Assignment: Learning About Different Abilities & Fairness

Readings

· Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the education of Young Children.

o Chapter 10, “Learning About Different Abilities & Fairness” (pp. 125–134)

· Fleury, V. P., Hedges, S., Hume, K., Browder, D. M., Thompson, J. L., Fallin, K., … & Vaughn, S. (2014). Addressing the academic needs of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in secondary education. Remedial and Special Education, 35, 68–79.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Kritzer, K. L. (2012). The story of an outlier: A case study of one young deaf child and his journey towards early mathematical competence. Deafness and Education International, 14(2), 69–77.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Rescorla, L. (2011). Late talkers: Do good predictors of outcome exist? Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 17(2), 141–150.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Media

· Laureate Education (Producer). (2014i). Physical and other disabilities [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Disability: A Deficit or a Difference?

School settings, in particular, might be challenging for children and adolescents with a disability. However, whether a disability is considered a deficit or a difference could affect the presence and types of interventions and accommodations available, as well as how the individual is treated by others.

To prepare:

· Review the Akhtar & Jaswal (2013) article from the Week 1 Learning Resources. Consider how a disability could be considered a deficit or a difference in terms of developmental trajectories and individual outcomes.

· Read/view this week’s Learning Resources.

· Think about possible strategies to counteract those who may view disabilities as a deficit.

Post by Day 3: 

Explain how a disability in childhood or adolescence could be considered a deficit or a difference in terms of developmental trajectory. Provide evidence from scholarly sources to support your conclusion.