Exceptional Learner

Who is exceptional
learner?

Well!! In simple words
— a learner who is not able to learn in an ordinary setting of learning
environment which is made, thinking or assuming that most of the people can
learn easily the maximum part of the curricula. If a person cannot cope up to
learn along with all other group of people in such an environment then he or
she needs some extra steps required to learn or at least try to learn. Then
such a person will become exceptional. Because he or she needs additional
teaching methods, equipment, program to learn.

To understand better
exceptional children, differ from the norm (either below or above) to such an
extent that they require help of special education and related services to
fully benefit from education. Whether and how we recognize and respond to those
differences will have a major impact on the child’s success in school and
beyond. The term exceptional children include children who experience
difficulties in learning as well as those whose performance is so superior that
modifications in curriculum and instruction are necessary to help them fulfill
their potential.

So, exceptional children
is a broad term that refers to children with learning and/or behavior problems,
children with physical disabilities or sensory impairments, and children who
are intellectually gifted or have a special talent.

In brief An exceptional Learner

is an individual who, because of uniqueness in sensory, physical, neurological,
temperamental, or intellectual capacity and / or in the nature or range of
previous experience, requires and adaptation of the regular school program in
order to maximize his or her functioning level.

Learning the definitions
of several related terms will help you understand better the concept of
exceptionality.

In special education
field we are more often concerned with learners who are unique along different
critical dimensions with relevant to more of learning either in schools or
other areas like social and family environment where the learner finds
difficult to learn and adapt to behave naturally to situations which they
encounter without any additional support. The critical dimensions which special
education field more concerned may be categorized broadly as

Vision, hearing,
movement, perceptual motor, communication, social emotional and
intelligence.  Though no one wish to labeling person but it is only to
assist person so that in future he or she will lead a life with optimum level
of performance. Hence if we understand the child uniqueness in different critical
dimensions the learner will be benefited. special educational setup has
intention of helping child to learn better by creating environment suitable to
child level.

Once we establish and
individual uniqueness on a given dimension whether it is through formal or
informal assessments, we often try to categorize the learner into Visually
handicapped, hearing impaired, physical disability, emotionally disadvantaged,
speech impaired, Learning disabled, intellectual disability

Some exceptional
children share certain physical characteristics and/or patterns of learning and
behavior.

These characteristics
fall into the following categories of exceptionality:

·      
Developmental disabilities

·      
Learning disabilities

·      
Emotional and behavioral disorders

·      
Autism

·      
Communication (speech and language) disorders

·      
Hearing impairments

·      
Visual impairments

·      
Physical and health impairments

·      
Traumatic brain injury

·      
Multiple disabilities

·      
Giftedness and special talents

At risk refers to children who, although not
currently identified as having a disability, are considered to have a
greater-than-usual chance of developing one. The term is often applied to
infants and preschoolers who, because of conditions surrounding their births or
home environments, may be expected to experience developmental problems at a
later time. The term is also used to refer to students who are experiencing
learning problems in the regular classroom and are therefore at risk of school
failure or of being identified for special education services.

In short, we use the
term exceptionality to identify patterns of strengths and needs common to
groups of students, as determined through comprehensive assessment. These
unique strengths & needs may be: cognitive, emotional, behavioral, medical,
social, or physical. Students with an exceptionality may access a range of school-based
services depending on degree of severity.

Educational versus Clinical
assessment is designed to:

·      
Determine/confirm whether a student’s difficulties result from
an ‘exceptionality’

·      
Clarify how the student’s exceptionality impacts learning &
functioning in the school context

·      
Provide information that is relevant for & guides program
planning

·      
In Clinical Practice: assessment is designed to rule in/rule out
a diagnosis

·      
It provides information that is relevant for medical treatment;
psychological assessment may also provide information relevant for educators
& program planning