Praxis Special Education: Core Knowledge & Severe to Profound Applications (5545)

A profound intellectual disability is generally associated with adaptive functioning that requires which level of support?

• APervasive support across most or all daily living domains
• BIntermittent support during transitions only
• CLimited support in a few life-skill areas
• DNo ongoing support once skills are taught

Deaf-blindness as a disability category under IDEA is best described as:

• ATotal absence of both vision and hearing in all cases
• BConcomitant hearing and visual impairments causing severe communication and developmental…
• CA hearing impairment that develops after a visual impairment
• DA processing disorder affecting auditory and visual memory

A student with severe autism demonstrates limited joint attention and few spontaneous communicative initiations. This profile most directly indicates a need for:

• AAcceleration into grade-level academic content
• BRemoval of all visual supports to encourage speech
• CSystematic communication intervention, including AAC consideration
• DA focus solely on reducing stereotypic behavior

Cerebral palsy is most accurately classified as which type of impairment for educational eligibility purposes?

• AA specific learning disability
• BAn emotional disturbance
• CA speech-language impairment only
• DAn orthopedic (physical) impairment affecting movement and posture

Which statement best reflects current understanding of presuming competence in students with severe and profound disabilities?

• AAssume the student can learn and provide access to communication and instruction accordin…
• BAssume the least until tested capacity is documented
• CLimit instruction to self-care until cognitive testing improves
• DWithhold AAC until the student demonstrates intent through speech

A student with a profound disability has a g-tube and requires repositioning every two hours. These are best described as:

• ADisciplinary considerations
• BHealth and physical-management needs requiring related services and a care plan
• CReasons to exclude the student from general education
• DOptional supports the family may decline without documentation

Cortical visual impairment (CVI) differs from ocular visual impairment primarily because CVI:

• AIs caused by damage to the eye structures themselves
• BCannot improve with intervention
• CResults from brain-based processing of visual information rather than eye damage
• DAlways co-occurs with total blindness

Which of the following is the most common cause of intellectual disability in the severe-to-profound range that is also preventable?

• ADown syndrome
• BFragile X syndrome
• CPhenylketonuria with treatment
• DFetal alcohol spectrum disorder

A learner with multiple disabilities exhibits sensorimotor-stage cognitive behaviors. The most appropriate instructional emphasis is:

• AContingency awareness, cause-effect, and object permanence within functional routines
• BAbstract symbolic reasoning tasks
• CIndependent silent reading comprehension
• DAlgebraic problem solving with manipulatives

Self-determination for students with severe disabilities is best supported when teachers:

• AMake all decisions to protect the student
• BEmbed choice-making and preference expression into daily routines
• CPostpone self-determination instruction until after high school
• DLimit choices to avoid challenging behavior

A student demonstrates significant tactile defensiveness and overresponse to certain textures during dressing routines. This is most consistent with:

• AA vision-processing disorder
• BIntentional noncompliance
• CA sensory processing/modulation difference often addressed with OT consultation
• DA hearing impairment

Which is a defining feature distinguishing severe disability from mild-to-moderate disability for instructional planning?

• AThe student never requires specially designed instruction
• BThe student requires only accommodations, not modifications
• CThe general curriculum is fully appropriate without adaptation
• DSkills rarely generalize without explicit programming for generalization and maintenance

Rett syndrome is most accurately characterized by:

• ALoss of purposeful hand skills and stereotypic hand movements primarily in females
• BProgressive improvement in hand use after age 2
• COnset only in adulthood
• DAbsence of any motor involvement

A teacher notices a student with profound disabilities consistently brightens and vocalizes when a familiar caregiver speaks. This response is best used to:

• ADocument noncompliance with adult directions
• BIdentify a preference and a potential motivating stimulus for instruction
• CConclude the student has no disability
• DDiscontinue communication assessment

Which factor most strongly influences the educational impact of a low-incidence disability on a given student?

• AThe medical diagnosis label alone
• BThe student's chronological age only
• CThe student's individual functional profile and support needs across environments
• DThe number of students in the school with the same label

A student with severe disabilities engages in pre-symbolic communication. This means the student primarily communicates through:

• AWritten sentences
• BFluent spoken language
• CManual sign language with full grammar
• DBehaviors, vocalizations, gestures, and body movements not yet tied to conventional symbo…

Why is chronological-age-appropriate programming emphasized for students with severe disabilities?

• AIt promotes dignity, social inclusion, and access to age-typical materials and environmen…
• BIt guarantees grade-level academic mastery
• CIt eliminates the need for adapted curriculum
• DIt is required to receive related services

When developing an IEP for a student with severe disabilities, the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) should primarily:

• AList only the student's diagnoses
• BDescribe how the disability affects participation and progress and provide a baseline for…
• CCompare the student to typical peers using percentiles only
• DBe written after goals are finalized

Least restrictive environment (LRE) for a student with severe disabilities means the team must:

• AAlways place the student in a separate classroom
• BPlace the student based on the disability label
• CEducate the student with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with suppor…
• DProvide services only in the home

An ecological inventory is used to plan instruction for a student with severe disabilities by:

• AMeasuring the student's IQ across domains
• BListing every academic standard for the grade level
• CRecording only challenging behaviors
• DIdentifying the skills a typical person uses in natural environments to target functional…

Which IEP goal is written in the most measurable, observable form for a student with severe disabilities?

• AGiven a visual schedule, the student will independently transition to 3 of 4 daily activi…
• BThe student will understand the lunch routine
• CThe student will improve communication
• DThe student will be more independent at school

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) applied to a classroom that includes students with profound disabilities means:

• ADesigning one fixed pathway all students must follow
• BProviding multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression from the st…
• CAdding accommodations only after a student fails
• DRemoving all technology to simplify access

Designing the physical learning environment for a student who uses a power wheelchair should prioritize:

• ANarrow aisles to fit more furniture
• BPlacing materials only on high shelves
• CAccessible pathways, turning radius, and reachable materials/AAC within the student's ran…
• DSeating the student away from instruction to ease movement

Embedded instruction within general education for a student with severe disabilities is best described as:

• ATeaching the student only in a separate room
• BMass-trial drills before school each day
• CReplacing the general curriculum entirely
• DDistributing brief, systematic instructional trials on IEP objectives across naturally oc…

A paraeducator supports a student with profound disabilities. The special education teacher's responsibility is to:

• APlan, train, supervise, and monitor the paraeducator's instructional support
• BDelegate all instructional decisions to the paraeducator
• CAvoid giving feedback to maintain morale
• DHave the paraeducator write the IEP

A student's IEP team is determining placement. Which sequence reflects correct LRE decision-making?

• AChoose placement first, then write goals
• BDetermine goals and services needed, then identify the least restrictive setting where th…
• CPlace based on staffing availability
• DPlace based on the disability category

Activity-based instruction for young learners with severe disabilities primarily emphasizes:

• AIsolated drill of splinter skills out of context
• BStandardized worksheets completed independently
• CTeaching functional skills within meaningful, motivating routines and activities
• DLecture followed by a written test

Which is the strongest example of access to the general education curriculum for a student with profound disabilities?

• AExcusing the student from all academic content
• BProviding only sensory stimulation activities
• CTeaching content two grade levels below without standards alignment
• DLinking individualized objectives to grade-level content standards through alternate achi…

A communication-rich environment for a nonspeaking student with severe disabilities is best achieved by:

• AEnsuring the AAC system is available, modeled, and used across all settings and partners
• BRestricting AAC use to speech therapy sessions
• CSpeaking for the student to save time
• DUsing AAC only when the student is upset

Which scheduling approach best supports a student with profound disabilities who has medical, therapy, and instructional needs?

• APulling the student for all therapies during core instruction
• BCoordinating an integrated schedule that embeds therapy and health needs within instructi…
• CStacking all health care at the end of the day
• DIgnoring therapy schedules to maximize seat time

When planning for a student who is deaf-blind, the most critical environmental consideration is:

• AMaximizing background noise to build tolerance
• BFrequent unannounced changes to build flexibility
• CConsistent, predictable routines with tactile/object cues and an intervener or trained pa…
• DRelying solely on spoken directions

Co-planning between a special and general educator for an included student with severe disabilities should result in:

• AThe special educator working only in a separate room
• BThe general educator excluded from IEP implementation
• CIdentical instruction for all students regardless of need
• DShared lesson adaptations, defined roles, and embedded individualized objectives within t…

A transition IEP for a 16-year-old with severe disabilities must include:

• AMeasurable postsecondary goals and transition services based on age-appropriate assessment
• BOnly academic goals
• CA statement that transition does not apply
• DGoals written solely by the family

Person-centered planning differs from traditional IEP planning primarily because it:

• AExcludes the student from the process
• BCenters the individual's preferences, strengths, and vision for a desired life and builds…
• CFocuses only on deficits and remediation
• DIs conducted only by professionals without family

A student with severe disabilities will join general PE. The MOST proactive planning step is to:

• AWait until problems arise, then adapt
• BHave the student observe only
• CPre-identify needed adaptations, supports, peer roles, and embedded objectives before the…
• DSchedule the student in a separate gym

Task analysis is best defined as:

• AMeasuring how long a student attends to a task
• BCounting the number of prompts a student needs
• CAnalyzing the function of a challenging behavior
• DBreaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable, sequential steps

In a most-to-least prompting hierarchy, the teacher initially provides:

• AThe most intrusive prompt needed for success, then systematically fades to less intrusive…
• BThe least intrusive prompt and increases support only if needed
• CNo prompt and waits indefinitely
• DOnly verbal prompts throughout

Errorless learning is designed to:

• AAllow many errors so the student can self-correct
• BMinimize errors during acquisition by providing prompts that ensure correct responding
• CEliminate reinforcement
• DDelay all instruction until the student is older

A teacher teaches a handwashing chain by training the last step first and working backward. This procedure is:

• AForward chaining
• BTotal task presentation
• CBackward chaining
• DDiscrete trial training

Discrete trial training (DTT) consists of which sequence?

• AReinforcer, response, stimulus, prompt
• BConsequence, stimulus, intertrial interval, response
• CPrompt, reinforcer, stimulus only
• DDiscriminative stimulus, (prompt), response, consequence, inter-trial interval

Constant time delay is used to fade prompts by:

• AInserting a fixed delay (e.g., 4 seconds) between the stimulus and the prompt to transfer…
• BIncreasing the delay between stimulus and prompt across trials
• CRemoving the discriminative stimulus entirely
• DProviding the prompt before the stimulus every time

To promote generalization of a self-feeding skill, the teacher should:

• ATeach only with one utensil in one room
• BTrain across multiple utensils, settings, and people, and use common natural cues and rei…
• CAvoid practicing at home
• DUse only artificial reinforcers permanently

Community-based instruction (CBI) is most effective for students with severe disabilities because it:

• AReplaces all school instruction permanently
• BIs cheaper than classroom instruction
• CTeaches functional skills in the natural settings where they will be used, supporting gen…
• DEliminates the need for data collection

Shaping is the instructional procedure of:

• ATeaching a chain of steps in sequence
• BProviding the answer before the student responds
• CRemoving a reinforcer to weaken behavior
• DDifferentially reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior

Which teaching strategy best builds early literacy access for a student with profound disabilities and complex communication needs?

• AProvide shared reading with adapted books, repeated story routines, and AAC participation
• BWithhold literacy until prerequisite speech develops
• CFocus only on phonics drills in isolation
• DUse silent independent reading exclusively

Peer-mediated instruction for a student with severe disabilities is most appropriately implemented when:

• APeers are given no training or guidance
• BPeers are trained and supported in specific interaction or support strategies with adult…
• CPeers replace the special educator's responsibilities
• DPeers only socialize without instructional structure

A student masters a skill but stops performing it after instruction ends. The teacher should program for:

• AAcquisition only
• BStimulus overselectivity
• CMaintenance through periodic review and intermittent reinforcement
• DExtinction of the skill

Naturalistic teaching strategies (e.g., incidental teaching, mand-model) are characterized by:

• AMassed adult-directed trials only
• BTeaching only in a therapy room
• CAvoiding reinforcement to build independence
• DFollowing the learner's interest/initiation in natural contexts to teach communication an…