groups

Parenting programs

Direct counseling

Gifted Children and Adolescents One of the most misunderstood and least served groups

Stereotype of gifted students being emotionally unstable is not accurate for many students

Adjustment issues most often occur in highly gifted group, such as sensitivity, isolation, perfectionism

Giftedness is often times not seen as a special educational category

Educational services for the gifted are inadequate or nonexistent

Definition of giftedness is more than having a high IQ

Counseling gifted children

Children are oftentimes overly sensitive and over-excitable

Are often misunderstood as difficulty in adjusting to a normal education setting

What we can do: Teach cognitive strategies (self discipline, self monitoring) Group counseling to increase peer support Teach coping with perfectionism Teach how to set realistic short and long term goals