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Ped04-Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education: Exclusive For SLSU Gumaca Students Use Only

This document defines special education and inclusive education. Special education is designed to meet the needs of students with special needs through individualized teaching and support. Inclusive education means that all students attend their neighborhood schools and are supported to learn alongside their peers. The ultimate goal of special education is to integrate students with special needs fully into regular classrooms and communities. Barriers to inclusive education include negative attitudes, physical barriers in schools, rigid curriculums, unprepared teachers, and language issues.

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Rea Mariz Jordan
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
3K views

Ped04-Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education: Exclusive For SLSU Gumaca Students Use Only

This document defines special education and inclusive education. Special education is designed to meet the needs of students with special needs through individualized teaching and support. Inclusive education means that all students attend their neighborhood schools and are supported to learn alongside their peers. The ultimate goal of special education is to integrate students with special needs fully into regular classrooms and communities. Barriers to inclusive education include negative attitudes, physical barriers in schools, rigid curriculums, unprepared teachers, and language issues.

Uploaded by

Rea Mariz Jordan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 27

PED04- FOUNDATION OF SPECIAL

AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Exclusive for SLSU Gumaca students


use only

Compiled by:
REA MARIZ I. JORDAN, LPT

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
1 DEFINITION,
SCOPE OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE
GOALS, AND

EDUCATION

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of concepts related to inclusive and special


education that promotes supportive environments to diverse learners (like inclusion,
integration, mainstream, transition, etc.)
2. Demonstrate knowledge of responsive special and inclusive education programs for
diverse learners;

WHAT IS SPECIAL EDUCATION?

It is the practice of educating students with special needs in a way that addresses their
individual differences.

This process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement
of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials and accessible settings.

Inclusive education means that all students attend and are welcomed by their
neighbourhood schools in age-appropriate, regular classes and are supported to learn,
contribute and participate in all aspects of the life of the school.

Inclusion in education is an approach to educating students with special educational


needs. ... Inclusion rejects the use of special schools or classrooms to separate students
with disabilities from students without disabilities.

Inclusive education means different and diverse students learning side by side in the same
classroom. They enjoy field trips and after-school activities together. They participate in
student government together. ... Inclusive education values diversity and the unique
contributions each student brings to the classroom.

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
SPECIAL EDUCATION
• An educational program/service designed to meet the needs of children with special needs
who cannot profit from general or regular education because of disabilities or exceptional
abilities.

Goals of Special Education

The ultimate goal of special education shall be the integration or mainstreaming of learners
with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community.

Special Education shall aim to develop the maximum potential of the child with special needs
to enable him to become self-reliant and shall be geared towards providing him with the
opportunities for a full and happy life.

Objectives of Special Education


The specific objectives of special education shall be the development and maximization of
learning competencies, as well as the inculcation of values to make the learners with special
needs a useful and effective member of society

ULTIMATE GOAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

The integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular
school system and eventually into the community.

Benefits of Inclusive Education

All children benefit from inclusive education. It allows them to:

 Develop individual strengths and gifts, with high and appropriate expectations for
each child.
 Work on individual goals while participating in the life of the classroom with other
students their own age.
 Involve their parents in their education and in the activities of their local schools.
 Foster a school culture of respect and belonging. Inclusive education provides
opportunities to learn about and accept individual differences, lessening the impact of
harassment and bullying.
 Develop friendships with a wide variety of other children, each with their own
individual needs and abilities.
 Positively affect both their school and community to appreciate diversity and
inclusion on a broader level.

Why is inclusive education important?

Inclusive systems provide a better quality education for all children and are instrumental in
changing discriminatory attitudes. Schools provide the context for a child’s first relationship
with the world outside their families, enabling the development of social relationships and

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
interactions. Respect and understanding grow when students of diverse abilities and
backgrounds play, socialize, and learn together.

Education that excludes and segregates perpetuates discrimination against traditionally


marginalized groups. When education is more inclusive, so are concepts of civic participation,
employment, and community life.

Isn’t it better to separate children who need specialized attention?

Separate, special education provides no guarantee of success for children who need special
attention; inclusive schools that provide supportive, context-appropriate conditions for
learning demonstrate far better outcomes. Extracurricular activities, peer support, or more
specialized interventions involve the entire school community working as a team.

What are the basic elements of inclusive education?

 Use of teaching assistants or specialists: These staff have the potential to be inclusive
or divisive. For instance, a specialist who helps teachers address the needs of all
students is working inclusively. A specialist who pulls students out of class to work
with them individually on a regular basis is not.
 Inclusive curriculum: An inclusive curriculum includes locally relevant themes and
contributions by marginalized and minority groups. It avoids binary narratives of
good and bad, and allows adapting the curriculum to the learning styles of children
with special education needs.
 Parental involvement: Most schools strive for some level of parental involvement, but
it is often limited to emails home and occasional parent–teacher conferences. In a
diverse school system, inclusion means thinking about multiple ways to reach out to
parents on their own terms.

How can we advance inclusive education?

To make inclusive education a reality we need to do the following:

 ensure that educators have the training, flexibility, and resources to teach
students with diverse needs and learning styles
 ensure that kindergartens and schools receive adequate and sustainable
financial support so that all activities and services are fully inclusive
 empower parents to assert their children’s right to education in inclusive
settings
 enable the entire community—including mainstream and special educators,
social workers, parents, and students—to work together and participate in the
design, delivery, and monitoring of education, thereby reframing inclusive
education as a shared responsibility
 hold governments accountable for implementing antidiscrimination legislation,
legal mandates for inclusion, and policies to remove barriers

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
Barriers to Inclusive Education

Attitudes

The greatest barriers to inclusion are caused by society, not by particular medical
impairments. Negative attitudes towards differences result in discrimination and can lead to a
serious barrier to learning. Negative attitudes can take the form of social discrimination, lack
of awareness and traditional prejudices. Regarding disabled children some regions still
maintain established beliefs that educating the disabled is pointless. Often the problem is
identified as being caused by the child's differences rather than the education systems
shortcomings.

Physical Barriers

The vast majority of centres of learning are physically inaccessible to many learners,
especially to those who have physical disabilities. In poorer, particularly rural areas, the
centres of learning are often inaccessible largely because buildings are rundown or poorly
maintained. They are unhealthy and unsafe for all learners. Many schools are not equipped to
respond to special needs, and the community does not provide local backing. Environmental
barriers included: doors, passageways, stairs and ramps and recreational areas. A major
problem identified by many students is physically getting into school.

Curriculum

In any education system, the curriculum is one of the major obstacles or tools to facilitate the
development of more inclusive system. Curriculum is often unable to meet the needs of a
wide range of different learners. In many contexts, the curriculum is centrally designed and
rigid, leaving little flexibility for local adaptations or for teachers to experiment and try out
new approaches. The content might be distant to the reality in which the students live, and
therefore inaccessible and unmotivating.

Teachers

Teachers' abilities and attitudes can be major limitations for inclusive education. The training
of staff at all levels is often not adequate. Where there is training it often tends to be
fragmented, uncoordinated and inadequate. If teachers do not have positive attitudes towards
learners with special needs, it is unlikely that these children will receive satisfactory
education.

Language and communication

Teaching and learning often takes place through a language which is not the first language of
some learners. This places these learners, at a disadvantage and it often leads to significant
linguistic difficulties which contribute to learning breakdown. Second language learners are
particularly subject to low expectations and discrimination.

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
Socio-economic factors

Inadequacies and inequalities in the education system and are most evident in areas which
have sustained poverty and high levels of unemployment. The impact of violence and
HIV/AIDS can also have adverse effects.

Funding

A major constraint is serious shortages of resources – lack of schools or inadequate facilities,


lack of teachers and/or shortage of qualified staff, lack of learning materials and absence of
support. The inadequacy of resources available to meet the basic needs in education is a
pervasive theme.

Organisation of the education system

Education systems are often centralised and this can inhibit change and initiative.
Responsibility for decisions tends to be located at the highest level and the focus of
management remains orientated towards employees complying with rules rather than on
ensuring quality service delivery. There is also a lack of information within many systems
and often there is not an accurate picture of the number of learners excluded from the school
system. Only a small percentage of learners who are categorised as having ‘special needs'
receive appropriate education in ordinary schools or special settings and there is no support
available for those learners who are outside the system. Existing provision after primary
school is inadequate to meet the needs.

Policies as barriers

Policy makers who do not understand or accept the concept of inclusive education are a
barrier to the implementation of inclusive policies. In some countries there may still exist
policies that facilitate the possibility for authorities to declare that some children are
‘uneducatable'.

THESE ARE THE PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE QUALITY INCLUSIVE


EDUCATION

All children belong.

Inclusive education is based on the simple idea that every child and family is valued equally
and deserves the same opportunities and experiences. Inclusive education is about children
with disabilities – whether the disability is mild or severe, hidden or obvious – participating
in everyday activities, just like they would if their disability were not present. It’s about
building friendships, membership and having opportunities just like everyone else.

All children learn in different ways.

Inclusion is about providing the help children need to learn and participate in meaningful
ways. Sometimes, help from friends or teachers works best. Other times, specially designed
materials or technology can help. The key is to give only as much help as needed.

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
It is every child’s right to be included.

Inclusive education is a child’s right, not a privilege. The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act clearly states that all children with disabilities should be educated with non-
disabled children their own age and have access to the general education curriculum.

Common Misconceptions About Inclusive Education

Some opinions about inclusive education are based on unsound information. Three common
myths about inclusion are:

Myth 1:Separate is better.

Reality: Segregation doesn’t work. Whether children are separated based on race,
ability, or any other characteristic, a separate education is not an equal education. Research
shows that typical children and children with disabilities learn as much or more in inclusive
classes.

Myth 2: Children must be “ready” to be included.

Reality: All children have to the right to be with other children their own age. A
child with disabilities does not have to perform at a certain grade level or act exactly like the
other children in their class to benefit from being a full-time member in general education.

Myth 3: Parents don’t support inclusive education.

Reality: Parents have been and continue to be the driving force for inclusive
education. The best outcomes occur when parents of children with disabilities and
professionals work together. Effective partnerships happen when there is collaboration,
communication and, most of all, TRUST between parents and professionals.

Making Inclusion a Reality

What you can do to promote inclusion for your child:

1. Encourage your child to participate in activities where she can meet


children her same age with different abilities.
2. When looking for activities, consider your child’s interests. The local school,
library, and recreation or community centers are good places to check out. You
also may want to consider national organizations that encourage diversity, such
as 4-H Clubs or Girl Scouts of America.
3. Search the Internet for activities or organizations that your child may
want to join.
4. Two community Web sites with numerous resources are The Family Village
and Kids Together: Information for Children and Adults with Disabilities.
5. Help your child develop friendships with classmates or other
neighborhood children.

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
6. Set up opportunities for your child to be with children he likes or children who
show an interest in him. Teach your child how to make and keep friends. For
other recommendations, visit the article Let’s Play Together: Fostering
Friendships Between Children with and Without Disabilities.
7. Share your goals and expectations for your child.
8. Before you meet with the school and decide upon your child’s Individualized
Education Plan (IEP), meet with his teachers, therapists and others to discuss
your goals, expectations, and future placement preferences for him.
9. Know the rights you and your child have to an inclusive education.
10. For more information on your rights, visit the article Family Rights: The
Educational Rights of Children with Disabilities.

What schools can do to promote successful inclusive education:

1. Consider inclusive education first.


2. Special education services can be provided in many different settings. Schools
are required to consider the general education class before considering any
other setting for your child to receive special education services.
3. Support each child’s learning.
4. Teachers support learning in inclusive classrooms in three ways. First, they
teach so that students with differing abilities and learning styles can understand
and participate. Second, they modify assignments when they are too difficult.
Third, they model respect and encourage friendships.

What families can do when they meet resistance in accessing inclusive education
for their children:

1. Get and share information.


2. Some schools do not support a family’s desire for inclusion, because they are
used to providing special education services to students in separate classes. Or
they may not understand how to make inclusion work for all children. Visit
general education classes and separate classes for students with disabilities.
Carefully explain to your child’s teachers, principal or IEP team why you
believe inclusive education would be best for your child. Share information
with your child’s school about the benefits of inclusive education.
3. Enlist the help of others.
4. Sometimes it is helpful to bring in an expert or advocate. This person will make
sure that your preferences about your child’s placement are heard. This person
can also help explain the benefits of inclusive education and how to make it
happen in your child’s school. You may find someone to help by contacting
advocacy organizations, special education parent groups in your child’s school,
and local colleges with teacher training programs.
5. Become your child’s advocate.
6. It takes time and energy to make inclusion happen in a school that is resistant
to change. Stay focused on what you believe is best for your child. Listen
carefully to the arguments against your child’s inclusion in a general education

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
class and use what you learn to advocate for change. For example, if you are
told that your child is not ready for the general education class, ask what
supports could be provided to help make her successful in the class.

EXCEPTIONALITY

An individual or a child who has an exceptionality has some area of functioning in which he
or she is significantly different from an established norm.
This definition includes both students with disabilities and those with special gifts or talents.

1. learning disabilities
2. developmental delays
3. emotional and behavioral disorders
4. communication disorders
5. hearing disabilities
6. visual impairments
7. physical disabilities

13 CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AS DEFINED BY INDIVIDUALS WITH


DISABILITIES

1. SPECIAL LEARNING DISABILITY

The umbrella term “SLD” covers a


specific group of learning challenges. These
conditions affect a child’s ability to read, write,
listen, speak, reason, or do math.

a. DYSLEXIA

It is mainly a problem with reading accurately


and fluently.

A key sign of dyslexia in kids is trouble


decoding words. They’re having a hard time
matching letters to sounds and then use that skill
to read words accurately and fluently.

b. DYSGRAPHIA

 It is an issue with a set of skills known as transcription.These skills include handwriting,


typing, and spelling.
 One of the main signs of dysgraphia is messy handwriting.
 Trouble forming letters can make it hard to learn spelling. That’s why many kids with
dysgraphia are poor spellers.

c. DYSCALCULIA

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
 It is a learning disability in math.
 Kids with dyscalculia can have trouble with quantities and concepts like bigger and
smaller. They may also struggle with math symbols and more complex math.
 Kids with dyscalculia also have trouble in remembering math facts. Or they may
understand the logic behind math, but not how or when to apply what they know to solve
math problems.

d. AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER

It is a condition that makes it hard for kids to recognize subtle differences between
sounds in words. It affects their ability to process what other people are saying.

e. NON-VERBAL LEARNING DISABILITIES

Kids with NVLD have trouble understanding communication that isn’t verbal. That
includes body language, tone of voice and facial expressions.

2. ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

It involves a group of key skills known as executive function. Executive function


impacts the ability to focus, organize, use working memory, and other skills.

3. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

 It is neuro-developmental disorder that causes difficulty with social interaction and


communication.
 They may also have trouble with perseveration.

4. EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE

This may include anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-


compulsive disorder, and depression.

5. SPEECH OR LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT

This covers trouble in pronouncing words or making sounds with the voice.

6. VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

A child who has eyesight problems is considered to have a visual impairment.

7. DEAFNESS

These are kids who can’t hear most or all sounds, even with a hearing aid.

8.HEARING IMPAIRMENT

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
9. DEAF-BLINDNESS

Kids with a diagnosis of deaf-blindness have both severe hearing and vision loss.

10. ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT

Kids lack function or ability in their bodies. An example is cerebral palsy.

11. INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Below-average intellectual ability.

12. TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

It is caused by an accident or some kind of physical force.

13. MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

 The child has more than one condition covered by IDEA.


 Having multiple issues creates educational needs that can’t be met in a program
designed for any one disability.

FACTS and FIGURES

 Children with disabilities who are in school are about101, 762 (2011-2011).
 Children with disabilities are still combating educational exclusion
 97.3%ofthem are still unreached.
 About 5,916 are mainstreamed in regular classes.

EDUCATION POLICIES

• The right to education is a basic human right.


• All children and youth shall have access to quality
education.

BRIEF HISTORY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

1908 - School for deaf in Harrison, Pasay City


June 1963 - Republic Act No. 3562 - promotes the education of the blind which resulted to
the establishment of the Philippine National School for the Blind
1964 - Philippine Normal College offered courses in SPED for teaching the blind
1952 - Philippine Women's University started a SPED school for mentally handicapped
children
1957 - All children from this school were transferred to the Special Child Study Center in
Cubao, Q.C.

REPUBLIC ACT 7277


(MAGNA CARTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS)

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
It is an Act providing for the rehabilitation, self- development and self-reliance of disabled
persons and their integration into the mainstream of society.

In support of this legislation, the Department of Education has directed all school divisions in
the country to establish Special Education centers.

REPUBLIC ACT 5250

It is an act establishing a ten-year training program for teachers of special and exceptional
children in the Philippines and authorizing the appropriation of funds thereof.

WHAT IS INCLUSION?

 Reaching out to all learners


 Addressing and responding to diversity of needs of all children, youth and adults
 Involves changes and modification in content, approaches, structures and strategies

PROCESS Of INCLUSION

PHILIPPINE MODEL of INCLUSION

Partial mainstreaming towards inclusion


- students are educated in regular classes at least half the day
- receive additional help or specialized services
- pull-out

Full mainstreaming or inclusion


- complete regular instruction
- receive all special service in general classroom

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

It is a document developed by a team of persons from the child’s attending school systems
who have a direct relationship to helping the student with special needs to be able to reach his
full potential.

APPROACHES TO MAKE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION WORK IN REGULAR


SCHOOLS

Establishment of a SPED Center which will function as a Resource Center


-Support children with special needs enrolled in regular schools
- Conduct of in-service trainings for regular teachers and administrators
- Conduct assessment of children with disabilities
- Produce appropriate teaching materials

Information, Dissemination and Education


- Explanation of concepts
- In-service trainings
- Continuous orientation of the school personnel and pupils in inclusive schools

Strengthening the Support Services which include the following:


-Hiring of trained SPED teachers
-Provision of specialists like physical therapist, speech therapist and other specialists
-Hiring of teacher-aids
- Implementation of the “buddy” system
- Provisions of instructional materials and equipments.

Parent and Community Involvement


- Provision of parent education
-Involvement of families / communities of people with disabilities
- Linkage with other Gos and NGOs

ALTERNATIVE MODELS

1. COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION SERVICES / PROGRAM

2. HOME-BASED INSTRUCTION FOR THE HANDICAPPED

3. VOCATIONAL PROGRAM
CONCERNS BESETTING SPED PROGRAMS

 Inadequate Special Education Services Throughout The Country


 Limited Facilities, Materials And Equipment For Systematic And Scientific Early
Identification And Screening Procedure
 Early Intervention Program Is Not Sufficient
 Fast Turn-over Of Special Education Teachers
 Imbalance Between The Demand And Supply For SPED-trained Personnel
 Attitudinal Barrier
 Lack of Coordination Among Government Agencies in the Provision of Programs and

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
 Services
 Death of Researches and Studies about Children with Special Needs

SOCIAL BENEFITS

Creates positive social and attitudinal changes in both regular and disadvantaged children
such as:

a. Reducing and eliminating prejudices against disabled children


b. Improving self-concept or self-esteem
c. Growth in social cognition
d. Encouraging greater participation in social progress

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

• There is higher simple and functional literacy rates.


• There is higher employment participation rate.
• Enable children to become independent and productive in later years

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
ACTIVITY NO. 1

Name:
Course and Year:
REFLECTION

What the video How a 13 year old changed ‘Impossible’ to ‘I’m Possible’ and write your
thoughts and reflection about the video (20pts)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC0hlK7WGcM&t=162s

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
ACTIVITY NO. 2

Name:
Course and Year:

1. Does the "No Child Left Behind Act" really promote inclusive education? What is
your opinion? (5pts)

2. What do you think are the role of teachers or mentors in inculcating ethics and
values among learners? (5pts)

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
2 BASES AND POLICIES OF
SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
OBJECTIVES:

At end of the period, the students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of the philosophies, theories, and legal bases of special and
inclusive education including its application;
2. Demonstrate knowledge of policies, guidelines and procedures that provide safe and
secure learning environments for learners with special needs; and

A. REVIEW OF THE BASES

Psychology plays an important role in what we do on a day-to-day basis, and this is


especially true for students. How we learn and incorporate information is directly influenced
by psychology, whether we know it or not. Educational psychology is the study of how
humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the
psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. It is
concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing on subgroups such as gifted
children and those subject to specific disabilities. Understanding the various theories of
learning as well as your personal learning style can help you better understand information
and develop positive study habits.

Education and Theories of Learning

Within the realm of psychology, there are several theories that help explain the ways in which
people learn. By understanding these concepts, students are better able to understand and
capitalize on how they acquire knowledge in school. Behaviorism is based on both classical
conditioning (in which a stimulus is conditioned to create a response) and operant
conditioning (in which behavior is reinforced through a particular reward or punishment). For
example, if you study for your psychology test and receive a grade of A, you are rewarded; in
theory, this makes it more likely that you will study in the future for your next test.

Cognitivism is the idea that people develop knowledge and meaning through the sequential
development of several cognitive processes, including recognition, reflection, application,
and evaluation. For example, you read your psychology textbook (recognition), you ponder
what the ideas mean (reflection), you use the ideas in your everyday life (application) and

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
then you are tested on your knowledge (evaluation). All of these processes work together to
help you develop prior knowledge and integrate new concepts.

Constructivism is the concept of constructing new ideas based on previous knowledge. For
example, our prior experiences with a situation help us to understand new experiences and
information. Piaget is most famous for his work in constructivism, and many Montessori
schools are based on the constructivist school of thought.

Types of Learners

People also learn in a variety of ways. Styles of learning are generally grouped into three
primary categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Although most people are a combination
of these three types, we tend to have a particular strength in one area. Knowing your strongest
learning type can help you learn in the most effective way; depending on your learning style,
you’ll want to tweak your study skills to get the most of your education.

 Visual learners usually use objects such as flashcards or take and reread lecture notes.
Visual learners will highlight important passages in books or draw pictures/diagrams of
ideas to help better understand the concepts.
 Auditory learners understand concepts best by listening; many will record a lecture and
play it back to further understand the lesson. Many auditory learners will read aloud
and tend to do well on oral, rather than written, exams.
 Kinesthetic learners (related to kinesthesia) do best when they act out or repeat
something several times. Role-plays, experiments, and hands-on activities are great
ways for kinesthetic learners to understand and remember concepts.

Learning Disabilities and Special Education

Special-education programs are designed to help children with disabilities obtain an


education equivalent to their non-disabled peers.

There are a variety of learning disabilities that require special assistance in order to help
children learn effectively. Special education is the practice of educating students with
disabilities or special needs in an effective way that addresses their individual differences and
needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored
arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings.
Some forms of support include specialized classrooms; teacher’s aides; and speech,
occupational, or physical therapists.

Special-education interventions are designed to help learners with special needs achieve a
higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and their community than may
be available if they were only given access to a typical classroom education. Certain laws and
policies are designed to help children with learning disabilities obtain an education equivalent
to their non-disabled peers.

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Types of Learning Disabilities

Intellectual Disabilities

An intellectual disability, or general learning disability, is a generalized disorder appearing


before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits
in two or more adaptive behaviors (such as self-help, communication, or interpersonal skills).
Intellectual disabilities were previously referred to as mental retardation (MR)—though this
older term is being used less frequently—which was historically defined as an intelligence
quotient (IQ) score under 70. There are different levels of intellectual disability, from mild to
moderate to severe.

ADHD

Attention -deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered a type of learning disability.


This disability is characterized by difficulty with focusing, paying attention, and controlling
impulses. Children with ADHD may have trouble sitting in their seat and focusing on the
material presented, or their distractions may keep them from fully learning and understanding
the lessons. To be diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), symptoms must be observed in multiple settings for six
months or more and to a degree that is much greater than others of the same age. They must
also cause problems in the person’s social, academic, or work life.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by


limitations in language and social skills. While previously divided into different disorders, the
DSM-5 now uses the term ASD to include autism, Asperger syndrome, childhood
disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-
NOS). Language difficulties related to ASD will sometimes make it hard for the child to
interact with teachers and peers or themselves in the classroom. Deficits in social skills can
interfere with the development of appropriate peer relationships, and repetitive behaviors can
be obsessive and interfere with a child’s daily activities. Although many children with ASD
display normal intelligence, they may require special support due to other symptoms of the
disorder.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is characterized by difficulty with learning to read or write fluently and with
accurate comprehension, despite normal intelligence. This includes difficulty with
phonological awareness, phonological decoding, processing speed, auditory short-term
memory, and/or language skills or verbal comprehension. Dyslexia is the most recognized of
reading disorders; however not all reading disorders are linked to dyslexia.

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Laws for Children with Disabilities

Two laws exist to help ensure that children with learning disabilities receive the same level of
education as children without disabilities: IDEA and Section 504.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides federal funding to states to
be put toward the educational needs of children with disabilities. IDEA, which covers 13
categories of disability, has two main components: Free and Appropriate Public Education
(FAPE) and an Individual Education Program (IEP). In addition to the disabilities listed
above, IDEA covers deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delays, hearing impairments,
emotional disturbance, orthopedic or other health impairment, speech or language impairment,
traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment (including blindness).

The Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) component of IDEA makes it mandatory
for schools to provide free and appropriate education to all students, regardless of intellectual
level and disability. FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized for a
specific child, designed to meet that child’s unique needs, and from which the child receives
educational benefit. An Individual Education Program (IEP) is developed for each child who
receives special education; each plan consists of individualized goals for the child to work
toward, and these plans are re-evaluated annually.

IDEA also advocates for the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), which means that—to the
greatest extent possible—a student who has a disability should have the opportunity to be
educated with non-disabled peers, have access to the general-education curriculum, and be
provided with supplementary aids and services necessary to achieve educational goals if
placed in a setting with non-disabled peers.

Section 504

Section 504 is a civil-rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. All
students with disabilities are protected by Section 504, even if they are not provided for by
IDEA. Section 504 states that schools must ensure that a student with a disability is educated
among peers without disabilities. A re-evaluation is required prior to any significant changes
in a child’s placement, and a grievance procedure is in place for parents who may not agree
with their child’s educational placement.

PHILOSOPHICAL BASES OF SPECIAL NEEDS AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Definition: Inclusive Education


The school and classroom operate on the premise that the students with disabilities are as
fundamentally competent as students without disabilities. Therefore, all students can be full
participants in their classrooms and in local school community (Alquraini & Gut, 2012).

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
Philosophical Foundation

 All the efforts to uphold the rights and dignity of children with disabilities
primarily root from the philosophical understanding of man.

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION - should have the rights as normal children do - must


NOT be isolated nor be looked down - must be treated as persons of dignity - needs should be
provided

BASIC PHILOSOPHY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION


“Every child with special needs has a right to an educational program that is suitable to his
needs.” “Special education shares with regular education basic responsibilities of the
educational system to fulfill the right of the child to develop to his full potential.”

Special Education Division Philippines Memorandum:

Special Education Division Philippines Memorandum: Special education refers to the


education of persons who are GIFTED OR TALENTED and those who have PHYSICAL,
MENTAL, SOCIAL OR SENSORY IMPAIRMENT AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES so
as to require modifications of the school curricula, programs and special services and
physical facilities to develop them to their maximum capacity.

These persons may be gifted/talented, fast learner, mentally retarded, visually impaired,
hearing impaired, with behavior problems, orthopedically handicapped, with special health
problems, learning disabled, speech impaired or multiply handicapped.

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Philosophies of Special Needs and Inclusive Education in Philippine setting and to other
countries

• Palliser Regional Schools agrees that students with exceptional needs must be dull
participants in the school and society. The regular classroom is viewed as the most
enabling environment for the student with exceptional needs because of the increased
opportunity to participate with same-aged peers without exceptional needs. Inclusion,
by definition, refers not merely to setting, but to specially designed instruction and
support for students with special supports and service needs in regular classrooms and
community schools.

 In striving to educate as many children as possible and with limited funds to build a
separate special education infrastructure to cater to the needs of the children with
disabilities, inclusive education was officially adopted in 1997 by the Department of
Education in the Philippines as a visible educational alternative

LEGAL BASES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Commonwealth Act No. 3203


In 1935, a provision in this Act for the care and protection of disabled children. Articles 356
and 259 of the Civil Code of the Philippines mention “ the right of every child to live in an
atmosphere conclusive to his physical, moral and intellectual development”, and the
concomitant duty of the government to “promote the full growth of the faculties of every
child”.

The Declaration of the Rights of the Child


This declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959, affirmed that
mankind owes to the child the best it has to give. One of the principles concerned with the
education of children with special needs runs:

“ The child who is physically, mentally or visually handicapped shall be given the special
treatment, education that are required of his particular condition.”

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Republic Act Nos. 3562 and 5250
Approved on June 13, 1968 respectively, these Acts provided that teachers, administrators,
and supervisors of special education should be trained by the Department of Education and
impoverished.

Presidential Decree No. 603 (PD 603)


The Child and Youth Welfare Code, Article 3, Rights of the Child. Equally important is
Article 74 which provides for the creation of special classes. The Article reads: “Where needs
warrant, there shall be at least one special class in every province, and if possible, special
schools for the physically handicapped, the mentally retarded, the emotionally-disturbed and
the specially gifted.”

Republic Act 7277


Approved on January 22, 1992, Republic Act 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for
Disabled Persons affirms the full participation and total integration of persons with
disabilities into the mainstream of our society.

General Principles in Special Education

 Each child has a Right to Education.


 Equal opportunity assurance of quality education to all regardless of their assessed
needs will be fully met. Placing a handicapped student in a normal setting is only the
first step to integration.
 Educational resources for handicapped students should be comparable to those
available for non-handicapped students and appropriate to meet the special needs of
those children, since these needs have often been long neglected or received unduly
low priority.

Special Education services should be:


 Individualized, that is based on the assessed and agreed needs of the child.
 Locally accessible, that is within reasonable traveling distance of the pupil’s house or
residence.
 Comprehensive, that is serving all persons with special needs irrespective of degree of
handicap, such that no child of school age is excluded from educational provision on
the grounds of severity or handicap or receives educational services significantly
inferior to those enjoyed by other students.
 Educational services should be made available to children below school age and be
educationally and developmentally oriented. Home visiting services should be
available starting from the first weeks of life.
 Educational opportunities should also be provided to adolescents and adults, at least
on the same scale as to all others in the community. Abigail had little formal
schooling but a quick wit and was a colorful writer.
 Comprehensive programming for disabled persons will require a full range of services:
health, social welfare, rehabilitation, employment and placement.
 Failure to educate and train handicapped persons in proportion equal to the provision
of services for the non-handicapped, because of the problem being perceived as a
lower priority, results in later expensive programs to care for the untreated disabled.

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
Further handicapping conditions results because of the under-development and
dependency.

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
ACTIVITY NO. 3

Name:

Course and Year:


RESEARCH WORK

Make an additional Research on the various bases of Special and Inclusive Education that is
not included in the module: Physiological, Psychological, Historical/ Sociocultural and legal.
(20pts)

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
ACTIVITY NO. 4

Name:

Course and Year:

REFLECTION
Watch the video clip “Three letters from teddy.” Write a reflection about the video: your
thoughts and what you have learned. Be ready on our discussion about the video clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xkQHh0HUxU

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
PERFORMANCE TASK NO. 1

Name:

Course and Year:

The class will be divided into 5 groups. Make a scenario (role playing) on how a future
teacher must treat or teach a child with special needs. Time limit is 3-5mins. (100pts)

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PED04- Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education

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