Assessing Severely Handicapped Children

Abstract

Public Law 94-142 mandates the nationwide provision of special education and related services for all handicapped children, regardless of the severity of their handicap.More specifically, children must be assessed, and individualized education plans must be provided.Each plan must specify: (a) the child's present levels of educational performance; (b) annual goals, including short term objectives; (c) educational services to be provided; ( d) the dates for initiation and anticipated duration of services; and (e) appropriate objective criteria and evaluation procedures for determining whether instructional objectives are being achieved (Section 602 [ 4] [19]).Across the country, school systems are feeling the strain on available resources.Particularly alarming is the scarcity of trained manpower to meet the special educational needs of severely handicapped children.Sailor, Guess, and Lavis (1975) proclaimed "an immediate need to provide a cadre of competent, qualified teachers with allied personnel and resources to deliver an effective and functional educational program for severely handicapped" (p.201).During the past four years, attention has focused on the immediate shortage of trained teachers and the critical factors that constitute necessary teacher competencies for directing the educational program of severely and multiply handicapped children (Altman & Meyen, 1976;Brown & York, 1974;Meyen, 1975;Sailor, Guess, & Lavis, 1975;Sontag, Burke, & York, 1973).These concerns are being addressed by staff members of teacher-training institutions singly and in concert with personnel in other training programs.

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