9

Chapter

Special Education and

Support Services

Learning Objectives
After completing this section the learner will be able to:
zz explain the concepts of special education, inclusive education and
support services.
zz describe the concept of disability and different types of disability in
children.
zz explain the knowledge and skills required for a career in Special
Education and allied support services.

Significance
The term education is familiar to all of us. But, ‘special education’ may be
a new expression for some of you. It is a term that refers to educational
provisions for children with special needs, emerging due to physical,
mental and emotional challenges. Therefore, they have Special Educational
Needs (SEN). Thus Special Education means specially designed instruction
for children with above mentioned challenges in all settings such as
classroom, home, the street and the rehabitation homes, etc.
There are children who may have unusual difficulty in walking, playing,
talking, seeing and hearing, in interacting socially or in doing what one
166 may consider usual. They are likely to have disabilities due to certain
conditions such as hearing impairment, visual impairment or intellectual
impairment (a more detailed discussion about types of disabilities follows
later). In order to experience the world optimally, they have to try harder
and people around them have to enable them in their endeavour.

Unit III - Human Development And

Activity 1
Can you think of a child who has any of the above listed difficulties?

Family Studies
If not, ask a member of your family or a neighbour if she/he knows
one such child. Try to meet, observe and interact with any such
person(s). Write down a few lines about the child. Find out if she/he
goes to school. If yes, which school, if no, why not?

Children’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) are met through certain

methodologies of special education. Special education is not segregated
or exclusive education of students with disabilities. It is an approach that
facilitates learning for them and allows them to participate in different
activities that they may not have had access to on account of their inability
to go to school. Hence, children with special needs do not have to always
study in a separate institution In fact, most of them can learn quite well
in general classes of a school. However, some children who have severe
difficulties, due to the nature of their disability, may benefit greatly from
being educated in a classroom prepared exclusively for them, as a smaller
number of students are grouped together, where the educator interacts
with the students on a one-to-one basis. The educators/teachers who
provide special education are called Special Educators.
When children/ students with SEN study in general classrooms with
their peers, the arrangement is called ‘inclusive education’. As the term
indicates, the philosophy that guides this approach is that students with
diverse needs (educational, physical, social and emotional) are placed
together in age-appropriate classes/groups such that the students can
optimally achieve their learning potential. The school or the programme
they are part of makes suitable adjustments and modifications in its
curriculum, teaching methods and physical set up to facilitate their
education.
A person who chooses to become a special educator is said to have a
career in Special Education. There are several models of special/inclusive
education in which a special educator can work with SEN:
(i) Some schools/programmes impart education exclusively to children
with disabilities. Most such schools offer services to children with 167
 specific disabilities, such as those with intellectual impairment,
cerebral palsy or visual impairment. These fall in the category of
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

special schools/programmes and require the services of special

educators who are trained in working with children with those
specific disabilities.
(ii) A general education school/programme may have within its premises
a programme for children with SEN. Here, some or all the students
are placed in regular classes, some of the time, depending upon
their needs and abilities. In such a system, the special educators
would not only directly teach children with SEN, but also provide
pedagogical (instructional) support to the general class teachers.
( iii) There are many general schools which are inclusive. This means,
the students with SEN are a part of the regular classes. The special
educator then co-ordinates work with the regular teachers and
provides extra inputs to the students in a Resource Room of the
school.
For special and inclusive education to be effective, certain support
services should be available to the children as well as to the educators
and children’s parents. These may be located within the school or in the
community, accessible to the family. These are:
i) Resource materials for students with SEN and educators
ii) Transportation for students
iii) Speech therapy
iv) Physical and occupational therapy
v) Counselling for children, parents and educators
vi) Medical services.
In order to specialise in the fields listed from (iii) to (vi), the student must
acquire higher education qualifications and training in areas other than
Human Ecology and Family Sciences. However, a detailed discussion
about these areas is beyond the scope of this chapter.

Basic Concepts
In Part II of the Class XI HEFS textbook, in the chapter ‘Care and Education’
you had read that our school system is not quite equipped to provide
education to children with disabilities. One of the primary reasons is that
during their training, the general education teachers may have not been
oriented adequately to special methods that are required to work with
students who have different kinds of needs. In an inclusive classroom, all
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teachers have to be sensitive to students with SEN. For example, when a
child has intellectual disability, the educator must know how to break up
the lesson into interesting and small units and to work slowly and patiently
with the child. Slightly different skills are required to teach a child with

Unit III - Human Development And

deafness or one with blindness. While all teachers can acquire some of the
skills, special educators receive specific training in such methods.
It must be quite clear by now that special education methods help
children with disabilities acquire as much knowledge as they can so that

Family Studies
their growth and development are supported to their full potential. The
term ‘disability’ has been used in the text several times so far. Let us
discuss what we mean by disability and the different types of impairments
that affect children’s development.
Disability: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO),
‘disability’ is an umbrella term that covers impairments, limitations in
activity and restrictions in participation. Some children are born with a
physical, sensory or mental impairment. Some others may develop, as they
grow, that substantially limit them in their daily life activities. In academic
terms they are referred to as children with ‘disability’. In the public domain
they are sometimes referred to as being ‘challenged’ or ‘differently abled’.
Classification of disabilities: Most of the disabilities can be classified
under the following heads:
i) Intellectual impairment (limitation in intellectual functioning and
adaptive skills)
ii) Visual impairment (includes low vision and total blindness)
iii) Hearing impairment (includes partial hearing loss and deafness)
iv) Cerebral Palsy (difficulties of movement, posture, speech and hand
functions etc. due to brain damage)
v) Autism (a disability affecting communication, social interaction and
play behaviour)
vi) Locomotor disability (difficulties in locomotion due to damage to
bones, joints and muscles)
vii) Learning disabilities (difficulties in reading, writing and arithmetic).

Activity 2
Divide the class into groups of 5-6 students. Discuss with one
another in the group and make a list of the terms/words you have
heard when referring to a child/adult who has a disability. Reflect
and see if any of them have negative meanings.
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 Causes of disabilities: A detailed discussion on the causes of impairments
is beyond the scope of this chapter. Briefly the causes can be grouped
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

under three categories:

i) Factors that affect before birth, both genetic and non-genetic,
ii) Factors that affect the child at birth and soon after birth, and
iii) Factors that impinge on the child during the development period.

Special Education Methods

There are specific methods and procedures in special education that enable
the special educator to teach children with SEN systematically. A gist of
these is given herein, in order of their implementation.
i) First, an assessment of the child’s/student’s level in different
areas of development and learning is undertaken. For example, in
areas of cognitive development (e.g., concepts in math), language
development or social skills.
ii) Based on the assessment report, an Individualised Education
Programme (IEP) is developed for each student that is used to guide
work with the student.
iii) Regular evaluation of the IEP is undertaken to determine whether
learning and development goals are being met, and to check the
student’s progress.
iv) All along, access and use of support services (e.g., speech therapy,
counselling) are facilitated, so that special education has the
desirable effect on the student.

Knowledge and Skills

It is important for a person interested in following this profession to have
an aptitude for it and the willingness to learn. Let us see what kind of
knowledge and skills are required of personnel in special education.
Understanding one’s own beliefs and attitudes to disability: Most
of us ‘construct’ our beliefs about social phenomena, such as gender
and social class, based on our own experiences as well as the beliefs of
others significant people who influence us, such as our parents. Hence,

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it is important to reflect and become aware how one views children with
disability. Does one have a stereotyped view that they are less able and
hence not qualified for equal rights? If we understand our own prejudices,
it becomes easier to modify them and develop positive attitudes.

Unit III - Human Development And

Training in special education helps in understanding children’s needs,
overcoming the prevailing myths and social stigmas related to their
disabilities and developing positive attitudes towards them.
(i) Developing sensitivity: If an overweight person is always referred

Family Studies
to by others as ‘fat’, the remark would fall in the category of being
insensitive, as he/she feels hurt. It labels him/her in an unfair
manner. Special educators are expected to develop sensitivity
towards children with disabilities. They can do this by using terms
and language that convey respect for them as children first, working
with them with the belief that they can learn and grow like all
children and communicating hope to them and their parents. An
attitude of disregard or mere sympathy and charity towards persons
with disability conveys insensitivity and lack of respect for them.
(ii) Knowledge about disabilities: Since the special educators’
focus in their work is children with SEN, they must have a
thorough knowledge about the nature of different disabilities, the
developmental characteristics of children with these disabilities, and
what associated difficulties or disorders may be present that need
attention. For example, a child with cerebral palsy may also have
some degree of intellectual impairment, and yet may be capable of
doing many things.
(iii) Interpersonal skills: People who are good communicators make
effective special educators. However, with training, one can acquire
communication skills as these would be required to work with
children individually, as well as in groups. Quite often parents
and other members of the child’s family require guidance and
counselling, where interpersonal skills would be very useful.
(iv) Pedagogical skills: The special educator would be required to know
the art and science of teaching students, termed pedagogy. This
means to be able to teach a particular subject such as science,
social science or maths. The educator must know how to break up
and simplify the concepts and lessons so that the learners can grasp
the principles as well as the meaning.

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 Activity 3
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

Check your level of sensitivity towards children with special needs:

Place a tick mark in one of the two columns. Yes No

1. When I see a child with blindness I feel

I am lucky. ……. …….
2. I stay away from students who seem to
have a disability. ……. …….
3. Children who are deaf cannot learn to
communicate. ……. …….
4. I like to know more about children with
special needs. ……. …….
5. SEN children should study with
non-disabled students. ……. …….
6. I am open to sitting in class with
peers with SEN. ……. …….

How have you fared?

A ‘YES’ to any of the statements 1, 2, 3 means you have to develop
more sensitivity.
A ‘YES’ to the statements 4, 5, 6 means you are quite sensitive.

Preparing for a career in Special Education

The need for special educators and other personnel in education

programmes, both in special and inclusive education settings, has been
increasing over time, more so after the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act
1995 was passed. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has provision for eight
years’ of education for all children, including those with disabilities.
In view of the demand for such specialised personnel in large numbers,
a career in Special Education appears to be attractive. In India, all forms
of training for professionals and personnel who work in areas related to
disability are regulated by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). This
autonomous body facilitates special education training through several
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approved institutions throughout the country in packages of certificate,
diploma and degree level courses. Thus it is possible to be in the field
of special education with different levels of training. Some of the current
courses and pre-service trainings are:
i) Certificate course in ‘Early Childhood Special Education Enabling

Unit III - Human Development And

Inclusion’ of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which
qualifies the candidate to be an early childhood special/ inclusive
educator. The minimum qualification for undertaking this course is
Class X. Those with a higher qualification are also eligible.

Family Studies
ii) Bachelor’s degree in special education after any graduate degree
qualifies a candidate to be an educator in a special/inclusive school.
Such a degree is offered at conventional universities and education
universities such as IGNOU, as well as by the National Institute for
the Mentally Handicapped.
iii) Those who have a Master’s degree in fields such as Child
Development, Human Development, Psychology or Social Work,
can enter special education by doing any of the RCI recognised
certificate, diploma or degree courses which may have an entry
qualification lower than postgraduation. These provide recognition
as special educators.
iv) A Master’s degree in Disability Studies prepares one for a larger
role in the field of disability such as teaching at the university
level, research, planning of programmes and setting up one’s own
organisation.
v) Many departments of Child Development or Human Development,
under the faculties of Home Science at various universities offer
courses related to childhood disability. Postgraduate studies
that include the study of children with disabilities in theory and
practicum prepare the students quite adequately to work in
educational institutions in various capacities.

Scope
Depending upon which courses related to special education one studies,
and up to what level one undertakes higher education, the field has
immense potential. From becoming an early childhood special educator
after Class X to being able to organise and conduct one’s own enterprise are
the possibilities. With a few years’ experience, it is possible to be selected
as head of special education programmes at schools, or manager of special
schools. Non-governmental organisations that follow SSA guidelines too
need qualified special educators and master trainers.
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 Key Terms
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1

Special education, Special educator, Disability, Exclusive education,

Inclusive education, Sensitivity,

Review Questions
1. What do you understand by the term ‘special education’? Why is a
teacher referred to as a ‘special educator’?
2. How will you explain the term ‘inclusive’ education’ ?
3. Describe the different models of Special and Inclusive education.
4. Name the support services that enable quality special education of
children.
5. Define the term ‘disability’. How are childhood disabilities
classified?
6. What type of knowledge and skills are required to be a special
educator?
7. If someone needs guidance on entering the field of special education,
what would be your advice?

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