The Main Aspects of the Special Education - Essay Example

Special Education Special education is designed in such a way that, the instruction that the teachers give the works a long way in meeting the needs of the children who are physically challenged. The aim of exceptional education is to equip the children with the necessary information and at the same time ensuring that these children gain the skills that the normal children are being taught. These services are normally offered at a zero cost to the parents. This education could involve individualized instruction given in classroom, medical institutions, or at home. In the United States, children with a disability receive protection by federal laws, which make sure that they are admitted to appropriate public schools free of charge. Under the federal laws, among other laws that protect the children with a disability, the two most vital laws are; section 504 and individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA). Section 504 deals with the rehabilitation act of 1973, which is a law on civil rights. This law prohibits any program and activities, be it, private or public that get the federal funds from any discrimination towards the children with disabilities. This law covers every public school district. Section 504 recognizes disability as any mental or physical hardship, which essentially affects either one or many primary life activities, may be known to possess that limitation, or possess a record of the said limitation. The other law of individuals with disabilities education act, which calls for early assistance services for preschoolers and the infants who have various disabilities. This law has been amended a number of time with the recent amendment being in the year 2004 by the congress. In determining the eligibility of the students to be the candidates, the students involved should fall in one of the 13 categories. This category includes the disability in learning; autism, intellectual impairment, the disability of behavior, developmental disability, disability in language and speech, visual and hearing impairment, brain trauma and multiple disabilities among others. Parent with children with a disability is supposed to be actively involved in advocating for their children. The parents’ role as far as their children’s education is concerned is extremely vital; as such, they should be adequately informed on their children’s right and the whole process of exceptional education. The parents have the right to be actively involved in the decision made by the school concerning the welfare of their children. Where it comes to the role of the legislature, there is an act regarding the education for the handicapped, which ensures that the handicapped children from the age of 5-21 get a free and appropriate education. The law goes a step further in ensuring that all the services that are rendered to the handicapped children are also free of charge. The legislature also helps in the buildup of individualized programs of education for all the children. The youths and children with a disability must receive the education in a surrounding that is not restrictive. The 1997 amendments strengthened the already existing laws, making the life of the handicapped people bearable. For instance, for those who are visually impaired, should have the orientation to mobility services. A child suffering from multiple disability posses a mixture of various disabilities, which could include, mental retardation, brain injury, speech and learning retardation, problem with the physical mobility, visual and hearing impairment among other kinds of disabilities. Severe disability to any individual requires an urgent support. A number of people with multiple disabilities are incapacitated in terms of communication, but these lacking skills can be effectively worked on with slowly. Again, people suffering from multiple disabilities normally possess medical conditions that have an effect on their vision and mobility. Therefore, as a teacher, it is extremely crucial in clearly having the required information concerning multiple disabilities. The teacher should practice patience when teaching children with disabilities. The programs for these children are normally focused on the buildup of concepts. These concepts come in handy later in life for these children in their buildup, in the functions of language and other elaborate cognitive abilities. The technology that is switch operated helps the students who are highly challenged physically in participating actively in classes and, therefore, developing the learning opportunities. The parents and the teachers dealing with students with multiple disabilities should have a wide variety toys that switch operated, and a wide range of computer software. There is software that has been specifically designed to enhance buildup of primary concepts; this could include the response to basic commands. This programs are particularly essential as it helps enhances the interaction between disabled and the non-disabled counterparts. Most of these programs starts with basic cause and effect, and then advances to the next level where they are required to continue with the initial activity. Here, there is the incorporation of small and basic commands, which are meant to deliberately buildup of oral instructions responses (Trolley, 2009). Since students are limited into doing most activities, they should be handled with care. In doing this, there is a significant reduction of pain due to mishandling, leading to the prevention of complications. This also assists the students’ visual and hearing ability, for optimum participation and the learning process. In case of those students who have the problem with mobility, they should be assisted in attending classes meant for physical education. Here, other devices that are significant in helping the students’ mobility are also employed. In most cases, students with communication problem are denied the right to give their contribution in decision making simply because they are verbally impaired. This is corrected through giving the verbally impaired students a chance to air their views; this is enhanced by giving the direct instructions that work a long way in encouraging them to give their independent choices. A number of technological alternatives are employed in supplementing the oral communication. The students can also be actively involved in responding to their surrounding by the help of environmental control units, which assists the student in doing other activities like turning on and off the electrical appliances, or using the devices that are automated designed for learning. In terms of recreational facilities, many sports are designed for students with multiple disabilities. They use distinct balls, which are fitted with sound, and other facilities like the adapted tricycles among other facilities. The students should actively work on promoting their attention to their surrounding and the people around them. The teacher should keenly monitor how the students respond to the stimuli since there are those students who are known to understand well with less verbal input, while others might be hypersensitive to input that are used to aid vision. The teacher must always make sure that the student is always positioned in a comfortable manner also make it a routine practice in changing the students’ position to avoid straining (Smith, 2010). Pervasive developmental disorder is estimated to affect 3:4 of every 1,000 children aged between 3-10 years. The parents are normally the first person who notices their children’s pervasive conditions. This is after seeing the uncommon or queer behavior portrayed by their children. The symptoms that maybe portrayed by this children are; the tendency of not responding to other people who are in their surrounding and instead drawing all their attention to other objects and staring at them for a long duration of time. Another symptom of this condition, is seen in the event where a given child who has been developing normally, changes their mannerism as far as their normal development is concerned, this change includes becoming salient and self abusive among other characteristics. This disorder ranges from subtle to a severe case also known as the autistic disorders. In the case of Kate, a number of strategies can be used in effectively evaluating her case. For example, when we apply the informal normative assessment, we are going to make a comparison between John and Kate’s cases. This comparison is aimed at evaluating one individual’s performance. If we compare the conditions between Kate and John, we find that Kate’s case is not so severe to that of Johns. This is evident from the fact that Kate can communicate verbally by producing sounds also can wash her hands under the supervision, while John, on the other hand, is not capable of producing any verbal sound. John does not respond to his surrounding while Kates response is evident from the way she reacts when angry. Kate should, therefore, be taken to public school where she can be close to other children who will enhance her understanding of her surrounding through playing as opposed to her current condition since John seems to be always withdrawn (Trolley, 2009). Another approach of evaluating Kate’s case is using the functional approach. This measure traces a given criterion. This approach focuses on the performance of a person in association with his own learning. The argument is focused how better, a student can learn to follow a laid down criterion that has been put forward by ones instructor to be followed. After using this approach, we can notice that Kate is capable of following the directives that she is being given, as such, she can feed herself but requires monitoring to make sure she eats instead of playing with food. Kate’s ability is also evident from the mere fact; she is capable of drawing circles using crayons although this drawing is not elaborated she also has the capacity of following basic classroom directives. This shows us that Kate is emotionally developing though gradually. Her disruptive of scream even when unprovoked can be carefully corrected by giving Kate the appropriate therapy and by loving her. It is extremely vital for teachers, and other non-disabled student to assist Kate in her learning, and not expecting too much too soon from her as his might give her a lot of pressure. The positive aspect of letting Kate attend the public schools is that, she ends up getting used to seeing other children play, sing and even participate in class a factor that might make emulate what the rest of her fellow students are doing hence helping in her development. Once Kate is taken back to the initial class with John, both the children might not benefit much from each other because they lack motivation (Smith, 2010). In conclusion, it should always be remembered that disability does not necessarily mean inability. Therefore, students with various disabilities should always be given the appropriate care and love. We should all be of service to them, for they cannot effective do well without us guiding them. We should also listen to their opinions in decision making, but not disregarding them simply because they cannot communicate well. Reference Smith, D.& Tyler, N. (2010). Introduction to Special Education: Making a Difference (7th Ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill. Trolley, Barbara C., Haas, H. & Patti, D. (2009). The School Counselor’s Guide to Special Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Read More