Developmental milestones | Survey of Special Education: Mild to Moderate Disabilities

Special education teachers often consult and train staff members. Consideration of typical development and achievement of developmental milestones can help staff determine if a student needs a referral for a special education evaluation. This information is often used to select assessments and identify the effects of a possible disability. If eligibility is determined, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed. IEP teams describe an individual’s strengths, interests, preferences, and needs, while considering the characteristics of a given disability and its effect on a student. The IEP defines the specially designed instruction, accommodations, related services, and supplementary aids and services that will best support a student in accessing and achieving goals aligned with the general education curriculum. When teachers understand the effect of a disability on learning, they are able to prepare the classroom environment and use specially designed instructions to support students with disabilities.

Imagine that your principal has asked you to conduct a professional development session for staff members about developmental milestones for students. Referring to the study materials and your research, use the “Developmental Milestones In-Service Template” to create a 15-20 slide digital presentation that describes the typical cognitive, linguistic, physical, social, and emotional developmental milestones of children in the grade levels associated with your field of study.

The presentation should address the following:

• Describe developmental milestones and explain why they are important.
• For each disability category, describe typical cognitive, linguistic, physical, social, and emotional development and the atypical development of a student with the specified disability. Include examples of how the milestones may present differently for students with and without each disability.
• For each disability category, explain at least one specially designed instructional strategy that could be used to enhance academic achievement.
• For each disability category, explain at least one environmental strategy (how you would change the classroom environment) to increase success in the classroom setting.
• Title slide, reference slide, and speaker notes.

Support the assignment with a minimum of three scholarly resources.