This chapter is a collection of case studies, discussion questions, and enrichment activities addressing each of the 13 disabilities covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in addition to the disability categories of dyslexia and developmental delay. These case studies, questions, and enrichment activities address services that occur in a wide variety of public school settings. The purpose of this chapter is to serve as a supplemental text to courses in special education, psychology, counseling, nursing, and social work. Currently, there are scarce supplemental application resources available to instructors who are conducting teacher preparation courses and other disability-related courses.
TopBackground
This chapter, IDEA Disability Categories: Case Studies, Discussion Questions and Activities is a collection of case studies, discussion questions, and enrichment activities addressing each of the 13 disabilities covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in addition to the disability categories of Dyslexia and Developmental Delay. The implementation and use of case studies have been used in various fields to enhance knowledge, increase problem solving abilities, and an opportunity to practice and acquire skills. Erskine, Leenders & Mauffette-Leenders (1981) defined a case as a description of a situation, commonly involving a decision or problem. Case studies serve multiple purposes for learners such as methods of research, policy, evaluation, and teaching (Kowalski, 2008). Specifically in teacher preparation programs, case studies have been proven as an acceptable means to assist preservice teachers in bridging the gap between theory and practice. Through use of case studies, preservice teachers have an opportunity to work through authentic scenarios and strengthen their critical thinking skills and application (Richman, 2015). Cases are often used to encourage skill development, moral reasoning, and decision making (Kowalski, 2008).
Richman (2015) conducted a research study to analyze the impact of using online case studies to increase the knowledge of preservice teachers. The study consisted of 150 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in introductory special education courses at three public universities. Of the participants, 82 were randomly assigned to complete the online case studies, resulting in an experimental and comparison group.
Overall, the results of the study found that all survey items, except one, received a high percentage of agree or strongly agree. The only survey item that rated differently related to the difficulty of the module. Findings of the study revealed a significant difference in posttest performance of participants who engaged in the online case studies. Participants showed higher levels of understanding and application of knowledge, stating that they felt the case studies enhanced their understanding of the content, were easy to follow, and depicted real life situations (Richman, 2015).
The use of online case studies, as shown in the study above, demonstrated an ability to increase preservice teachers’ basic knowledge as well as depth of knowledge. The case studies included within this chapter will allow preservice teachers an opportunity to increase their knowledge of the disability categories while also engaging in rich discussion and suggested activities.
There are several federal laws in statute to guide states and local school districts as they serve students with disabilities. Two important laws consist of The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. Without these federal regulation updates, this population would be at-risk for not receiving a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment (Heward, 2018; Taylor, 2021).