Study Guide

Severely Developmentally Disabled
Sample Questions

Expand All | Collapse All

Competency 0001
Understand characteristics of students with severe developmental disabilities.

1. A student who has dysphagia as a result of a physical impairment will likely have difficulty:

  1. using an alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) device.
  2. walking with an even steady gait.
  3. using adaptive equipment to hold writing utensils.
  4. swallowing foods and liquids safely.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D. Individuals with certain physical disabilities (e.g., spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy) often experience dysphagia, which is the ability to control the muscles in the throat used for swallowing. Students with dysphagia may require therapy from an occupational therapist and/or speech therapist to learn compensatory strategies. More severe cases of dysphagia may require modifications in food types or use of a feeding tube.

Competency 0002
Understand factors that affect development, learning, and daily living in students with severe developmental disabilities.

2. Brian is in fifth grade and has a speech delay and a severe intellectual disability. He is in a general education classroom and supported throughout the day by a paraprofessional. The special education teacher collaborates with the fifth-grade teacher to ensure that Brian is meeting his Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. Brian's parents are happy with how he is progressing academically, but they are concerned that he does not have friends and plays alone at recess. Which of the following actions taken by the special education teacher would best help Brian socially?

  1. collaborating with the physical education teacher to plan appropriate group games that recess staff could organize to facilitate Brian's participation
  2. teaching Brian games he can play independently at recess, such as shooting baskets or playing hopscotch
  3. asking Brian whom he would like to be friends with and speaking to his parents to arrange a playdate with the friend after school
  4. advising the paraprofessional to facilitate all interactions between Brian and the other students at recess
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A. Research shows that students with intellectual disabilities often struggle with social isolation, especially in unstructured settings. Interventions from adults to establish appropriate interactions in a structured setting, such as in a game, can encourage social interactions and friendships with peers. Collaboration between staff at the school/building level to facilitate inclusion can be an additional step to create a culture of inclusivity.

Competency 0003
Understand procedures for selecting, adapting, modifying, designing, and administering various types of formal and informal assessments used with students with severe developmental disabilities.

3. A teacher of students with severe developmental disabilities would like to administer a short multiple-choice assessment to a student with cerebral palsy who is nonverbal and lacks fine-motor control. The best way to administer this type of test would be to have the teacher read the questions and then ask the student to:

  1. point to the correct response option on the answer sheet.
  2. attempt to say the correct response option.
  3. gaze at the correct response option on a larger sheet of paper.
  4. have a scribe fill in the correct response option on the answer sheet.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C. Cerebral palsy is a disability that impacts fine- and gross-motor skills development as well as communication. Alternative and augmentative communication (ACC) systems have improved opportunities for children and adults with severe communication disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities. Research supports controlled eye gaze, known as "eye pointing," as an effective strategy to facilitate communication. Eye gaze technology is a method that involves the use of computers and communication boards for formal and informal assessments.

Competency 0004
Understand strategies and procedures for developing, implementing, and monitoring individualized programs.

4. Rowan is in fifth grade and is multiply disabled. She is in Ms. Gordon's special education class full time and also receives support from a paraprofessional. Which of the following statements from Rowan's Individualized Education Program (IEP) belongs in the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance section?

  1. Rowan will receive extended school year services.
  2. Rowan participates in the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP).
  3. Rowan responds to routine directions to complete functional tasks.
  4. Rowan will participate in functional skills training.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C. The Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance section of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) includes the following areas: how the child's disability affects progress, the child's strengths, concerns of the parent/guardian, changes in current functioning, summary of recent evaluation results, and a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives. The description of the student's ability to respond to routine directions and understand cause-and-effect relationships would be listed under strengths of the child within the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance section of the IEP.

Competency 0005
Understand strategies and procedures for planning, managing, and modifying the learning environment for students with severe developmental disabilities.

5. Marcelo is nine years old and wears full-length leg braces. His special education teacher is assisting him in sitting down in a chair. Which of Marcelo's body parts is it most important for the teacher to stabilize when positioning him in this way?

  1. back
  2. legs
  3. feet
  4. pelvis
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D. The pelvis serves as the base for head and trunk control. When the pelvis is in a stable position, the student with physical impairments is able to keep his or her trunk and head erect with less effort.

Competency 0006
Understand effective instructional practices for promoting success in the general curriculum for students with severe developmental disabilities.

6. A standard for tenth-grade English addresses understanding figurative language in poetry. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) team is meeting for Ramona, a tenth-grade student with intellectual and physical disabilities. Ramona is an emergent reader and enjoys the social context of being in an inclusive setting. Which of the following modifications could the IEP team include in Ramona's IEP to address this standard?

  1. Create an objective that involves underlining the figurative language in a poem.
  2. Create an objective that involves listening to a group of students reading examples of figurative language.
  3. Create an objective that involves working with peers to act out examples of figurative language.
  4. Create an objective that involves observing a peer write a poem using examples of figurative language.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C. A well-aligned Individualized Education Program (IEP) can promote meaningful academic instruction and also address interpersonal skill development and communication. Pairing this student with peers to model figurative language in a poem allows social interaction while addressing the grade-level standard. This scenario provides an example of specially designed instruction as described in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1997, 2004) and is intended to provide access to the general education curriculum content to the greatest extent possible for the student with disabilities.

Competency 0007
Understand strategies for developing students' communication and social skills and providing effective behavioral interventions for students with severe developmental disabilities.

7. A teacher of high school students with developmental disabilities is teaching a unit on life skills. The teacher has been working on ways to promote students' independence and self-management skills, particularly managing frustration. Which of the following activities is most likely to be an effective approach to teaching these skills?

  1. watching videos depicting frustrating situations or conflicts
  2. having students role-play situations that involve unexpected events
  3. reading books about ideas for solving problems in everyday life
  4. exposing students to real-life situations during community outings
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B. Events that occur outside the routine can be disruptive and difficult for individuals with disabilities to manage. The explicit instruction of social skills and problem-solving strategies has been shown to be of benefit and is often included in developing successful transition plans in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). For an individual with developmental disabilities, the opportunity to practice strategies for managing unexpected situations in a "safe" setting through role-play allows the student to be better prepared to adjust to unexpected events in day-to-day life.

Competency 0008
Understand strategies for teaching functional living skills and promoting successful transitions for students with severe developmental disabilities.

8. Karen is 17 years old and has Down syndrome. During her most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting, Karen tells the team that she is interested in becoming a child-care worker after high school. The team decides that Karen's special education teacher should help Karen take the steps toward achieving this goal. Which of the following actions would be most effective for the teacher to take first when helping Karen?

  1. suggesting that Karen look in the newspaper for part-time child-care jobs that she could do after school
  2. arranging for Karen to meet with the director of a day-care center to discuss some of the jobs of a child-care worker
  3. signing Karen up for a child-caretaker first-aid course at the local community center
  4. giving Karen a list of Web sites of local day-care centers for her to browse and decide which one is the best fit for her
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B. It is necessary for the special education teacher and Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to work collaboratively in developing and implementing a transition plan for a student with disabilities. In this scenario, introducing a student to the director of a day care would likely help the student understand the requirements of the job and allow her to learn more about the skills she would need to learn to be successful.

Competency 0009
Understand the historical, legal, and ethical foundations of the field of special education.

9. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) addresses the civil rights of a student with special needs by guaranteeing:

  1. individualized and appropriate assessments.
  2. success in academic and social performance.
  3. modifications to the general education curriculum.
  4. access into and within public buildings.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies specifically to the civil rights of an individual with disabilities related to discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local governments, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and responsibilities of public schools to provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) and services to children with disabilities.

Competency 0010
Understand the professional roles and responsibilities of the special education teacher.

10. Mr. Hammond is a special education teacher. He is an active member of a professional organization for educators in his field. This membership allows Mr. Hammond the opportunity to attend workshops and network with other teachers in the field. Being an active member of this type of organization is most beneficial to Mr. Hammond for which of the following reasons?

  1. to gain a better understanding of the philosophical foundations of special education
  2. to keep him current on the standards and laws in special education
  3. to earn the respect of professionals and leaders in special education
  4. to increase his earning potential as a special education teacher within the school system
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B. In order to keep up with changing standards and laws in the field of special education, it is necessary to be involved in professional activities and professional development. This includes joining organizations dedicated to enhancing teacher skills and providing current research in the field. Often these organizations also provide professional growth and development opportunities for individuals.