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Special education

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Special education is instruction that is modified or particularized for those students with special needs, such as learning differences, mental health problems, or specific disabilities (physical or developmental).[1]

Modifications can consist of changes in curriculum, supplementary aides or equipment, and the provision of specialized facilities that allow students to participate in the educational environment to the fullest extent possible.[2] Students may need this help to access subject matter, to physically gain access to the school, or to meet their emotional needs.

Support is targeted to the needs of the individual student and can be short or long term. In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that special needs students be included in regular education activities as much as possible. In Scotland the Additional Support Needs Act places an obligation on education authorities to meet the needs of all children in consultation with other agencies and parents. Universal special education services is the subject of some discussion internationally. This has led to the inclusive education movement.[citation needed]

History

Children with special needs have always been part of our communities. In the past, some “special” education was provided to individual children on a one to one basis, such as Jean Marc Gaspard Itard’s work with Victor, the “wild child of Averyon”. As formal education became established, welfare or religious groups for the care of children with special needs often became involved in their education. Government provision of special education services generally followed after voluntary groups had shown what could be done.

Progress in Special Education saw a major reversal as the eugenics movement took hold in the mid 1960s. Under this theory, it was irresponsible to care for and educate people with special needs as it would “weaken society”. The more scientific approaches, such as behaviourism, to studying disability, led to a new understanding of special education and the vision that all children could learn,[citation needed] no matter what diagnosis they were given.

Initially education was provided to children of school age – about six or seven. In the early 1970s research into Early Childhood Intervention, the provision of special education from birth or first diagnosis, showed that the earlier special education was provided, the better the outcome for the child and the entire family.[citation needed]

In the United States this resulted, in 1975, to the federal mandating of special education under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which required all public schools in the United States to provide adequate services to each child who had a diagnosed learning disability. The EHA was renewed in 1986 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Special Education changed with Wolfensberger's theory of Normalisation - that all people with special needs have the right to lead "normal" lives, including being part of a family, attending a local school, and holding a job in the community. Inspired by this theory, the inclusive education movement scheme for social improvement, centering on the improvement of schools. The vision is to have schools that no longer provide "regular education" and "special education". Instead, schools provide an inclusive education and as a result students will be able to learn together.

Special Education services now extend past school-age into adulthood, as a better understanding of life-long learning has been gained. It includes school-based activities as well as family and community activities, and has become a major testing ground for better teaching for all children,[citation needed] not simply children with special needs.

Special Education has a different quality in different countries. The political, economic and social pressures in each country has led to a different form of Special Education, with different sets of policies and practices.

How is Special Education provided?

The provision of Special Education differs from country to country, and state to state. The ability of a child to access a particular setting may be dependent on their specific needs, location, family choice, or government policy. In the main, special education will be provided in one, or a combination, of the following ways.

  • Special classes within mainstream schools which are specifically for children who have special needs may be termed support classes, SEN bases, units, or a variety of jurisdiction specific terms. These setting can include resource rooms, special classes, integrated classes, therapy, sensory room, physical equipment, etc.
  • Special schools are specifically designed, resourced and staffed to meet the varied needs of children with additional support needs.
  • Outreach services such as Speech and Language Therapy, Autism Outreach, Occupational Therapy, etc. may be provided to pupils on a visiting basis in their own setting; mainstream school, special school, independent school, home-teaching, etc.
  • Residential centres where complex needs can be met with appropriate medical care and therapy provision.

Abbreviations

In North America special education is commonly abbreviated as Special Ed, SpecEd, SPED, and SpEd in a professional context.[1][2] It should be noted that the term sped is often interpreted as an insult.

In England and Wales the initialism SEN is most commonly used when discussing special education needs. The term is used to denote the condition of having special educational needs, the services which provide the support and the programmes and staff which implement the education. [3]. In Scotland the term Special Educational Needs (SEN), and its variants are not official terminology although the very recent implementation of the Additional Support for Learning Act means that both SEN and ASN (Additional Support Needs) are used interchangeably in current common practice.[4]

See also

References

Citations and notes

  1. ^ http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?layout=document&documentid=7301&data=l
  2. ^ http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm

General information

  • Wilmshurst, L, & Brue, A. W. (2005).
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