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Special Needs And Inclusive Education Inclusive Ducation Children Living In Difficult Circumstances Learners With Multiple Disabilities Physical Disabilities Communication Disorders Learning Disability Emotionaland Behavioural Disorder Visual Impairment Symptoms And Causes Hearing Impairment Symptoms And Causes Special Needs Education Introduction To Special Education

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION

Special education also known as special needs education, aided education, vocational education and limb care authority education is the practice of educating students with special needs in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs.

Special Needs Education

This is education which provides appropriate modification in curriculum delivery methods, educational resources, medium of communication or the learning environment in order to cater for individual differences in learning.

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) defines Special Education as “specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability,”

Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and their community.

Special Needs Education Introduction To Special Education

Common special needs include learning disabilities, communication disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, and developmental disabilities.

Impairment

Is any loss or abnormality of physiological, psychological, or anatomical structure or function, whether permanent or temporary.

Disability

Is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person’s lifetime.

Handicap

Is a disadvantage or a restriction of activity which may result from disability.

Communication disorders

Is any disorder that affects somebody’s ability to communicate. The delays and disorders can range from simple sound substitution to the inability to understand or use one’s native language.

Disorder

Is a condition resulting from illness that causes part of a body unable to function properly. E.g mental disorder.

Exceptionality

It refers to any individual whose physical, mental or behavioral performance deviates from the normal either positively or negatively.

Inclusion

This is a philosophy which focuses on the process of adjusting the home, the school, and the society so that all the individuals, regardless of their differences, can have the opportunity to interact, play, learn, work and experience the feeling of belonging and experiment to develop in accordance with their potentials and difficulties.

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Special needs

Is a term used in to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological.

It’s important for teachers to teaching and learning materials to facilitate learning

It’s important for teachers to modify teaching methods and strategies to the learners’ needs. It’s important for teachers to modify the environment to suit learners’ needs.

Inclusive Education

This is an approach in which learners with disabilities and special needs, regardless of age and disability, are provided with appropriate education within regular schools.

For inclusive education to succeed the following should be considered;

 Qualified trained teachers

 Modification of the environment

 Provision of relevant teaching and learning materials

 Paraprofessionals e.g. nurses, psychiatrists teachers counselors etc

Goals of Special Education

The guiding philosophy of education in Kenya is the concern that every Kenyan has an inalienable right to education regardless of their economic status to basic education (from ECDE to Secondary school) (Republic of Kenya 1999, p135).

The specific goals include:

 Provision of skills and attitudes aimed at identification, assessment and provision of early intervention for correction and rehabilitation of children said to have SEN.

 Promotion of integration of the ‘handicapped’ in formal education training.

 Promotion of awareness in the needs of the ‘disabled’ and the methods of alleviating the effects of various disabilities.

 Promotion of measures to prevent impairments in order to limit incidences of disabilities.

 Development of appropriate vocational instructional material.

 Capacity building of teachers and their skills and competencies.

 Development and production of training modules and reference materials

 Training of education officers and training of trainers

 Induction and creation of awareness among field officers, parents and communities.

Organizations for Persons with Disabilities in Kenya

1. National Council for Persons with Disabilities

2. Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya

3. Kenya -Persons with Disabilities Act -Disability Rights

4. Kenya Programmes of Disabled Persons

5. Organizations in Global Networking – Disability

6. Northern Nomadic Disabled Persons Organization

7. United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) -Kenya

Special Needs Education Introduction To Special Education

GENERAL CAUSES OF DISABILITIES

a) Prenatal (causes before a child is born)

 Hereditary causes

 Poor nutrition

 STDs

 Infection of the mother during pregnancy

 German measles

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 Exposure to x-rays during pregnancy

 Drug abuse

 Anemia during pregnancy

 Accidents

 Age of the mother

b) Peri-natal stage (causes during birth)

 Brain damage at birth

 Poor hygen

 Head injury

 Anoxia-lack of oxygen in the brain due to prolonged labour

 Premature birth

 Low birth weigh

c) Post natal stage

 Diseases e.g. malaria, measles etc

 Eye diseases

 Burns

 Lack of immunization

 Drug abuse

 Poor nutrition

 Exposure to loud noses

 Exposure to pesticides and food poisoning

 Poor hygiene

 Environment

Historical development of special needs education in Kenya

Education and vocational rehabilitation of persons with impairments was started by churches and other voluntary organizations without the involvement of the local community.

The first schools for children with impairments were segregated and sometimes residential since not all villages had an ordinary school and formal education for young people with disabilities. Some parents were reluctant to part with their children since this was a different idea.

This was the form of provision in the home countries of the colonial pioneers of special education and there were very few missionaries who were qualified special education teachers. The church had the support of the colonial government and the village could not reject the directives. Therefore, evangelism coupled with other social benefits made the communities accept the establishment of ordinary and special schools. Teaching and training was done simultaneously.

Several attempts have been made to evaluate the effectiveness of projects and programmes such as Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) in Kenya and itinerant teaching service for children with visual impairment in Kenya and other African countries. However, specific intervention measures which affected the individual child with SEN were ignored. Below is the timeline of SNE from 1946 to 2003.

Special needs education started in Kenya after the end of the Second World War and has since been offered mainly to four categories of children with disabilities, namely; children with hearing impairment, mental handicap, visual impairment and those with physical handicap.

Between 1946 and 1948 people with hearing and visual impairment, mental and physical handicap were taken care of in societies. Faith based organizations established boarding schools.

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In 1947 the Salvation Army started the first schools for visually impaired.

In 1948 two mentally impaired schools in Nairobi started by a voluntary organization.

In 1958 association for the physically impaired was formed. Seven physiotherapists and occupational therapists were treating over 30000 cases a year.

In 1959 schools for hearing impaired started by private owners in Nairobi.

In 1961 schools for visually impaired were started by Salvation Army in Mombasa, Kisumu and Meru.

General curriculum was followed and first child sat for CPE. The Kenya government paid teachers and boarding school facilities.

In 1966 on year certificate training course for teachers for hearing impaired was introduced.

In 1968 Jacaranda school for mentally impaired formed after two existing schools emerged.

In 1969 Kenya society for mentally impaired, Child welfare society and friends of handicapped children were formed.

In 190 ILO started vocational and rehabilitation training program (technical schools).

In 1980 draft of SNE policy

In 1986 ministry of Home Affairs responsible for children with psychological and sociological affairs was established.

Home for these children sponsored by Red Cross were established.

In 1988 SNE inspectors at ministry level were employed

In 1990 funding clubs like lion’s club emerged

In 2003 FPE

School factors that may cause special needs

 Teachers who do not have the skills may not be able to know learners’ individual needs and therefore may not be able to help those with special needs.

 Teachers who are not sensitive to needs of learners in schools

 Demotivated teachers who are not concerned with doing best for their learners

 Teachers whose teaching methods are not learners centered

 Inappropriate learning resources

 Too rigid and inconsistent school disciplinary methods may affect the learners psychologically.

Category of learners with disabilities

 Sensory impairment

 Cognitive difficulties

 Communication difficulties

 Emotional and behavioural difficulties

 Those living under difficult circumstances

Learners with sensory impairment-is when one of your senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste and spatial awareness, is no longer normal.

Examples -If you wear glasses you have sight impairment, if you find it hard to hear or have a hearing aid then you have a hearing impairment.

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