Chapter 5: Individual Differences and Special Educational Needs Flashcards
individual differences
Diversity in abilities and characteristics (intelligence, personally, etc.) among students at a particular ag and within a particular gender or cultural group.
differentiated instruction
Practice of individualizing instructional methods- and possibly also individualizing specific content and instructional goals- to align with each student’s existing knowledge, skills and needs.
intelligence
Ability to apply prior knowledge and experiences flexibly to accomplish challenging new tasks.
g.
Theoretical general factor in intelligence that influences one’s ability to learn and perform in a wide variety of contexts.
fluid intelligence
Ability to acquire knowledge quickly and adapt effectively to new situations.
crystallized intelligence
Knowledge and skills accumulated from prior experience, schooling, and culture.
distributed cognition and intelligence
Enhancement of thinking through the use of physical objects and technology, concepts and symbols of one’s culture, and/or social collaboration and support.
IQ scores
Score on an intelligence test, determined by comparing a person’s performance on the test with that of others in the same age-group; for most tests, it’s a standard score with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.
cognitive styles
Characteristic way in which a learner tends to think about a task and process new information; typically comes into play automatically rather than by choice
dispositions
General inclination to approach and think about learning and problem-solving tasks in a particular way; typically has a motivational component in addition to cognitive components.
students with special needs
Students different enough from their peers that they require specially adapted instructional materials and practices to maximize their learning and achievement.
inclusion
Practice of educating all students, including those with severe multiple disabilities, in neighborhood schools and general education classrooms.
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
U.S. federal legislation granting educational rights from birth until age 21 for people with cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities.
least restrictive environment
Most typical and standard educational environment that can reasonably meet the needs of a student with a disability.
individualized education program (IEP)
Written description of an appropriate instructional program for a student with special needs.
assistive technology
Any electronic or nonelectronic device that can enhance certain abilities or performance areas for students with disabilities.
response to intervention (RTI)
Approach to diagnosing significant learning difficulties in which students are identified for in-depth assessment after failing to master certain basic skills despite evidence-based whole-class and small-group instructional practices.
people-first language
Language usage in which a student’s disability is identified after the student is named.
learning disabilties
Deficiencies in one or more specific cognitive processes but not in overall cognitive functioning.
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Disorder marked by inattention, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, or some combination of these characteristics.
speech and communication disorders
Impairments in spoken language or language comprehension that significantly interfere with classroom performance.
emotional and behavioral disorders
Emotional states and behavior patterns that consistently and significantly disrupt academic learning experience
externalizing behaviors
Symptom of an emotional or behavioral disorder that has a direct effect on other people (e.g., aggression, lack of self-control).
internalizing behaviors
Symptom of an emotional or behavioral disorder that adversely affects the student with the disorder but has little to no direct effect on other people (e.g., depression, social withdrawal).
autism spectrum disorders
Disorders marked by impaired social cognition, social skills, and social interaction, presumably due to a brain abnormality; extreme forms often associated with significant cognitive and linguistic delays and highly unusual behaviors.
Asperger syndrome
Mild form of an autism spectrum disorder in which students have normal intelligence and language skills but show significant deficits in social cognition and social skills.
severe and multiple disabilties
Combination of two or more disabilities that, taken together, require significant classroom adaptations and highly specialized educational services.
physical and health impairments
General physical or medical condition that interferes so significantly with school performance that special accommodations are required.
visual impairments
Malfunction of the eyes or optic nerves that prevents normal vision even with corrective lenses
hearing loss
Malfunction of the ears or associated nerves that interferes with perception of sounds within the frequency range of normal human speech.
giftedness
Unusually high ability or aptitude in one or more areas, to such a degree that students require special educational services to help them meet their full potential.
