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EDU222 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners (OER)

Introduction to resources for those learners whose needs differ from the average student, with emphasis on identification, best practices, and educational adaptations.

Emotional & Behavioral Disorders

Definition of Emotional & Behavior Disorders

A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance: a) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. b) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. c) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. d) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. e) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance. (From: IDEA)

There are many different emotional and behavioral disorders included within this exceptionality. You may wish to look at the following definitions from the DSM-5:

Additional Information

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books: 

  • Children's books on emotional problems and mental illness in the Buxton Library

Instructional Strategies (example)

Specific Learning Disabilities

Definition of Specific Learning Disabilities

A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. a) Disorders not included: The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage (From IDEA).

Additional Information

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books

Instructional Strategies (example)

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Definitions of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Previously called mental retardation, a significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. (From: IDEA).

Additional Information

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books

Suggested Videos

Instructional Strategies (example)

Speech & Language Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Definition of Autism Spectrum Disorders

A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3 that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not apply if a child's educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance. (From: IDEA).

Additional Information

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books

Instructional Strategies (example)

Deafness & Hearing Loss

Definition of Deafness and Hearing Loss

A hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing; with or without amplification that adversely affects a child's educational performance. (From: IDEA).

Deaf-blindness – a concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. (From: IDEA).

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books

Instructional Strategies (example)

Visual Impairments

Definition of Visual Impairments

An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. (From: IDEA).

Additional Information

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books

Instructional Strategies (example)

Severe & Multiple Disabilities

Definition of Severe and Multiple Disabilities

A concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardationorthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.(From: IDEA).

Additional Information

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books

Instructional Strategies (examples)

Gifted & Talented

Definition of Gifted and Talented

There are several definitions in use for giftedness including the following:

(see links below)

Additional Information

Suggested Websites

Suggested Children's Books

Instructional Strategies (example)

  • US Federal definition: The term 'gifted and talented' when used in respect to students, children, or youth means [those who show] evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities. - P.L. 103–382, Title XIV, p. 388