Teaching Students with Severe Disabilities [Rental Edition]

This print textbook is available for students to rent for their classes. The Pearson print rental program provides students with affordable access to learning materials, so they come to class ready to succeed.

A comprehensive, clear approach helps readers learn to apply effective instructional strategies that meet the unique needs of students with severe disabilities 

Teaching Students with Severe Disabilities presents thorough coverage of the major issues pertinent to teaching students with severe disabilities in a way that helps teachers easily understand and apply concepts in their own classrooms. Lauded as a book unparalleled for its level of currency and reality, the authors draw on their own personal experience and a broad array of professional literature to help make even the most complex research findings on severe disabilities understandable and usable in the real world of education today. Focusing on both methodology and curriculum, the authors present concise information that helps readers develop an understanding of the strengths and needs of individuals with severe disabilities, current service philosophies, and effective instructional practices for teaching these students. Thoughtful attention is paid to alternative assessments, the role of the paraprofessional, multicultural concerns, the effects of peer relationships, the use of assistive technology, early intervention, and more.

Restructured to focus on essential information and practical instructional strategies, the 6th Edition incorporates the expertise of two new authors and up-to-date coverage of the latest topics in the field.    

This title is also available digitally as a Pearson eText. Contact your Pearson rep for more information.

David Westling is Professor Emeritus at Western Carolina University. He joined the faculty at WCU as the Adelaide Worth Daniels Distinguished Professor of Special Education in 1997. Before arriving at WCU, Dr. Westling was on the faculty in special education at Florida State University. He received the EdD degree in Special Education from the University of Florida in 1976 with related areas of study in Applied Behavior Analysis and Educational Research. He is the co-author of several books in special education, including Teaching Students with Severe Disabilities, Special Education for Today’s Teachers: An Introduction, and Inclusion: Effective Practices for All Teachers, and has published more than 60 papers in refereed journals in special education. Dr. Westling served on the editorial boards of several professional journals, is past President of the Board of Directors for TASH, was co-director of the personnel preparation project in severe disabilities at Western Carolina University, and was co-director of the Western Carolina University’s University Participant Program. Dr. Westling was a Fulbright Research Scholar in Salzburg, Austria, in 1994.

Erik Carter is Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. His research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for supporting inclusion and valued roles in school, work, community, and congregational settings for children and adults with intellectual disability, autism, and multiple disabilities. Prior to receiving his doctorate, Dr. Carter worked as a high school teacher and transition specialist. He has published widely in the areas of educational and transition services for children and youth with disabilities, including nearly 200 articles and chapters as well as seven books. He has received research awards from the Council for Exceptional Children, the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. He is co-editor of Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals and associate editor for Exceptional Children, Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, and J ournal of Religion and Disability.

Alexandra Da Fonte is an associate professor of the practice in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. She earned a PhD in Special Education from Purdue University in 2008 in Severe Disabilities, with a specialization in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Her primary interests are in the areas of AAC, teacher training, bridging research-to-practice, and in training pre- and in-service special education teachers to work with students with complex communication needs (CCN). She is the co-author of Effective Augmentative and Alternative Communication Practices: A Handbook for School-based Practitioners. Dr. Da Fonte brings experiences as a special education teacher and as a special education and AAC consultant. She has over 25 years of experience working with students with intellectual and multiple disabilities and their families in public, private, and home settings.

Jennifer Kurth is an associate professor of special education at the University of Kansas, and affiliated faculty at the Kansas University Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD). Her research centers on inclusive education for students with extensive and pervasive support needs. This includes examining outcomes of inclusion in terms of skill development and quality of life indicators for students with disabilities, as well as how educators develop skills and dispositions for inclusive practices. She was the recipient of the TASH Early Career Researcher Award. Prior to starting her doctoral program at the University of California at Davis, Dr. Kurth was an inclusion specialist teaching adolescents with severe disabilities in California.

PART ONE: Important Considerations Prior to Teaching Students with Severe Disabilities
1. Students with Severe Disabilities: Descriptions, Characteristics, and Possibilities
2. Philosophies and Practices for Teaching Students with Severe Disabilities
3. Collaboration among Educators, Professionals, and Families
PART TWO: General Instructional Procedures
4. Assessment and Planning for Instruction
5. Teaching Students to Learn, Generalize, and Maintain Skills
6. Evaluating Student Progress
7. Supporting Inclusive Education
PART THREE: Specific Instructional Procedures and Supports
8. Providing Support for Health and Medical Needs
9. Assessment and Instruction of Communication Skills
10. Teaching Personal Care Skills
11. Teaching Academic Skills
12. Teaching Home and Community Skills
13. Fostering Friendships and Recreational Involvement
14. Providing Behavior Support to Improve Challenging Behavior
PART FOUR: Special Considerations
15. Using Assistive Technology
16. Meeting the Needs of Young Children
17. Transitioning to Adulthood