Abstract
IDEA 97 impacts the delivery of comprehensive counseling
and educational services for children with disabilities, and collaboration
between school counselors and special educators can facilitate this process. General
educators also play an important role in the education of children with
exceptionalities. Because counselor and teacher education curricula do not
require extensive studies in special education, novice counselors and teachers
may feel ill-prepared to meet the needs of exceptional children within the
general education classroom. Therefore, if counselor and teacher educators
integrate special education content into counselor and general education
training programs, then they can help future counselors and teachers understand
more about the laws pertaining to special education and become better equipped
to collaborate in serving all children in schools effectively. Specifically,
use of technology can enhance this process.
Through the years, school counselors
have faced long lists of diverse challenges. Historically, counselors were
placed in schools to help high school students adjust to school-type problems
and to assist them in meeting their vocational and academic needs (Myrick,
1993). However, today the demands are quite different. The role of today’s
school counselor has expanded considerably. It requires that they not only
attend to the students’ vocational and academic needs but also to their
physical, social, and emotional ones (Muro & Kottman, 1995;
Myrick, 1993;
Schmidt, 1999). Performing this expanded role requires the acquisition of new
and different skills and abilities, specifically in assisting children with
their multiple needs to succeed academically. The question arises, “How
prepared are the faculties of America’s institutions of higher education to
deliver instruction appropriate to helping entry level school-counselors meet
the needs of all students in these changing times?”
School counselors must be prepared to not only
provide services directly to students but also work collaboratively with others
who touch the lives of students. One area in which collaboration is crucial
involves the services provided for students in special education.
Public Law 105-17,
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its 1997 amendments
(see Heward, 2000;
Turnbull & Turnbull, 2000) emphasizes the importance of
collaborative efforts among the school, community, and family. This
legislation, which was signed into law by President William Clinton on June
4,1997, revised different components of the 1975 Education for All Handicapped
Children Act (Public Law 94-142).
One main purpose of IDEA 97 is to guarantee
that all children with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public
education, including special education and other related services that are
geared to assist children with special needs (see Heward, 2000). In addition,
the law addresses related services, such as counseling, that enable students
with disabilities to gain maximum benefits from their education (see
Heward,
2000). In keeping with the spirit of the law, counselors must work closely with
teachers and other school personnel, parents/guardians, and community service
providers to ensure that they function within ethical and legal parameters to
address students’ academic, career, personal, and social needs. This team
approach to educating children who receive special education services is
valuable because it draws on the knowledge, experience, and strengths of all
parties involved. Technology facilitates these collaborative efforts by
integrating instructional and adaptive media designed to enhance communication
and content delivery and also to meet students’ special needs. This paper will
explore the ways in which counselor training can provide a foundation for
developing skills necessary for working collaboratively on educational programs
for children with disabilities. The paper will also discuss how counselors can
use their training to better meet the provisions of IDEA 97 and collaborate
with other school personnel and families of children with disabilities.
Technological considerations will be a key focus of the sections related to
IDEA 97.
Counselor Training
The standards for
master’s-level school or community counselor training programs are governed by
the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
Programs (CACREP) (CACREP, 2001). CACREP defines eight core areas that must be
included in counselor preparation programs. These areas include: human growth
and development; social and cultural foundations; helping relationships; group
work; career and lifestyle development; appraisal; research and program
evaluation; and professional orientation (CACREP,
2001). In terms of school
counselor education, while these training standards promote the attainment of a
broad-based education in counseling that is consistent with the wide array of
demands that school counselors face in their settings, master’s-level training
may lack providing some of the specific school-based content and experiences.
One area of
training that needs to be expanded involves encouraging entry-level school
counselors to develop the skills and abilities that are required to work with
children who participate in special education programs (Allen & LaTorre,
1998). While advocating for collaboration between counselors and special
educators to address the needs of students receiving services for special
education, Allen and LaTorre (1998) note that “some school counselors are not
familiar with the special education process and are unaware of the needs of
special students. Also, some special educators do not fully utilize all aspects
of a school counseling program. Thus, school counselors do not serve special
needs students to the fullest extent of program and service capacity” (p. 117).
Although counselors
may be deficient in their understanding of special education’s policies,
processes, and procedures, it remains their responsibility to put their
education and experience to work. They can do this collaboratively by
developing ways to help special educators, teachers, and parents of children
with disabilities to promote the academic, career, personal, and social
development of children who are receiving special education services (Allen
& LaTorre, 1998).
School counselors
who coordinate developmental counseling programs are expected to regularly
consult with parents, teachers, and administrators about counseling-related
issues, including special education issues. These include the implementation of
the Student Support Team process, the development of Section 504 plans, and the
discovery of ways to help parents and teachers identify community resources
that are available for use by children with disabilities (Muro & Kottman,
1995; Myrick, 1993;
Schmidt, 1999;
Wittmer, 1993). Although CACREP requires
training in the area of social foundations, which encompasses multicultural
education, specific courses in special education are not required at the
master’s level; but some content is included in the core curriculum. For
counseling students these courses provide “information-only” training in many
instances. The content of this training ought to be revisited. 
While school
counselor training does not equip counselors with the specific knowledge and
skills to address all the needs of children who are participating special
education programs and their parents (Allen & LaTorre, 1998), the content
does equip entry-level counselors with skills that encourage their ability to
help such individuals. It offers the content and experiences involved in
courses like Consultation and Group Work, which are invaluable when
collaborating with special educators to provide the best services possible for
students and their families.
School Counselors as
Consultants
While the
literature offers alternatives in defining consultation (see
Brown, Pryswansky,
& Schulte, 1987; Caplan, 1970;
Conoley & Conoley, 1992;
Dinkmeyer,
Carlson, & Dinkmeyer, 1994; Gallessich, 1982), Dougherty (1995) provides a
comprehensive definition. He describes consultation as “a process in which a
human service professional assists a consultee with a work-related (or
caretaking-related) problem with a client system, with the goal of helping both
the consultee and the client system in some specified way” (p. 9). Based on the
nature of the consultation relationship, school counselors are likely to take
one of these three approaches to consultation: crisis, remedial, or
developmental (Dinkmeyer, et al., 1994;
Myrick, 1993). Recognizing that special
education is a separate specialization area, school counselors rely on special
educators’ expertise in different ways, depending on the approach.
The crisis approach
involves a response to an emergency situation (Dinkmeyer, et al., 1994;
Myrick,
1993). Here, school 
counselors serve in roles that involve immediate
resolutions to problems at hand. In cases like this, the implementation of
partnership agreements with special educators is often a critical
problem-solving strategy. One example of crisis consultation might involve
working with a special educator to develop and carry out a plan to diffuse the
anger of a parent who shows up unexpectedly to express frustration about
changes in a child’s academic accommodations that are noted in a revised IEP.
The remedial
approach is characterized by addressing identified deficits that may to lead to
a serious situation if not improved
(Dinkmeyer, et al., 1994;
Myrick, 1993).
Here, consultation may involve the creation of a short-term, counselor-teacher
collaborative to modify existing classroom accommodations that have the potential to prevent a child
from falling increasingly behind in her or his course work. Like in the crisis
approach, the client system in the remedial approach may often focus on helping
only one rather than several individuals.
Finally, the
developmental approach attempts to enhance the learning environments for all
children in the absence of crises or identified concerns (Dinkmeyer, et al.,
1994; Myrick, 1993). Thus, developmental approaches are proactive. They apply
strategies that are focused primarily on structuring educational activities
that encourage the accomplishment of the usually expected personal and academic
milestones. An example
of developmental consultation is the creation and implementation of a
teacher-counselor-parent partnership that has the goal of developing learning
groups that address child-rearing issues that are of concern to parents of both
general and special education students. Current school counselor training
programs tend to advocate the process of collaboration regardless of the
approach to consultation that is required to solve a presenting problem (Hayes, Dagley, & Horne, 1996).
True collaboration
in special education involves drawing upon the strengths, expertise, and input
of all parties: special educators, regular classroom teachers, counselors,
parents/guardians, and administrators. Recognizing that each individual plays
an important role in both the decision-making process and carrying out the
plans is crucial to the success of such collaborative-consultation efforts.
School Counselors as Group
Workers
Training in group
work theories and processes also enables school counselors to acquire the
skills and abilities that are needed to be effective collaborators. This is
critical as counselors serve on multidisciplinary teams (e.g., IEP teams,
eligibility teams) and become active participants in the decision making
process for students with disabilities. Theories provide the counselor with a
conceptual framework by which to approach consultation. Group processes such as
task skills, relationship abilities, and leadership variables also assist
school counselors to provide consultation in the different situations they
confront.
Task functions are
concerned with the content that is addressed by a group, while relationship
functions have to do with the interpersonal interactions that occur between its
members. Effective group work requires the balanced use of both of these types
of skills. Leadership variables such as modeling and self-disclosure also impact
the group processes. They do so by encouraging its members to become
interactively involved in the group’s activities (Jacobs, Masson, & Harvill, 1998). This interaction is necessary as educational programs for
students with disabilities are planned and implemented. It is important to note
that these leadership functions don’t necessarily need to be provided by a
school counselor or by a special educator. The school counselor’s training in
group work makes him or her the most likely candidate to initiate task and
relationship behaviors at the time a group is being organized and at other
times when the group needs someone with the right knowledge and experience to
facilitate its action. However, these skills can be taught, and the
responsibilities can be shared among members. The best collaborative groups do
this, thereby enabling all of their members to assume leadership roles at their
discretion. This creates a sense of freedom among the group’s members, and it
promotes willing involvement.
To collaborate
effectively with special educators, school counselors need to be aware of the
way IDEA 97 affects these professionals. Collaboration between general and
special educators is one of the main focuses of the law. In the following
sections, we will address the ways that counselors and special educators are
able to collaborate with respect to each of these changes.
IDEA 97 and Parental
Involvement and Responsibility
IDEA 97 focuses increased attention on
parental involvement in children’s education (see Heward, 2000; see
Turnbull
& Turnbull, 2000). For example, school personnel are required by law to
obtain parental permission for initial special education testing and then for
placement of their child in special education. For a student who is currently
receiving special education services, IDEA 97 enables the IEP team to determine
whether or not a student needs a formal reevaluation every three years (34 CFR
300.536). Reevaluation is not required if the IEP team can justify that
sufficient evidence exists to warrant continuing special education services.
Parents must be informed of these decisions, however, and the law provides them
with the right to request a reevaluation if desired (see Heward, 2000).
Counselors can help involve parents in these decisions. This will encourage informed parenting and
the parent’s increased willingness to become involved in planning their child’s
IEP.
In many instances,
counselors may be the individuals in the school who are likely to be designated
to work with special education personnel to encourage parental involvement.
While counselors cannot force such involvement, they can help special educators
get to know the parents of the children they teach by creating opportunities
for regular conferences. Counselors can do so by inviting parents to such
meetings, by making phone calls, and by encouraging informal meetings between
teachers and parents periodically. Such meetings will help to diffuse the
parental anxiety that is so often seen during more formal meetings (e.g.,
placement meetings). Management and record keeping of these meetings is
important to ensure that parents of children with special needs are involved as
much as possible in their child’s educational planning. Creating spread sheets for documentation of
parental contacts and using electronic daily organizers to schedule meetings
can provide counselors with ongoing data on parental involvement that is easily
accessible and indicates the extent of parent participation in the special
education process.
In addition,
establishing contact with parents to share positive feedback is important (Heward, 2000). It helps to alleviate the parents' feelings that school
personnel are more interested in them when their child has a problem than when
things are going smoothly. If proactive consultation efforts are established up
front, then the likelihood that problems occur may be minimized. Counselors can
encourage informed parenting by providing reading materials, individual
consultation sessions, and training sessions on assistive technology devices.
IDEA 97 and Cognitive and
Academic Learning
IDEA places
a greater emphasis on cognitive and academic development (see
Heward, 2000; see
Turnbull & Turnbull, 2000). If a student's IEP includes participation in
general education, then the child's IEP committee must include at least one
regular educator (see Heward, 2000). Consultation from a developmental
perspective presumes that all of the parties involved in the child’s education
will be included in the decision-making processes that affect the child’s
wellness. Therefore, the counselor's inclusion on the IEP team could contribute
to the child's academic development, which is in concert with the counselor's
mission to incorporate interventions to help all children succeed academically.
For example, counselors can coordinate the acquisition and use of various
educational software for students with special needs. Computer labs within the
schools can be supplied with academic software to remediate basic reading,
writing, and math skills. Also, CD ROMs with interactive media for students to
listen to dialogue, watch video clips, and create individual lesson sequences
can be installed in the computer labs (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 2000).
Counselors can assist with scheduling for availability of the computer labs
before and after school hours and instructing students on the proper usage of
the software.
IDEA 97 and Access to the
General Curriculum
IEP goals and
objectives are created with children's needs in mind, integrating
considerations of their involvement in the general education curriculum to the
greatest extent possible (see Heward, 2000; see
Turnbull & Turnbull,
2000). Therefore, all IEPs incorporate
special education and related services designed to facilitate children's
success in the special and general education programs (see
Heward, 2000). These
programs include participation in music and art, for example; but they also
involve access to counseling-related services, including academic and career education
services, crisis intervention services, and help with school-type problems. In
many instances, the special education student’s participation in general
education is inclusive (Heward, 2000). For students with disabilities to be
successfully integrated into the general education program, assistive
technology devices may be necessary. Counselors can facilitate the transition
into the general education classroom by assisting students with visual
impairments, for example, in using speech synthesizers to read textbooks for
them (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 2000). Hand-held spellers, calculators, and
tape recorders for recording teacher lectures may also be assistive devices
that counselors can help secure for students with learning difficulties to
participate in general education (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm,
2000).
When students are
involved in general education courses, their success is typically measured
based on general education standards, although additional accommodations may be
necessary as they are related to children's disabilities (Heward, 2000).
Accommodations such as extended time for taking tests or shorter homework
assignments can increase the likelihood that students with disabilities will be
successful in the general education classroom. Because teachers in general
education may have difficulty accepting or implementing these accommodations,
counselors may be able to encourage the appropriate application of these
practices. 
Their involvement may be helpful in several ways. For example,
counselors can develop and conduct seminars for teachers on disability-related
accommodations. They
can provide general education teachers with advice on how to accept this
required change, and they can provide reading lists and lists of places where
such strategies have been used successfully. In addition, they can encourage
regular meetings between general educators and the parents of the children they
teach who have disabilities. When all professionals are working in concert with
parents, then children’s involvement in the general curriculum will tend to be
a more holistic reflection of each child’s need, and counseling referrals are
likely to be more appropriate.
Having students
with special needs in the general education classroom also requires adjustments
for the general education student. Accepting these students with disabilities
and their required accommodations may be difficult for the other students in
the classroom.
Counselors can provide information about the disability area to
the general education students through
disability simulations or children’s literature
sources. For special education students with chronic health problems who are on
ventilators or who require other types of assistive medical devices, counselors
may even have to help students cope with the death of a classmate.
IDEA 97 and
Discipline of Students with Disabilities
IDEA 1997 mandates
that students with disabilities who have been suspended or expelled are still entitled to the right to a free,
appropriate public education (see Heward, 2000; see
Turnbull & Turnbull,
2000). The law also enables school
personnel to make decisions about alternative educational placements for
special needs students who carry weapons or possess illegal drugs, although the
school personnel are required to keep accurate records about disciplinary
actions taken (34 CFR 300.520). While counselors do not serve as
“disciplinarians,” it is appropriate for them to be involved in a
multidisciplinary team that is geared toward finding educational and counseling
services for children with identified behavioral problems. For example,
counselors can establish a method for students with behavioral difficulties to
communicate with them regularly through their school voicemail (Vaughn, Bos,
& Schumm, 2000). Students can leave messages for counselors about problems
that they are having in school or about positive events that occurred during
the school day. Through provision of counseling and consultation services and advocacy of
appropriate decisions for children with disabilities, all parties can work
together ensure better understanding of the law and possibly encourage greater
school safety.
IDEA 97 and
Eligibility
The law requires
that qualified school personnel and parents collaborate to assess a student's
eligibility for special education services (see Heward, 2000). This
multidisciplinary approach increases the likelihood that students' needs will
be considered from a broad perspective. As members of the multidisciplinary
team, counselors can contribute valuable information about students' academic,
career, and personal/social development that would facilitate decisions about
eligibility and help the process run effectively. To gather information about a
student, counselors can videotape the student’s academic and social behaviors
in the classroom (Vaughn, Bos, &
Schumm, 2000). The counselor can then present the videotape at the
multidisciplinary team meetings to assist with special education eligibility,
placement, and programming decisions.
IDEA 97 and Individualized
Educational Program (IEP)
The Individualized
Educational Program (IEP) (see Heward, 2000; see
Turnbull & Turnbull, 2000)
outlines accommodations and other educational and behavioral considerations
geared towards helping students succeed in the regular and special education
curricula. The IEP should include at least documentation of students' current
levels of academic functioning, goals and objectives, classroom and other
accommodations, and statements of the involvement or lack of participation in
the regular classroom or extracurricular activities (34 CFR 300.347).
Personnel
constituting the make up of an IEP team should include a broad-based membership
of individuals who possess varying skills. Counselors ought to be included on
the team for at least three reasons. First, counseling services often accompany
the educational recommendations provided by the IEP. Second, a counselor’s
presence is frequently soothing to students, if they're included on the team,
and to parents. However, whether students are present or not, counselors are
appropriate to include on the team, given their roles related to the overall
academic mission of the school. Third, counselors possess the capacity to
provide developmental consultation with all participating parties. This is
increasingly relevant as multiple agencies are becoming directly involved in
the delivery of services to students with disabilities. With this comes the challenge
of coordinating the development of the student’s educational program among
numerous constituents. Counselors can assist in mediating this process through
asynchronous collaboration with individuals in different cities, states, and
even countries (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 2000).
Conclusion
Through the years,
changes in legislation and best practice guidelines in education and counseling
fields have directed increasing attention to quality education for all
students. In particular, the concerns of children with disabilities have come
to the forefront, and educators have begun to realize the complexity of their
needs. Collaborative efforts among counselors, general and special educators,
parents/guardians, school personnel and other relevant professionals are needed
to provide comprehensive personal, academic, and career services for children
with disabilities. Technological interventions can serve as a driving force for
the way counselors and educators design strategies to assist students with
disabilities. This type of collaboration enables professional school counselors
to articulate and refine their roles in the education of exceptional children.
Teacher educators' understanding of these important issues is likely to help
them prepare future teachers to be versed in collaborative initiatives
pertaining to the education of children with disabilities.
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