Culture and Special Education
Course Description:
Working with multicultural students in special education has always been a challenge for educators. Cultural differences, understanding of services offered and aspirations for the students can vary between teachers and parents. Students in this course will learn how to improve their relationships with families and students, develop Individualized Education Plans that include family values and assist students in reaching their academic potential and learn life skills that will increase their self-sufficiency. Several case studies are included in the text to help students learn the process of cultural reciprocity.
Goals and Objectives
As a result of participation in this course, students should:
- Help parents exercise educational rights for their children by ensuring understanding of the concept of special education and the expectation that they are by law co-partners with their child's educational team.
- Build supportive school staff and parent relationships through understanding of a variety of cultural definitions of the term "disability".
- Increase student academic achievement by creating lessons that are relative to each student based on improved understanding of family cultural values, English skills and the impact of poverty.
- Build and enhance parent-professional relationships in the school environment by applying the four steps of cultural reciprocity at IEP meetings and in planning educational goals and objectives.
- Increase student academic achievement, social skills and personal fulfillment by identifying and implementing appropriate goals and objectives that take into consideration the family's views and those of mainstream American culture.
Texts/Readings
The required text is:
Kalyanpur, M. and Harry, B. (2012). Cultural Reciprocity in Special Education. Baltimore, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.