DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY

MID LA UNION CAMPUS

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
BACHELOR of ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

COURSE MODULE
SUBJECT :Foundation of Special and
Inclusive Education
COURSE NO. : Educ 102
INSTRUCTOR/PROFESSOR: Lailanie B. Soriano
CONTACT DETAILS : [email protected]
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FOUNDATION OF SPECIAL AND

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
(EDUC 102)

Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education deals with the

philosophies, theories and legal bases of special needs and inclusive
education; typical and atypical development of children; the learning
characteristics of students with special educational needs; and the strategies
in teaching and managing these learners in the regular class.

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1. recount the history of inclusive education, show awareness of the

laws that govern it, and how curriculum standards affect students;
2. recognize characteristics of the major disability categories and
how socio-economic status, gender, culture, language and risk
factors affect students with special needs;
3. identify environmental, curricular and management strategies
that will assist students with learning differences in all areas; and
4. utilize effective technology with the curriculum to meet the needs
of students with disability

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Regularly attend the class
2. Have active class participation
3. Take the oral and written quizzes
4. Take and pass the required periodical examination; and
5. Submit the required projects and reports at the end of the
semester.
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COURSE CONTENT:
Week Topic
1-3 MODULE 1

Introduction to Special Education

1. Inclusive Education in the Philippines
2. Inclusive Education in Other Countries

4-9 MODULE 2

Bases and Policies of Special and Inclusive Education

A. Review of the Bases
1. Psychological Bases
- Piaget’s Cognitive Development
- Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
- Lev Vygotsky’s Scaffolding
- Jean Lave’s Situated Learning
2. Philosophical Bases
- Inclusivity
- Equality
3. Historical/Sociological
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- UNESCO
- Education For All
- K to 12 Inclusion Policy
4. Legal
- The 1987 Phil. Constitution, Art XIV,
Sec 1&2
- RA 10533 Enhanced Basic Education Act –
including ALS and Learners with Special Needs
- RA 8371 Indigenous People’s Right Act
- PD 603
- RA 7610 Special Protection Against Child
Abuse and Exploitation
- RA 9344 Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act
- RA 9442 Magna Carta for Disabled Persons
- RA 10665 Open High School System Act
- RA 7277 Rehabilitation, and Integration of
Disabled Persons in Mainstream Society

MIDTERM EXAMINATION
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10-14 MODULE 3

Classification of Children with Special Needs

1. Giftedness and Emotional Behavior Disorder
2. Intellectual Disability
3. Autism Spectrum Disorder
4. Learning Disabilities
5. Communication Disorders
6. ADD/ADHD
7. Hearing Impairment
8. Visual Impairment
9. Physical Disability
10. Learners Chronic Illnesses
11. Learners in Difficult Circumstances
12. Learners from Indigenous Groups

15-18 MODULE 4

Assessment, Learning Resources and Instructional

(INPUT) Accommodation
A. Types of Assessment
- Observation Checklist
- Anecdotal Report
- Portfolio Assessment
B. Learning Resources and Instructional
Accommodation

FINAL EXAMINATION
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MODULE 1

INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION

This Module explores the essential nature of special education, its

historical roots and the common beliefs and attitudes on people with
disabilities.

OBJECTIVES

After studying the module, you should be able to:

1. demonstrate an in-depth understanding of concepts related to

inclusive and special education that promote supportive
environments to diverse learners;
2. demonstrate knowledge of responsive special and inclusive
education programs for diverse learners; and
3. compare and contrast Inclusive Education in the Philippines with
that of International standards.
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Lesson 1

Introduction to Special Education

Definition of Special Education

Special Education is the design of teaching and learning strategies for

gifted individuals and for individuals with disabilities or learning difficulties.
It is also about attitude of special education stakeholders, because all
participants of special education services need to have a positive attitude.
Special education is also about understanding the different needs of students,
including the different types of disability and learning difficulties they have.
So, whenever a teacher makes any kind of modification in her usual program,
in order to make adaptations to the learning conditions of a student with a
special need, the teacher is implementing special education.

Who is Special Education for?

Special education is for students with special educational needs. They

can be any of the following, but not limited to:

1. Students who have a general difficulty with some part of their

learning at school or who seem to have difficulty with all kinds of
learning.

2. Students with a particular disability, such as a hearing impairment,

a vision impairment, a speech impairment, a physical impairment,
or intellectual disability.

3. Students with behavior disorders, emotional problems or a medical

condition of one kind or another.

A student with special need might have it temporarily or permanently,

depending on the nature of the need and, to some extent, on the kind of
intervention received from parents, teachers and the community as a whole.

It is also good to note that special needs do not emanate solely from a
disability. Any student, with disability or none, can have a special educational
need at some time or another, and it is also possible that a student with no
disability may develop a special need. Therefore, special education is not only
limited for students with disabilities. It is for all students.
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Special Education Terminologies

Phil Foreman, the author of the book Inclusion in Action, mentioned

that “people with disabilities wish to be recognized as valued members of
society. In dealing with people with disabilities, it is most preferred to follow
the principle: people first, disability second.” The following are examples
on how we should describe people with disabilities:

- people with disabilities

- the child with cerebral palsy

- Sam has a physical disability

He further states that, “people with disabilities do not wish to be seen

as the object of a punishment or blight, or as victims, either. Nor do they
wish to be seen as continually suffering or in need of sympathy. They don’t
like terms such as `suffers from’, `afflicted with’, `physical problem’, etc.
They prefer their disability to be referred to as something that they just
have.”

The World Health Organization determined the following definitions,

which have been generally accepted throughout the world:
➢ impairment - an abnormality in the way organs or systems
function
Ex: a medical condition, eye disease, a
heart problem

➢ disability - the functional consequence of an

impairment
Ex: an intellectual disability due to brain
impairment; low vision; deafness

➢ handicap - the social or environmental consequence of

a disability
Ex: a person with a wheelchair is not
handicapped when paths and buildings
are wheelchair accessible

Why is it important to use appropriate terminology

when dealing with people with disability?
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General Education vs. Special Education

In terms of duties, the general education teacher and the special

education teacher share many of the same responsibilities. In fact, they share
many of the same students. This is because children with identified special
needs often spend a portion of the day in the general education classroom
and a portion of the day receiving more intensive services in a separate space.
There are, however, significant differences in teaching role:

1. SPED teacher may have a self-contained classroom or provide support

in a resource room

2. The number of children in a special education room is definitely small

compared to the number of children in a general classroom

3. The SPED teacher has case management and administrative duties

Inclusive Education in the Philippines

The Philippines as a developing country is still in its advent in terms of

implementing Inclusive Education (Muega, 2016).

The Department of Education issued Department Order No 72, s.2009

which states three kinds of program placement options in line with its
implementation of Inclusive Education; namely:
1. Full inclusion
2. Partial inclusion
3. Self-contained

Facility

The Department of education has recognized a total of 648 SPED

centers and regular schools offering the program, 471 of which are catering
to elementary students and 177 are catering to High School students (Kenneth
& Sales, 2019). The instructional programs that the SPED teachers shall
implement are as described in Figure 4 below. In addition, to address the
needs of the diverse learners, it includes programs but is not limited to:
(a) Program for the gifted,
(b) Program for the learners with a disability,
(c) Madrassah Program,
(d) Indigenous Peoples’ Education Program,
(e) Program for learners under challenging circumstances
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Teachers

Researches done on the implementation of special and inclusive

education have the following findings:

1. Muega (2016) reported that general education teachers are not

equipped to carry inclusion in their classrooms and that it is vital to
challenge school communities to develop appreciation and value of
promoting the presence of diverse learners.

2. DelCorro-Tiangco (2014) claimed that Filipino teachers have high

regard for their profession manifested in their willingness to provide
a productive learning environment for maximum learning of their
diverse class.

3. Kenneth and Sales (2019) reported that challenges faced by the

teachers in inclusive education are lack of special education
teachers, lack of facilities for special care, lack of special education
classes, lack of appropriate resources and inappropriate allocation
of learning materials.

Parents

According to Roxas et al. (2019), most Filipino parents are still in the
in-denial stage when it comes to the special education needs of their children.
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In general, the Philippines has an established policy on the

implementation of inclusive education but it is still grappling with the issue
of quality and sustainability.

Inclusive Education in Other Countries

There are many developed countries with excellent special education
systems.

1. United States- has one of the best special education systems in the
world. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a
federal law that ensures all children with disabilities have the right
to a free and appropriate public education. This law requires
schools to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for
each student with a disability. IEPs must be reviewed and updated
annually.

2. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom – countries

with strong special education systems that are more or less similar
in policies.

3. Finland - Finland’s educational system is among the best in the

world and has received one of the top education rankings in the
world in 2021. Everyone in Finland has the right to an education and
a sense of development. It offers free education from pre-primary
to high school.

Special Education: Beliefs and Attitudes

The Filipino culture has a marked influence on the range of beliefs and
attitudes about disabilities in the Philippines. Teachers should be aware of
these beliefs for them to understand and respond appropriately to these
varied attitudes toward students with special needs. But more importantly,
for them to discern and evaluate their own beliefs and attitudes. Below are
the predominant beliefs in Filipino communities:

1. TRADITIONAL BELIEFS

• The birth of a child with a disability is a consequence of a

particular action/s on the part of the parents or one of the
parents, or the particular actions of other community
members.

• Child’s disability is associated with the parents breaking a

traditional practice/belief, upsetting local spirits by harming
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the land or committing an unacceptable act, or not living up

to all their responsibilities and obligations.

• Disability has often been regarded as the consequence of a

curse, spell or other magic (sumpa) being used against the
parents by another community member, or even a person
from another community.

2. CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

• The Bible makes many references to disability, usually

physical disability or blindness. Such disabilities are usually
described in negative terms, with people with disabilities
usually seen as relatively helpless and in need of assistance
and comfort.

3. CONTEMPORARY BELIEFS

• Views about disability and special educational needs have

changed dramatically in recent decades. Medical research
has explained many of the causes of most of the known
disabilities while educational researchers are continually
finding new information about the social, educational and
other non-medical causes of apparent disabilities, learning
difficulties, behavioral and emotional disorders, and so on.

On Attitudes

Special education, to a large extent, is all about attitudes and

attitudinal change. Many authors, and many practitioners, say that the single
most important factor that determines whether or not special and inclusive
education work for students, is attitude. This means that the attitude of the
teacher, of parents, of students, of school administrators and of the
community as a whole can ‘make or break’ the special education program.
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The Case of Franklin

Franklin was born with a deteriorating form of physical disability

in a town somewhere in the Ilocos Region. During his early years, he was
able to move around without any assistance but after some years, he
lost his ability to walk. After much talk among community members it
was found that Franklin’s father had committed adultery with another
woman of the same town.

Franklin’s mother was hurt and contemplated leaving her

husband. Community members believed that if Franklin’s father
confessed his sins, Franklin would be able to walk again and
reconciliation of the family might also be achieved. Franklin’s father
did confess and asked forgiveness from his wife. Franklin’s condition did
not improve after his mother accepted his father’s confession, though,
and his disability continued to deteriorate. Franklin’s parents developed
a stronger relationship and the townspeople would say that it was their
love for their child in his remaining years that brought them closer
together.
__________________________________________

Answer the following questions: (5 pts each)

1. What could have caused Franklin’s disability?

2. How did traditional beliefs affect Franklin?
3. Did traditional beliefs help Franklin? How?
4. How would you describe the parents’ attitude toward
Franklin?

REFERENCES

1. Inciong, T. et al. Introduction to Special Education: A Textbook for

College Students, 1st ed. (2007). Manila. Rex Book Store

2. Primary and Secondary Teacher Education Project. Australian Agency

for International Development (AusAID). GRM International
http://www.education.gov.pg/TISER/documents/pastep/pd-se-5-1-
introduction-to-special-education-lecturer.pdf

3. Tremblay, P. Special Needs Education Basis: Historical and Conceptual

Approach.(2007). Tivat, Montenegro. Université Libre de Bruxelles
http://www.ibe.unesco.org/sites/default/files/History_Inclusive_Edu
cation.pdf

4. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Education. Sub-

education Policy Review Report: Inclusive Education. January, 2021.