Educating exceptional Children

‘Educating exceptional Children, 15th edition’ by Gallagher, Coleman, and Kirk is a practice-orientated book which highlights the challenges and strengths of ‘exceptional children’ in order to provide the necessary services. This book focuses on disabled students who are deemed to have high- and low-incidence exceptionalities, while updating pedagogical information with current knowledge, expertise, and understanding. Using a variety of teaching methodologies, the book approaches student needs from a strength-based perspective. Along with providing specific curriculum and instruction methodologies, such as universal design for learning, high-leverage practices, and evidence-based practices, it also discusses organizational structures (for example, a continuum of services and multi-tiered systems of support) that affect teachers’ and other staff’s ability to help disabled students. There are thirteen chapters, divided into three parts, which generally discuss comprehensively children with exceptionalities, their families, and the social forces that influence special education.

The first part (Chapters 1–2) focuses on children with exceptionalities, their families, and the social forces. Children and youth with exceptionalities and their families are covered in the first chapter. The authors use the case study of a family’s experiences with their autistic son, Marcus, throughout his life which showed how families are highly encouraged to support the development of children. The second chapter spotlights rules from governments, courts, and schools that significantly impact disabled students, such as schools’ special programs and the rights of people with exceptionalities and their families have been steadily formulated to protect them. It also discusses court cases that affirm the rights of disabled children. One key case is the 1988 Supreme Court decision in Honig v. Doe, which limits schools’ authority to expel disabled students for behavioral issues. This chapter recommends significant turning points in the advancement of disabled students’ rights and guarantees that they receive an inclusive, equitable education tailored to their specific needs.

The second part of the book (Chapters 3–10) examines high-incidence exceptionalities through case studies, highlighting the benefits of early support in inclusive environments in home and community settings. It focuses on improving outcomes in five domains such as cognitive, communicative, socio-emotional, motor, and adaptive. Strategies to enhance functional abilities and participation for students with intellectual disabilities are explored. This chapter is thoughtful as it integrates twenty-seven evidence-based practices provided for families and teachers. Moreover, the section also examines learning disabilities, emphasizing evidence-based teaching methods such as explicit instruction, strategic teaching, scaffolding, and metacognitive strategies to support the students. This chapter seems vital as it may provide educators with new strategies for improving teaching effectiveness, improved student learning outcomes, and the creation of a more inclusive and responsive educational environment for students’ needs with learning disabilities.

Moreover, Chapter seven discusses the impact of Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorders (ADHD) on learning, and explores the necessity for tailored educational and behavioral support. The next chapter explores Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD), stressing that behavior is a form of communication and recognizing the controversy around EBD students, and the significance of environmental influences. Another chapter addresses communication, language, and speech, highlighting the essence of the sender, message, and receiver in communication suggesting that families can support children through interactive approaches. Chapter ten emphasizes identifying and nurturing the unique needs of gifted and talented children through a specialized educational approach which integrates advanced content and higher-order thinking processes with curriculum models. Each chapter in this second part contributes to the importance of tailored approaches, collaboration, and transition programs that accommodate each disabled student’s strengths and challenges in supporting their advancement.

The last part of the book (Chapters 11–13) discusses low-incidence exceptionalities. Chapter 11 analyses the use of the term ‘deafness’ with levels of hearing loss ranging from slight (16–25 dB) to profound (91+ dB). Chapter twelve discusses children and youth with visual impairments. The authors provide a case study of Halley, to illustrate the developmental influences within families and inclusive schools resulting in strong advocacy from her parents, active support from extended family, and participation in her environment. This case suggests that inclusive schools and family support play a major role in the development of social skills and self-confidence of blind children. The thirteenth chapter explores physical impairments, health conditions, and multiple impairments. It stresses the integration of technology to support full participation in school and social environments. The technology includes instructional, assistive, and augmentative alternative communication. Hence, the authors examine the use of technology to meet the needs of students, relating it to contemporary teaching issues and the principle of sustainability.

In a nutshell, this book is highly recommended for students who focus on children and youth, educators, policymakers, parents, caregivers of disabled students, and researchers since it addresses teaching those who have been identified as having both high-incidence and low-incidence exceptionalities, giving a wealth of knowledge of essential work with a wide range of students. Other than that, this book examines the various accommodations, and effective support strategies, emphasizing collaboration between schools, families, and communities for optimal development in educational settings. It is notable that this book inspires educators to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment, even if its overall approach is situated in individual and special educational needs discourses. Other limitations include using cases which are dated, and the presentation of arguments which can be found elsewhere, e.g. on the need to change relationships between EBD and educators/the environment. Nonetheless, it can serve as a helpful addition to literature on how to address a variety of situations involving particular conditions.

Muhamad Tanzi
Department of Special Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
[email protected]
Dinda Dwi Utari
Department of Special Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Sa’adah
Department of Special Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Muchamad Muchibbuddin Waly
Department of English Language Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education/Lembaga Pengelolaan Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) for supporting the publication of this book review.

Additional information

Funding

We extend our gratitude to the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education/Lembaga Pengelolaan Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) for supporting the publication of this book review.