Special Education: Terms and Concepts

Special Education Paper
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Professor
Date
Definition of Terms
Special Education
Special education refers to tailored instructional programs and support services designed to meet the unique learning needs of students with disabilities, enabling them to access education effectively.
Exceptional Children
Exceptional children are individuals whose characteristics, such as physical, sensory, cognitive, or behavioral differences, deviate from societal norms, necessitating customized educational services to address their unique needs.
Disability
Disability signifies a condition or impairment that limits an individual's functioning in sensory, physical, cognitive, or behavioral abilities, affecting their participation in various life activities.
Handicap
Handicap refers to the challenges or obstacles individuals with disabilities encounter as they engage with their environment, including attitudinal limitations imposed by others, hindering their full participation and inclusion (Gargiulo & Bouck, 2017).
Thirteen Categories of Exceptionality
Autism
Deaf-blindness
Developmental delay
Emotional disturbance
Hearing impairments, including deafness
Intellectual disability
Multiple disabilities
Orthopedic impairments
Other health impairments
Specific learning disabilities
Speech or language impairments
Traumatic brain injury
Visual impairments, including blindness
Part II
Prevalence vs. Incidence
In special education and disability studies, the differentiation between prevalence and incidence is a pivotal framework for comprehending the dimensions of disabilities within a specific populace. Prevalence signifies the aggregate count of existing instances of a particular condition or disability within a given population at an exact time. It furnishes a comprehensive overview of how much a specific disability is dispersed within that population. For educators and policymakers, prevalence data are invaluable as they provide insights into the burden of disabilities, facilitating strategic planning and resource allocation for special education services (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019). Conversely, incidence centers on the tally of fresh cases or occurrences of a disability within the same population over a stipulated time frame. It bestows information on the pace at which new instances are surfacing, a critical metric for evaluating the efficacy of preventive measures and interventions. Within special education, both prevalence and incidence data are instrumental in shaping policies and practices to accommodate the diverse needs of students with disabilities.
Disability vs. Handicap
In special education and disability studies, it is imperative to restrict the concepts of disability and handicap, for they epitomize discrete facets of an individual's encounter. Disability alludes to a particular impairment or constraint that impacts an individual's physical, sensory, cognitive, or other functional competencies. It spotlights the impediments or challenges a person may face due to impairment. Conversely, a handicap pertains to the disadvantages or obstructions that a person with a disability encounters when engaging...