The University of Massachusetts Boston is a public US-based research university. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system.
Special education is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual differences,disabilities,and special needs. This involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures,adapted equipment and materials,and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to help individuals with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in their community,which may not be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.
Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver is an American activist for people with intellectual disabilities. In 1989,he founded Best Buddies International,an international organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities to find employment and social opportunities. Through his mother,he is a nephew of World War II casualty Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.,President John F. Kennedy,Senator Robert F. Kennedy,and Senator Ted Kennedy.
People with disabilities in the United States are a significant minority group,making up a fifth of the overall population and over half of Americans older than eighty. There is a complex history underlying the U.S. and its relationship with its disabled population,with great progress being made in the last century to improve the livelihood of disabled citizens through legislation providing protections and benefits. Most notably,the Americans with Disabilities Act is a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy that works to protect Americans with disabilities in public settings and the workplace.
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions,comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life,especially in "language,mobility,learning,self-help,and independent living". Developmental disabilities can be detected early on and persist throughout an individual's lifespan. Developmental disability that affects all areas of a child's development is sometimes referred to as global developmental delay.
Inclusion in education refers to including all students to equal access to equal opportunities of education and learning,and is distinct from educational equality or educational equity. It arose in the context of special education with an individualized education program or 504 plan,and is built on the notion that it is more effective for students with special needs to have the said mixed experience for them to be more successful in social interactions leading to further success in life. The philosophy behind the implementation of the inclusion model does not prioritize,but still provides for the utilization of special classrooms and special schools for the education of students with disabilities. Inclusive education models are brought into force by educational administrators with the intention of moving away from seclusion models of special education to the fullest extent practical,the idea being that it is to the social benefit of general education students and special education students alike,with the more able students serving as peer models and those less able serving as motivation for general education students to learn empathy.
In clinical diagnostic and functional development,special needs refers to individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical,mental,or psychological. Guidelines for clinical diagnosis are given in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases 9th edition. Special needs can range from people with autism,cerebral palsy,Down syndrome,dyslexia,dyscalculia,dyspraxia,dysgraphia,blindness,deafness,ADHD,and cystic fibrosis. They can also include cleft lips and missing limbs. The types of special needs vary in severity,and a student with a special need is classified as being a severe case when the student's IQ is between 20 and 35. These students typically need assistance in school,and have different services provided for them to succeed in a different setting.
The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI),established at Syracuse University in 2005,is an organization that aims to advance civic,economic,and social participation of persons with disabilities in a global society. Peter Blanck,a University Professor at Syracuse University,is the chairman of BBI.
A group home,congregate living facility,care home,adult family home,etc.,is a structured and supervised residence model that provides assisted living and medical care for those with complex health needs. Traditionally,the model has been used for children or young people who cannot live with their families or afford their own homes,people with chronic disabilities who may be adults or seniors,or people with dementia and related aged illnesses. Typically,there are no more than six residents,and there is at least one trained caregiver there 24 hours a day. In some early "model programs",a house manager,night manager,weekend activity coordinator,and four part-time skill teachers were reported. Originally,the term group home referred to homes of 8 to 16 individuals,which was a state-mandated size during deinstitutionalization. Residential nursing facilities,also included in this article,may be as large as 100 individuals in 2015,which is no longer the case in fields such as intellectual and developmental disabilities. Depending on the severity of the condition requiring one to need to live in a group home,some clients are able to attend day programs and most clients are able to live normal lifestyles.
Inclusion,in relation to persons with disabilities,is defined as including individuals with disabilities in everyday activities and ensuring they have access to resources and opportunities in ways that are similar to their non-disabled peers. Disability rights advocates define true inclusion as results-oriented,rather than focused merely on encouragement. To this end,communities,businesses,and other groups and organizations are considered inclusive if people with disabilities do not face barriers to participation and have equal access to opportunities and resources.
Best Buddies International is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. It consists of volunteers that create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The program's main purpose is to allow volunteers to be paired up with a buddy with an intellectual and developmental disability and provide them with a friend or a mentor. Best Buddies is the world's largest organization dedicated to ending the social,physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with IDD. It is an international movement that has spread to over 54 countries worldwide.
Karen Eileen Spilka is an American politician and attorney serving as a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate. She represents the towns of Ashland,Framingham,Holliston,Hopkinton,Medway and Natick in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. She has served as the 95th President of the Massachusetts Senate since July 2018. Previously she served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2001 to 2005.
Intellectual disability (ID),also known as general learning disability,and formerly mental retardation,is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant impairment in intellectual and adaptive functioning that is first apparent during childhood. Children with intellectual disabilities typically have an intelligence quotient (IQ) below 70 and deficits in at least two adaptive behaviors that affect everyday living. According to the DSM-5,intellectual functions include reasoning,problem solving,planning,abstract thinking,judgment,academic learning,and learning from experience. Deficits in these functions must be confirmed by clinical evaluation and individualized standard IQ testing. On the other hand,adaptive behaviors include the social,developmental,and practical skills people learn to perform tasks in their everyday lives. Deficits in adaptive functioning often compromises an individual's independence and ability to meet their social responsibility.
Community integration,while diversely defined,is a term encompassing the full participation of all people in community life. It has specifically referred to the integration of people with disabilities into US society from the local to the national level,and for decades was a defining agenda in countries such as Great Britain. Throughout recent decades,community integration programs have been increasingly effective in improving healthcare access for people with disabilities. They have been valued for providing a "voice for the voiceless"
Jack Patrick Lewis is an American state legislator from Framingham,Massachusetts. A Democrat,he was sworn in as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives on January 4,2017.
Post-secondary education for students with intellectual disabilities in the United States refers to the opportunities and challenges faced by these students when pursuing higher education. Historically,individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) have faced barriers in accessing post-secondary education,primarily due to restrictions in federal student aid and academic prerequisites. However,the enactment of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 introduced significant changes,allowing students with ID to qualify for federal student grants and work-study programs. Over the last two decades,there has been a growth in specialized PSE programs designed for students with ID,focusing on fostering skills beyond traditional academic achievements,such as increased independence,self-determination,and employment readiness.
Singapore does not have a formal definition of disability. Singapore signed on to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2013 and coordinates the Enabling Masterplan with both government and non governmental organisations.
Inclusive Classroom is a term used within American pedagogy to describe a classroom in which all students,irrespective of their abilities or skills,are welcomed holistically. It is built on the notion that being in a non-segregated classroom will better prepare special-needs students for later life. In the United States,the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 guaranteed civil rights to disabled people,though inclusion of disabled students progressed slowly until the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,after which almost half of US students with disabilities were soon in general classrooms.
Dr. Shelley Moore is a Canadian educator and an expert on special education. A teacher and researcher,she advocates for inclusive education and seeks to reform Individualized Education Programs to better suit the needs of individual students. Based in the province of British Columbia,she has worked on special education reform for several Canadian provincial governments. In 2016,she published a book on the subject entitled One Without the Other.
Joseph B. Berger is a social scientist,educationist,and academic. He is a professor of education,and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
