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The below mentioned article will help you to learn about how to impart education to exceptional children – Physical, Mental Disadvantaged and Gifted children.
Inclusive Education:
Inclusive education means specially designed instruction which meets the inclusive education and related needs of an exceptional child. It is distinguished from regular educational programme meant for non-exceptional children by some unusual quality, something uncommon, noteworthy. It is something special-inclusive materials, special training techniques, special equipment and special help and/or inclusive facilities may be required for special categories of children having inclusive needs.
For example-
1. Visually impaired children may require reading materials in large print or braille.
2. Hearing impaired children may require hearing aid, auditory training, lip reading etc.
3. Orthopaedically handicapped children may require wheel chairs, and removal of architectural barriers.
4. Mentally retarded children may need skill training. Related service such as inclusive transportation, medical and psychological assessment physical and occupational therapy and counselling may be required if special education is to be effective.
Inclusive Education as Teaching Regarding Philosophy:
We may look at special education in terms of who, what, where, and How? Special education meant for exceptional children whose special need or umbilicus necessitate an individualized programme of education.
An inter-disciplinary team of professionals-inclusive educators, regular classroom teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, specialist doctors bear the primary responsibility for helping exceptional children maximize their capabilities.
What? Inclusive education is sometimes differentiated from regular education by its curriculum-that is, by what is taught. For example, teaching self-help skills or training in reading and writing braille is an important part of curriculum for severely handicapped children (the blind) in special education institutions which is not found in regular education the school system dictates the curriculum, but in inclusive it education the child’s individual needs dictate the curriculum.
What? Special education can sometimes be identified by where it takes place. Whereas regular education is provided in the regular classroom, special education may be provided in inclusive class, resource room, and special school or in residential school.
How? Inclusive educational can be differentiated from regular education by the method used by teachers. One special educator may use sign language to communicate with his students. Another inclusive educator may use task analysis and skill training for mentally retarded children still another special educator may use multisensory approach and process training while teaching a learning disabled child.
1. Preventive Efforts:
Keeping possible problems form becoming a serious handicap.
2. Remedial Programme:
Overcoming disability through training or education.
3. Compensatory Efforts:
Giving the child new ways to deal with the disability.
Inclusive education is a profession, a service with tools and techniques to meet the inclusive needs of exceptional children. It is individually planned, systematically implemented, and carefully evaluated instruction to help exceptional learners achieve the greatest possible personal self-sufficiency and success in present and future environments.
Objectives of Inclusive Education:
Inclusive education has the same objectives as those of regular education-human resource development through providing appropriate education to children, national development, social reconstruction, civic development, vocational efficiency education has certain inclusive objectives such as the following:
1. Early identification and assessment of special needs of handicapped children.
2. Early intervention to prevent a handicapping condition from becoming a serious one for remediation of learning problems and compensation by teaching the child new ways of doing things.
3. Parent counselling about prevention and remediation of defects, care, and training of handicapped children in daily living skills, self-help skills, pre-academic skills and communication skills
4. Community mobilization and awareness of problems of handicapped children and their education.
5. Rehabilitation of the handicapped.
The National Policy of Education (1986/1992) clearly stipulates that-
6. By means of this, the realistic self-concept of that strategically determine for effective living.
Principles of Inclusive Education:
Inclusive education is based on the following principles:
1. Individual Differences:
There are inter-individual differences and intra-individual differences. In other words, some students are very different from most in ways that are specific regarding education, and special education is required to meet their educational needs.
2. Zero Rejection:
All children with disabilities must be provided a free and appropriate education. The school systems do not have the option to accept or reject a child for education in a regular school.
3. Non-Discriminatory Evaluation:
Students who need inclusive education must be clearly identified to ensure that they receive appropriate services. Each student must receive a fill individual examination before being placed in an inclusive education programme with tests required at intervals to assess his progress and difficulties in learning.
4. Individualized Education Programme:
Student with inclusive needs require individualized education programme either in a resource room or a special class in the regular school for some part of the day. Such education must match with their current level of functioning and their inclusive needs.
5. Least Restrictive Environment:
As much as possible, children with handicaps must be educated with a child who is not handicapped in the regular classroom. The regular classroom provides the least restrictive environment for handicapped children.
6. Inclusive Process:
The process implies that the parents of handicapped children have the right to evaluate the efforts of the school system to identify and assess the handicapped children. To modify the programme of the school to meet the inclusive needs of these children and if they are not satisfied with the programme of the school, they have the right to withdraw their children from that school for a better programme in any other educational institution.
7. Parental Participation:
Inclusive education can be made effective if parents participate actively in the educational programme designed for handicapped children.
Need for Inclusive Education:
It is true that the backward children and the talented children need specific facilities for their development. So educationists feel the importance of inclusive education for them.
1. Inclusive classes necessary for backward children because they require specific teaching methods and techniques.
2. Talented children face difficulties in adjusting themselves with average children because they belong to a higher I.Q. group. In general, it is found that the teaching expert moves at his speed, it is found that the teaching expert moves at this speed which suits average children. But a child with superior intelligence finishes the task much earlier.
Here the problem is how a talented child will spend the rest of his time while the teacher continues the same task for the average children. Very often, the talented child is up to mischievous pranks. Also the curriculum meant for the average child is too simple and gets monotonous for the gifted one. Here the talented children do not get any kind of stimulation and lose interest in their studies.
3. Inclusive teaching facilities are required to meet the personal and social needs of exceptional children. So additional facilities enable the children to realise. So additional facilities enable the children to realise their potentialities and to minimise the handicaps arising from their anomalies. Here superior children are provide with the opportunity to work according to their talent. In an average class, a bright child feels the handicap. With little endeavour he comes out exceptional. He can stand and keep a position in the class with minimum effort. Of course, accelerated promotions call for many drawbacks.
4. Experimental data reveal that social maladjustment is found to be rampant with bright children in regular schools. The talented children stay idle in the class due to the light load of work. So they engage themselves in mischievous pranks and unapproved behaviours.
5. In the inclusive classes, the bright children get a chance for proper stimulation- but it becomes a problem for teaching experts to provide proper stimulation to both the talented and average students in an average class.
Generally gifted children are more sensitive in comparison with the average children. They are quick and alert in thinking. So they require inclusive techniques for being handled.
6. In an inclusive class of gifted children every student feels that he is not superior alone but there are some other brighter ones. This thought helps a great deal in developing confidence. Again, special classes also provide opportunities for developing leadership in special branches. Among the group there may be some children with inclusive interest in poetry, drama, games and in other branches of knowledge. Proper encouragement and training under inclusive programme of education may help them in the long run.
7. Selective placement is entailed through inclusive education. It involves the complete assessment of children as well as their social environment by professionally qualified experts from different fields. Physical examinations and evaluations by specialists and experts like ophthalmologists, audiologists, pathologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians, neurologists, psychologists and educational personnel are necessary for proper selective placement of many types of exceptional children.
8. Inclusive education requires many auxiliary services. For example, the orthopaedically handicapped require physical therapy, occupational therapy and periodic physical examination. Some exceptional children need to be kept under constant medical supervision. Periodic examination may be necessary for blind children and the children who are practically blind and hard-or-hearing.
Occupational and physical therapy with psychiatric and psychological services are also necessary for some exceptional children. Of course, some special equipment and additional training are necessary for teaching experts and sometimes these are very expensive. As a matter of fact neglect of exceptional children as well as the handicapped is more expensive than adequate training.
9. The importance of inclusive education can be associated with the problem faced by a teacher in the average class. An average class, generally, consists of children of many categories such as handicapped (both physically and normal), gifted (bright and superior) and some average or normal. The teacher has to devise a method of instruction which is suitable for all. But in putting this into practice, it is difficult for the teacher, for the students also face problems to understand the instructions.
Some students also underestimate the instructions. Here the need for a special class is seriously felt. In a way, special education is not only meant to help the exceptional children but is also conducive for the regular class teachers.
10. Very often, it is said that education begins where medicine ends. Providing a hearing aid to a hard-of-hearing child is of course, of medical concern but teaching the child to use his vision or hearing capacities effectively is certainly an educational function. If the hearing anomaly is corrected, then it is also a medical concern. But if it is not corrected, then it becomes an educational concern. For totally blind children, instruction in Braille, provision of special Braille materials, travel training and counselling are advised by educationists through inclusive education.
Unfortunately only 5 percent of the physically handicapped children (i. e., blind and deaf) are estimated to be in inclusive schools and inclusive care is being taken to educate them by experts in different disciplines. But most of these inclusive schools are located in the metropolitan cities or in urban areas. But children by having rural background remain practically unserved by these educational schools. This accentuates the fact that a large number of inclusive schools are needed to accommodate these children.
First special education needs the identification exceptional children and some provision made for experts to take them into account. This inclusive education may be imparted in the regular classroom. Inclusive or in combination of both. Previously it was primarily confined to inclusive classes. But now, an inclusive education programme development for exceptional children is a total general education.
However, exceptional children require inclusive education which include three elements and these are as follows:
(i) Trained professionals including teachers, educationists, psychologists, physiotherapists and others are required.
(ii) Inclusive curriculum is made for the children which suit different areas of exceptionality such as mental retardation, giftedness, deafness, blindness, orthopaedic handicap, cerebral palsy and social and emotional problems, and
(iii) Some facilities including special building features, study materials and equipment are also collected for this purpose.
Development of Inclusive Education in India:
The Kothari Commission (1964-66) observes that the coveted goal of universalisation of elementary education depends upon the extent of success in bringing special groups of children within the education network. Unless educational services are extended to this group of children on mass scale, the universalisation of elementary enrolment of the handicapped children in relation to total children at the elementary stage is 0.07 percent.
This figure of enrolment has gone up to one percent as per review of NPE (1992). This low percentage of enrolment speaks volumes for the serious neglect and denial of educational opportunity for millions of disabled children in the country even though the constitution of the country prescribes compulsory education for all children upto primary level.
Most of the special groups of children are either not enrolled at all or drop out due to one reason or the other after stagnation. The slow progress towards bringing the disabled within the education network has been due to liner provision in special schools despite the fact that about 90 percent of the can be catered to in regular schools.
Integration of the handicapped into the regular school programme enunciated by the Kothari Commission leads to- (i) reduction of costs of education and (ii) promotion of mutual understanding between the handicapped and non-handicapped. However, many handicapped children find it difficult to cape with normal ones as they tend to be neglected. It is increasingly felt that every attempt should be made to bring in as many children into integrated programmes as possible.
This has been reinforced in the National Policy on Education, (IPE) 1986 stipulates that wherever possible education of children with locomotor handicaps and other mild handicaps will be common with that of others. The children with severe handicaps are proposed to be enrolled in special schools, with hostels at district headquarters.
The ideal scenario for education of the handicapped is universalisation of primary education along with other children by 1995.
The Programme of Action (POA), 1986 and 1992 suggest pragmatic placement principles. It postulates that a child with disability who can be educated in a general school should be educated in general school only and not in a special school.
Even those children who are initially admitted to special for training in plus-curriculum skills (that are required in addition to their regular school curriculum) should be transferred to general schools once they acquire daily living skills, communication skills and basic academic skills.
For achieving equalisation of educational opportunities, POA (1992) also envisages that children with disability should have access to quality education comparable to other children.
It postulates:
(1) For children who can be educated in general primary schools-
(a) Universal enrolment by the end of 9th five year plan.
(b) Ensuring achievement of minimum level of learning (MLL) through adjustment and adaptation of curriculum and teaching to special needs.
(2) For children who require to be educated in special schools or special classes in general schools-
(a) Universal enrolment by the end of 9th five year plan.
(b) Ensuring achievement of level of learning commensurate with their potential.
(3) Reduction of dropout rates at par with other children.
(4) Providing access to disabled children of secondary and senior secondary school with resource support and making special provision for vocational training of these children.
(5) Reorienting pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes to meet special needs in the classroom.
(6) Reorienting adult and non-formal education programmes to meet educational and vocational training needs of persons with disability.
Integrated Education:
Integrated education movement flows directly from the recognition of equal rights for all citizens and equal educational opportunity for all children with special needs, their education should be provided in the least restrictive and most effective environment. The least restrictive environment which disabled children need can only be provided in general schools.
Thus, integrated education refers to education of disabled children in common with other in general schools with provision for extra help for the disabled. It refers to integrating the physically and extra help for the disabled. It refers to integrating the physically and mentally handicapped children with the non-disabled children in regular classroom and providing specialized services to meet their special needs.
Four key processes are important in integrated education:
1. Normalization,
2. Deinstitutionalization,
3. Mainstreaming, and
4. Inclusion.
The details of these processes are given below:
1. Normalization:
It is the process of creating a learning and social environment as normal as possible for the exceptional child and adult.
2. Deinstitutionalization:
It is the process of releasing as many exceptional children and adult as possible from the confinement of residential institutions into their local community.
3. Mainstreaming:
It is the process of bringing exceptional children into daily contact with non-exceptional children in an educational setting.
4. Inclusion:
It is the process of bringing exceptional children of whatever condition into the general classroom for their education.
Integration is the opposite of segregation. Segregation is the process by which a special group in society is identified and gradually the social and physical distance between this group and the rest increases. A feeling of otherness develops in the group which alienates the former group.
Integration is the process of bringing the ‘part’ (the handicapped) to the ‘whole’ (the society).
The indicators of integration are that:
(i) Handicapped persons enjoy the same right as the rest;
(ii) Have equal opportunity for growth and development in environmental conditions available to the rest;
(iii) Have access to the quality of life like any other citizen, and
(iv) Are treated as equal partners in the community.
The process begins by physical proximity, i.e., reduction of physical distance. It continues with mutual sharing of the physical facilities and progresses towards reduction of social distance. The reduction of the physical and social distance results in social integration in which the groups become equal partners in the community.
Concept of Integrated Education:
The National Policy on Education, 1986, has given priority on an equity basis in the field of education and recommends providing equal opportunity to all not only for access but also for success. “Equalisation of educational opportunity” includes the opening of schools within walking distance, providing communities to schools, reducing the dropout rate and increasing the retention rate of children through various measures. Besides all the above facts, provisions should be made for non-formal education centres for non-attending children and various ancillary services to facilitate schooling of children.
The very term integration signifies the process of interaction of disabled children and normal children in the same educational setting. Of course, there are two separate terms which are, very often, synonymously used with integration.
These terms are:
(i) Mainstreaming, and
(ii) Normalisation.
Basically integrated education is the result of Mainstreaming movement in America. This movement makes provision for mainstreaming the disabled children, in other words, mainstreaming refers to integrating handicapped or disabled children into regular classes and helping them through specialized techniques.
Again, sometimes integration is interchangeably used with normalisation. The reason is that in integrated education, the disabled children are treated with normal children. There is every limitation to think that these two groups are different from any aspect.
Moreover, integrated education is an educational programme in which exceptional children attend classes with normal children on either a part of full-time basis. Such a combination may be taken as social integration or academic integration or both. Some educationists think that integrated education is the placement of the disabled children in ordinary schools with some specialised educational help and services.
The definition given by Stephens and Blackhurt reveals “Mainstreaming is the education of mildly Handicapped children in the regular classroom. It is based on the philosophy of equal opportunity that implemented to through individual planning to promote appropriate learning achievement and social normalisation”.
Characteristics of Integrated Education:
It has the following main features:
1. Integrated education is an education setting in which disabled children receive education along with non-disabled children in the regular classroom with provision for extra help for the disabled. Thus, integrated education is a practical solution to the problem of segregation of disabled children.
2. Integrated education is not alternative to special education. Rather it is complementary to special education. Only mildly and sometimes moderately handicapped children can be enrolled in integrated schools. Severely handicapped children who are enrolled in special schools can also be admitted in integrated schools after they acquire communication skills, daily living skills, study skills, and other pre-requisite skills.
3. It is designed to provide equal education opportunity to the disabled and to prepare them for independent living like other members of the society.
4. It provides the least restrictive and the most effective environment to disabled children so that they may grow and develop like other children.
5. It is an educational setting which promotes a healthy social relationship between the disabled and the non-disabled children at all levels and reduces the physical distance between them through equal participation in social activities.
6. It is an arrangement is which disabled children are considered as important as their non-disabled peers.
7. It accepts the disabled child as an individual in his own rights.
8. It ensures civic rights to the disabled in order to raise their standards of living.
9. It is an economic system for the education of disabled children and solves the psychological problems which these children face in special educational settings.
10. It is based on cooperative efforts of regular classroom teacher, the specialist teacher, parents and community members.
11. It is available approach to attain the goals of universalisation of elementary education by providing equality of educational and development opportunities to the disabled who have been denied equality so far.
Need of Integrated Education:
Many educationists nullify the idea of inclusive education on the grounds that it never equalises educational opportunities, rather it creates a feeling of differentiation among children. Inclusive classes create a feeling of inferiority complex among disabled children. Recently, psychologists think that integrated education should be introduced in our school system to provide equal opportunity for education of all children.
Educationists justify this type of education under following points:
1. Normal Mental Growth is Possible:
Psychological complexes are prominent under special educational settings. The disabled children think that they are inferior to others for which they are being treated separately. In integrated educational system, the disabled get the chance to enjoy along with normal children from developing psychological complexes. Every child feels that he is, in no way, inferior to anyone. Thus, the integrated educational system leads to normal mental growth of children.
2. Social Integration is Ensured:
Certain social qualities are very much pertinent with the disabled children when they tend to get education with normal ones. Children get wider community integrated set-up and this is conducive for the disabled ones to learn social virtues along with normal ones. These social virtues include love, affection, cooperation, sympathy and adjustments etc. The students in integrated settings not only get special attention but are also taught in a wider educational arena.
3. Integrated Education is Less Expensive:
No doubt, inclusive-educational set-ups are very costly and expensive. Besides that, training programmes for inclusive teachers and teaching experts are time-consuming. Considered from another angle, integrated education is less expensive and advantageous.
To establish an inclusive school, generally we seek the assistance from various corners, i.e., trained personnel, experts, physiotherapists, doctors etc. Again, keeping a disabled child in a normal class is less expensive than placing him in an inclusive set-up.
4. Integration is Possible through Integrated Education:
Social interaction is pronounced in integrated educational setups in comparison with inclusive educational set-ups. A natural environment is created for interaction of the disabled with non-disabled peers. Learning to adjust in this environment, to accept and to be accepted by their friends are possible through integrated education. The students in normal set-ups also acquire a sense of competency and emotional adjustment.
5. Academic Integration is Possible:
Academic integration is possible through integrated set-ups. Educationists believe that once a child is placed in inclusive school, below par academic abilities of the disabled ones under the teacher are developed. The teaching experts always have the idea that the students in the special schools or the disabled children are under-achievers.
Owing to the placement of children in inclusive schools, they fail to score well in academic studies. In a way, we can say that, with a sophisticated environment and up-to-date curriculum, integrated education brings academic integration.
6. Principle of Equality is Maintained:
Particularly in India, constitutional provisions were made to universalise the elementary education and to provide educational facilities to the disabled children. The very objective of equality should be maintained through integrated set-ups, so that no student would think himself inferior to the other.
Levels of Integrated Education:
Various types of integrated education for disabled are found.
Among them seven important types of models are worth noting here:
1. The first category of integration is the full time integration in normal schools. In regular classes, the teachers teach the disabled children throughout the day. Students also get support from teaching experts only when they are in need.
2. Another category of such children attend regular classes. But some classes are suspended due to the arrangement so inclusive classes.
3. The third category includes the education of the disabled in inclusive class. But the students are required to maintain their attendance at normal classes. Again, they have to engage themselves in co-curricular activities of the normal school.
4. The fourth category of integration includes the education in residential schools with some lessons in neighbouring normal schools.
5. The fifth model integration includes reverse integration. Here a large number of normal children are placed with the disabled children to ensure academic and non-academic participation among themselves.
6. Education in normal classes with home tuition or home-bound programme is included in the sixth category of integrated education.
7. The seventh category of integration is the short term education in hospitals or in other establishments.
Scope of Integrated Education:
Integrated education is proposed to provide educational facilities to the following types of disabled children:
1. Children with locomotor handicap (orthopaedically handicapped).
2. Mildly and moderately hearing impaired.
3. Partially sighted children including one-eyed children.
4. Educable mentally retarded.
5. Children with multiple handicaps (blind and orthopaedic, hearing impaired and orthopaedic, EMR and orthopaedic, visually impaired and hard of hearing).
6. Children with learning disability
7. Blind children who have completed preparation in braille reading and writing, orientation and mobility training.
8. Deaf children who have acquired communication skills and learnt speech reading.
The scope of integrated education includes pre-schools training for the disabled, counselling for parents, primary education, secondary education, + 2 levels of education and vocational courses.