Disabilities in the ancient world and especially in Greece and Rome were treated by getting rid of babies that were born deformed or with any form of disability. Their obsession with perfection “allowed” them to commit unspeakable sins.
Luckily, civilization has come a long way and today we know that a disability doesn’t mean we are dealing with a lesser being at all. Some of the master brains of our society are disabled people. Stephen Hawking, the British theoretical physicist, is one of the best examples of a severely disabled person that made massive contributions to the world of science.
The law expects it from schools to accommodate disabled children in schools and rightly so. Unfortunately, while the idea is noble and within the human rights of the individual, the practical application might not always be that easy.
There are many concerns that need to be addressed before the decision can be made to say that mainstream education will benefit the child.
1. The severity of the disability will have an impact. A child that is physically disabled and in a wheel chair or have some difficulty walking would easily adapt in a mainstream school where the school is equipped to accommodate wheel chairs. If the child doesn’t suffer from any other disability or cognitive impairment, he or she would be able to learn as well as any of the other children in the school.
2. Visual or hearing impairment or disability might not be so easy to accommodate. Teachers need special training to assist these learners as they cannot communicate and learn in the same way as other children do. In larger schools where there might be a number of children with these disabilities, a special education teacher can be appointed. In smaller areas with smaller schools the need might not be the same or it might not be possible to get a teacher with these qualifications.
3. Children who are severely physically or mentally disabled will need special care that mainstream schools might not be able to provide. Again the smaller schools might have more of a problem than bigger city schools.
Parents who need to make this choice should consider all options and if the school can genuinely not provide the specific needs of the child, it might be necessary to look for alternative opportunities. Who knows if this child will not grow up to be the next Stephen Hawking?
By: Jared Wright
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What Makes Special Education So Special
October 13th, 2009Special education is defined as specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. These types of students can range from partially to severely disabled. Until you have a child requiring special education you can not appreciate the tremendous job the educators who work with these kids do.
Most schools provide some level of special education if your child has a learning disability on any particular area. Some have a full time staff who specialize in various areas to help children. Depending on the severity you may be faced with enrolling your child in a special needs school. This is something you will have to discuss with your teachers and school administrators.
There are many excellent online resources for parents to research and learn things they can do to help their child as well. Just Google searching the keyword phrase “special education” will bring up thousands of results to get you started. Most parents want to be involved in helping their kids and the internet is becoming a big help in this area. One thing you can do is sign up for as many free email newsletters on the subject of special education to easily be kept up to date on a weekly and monthly basis.
One of the primary problems parents and kids both face, when it comes to educating their kids who require special needs, is how to let them interact with other kids. Social development is certainly important to the growth of a child, many times as much so as education itself. It is generally in the best interest of your child to interact with other kids as often as possible.
Of course a common problem is how to deal with insensitive comments made to you child by other kids. As a parent it is only natural to try and protect your child, when it fact it may be better to let them learn how to handle things themselves. Most kids will seek out and want to play and be around other kids who accept them for who they are.
This is an important step in the development in the education of your child. Overall it is important to let your child interact with other kids as early and often as possible. Only step in when you feel it is really necessary and in the long run you are doing your child a favor.
This has been a quick overview on special education and what you can do as a parent to be more involved. The development of special needs children in many ways is more rewarding than other children and knowing you played a role in that is a feeling you will never replace.
By: Lester Lee
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