The Problem of Access to Education for Children with Disabilities - Essay Example

Task Inclusive Education and SEN Introduction In accordance, to research undertaken by UNICEF, offspring and adults with disability bear a formidable difficulty, in accessing basic education in typical schools (Peters 2003, 1). The problem can, therefore, be considered a dismal problem as education is considered a fundamental liberty. Different countries around the globe offer different educational opportunities to the impaired individuals in relation to the opportunities presented to non-disabled persons (Peters 2003, 1). In view of all this, the definitive purpose of education for persons in the group context may not be fully achieved. Over the years, different nations have built systems that take care of associates with disabilities. The SEN and inclusion programs have developed a call for the liberty to education for disabled persons in response. The two bear complex linkages through various aspects such as policy interpretation, individual experiences and civic voices. The people in support of the inclusion systems for children with exceptional needs have brought out the idea that inclusive edification becomes essential for all children involved in the learning process. They additionally argue that differences can be a preserve that can be utilized in society development. The implication of all this is that inclusive edification offers to address the learning requirements for all individuals bearing an explicit concentration on the persons susceptible to marginalization and segregation. Inclusion of the people bearing additional needs in the education systems functions as the best or most effective step towards the prevention of discriminatory mindsets, creation of friendly communal backgrounds, developing or transforming the discriminatory society into an all inclusive society and finally achieving the edification goal for every person (Aniftos & McLuskie 2004, 2). The inclusion system implies that democracy has achieved societal action throughout the curriculum offered to all children despite their physical health. Democracy in education has to gain positive attitudes from all people, and the general populace has to be geared up to identify, and value the exceptional uniqueness of every person. Introduction of inclusive learning is meant to bring total transformation in the educational system and build a model through has greater orientation regarding inclusive ideas. To this effect, advanced intellect institutions have to come up with and incorporate new familiarity concerning inclusive learning supervision. The inclusion system raises concerns for teachers on its practicalities and the anomalies that it presents. The concerns have in response has led to development of mind-sets towards children with additional needs since most of them attain low on standard assessments (Robertson 2008, 9). Bearing in thoughts that regular education got strategically designed for typical children, the inclusion of children bearing additional needs means that certain features of special education have to be incorporated into regular education, in an attempt to cater for the assorted learners. The practices may offer barriers to effective learning for other learners even though such practices may seem effective for miniature groups of persons having disabilities (Aniftos & McLuskie 2004, 2). The fact that the traditional models have worked for unique people in the past may be biased taking into thought the recent periods. The medical and social paradigms are the two divergent models of disability that are considered most crucial. The models aim at conveying a better comprehension of disability taking into thought diverse, fundamental aspects. The medical model brings the implication that disability is a personal problem. According to this model, somebody bearing impairment either eyesight, earshot or mobility impairment gets considered as their disabilities. The model can also be referred to as the personal tragedy paradigm considering that it regards the complexities that impaired persons undergo as being brought about by the manners in which their bodies are formed and encountered (Carson 2009, 8). The medical model influences the manner in which persons having impairments experience about their selves. Most of these individuals bear at heart and mind that overall problems experienced by them come from not bearing standard bodies. The model can also direct to the perception that disabled people cannot take part in communal activities due to their bodily impairments. The internal oppression presented by such feelings lead to the possibility that disabled people never dispute their segregation from typical society. The medical model aims at curing disability rather than curing the setting that restricts the disabled from participating fully in social proceedings. The model places dilemma and limitations caused by disability purposefully in the hands of these individuals. The social model is a creation by the disabled people in a bid to make the rest of the populace to understand disability. The model perceives persons bearing disabilities as not being disabled and that the community contributes towards the impairment of the disabled people (Shakespeare & Watson 2002, 3). Persons having disabilities are usually prevented from partaking in social activities mainly due to the barriers brought about by the society. Therefore, the statement suggests that people having disabilities can still carry out certain social activities provided they are not subjected to social prejudices. The social model became considered a societal response to them. It still concerns their experience in relation to health, and welfare structure which led to social isolation and oppression. According to the social model, the society has the obligation to satisfy the requirements of the disabled similarly to the manner in which it has adjusted itself to satisfy the requirements of people with no disabilities in every aspect of human existence. The social model aims at granting assistance to persons bearing disabilities through a transformation of the environment or setting in which they live together, toil and carry out other necessary undertakings. The group becomes familiar to the predicaments that the society has bestowed upon them and appreciates the necessity for a struggle to cure the society rather than curing the individuals (Shakespeare & Watson 2002, 4). The social model approach serving as a constructive approach towards disability presents no blame towards disability, therefore, serving as a huge advantage towards achieving inclusion within the populace in place of segregation. With respect to the social model, disability gets presented as an unequal relationship in a societal context where the requirements of impaired persons obtain miniature or no consideration (Carson 2009, 11). The model implies that impaired persons are considered disabled in the sense that the get segregated from partaking in the community mainstreams given the bodily, organizational and positional obstacles (Carson 2009, 11). Barriers in societal contexts can be eliminated through the provision of practical modification bringing constructive impacts on lives of many individuals. This means that discrimination can be eliminated adequately through the eradication of barriers that exist within the society through support from non-disabled individuals. Taking into thought the social model, every disabled person bears the privilege to coexist with the rest of the community without any segregation and the society must initiate transformations to incorporate these individuals (Carson, 2009, 29). According to Green & Hardman, there are about 11 categories of disability of children. There would be those children with speech defects, physically handicapped or even blind. Some would be maladjusted, partially deaf, delicate and diabetic. There are those that would be educationally sub normal, partially sighted and epileptic. The deaf, blind and the handicapped need special schools because they got affected at given stage in their lives (Green & Hardman, 2005, 221).Sources of information that can be used as evidence of a child can be obtained from a variety of sources that are globally known. Charts of normative development are major sources of such information. They are used as a tool to assess the child’s development. These charts give what children do at various ages. Therefore, any child who seems not able to do some activities is confirmed to have a disability. For example, the first word from a child should occur between 12-18 months and consequent progress should occur. At around 3-6 months, the child should laugh and even squeal. Hence, at various stages, a child who seems not to be doing as expected should be examined for disability (Tassoni, 2003, 50). Health visitor would also be used to collect information about the child who is disabled. This is made possible because these individuals would have information about the child’s progress. Their records can be used and conclusions made on the child’s development progress. Any peculiar behave or conditions can also be gotten from the same records. The parents of the child especially the mother would assist in providing information on the child’s condition within short periods. Therefore, they should be interrogated to provide full information that would assist the practitioner and specialist to formulate strategies aimed at helping the child. An IEP is a special plan written for the main purpose of giving the services required by students who have difficulties in learning. One of the IEP purposes is pre-lesson preparation. This aspect enables the concerned teacher to prepare in terms of materials for use in the classroom. It also serves as guidance in carrying out the whole exercise. Secondly, the IEP serves as an in- class support. In this context, it serves the purpose of designing an appropriate learning environment. In addition, it also maintains conducive learning environment. Thirdly, it aid in withdrawal of lessons. This helps in the formulation of instruction for small groups to complement programs aimed at providing IEP. (Rayner 2007, 154). Individual education support has many purpose that serve to assists specialists in their work. IEPs would be used as action plans for the purpose of benefiting the child. They enable analysis of various strategies by parents and practitioners. Secondly, they assist parents and practitioners to put effort and give their support appropriately. Next is that, they give all information about and relation to the condition of the child. It also allows the child’s progress to be easily monitored by parents and practitioners. Finally, it gives information of strategies used and their effectiveness to professionals. The above purposes can be used for inclusion development within the institution where the child is found. As indicated in the purpose of IEP, professionals will work effectively if they have full information about the child. This information will be provided in the IEP plan. Therefore, it would serve as a guideline for the provision of support. Parents and practitioners would be interested in assisting the child to make developments in learning within institutions. This would only be possible if they would have full information about the procedure to use and their role in the process. After getting information, professionals give instruction to the practitioner that would be used in institutions. Likewise, practitioners talk to parents of children to assist them. Parents would have more information about children requiring support more than any other person. Therefore, they are better placed in implementing instructions given to them by the practitioners. At times, practitioners may feel that the child with special needs requires more assistance from outside. This would be possible if they would provide information in the IEPs, about what they have put in place towards the child and what achievement in terms of development has occurred. The IEPs would be assessed to know if appropriate and sufficient strategies have been going on within the institution. Information about frequent contacts with the parents would also be required from the same source. Good record keeping and frequent interaction with parents of children would be a key indicator of implementation of the plan that would be in place. Such would convince professionals to provide extra support when requested to do the same (Tassoni, 2003, 76). Children with a disability have to be made aware that they are not different form the other people around them. This would be ensured if they are provided with certain resources that would enable them play roles. Activities can be formulated with the main aim of making the children play roles. Young children participate in various activities that involve the following items; toys, dolls, puppets, clothes masks and even toy cars. These items present the children as role players and helps in directing their movements. Such items have been used by specialist to bring out the strengths in disabled children. It also develops the aspect of responsibility within them. Reading requires visual recall in children at early stages whether they are normal or disabled. The practitioner involved would use symbols that are recognizable by the children. Writing may require that children remember various shapes that they have seen or come across within their setting. This makes remembering easy and connection to whatever they would be writing would become easy. Various strategies would be used to achieve this goal. The practitioner would request children to play puzzles, sort shapes and even identify them. They would also encourage children participate in games that involve differentiating during action. Activities involving pictures would also aid in remembering and this would be important in learning (Tassoni, 2003, 98). The other resource strategy in child inclusion is introducing letters to the children. The practitioner involved would achieve this by having the names of the children on their tables and calling them when addressing them. They should also ensure that the objects used by the children are well labeled. He or she would also encourage the children to participate in writing which may involve painting their own names. The key areas of places like schools and houses should be boldly labeled. Key house item should also be presented to the children so that they have a physical view of them. For the children who cannot walk and using wheelchairs, efforts should be made to make them feel that they are equally good and can participate in activities such as singing and even cheering. They should be helped to make friends and always have people around to assist them. If there are other normal children, they should not discriminate them for any reason but instead should show love and friendship (Tettmer, 2002, 322). Conclusion Inclusion has sparkled public protest from most people within the society despite its contributions towards bringing democracy in all life aspects for people bearing dissimilar impairments. Inclusion has been aiming at showing value to all individuals despite their bodily impairments. Inclusion within the learning institution appears to be an imperative step headed for the realization of inclusion of disabled people into the society. Inclusion aims at stumping out the impediments that disabled people tackle in their daily lives through transformation of the societal perception of this group. Inclusion aims at reducing internal oppression for people bearing different forms of disabilities through the assessments that allow for practical application of the learnt concepts. IEPs aim at providing the required services for children bearing difficulties in understanding general learning through various planned activities. They can, therefore, be utilized in learning institution to effect the inclusive education. Different resources and strategies have to be put forward to support children with exceptional requirements for an effective inclusion program. References Aniftos, Michelle & McLuskie, Linda. On Track toward Inclusive Education. Accessed on Jan 13, 2012. Carson, Grant. The Social Model of Disability. Accessed on Jan 13, 201 Peters, Susan. Inclusive Education: Achieving Education For All By Including Those With Disabilities And Special Education Needs. Accessed on Jan 13, 2012. Dettmer, Penny, Thurston, Linda & Dyck, Norma (2002). Consultation, collaboration, and teamwork for students with special needs. Boston, Allyn and Bacon Green, Ken & Hardman, Ken (2005). Physical education: essential issues. London, Sage. Rayner, Steve. (2007). Managing special and inclusive education. London, Sage. Robertson, Christopher. Special Educational Needs and Inclusion. Accessed on Jan 13, 2012. Shakespeare, Tom & Watson, Nicholas. The social model of disability: an outdated Ideology? Accessed on Jan 13, 2012. < http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/Shakespeare/social%20model%20of%20disability.pdf > Tassoni, Penny (2003). Supporting special needs: understanding inclusion in the early years. Oxford, Heinemann. Read More