Imagine you have a student with autism in your class. He is struggling with working in a group, getting along with other students, and interacting at age-appropriate levels within the group. You regularly use group work for assignments, often daily. You find that your student with autism has meltdowns during each and every group work session. Sometimes he even has these meltdowns before you put students in groups, as he anticipates the overstimulation before it even occurs. Other students have expressed concerns and have asked to not work with him and not be in his group. When meltdowns occur, they affect the entire classroom for several minutes. The outbursts range from mild to moderate, from tantrums to crying or shutting down. In an essay of 500-750 words, explain: How you would intervene and de-escalate the student with autism. How you would intervene and debrief the other students in the class after a meltdown. Proactive ways to prevent outbursts in the future. How you would collaborate with a co-teacher to seek a solution for the situation. What support you and your co-teacher might need to engage and support all students. Ethical and legal concerns with sharing information with the class and other professionals. Support your findings with a minimum of two scholarly resources. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

This is a Block I Field Experience. In this block, your field experience must be completed before or after school, or other designated times when students are not present. Spend at least 2.5 hours to complete the following field experience. Interview a certified special education teacher at the educational level (PK- 12) of your program, about the following: What are some similarities and differences among students with and without exceptionalities? What are some characteristics of various exceptionalities and the educational implications for students with exceptionalities? What is the effect an exceptionality can have on a student’s academic and social development, attitudes, interests, and values? How do you collaborate with general education teachers? In what ways do you address the unique learning needs of the individuals with exceptionalities in the classroom, including for those students with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds? How do you protect the privacy of students with exceptionalities? What are some dilemmas you have experienced with this? In 250-500 words, summarize and reflect upon your interview and on the professionalism and integrity of protecting student privacy. In addition, be sure to explain how you will use your findings in your future professional practice, citing two recommended strategies for differentiating instruction based on learning differences. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.