MICHIGAN

TEST OBJECTIVES

FIELD 656: MENTALLY IMPAIRED

Human Development and Students with Special Educational Needs

Assessment

Program Development and Intervention

Professional Knowledge and Legal Issues

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Understand human development: prenatal to adulthood.

Includes the characteristics and sequence of physical, sensory, motor, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development; and other developmental issues of particular importance.

Analyze the effects of physical, biological, cultural, and environmental factors on human development.

Includes the effects of physical, biological, cultural, and environmental factors on cognitive, language, social, emotional, physical, and sensorimotor development.

Understand characteristics of students with special educational needs.

Includes types of disabilities and their characteristics; theories and assumptions related to the etiology of specific disabilities; the effects of disabilities on human development, learning, and behavior; and steps and requirements for determining special education services.

Identify various definitions and classification schemes of mental impairments.

Includes various definitions and classification schemes of mental impairments.

Identify major historical developments in the education of students with mental impairments.

Includes trends in the education of students with mental impairments, including normalization, segregation, deinstitutionalization, and integration; modern trends in curriculum for students with mental impairments; and landmark decisions related to special education.

Identify causes of and methods of preventing mental impairments.

Includes environmental, genetic, prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal causes of mental impairments; and methods of preventing mental impairments.

ASSESSMENT

Understand basic principles and requirements of the comprehensive evaluation.

Includes state and federal requirements related to screening, referral, assessment, and placement; the rights of students, parents, and guardians in relation to assessment and placement procedures; the multidisciplinary requirement for assessment in special education; and procedures for addressing and correcting violations of rights in relation to assessment.

Understand formal assessment for placement and instruction purposes.

Includes types, characteristics, uses, evaluation criteria, advantages, and disadvantages of formal assessment instruments.

Understand methods of informal assessment for placement and instruction purposes.

Includes methods, characteristics, and uses of informal assessment; principles and procedures for selecting or creating informal assessment methods; and advantages and disadvantages of informal assessment methods.

Understand methods used to assess the motor skills of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes types, uses, and characteristics of formal and informal methods of assessing motor skills; appropriate procedures for administering methods of assessing motor skills; and the interpretation and use of various motor skill assessment data in the development of lEPs and the multidisciplinary evaluation process.

Understand methods used to assess the adaptive behavior of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes types, uses, and characteristics of formal and informal methods of assessing adaptive behavior; appropriate procedures for administering methods of assessing adaptive behavior; and the interpretation and use of various adaptive behavior assessment data in the development of lEPs and in the multidisciplinary evaluation process.

Understand methods used to assess the communication skills of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes types, uses, and characteristics of formal and informal methods of assessing communication skills; appropriate procedures for administering methods of assessing communication skills; and the interpretation and use of various communication skill assessment data in the development of IEPs and in the multidisciplinary evaluation process.

Understand methods used to assess the academic skills of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes types, uses, and characteristics of formal and informal methods of assessing academic skills; appropriate procedures for administering methods of assessing academic skills; and the interpretation and use of various academic skill assessment data in the development of lEPs and in the multidisciplinary evaluation process.

Apply continuous assessment procedures.

Includes procedures and methods for using and maintaining continuous assessment procedures; and the interpretation and use of various continuous assessment data in the revision of IEPs and in the multidisciplinary evaluation process.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION

Understand the use of ecological inventory strategies to develop functional skill sequences in domestic, recreational, vocational, and community skill domains.

Includes community-referenced curriculum domains; functional skill sequences across domains; and the advantages of integrating instructional content into functional skill sequences.

Understand how to prioritize curriculum content.

Includes strategies for involving parents in skill prioritization; and methods for prioritizing skills according to chronological age appropriateness and functionality.

Identify curriculum resources for programs for students with mental impairments.

Includes criteria for evaluating commercially available curriculum resources; and techniques for developing locally relevant curriculum materials.

Understand how to use the Individualized Education Program (IEP) to individualize the student’s program to accomplish curriculum objectives.

Includes appropriate activities and curriculum components to meet various IEP objectives; procedures for evaluating progress toward IEP goals and objectives; appropriate ways of communicating with persons involved in the implementation of an IEP; and procedures for modifying and updating an IEP.

Understand the development of Individualized Education Programs (lEPs) for students with mental impairments.

Includes members of the multidisciplinary evaluation team and the IEPC and their roles; appropriate long-term and short-term goals for an IEP; information that must be specified in an IEP; requirements for reviewing and revising an IEP; and the rights of students and parents in the development of an IEP.

Analyze the continuum of alternative placements and programs available to individuals with mental impairments.

Includes school and community placement options for children with mental impairments; community-based services and their characteristics; the range of employment opportunities for youths and adults with mental impairments; and the advantages and disadvantages of placement options and programs within the continuum of services.

Understand the provision of related and support services in programs for students with mental impairments.

Includes the roles of related service personnel and support service personnel who may be involved in educational programs for students with mental impairments; and local, state, and federal support services available to students with mental impairments.

Identify principles and procedures for systematic instruction of students with mental impairments.

Includes teacher-provided cue and correction procedures; teacher-provided reinforcers and reinforcement schedules; natural cue and correction conditions; and natural reinforcement conditions.

Identify procedures to plan effectively for the maintenance and generalization of skill gains.

Includes schedules of reinforcement; examples of stimulus and response variability coordinated with school and community tasks; skill selection and instructional practices that maximize maintenance and generalization; and self-instruction and self-management strategies.

Understand methods for planning and implementing instruction in nonschool settings.

Includes logistical problems and solutions to problems related to providing instruction in nonschool settings; and strategies for adapting instruction to nonschool settings.

Understand how to plan and implement school-based and community-based instruction in group and individualized training arrangements.

Includes instructional skill sequences for school-based and community-based arrangements; and the advantages and disadvantages associated with school-based simulations and community training.

Understand methods for stimulating ongoing interaction between students with mental impairments and students without identified impairments.

Includes methods for promoting interaction between impaired and non-impaired peers; and peer-tutoring options and noninstructional options for promoting interaction.

Understand task analysis.

Includes methods of establishing entry behavior; the process of breaking down and sequencing a task into a series of subskills; procedures for establishing mastery criteria for a task; and appropriate applications of task analysis for instructional purposes.

Identify techniques and individualized adaptations for promoting the communication skills of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes appropriate techniques for promoting receptive and expressive communication; appropriate sequences of communication instruction; and alternative modes of communication used by students with mental impairments.

Identify techniques and individualized adaptations for developing the academic skills of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes appropriate techniques and activities for teaching academic skills; appropriate sequences of instruction; and appropriate content and adaptations for various students.

Identify appropriate techniques and individualized adaptations for developing the social and daily living skills of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes appropriate techniques for developing interpersonal and communication skills; and appropriate techniques and sequences of activities for teaching daily living skills.

Identify techniques and individualized adaptations for developing the physical and motor skills of students with mental impairments when the students are in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Includes appropriate techniques for promoting physical and motor development and recreational skills; appropriate sequences of activities for teaching physical and perceptual-motor skills; and community programs that promote the development of physical and recreational skills.

Understand techniques for facilitating the transition of students between public school alternatives and post-school education, employment, and independent living options.

Includes appropriate transitional goals; school-provided services that facilitate transition; transitional and vocational training objectives and activities; and post school transitional support services and vocational

opportunities.

Understand intervention and instruction techniques used with students with mental impairments who have additional handicapping conditions.

Includes appropriate intervention and instruction techniques and ways to adapt the classroom environment to meet the needs of students with mental impairments who have additional handicapping conditions; and adaptive equipment appropriate for students with multiple handicaps.

Identify technological advances in special education.

Includes appropriate uses of new technology related to materials and equipment in special education; and appropriate equipment and materials for instructional and vocational purposes and for enhancing the student’s control over his or her own environment.

Analyze various types of behavior management programs, including considerations of legality and professional ethics.

Includes types of behavior management programs and their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages; the application of behavior management programs to various instructional situations; and appropriate ways to ensure coordination of the behavior management program among persons involved in the implementation of an IEP.

Understand the development and implementation of individual behavior management programs.

Includes procedures for developing and implementing individual behavior management programs for various students; appropriate ways of involving family members in the development and implementation of individual behavior management programs; and procedures for revising individual behavior management programs based on progress.

Understand techniques for managing a classroom effectively.

Includes appropriate techniques for managing a classroom effectively; features that contribute to the safety, comfort, and usefulness of a classroom; appropriate ways of adapting a classroom to meet the needs of students with trainable mental impairments; and classroom factors that may affect learning.

Understand the use of paraprofessionals in the instructional setting.

Includes appropriate strategies for training paraprofessionals in instructional and behavior management; and appropriate tasks for paraprofessionals to perform in school, domestic, vocational, recreational, and other community settings.

Understand emergency procedures, routine health services, and medical management.

Includes appropriate procedures to follow during a medical emergency; routine health services performed in schools; procedures to prevent medical emergencies; and appropriate procedures for managing medical problems within the instructional setting.

PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND LEGAL ISSUES

Identify procedures and processes for communicating with school personnel and other professionals and paraprofessionals.

Includes appropriate procedures for communicating with regular education personnel; and appropriate methods for reporting information to teachers and other professionals.

Identify organizations involved with special education.

Includes national, state, and local organizations that provide services to augment the special education program; and local, state, and federal agencies and services that assist students with mental impairments and their families.

Identify methods of communicating and interacting with the families of students in programs for mentally impaired.

Includes appropriate ways to discuss assessment results with family members; to help parents and guardians to understand child development and the special needs of their child; to convey information about a student’s educational program and progress to family members; and to coordinate techniques used in the school with those used at home.

Understand the impact of cultural diversity on the education of students with mental impairments.

Includes factors involved in communicating with families of students; and in assessing, instructing, and managing the behavior of students, including those who are linguistically, economically, and culturally diverse.

Understand current research on mental impairments.

Includes criteria for evaluating research; sources of current research on mental impairments; recent research findings on mental impairments; and appropriate ways to apply research findings in the school.

Understand Michigan and federal laws and regulations concerning the delivery of special education and related services.

Includes state and federal laws and regulations governing special education and related services; and the application of state and federal laws to various situations involving special education.

Identify rights of students with special education needs; and rights and responsibilities of their parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, and other advocates.

Includes the rights of students with special education needs; and the rights and responsibilities of parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, and other advocates.