Lesson 4 & 5 : Intervention Efforts for Children With Developmental Challenges
Resource Rooms
Under this scheme the exceptional child is enrolled in the regular school program, but is provided with even more special help than the itinerant tutor is able to give. The pupil receives much of his instruction from general education, but in addition goes to a resource room to use specialized equipment and materials and/ or to receive specialized instruction, either in a tutored situation or in a small group. The important difference between the itinerant tutor plan and the resource room plan is that the latter makes possible larger group instruction. As with the itinerant tutor, the resource room teacher, if she is to be successful, must function both as an instructor and as a consultant. This plan is suitable for any type of child who can succeed in the regular grades when provided with a reasonable amount of extra assistance.
The modified resource room is a combined special class and resource room. Some of the pupils have the resource room as their home room and spend essentially all their time in it. However occasionally, in some small communities, necessity may dictate that she serve children with a variety which cannot be said to constitute a complete program of special education.
The basic problem with the resource room plan is finding a proficient teacher. She must be a most diagnostic teacher. She must know how to organize her work. She must be an effective consultant with excellent human relations. And she must see herself as a helping teacher working as a team with the regular teachers. This is more difficult to achieve than under the itinerant/school based tutor plan. To be effective, her pupil load must be kept within bounds so she can spend sufficient time on each pupil to make an impact. Above all, there is the danger the resource room will become largely a segregated program, while children may be enrolled in a regular homeroom. They may spend practically all of their time in the resource room, if it is likely to happen often, especially with pupils who are frustrated in the regular grades but find the resource room less oppressive and demanding. They will soon learn that acting out behavior in general education will gain them more time in special education.
Participants