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Study Guide

Field 115: Cognitive Impairment
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Subarea 1—Understanding Students with Cognitive Impairments

Objective 001—Understand human development and learning.

1. Which of the following descriptions of a  36 month old  child's use of language would be most associated with a significant delay in expressive language development?

  1. The child has an oral vocabulary of 20 words and does not repeat short sentences when modeled by caregivers to make needs known.
  2. The child uses more nouns than verbs in speech and the use of wh- questions is limited to what, where, and when.
  3. The child combines words into short sentences and tends to simplify the production of multisyllabic words, sometimes repeating words.
  4. The child uses a new word only after hearing it several times and mispronounces similar sounds such as /p/ and /b/ and /s/ and /z/.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 001—Understand human development and learning.

2. Which of the following statements best describes the key outcome of the ruling from  P A R C  v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( 19 72 ) for students with disabilities in the United States?

  1. Public schools are encouraged to provide highly qualified and certified special education teachers.
  2. Students with cognitive impairments must be provided a free appropriate public education ( F A P E ).
  3. The eligibility criteria of cognitive impairment was created to categorize special education services.
  4. All students with disabilities must be educated in the least restrictive environment ( L R E ).
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 002—Understand the types and characteristics of cognitive impairments.

3. Which of the following descriptions identifies the key rationale of the philosophy of inclusion for students with cognitive impairments?

  1. encouraging students to meet traditional academic standards and become lifelong learners
  2. motivating students to find appropriate employment opportunities as adults
  3. promoting students' full participation in the general education setting
  4. teaching students a variety of compensatory strategies and how to master  grade level  concepts
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Objective 002—Understand the types and characteristics of cognitive impairments.

4. Exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy to which of the following environmental factors has been determined to be a leading prenatal cause of cognitive impairments?

  1. caffeinated drinks
  2. alcohol or drugs
  3. sugar substitutes
  4. food additives or coloring
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

Subarea 2—Assessing Students with Cognitive Impairments and Developing Individualized Education Programs ( I E Pees ), Individualized Family Service Plans ( I F S Pees ), and Transition Plans

Objective 003—Understand various assessment instruments and assessment practices for evaluating the strengths and needs of students with cognitive impairments.

5. Which of the following questions must an Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) team consider first in order to determine whether or not a student with a disability should take Michigan's alternative assessment ( M I Access )?

  1. In which set of academic literacy standards is the student's instruction most closely aligned?
  2. Does the student have, or function as if the student has, a significant, cognitive impairment?
  3. On which state assessment is the student most likely to demonstrate proficiency when given accommodations?
  4. Does the student have or demonstrate any significant physical or emotional impairments?
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 003—Understand various assessment instruments and assessment practices for evaluating the strengths and needs of students with cognitive impairments.

6. In a standardized adaptive behavior assessment administered to students with cognitive impairments, normative data should be used to provide which of the following types of information?

  1. a range of supportive intervention and instructional goals that would be appropriate based on students' overall scores in adaptive and cognitive domains
  2. a realistic predictive index of students' future success in acquiring various daily living and adaptive skills
  3. a comparison of students' conceptual, social, and practical abilities and overall adaptive functioning with those of a sample of their same-age peers
  4. a description of the areas in which students' cognitive abilities may be affecting their ability to attain adaptive behavior skills
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Objective 004—Understand procedures for conducting assessments and for interpreting and communicating the results of assessments to address the individual strengths and needs of students with cognitive impairments.

7. A teacher of students with cognitive impairments is preparing to present the results of a comprehensive assessment for a third-grade student. The primary language of the student's parents/guardians is not English. Which of the following practices would be most appropriate for the teacher to use in this situation?

  1. showing the parents/guardians sample test questions to explain how the assessment results reflect the student's performance
  2. presenting all information to the parents/guardians in their primary language through a professional educational interpreter
  3. providing the parents/guardians with a summary of the written report detailing the numerical scores without a description
  4. allowing the parents/guardians to invite a family member or friend who is bilingual to explain the assessment results to them
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 004—Understand procedures for conducting assessments and for interpreting and communicating the results of assessments to address the individual strengths and needs of students with cognitive impairments.

8. A sixth grade student with cognitive impairments has mild spastic cerebral palsy affecting the left side of the body. The teacher of students with cognitive impairments would like to determine the most appropriate instructional materials for teaching the student to use assistive technology devices to feed herself independently. Which of the following assessment strategies would provide the most appropriate information to assist the teacher in this task?

  1. observing the student during lunch using various assistive technology devices and anecdotally recording the student's level of success with each device
  2. evaluating the student's sensory-motor and perceptual abilities as an indicator of the level of success the student will likely have using assistive technology devices
  3. using an informal assessment to identify the student's interest and motivation in learning to function independently as an indicator of readiness for assistive technology devices
  4. conducting additional cognitive assessments to determine the student's readiness and ability to incorporate assistive technology devices into activities of daily living
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 005—Understand procedures for developing, implementing, and amending Individualized Education Programs ( I E Pees ), Individualized Family Service Plans ( I F S Pees ), and transition plans to meet the needs of students with cognitive impairments.

9. A fifth grade student with a moderate cognitive impairment was recently diagnosed with a complex partial seizure disorder that affects memory and motor movements. Which of the following actions is the Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) team required to address in determining the student's appropriate placement?

  1. identifying possible alternative educational settings for the student where more experienced staff may provide services to address multiple disabilities
  2. determining the least restrictive environment ( L R E ) within the district's continuum of services that meets the student's learning needs
  3. agreeing on the types of assistive technology devices required in order for the student to master goals and objectives
  4. consulting with district administration to address any additional costs that will be needed to provide the student with services and accommodations
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

Subarea 3—Promoting Development and Learning in Students with Cognitive Impairments

Objective 006—Understand methods and practices for planning and managing the learning environment for students with cognitive impairments.

10. Which of the following strategies is likely to be most effective in preparing high school students with cognitive impairments to demonstrate appropriate social and interpersonal skills within a culturally diverse community environment?

  1. planning annual schoolwide cultural celebrations featuring food, music and dance to promote understanding of different cultural groups in the school and community
  2. encouraging students to ask their parents/guardians or caregivers about their own cultural backgrounds and sharing the stories during class activities
  3. integrating literature into the general and functional curriculum that presents a variety of settings, characters, and stories of different cultures and groups
  4. ensuring that students have regular opportunities to engage with peers, employers, and coworkers from a variety of cultural backgrounds in school and community experiences
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Objective 007—Understand principles and methods of individualizing instruction for students with cognitive impairments.

11. A third grade student with a moderate cognitive impairment has Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) goals to follow simple two-step directions and correctly answer wh- questions using details. The teacher of students with cognitive impairments is creating an intervention plan to address these instructional goals and is planning to conduct progress monitoring to determine the student's learning in these targeted skills. Which of the following steps should the teacher take first prior to beginning direct instruction in these goals?

  1. collecting baseline data of the student's current performance of each of the skills
  2. creating objectives for the student based upon a task analysis of each of the skills
  3. explaining each of the instructional skills to the student in student-friendly language
  4. comparing the student's performance in each skill with that of peers in the classroom
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 008—Understand strategies and practices for promoting the communication skills of students with cognitive impairments.

12. An eight year old student with a moderate cognitive impairment has a severe articulation disorder, which reduces the student's ability to participate in class discussions and develop interpersonal skills. The student's most recent Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) has goals that include the use of a picture communication device with speech output. The best strategy for the teacher of students with cognitive impairments to use in beginning instruction would be to:

  1. teach the most important actions to initially enable use of the device to the student and include opportunities for practice.
  2. provide the student with sufficient time to explore and practice with the device to encourage independence.
  3. show the student videos of other students using the device in different settings before the student works with the device.
  4. read the directions to the student several times slowly and clearly, and ask questions about the directions to ensure understanding.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 009—Understand effective instructional practices for teaching academic skills in core academic subjects.

13. A middle school student with a cognitive impairment is learning to skip count by fives and tens, using nickels and dimes, respectively, as manipulatives. Working with the coins, the student uses skip counting to solve a variety of problems such as how to make a dollar using all nickels, all dimes, and combinations of nickels and dimes. When considering the skills the student has learned, which of the following strategies would be most effective for the teacher to use next to reinforce these mathematical skills?

  1. arranging for the student to observe a cashier using skip counting and other strategies to make change
  2. providing the student with opportunities to use skip counting with money in authentic settings
  3. introducing the student to pennies and having the student practice adding ones to a sum while skip counting
  4. teaching the student to skip count by other common multiples, such as twos and threes
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 009—Understand effective instructional practices for teaching academic skills in core academic subjects.

14. A 17 year old student with a moderate cognitive impairment is learning to select graphics to develop a digital picture schedule of daily activities. For example, a picture schedule for core academic skills classes begins with a picture of a person putting homework in the "in" box, while the picture schedule for lunch shows a picture of a lunch box. The student's involvement in selecting pictures for the schedule is most effective in promoting the student's independence by:

  1. enabling the student to use self-monitoring and to practice organizational skills throughout the day.
  2. helping the student to interpret other types of schedules that may be used, such as a job or chore schedule.
  3. providing the student with specific directions to follow when the student does not understand how to complete a task.
  4. aiding the student in understanding the importance of different time-management strategies.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 010—Understand methods for teaching and supporting social-emotional competence and interpersonal skills for students with cognitive impairments.

15. A student with a moderate cognitive impairment attends a general education class. The student has an Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) goal related to maintaining conversation with peers. To promote the student's goal progress, which of the following steps is most important for the teacher of students with cognitive impairments to take first?

  1. identifying natural conversation opportunities throughout the student's day that can be used for instruction
  2. arranging for the student to witness effective conversation exchanges between classmates
  3. selecting a small reward the student will receive each time the student maintains successful conversation
  4. having the student practice maintaining conversation with staff who are familiar to the student
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 012—Understand  evidence and research based  strategies for managing student behavior and developing and implementing effective behavioral interventions and supports for students with cognitive impairments.

16. A high school teacher of students with cognitive impairments focuses on promoting students'  self regulation  skills, such as interacting with strangers, managing changes in daily schedules, and handling frustration. Which of the following strategies is likely to be most effective for teaching these skills?

  1. having the students  role play  various social situations within the classroom and school setting that involve anxiety or frustration and explain how they would handle themselves
  2. reading stories or watching videos about situations that involve frustration or change and then discussing these situations
  3. making students aware of the many civic and recreational opportunities available and how important  self regulation  skills are to successful participation in these activities
  4. planning experiences outside of the school to involve students in typical activities in public places to integrate direct instruction of skills in an authentic setting
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Objective 012—Understand evidence- and research-based strategies for managing student behavior and developing and implementing effective behavioral interventions and supports for students with cognitive impairments.

17. A first grade student with a cognitive impairment sometimes rips up her work in class. After conducting a systematic observation of this behavior, the teacher of students with cognitive impairments decides to incorporate a planned ignoring strategy to address this behavior, and to offer verbal praise to the student when work is completed appropriately. A primary rationale for incorporating a planned ignoring strategy into the behavioral supports offered to the student is that it:

  1. has the least amount of impact on other students in the student's learning environment.
  2. improves the student's understanding of her negative behavior on her educational performance.
  3. reduces incidences of the teacher inadvertently reinforcing the student's negative behavior.
  4. enables the teacher to effectively convey behavioral expectations to all students in class.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

Subarea 4—Working in the Professional Environment

Objective 013—Understand strategies for communicating and collaborating with students with cognitive impairments and their families to promote desired learning outcomes.

18. A teacher of students with cognitive impairments is reflecting on ways to effectively engage all of the families and caregivers of students in the class to help the students reach their greatest potential. In working towards this goal, the teacher should be most aware of which of the following considerations?

  1. A family's cultural background is likely to have a profound effect on the family's perception of and attitude toward their child's disability.
  2. When making education decisions about a child with a disability, families may tend to rely most on the advice of educators, regardless of cultural background.
  3. When teachers and school staff demonstrate sensitivity to a family's cultural background, the family is likely to develop a greater understanding of their child's disability.
  4. Stress levels related to a child's disability tend to be greater in families whose cultural background differs from the majority of the school population.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 014—Understand how to collaborate and effectively establish partnerships with other school personnel and community organizations to facilitate learning opportunities for students with cognitive impairments.

19. A multidisciplinary evaluation team ( M E T ) is convening to develop an Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) for a fourth grade student with a severe cognitive impairment. Which of the following best describes a primary responsibility for the general education teacher on the student's  M E T ?

  1. providing the team with expertise on essential understandings of the student's grade level curriculum
  2. defining opportunities the student has to work with students with a similar impairment profile
  3. offering ideas for specialized instruction to promote the student's access to learning standards
  4. developing individualized learning goals for the student whose progress can be monitored in the classroom
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 015—Understand the professional, ethical, and legal roles and responsibilities involved in the education of students with cognitive impairments.

20. A teacher of students with cognitive impairments is documenting observations of a student with a moderate cognitive impairment and a visual impairment. The notes are intended for the teacher's personal use in determining the student's instructional needs. According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( F E R P A ), which of the following teacher actions would be a violation of the student's confidentiality rights?

  1. discussing with the school principal the student's behavior and information identified in the notes
  2. mailing a copy of the notes to the student's parents/guardians with home assignments specific to the student's instructional needs
  3. placing the only copy of the notes about the student in the teacher's private classroom file
  4. sharing the notes privately with the classroom's parent volunteer who may be working with the student
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.