Chapter 5: Individual Differences and Special Educational Needs

Question 1

individual differences

Answer 1

Diversity in abilities and characteristics (intelligence, personally, etc.) among students at a particular ag and within a particular gender or cultural group.

Question 2

differentiated instruction

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

intelligence

Answer 3

Ability to apply prior knowledge and experiences flexibly to accomplish challenging new tasks.

Question 4

g.

Answer 4

Theoretical general factor in intelligence that influences one’s ability to learn and perform in a wide variety of contexts.

Question 5

fluid intelligence

Answer 5

Ability to acquire knowledge quickly and adapt effectively to new situations.

Question 6

crystallized intelligence

Answer 6

Knowledge and skills accumulated from prior experience, schooling, and culture.

Question 7

distributed cognition and intelligence

Answer 7

Enhancement of thinking through the use of physical objects and technology, concepts and symbols of one’s culture, and/or social collaboration and support.

Question 8

IQ scores

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

cognitive styles

Answer 9

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

Question 10

dispositions

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

students with special needs

Answer 11

Students different enough from their peers that they require specially adapted instructional materials and practices to maximize their learning and achievement.

Question 12

inclusion

Answer 12

Practice of educating all students, including those with severe multiple disabilities, in neighborhood schools and general education classrooms.

Question 13

Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)

Answer 13

U.S. federal legislation granting educational rights from birth until age 21 for people with cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities.

Question 14

least restrictive environment

Answer 14

Most typical and standard educational environment that can reasonably meet the needs of a student with a disability.

Question 15

individualized education program (IEP)

Answer 15

Written description of an appropriate instructional program for a student with special needs.

Question 16

assistive technology

Answer 16

Any electronic or nonelectronic device that can enhance certain abilities or performance areas for students with disabilities.

Question 17

response to intervention (RTI)

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

people-first language

Answer 18

Language usage in which a student’s disability is identified after the student is named.

Question 19

learning disabilties

Answer 19

Deficiencies in one or more specific cognitive processes but not in overall cognitive functioning.

Question 20

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Answer 20

Disorder marked by inattention, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, or some combination of these characteristics.

Question 21

speech and communication disorders

Answer 21

Impairments in spoken language or language comprehension that significantly interfere with classroom performance.

Question 22

emotional and behavioral disorders

Answer 22

Emotional states and behavior patterns that consistently and significantly disrupt academic learning experience

Question 23

externalizing behaviors

Answer 23

Symptom of an emotional or behavioral disorder that has a direct effect on other people (e.g., aggression, lack of self-control).

Question 24

internalizing behaviors

Answer 24

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).

Question 25

autism spectrum disorders

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

Asperger syndrome

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

severe and multiple disabilties

Answer 27

Combination of two or more disabilities that, taken together, require significant classroom adaptations and highly specialized educational services.

Question 28

physical and health impairments

Answer 28

General physical or medical condition that interferes so significantly with school performance that special accommodations are required.

Question 29

visual impairments

Answer 29

Malfunction of the eyes or optic nerves that prevents normal vision even with corrective lenses

Question 30

hearing loss

Answer 30

Malfunction of the ears or associated nerves that interferes with perception of sounds within the frequency range of normal human speech.

Question 31

giftedness

Answer 31

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.