Conceptual Framework and Instructional Strategies

Three elements are frequently discussed in research on special education for kids with

severe disabilities. Studies on instruction, environments, and content are among them. Over the

years, these studies have advanced educational initiatives for students with severe disabilities.

The research backs at least four conceptual frameworks for the planning and delivery of

instruction in inclusive general education environments, including opportunities to learn (OTL),

opportunities to learn (UDL), universal learning design (MTSS), and the use of both evidence-

based techniques (EBP). These effective teaching techniques provide support and modifications

that allow all students access to the general curriculum when applied to general education

students. This, in turn promotes providing kids with severe challenges with effective instruction.

This all-encompassing conceptual framework is composed of multitiered systems of

support (MTSS), which are designed strategies with numerous levels and types of support to

meet the diverse needs of children during academic and social instruction and behavioral

interventions in general education situations. MTSS uses cumulatively deployed interventions

across three tiers to enhance academic and social accomplishment. Tier 1 concentrates on

instructing and promoting academic and appropriate social behavior for each student in a class.

Tier 2 provides more extensive interventions and assistance for smaller groups of students in

the class who need more than what is offered in tier 1. Finally, tier 3 provides specialized

interventions and supports for those kids who need more help than what is provided in levels 1

and 2. Raphael would receive encouragement for his actions in the classroom by way of

positive reinforcement. In addition, Raphael would receive more individualized praise for his

actions at less scheduled times. Raphael would also get tier 3 interventions, such as visual

charts, to help promote desired behaviors.

The UDL framework enables all students, including those with severe disabilities, to

access the standard curriculum. It contains three basic principles: action and expression,
interaction, and the utilization of many forms of representation. "Multiple means of

representation or 'the what of learning,' focuses on making instruction more accessible by

'presenting information and contact and different ways' to support each student's receipt and

comprehension of information" (Brown et al., 2020, p. 216). The "how of learning," or diverse

modes of action and expression, is concerned with accommodating how students use the tools

necessary to self-regulate, set their objectives, and communicate their comprehension of new

content throughout instructional activities. Presenting information in various ways gives pupils

the chance to express their knowledge. Providing a range of strategies to increase each

student's excitement and love for learning, the "why of learning," or various means of

engagement, also emphasizes catering to individuals' diverse interests. By adapting the

curriculum to match students' interests and skills, this strategy benefits the students. Raphael

would benefit from hands-on activities such as using graphic charts and visuals for note-taking.

Raphael would also benefit from dictation due to his fine motor skill difficulties. Raphael needs

structure, visuals, and incentives to help him stay engaged.

Opportunities to Learn (OTL), the third conceptual framework, stresses students' access

to learning the general curriculum within the context of general education for all students,

including those with severe disabilities. The intended, planned, implemented, and assessed

curricula offered to each student serve as the definition of OTL. The intended curriculum

compromises the state's requirements at a specific grade level. The intended curriculum and the

planned instructional activities for that material make up the planned curriculum, which is a

teacher's perception of both. The curriculum presented during instruction is known as the

enacted curriculum, and the instruction is created to make it easier for each student to learn that

topic. As a result, three factors can be utilized to assess how well the adopted curriculum has

worked. These variables include the quantity and quality of education and the topics taught. The

subject matter being assessed is the curriculum, which is also the subject of other methods
used to monitor student growth in addition to formative and summative assessments. The

intended, planned, enacted, and assessed curricula must be aligned for children to have

learning opportunities. To help maximize his learning, Raphael needs accommodations such as

a visual schedule, graphic organizers, and a behavior plan to help increase his learning abilities

in the general education settings.

For students with severe disabilities to flourish, they need to understand four

fundamental concepts. A few of them include accountability, access to the general education

context, the general education curriculum, and the instructional materials. a technique for

identifying and teaching children with severe disabilities in accordance with general education

standards, allowing their learning to reflect pertinent knowledge and abilities, individualization,

application, and generalization. It was noted that the success of children with severe disabilities

depends on six major categories of procedures. These six concepts provide an explanation of

the characteristics of the adaptable planned curriculum within general education situations. By

incorporating these concepts into the present curricula, making customized adjustments, and

using research-based methods, education teams can successfully teach children with severe

impairments in inclusive general education settings.

Research supports the idea that collaborative educational teams are the only method to

meet the complex needs of children with severe disabilities in the context of general education.

“Collaborative teams consist of individuals involved in the education of the child with special

needs and can include caregivers, general and special educators, speech or language

pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, nurses, administrators, paraprofessionals,

and other school based or community-based research personnel who can provide input on a

student learning” (Brown et al., 2020, p. 219). Partners engage in a collaborative teaming

process when they share resources and knowledge with the aim of achieving a certain goal or

outcome. Members of a collaborative team share information based on the unique knowledge
and abilities they each bring from their respective areas of expertise as equal partners.

Raphael's special education teacher may be present in the general education class to support

Raphael and the other general education students as needed.

To enable students with severe disabilities to access and engage in learning

opportunities, including opportunities to acquire the general curriculum, accommodations or

adjustments to curriculum content and/or instructional supports are typically required.

Accommodations are modifications to how curriculum content is taught so that it is

understandable to each student. They can also be made to the way a student shows that they

have understood the material. Because accommodations do not alter the substance of the

curriculum, students using them can expect to study the exact amount and level of material as

their classmates in general education who do not have impairments. However, as the learning

objective indicates, modifications also change the amount and level of curricular content

provided. Therefore, the learning expectations for a student receiving accommodations differ

from those of his or her general education peers. The curriculum can be improved by making

modifications to meet the requirements of children with disabilities better. If universal options

available to all students are considered while developing the curriculum, the need for particular

adaptations to make it more accessible to children with disabilities may be reduced. Rafael

requires a variety of accommodations for classroom instruction and testing. Among these are

dictation, visual organizers, modified tasks, written accommodations, and teacher handouts.

Curriculum refers to what pupils are taught, whereas instruction refers to the method of

teaching. Instructional and social supports can be viewed as adaptations and how the

curriculum is taught and make it more accessible to students with disabilities, just as

accommodations and modifications make the curriculum more accessible to students with

disabilities. While teachers use a variety of instructional supports to educate all students, the
emphasis of the supports discussed in this section is on those that have been proven to be

successful in promoting student engagement and participation in both instructional and non-

instructional grade appropriate activities. Materials, classroom setups, and one-on-one support

for kids all count as instructional supports. In Rafael's general education class, students

frequently collaborate in small groups of two or three to complete autonomous tasks. This

instructional setup, which is employed throughout the day, gives each student access to various

peer role models during academic topic instruction.

 References
Brown, F., McDonnell, J., & Snell, M. (2020). Instruction of Students with Severe Disabilities (9th

ed., p. 36). Pearson.