Study Guide

Field 290: Learning Behavior Specialist 
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Each multiple-choice question has four answer choices. Read each question and its answer choices carefully and choose the ONE best answer.

During the test you should try to answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will NOT be penalized for choosing an incorrect response.

Objective 0001 
Understand processes of human growth and development and factors, including disability, that affect development and learning.

1. A prekindergarten teacher notices that a child is having trouble lacing a shoelace through punched holes, is only able to cut using loop scissors, uses an immature grip to draw with crayons, and needs help with zippers on clothing. Based on these observations, this child would benefit most from activities that develop which of the following types of skills?

  1. fine-motor coordination
  2. balance and agility
  3. self-advocacy
  4. following directions
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Using a pincer grasp to lace a shoelace; using scissors that have holes for fingers; holding crayons with a pencil grasp; and grasping, aligning, and pulling a zipper are all examples of fine-motor developmental skills. A child who has difficulty with these types of skills may need additional practice in the developmental area of fine motor skills to attain expected skill level that will be important for independence and future academic work.
Objective 0002 
Understand characteristics and needs of students with disabilities.

2. A special education teacher is planning instruction for students who have Individualized Education Program (I E P) goals targeting mathematics skills and is seeking information on evidence-based instructional approaches. Which of the following resources would most likely have reliable information for this educator?

  1. a personal Web site created by special education teachers
  2. a social media group for special education teachers
  3. current research articles in peer-reviewed journals on special education
  4. special education materials created by teachers available for purchase online
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Peer-reviewed journals focused on special education topics are good sources of information on current research demonstrating approaches that are proven to be effective and efficient. It is important for teachers to ensure that instructional approaches are grounded in research and are evidence-based to avoid implementing ineffective instruction that will deter or delay effective learning.
Objective 0002 
Understand characteristics and needs of students with disabilities.

3. For children born with a disability that includes both deafness and blindness, which of the following factors is most critical in supporting the development of effective communication skills?

  1. waiting until the child is able to make choices to determine communication modifications
  2. working on orientation and mobility before starting to work on communication
  3. beginning oral communication when the child becomes aware of vocal vibrations
  4. establishing a consistent communication system within the first year
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Infants require direct exposure to language and communication to develop these skills during early childhood. Disabilities that affect sensory input require additional and intentional choices to establish ways to communicate when typical routes for communication are not available, such as with a child who has both hearing and vision loss.
Objective 0003 
Understand types and characteristics of assessment measures and procedures; and criteria for assessment activities that are valid, reliable, and appropriate for the individual needs of students with disabilities.

4. An intervention team reviews the Tier 2 Response to Intervention (R T I) data of a second-grade student. Which of the following determinations is most important for the intervention team to make when reviewing the student's R T I data?

  1. provision of related services
  2. level of progress given targeted support
  3. adaptive skills in comparison to peers
  4. accommodations for state testing
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Part of the R T I process involves analyzing how well a student is responding to the interventions provided. If a student is making progress with Tier 2 interventions, then the interventions appear to be effective; depending on how much progress the student has made, interventions may need to be continued to meet expected grade-level skills. If a student is not making progress with this level of intervention, more intensive interventions may need to be initiated.
Objective 0004 
Understand procedures for interpreting and communicating assessment results for the purpose of determining eligibility for special education services, designing and evaluating instruction, and making ongoing adjustments to instruction.

5. In which of the following situations would it be most warranted for a special education teacher or team to initiate the process of conducting a functional behavior assessment (F B A) for a student?

  1. when a student begins to show some initial signs indicating frustration when classwork is difficult
  2. when a parent/guardian requests help because the student shows defiance primarily at home
  3. when a student demonstrates consistent challenges with motivation and work completion
  4. when a student returns to class following a first in-school suspension for leaving the school grounds unaccompanied
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
A formal F B A is warranted in a case where the student's behavior challenges are not due to a temporary fluctuation and are indicative of a longer-term concern. If the student is consistently demonstrating challenges with motivation and work completion, it would be important to determine what triggers the behavior and the function that behavior has for the student.
Objective 0004 
Understand procedures for interpreting and communicating assessment results for the purpose of determining eligibility for special education services, designing and evaluating instruction, and making ongoing adjustments to instruction.

6. A special education teacher is writing progress summaries at the end of the first grading period for students who receive services. Which of the following elements of a student's Individualized Education Program (I E P) plays the most significant role in the teacher's determination of progress?

  1. the vision statement by the I E P team
  2. the student's previous present level of performance
  3. the short-term benchmarks toward goals
  4. the accommodations provided to the student
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Short-term benchmarks indicate the measurable steps or elements of the broader annual goals and are the measurement of growth toward achieving the annual goals. The teacher should be collecting data and monitoring achievement using these benchmarks as measures of progress.
Objective 0005 
Understand policies, principles, and procedures for program planning, placement, developing, and implementing Individualized Education Programs (I E Pees), Individualized Family Service Plans (I F S Pees), and other individualized plans.

7. Which of the following statements best describes the way in which instituting a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (M T S S) process contributes to more accurate identification of students with specific learning disabilities?

  1. Cognitive functioning is evaluated and addressed as part of advancing to progressive tiers, which avoids the need for referral.
  2. Universal screenings determine which students likely have learning disabilities and will need to be referred for a full evaluation.
  3. Students receive progressive tiers of support through the year so that all students are at grade-level expectations by the end of the school year.
  4. Interventions for at-risk students happen at an early stage and decisions on more intensive needs are based on objective data.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
M T S S allows the school to ensure that if students are performing below grade level, and if the issue could be inadequate learning opportunities rather than disability, there is an opportunity for these areas of weakness to be addressed through providing needed and targeted interventions. This allows for closer monitoring of the students' learning and can provide additional data that will contribute information if it is determined a student should be referred for a more comprehensive evaluation.
Objective 0006 
Understand evidence- and research-based strategies for planning and managing a learning environment that promotes and supports the participation of all learners.

8. A special education teacher co-teaches in an integrated kindergarten classroom. The teachers frequently invite families into the classroom to share cultural traditions with students, such as language, holidays, and foods. The teachers' action demonstrates knowledge of which of the following factors of creating a positive classroom community?

  1. ensuring families participate in their student's educational meetings
  2. fostering students' awareness of the unique identities of others
  3. decreasing students' adverse behaviors in the classroom
  4. allowing families to observe their child interacting in the school setting
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Ensuring that family cultures and traditions are shared and respected, and that students get a chance to interact with many kinds of families leads to greater understanding of how the classroom community of learners and families all contribute in different and positive ways to the collective environment.
Objective 0006 
Understand evidence- and research-based strategies for planning and managing a learning environment that promotes and supports the participation of all learners.

9. A sixth-grade general education teacher implements a universal design for learning (U D L) approach and integrates several forms of technology into the classroom. This U D L approach is particularly supportive of students with specific learning disabilities for which of the following reasons?

  1. Students experience reduced barriers to learning with access to a variety of technology options.
  2. Students using technology have improved metacognition that generalizes to other learning activities.
  3. Students need little training in order to use technology effectively.
  4. Students learn faster when technology increases efficiency of completing work.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
By integrating forms of technology that students can access with independence, supports are built into the overall classroom environment. All students can use these technological supports to benefit their learning regardless of whether they have been identified as needing it or not. UDL has as a core tenet that there is a benefit for all students in an environment that includes accommodations that are available to everyone.
Objective 0007 
Understand effective strategies and approaches for instructional design and planning that make content meaningful to all students and promote active student engagement.

10. At a transition meeting, the parents of an eleventh-grade student with an emotional disability express concern that their child has difficulty interacting with peers outside of school and that this social isolation will only increase when their child graduates from school. Which of the following actions should the Individualized Education Program (I E P) team take to address the parents' concern?

  1. providing information about organizations that have support groups for parents
  2. enrolling the student in a school club that develops a personal interest
  3. integrating transition goals addressing behavior to support participation in community activities
  4. asking the speech language pathologist to work with the student on pragmatics and social skills
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Part of transition planning is developing goals that will prepare students for post-secondary life, including social activities and integration into the community. The most appropriate action for the I E P team to take to address the parents' concern in this situation would be to ensure that appropriate goals are part of this student's transition plan.
Objective 0007 
Understand effective strategies and approaches for instructional design and planning that make content meaningful to all students and promote active student engagement.

11. An elementary school speech language pathologist (S L P) collaborates with the teachers of a co-taught kindergarten classroom where several students require services by the S L P within the classroom as part of their Individualized Education Program (I E P). Which of the following recommendations by the special education teacher would most effectively integrate the SLP's services into the instructional program?

  1. asking the S L P to observe regularly and offer suggestions on ways to promote speech and language development
  2. using speech and language materials provided by the S L P to work with the students who require services
  3. inviting the S L P to come to circle time to read a story to the class related to the weekly theme
  4. designing a center during center time where the S L P can work with small groups on speech and language goals
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Of the various options for integrating services into a classroom setting, it would be most effective for the S L P to provide services to several students as part of center time, where the S L P can support the students' speech and language skills in an authentic context. This kind of model integrates services into existing classroom activities in an organic way and provides direct time between the S L P and the students who need services.
Objective 0008 
Understand principles and methods involved in individualizing explicit, systematic instruction to meet rigorous content goals for students with disabilities.

12. A high school student with hearing loss wears hearing aids and uses an F M system during classes. During a civics class, which is primarily lecture and whole-group discussion, the student is seated near the teacher, and the teacher provides visual supports to scaffold lectures. Which of the following additional accommodations would most effectively enhance the student's learning during direct instruction?

  1. offering the student frequent breaks as needed during class
  2. providing the student with a copy of lecture notes in advance
  3. allowing the student extended time to take notes on lectures
  4. meeting with the student immediately after class to invite questions
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
The best additional accommodation for this student would be to have a copy of lecture notes so that attention can be focused on the teacher rather than on taking notes. The student will have a harder time continuing to listen to the teacher while simultaneously writing if lecture notes are not provided separately.
Objective 0009 
Understand the development and implementation of behavior interventions and supporting the social-emotional and behavioral development of students with disabilities.

13. Recognizing and labeling emotions and being able to control impulsive behaviors are critical prerequisites for which of the following subsequent stages of social-emotional development for early elementary students?

  1. determining personal strengths and areas that need improvement and developing a plan to address challenges
  2. identifying a personal support system and knowing how positive supports can contribute to life success
  3. setting achievable goals and evaluating ways to develop strategies to overcome personal obstacles
  4. understanding how to analyze ways that feelings can affect decision making and ways to manage personal stress
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Milestones of social-emotional development indicate that it is necessary to understand how to recognize and label one's own emotions before understanding how those feelings can affect decision making and being able to identify ways to minimize the impact of stressful situations. The ability to control impulsive behavior is also an important part of being able to make good decisions and avoid engaging in behaviors that can increase personal stress.
Objective 0009 
Understand the development and implementation of behavior interventions and supporting the social-emotional and behavioral development of students with disabilities.

14. Which of the following practices by a special education teacher best reflects cultural awareness when addressing student engagement?

  1. prioritizing learning about the values and identities of the cultures represented at one's school
  2. focusing instruction primarily on traditional materials provided by academic textbook publishers
  3. identifying universal cultural values and creating a climate that focuses on supporting those values
  4. analyzing and highlighting differences in the values observed in students from different cultural backgrounds
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
One important step in reflecting cultural awareness as a teacher is taking the initiative to learn about the values and identities of the cultures that make up the school community. This is important in raising the teacher's understanding of students' backgrounds and how that influences their engagement and strengths in the classroom.
Objective 0010 
Apply knowledge of strategies for communicating and collaborating in a culturally responsive manner with school team members to address students' instructional and behavioral needs.

15. A special education teacher attends a weekly second-grade Multi-Tiered System of Supports (M T S S) meeting where Tier 2 student data are reviewed to determine the effectiveness of instruction and to coordinate next steps. The role of the teacher in this collaboration is to provide:

  1. data on students who have Individualized Education Programs (I E Pees).
  2. recommendations for research-based small-group intervention strategies.
  3. information on characteristics of students with learning disabilities.
  4. advice on curricula that the general education teacher should be addressing.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Special education teachers are an important part of an M T S S team. They bring specialized knowledge of intervention strategies that are helpful in developing plans for Tier 2 students who need more individualized approaches to address their learning needs.
Objective 0011 
Understand how to promote positive relationships between home, community, and school that enhance learning opportunities for students with disabilities and encourage families' involvement in their children's education.

16. Several parents/guardians of elementary school students with intellectual disabilities have expressed in recent years that their children have been left out of activities when enrolled in some community youth sports groups and clubs. The students were encouraged to observe activities, but not given opportunities to actively engage. Which of the following actions by the special education teacher would most effectively address this concern?

  1. supporting parents/guardians in finding specific activities and groups that are more inclusive of children with a wide range of abilities
  2. helping the student role-play asking for opportunities to join into activities with peers during social situations in the school setting
  3. contacting leaders of community youth groups to provide education and support for integrating children with disabilities into their programs
  4. providing parents/guardians with information on the legal rights of individuals with disabilities that ensure everyone has access to community programs
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
In this situation, the special education teacher can play the role of advocate in supporting the integration of students into the community. The teacher's experience would benefit the leaders of community youth groups in helping them learn strategies for supporting children with disabilities in engaging in their programs and activities.
Objective 0011 
Understand how to promote positive relationships between home, community, and school that enhance learning opportunities for students with disabilities and encourage families' involvement in their children's education.

17. Which of the following educational rights is conferred to a high school student who receives special education services when turning 18 if no legal proceedings exist giving responsibility to someone else?

  1. the right to provide consent to evaluations and services
  2. the right to choose their own classes and teachers
  3. the right to expunge disciplinary actions from educational records
  4. the right to have a special education surrogate parent
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Upon turning 18 years old, students who are deemed competent and who have not delegated their rights to anyone else become responsible for their educational program. Students then have the right to be the primary participant in developing their I E P, and they become responsible for making other decisions, such as consenting to any changes in placement or consenting to evaluations and services.
Objective 0012 
Understand historical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to special education.

18. Which of the following statements best describes the primary goal of implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (M T S S)?

  1. supporting students academically and behaviorally using a combination of universal screenings, tiered interventions, and progress monitoring
  2. ensuring that instruction is aligned to state learning standards and prepares students for state and national assessments
  3. providing a curriculum that is used as an obligatory prerequisite to assessment for suspected learning disabilities
  4. identifying students with learning disabilities and collecting intervention data to determine eligibility for special education services
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
A multi-tiered system of support, or M T S S, is a framework with a tiered system of supports that uses data from screenings, interventions, and assessments to help match academic, social-emotional, and behavioral resources to align with students' needs. In this approach, students who need additional supports for enrichment are provided those supports with the right focus and intensity.
Objective 0012 
Understand historical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to special education.

19. The Supreme Court in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017) rejected the "de minimis" standard and determined that under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I D E A), public school students with disabilities are entitled to:

  1. compensatory services when adequate progress is not made.
  2. challenging expectations for progress that are appropriate to the students' circumstances.
  3. a choice of educational settings depending on what is available in a school district.
  4. full inclusion in a general education classroom in a grade level with same-aged peers.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
In this decision, the Supreme court confirmed that school districts must offer children an Individualized Education Program (I E P) that is reasonably calculated to enable each child to make progress appropriate for that child’s circumstances and, additionally, that every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives. These requirements are necessary to provide children with disabilities the free appropriate public education that is guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I D E A).
Objective 0013 
Understand the roles of teachers as professionals and leaders, and the practices and purposes of reflection, self-evaluation, and professional development.

20. Which of the following benefits is most directly related to participating in a professional learning community (P L C) for special education staff members?

  1. engaging in collaborative lifelong learning that adapts as skills grow
  2. developing a personal philosophy of teaching and learning
  3. focusing on documenting achievement of long-range instructional goals
  4. learning about new trends and issues in education
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Participating in a professional learning community allows teachers to share best practices for ways to improve student learning that leads to greater achievement. Collaboration within the P L C is essential for educators of various levels of experience to learn from each other and to reflect on ways to enhance teaching and to adjust practice.