TITLE:
From Deficit to Divergence: Integrating Theory to Inform the Selection of Interventions in Special Education
AUTHORS:
Tachelle Banks
KEYWORDS:
Special Education, Cultural Divergence, Emotional Behavior Disabilities, Preventative Mental Health Curriculum
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.5 No.7,
April
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: Special education
provides service and access to students and families who have varied life experiences
that manifest as variations in development, learning, and behavior. The
contention of this paper supports the notion of refocusing our efforts on
developmental and learning theories that take into consideration human variance
and individual difference to inform intervention selection in special education.
The author briefly discusses the current practice of Special Education in the
United States and presents definitions of divergence versus deficit to build
the argument that focusing inadequacy of student performance as opposed to
variation in student performance can lead to inaccurate identification of
appropriate strategies for students with exceptionalities. A definition of
deficit model in conjunction with cultural and social implications, with regard
to students identified as having emotional and behavior disabilities will be
discussed. Emotional intelligence and moral development are introduced as
theoretical models that can inform selection and classroom use of preventative
mental health curriculum and interventions designed to improve student capacity
in emotion-based utility, perspective taking, and decision making.