The Importance of Inclusion for Children with Learning Difficulties with the Provision of Special Education Services - Essay Example

The importance of inclusion for children with learning difficulties with the provision of special education services The ongoing debate as to whether or not children with learning difficulties should be kept in regular schools have gathered a lot of conflicting ideas. Advocates for inclusive schooling often points to the fundamentals of human rights to equal opportunity in championing their case in favour of inclusive schooling. They also pointed out studies which show that inclusive schooling not only reduces discrimination, it also help the government save money. Yet, despite general sway towards inclusive education, there are still concerns about the willingness of the parents to put their children in regular schools and the readiness of the teachers to accommodate children with learning difficulties in their regular classes. Pumfrey and Elliott, (1990) said that the theories regarding learning difficulties are often not couched in certain terms which leads to testable and refutable hypotheses. As it is, a theory that cannot be properly tested or refuted can lead one to conclude that one theory is just as good as another. For years, competing theories surfaced. Followers of these different theories often adapted opposing positions making it difficult to define learning disabilities and come up with clear and concise parameters as to what constitutes the same. Moreover, the diverse theories about learning disabilities created a host of terminologies associated with learning difficulties. Terminologies like minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, developmental dyslexia, learning disorder, specific learning difficulties and etc (Pumfrey and Elliott, 1990) are often used to describe learning difficulties. The number of terminologies associated with learning disability resulted in conflicting views. For instance, as far back as 1978, the Warnock Report (DES,1978) recognized that existence of children who had unexpected and unusual difficulties in literacy. However, the reported noted that the term ‘dyslexia’ is not appropriate to describe the nature of the disabilities of these children. According to the same report, it is more appropriate to use the term ‘specific learning difficulties’ to describe the learning problems of these children.(Reid ,2005). Aside from conflicting ideas on the appropriate use of terminologies, experts also differ in their views regarding the root cause of learning difficulties. Some advocates believe that learning difficulties can be attributed to both individual and intrinsic factors. According to Pumfrey and Elliott (1990: 20), learning difficulties is a “disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations.” This definition covers conditions such as “perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia” (Pumfrey and Elliott, 1990: 20). This definition, however, does not cover children with learning difficulties caused by visual, hearing or motor problems. Children whose learning abilities are impaired due to environmental, cultural or economic factors are also excluded under this definition. (Pumfrey and Elliott, 1990: 20). The idea that learning disabilities are caused by both individual and intrinsic factors are refuted by a number of scholars. These scholars are advocates of the constructive and social instruction theories which promote the idea that learning difficulties are not resulted from intrinsic or physical causes. Judith Watson, a notable advocate of these theories pointed out that learning difficulties can be linked to children’s educational experiences and their responses (Watson, 2000). The general belief here is that the attributes of individuals and students are not the root cause of learning difficulties but rather the social and institutional situations surrounding these children. As pointed out by advocates of these theories, children have the ability to learn when appropriate strategies are employed to teach them. Proper support from the educational institution also plays a vital role in the children’s learning. Due to the conflicting ideas regarding learning difficulties and their causes as well as the differences in the selection measures employed in the selection and identification of children with learning difficulties (Pumfrey and Elliott, 1990), there is an going debate as to whether or not these children who are diagnosed with learning difficulties should be included in the systems of general education or segregated into special schools. According to Ainscow & César, 2006; Meijer, 2004; Smeets, 2007 (cited in Ruijs& Peetsma, 2009) the international community favour inclusive education. The Salamanca statements were signed by 92 countries endorsing inclusive education. The Salamanca statements supported the belief that children with learning difficulties should be enrolled in regular schools that adopt child-centred pedagogy that is capable of meeting the needs of these learning challenged children. One of the Salamanca articles stressed that putting learning challenged children in regular schools with inclusive orientation is the most effective way to combat discrimination against children with learning difficulties. The Statement further reiterated that inclusive schools help create welcoming communities, build an inclusive society and achieve education for all. Ultimately, these type of schools can help create a more efficient and cost-effective educational system. (Articles 2.4 and 2.5, The Salamanca Statement, UNESCO, 1994, Ruijs & Peetsma, 2009). The fundamentals of human rights serve as the springboard for the shift towards inclusive education for children with learning difficulties. (Ruijs & Peetsma, 2009). Every child with learning difficulties has the right to be in included in the general education with the appropriate special education provision. According to Smelter, Rasch, & Yudewitz, 1994 (cited in Ruijs& Peetsma, 2009) inclusion involves keeping the children with learning disabilities under the environment of a regular classroom and providing them with support services that cater to their needs. In other words, you bring the services to the children and not the other way around. Hornby, Atkinson, and Howard,(1997) stress on the importance of providing the right kind of support to children with learning difficulties when they said that there is a possibility of reducing learning difficulties through early intervention. Riddell, Duffield, Brown and Ogilvy (1992) indicate that the withdrawal of students from schools in search of individual academic programs means that there is a need for intervention of special education. Accordingly, children with learning difficulties who are educated within the walls of a regular classroom tend to view themselves more positively thus they develop better self-imagine, higher self-esteem and as the same time develop stronger motivation to succeed. (Pierangelo & Giuliani, 2008). While there are many advocates for inclusion of children with learning difficulties in the mainstream educational system, some experts are cautious about the effects of integrating these children into general education. Carlberg and Cavale , (1980) (cited in Hornby et al. , 1997) say that integration is more favourable to children who have mild to moderate learning problems than to those kids who have more serious learning problems like dyslexia. Opponents of the special education provision and intervention believe that there is no special ways of teaching that can help special children learn successfully (Watson, 2000). Watson (2000) concluded that good teaching practices are applicable to pupils at all levels of abilities. Although the idea of applying general teaching practices to teach children at all levels of abilities, there is still a concern whether regular teachers are able to meet those students’ needs. According to Pfeiffer & Reddy, (1999) general education teachers often do not feel confident to teach kids with special needs. This situation poses complications in the implementation of appropriate inclusive schooling. Further complicating the situation is the fact that these teachers often do not get the right kind of training and support from their institutions, making it even more difficult for them to help students with learning difficulties achieve their full potentials. Because regular teachers feel inadequate to handle the special needs of children with learning disabilities, most of these teachers prefer to entrust the care of these children with learning difficulties to the learning support teachers whom they perceived to be more capable of educating these children (Riddell, 2006). An international research (OECD, 2005) corroborates this statement. The provision on special education in the general education does not only provide support to students with learning difficulties, it also helps bring down the government’s expenses on education. By allowing children with learning difficulties into the regular classrooms, the government is able to save a lot of money on overhead cost. According to Hornby at al., (1997), despite the fact that parents demand special education statements, the government only have limited funds for special education. Given this situation, not all children with special needs get the kind of special attention that they need. As a result, only those children whose parents are able to articulate the needs of their children get the resources that they need. Hornby at al., (1997) highlighted the fact that segregation programmes cost more that the integration programs. Since segregation programs costs a lot of money, many institutions cannot afford to run and maintain these types of programs. Private schools that offer special education programs are often too expensive for the working class. Since most pupils who experience difficulties come from poor families (Hornby at al., 1997), it is therefore imperative that learning support services should be provided in regular schools free of charge. This way, all students who need this type of support will have access to this type of service. Moreover, providing these services in public schools can reduce the rate of exclusion; especially that exclusion often takes place in schools where the poverty is present (Hornby et al., 1997). Despite the fact that current trends in education points towards inclusion, some issues such as parental decision making prove to be one of the barriers against it. Runswick (2008) indicates that not all parents are open to the idea of putting their children with learning difficulties under a mainstream education system. Even at the beginning of their children’s education, many parents feel that mainstream education is not right solution to their children’s learning problems. In her study, Runswick (2008) uncovered parents’ stories which clearly reveal the desire of some parents to put their children with learning difficulties in special schools. Fortunately, not all parents are rigid in their belief that their children should be educated in special schools. A survey conducted by Simpson & Males (1989) revealed that 76% of parents who have children with learning and behavioural difficulties are open to the idea of keeping their children in regular schools as long as these regular schools have the specific resources that their children need. Another study conducted by Elkins, Kraayenoord and Jobling (2003) concludes that many parents are willing to go along with the idea of inclusive schooling and only a small group of parents prefer to put their children in special schools. The same study also disclosed that infusion of additional resources into regular schools will encourage parents to keep their children with learning difficulties with the mainstream educational system. Although most parents are open to the idea of putting their children with special needs in regular schools, there are still some issues that need to be resolved before children with learning difficulties could be successfully integrated into mainstream education. Hornby et al. (1997) draws attention to fact that students with learning difficulties withdraw from schools and turn to the private centres because of the national curriculum which prevent them from meeting their needs such as" repetition and over- learning". If we are to take a closer look at it, the problem here lies in the fact that the national curriculum is designed for children with average learning capacities. Given the fact that children with learning difficulties usually fall below the learning pace of their peers, they often left behind in terms of academic progress. Since putting learning challenged children side by side with their peers can put the former at a disadvantage, advocates of the importance of the provision of special education services in school believe that there is a need to make some changes in the curriculum and make it more flexible to those with special needs. Special educators should therefore try to influence policy makers need to take a close look at the present curriculum and make some adjustments where it is needed. Ashdown, Barry and Bovair (1991) hoped that pressure exerted by special educators on policy makers can lead to significant changes that will pave the way towards making the National Curriculum into a programme that is for everyone. Aside from making changes in the curriculum to accommodate the needs of children with learning difficulties, there is also a need to look into the relationship between teachers and pupils. According to Sebba, Byers and Rose (1993), the relationship between teachers and their pupils with learning difficulties can also affect the teaching process. The implication here is that not all teachers are qualified to handle special needs children and unless these teachers get proper training and support, they may not be able to meet the needs of their pupils. A support system which included experts in the field of teaching children with learning difficulties can greatly enhance the teachers’ capabilities to teach their special needs pupils. Constant sharing of ideas and information with experts can help teachers feel more confident and in control of their class. On the other hand, Carrington (2009) has different opinion regarding this matter. She believed that the deeply ingrained ideals of teachers towards the curriculum, classroom organization and teaching methods cannot be easily changed. As it is, the traditional approaches to professional development is not enough to create the desired changes in the attitudes of teachers nor is it enough to prepare the teachers to meet the demands of inclusive schooling. Despite the many conflicting thoughts and ideas about inclusive schooling, evidence points towards successful integration of the children with learning difficulties into mainstream education. A big factor that contributes to the success of inclusion is the awareness of the members of the community regarding this program. About 80% of the parents of children with leaning difficulties learn about inclusive education from various sources including conferences of children with special needs and through newsletters. Information from preschool teachers also helped parents understand inclusive schooling better. While majority of the parents learned about inclusion through different channels, only 20% of the parents learn about inclusion through its practice in regular schools (Grove and Fisher,1999). In general, the awareness of the parents and their involvement in the education of their children plays a vital role in the success of inclusive schooling. Most parents work to help their children adapt to the general education class environment and they also work to ensure that their children thrive in general education classrooms (Grove and Fisher,1999). References: Ashdown, R., Barry, B., and Bovair, K. (1991) The Curriculum Challenge: Access to the National Curriculum For Pupils with Learning Difficulties. Great Britain: The Falmer Press. Carrington, S. (2009) Inclusion needs a different school culture, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 3(3), 264 Elkins, J., Kraayenoord, C. and Jobling, A. (2003)Parents’ attitudes to inclusion of their children with special needs, Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 3(2), 165 Grove, K.A. and Fisher, K.A. (1999) Entrepreneurs of Meaning: Parents and the Process of Inclusive Education, Remedial and Special Education, 20(4), 210 Hornby, G., Atkinson, M. And Howard, (1997) Controversial issues in special Education. Great Britain: David Fulton publishers. Pfeiffer, S. and Reddy, L. (1999), Inclusion Practices With Special Needs Students: Theory, Research and Application. United State of America: The Howorth press, INC. Pumfrey, P. and Elliott, C. (1990), Children’s Difficulties In Reading, Spelling and writing. Great Britain: The Falmer Press. Reid, G. (2005), Dyslexia and Inclusion Classroom: Approaches for Assessment, Teaching and Learning .Great Britain: David Fulton Publishers. Riddell, S., Duffield, J., Brown, S. and Ogilvy, C. (1992), Specific learning difficulties: Policy, Practice and Provision. The University of Stirling Department of Education Riddell, S. (2006), Special Educational Needs: Providing Additional Support: Policy and Practice in Education. Second Edition, Scotland: Dunedin Academic Press Ltd. Ruijs, T. & Peetsma, M. (2009), Effects of inclusion on students with and without special educational needs reviewed, Educational Research Review, 4 (2), 67. Runswick-Cole, K. (2008) Between a rock and a hard place: parents’ attitudes to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools, British Journal of Special Education, 35 (3), 178 Sebba, J., Byers, R. and Rose, R (1993), Redefining the whole curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties. Great Britain: David Fulton publishers. Simpson, R. L. and Myles, B. S.(1989) Parents’ mainstreaming preferences for children with educable mental handicaps, behaviour disorders and learning disabilities, Psychology in the Schools, 26(3),292-301 Watson, J. (2000),constructive instruction and learning difficulties, Support for Learning, 15(3), 134-135. Read More