Disabilities in the Public School System - Essay Example

Disabilities in the Public School System Insert Insert Disability is the inability by an individual to perform normal task efficiently. The forms of disability vary from physical, neurological, sensory and mental. United States of America is a major advanced countries education wise because of the advancement in technology and teaching methods. The education system in the country is facing challenges in terms of handling students with disabilities. This results from the inadequate training given to the special needs teachers in the country. The most affected section is the public schools where most of the teachers undergo training in handling disability cases. This essay introduces the impacts of inadequate training among teachers in the United States and evaluates the importance of quality education to students with special needs. The essay further evaluates different types of disabilities common among schools going kids in United States. A deep analysis of the effects of under trained teachers has provision in the essay. The essay concludes by giving a possible solution to the problem of under-trained teachers in United States. Introduction The obligation for teachers starts with instructor training projects at higher learning institutions. Nonetheless, when college undergraduates enlist in an Introduction to Teaching course they have officially accomplished and survived numerous educators. Since these scholars have attained this fortune of instructive open doors, they can serve as valid assets in distinguishing the mentality and activities that were actualized in earlier classrooms by their powerful instructors (HOAG, 2014). The teaching staff must have current learning of a custom curriculum issues. Staying breakthrough is particularly essential given what seems, by all accounts, to be a development of new and more predominant syndromes and problem. Moreover, preparing is important to comprehend these new conditions and how best to address the needs of the students. Indeed, a few center gatherings proposed that custom curriculum issues to be a vital segment of each expert improvement good fortune. Such preparing might permit staff to procure an extensive variety of aptitudes and data. Occasionally needs are distinguished throughout the year. There is no methodology set up to guarantee that suitable preparing to meet those new circumstances can happen. Giving available subsidizing to class team is limited to addressing this circumstance (HOAG, 2014). The Federation accepts that all concerned groups must place learners needs first and do away with the bureaucratic formality that can avert tending to issues in a convenient way. Various elements have joined to make the absence of a specialized curriculum related proficient advancement. The legislature actualized the reconsidered basic educational module rapidly, with limited backings accessible for instructors. Some school sheets attempted to adjust for this, committing several assets to the accepted educational program territories (Youth Advisory Committee of the National Council on Disability, 2003). Five years after the presentation of this educational program, educators are even now being in adjusted with respect to fitting usage methods. Specialized curriculum, however, frequently does not emphasize in this in-service. There is a quick need to get to new assets, print, and programming that address the wide extent of custom curriculum needs. Instructors and training associates need preparing to utilize these assets adequately (United Federation of Teachers, 2010). Occasional educators are frequently overlooked in expert advancement arranging and access. Incidental educators are set in classroom settings that incorporate several scholars with exceptional needs. Incidental educators need proficient advancement open doors to guarantee they have entry to the most recent data. School overseers are pivotal in guaranteeing that all staff working with learners with extraordinary must have the fitting assets and time to facilitate their exertions. School heads additionally require additional expert improvement around there. Graduates entering the field of training need all the more in-profundity preparing that incorporate a more terrific accentuation on a custom curriculum and the separated programming, including an understanding of how to alter projects to address distinct needs (Scanlon, 2002). Types of Disabilities There are several forms of special needs cases encountered by teachers in public schools across the United States, which ranges from Mental, Psychological and Physical inabilities. Physical Physical disabilities are mainly visible and are the most common cases experienced by kids in most schools across the country. Physical disabilities limit the person from performing physical activities such as movements, difficulties in speech, use arms and hands, chronic pain and Joint issues. Physical disabilities result in a failure by the student to participate in various physical activities, in school hence developing a feeling of isolation. It is the responsibility of the teachers to come up with physical activities that suit the needs of physically challenged students. Sensory Disabilities These results from the failure by the body senses to function efficiently. Sensory disabilities can be classified as difficulties in hearing as well as vision impairments. These special needs require the attention of highly trained teachers and facilities. Unlike the physical impairment, individuals that sensory related impairments require full attention of a specialized teacher. Neurological disabilities Neurological disabilities are disabilities that result from malfunctioning of the nervous system. Neurological disabilities are known to be the major causes of various physical disabilities. Neurological disabilities common in public schools, in the United States, include Migraines whose symptoms are mainly extremely painful headaches. Migraines are also characterized by disturbances in vision, nausea and general body weakness. It is clear that students with such disabilities require specialized attention implying that teachers responsible for the students much undertake specialized training in addition to the regular education course (Scanlon, 2002). Epilepsy is another disability that results from the malfunctioning of the nervous system. Individuals with epilepsy experience seizure moments implying that the disorder is not easily recognized. Epilepsy requires the attention of an individual with vast training on ways of handling such cases. This implies that, teachers in public schools should be trained to provide primary care to the students with epilepsy. The other neurological disability is the Tourette syndrome, which is characterized by twitches of the student’s body and voice. These twitches lead to adverse psychological trauma on the affected students. Teach Teachers should be trained to handle such cases in a class set up especially during the question and answer sessions. Other forms of disabilities that are common in public schools, in the United States of America include Autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Intellectual limitations, bipolar disorder and dyslexia. These disabilities are characterized by mood swings and emotional trauma. There is, therefore, need to provide special needs teachers with an in-depth understanding of the different disability cases they expect to meet in practice. Effects of Undertrained Teachers Teachers given the responsibility of taking care and educating kids with special needs are supposed to be highly trained about the group they handle at school. However, this criterion is not applicable in United States public schools. Majority of the teachers are given such responsibilities by acquiring the basic university degree. This teacher selection is mainly meant to benefits the students without any special needs. When the teachers are given the responsibility of handling kids with special needs, they usually have no clue on the methods they are supposed to use to train such groups. Kids with special needs are, therefore, affected by this mode of recruitment since most of the teachers need the specialized training in handling specific needs of the students. Lack of special treatment for kids with disabilities in public schools across the country affects the children psychologically. For example, in the case of a physically challenged student, need of the teacher’s knowledge of the physical exercises required by the student exposes them to isolation. The kids are unable to play alongside other children, therefore, are isolated in one way or the other. Mentally challenged kids are also isolated from class participation because of the limitation. Teachers recruited in most public schools are educators and, therefore, are trained to take care of the general education system. The teachers are not provided with additional training would increase their understanding of the kids with special needs (Scanlon, 2002). Epilepsy is a disability that is not easily identified among individuals and is only reflected on the event. Kids with this child of disability are mixed with other students in the class. These kids face so many difficulties as they try to adjust to the system. Occurrence of epileptic seizures in class is quite humiliating to the individual and can affect their grades. These occurrences render the kids to isolation that results to mental issues on the kids. The performance of the kids is also affected as a result of the isolation status and humiliation caused by the seizures (United Federation of Teachers, 2010). Kids with hearing and visual impairments are the most affected group in public schools. There is a scarcity of teachers in this field and the available teachers have basic skills. The kids are highly affected by the poor quality of training provided by the teachers since they are under qualified. This field requires highly trained personnel to increase understanding among the kids. The teachers are supposed to be familiar with the teaching aids provided by the school. Undertrained teachers’ influence serves a lot on the lives of the kids with disabilities mainly in public schools. This result from inadequate teaching techniques, therefore, the kids lag behind their counterparts in public schools (HOAG, 2014). Conclusion Inadequate training among teachers responsible for disabled kids in public schools affects the kids in many ways. Early education is the basis of the kids understanding of most of the things they would encounter in the future hence the need for effective training. They are not provided with special treatments that would increase their understanding in class, as well as the society. The problems caused by lack of adequate training among teachers finds its solution in enhancing training of teachers in institutions of higher learning. This involves the inclusion of special courses in school that aims at taking care of the child’s special needs. The teachers should also be exposed to modern equipments used in public school for teaching kids with disabilities. After completing higher education, the teachers should be trained further to enable them to care of disability cases like epilepsy that requires special medical attention on the event. The teachers should also undergo counseling especially after handling serious disability cases among the kids. During the training, the teachers should be exposed to different situations that help them in getting used to the expected environment. This is facilitated by undergraduate training programmes, which expose the individuals to the outside world. The government should formulate an aggressive interviewing system, which ensures that, only qualified teachers are given the opportunity of handling the kids with special needs. References HOAG, C. (2014, April 1). Students With Special Needs Staying In Traditional Public Schools . Retrieved April 22, 2014, from Education: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/20/special-needs-kids-stayin_0_n_1803753.html Scanlon, D. &. (2002). Academic and participation profiles of school-age dropouts with and without disabilities. Exceptional Children , 239-258. Smith, D. S. (2002). The supply and demand of special education teachers:the nature of the chronic shortage of special education teachers. Florida: University of Florida. United Federation of Teachers. (2010, february 2). Special Classes. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from United Federation of Teachers: http://www.uft.org/teaching/special-classes Youth Advisory Committee of the National Council on Disability. (2003). Students with disabilities face financial aid barriers. 1. Read More