PRAXIS 5355 SPECIAL EDUCATION: FOUNDATIONAL
KNOWLEDGE
Michael is a 14-year-old student who meets the criteria for other health impairment
(OHI) and receives special education and related services. According to the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which of the following meets the definition criteria
for OHI?
a. Traumatic brain injury
b. Expressive language disorder
c. Chronic asthma
d. Developmental delay - Answers -c. Chronic asthma
In which of the following scenarios is it most appropriate for a teacher to begin to use
prompt-fading techniques to support a student's skill development?
a. A student reads only assigned fiction texts and refuses to read nonfiction texts.
b. A student often becomes argumentative after receiving a grade below 80 percent on
an assignment.
c. A student reciprocates greetings only when the teacher provides verbal reminders.
d. A student ignores the gesture whenever the teacher points to a clock to remind the
student to stay on task. - Answers -C. A student reciprocates greetings only when the
teacher provides verbal reminders.
A second-grade student, John, has autism spectrum disorder. John receives special
education and related services and has a special education teacher in the classroom to
support his learning. During gym class, John struggles with physical activities because
of low muscle tone and repetitive rocking behaviors. Which of the following is the most
effective approach to help John develop and improve gross motor skills?
a. Integrating more physical body movements into classroom activities throughout the
day
b. Contacting the parents to find out what exercises John likes to engage in at home
with the family
c. Asking an occupational therapist to evaluate the classroom environment and
recommend updates to support John
d. Having a physical therapist design, implement, and document a treatment therapy
plan that can benefit John - Answers -d. Having a physical therapist design, implement,
and document a treatment therapy plan that can benefit John
After a student is referred by a teacher for an evaluation for special education services,
which of the following is the most appropriate next step for the school to take?
a. Provide the student with appropriate Tier 3 interventions
,b. Obtain consent from a legal guardian for initial evaluation of the student
c. Schedule professional testing of the student
d. Draft an agenda with a list of participants for the initial IEP team meeting - Answers -
B. Obtain consent from a legal guardian for initial evaluation of the student
Which of the following is the most appropriate way for a kindergarten teacher to ensure
that a student with fine motor deficits will be able to work on activities at the literacy
center in an inclusion classroom?
a. Assigning a paraprofessional to monitor participation at the center
b. Modifying the checklist used for assessing the activities at the center
c. Providing various-sized pencils, pens, grips, and slant boards
d. Eliminating all activities that consist of individual writing rather than partner writing -
Answers -C. Providing various-sized pencils, pens, grips, and slant boards
The Response to Intervention (RTI) approach primarily affects special education
procedures by requiring that students
a. obtain a learning disability diagnosis before receiving special education services
b. be provided with instruction in an inclusion classroom with the support of a special
education teacher
c. receive daily personalized instructional intervention in a resource classroom
d. be provided with research-based interventions before evaluations are conducted -
Answers -d. be provided with research-based interventions before evaluations are
conducted
During an IEP review meeting, Kelly's parents express concern that Kelly's functional
skills are not progressing at home as well as her parents would like, compared with the
progress she is making in the classroom. Which of the following is the best way to
address the parents' concerns?
a. Arranging videoconferences at regular intervals with a trained professional to discuss
goals, share resources, and recommend other community programs
b. Asking the parents to document specific skills that they would like their child to learn
so the skills can be added to the annual goal at the next IEP meeting
c. Sharing links to pages on the IDEA Web site that contain information about how
children with multiple disabilities are defined, for the parents to review on their own
d. Providing the parents with monthly IEP progress reports highlighting the areas that
they should continue to work on at home - Answers -a. Arranging videoconferences at
regular intervals with a trained professional to discuss goals, share resources, and
recommend other community programs
Ms. Jenkins is teaching a 5-year-old student named Kyle who has autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) and little language to use a communication board. Ms. Jenkins has three
toys. She shows Kyle one toy at a time and asks him if it is in a picture from a big book.
He responds "yes" by touching a yellow happy face and "no" by touching an unhappy
,face covered with a big red X. Which of the following best describes the purpose of the
activity?
a. To reinforce Kyle's expressive language skills
b. To develop Kyle's self-monitoring skills
c. To introduce new vocabulary to Kyle
d. To modify Kyle's target behavior goals - Answers -a. To reinforce Kyle's expressive
language skills
Which of the following best characterizes a student with EBD?
a. Is unable to sit still, has trouble concentrating, and may need assistive technology for
motor skills
b. Has difficulty understanding body language, facial expressions, and other nonverbal
cues
c. Shows an inability to discriminate between letters, numbers, and sounds
d. Exhibits inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances -
Answers -d. Exhibits inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal
circumstances
Students in a tenth-grade inclusion class are learning to write essays on a teacher-
assigned topic. During one of the lessons, the special education coteacher asks
students to exchange their draft essay for that of a peer. The students have just
completed a minicourse on peer review, and the data show that they are ready to
practice the intervention technique with classmates. Which of the following is the
primary purpose of a peer review intervention?
a. Encouraging students to complete their essay assignment on time
b. Introducing students to a variety of approaches to a specific writing topic
c. Providing valuable feedback for both students and teachers
d. Allowing teachers to use their time more efficiently during the school day - Answers -
c. Providing valuable feedback for both students and teachers
According to IDEA, which of the following is the most restrictive environment for
instruction of a student with a disability who requires multiple nebulizer treatments per
day?
a. Hospital
b. General classroom
c. Specialized charter school
d. Resource classroom - Answers -A
A sixth-grade inclusion teacher is planning a cooperative learning activity for the
students during which students will be placed in small groups to complete a project, with
each student having a different responsibility. Which of the following is most important
for the teacher to do while planning how to guide students' learning?
, a. Reviewing the social skills that students need to successfully complete the project
b. Pairing students together by age to ensure that students receive assistance from one
another
c. Ensuring that students listen carefully during the whole-class presentation of the
project
d. Establishing a peer assessment policy to encourage students to provide feedback to
one another - Answers -A
Don is a first-grade student with ADHD. His teacher notices that Don has trouble
throughout the day transitioning from task to task. He often becomes frustrated because
he gets extremely focused on a task or activity he finds interesting and then has to stop
to work on something he does not want to complete. Which of the following is the best
approach to address Don's transition issues?
a. Creating a buddy system on a rotating schedule to help Don keep track of time
b. Providing Don with a timer as a visual aid to help him get ready for the next activity
c. Giving Don a daily schedule book to track his time
d. Allowing Don to complete the task at his own pace to avoid tantrums - Answers -B
A fifth-grade student with cerebral palsy has average intelligence and intelligible speech
but limited mobility and, as a result, struggles greatly with both fine motor and gross
motor skills. To best help the student successfully complete written assignments, the
teacher should provide a
a. voice recognition software program
b. pencil grip and raised-line paper
c. portable word processor
d. personal amplifier and FM system - Answers -A
Which of the following appropriately refers to the coteaching model in which two
teachers split the class into two groups and teach the same content simultaneously?
a. Station teaching
b. Alternative teaching
c. Team teaching
d. Parallel teaching - Answers -D
Which THREE of the following activities are important for a special education teacher to
complete before conducting a student evaluation?
a. Determining whether the issues are occurring across various educational settings
b. Determining whether the issues are consistent with the age of the student
c. Documenting the frequency of the issues throughout the day
d. Providing benchmarks to be achieved to meet the annual academic goals - Answers
-A, B, C
KNOWLEDGE
Michael is a 14-year-old student who meets the criteria for other health impairment
(OHI) and receives special education and related services. According to the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which of the following meets the definition criteria
for OHI?
a. Traumatic brain injury
b. Expressive language disorder
c. Chronic asthma
d. Developmental delay - Answers -c. Chronic asthma
In which of the following scenarios is it most appropriate for a teacher to begin to use
prompt-fading techniques to support a student's skill development?
a. A student reads only assigned fiction texts and refuses to read nonfiction texts.
b. A student often becomes argumentative after receiving a grade below 80 percent on
an assignment.
c. A student reciprocates greetings only when the teacher provides verbal reminders.
d. A student ignores the gesture whenever the teacher points to a clock to remind the
student to stay on task. - Answers -C. A student reciprocates greetings only when the
teacher provides verbal reminders.
A second-grade student, John, has autism spectrum disorder. John receives special
education and related services and has a special education teacher in the classroom to
support his learning. During gym class, John struggles with physical activities because
of low muscle tone and repetitive rocking behaviors. Which of the following is the most
effective approach to help John develop and improve gross motor skills?
a. Integrating more physical body movements into classroom activities throughout the
day
b. Contacting the parents to find out what exercises John likes to engage in at home
with the family
c. Asking an occupational therapist to evaluate the classroom environment and
recommend updates to support John
d. Having a physical therapist design, implement, and document a treatment therapy
plan that can benefit John - Answers -d. Having a physical therapist design, implement,
and document a treatment therapy plan that can benefit John
After a student is referred by a teacher for an evaluation for special education services,
which of the following is the most appropriate next step for the school to take?
a. Provide the student with appropriate Tier 3 interventions
,b. Obtain consent from a legal guardian for initial evaluation of the student
c. Schedule professional testing of the student
d. Draft an agenda with a list of participants for the initial IEP team meeting - Answers -
B. Obtain consent from a legal guardian for initial evaluation of the student
Which of the following is the most appropriate way for a kindergarten teacher to ensure
that a student with fine motor deficits will be able to work on activities at the literacy
center in an inclusion classroom?
a. Assigning a paraprofessional to monitor participation at the center
b. Modifying the checklist used for assessing the activities at the center
c. Providing various-sized pencils, pens, grips, and slant boards
d. Eliminating all activities that consist of individual writing rather than partner writing -
Answers -C. Providing various-sized pencils, pens, grips, and slant boards
The Response to Intervention (RTI) approach primarily affects special education
procedures by requiring that students
a. obtain a learning disability diagnosis before receiving special education services
b. be provided with instruction in an inclusion classroom with the support of a special
education teacher
c. receive daily personalized instructional intervention in a resource classroom
d. be provided with research-based interventions before evaluations are conducted -
Answers -d. be provided with research-based interventions before evaluations are
conducted
During an IEP review meeting, Kelly's parents express concern that Kelly's functional
skills are not progressing at home as well as her parents would like, compared with the
progress she is making in the classroom. Which of the following is the best way to
address the parents' concerns?
a. Arranging videoconferences at regular intervals with a trained professional to discuss
goals, share resources, and recommend other community programs
b. Asking the parents to document specific skills that they would like their child to learn
so the skills can be added to the annual goal at the next IEP meeting
c. Sharing links to pages on the IDEA Web site that contain information about how
children with multiple disabilities are defined, for the parents to review on their own
d. Providing the parents with monthly IEP progress reports highlighting the areas that
they should continue to work on at home - Answers -a. Arranging videoconferences at
regular intervals with a trained professional to discuss goals, share resources, and
recommend other community programs
Ms. Jenkins is teaching a 5-year-old student named Kyle who has autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) and little language to use a communication board. Ms. Jenkins has three
toys. She shows Kyle one toy at a time and asks him if it is in a picture from a big book.
He responds "yes" by touching a yellow happy face and "no" by touching an unhappy
,face covered with a big red X. Which of the following best describes the purpose of the
activity?
a. To reinforce Kyle's expressive language skills
b. To develop Kyle's self-monitoring skills
c. To introduce new vocabulary to Kyle
d. To modify Kyle's target behavior goals - Answers -a. To reinforce Kyle's expressive
language skills
Which of the following best characterizes a student with EBD?
a. Is unable to sit still, has trouble concentrating, and may need assistive technology for
motor skills
b. Has difficulty understanding body language, facial expressions, and other nonverbal
cues
c. Shows an inability to discriminate between letters, numbers, and sounds
d. Exhibits inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances -
Answers -d. Exhibits inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal
circumstances
Students in a tenth-grade inclusion class are learning to write essays on a teacher-
assigned topic. During one of the lessons, the special education coteacher asks
students to exchange their draft essay for that of a peer. The students have just
completed a minicourse on peer review, and the data show that they are ready to
practice the intervention technique with classmates. Which of the following is the
primary purpose of a peer review intervention?
a. Encouraging students to complete their essay assignment on time
b. Introducing students to a variety of approaches to a specific writing topic
c. Providing valuable feedback for both students and teachers
d. Allowing teachers to use their time more efficiently during the school day - Answers -
c. Providing valuable feedback for both students and teachers
According to IDEA, which of the following is the most restrictive environment for
instruction of a student with a disability who requires multiple nebulizer treatments per
day?
a. Hospital
b. General classroom
c. Specialized charter school
d. Resource classroom - Answers -A
A sixth-grade inclusion teacher is planning a cooperative learning activity for the
students during which students will be placed in small groups to complete a project, with
each student having a different responsibility. Which of the following is most important
for the teacher to do while planning how to guide students' learning?
, a. Reviewing the social skills that students need to successfully complete the project
b. Pairing students together by age to ensure that students receive assistance from one
another
c. Ensuring that students listen carefully during the whole-class presentation of the
project
d. Establishing a peer assessment policy to encourage students to provide feedback to
one another - Answers -A
Don is a first-grade student with ADHD. His teacher notices that Don has trouble
throughout the day transitioning from task to task. He often becomes frustrated because
he gets extremely focused on a task or activity he finds interesting and then has to stop
to work on something he does not want to complete. Which of the following is the best
approach to address Don's transition issues?
a. Creating a buddy system on a rotating schedule to help Don keep track of time
b. Providing Don with a timer as a visual aid to help him get ready for the next activity
c. Giving Don a daily schedule book to track his time
d. Allowing Don to complete the task at his own pace to avoid tantrums - Answers -B
A fifth-grade student with cerebral palsy has average intelligence and intelligible speech
but limited mobility and, as a result, struggles greatly with both fine motor and gross
motor skills. To best help the student successfully complete written assignments, the
teacher should provide a
a. voice recognition software program
b. pencil grip and raised-line paper
c. portable word processor
d. personal amplifier and FM system - Answers -A
Which of the following appropriately refers to the coteaching model in which two
teachers split the class into two groups and teach the same content simultaneously?
a. Station teaching
b. Alternative teaching
c. Team teaching
d. Parallel teaching - Answers -D
Which THREE of the following activities are important for a special education teacher to
complete before conducting a student evaluation?
a. Determining whether the issues are occurring across various educational settings
b. Determining whether the issues are consistent with the age of the student
c. Documenting the frequency of the issues throughout the day
d. Providing benchmarks to be achieved to meet the annual academic goals - Answers
-A, B, C
