In the conversation about the revision of special education laws in the late 1970s, which instructional goal was viewed as most appropriate for students with severe disabilities?

In the conversation about the revision of special education laws in the late 1970s, which instructional goal was viewed as most appropriate for students with severe disabilities?

• A. Skills that were adaptive in nature to prepare students for self-care
• B. Skills that were vocational in nature to prepare students for work
• C. Skills based upon the chronological age of students
• D. Skills that were attainable within students' developmental levels

Answer: (D)

Instruction for students with severe disabilities should be built around their current developmental level, guiding what skills are taught and what counts as progress. In the late 1970s, educational guidelines emphasized matching goals to where a learner is developmentally, rather than to their chronological age or to purely vocational outcomes. When instruction targets skills that are attainable within a student’s developmental level, learning becomes meaningful, achievable, and portable across settings, and it lays a foundation for gradual advancement to more complex tasks. For example, a student functioning at a beginner developmental level benefits from practical, basic tasks within reach—such as simple self-care routines or basic communication—rather than age-matched or exclusively work-focused goals. Focusing only on age-appropriate or vocational aims can overlook the student’s current abilities, while a strictly self-care focus may miss opportunities for broader development. The developmental-level approach best aligns with how education for students with severe disabilities was viewed and implemented.

Instruction for students with severe disabilities should be built around their current developmental level, guiding what skills are taught and what counts as progress. In the late 1970s, educational guidelines emphasized matching goals to where a learner is developmentally, rather than to their chronological age or to purely vocational outcomes. When instruction targets skills that are attainable within a student’s developmental level, learning becomes meaningful, achievable, and portable across settings, and it lays a foundation for gradual advancement to more complex tasks. For example, a student functioning at a beginner developmental level benefits from practical, basic tasks within reach—such as simple self-care routines or basic communication—rather than age-matched or exclusively work-focused goals. Focusing only on age-appropriate or vocational aims can overlook the student’s current abilities, while a strictly self-care focus may miss opportunities for broader development. The developmental-level approach best aligns with how education for students with severe disabilities was viewed and implemented.