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Special Education 161 Exam 2025 - 2026 Latest Update Five Components of Language Learning - ANSWER Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Pragmatics, Semantics 3 Types of Antidepressants - ANSWER SSRI, Tri-cyclic, MAOI 2 Purposes for Multidisciplinary Evaluation - ANSWER 1. Determine eligibility for SPED services
- ID strengths and weaknesses for IEP planning Characteristics of Mental Retardation/Intellectual Disabilities - ANSWER <70 on IQ test, limited cognitive ability, delayed achievement, difficulty in attending to relevant aspects of stimuli Formative Assessment - ANSWER Ms. Smith stops the class after just a few minutes of mathematics instruction, which is taking place at the board. She asks two questions requiring simple student responses on 3*5 cards, returns to instructing at the board. Which type of assessment is being used by this teacher? Formal Assessment - ANSWER Standardized Test, norm-referenced, criterion referenced Informal Assessment - ANSWER Observation, teacher - constructed, play based, check list and ratings scales, parents interviews Benchmark - ANSWER Measurements of group performance Formative - ANSWER During the process or unit Which of the following behaviors observed over time in a 3 - year old child would be a clear indicator that the child may have an autism spectrum disorder. - ANSWER lack of joint attention LD- Reading - ANSWER Due to language learning disabilities. - Word analysis, fluency, and reading comprehension Word Analysis - ANSWER difficulty associating sounds to letters
Fluency - ANSWER Reads at a slower rate, do not read w/expression or intonation. LD here affects processing. Reading Comprehension - ANSWER Fluency and word analysis building blocks R/Comp unable achieve w/o Written Language - ANSWER Three Major Skill Areas- Spelling, language processing and written language Expressive - ANSWER Spoken language Receptive - ANSWER Internal Processing Language Processing- LD - ANSWER Problems Identifying appropriate speech, sounds, choosing and using appropriate words in speaking and writing Written Language-LD - ANSWER Weak skills in grammar and sentence structure often affect written language Impacts on Mathematics - ANSWER Place Value, time, fractions, decimals, remembering and ordering numbers, read and solve word problems Intellectual Disability - ANSWER Having a significant limitations in mental functioning, communication, social skills and independent living skills National Dissemination Center for Children w/Disabilities - ANSWER The center that outlines the most common reason for LD Most Common Reason For LD - ANSWER Problems during pregnancy, at birth, genetic conditions, accidents TBI - ANSWER Traumatic Brain Injury Genetic Conditions - ANSWER Down Syndrome, fragile X syndrome, PKU Behavioral Disorders - ANSWER Characterized by the following: an inability to learn , which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory,or health factors- an inability to build satisfactory relationships with peers and teachers- inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal situations or circumstances.- a general pervasive mood or unhappiness or depression- a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems
What account for more that 80% of learning disabilities? - ANSWER Reading What does the US Department of Education urged the states to implement? - ANSWER Response to Intervention programs to target primary students who are falling behind in reading in hopes of reducing the number of LD diagnoses. Which of the following situations would warrant recommending testing for a behavioral disorder? - ANSWER A student gets angry every time anyone touches his/her belongings and stays angry over an hour each time. Which of the following statements would likely be true of an individual with ADHD? - ANSWER is often inattentive AODA - ANSWER ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG ABUSE APR - ANSWER ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT ARRA - ANSWER AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT; OBAMA'S STIMULUS PACKAGE WHICH PROVIDED ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO US CITIZENS IN 2009 - 11 AT - ANSWER ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AYP - ANSWER ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS BIP - ANSWER BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN CD - ANSWER COGNITIVE DISABILITY CEC - ANSWER COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN CEIS - ANSWER COORDINATED EARLY INTERVENING SERVICES CESA - ANSWER COOPERATIVE EARLY INTERVENING SERVICES CIFMS - ANSWER CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND FOCUSED MONITORING SYSTEM EBD - ANSWER EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL DISABILITY ESY - ANSWER EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR FAPE - ANSWER FREE AND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION FBA - ANSWER FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT FERPA - ANSWER FAMILY EDUCATION RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT
LEP - ANSWER LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
LRE - ANSWER LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIORNMENT
NCLB - ANSWER NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
OI - ANSWER ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT
PBIS - ANSWER POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION AND SUPPORTS
SDD - ANSWER SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT DELAY
SLD - ANSWER SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY
SMI - ANSWER SEVERE MULTIPLE IMPAIRMENTS
Achievement Test - ANSWER is a standardized test designed to efficiently measure the amount of knowledge and/or skill a person has acquired , usually as result of classroom instruction. Such testing produces a statistical profile used as a measurement to evaluate student learning in comparison with a standard or norm. Alternative Assessment - ANSWER students answer open ended questions, work out a solution to a problem, perform a demonstration to a skill etc... Rating Scale (Standardized/Formal) - ANSWER Scale based on descriptive words or phrases that indicate performance levels Summative Asssessment - ANSWER is an evaluation at the conclusion of a unit or units of instruction or an activity or plan to determine or judge student skills and knowledge or effectiveness of a plan or activity. Testing Accommadations - ANSWER Setting, presentation, timing, response, scheduling 2004 Case and Almond - ANSWER Alternative assessments Which of the following behaviors observed over time in a three-year-old child would be a clear indicator that the child may have an autism spectrum disorder? (A) Uncoordinated movements when walking (B) Lack of joint attention (C) Refusal to write the letters of the alphabet
reaction in children who feel guilty. (C) is also a common reaction for some children who do not want to make mistakes. Which of the following statements would likely be true of an individual with ADHD? (A) The individual cannot communicate well (B) The individual is often inattentive (C) The individual has a difficult time making friends (D) The individual always finishes her/his assignments - ANSWER The correct response is ( B ). ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, so it is characterized by frequent periods of inattention. (A) is not connected to ADHD, but more likely a sign of either a speech/language disorder or autism. Similarly, (C) is more likely associated with either shyness, social skills deficits, or autism. (D) is not the correct answer because individuals with ADHD often leave assignments unfinished when their attention wanders during class or homework time. What would most likely be provided for a child with a documented OHI disability? (A) School-health services (B) After-school tutoring (C) Extended school year program (D) A full-time paraprofessional - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). OHI stands for Other Health Impairment and includes such diagnoses as epilepsy and heart conditions. Students with an OHI disability may not require any modifications or assistance in academic or social skills areas, but they may require health services if they experience a seizure or medical issue of some kind. (B), (C), and (D) would all be associated with disabilities that require academic intervention or close adult supervision. Which of the following assessments is an example of a formal assessment?
(A) Checklist of observable behaviors (B) Criterion-referenced test (C) Parent interview (D) Rubric - ANSWER The correct response is ( B ). A formal assessment, by definition, is a standardized test that has been tested with a large number of individuals of a given age range or group. This allows for comparisons to a norm or specific criteria. (A), (C), and (D) are all examples of informal assessments. They all require a measure of personal judgment to be completed. What do test results of a norm-referenced test indicate? (A) A student's performance relative to a larger group of students of similar ages (B) How many questions a student answered correctly (C) Whether a student passed or failed a class (D) The likelihood a student will go to college - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). Norm-referenced tests are "normed" against the performance of a group of students who are similar in age or grade level. Scores are reported norms of the group rather than a straight percentage of incorrect to correct answers. (C) is incorrect because norm-referenced tests by themselves do not indicated passing or failing a course. They indicate performance compared to a norm. (D) is incorrect because the factors that affect a student going to college are many and varied, including academic, family background, and socioeconomic factors. An eighth-grade teacher administers a quiz halfway through a unit to see how much students remember about the topic. What kind of assessment is the quiz? (A) Summative (B) Diagnostic (C) Formative (D) Formal - ANSWER The correct response is ( C ). Formative assessments are administered during the course of instruction to assist teachers in guiding
variety of informal assessments, including observations, checklists, and quizzes. (C) is incorrect because judgments about the difficulty or appropriateness of a teacher's exam are made by committees or supervisors. When preparing instruction for a student with special needs, where is the best place for a teacher to start? (A) The student's IEP goals and objectives (B) The student's grade level textbooks (C) The district's scope and sequence of skills (D) Activity books from a teacher supply store - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). A team of educators, parents, diagnosticians, related service providers, and administrators met and agreed on the student's goals and objectives in the IEP. For any student with special needs, these goals and objectives must form the basis for all instructional planning. Since these goals are aligned as closely as possible with the grade-level TEKS, a teacher can be assured that they will meet the basic requirements of the district and state, so (C) is not the best answer. (B) and (D) are incorrect responses as publishers' lesson plans and activities should be used to carry out or supplement the instructional objectives of the IEP. What is the best definition for an instructional accommodation? (A) Changes made to the content students are learning (B) Memorization technique (C) Changes made to the student's environment to improve learning (D) Teacher lesson plan - ANSWER The correct response is ( C ). Instructional accommodations are changes made to the environment to improve student learning. Accommodations never involve changes to the content, so (A) is incorrect. Likewise, (B) and (D) are incorrect since they have nothing to do with the kinds of changes an accommodation would entail.
An ALE teacher sets up a class store with various items such as pencils, stickers, and posters. She explains to students that they can earn "class cash" to spend in the store by following classroom rules, completing their work, and being supportive of their classmates. What kind of behavioral strategy is this teacher employing? (A) Applied behavior analysis (B) Detention (C) Token economy (D) Replacement behavior - ANSWER The correct response is ( C ). A token economy is a form of behavior modification based around the consistent rewarding of positive or desired behaviors. When teachers see a positive behavior, they give a student a "token," some object that only has value in the classroom. That token can be turned in for a prize or something of value to the student. While token economies are common in applied behavior analysis settings, (A) is incorrect because applied behavior analysis is a much larger system of teaching through structured activities and rewarding targeted behaviors. In and of itself, ABA does not require a classroom store or a token economy to work. (B) is incorrect as detention is a form of negative reinforcement. (D) is incorrect because replacement behaviors are more appropriate responses that teachers and therapists help students acquire in place of undesirable behaviors. Which of the following strategies is NOT an example of an assistive technology? (A) Recorded books (B) Spell-check program (C) Pencil grip (D) Seating chart - ANSWER The correct response is ( D ). Seating charts, a strategy where the teacher assigns students' seats, can be used as accommodations to encourage positive behavior. They are not examples of assistive technology,
students' understanding of the lesson as it progresses. (B) requiring students to come forward and work problems on the board in front of the class. (C) using math stations, with small groups rotating every 5 to 10 minutes. (D) doing a gallery walk with chart paper posted for writing responses. - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). Using an interactive whiteboard and student response clickers not only allows Tim to fully participate in class, but it does not call attention in any way to his disability. This technique also allows the teacher to use formative assessment to see how well the students are grasping the concepts being taught and what needs to be retaught. (B) is incorrect because it will take time for Tim to make it to the board, and he would be at a disadvantage to write on it due to being in a wheelchair. (C) is incorrect because it will be difficult for Tim to maneuver between stations, especially given the short amount of time expected at each station. (D) is incorrect because it would be difficult for Tim to maneuver through the classroom and awkward for him to try to write on posted chart paper. What is the most important thing to do when dealing with problem behaviors? (A) React immediately (B) Analyze the reasons for the behavior (C) Isolate the misbehaving student (D) Always call the assistant principal for help - ANSWER The correct response is ( B ). As a Special Education teacher, being able to step back and analyze why a student is acting out is essential to solving behavior issues. By identifying the cause or the underlying reason for the behavior, appropriate interventions can be planned. (A) is incorrect because sometimes immediate reactions can be emotional or negative. Remaining calm when dealing with behavior issues is essential. (C) is incorrect because isolating a student is only necessary if the student requires a quiet atmosphere to calm down. With most challenging behaviors, applying the preset consequence and moving forward with the class is the best approach. (D) is incorrect because a teacher should be able to deal with the majority of behaviors in the classroom. Administrative intervention should only be necessary for severe behaviors or challenging behaviors that the teacher has not been able to divert any other way.
BIP stands for (A) Behavior Improvement Program. (B) Bonded and Insured Paraprofessional. (C) Behavior Intervention Plan. (D) Behavior in Individuals Is Positive. - ANSWER The correct response is ( C ). BIP stands for Behavior Intervention Plan, and a BIP is required to be part of any Individual Education Program where a student is unable to follow the Student Code of Conduct because of the nature of his or her disability. (A), (B), and (D) are all incorrect choices. Who is involved in the transition process for Special Education students in Texas? (A) Students, family, Special Education teachers, general education teachers, and administrators (B) Parents and the primary Special Education teacher only (C) Transition agency personnel (D) Students and Counselors only - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). Transition planning involves a number of people to ensure that the interests and needs of the student are met. First and foremost, the student is involved if at all possible as it is his or her postschool life that is being planned. Parents, family members, special and general education teachers, and administrators must all be involved just as they are with an ARD. (B) is incorrect because it leaves out a number of the required participants, including the student. (C) is incorrect because, while agency representatives may be involved if permission is obtained by the family or an adult student, they are not the sole participants. (D) is incorrect because transition planning involves a much wider team than just the student and counselor.
(D) Guiding students to find all the instances of an author using a targeted vocabulary word - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). A KWL chart has students list what they already " K now" about a topic, what they " W ant" to know about the topic, and what they " L earned" after they read about the topic. It is an excellent way to activate prior knowledge about a nonfiction topic as students fill out the K and W columns before they read. (B) is not the correct answer because summarization occurs after reading, not before. (C) is not the correct answer because it involves reflecting on and writing about books that were memorable, but it does not specifically activate knowledge for a book the teacher is planning to have the students read. (D) is an incorrect answer because it is a vocabulary acquisition strategy and is not focused on having students think about the topic of a book prior to reading it. One of the most powerful motivators for engaging reluctant readers in books is (A) fear of staying after school. (B) round-robin reading. (C) highlighting vocabulary words. (D) giving students a choice of what they read. - ANSWER The correct response is ( D ). Choice is a powerful motivator for all students, including reluctant readers. When students get to choose a book or article and can select based on their own interests, they have a built-in reason to persevere as they work to read the text. (A) is not the correct answer because punitive measures are rarely motivational, especially for reluctant readers who frequently also exhibit challenging behaviors as a way of masking their academic difficulties. (B) is incorrect because "round-robin" reading is actually demotivating for struggling readers who do not like being embarrassed when they cannot read well out loud. (C) is not the correct answer because, while vocabulary acquisition is an important part of learning to read, calling attention to a number of words the student may not know can be discouraging. A research-based technique for helping students in the prewriting stage is
(A) circling spelling errors. (B) providing graphic organizers. (C) having them memorize the steps for writing an essay. (D) providing a punctuation chart. - ANSWER The correct response is ( B ). Graphic organizers are powerful tools for helping students organize different types of writing. These visual tools help students lay out their thoughts in an organized way so that they are ready to write. (A) is an incorrect answer because identifying spelling errors is a part of the editing stage, not the prewriting stage. (C) is not the correct answer since memorizing the general steps for writing an essay does not help students put together specific thoughts on what they want to write about. (D) is not the correct answer because addressing punctuation is a part of the editing stage, not the prewriting stage. A seventh-grade teacher works with students who failed the STAAR® reading assessment the previous year. Many of these students have learning disabilities. The teacher has the students work in pairs to create a picture that shows the meaning of a selected word from the story they just read. Partners then share their drawings with the class. What is the purpose of this activity? (A) Sight-word recognition (B) Symbolic representation of text (C) Vocabulary acquisition (D) Phonemic awareness - ANSWER The correct response is ( C ). Pairing a word with a visual image is a powerful strategy to help students remember the word's meaning. By having the students work in pairs and create the drawing themselves, the teacher is helping the students "own" the word and add it to their vocabulary. (A) is not the correct answer because the words selected for an activity like this would not be sight words; they would be words with a clearer meaning. (B) is not correct because the students are not creating pictures of the story itself. Rather, the pictures are related to the specific meanings of the words. (D) is not the correct answer because phonemic awareness is an early emergent-reader skill where students are assessed on their recognition of individual letter and rhyming sounds.
sequence. (C) and (D) are incorrect because graphic or pictorial representations are the middle step in a scaffolded lesson. Mrs. Takei, a third-grade teacher, maintains mathematics performance folders for each of her students. She frequently uses these folders at parent-teacher conferences and individual tutoring sessions. For her Special Education students, she takes these folders to the students' ARDs. The kind of assessment that these performance folders represent is (A) formative. (B) standardized. (C) summative. (D) diagnostic. - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). An individual performance folder is composed of a collection of a student's work over the course of a school year. Performance folders are great tools for showing student growth over time and for assessing how students are progressing in their goals during the year. This makes them formative assessments. (B) is not correct because performance folders involve teacher judgment. They are not standardized against other students' performances. (C) is not correct because performance folders represent work over time, not just at the end of a unit. (D) is incorrect because performance folders are created as the school year progresses, not at the beginning of the year to show students' baseline skills. As of 1990, the name of Public Law 94 - 142 is (A) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (B) No Child Left Behind. (C) Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (D) Rehabilitation Act. - ANSWER The correct response is ( A ). Public Law 94 - 142 is commonly known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. This was the name assigned as part of the 1990 amendment, replacing the earlier
name of Education for the Handicapped Act. (B) is incorrect as No Child Left Behind is the name of the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (C) is incorrect because the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is Public Law 89 - 10. (D) is incorrect because the Rehabilitation Act is Public Law 93 - 112. Under IDEA, what must local education agencies put in place in order to receive federal Special Education funds? (A) Special classrooms for students with disabilities (B) Separate campuses with specialized equipment for students with disabilities (C) A system of determination of eligibility for students with disabilities (D) Tutoring services for students with disabilities - ANSWER The correct response is ( C ). Under IDEA, local education agencies must put in place a system of determination of eligibility for students with disabilities so that students can qualify for Special Education services. These services are partially funded by the federal government, provided local education agencies adhere to the IDEA mandates. (A) and (B) are incorrect because both assume segregated environments for students with disabilities. While school districts may create such classrooms or school campuses if they are determined to be the least restrictive environment for a student with disabilities, they are not specifically mandated by IDEA. (D) is incorrect because tutoring services are not specifically outlined as a requirement of IDEA. LRE stands for (A) Lessons Ready for Educators. (B) Laws of Regular Education. (C) Least Restrictive Environment. (D) Learning to Read English. - ANSWER The correct response is ( C ). LRE stands for Least Restrictive Environment, an extremely important requirement of the
