2

Lesso
n1
After this lesson, you will be
able to:
 Understand the meaning and concept of
Inclusive Education/Special Education
 Identify various authors who defined inclusive education
 Elaborate the different terms associated with Inclusive/SPEd

Explore
Write inside the box the words associated with the term
“Inclusive Education”. From your answers, come up with your
definition of inclusive education.

Inclusive Education
 3

Explain
Meaning and Concept of Inclusive Education
Inclusive education is not just another option in the special
education programme rather it is a very different way of providing
education to all students. It is an approach to education where
students with special needs including disabilities are educated in
neighborhood schools in age-appropriate regular classroom settings
with non-disabled peers, and are provided with supports and
instruction that assures their participation with their peers, while also
meeting their individual strengths and needs.

Inclusive education is defined as a process of addressing and

responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing
participation in learning, cultures and communities and of reducing
exclusion within education. Inclusive education is a commitment to
seeing education as fundamental to development both of individuals
and of societies. It implies all learners, young people- with or without
disabilities being able to learn together through access to common
pre- school provisions, schools and community educational setting
with an appropriate network of support services. Literally the
meaning of Inclusion is “to include the diversified entities. As far
education is concerned, Inclusion refers to the placement and
education to the children with disabilities in regular education
classrooms, with children of the same age who do not have
disabilities. Overall inclusive education is the provision of services to
students with disabilities in their neighborhood schools with
necessary support services and supplementary aids for both children
and teachers. It is a system in which all children from a given
community learn together in a same local school including children
with learning difficulties, special needs or disabilities. It involves all
children learning together with the peers in the same environment
and enables all to participate together in the society from the very
beginning.

Definitions of Inclusive Education

Sometimes the concept of inclusive education is considered as
same as with the concept of integrated and mainstreaming. But the
concept of Inclusive Education is a different concept from the concept
of integrated and mainstreaming. Now we will be clear about the
same by providing definitions given by eminent scholars and
psychologists.

Mainstreaming refers to the temporal, instructional and social

integration of eligible exceptional children with normal peers based
 4
on an ongoing, individually determined, educational planning and
programming process and requires clarification of responsibilities
among regular and special education, administrative instructional and
supportive personnel.
 5

According to Kauffman (n.d.), the term mainstreaming is used to

mean an integration of regular and exceptional children in a school
setting where all children share the same resources and opportunities
for learning and full-time basis.

At the level of Education, the integration of a disabled child into

a regular classroom situation means a concurrent education with a
class of non-disabled children. In such a set-up there are greater
opportunities for the handicapped child to mix with his non disabled
counterparts in games, sports and other activities. The aim of
integrated education is to assimilate a disabled child into a group of
non-disabled and providing opportunities to make his/her as
independent as possible (Beng, n.d.).

Rehman Hiffr (n.d.) defined mainstreaming as the education of

mildly handicapped children in the regular classroom. It is based on
the philosophy of “equal opportunity” implemented through individual
planning to promote appropriate learning achievement and social
normalization.

According to Stephan and Blackhurt (n.d.), Inclusive Education

is a set of values, principles and practices that seeks more effective
and meaningful education for all students, regardless of whether they
have exceptionality labels or not. Inclusive school or set up may be
defined as a place where everyone belongs, is accepted, supports and
is supported by his or her peers and other members of the school
community in the course of having his/her educational needs met
(Michael F. Giangreco, n.d.).

Stainback and Stainback (n.d.) disclosed that Inclusive

Education is the implementation of policy and process that allows all
children to participate in all programmes. Policy means that disabled
children should be accepted without any restrictions in all the
educational programmes meant for other children. The process of
inclusion denotes the ways in the system makes itself welcoming to
all. Inclusive Education is nothing but making the programme for
disabled children as an integral part of the general educational system
rather than a system within general education.

M. Manivannan (n. d.) also mentioned that Inclusive Education

implies bringing together of the educational needs of the normal
children and the educational requirements of the children with special
needs, so as to evolve a common curriculum with a view to provide
education to all in regular schools itself. It is a flexible and
individualized support system for children and young people with
 6
special educational needs. It provides an integral component of the
overall education system and is provided in regular schools committed
in an appropriate education for all.
 7

Based on the idea of Uppal and Dey (n. d.), Inclusive Education
aims to provide a favorable setting for achieving equal opportunity
and full participation for all, thus bringing children with special needs
well within the preview of mainstream education. It recognizes the
diverse needs of the students and ensures equality education to all
through appropriate curricula, teaching strategies, support services
and partnership with a community and parents. In simple words, it
means that all children with or without disabilities learn together.

Advani and Chadha (n. d.), Inclusive Education describes the

restructuring of special education to permit all or most students to be
integrated in mainstream classes through reorganization and
instruction innovations (e.g., cooperative learning, collaborative
consultation and team teaching).

On the account of the above definitions and discussions about

the concept of inclusive education, we may conclude that it is a
democratic ideology which advocates that all children should be
included in the regular education system. The movement for
“Education for all” acts as a gateway towards inclusive education. It is
based on the democratic ideology that all students can learn and they
have right to be educated alongside their same age group peers to the
maximum extent possible, a zero-reject policy exists so that typically
no students are excluded from the general education class and other
integrated environment. Overall inclusive Education is an attitude of
focusing on every child the help he/she needs to learn (Ware, 1995).

Some authors and organizations defined Inclusive Education as

follows:
 Inclusive Education is when all students, regardless of any
challenges they may have, are placed in age-appropriate general
education classes that are in their own neighborhood schools to
receive high-quality instruction, interventions, and supports that
enable them to meet success in the core curriculum (Bui, Quirk,
Almazan, & Valenti, 2010; Alquraini & Gut, 2012 as cited by
Mcmanis, n. d.).
 Inclusive Education means that all students attend and are
welcomed by their neighbourhood schools in age-appropriate,
regular classes and are supported to learn, contribute and
participate in all aspects of the life of the school. It is about how
we develop and design our schools, classrooms, programs and
activities so that all students learn and participate together
(inclusionbc.org, 2021).
 Inclusive Education is seen as “a process of addressing and
responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through
increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities,
 8
and reducing exclusion from education and from within
education.” The goal is that the whole education system will
facilitate learning environments where teachers and learners
embrace and welcome the challenge and benefits of diversity.
Within an inclusive education approach, learning environments
are fostered where
 9

individual needs are met and every student has an opportunity to

succeed (UNESCO, n.d.)
 Inclusive Education is described by the unicef.org (n. d.) as the
most effective way to give all children a fair chance to go to school,
learn and develop the skills they need to thrive. Inclusive education
means all children in the same classrooms, in the same schools. It
means real learning opportunities for groups who have traditionally
been excluded – not only children with disabilities, but speakers of
minority languages too. Inclusive systems value the unique
contributions students of all backgrounds bring to the classroom
and allow diverse groups to grow side by side, to the benefit of all.
In other words, Inclusive education allows students of all
backgrounds to learn and grow side by side, to the benefit of all.
 Inclusive Education is the core principle of the K to 12 Basic
Education Program. This promotes the right of every Filipino to
quality, equitable, culture-based and complete basic education.
Through inclusive education, all Filipinos will realize their full
potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation
(DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2019).
 The 2009 Department of Education Order No. 72 defines
inclusive education as the philosophy of accepting all children
regardless of race, size, shape, color, ability or disability with
support from school staff, students, parents, and the community.
 The 2013 Enhanced Basic Education Act refers to gifted and
talented children, learners with disabilities, learners of
madrasha, indigenous peoples, learners under difficult
circumstances, such as geographical isolation, chronic illness,
displacement due to armed conflict, urban resettlement, or
disaster, and abused child as target groups of inclusive
education.

Furthermore, current literature defines special education as

individually planned, systematically implemented, and carefully
evaluated instruction to help exceptional children achieve the greatest
possible personal self-sufficiency and success in present and future
environments (Heward, 2003).

Individually Planned Instruction. The law on Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that an Individual Education
Program (IEP) be developed and implemented for every special education
student between the ages of 3 and 21. The basic requirements of IDEA
for all IEPs include statements of:
a) the child’s present level of performance, academic achievement,
social adaptation, prevocational and vocational skills,
psychomotor skills, and self-help skills;
b) annual goals describing the educational performance to be
 10
achieved by the end of each school year;
c) short-term instructional objectives presented in measurable,
intermediate steps between the present level of educational
performance and the annual goals;
 11

d) specific educational services; and

e) needed transition services from age 16 or either before the
student leaves the school setting.

Systematically implemented and evaluated instruction. Each

type of children with special education needs requires particular
educational services curriculum goals, competencies and skills,
educational approaches, strategies and procedures in the evaluation
of learning and skills.

Personal self-sufficiency. An important goal of special

education is to help the child become independent from the assistance
of adults in personal maintenance and development, homemaking,
community life, vocational and leisure activities and travel.

The present environment refers to the current conditions in the

life of child the with a disability. The present environment includes
the family, the school, the community where she/he lives, the
instructions in society that extend assistance and support to children
and youth with special education needs such as the government,
nongovernment organizations, socio-civic organizations and other
groups.
The future environment is the forecast of how the child with a
disability can move on to the next level of education, from elementary
to secondary school and on to college or vocational program, and
finally to the workplace where he/she can be gainfully employed.
Special education helps the child in the transition from a student to a
wage earner so that he or she can lead a normal life even if he or she
has disability.

Defining Early Childhood Inclusive Education

An inclusive education for all students of all ability levels,
from kindergarten through high school, is one that provides each
student with
“the opportunities to receive effective education services, with the
needed supplemental services and supports, in age
appropriate classes in their neighborhood schools, in
order to prepare students for productive lives as full members of
society” (The National Center for Educational Restructuring and
Inclusion, 1995, p. 6 as cited by Maryland State Department of
Education, 2011). In Maryland, an inclusive education for young
children of all ability levels, is one that supports their participation
in a continuum of early childhood settings, community-and school-
based, with appropriate modifications and accommodations, in order
 12
to achieve school readiness and positive outcomes throughout
their educationalexperience. Natural
environments and least restrictive environments
ensure that young children with disabilities receive services in typical
community-based early childhood settings and programs
 13

whenever possible, and only go to more restrictive or specialized

settings when individual needs require it.

____________
Examine
Activity 1. Respond to the questions below. Write your answer on the
space provided.

1. From the different definitions of inclusive education, come up

with your own operational definition of the term mentioned then
explain.

2. Elaborate the meaning of the following:

a. Individually planned

b. Systematically implemented

c. Personally sufficient
 14

Lesson 2
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Identify the benefits of inclusive
education.
 Discuss the benefits of inclusive
education.
 Reflect on the importance of inclusive
education.

Explore
Discuss your idea on the following:
A. NO FILIPINO CHILD IS LEFT BEHIND

B. EDUCATION FOR ALL

Explain
According to Chauhan & Mantry (2018), it is ensuring that every
child with special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree
of disability, is provided education in an appropriate environment.
Inclusive Education is one of the policies stands on the principles of
that no child is left out of the education system. It has the following
benefits:
i. In Inclusive setting, the students with disabilities get
opportunities to sit in same classroom alongside with the
children without disabilities, as it develops a social
 15
interaction among them;
ii. Social competence and communication skills of children with
diverse abilities are improved in inclusive setting;
 16

iii. It helps the teacher to develop practical competencies to

perform the action for creating a learning environment;
iv. It helps in developing reflective competencies which will help
the teacher to reflect on how language, disability, race,
gender, geographical locations and other differences impact
on learning and appropriate adaptation to teaching
strategies;
v. In inclusive education setting, it is a great opportunity for the
disabled children to improve the skills of acquisition and
academic gains;
vi. Friendly atmosphere in between children with disabilities and
children without disabilities;
vii. Children with disabilities who are included in their regular
schools tend to become adults who spend more time in
leisure activities outside of the home, spend more time in
leisure activities with adults without disabilities and spend
more time in community work setting than do their
counterparts in segregated setting;
viii. It provides a mechanism for responding to the learning and
other needs of all learners as soon as they are suspected or
identified;
ix. Cooperative and collaborative partnership of regular and
special teacher;
x. It follows the principles of right to education and education for
all.
xi. Children without disabilities can benefit from increased funds
in the classroom;
xii. Children without disabilities can learn to value and respect
children with diverse abilities in inclusive classroom;
xiii. In inclusive education, there is provision of additional staff.
The children without disabilities can benefit from this
additional staff;
xiv. It facilitates education of girls with disabilities and disabled
students from rural and remote areas to government hostels;
and
xv. It provides home based learning for persons with severe,
multiple and intellectual disabilities.
Special Education is a part of the Department of Education’s
basic education program. Children with special needs are benefited
from inclusive education which allows them to:
a. Develop individual strengths and gifts, with high and
appropriate expectations for each child;
b. Work on individual goals while participating in the life of the
classroom with other students their own age;
 17
c. Involve their parents in their education and in the activities
of their local schools;
d. Foster a school culture of respect and belonging. Inclusive
education provides opportunities to learn about and accept
individual differences, lessening the impact of harassment
and bullying;
e. Develop friendships with a wide variety of other children,
each with their own individual needs and abilities; and
 18

f. Positively affect both their school and community to

appreciate diversity and inclusion on a broader level.
Furthermore, Mcmanis (n.d.) discussed the following benfits of
inclusive education:
a. Benefits for students
Simply put, both students with and without disabilities
learn more. Many studies over the past three decades have
found that students with disabilities have higher achievement
and improved skills through inclusive education, and their peers
without challenges benefit, too (Bui, et al., 2010; Dupuis,
Barclay, Holms, Platt, Shaha, & Lewis, 2006; Newman, 2006;
Alquraini & Gut, 2012).

For students with disabilities (SWD), this includes

academic gains in literacy (reading and writing), math, and
social studies — both in grades and on standardized tests —
better communication skills, and improved social skills and more
friendships. More time in the general classroom for SWD is also
associated with fewer absences and referrals for disruptive
behavior. This could be related to findings about attitude — they
have a higher self-concept, they like school and their teachers
more, and are more motivated around working and learning.

Their peers without disabilities also show more positive

attitudes in these same areas when in inclusive classrooms. They
make greater academic gains in reading and math. Research
shows the presence of SWD gives non-SWD new kinds of
learning opportunities. One of these is when they serve as peer-
coaches. By learning how to help another student, their own
performance improves. Another is that as teachers take into
greater consideration their diverse SWD learners, they provide
instruction in a wider range of learning modalities (visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic), which benefits their regular ed
students as well.

Researchers often explore concerns and potential pitfalls

that might make instruction less effective in inclusion classrooms
(Bui et al., 2010; Dupois et al., 2006). But findings show this is
not the case. Neither instructional time nor how much time
students are engaged differs between inclusive and non-inclusive
classrooms. In fact, in many instances, regular ed students
report little to no awareness that there even are students with
disabilities in their classes. When they are aware, they
demonstrate more acceptance and tolerance for SWD when they
all experience an inclusive education together.
 19

b. Parent’s feelings and attitudes

Parents, of course, have a big part to play. A
comprehensive review of the literature (de Boer, Pijl, &
Minnaert, 2010) found that on average,
 20

parents are somewhat uncertain if inclusion is a good option for

their SWD. On the upside, the more experience with inclusive
education they had, the more positive parents of SWD were
about it. Additionally, parents of regular ed students held a
decidedly positive attitude toward inclusive education.

Over the years, the benefits of providing an inclusive education

to all children have been shown. As disclosed by the New Brunswick
Association for Community Living (n. d.), inclusive education (when
practiced well) is very important because:
d. All children are able to be part of their community and develop
a sense of belonging and become better prepared for life in the
community as children and adults.
e. It provides better opportunities for learning. Children with
varying abilities are often better motivated when they learn in
classes surrounded by other children.
f. The expectations of all the children are higher. Successful
inclusion attempts to develop an individual’s strengths and
gifts.
g. It allows children to work on individual goals while being with
other students their own age.
h. It encourages the involvement of parents in the education of their
children and the activities of their local schools.
i. It fosters a culture of respect and belonging. It also provides the
opportunity to learn about and accept individual differences.
j. It provides all children with opportunities to develop friendships
with one another. Friendships provide role models and
opportunities for growth.

Benefits of an Inclusive ECE

Early childhood education is evolving into a more inclusive
environment for everyone. This includes children with visible and
invisible disabilities, as well as typically developing children. An
inclusive classroom means students with and without learning
differences all learn together in one classroom. Inclusive classrooms
help foster a welcoming and supportive environment that meets the
diverse academic, social, emotional, and communication needs for all
of its students (Star Bright Books, n. d.).
Maryland State Department of Education (2011) disclosed that
research demonstrates that participation of children with disabilities
in regular early childhood settings with appropriate supports,
accommodations and modifications results in improved outcomes for
those children, and also provides benefits for their nondisabled peers.
Below are the benefits of an inclusive ECE.
 21

1. Families and children participate in, and contribute to, their

communities.
All parents want their children to be accepted by their peers,
have friends and lead "regular" lives with their family and friends
in their local
 22

community. For a young child with a disability, this may mean

going to the same preschool as other siblings or being invited to
a best friend’s birthday party. Parents hope teachers, friends,
and neighbors will look beyond a young child’s disability and see
what they see: a little boy or girl with a bright smile, a favorite
toy, or a new song to sing. Inclusive early childhood settings can
make this vision a reality for children with disabilities, and their
families.

Moreover, when families are actively engaged in their

child’s learning, children are better prepared for school and
achieve at higher levels. Increased participation by families in
preschool programs has also been linked to greater academic
motivation and stronger social and emotional skills among
all young children, regardless of ethnic and socioeconomic
background.

2. Children develop a positive understanding of themselves and

others
Children who participate in an inclusive early childhood
setting learn the basics of community living:
a. Everyone belongs in a community.
b. Helping others is a rewarding experience.

Young children develop self-esteem by learning to

respect the differences and contributions of other individuals.
One friend knows all the words to popular songs, another runs
very fast, and a classmate already reads words in a book.
Appreciation for the accomplishment of peers helps young
children recognize their own abilities. “I can’t run fast, but I can
paint great pictures of my dog!”

Acting as a helper or role model offers any child, with or

without a disability, the chance to learn altruistic behavior and
accept differences. More importantly, inclusive early childhood
settings provide numerous opportunities for children to find
similarities, and form bonds with one another, in daily
interactions and learning experiences. They offer a chance to
observe, and accept, that people are all different, yet our
differences also make each of us unique and special. When
children learn to appreciate diversity in their daily interactions
with family members, peers, public school and early care and
 23
education providers, they can appreciate the similarities and
differences in people they interact with in the “outside” world
also.
 24

3. Friendships develop among all children in and out of school,

and are associated with important developmental outcomes
and academic achievements.
Children who are socially competent are more likely to be
included in activities with friends. Social skills are an important
foundation for forming and maintaining school friendships in
early elementary grades and are related to school adjustment
and academic gains. In addition, social competence is a predictor
of later well-being and mental health.
Children with and without disabilities learn important
lessons through their friendships:
 how to cope with challenges,
 find alternative paths to success, and
 social and communication skills.

4. Learning, with specialized instruction as appropriate, is

facilitated for all children.
Inclusive early childhood settings help all young children
develop readiness skills for reading, writing and mathematics.
All children learn in a nurturing environment, incorporating the
principles of universal design for learning that support each
child’s pace and style of learning. When there is joint, and
ongoing, planning, support and commitment among team
members, all children can learn together.

Simply placing children with disabilities in the same

environment with typical peers, however, does not produce
positive outcomes.

“Depending on the individual needs and priorities of young

children and families, implementation of inclusion involves a
range of approaches in a variety of settings – from embedded,
routines‐based teaching to more explicit interventions – to scaffold
learning and participation for all children” (DEC/NAEYC, 2009,
p.2).

Professional development opportunities and support to

acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes to implement
effective inclusive practices should be available to parents, early
care and education personnel, and early intervention, special
 25
education, related service providers, and administrators. In
addition, specialized intervention must be embedded, when
needed, within the education curriculum and daily activities for
specific children.
 26

According to Star Bright Books (n. d.), teaching inclusion benefit

everyone as follows:
 Studies have shown that students of all developmental styles
benefit from their involvement in an inclusive learning
environment. Inclusive learning environments help develop
positive self-images, friendship and social skills, problem-solving,
and respect for others.

 Most young children have not yet been exposed to stereotypes

attached to people with visible and invisible disabilities. An
inclusive classroom therefore provides opportunities for children
to practice acceptance and understanding. Children learn how
their classmates with different learning styles and abilities are
similar to each other, as well as how they do things in different
ways.

 Inclusive classrooms also use teaching strategies that meet each

child at their individual developmental level, which benefits all
children. These strategies help each student learn what is
expected of them and how to navigate the classroom as a whole.
Oftentimes, teachers will separate students into small groups or
hold one-on-one sessions as a way of practicing differentiated
instruction. This allows teachers to tailor lessons to best fit each
student’s learning style and provides students with opportunities
to get up and move around or use fidgets that can help them
concentrate.

Examine
Activity 1. Answer the following:
1. How does Special Education become special?

2. How inclusive is Inclusive Education for Filipino learners

particularly Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSENs)?
 27

3. In what way that both parents and their special children benefit
from inclusive education?

Activity 2. As a future teacher, how would you help children with

special needs have friends? Discuss.
 28

Lesso
n3
After this lesson, you will be
Objectives
able to:
 Relate the milestone of Inclusive Education in the
country and abroad.
 Share others the information learned about the history of
Inclusive
Education in the country.
 Determine how inclusive education in the country began.

Explore
It has been mentioned that Inclusive Education brings series of
important benefits to parents and students particularly those Learners
with Special Educational Needs. What do you think would happen if
there is no inclusive education? How would you picture the
educational system that we have? Would still quality and excellence in
education be achieved? Write down your thoughts inside the box.

Explain
Historically, the interest to educate Filipino children with
disabilities was expressed more than a century ago on 1902 during
 29
the American Regime. The
 30

General Superintendent of Education, Mr. Fred Atkinson, reported to

the Secretary of Public Instruction that deaf and blind children were
found in a census of school-aged children in Manila and nearby
provinces. He proposed that these children be enrolled in school like
the other children in Manila and nearby provinces. However, it was
not until 1907 that the special education program formally started in
the country. The Director of Public Education, Mr. David Barrows,
worked for the establishment of the Insular School for the Deaf and
the Blind in Manila. Miss Delight Rice, an American educator, was the
first administrator and teacher of the special school. At present the
School for the Deaf is located on Harrison Street, Pasay City while the
Philippine National School is adjacent to it on Polo Road.

The following are the milestone of Inclusive Education

Program:

1926-1949
The Philippine Association for the Deaf (PAD) composed mostly
of hearing impaired members and special education specialist was
founded in 1926. In 1936, Mrs. Maria Villa Francisco was appointed
as the first Filipino principal of the School for the Deaf and the Blind
(SDB).

1950-1975
In 1950, PAD opened a school for children with hearing
impairment. The following year in 1954, the first week of August was
declared as Sight Saving Week.

The private sectors supported the government’s program for

disabled Filipinos. In 1955, the First Teacher Work Conference in
Special Education was held at the SDB.

In 1956, the First Summer Institute on Teaching the Deaf was

held at the School for the Deaf and the Blind in Pasay City. The
following year marked the beginning of the integration of deaf pupils
in the regular classes.

In 1957, the Bureau of Public School (BSP) of the Department of

Education Culture (DEC) created the Special Education Section of
Special Subjects and Services Division. The inclusion of special
education in the structure of DEC provided the impetus for the
development of special education in all regions of the country.

In 1958, the American Foundation for Oversees Blind (AFOB)

 31
opened its regional office in Manila.
In 1962, the Manila Youth and Rehabilitation Center (MYRC)
was opened. The center extended services to emotionally disturbed
and socially maladjusted
 32

children. In the same year, the DEC issued circular No. 11 s. 1962
that specified the “Qualifications of Special Education Teachers”.
Experimental integration of blind children at Jose Rizal Elementary
School in Pasay City was done.
With the approval of R.A. No. 3562 in 1963, the training of DEC
teacher scholars for blind started at the Philippine Normal College.
The year 1965 marked the start of training program for school
administrators on the organization, administration and supervision of
special education classes.
DEC issued a memorandum on Duties of the Special Education
Teachers for the Blind in 1971. In 1974, the First National Conference
on the Rehabilitation of Disabled was held at the Social Security Bldg.
in Quezon City. Likewise, the Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf
(SAID) was established.
When the DEC was reorganized into the Ministry of Education
Culture (MEC) in 1975, the Special Subjects and Services Division
was abolished.
1976 to 2000
In 1976, Proclamation 1605 declared 1977 to 1987 as the
Decade of the Filipino Child. The National Action Plan for Education
was promulgated which included provisions for in-and-out-of-school
exceptional children. in the same year, the First Camp Pag-ibig, a day
camped for handicapped children was held on Valentine’s Day in
Balara, Quezon City. Meanwhile, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Court in Quezon City organized the Molave Youth Hall for Children
with Behavior Problems.

In 1977, MEC issued Department Order No. 10 that designated

regional and division supervisors of special education programs. The
West Visayas State College of Iloilo City started its training program
and offered scholarships to qualified teachers. The Bacarra Special
Education Center, Division of Bacolod City opened in the same year.
The year 1978 marked the creation of the National Commission
Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP), later renamed National
Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons or NCDWP through
Presidential Decree 1509. MEC Memorandum No. 285 directed school
divisions to organize special classes with a set of guidelines on the
designation of teachers who have no formal training in special
education.
In 1979, the Bureau of Elementary Education Special Education
Unit conducted a two-year nationwide survey of unidentified
 33
exceptional children who were in school. The Caritas Medico-
Pedagogical Institution for the Mentally Retarded was organized. The
Jagna Special Education Center in the Division of Bohol was
organized.
The School for Crippled Children at the Southern Island Hospital
in Cebu City was organized in 1980. In 1981, the United Nations
Assembly proclaimed the Observance of the International Year of
Disabled Persons. Three special programs
 34

were inaugurated: the Exceptional Child Learning Center at the West

City Central School Division of Dumaguete City, the Zapatera Special
Education Center at the Division of Cebu, and the Deaf Evangelistic
Alliance Foundation (DEAF) in Cavinti, Laguna.
In 1982, three special schools were opened: the Cebu State
College Special High School for the Deaf, the Siaton Special
Education Learning Center in the Division of Negros Oriental and the
St. John Maria de Vianney Special Education Learning Center in
Quezon City. In 1983, Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 enacted the
Accessibility Law, “An Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled
Persons by Requiring Cars, Buildings, Institutions, Establishments
and Public Utilities to Install Facilities and Other Devices.” In the
same year, the Batac Special Education Center in the Division of
Ilocos Norte was organized. In 1984, two special education programs
were inaugurated: the Labangon Special Education Center Division of
Cebu City and the Northern Luzon Association’s Heinz Wolke School
for the Blind at the Marcos Highway in Baguio City.
In 1990, the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) an oral school
for children with hearing impairment was established. The following
year, the First National Congress on Street Children was held at La
Salle Greenhills in San Juan Metro Manila. In 1992, the Summer
Training for Teachers of the Visually Impaired started at the
Philippine University.
The program was sponsored by the Department of Education
Culture and Sports (DECS), the Resources for the Blind Incorporated
(RBI) and the Christoffel Blidenmission (CBM).
In 1993, DECS issued Order No. 14 that directed regional
officers to organize the Regional Special Education Council (RSEC).
The years 1993 to 2002 was declared as the Asian and the Pacific
Decade of the Disabled Persons. three conventions were made in
1995: the First National Congress on Mental Retardation at the
University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City; the First
National Convention on Deaf Education in Cebu City which was
subsequently held every two years; and the First National Sports
Summit for the Disabled and the Elderly.
In 1996, the third week of January was declared as Autism
Consciousness Week. The first Congress on Special Needs Education
was held in Baguio City.
A number of events took place in 1997. DECS Order No. 1
was issued which directed the organization of a Regional Special
Education and the Designation of a Regional Supervisor for Special
Education. The First Teacher Training Program for the Integration
 35
of Autistic Children was held in Marikina City.
In 1998, DECS Order No. 5 “Reclassification of Regular Teacher
and Principal Items to Special Education Teacher and Special Schools
Principal Item” was issued.
 36

The following events took place in 1999: issuance of the DECS

Orders No. 104 “Exemption of Physically Handicapped from taking
the National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) and the National
Secondary Aptitude Test (NSAT)”, No. 108 “Strengthening of Special
Education Programs for Gifted in the Public School System, and the
No. 477 “National Week for the Gifted and Talented”.

Examine
Activity 1. Answer the following questions: (Use a separate sheet for
your answers, if necessary)
1. What is the status of Special Programs in the Philippines?

2. Identify significant event and discuss the milestone of

SPEd/Inclusive Education from 1926 up to present.

3. What is the purpose of the “White Cane Safety Day in the

Philippines” to SPEd/Inclusive Education?

4. Why do preschool teachers need to be acquainted with these

significant events in SPEd/Inclusive Education?
 37

5. Enumerate and discuss the different laws you have learned in

this topic.

Activity 2. Make a timeline of the different milestone of

SPEd/Inclusive Education. Share your timeline to your friends
enrolled in BECED program. Explain to them the importance of it to
their field. Put this in a Letter size bond paper (Encoded).
 38

eference
s Chauhan, N. & Mantry, S. (2018). Inclusive Education: Need of
The Day. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science
Invention (IJHSSI). Retrieved from
http://www.ijhssi.org/papers/vol7(10)/Version-
2/E0710022432.pdf.

Deped Order No. 21, s. 2019. Policy Guidelines on the K to 12

Basic Education Program.

Inclusion BC (n. d.). What is Inclusive Education? Retrieved from

https://inclusionbc.org/our-resources/what-is-inclusive-education/

Mcmanis, L. D. (n.d). Inclusive Education: What It Means,

Proven Strategies, and a Case Study. Retrieved from
https://resilienteducator. com/classroom-resources/inclusive-
education/

New Brunswick Association for Community Living (n. d.).

Inclusive Education and its Benefits. Retrieved from
https://nbacl.nb.ca/module- pages/inclusive-education-and-its-benefits/

Open Society Foundations (2019). The Value of Inclusive

Education. Retrieved from
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/val ue- inclusive-
education#:~:text=Inclusive%20systems%20provide%20 a
% 20better,of%20social%20relationships%20and%20interactions.

Unicef (n. d.). Inclusive Education. Retrieved from https://www.

unicef. org/education/inclusive-education

Maryland State Department of Education (2011). Defining Early

Childhood Inclusive Education. Retrieved from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/
/olms2/3833
Maryland State Department of Education (2011). Benefits of an
Inclusive ECE. Retrieved from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu//olms2/3841.
Inciong, T. G., Quijano, Y. S., Capulong, Y. T., Gregorio, J. A., &
Gines, A.
C. (2007). Introduction to Special Education, A Textbook for College
Students – First Edition. Rex Book Store, Inc.
 3

Module
2
(4

Overview
With the implementation of the K to 12 program, the goals of
basic education in response to the varied realities of learners and
their families by providing a wider range of options not only in
preparing them for higher education, but also for opportunities in
employment and entrepreneurship has broadened. The
implementation of programs that address the various physical,
intellectual, psychosocial, and cultural needs of learners in diverse
contexts is likewise promoted. This module focuses on inclusive
education in the basic education. It consists of the following lessons:
Lesson 1: Inclusive Education Policy Framework
Lesson 2: Roles of DepEd Officials in the Implementation of
Inclusive Education

General Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
 Be acquainted with the Inclusive Education Policy Framework
for Basic Education
 Identify and Explain the Roles of DepEd Officials in the
Implementation of Inclusive Education
 31

Lesso
n1
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be
able to:
 State the rationale of the Inclusive Education.
 Identify the Legal bases of Inclusive Education both
International and Philippine setting
 Determinethe scope and policy statement of
inclusive education in the country
 Define the terms associated to Inclusive Education.
 Identify the Guiding Principles of Inclusive Education.
 Discuss the Key Dimensions of Inclusive Education
 Identify the Roles of the Department of Education in
the delivery of Inclusive Education in the country.
 Be familiar with the processes of monitoring and
evaluation in the implementation of Inclusive
Education.

Explore
Complete the bubble map provided here. Connect as many
words as you can which could help the learner enhance or develop
his/her potential and capabilities. State your reasons why you choose
these words in the box.

LEARNER
 32

Explain
Rationale
The Department of Education (DepED) is mandated to protect
and promote the right of every Filipino citizen to quality education
that will enable each learner to realize their full potential and
meaningfully take part in nation-building. Actualizing this
constitutional right is the main thrust of the K to 12 Basic Education
Program which recognizes the diversity of the country’s learners,
schools, and communities. Seeking to be inclusive, K to 12 has
broadened the goals of basic education in response to the varied
realities of learners and their families by providing a wider range of
options not only in preparing them for higher education, but also for
opportunities in employment and entrepreneurship. K to 12 further
promotes the implementation of programs that address the various
physical, intellectual, psychosocial, and cultural needs of learners in
diverse contexts. These programs are anchored on inclusion which is a
core principle of the Enhanced Basic Education Program (DepEd
Order No. 43, s. 2013).

The principle of inclusion promotes institutional sensitivity and

responsiveness to the nature, situation, and realities of our country’s
learners and directs the Department to proactively address these
through the curriculum and other interventions. This is
institutionalized by K to 12 through Inclusive Education, a policy
perspective realized through the development and implementation of
learner-centered and context-responsive programs.
This policy framework is being adopted to provide an overall
framework of implementation for programs that directly promote
Inclusive Education and to ensure that every aspect of the K to 12
curriculum support system, across the governance levels of the
Department, is responsive to the needs and demands of diverse
learners.

Legal Bases
The principle of inclusion as a basis for development initiatives
including education has been highlighted in international legal and
standard-setting instruments, and Philippine laws. These laws and
instruments are premised on the fundamental importance of
recognizing the right to quality basic education of all learners,
especially the disadvantaged and marginalized, who may be in unique
 33
situations and have different learning needs due to their personal,
social, cultural, and economic context. These serve as pillars of this
Inclusive Education Policy Framework.
A. International Legal and Standard-Setting Instruments
 34

a. The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child upholds the

rights of children and changed the way children are viewed and
treated – from passive objects of care and charity to human
beings with a distinct set of rights.
b. The 1994 Salamanca Statement provides that all children
should learn together, wherever possible, regardless of any
difficulties or differences they may have.
c. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (UNCRPD) aims to promote, protect, and ensure
the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to
promote respect for their inherent dignity. More specifically,
Article 24 of the UNCRPD states the “the right of persons
with disabilities to education must be recognized with a view
to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis
of equal opportunity” and General Comment 4 outlines what
inclusive education is and what countries must do to make it
happen (UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD), 2016).
d. The 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples stipulates that Indigenous Peoples (IPs)
have the right to establish and control their educational
systems and instructions and that indigenous individuals,
particularly children, have the right to all levels and forms of
education without discrimination.
e. The Education 2030 Framework for Action aims at mobilizing
all countries and partners around the Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) on inclusive and equitable quality
education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
B. Philippine Legal Mandates for Inclusive Education
a. The 1987 Philippine Constitution (Article XIV, Sections 1 and
2) explicitly upholds the protection and promotion of the
right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, which
requires the Philippine government, among others, to:
i. Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate
and integrated system of education relevant to the needs
of the people and society (Section 2 (1));
ii. Encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning
systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-
school study programs particularly those that respond to
community needs (Section 2(4)); and
iii. Provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-school
 35
youth with training in civics, vocational efficiency and
other skills (Section 2 (5)).
 36

b. Republic Act No. 10533 otherwise known as The Enhanced

Basic Education Act of 2013, and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR), define the inclusiveness of enhanced basic
education through the implementation of programs designed
to address the physical, intellectual, psycho-social and
cultural needs of learners, which shall include, but shall not
be limited to, Programs for learners with Disabilities,
Programs for Learners under Difficult Circumstances,
Madrasah Program, Indigenous Peoples Education Program,
and Programs for the Gifted and Talented (Section 8).
c. Republic Act No. 9710 otherwise known as The Magna Carta
of Women, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR),
compels the State to provide equal access and to eliminate
discrimination in education, scholarships, and training
(Section 13). This includes admission, curriculum and
educational materials, delivery using gender-sensitive
language, and capacity-building on Gender and Development
(GAD), peace and human rights for teachers and those in the
education sector.
d. Republic Act No. 10157 or The Kindergarten Education Act
released in 2012 declares the policy of the State to provide
equal opportunities for all children to avail of accessible
mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education that
effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional
and skills stimulation and values formation to sufficiently
prepare them for formal elementary schooling.
e. Republic Act No. 9155 otherwise known as The Governance of
Basic Education Act of 2001 enforces the establishment of the
Alternative Learning System (ALS) to provide out-of-school
youth and adults with basic education.
f. Republic Act No. 8371 otherwise known as The Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act of 1997 mandates the State to provide
equal access to various cultural opportunities to ICCs
(Indigenous Cultural Communities)/IPs through the education
system without prejudice to their right to establish or control
their educational systems, and in a manner appropriate to
their cultural methods of teaching and learning (Article II,
Section 2).
g. Republic Act No. 9344 or The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act
of 2006 requires educational institutions to work together
with families, community organizations and agencies in the
prevention of juvenile delinquency and in the rehabilitation
 37
and reintegration of child in conflict with the law.
h. Republic Act No. 9552 (approved in 2007) or an Act Amending
Republic Act No. 7277 of 1992, otherwise known as the
Magna Carta for Disabled Persons mandates the provision of
educational assistance to persons with disabilities, for them
to pursue primary, secondary, tertiary, post
 38

tertiary education, as well as vocational or technical

education, in both public and private schools.
i. Republic Act No. 10665 of 2015 also known as the Open High
School System Act declares the policy of the State to broaden
access to relevant quality education through the employment
of an alternative secondary education program to overcome
personal, geographical, socio-economic, and physical
constraints.
j. Republic Act No. 10361 approved in 2013 otherwise known as
the Domestic Workers Act or Batas Kasambahay guarantees
that the Kasambahay is afforded the opportunity to finish
basic education, which shall consist of elementary and
secondary education and mandates the DepEd to ensure their
continued access to Als (Rule IV, Section 16).
k. Republic Act No. 7610 of 1992 also known as Special
Protection Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act
declares that it is a State policy to provide special protection
to children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty,
exploitation, and discrimination, and other conditions
prejudicial to their development; provide sanctions for their
commission and carry out a program for prevention and
deterrence of and crisis intervention in situation of special
abuse, exploitation and discrimination.

Scope
This policy framework shall guide DepEd programs, both in
formal education system and alternative learning system, and in
public and private schools; and the support systems that enable their
effective implementation.

Definition of Terms
For the purposes of this policy framework, the following terms are
defined:
a. Context refers to the particular setting, situation, or
circumstance of the learner influenced by personal, cultural,
political, social and economic factors (e.g. disability, ethnicity,
gender, religion, socialization in the family and the wider
community, social history, economic status, personal capabilities
in which the learner lives, interacts with other people, and
where learning takes place.
b. Equity refers to the value of securing the right to education of all
learners, and their rights within and through education to realize
their potentials and aspirations.
 39
c. Learner refers to any individual, regardless of age, sex, gender,
disability, ethnicity, cultures, and religion, enrolled in basic
education to enhance his/her knowledge, skills and values to
improve the quality of his/her life and to develop his/her
potentials.
 40

d. Learning Environment refers to learning facilities, resources and

technology, means of teaching, modes of learning, and
connections to community, societal and global contexts towards
the total development of the learner.
e. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve
and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on
scientific insights into how humans learn (Center for Applied
Special Technology, 2017).

Policy Statement
The Department adopts this policy framework to provide policy
guidance in the establishment, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of programs and interventions with strategies and support
mechanisms that adequately respond to diverse educational needs
and contexts of learners.

Guiding Principles
The Department adhere to the following guiding principles in the
pursuit of Inclusive Education.
A. Inclusion
All learners shall have access to and participate in all aspects of
life in school, in learning centers and other places of learning.
B. Responsive to Rights
Inclusive Education contributes to the realization of the
Department’s commitment to quality, equitable, culture-based,
and complete basic education which is premised on its mandate
to protect and promote the right of every Filipino citizen to such
education services. The Department subscribes to the Rights-
based Approach (RBA), which highlights the recognition,
promotion, and protection of rights as the basis for initiatives
and focuses on people empowerment through the introduction
and use of the concept of rights as legal entitlements of the
people and legal obligations of the government to its people.
C. Sensitivity and Responsiveness to Context
K to 12 recognizes and values the diverse contexts of learners,
schools, and communities and this diversity guides the design
and delivery of basic education programs and interventions.

Key Dimensions
A. The Learners
DepEd recognizes the right of each and every learner to an
education that is learner-centered, relevant and appropriate in
relation to the learner’s context. Thus, education programs shall
 41
be responsive to all learners regardless of sex, disability, culture,
ability, age, ethnicity, social class, religious beliefs and other
characteristics.
 42

The learners are the primary stakeholders of the

Department’s inclusive basic education system. Learners’
participation and representation shall be encouraged in school
organizations, in curricular and co-curricular activities, and in
education planning, program development and implementation,
where appropriate.

B. The K to 12 Curriculum
Inclusion is a key standard and principle of the K to 12
curriculum and its actualization is supported by other standards
and principles that further describe the features of an inclusive
curriculum – learner-centered, developmentally appropriate,
culture-sensitive, relevant, gender- responsive, and
contextualized.
Thus, the perspective of Inclusive Education is at the core
of the K to 12 curriculum and is embedded in the curriculum
framework itself. This is demonstrated by the Mother Tongue-
based Multilingual Education (MTB- MLE) policy for K to 3, the
varied offerings of Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) in
Junior High School, and the tracks and strands of Senior High
School, all of which are meant to be responsive to the varied
context of the country’s learners.
K to 12’s standards-based curriculum was also designed to
be flexible enough for schools and local communities to
contextualize in relation to the learner’s ability, socio-cultural
background, historical context, and bio- geographical realities.
Curriculum contextualization provides an avenue to be inclusive
of the values, beliefs, practices, and knowledge systems of the
learner’s community. Schools, learning centers and communities
should be able to provide this kind of contextualization.
The inclusiveness of K to 12 is also expressed through
programs such as Special Education, Indigenous Peoples
Education, Madrasah Education, and Flexible Learning Options
including Alternative Delivery Modes and Alternative Learning
System, which address the context and needs of particular
learners. Special Interest also cater to learners who manifest the
interest and aptitudes for particular skillsets.
To ensure that curriculum contextualization and the
implementation of the various programs of the K to 12
curriculum actualize inclusion, and continue to promote equality
and equity in developing the learners’ competencies through
 43
quality differentiated instruction, the following shall be
strengthened and continue to be pursued:
a. Recognition and development of programs or initiatives
to address contexts, needs and concerns not covered by
existing programs and initiatives of DepEd;
 44

b. Contextualization of the curriculum and learning

materials at the school level;
c. Differentiated presentation of information, content and
learning materials to support understanding;
d. Provision of opportunities for learners to create, learn
and share what they know in both curricular and non-
curricular activities;
e. Provision of equitable and appropriate learning
opportunities for all learners to facilitate active
participation and shared responsibility and
accountability in the teaching-learning process; and
f. Removal of barriers to learning and participation.

C. Development of Learning Resources

Aligned with the principles of an inclusive and contextualized
curriculum is the development of contextualized learning resources
which is stipulated in RA 10533. Both contextualized teaching and
learning materials shall be developed and produced at the field
offices based on standards set by the Bureau of Learning
Resources. These will complement the instructional materials
provided by the Department and external partners/stakeholders.

Learning resources (text and non-text based) shall be utilized

to engage learners in active participation and interaction using
different contexts that promote real life application. The diversities
of learners’ abilities, knowledge, learning styles, study habits,
interests, motivation, multiple intelligences and other
circumstances must be considered in the preparation, development,
and delivery of contextualized learning materials and activities. As
mentioned in the K to 12 Policy, some of these learning resources
are also transcribed into Braille and adapted in other ways (e.g.
like having a sign language interpreter in class) to ensure that all
learners have access to these materials).

Quality assurance processes shall ensure that learning

resources produced are free from any discriminatory content, are
appropriate to diverse learners, and are sensitive to social and
cultural contexts.

The community as a learning resource shall also be developed

and maximized.
 45
The Learning Resource Portal as a repository of learning and
teaching resources shall be utilized and maximized.

D. Learning Delivery
 46

The inclusiveness of the K to 12 curriculum can be better

experienced by learners in the teaching-learning process when
different and diverse learners learn together and the delivery of
educational programs and services is also made flexible based on
the profile, needs, and context of the learners.

Learning sessions shall be based on inclusive and learner-

centered pedagogy. Teachers shall regularly monitor learner’s
progress and provide appropriate support including timely
interventions, as needed.

Schools are encouraged to offer a new range of programs that

shall serve as a menu of options for different types of learners to
ensure that “no learner is left behind”.

Teachers and instructional managers shall maintain an

inclusive atmosphere and promote respect at all times, and will
take steps to assure that initiatives geared towards differentiated
instruction to address varied learning needs shall not be
misconstrued by learners and the immediate community as
segregation, nor will be a cause of bullying or discrimination.

The school shall ensure the following:

a. Undertaking of anticipatory and proactive initiatives
geared towards gaining a better understanding of the
learners’ contexts and needs;
b. Recognition of barriers to inclusion and removal of these
by putting in place programs and services that adhere to
the principles of universal design for learning;
c. Development of school implementing policies,
mechanisms, and strategies for delivering equal and
equitable opportunities for diverse learners;
d. Involvement of stakeholders – the learners, their parents
and/or caregivers, and the immediate community – in
meeting learning standards and in identifying and
addressing learning gaps of disadvantaged and
marginalized learners.
e. Formulation of appropriate and responsive interventions
for the disadvantaged and marginalized learners;
f. Enhancement of curriculum implementation by aligning
teaching- learning processes, formative and summative
assessments and the learning standards deemed
 47
appropriate to the learners’ context; and
g. Regular monitoring and evaluation of initiatives by
actively involving the learners and other stakeholders as
appropriate.
 48

E. Educational Assessment
The learner-centered orientation of the K to 12 curriculum
contextualization also necessitates that learning assessment be
inclusive.

Inclusive assessment provides learners varied opportunities to

test their mastery of competencies and enables them to participate
in several types of activities that enhance their understanding of
concepts and ideas. Classroom assessment shall take into account
the needs of all learners through the use of varied assessment
strategies, methods and tools/equipment such as, but not limited
to, tests (oral and written), multiple-choice questions, group
presentations, self and peer assessment, role play, creation of
audio-visual materials, performance, diaries and portfolio.
Assessments shall be adapted according to the principles of
universal quality educational design (UDL).

F. Learning Environment
From the physical environment to the teaching-learning
process, these learning environments shall be fully accessible and
shall enable learners to feel safe, supported, stipulated, and
respected as they express themselves as part of a positive and
inclusive school community.

The teaching and learning process shall foster learning in a

collaborative and barrier-free setting, promoting the learners’
overall well-being and holistic development. Education shall be
delivered in the most appropriate language/s and modes and means
of communication for the individual, and in environments which
maximize academic and social development.

Further, an inclusive educational environment shall be

context-sensitive and consider the bio-geographical realities and
socio-cultural background of learners. Schools and learning centers
are strongly encouraged to engage in regular dialogue with their
immediate community, which inherently plays a big role in
providing an inclusive learning environment.

Apart from the availability and accessibility of functional

support facilities such as, but not limited to, water and sanitation
facilities, clinic, library, Guidance Office, and Community Learning
Centers (CLCs), effective individualized support measures shall be
 49
provided when needed and appropriate.

Finally, the learning community shall promote harmonious

relationships and respect for diversity and practice of positive
discipline among learners, teachers, parents, and administrators. It
shall ensure that anti-bullying, anti- abuse, and child protection
measures and procedures are in place.
 50

G. Teacher Professional Development

All teachers shall be considered primary implementers of
inclusive education. As such, they shall possess the proper values,
perspectives, attitudes, as well as competencies that communicate
and reflect inclusion as they address the educational needs of
diverse learners. The Philippine Professional Standards for
Teachers (PPST) include Domain 3: Diversity of Learners which
underscores the importance of teachers’ knowledge and
understanding of as well as respect for, learners’ diverse
characteristics and experiences as inputs to the planning and
design of learning programs. This includes being able to implement
an individualized education program if and when necessary. The
Department recognizes the PPST as a major reference in designing
interventions geared towards the professional development of
teachers, including teacher aides and teacher volunteers. They
shall also be capacitated in establishing learning environments that
are responsive to learner diversity.

The competencies of teachers, instructional managers and

other non- teaching personnel shall be continuously enhanced so
that they can create an inclusive learning environment that
promotes inclusion of all learners, and facilitates teaching and
learning processes that addresses diverse learning styles and
needs. Capacity-building activities may include, but are not limited
to, the Teacher Induction Program (TIP), In-Service Trainings
(INSETs), attendance to seminar-workshops/conferences, Learning
Action Cell (LAC) sessions, immersion, community engagement,
coaching, mentoring and benchmarking.

DepEd through the Teacher Education Council (TEC) shall

collaborate with the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
to ensure the integration of Inclusive Education in all major courses
in the Teacher Education Programs (TEP). In the same way, the
implementation of Inclusive Education shall influence policies on
teacher qualifications, hiring, recruitment, and deployment.

Participation of stakeholders, especially those directly

involved in the teaching-learning process, shall be encouraged.
They shall likewise be engaged through periodic consultations to
further strengthen the implementation of Inclusive Education.
 51

H. School Leadership Management

All schools shall be guided by DepEd’s mission to promote and
protect the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-
based and complete
 52

basic education. This is premised on upholding a deep respect for the

inherent dignity of individuals and communities.

To this end, schools are guided by the perspective of Inclusive

Education in contextualizing and implementing the K to 12
curriculum, and are encouraged to implement programs that
promote inclusion and cater to the various interests of learners to
respond to the context of the learners and the communities being
served.

The school head has a pivotal role in bringing about inclusive

school change (Riehl, 2000; Day and Leithwood, 2007; Ainscow and
Sandill, 2010). They shall assist teachers in creating inclusive
classrooms. School mechanisms and process governance
mechanisms and processes shall be geared towards facilitating the
provision of, but not limited to, the following:
a. Technical support in contextualizing the curriculum and
teaching- learning materials, and using learning-centered
pedagogy and inclusive assessment;
b. Physical infrastructures that facilitate inclusion; and
c. Continuously capacity-building on inclusive education of
teaching and non-teaching personnel (e.g. LAC sessions,
INSETs, mentorship).

They shall also support the development of research-based

improvements in instruction and school management for Inclusive
Education. Practices and innovations shall be properly documented
for sharing, replication, and for continuous improvement.

All school heads shall be capacitated to prepare and manage

schools that promote and implement Inclusive Education. They
must adhere to the new Philippine Standards for School Heads
(currently being validated) that contain competencies related to
supporting Inclusive Education in schools. School- based
Management (SBM) shall strengthen the implementation of
Inclusive Education, which shall be duly reflected in the School
Improvement Plan (SIP).

I. Partnerships for Inclusive Education

The Department at all levels of governance shall continuously
conduct intensive advocacy and social mobilization on Inclusive
Education as a perspective, policy, and practice. Support for
 53
initiatives in curriculum contextualization and the development of
contextualized learning resources are just some activities for which
internal and external partners/stakeholders can be tapped.
 54

Continuous engagement with the stakeholders/partners shall

be institutionalized in the planning, implementation, monitoring
and evaluation of curricular and co-curricular programs and
activities to ensure quality implementation of Inclusive Education.

External linkages and partnerships must be expanded and

strengthened to ensure proper coordination, resource sharing, and
sustainability of Inclusive Education implementation.

J. Governance and Support

The Department shall adequately consider the specific needs
to realize Inclusive Education in the planning and programming of
resources, such as in the provision of program funds, allocation of
teacher items and hiring of teachers, resources for adequate
instructional print and non-print learning resources, facilities and
equipment needed, and support to professional development of
teaching and non-teaching staff. National planning shall be
responsive to the diversity of learning contexts.

The Department shall continuously coordinate with LGUs to

maximize the utilization of the Special Education Fund (SEF) and
other available local resources. The involvement of internal and
external stakeholders shall also be encouraged to support the
implementation of inclusion programs.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Bureau of Learning Delivery (BLD), in coordination with
other offices in the Curriculum and Instruction Strand and other
organizational strands of the Department, is responsible for learning
environment standards to strengthen the curriculum implementation
support system. It shall provide technical assistance on the
implementation of this policy in schools and learning centers. It shall
also monitor regional offices for adequate implementation of this
policy. For Indigenous People’s Education, a monitoring and
evaluation system that is culturally sensitive and responsive to the
context of IP learners and communities, recognizing the interface of
the national education system and indigenous learning systems, shall
be maintained across governance levels and continue to be
strengthened through the Indigenous Peoples Education Office
(IPsEO).

The Regional and Schools Division Offices shall likewise conduct

 55
monitoring and evaluation at the division and school levels,
respectively. The different units in the Regional and Schools Division
Offices shall ensure that schools and programs are inclusive in terms
of the curriculum and its support systems.
 56

Examine
Activity 1. Identify what legal basis on Inclusive Education is being
described in each item. Write the letter of the correct answer in the
blank before the number.
a. The Kindergarten Education Act
b. 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child
c. The Magna Carta of Women
d. 1987 Philippine Constitution
e. 1994 Salamanca Statement
f. The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013
g. Education 2030 Framework for Action
h. The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 197
i. Open High School System Act
j. The Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001
k. The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006
l. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
m. Batas Kasambahay
n. Special Protection Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination
Act
o. 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples
p. The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons

1. It upholds the rights of children and changed the way

children are viewed and treated – from passive objects of care and
charity to human beings with a distinct set of rights.
2. It provides that all children should learn together, wherever
possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have.
3. This Act enforces the establishment of the Alternative
Learning System (ALS) to provide out-of-school youth and adults with
basic education.
4. It upholds the protection and promotion of the right of all
Filipino citizens to quality education at all levels.
5. An Act that compels the State to provide equal access and to
eliminate discrimination in education, scholarships, and training.
6. An Act that provide equal opportunities for all children to
avail of accessible mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education
that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional and
skills stimulation and values formation to sufficiently prepare them for
formal elementary schooling.
 57
7. This Act stipulates the right of IPs to establish and control
their educational systems and instructions.
8. An Act which guarantees that the Kasambahay is afforded
the opportunity to finish basic education.
 58

9. Special protection is provided to children from all forms of

abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, and discrimination, and other
conditions prejudicial to their development.
10. It mandates the State to provide equal access to various
cultural opportunities to ICCs through the education system without
prejudice to their right to establish or control their educational
systems, and in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of
teaching and learning.
11. It aims at mobilizing all countries and partners around the
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on inclusive and equitable
quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
12. Requires educational institutions to work together with
families, community organizations and agencies in the prevention of
juvenile delinquency and in the rehabilitation and reintegration of
child in conflict with the law.
13. It mandates the provision of educational assistance to
persons with disabilities, for them to pursue primary, secondary,
tertiary, post tertiary education, as well as vocational or technical
education, in both public and private schools.
14. It broadens access to relevant quality education through
the employment of an alternative secondary education program to
overcome personal, geographical, socio-economic, and physical
constraints.
15. An Act designed to address the physical, intellectual,
psycho-social and cultural needs of learners, including Programs for
learners with Disabilities, Programs for Learners under Difficult
Circumstances, Madrasah Program, Indigenous Peoples Education
Program, and Programs for the Gifted and Talented.
16. It aimed to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal
enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all
persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent
dignity.

Activity 2. Respond to the following questions:

1. Explain the guiding principles of inclusive education.
59
 60

2. Explain the concept map about the key dimensions of Inclusive

Education.

Learning
Environmen
t
Governanc Teacher
e Professiona
Support Learning l
Curriculu Resource Developme
m s
Learne
r
Educationa Learnin
l g
Assessmen Deliver
School
Partnership
Leadership
s
and
61
 62

Lesso
n2
After this lesson, you will be Objectives
able to:
 Identify and Explain the roles of DepEd Officials in
the implementation of inclusive education.

Explore
Write at least 2 roles of the DepEd personnel in the
implementation of inclusive education in the basic education. Use the
space provided for your answer.
a. School Administrators

b. Regular Teachers

c. Special Education (SPED) Teachers

d. Non-Teaching Personnel

e. Parents
 63

Explain
Special Education in the Philippines has only served 2% of the
targeted 2.2 million children with disabilities in the country who live
without access to a basic human right: the right to education. Most of
these children live in rural and far flung areas whose parents need to
be aware of educational opportunities that these childen could avail
of.
The Department of Education has organized the urgency to
address this problem and therefore, guarantees the right for these
children to receive appropriate education within the regular or
inclusive classroom setting. Inclusive education embraces the
philosophy of accepting all children regardless of race, size, shape,
color, ability or disability with support from school staff, students,
parents and the community.
District and school-based special education and regular
teachers, administrators and parents need to collaborately develop
and facilitate the most effective program for children with disabilities.
This program shall be included in the School Improvement Plan (SIP).
Furthermore, the officials at the division, region and central
offices shall provide the needed training on inclusive education to
administrators, teachers and other school staff; regularly monitor the
implementation of the program and provide the corresponding
technical assistance needed and conduct evaluation to determine the
effectiveness of the program and improve its implementation.
To realize the successful implementation of inclusive education
in the schools, the following duties and responsibilities of DepEd
officials are hereby defined:

A. Initial Phase. This pertains to the time when the school makes
preparations for the implementation of inclusive education. This
is also the period of acceptance.
1. Role of the School Administrator
 Institutionalizes SPED Programs in all schools as
stipulated in DECS Order No. 26, s. 1997.
 Integrates the global thrust of “Inclusive Education” in
the vision and mission of the school and includes this in
School Improvement Plan.
 Networks with the Division Supervisor in-charge of
SPED for linkages and support.
 Acts as catalyst of change and a source of information.
 Conducts PTCA meetings to elicit support for the program.
2. Roles of the Regular Teachers
 Accept the idea of inclusive education.
 64
 Support school plans for inclusive education.
 Establish a wholesome relationship with SPED teachers.
 65

3. Roles of SPED Teachers

 Welcome regular teachers who seek information about
inclusive education.
 Accept a broader role as consultant in inclusive
education and in special education in general.
 Share expertise on inclusive education when needed.
4. Roles of Non-Teaching Personnel
 Act as supporting arm for inclusive education.
 Attend meetings/forum conducted in the school.
5. Roles of Parents
 Attend meetings called for the school
 Participate and support plans for inclusion
B. Transition Phase. This covers the period covering initial
meetings done by the school personnel and other activities prior
to the implementation of the inclusion program proper.
1. Roles of the Administrator
 Facilitates the acceptance of children with special needs
in the school.
 Initiates and conducts in-service training and orientation
on inclusive education and special education in general
for regular teachers and other personnel.
 Conducts classroom observations on the implementation
of inclusive education.
 Conducts school visits with teachers and other school
personnel in other schools that have best inclusive
education practices.
 Conducts meetings to monitor the implementation of the
program.
 Provides directions on the improvement of the program.
 Provides support to the program such as financial
resources and incentives.
 Works on advocacy/information campaigns to strengthen
student and community awareness on inclusive
education and special education in general.
 Makes monitoring and evaluation a vital component of
the inclusive and SPED program.
 Makes ocular inspection of classrooms and grounds for
improvement or modification to work out for the safety
of children with special needs.
 Defines the roles of each staff in the program and
provides guidelines for the implementation of the
program.
2. Roles of the Regular Teachers
 Conduct assessment of children with special needs
together with the SPED Assessment Team to identify
their strengths and weaknesses for program planning
 66
and modifications of curriculum.
 67

 Prepare the regular class children in welcoming and

accepting children with special needs.
 Collaborate with fellow teachers for the provision of
appropriate and workable inclusive education program.
 Prepare and provide the Resource SPED Teacher with
information about schedule, curriculum, school program
and activities.
 Review existing instructional materials to determine
any modifications needed.
3. Roles of SPED Teachers
 Assist the regular teachers in assessing behavioral
characteristics and academic development of children
with special needs.
 Provide assistance in measuring environmental
situations of the school such as the social, interpersonal
and physical aspects.
4. Roles of the Non-Teaching Personnel
 Provide support and/or assistance in the:
o Implementation of inclusive education program
o Monitoring of school facilities for possible modification
o Preparation of instructional materials for teachers
and CSNs
5. Role of Parents
 Provide support for the developmental progress of
Children with Special Needs (CSNs).
 Collaborate with the school personnel for the
maintenance of the inclusive education program.
C. Inclusion Phase. This is the period when children with special
needs are admitted in the regular classes.
1. Roles of the Administrators
 Observes the policy that a maximum of 2 children with
mild disability shall be included in a regular class while
only one severely or moderately disabled shall be
included in a regular class.
 Conducts in-service trainings on:
o Curriculum modification
o Teaching strategies
o Behavior management and modification
o Classroom management
o Preparation of instructional materials
o Others
 Plans programs and activities where regular and special
children can work and perform together.
 Monitors the services rendered by regular and special
education teachers, other school personnel and parents
and commend their support and dedication.
 68
 Establish linkages with government and non-government
agencies for additional resources and support of the
implementation of the program.
 69

2. Roles of the Regular Teachers

 Welcome the students as official enrollees in the regular
class.
 Facilitate the implementation of Inclusive Education
Programs (IEP).
 Coordinate with the SPED teachers for needed
modification of the curriculum.
 Model appropriate ways of developing relationships with
children with special needs.
 Facilitate the development of appropriate interactions
and social relations with students.
 Help secure special equipment and materials.
3. Roles of SPED Teachers
 Provide continuing support to the inclusive education
program.
 Provide technical assistance on the use of appropriate
materials and equipment.
 Prepare checklist of expected academic and behavioral
outputs for monitoring.
 Use teaching strategies nand skills development
activities to meet the students’ needs.
 Provide services to the school when training is needed.
 Develop Individualized Education Program (IEP) in
consultation with regular teachers, parents and other
professionals.
 70

Examine
Activity 1. Differentiate the three phases in the implementation of
inclusive education. Explain its importance. Write your answer inside

the box.
 71

Summar
y In this module, you have learned the following:
 The inclusive education policy framework for basic education
provide an overall framework of implementation for DepEd
programs that directly promote Inclusive Education and ensure
that every aspect of the K to 12 curriculum support system,
across the governance levels is responsive to the needs and
demands of diverse learners. The policy framework serves as the
guide of the DepEd for an effective implementation of inclusive
education program.
 School administrators, regular teachers, SPED teachers, non-
teaching
personnel and parents play an important role for successful
implementation of inclusive education. Their roles are specifically
presented in the three phases of IE implementation – Initial Phase,
Transition Phase, and Inclusion Phase.

eference
s DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2019. Policy Guidelines on the K to 12
Basic Education Program.

DepEd Order No. 72, s. 2009. Inclusive Education Stratefy for

Increasing Participation Rate of Children.
 6

Modul
e3
(3
Weeks)
Overview
Special needs are an umbrella term for a wide array of
diagnoses, from those that resolve quickly to those that will be a
challenge for life and those that are relatively mild to those that are
profound. Children with special needs may have developmental
delays, medical conditions, psychiatric conditions, and/or congenital
conditions. These special needs require accommodations so children
can reach their potential (Mauro, 2020). In this module, you shall
learn the concept and types of children with special needs, the special
education programs and services, pre-school interventions and the
role of ECCE teacher in handling children with special needs.

General Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
 Define Children with Special needs.
 Identify the different types of Children with Special Needs and
the special education programs and services offered by
institutions as well as the pre- school interventions.
 Explain the roles of ECCE teacher.
 62

Lesso Concept and Types

n1 of Children with
Special Needs
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Give the meaning of Children with Special Needs
 Identify who are the Children with Special Needs
 Determine the types of Children with Special Needs

Explore
Inside the box, write word or words that describe to the following:

Down Syndrome

Autism Epilepsy

Visual Impairments

Explain
Education of children with special needs is a challenging field.
Prior to this the term has been used as Exceptional Children which
refers to children whose needs are very different from those of
majority of children in society. These children deviate from average
children to the extent they cannot receive classroom instruction in
regular schools. This was the belief prevalent for several years.
 63
Children with special needs are the exceptional children (Kirk,
Gallagher and Anastasiow, 2000) who differ from the average child to
such an extent that
 64

they require either modification of school practices or special

educational services to develop their unique capabilities.
Special education refers to instruction that is specially designed
to meet the needs of exceptional children. It involves designing the
physical environment in the classroom (e.g., use of ramps) teaching
procedures, teaching content and equipment (hearing aids for the
deal) for a particular type of disability.
Several terms have been used to describe exceptionality:
subnormal, handicapped, disabled, exceptional, special, impaired etc.
These have added confusion to understanding and placing the
children who are different from the average. The World Health
Organization has clearly delineated the use of three terms
impairment, disability and handicap.
Impairment: It means abnormalities of body structure and
appearance and organ or system function resulting from any cause in
principle. Impairment represents disturbances at the organ level
(WHO, 1976).
Disability: It reflects the consequences of impairment in terms of
functional performance and activity by the individual (WHO, 1976).
Handicap: It refers to disadvantages experienced by the
individual as a result of impairments and disabilities; handicaps thus
reflect interaction with an adaptation to the individual's surroundings
(WHO, 1976).
These terms are based on an organic model having functional
interrelationship.
Impairment Disability Handicap
The inter-relationship between the three can be explained by
means of examples:
 A child born with a fingernail missing has a mal formation -a
structural impairment --but this does not in any way interfere
with the function of the hand and so there is no disability: the
impairment is not particularly evident, and so disadvantage or
handicap would be unlikely.
 A myope or a diabetic individual suffers a functional impairment
but, because this can be corrected abolished by aids,
appliances, or drugs, he would not necessarily be disabled;
however, if the disadvantage is considerable, e.g., he may not
be allowed to take part in group activities or may have to give
 65
himself regular injections.
Concept of Children with Special Needs
The concept a child with special educational needs' is of British
origin. Prior to 1944, provision of education was made on the basis of
a specific handicap, i.e.
 66

visual and hearing impairment, essentially through charitable

initiatives. The emphasis was more on training than on education.
Originally, provision for children with sensory and physical disabilities
and mental handicaps were made, and subsequently extended to
those with emotional and behavioral problems.
In the period following World War II an increasing amount of
research was directed at children with special education needs,
particularly in the USA. It was recognized that this could not be
achieved through the classification of children into handicap
categories, which had no direct educational implications. Parents
became conscious and concerned that their children's educational
needs should be met and in the period following the War many
parent's organization were started which then exerted pressure to
improve educational provisions. This was the second cycle of
development in special education.
Types of Children with Special Needs
The following categories of children represent the
various types of exceptional children.
 Mentally retarded
 Epilepsy
 Visually impaired and low vision
 Children with autistic disorder
 Hearing impaired and hard of hearing
 Traumatic Brain Injury
 Emotionally Disturbed
 The Speech and Language handicapped
 Learning Disabled
 The Multiple Handicapped
 Loco-motor and health impairment
 Developmental Disabilities
 Cerebral Palsy
 Socially Disadvantaged
Attempts are being made now to bring modifications in the
PWD Act of 1995 by including the following categories of children
with special needs:
a) Blood disorder : Thalasemia. Haemophilia
b) Multiple Scelerosis
The operational definitions of all these categories are given below.
The Mentally Retarded
 67
The Educable Mentally Retarded (EMR) children have IQs
between 60 to 80 (earlier 50-75) accompanied by impaired behavior.
Trainable Mentally Retarded
 68

children have IQs between 40-60 approximately. By adulthood they

have the intelligence of 4 to 8 year old states. Special school setting
sometimes is the answer to their training and care. The Profound
Mentally Retarded Children have below 40 IQ points.
The Visually Impaired and Low Vision
Visual handicap is defined in terms of visual acuity, field of
vision, and visual efficiency. Visual ability is the ability of the eye to
see distance objects clearly using Snellen chart. Individuals who see
the letter capital 'E' from a 20 feet distance instead of 200 feet are
legally blind. There are children who have low vision or residual
vision. These children are sighted and their visual acuity does not
exceed 20/70.
The Hearing Handicapped
Hearing handicap is defined in terms of degree of hearing loss.
These are classified as mild (20-30dB), marginal (30-40 dB), moderate
(40-50 dB), severe (60-70 dB), and profound 75+dB. The deaf hardly
profits from auditory training but the hard of hearings do.
The Emotionally Disturbed
An emotionally disturbed child is one whose reactions to life
situations are unrewarding to himself and unacceptable to his peers
and other members of society.
The Learning Disabled
Learning Disabled children exhibit disorder in one or more of the
basic psychological processes involved in understanding and using the
spoken or written languages. These disorders are manifested in
listening, thinking, talking, reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic.
Loco-motor and Health Impaired
Orthopedically impaired is a severe orthopedic impairment that
adversely affects child's educational performance. The term includes
clubfoot poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, cerebral palsy, amputations,
fractures or burns that cause contractions.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is a movement and posture disorder due to non-
progressive abnormality of the immature brain. A child who suffers
brain damage at birth because of lack of oxygen may show signs of
cerebral palsy during his first or second year of life.
 69

Epilepsy
Epilepsy or Seizure is a chronic health condition, which affects
the alertness, vitality and mental health in a manner and to a degree
that may lessen ability to function in a regular state.
Autism
Pervasive Developmental disorders
Many children pass through a stage commonly known as terrible
2's: yelling, hitting, crying, and throwing tantrums. They indicate
significant developmental problems. Pervasive developmental
disorders (PDD) are lifelong conditions that affect a child's social,
behavioral and interpersonal abilities.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury is an acquired head injury. It is
responsible for reduced cognitive functioning, limited attention, and
impulsivity.
The Speech and Language Impaired
Speech impairment is the most common disorder among
exceptional children. Speech is defective when it deviates so far from
the speech of other people that it calls attention to itself, interferes
with communication or causes the child to be maladjusted. Language
disorders are characterized by abnormal comprehension and/or
production of symbols, grammatical structure and words.
The Multiple Disabled
The presence of more than one type of disability in an individual
is referred to as multiple handicaps. Most multiple handicapped
children are characterized by mental retardation along with another
physical disability. Emotional disturbance is often associated with
other disabilities i, e cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation.
More stress is currently being given to the education of multiple
handicapped children. The term does not include deaf-blind children,
deaf and learning, disabled, Autism with MR etc.
Labeling students with multiple handicaps should be done with
caution and with particular focus or outcomes. Students with multiple
handicapping conditions could have limitation in educational
development as a result of two or more disabilities.
Developmental Disabilities
 70
Developmental disability refers to all of the lifelong disabling
condition that requires treatment or helping services and that occur
prior to at age 2 years originating in childhood. As per IDEA, 1994
(Individuals with Disability Education Act) Developmental disability
means a severe, chronic disability of a person which:
 71

 is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or

combination of mental and physical impairment
 is manifested before the person attains age two;
 is likely to continue indefinitely results in substantial functional
limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life
activities; (i) self-care,
(ii) receptive and expressive language, (iii) learning, (iv) mobility, (v)
self- direction. (vi) capacity for independent living, and (vii) economic
sufficiency.

Socially Disadvantaged
Socially disadvantaged children refer to the children who come
from socio- economically backward sections of the community who
cannot profit from school because of deprivation of one sort or
another.
Special Educational Needs
The current definition of special educational needs is widely
considered to constitute a major change from the previous framework
based on educational handicap. The concept of SEN is more positive
as it is concerned with everything about the child's abilities and
disabilities-as well as resources and constraints in the environment,
which affect educational progress.
But if one examines it critically the term SEN is also a category.
In any case, separation of categories is an inherent part of the
practical administrative arrangements for meeting special educational
needs. Hence the main change in using special educational needs is to
loosen the connection between special education provision (SEP) and
special school and units. What underlies the abandoning of categories
in special needs education is the move to separating the delivery of
special educational provision from the location of delivery of special
schools. The main issue currently is the nature of special educational
needs and the kinds and organization of provision to meet these
needs.
Thalasemia
Thalasemia is the name of a group of genetic blood disorders.
Symptoms emerge late in the first year of life. The child develops pale
skin, irritability, growth retardation, swelling of the abdomen due to
enlargement of the liver and spleen with jaundice. Thalasemia is
certainly treatable and can be kept in check through blood
 72
transfusions. Transfusion days are simply a minor inconvenience in an
otherwise normal and healthy child's life. This is one of the most
challenging diseases being faced by mankind with virtually no
permanent treatment for those who suffer from it. In this content,
attempts to include thalasemia under the disability spectrum seem
viable.
Haemophilia
 73

A genetic deficiency of certain proteins that help blood to clot.

There are multiple forms of hemophilia, ranging in severity from mild
to life-threatening. The main symptom of hemophilia is that once
bleeding starts the child bleeds longer than normal. Hemophilia
symptoms can range from mild to severe (mild: 5% to 30% of the
normal level of factor VII or IX, Moderate: 1% to 5% of the normal
level, Severe: less than 1% of the normal level). Blood tests will show
child's levels of Factor VIII and Factor IX. The doctor can tell whether
the haemophilia is mild, moderate or severe based on the levels of
these clotting factors. Some children with mild hemophilia may not
even know they have the disease until adulthood. Others with severe
haemophilia may frequently bleed without any known reason or
injury. Sometimes this type of bleeding occurs in a joint, like the knee
or elbow, which can be quite painful. This depends on how low the
level of the clotting protein is. Symptoms of haemophilia may include:
 Nose bleeds
 Bruising, especially a large, lumpy bruise
 Bleeding for no known reason
 Blood in the urine or stool
 Bleeding that does not stop after getting a cut, having a tooth
out, getting an injury to the mouth or having surgery
 Bleeding that does not stop after circumcision
 Bleeding into a joint, which can cause tightness, swelling and pain

Examine
Activity 1. Write the word TRUE if the statement is correct and if
not, underline the word or statement that makes it incorrect and write
the correct answer on the blank provided.
1. Children without Special Needs are the exceptional children
who differ from the average child to such an extent that they require
either modification of school practices or special educational services
to develop their unique capabilities.
2. Special Education refers to the instruction that is specially
designed to meet the needs of exceptional children.
3. Disability is the abnormalities of body structure and
appearance and organ or system function resulting from any
cause in principle.
4. Impairment reflects the consequences of impairment in terms
 74
of functional performance and activity by the individual.
 75

5. Handicap refers to disadvantages experienced by the

individual as a result of impairments and disabilities.
6. Epilepsy is the movement and posture disorder due to non-
progressive abnormality of the brain.
7. Traumatic injury is an acquired head injury.
8. Learning disabled children exhibit disorder in one or more of
the basic psychological processes involved in understanding and using
the spoken or written languages.
9. Autism is the most common disorder among exceptional
children.
10. The Profound Mentally Retarded Children have below 40 IQ
points.
Activity 2. Answer the following questions:
1. Explain the concept of children with special needs.

2. Explain the concept of education of children with special needs.

Mention the types of children who come under this category.
 76
3. Differentiate between Impairment, Disability and Handicap. Are
these terms interrelated?
77
 78

Lesso
n2
After this lesson, you will be
Objectives
able to:
 Explain the prevalence of Children and Youth with Special
Needs
 Explain the 1997 UNICEF report on the Situation
Analysis of Children and Women in the Philippines.
 Enumerate the Special Education Programs and Services
 Discuss the Inclusive Education for children with special
needs
 Elaborate support Services for Children with Special Needs

Explore
Read the quotation then extrapolate. Write your thoughts inside
the box.

Many of the things we need can

wait The child cannot.
Right now is the time.
His bones are being
formed His blood is being
made
And his senses are being developed.
To him, we cannot answer
“Tomorrow.”
His name is “Today.”

- Gabriela Mistral
Nobel Prize Laureate, Chile
 79

Explain
Special Education Needs
How do we train these children? What kind of provision can be
visualized? There are some accepted procedures and settings for
treating children's problems. An examination of special education in
the school system reveals an incremental continuum or ordered array
of special education classes designed to serve the individual needs of
children. Special educators agree that a range or continuum of
placement alternatives must exist for exceptional children (Deno,
1973).

Prevalence of Children and Youth with Special Needs

Prevalence refers to the total number of cases of a particular
condition, in this chapter, those with exceptionality (giftedness and
talent) and developmental disabilities and impairments. Prevalence is
viewed in two ways ( Grossman, 1983 cited in Beirne- smith, 2002).
Identifiable prevalence refers to the cases that have come in contact
with some systems. The number of children and youth with special
needs is derived from census data. On the other hand, true prevalence
assumes that there are a larger number of children and youth with
special needs who are in school or in the community who have not
been identified as such and are not in the special education programs
of the Department of Education. Meanwhile, the word incidence which
is considerably synonymous in some contexts with the term
prevalence, refers to the number of new cases identified within a
population over a specific period of time.
The 1997 UNICEFF report on the Situation Analysis of Children
and Women in the Philippines indicates that the mean percentage of
persons with some types of disabilities is 13.4 per one thousand
population. This means that 134 out of 1,000 persons have certain
disabilities. For every million of the population, 10,720 have certain
disabilities. In the projected population of eighty (80) million, more
than eight and a half million have disabilities. The distribution of the
different categories of exceptionalities and disabilities among children
in as follows:
1. 43.3% have speech defects
2. 40.0% are mute
3. 33.3% have mental retardation
4. 25.9% are those without one or both arms or hands
5. 16.4% are those without one or both legs or feet
6. 16.3% have mental illnesses
 80
7. 11.5% are totally deaf
8. 11.4% are totally blind

The universal estimate of the prevalence of children with special

needs stands at 10% with disabilities ( World Health Organization)
and 2% with giftedness and talent.
 81

Half of the total population of 80 million belongs to the category

of children and youth whose chronological ages range from zero to
twenty-four. Based on these statistics and using the universal
estimate of 12%, it may be assumed that at least 4.8 million Filipino
children and youth need special education services. The true
prevalence of those with disabilities is estimated to be four
(4) million. Those who are gifted and talented are estimated to
number 800,000.
Of the estimated number of exceptional children and youth how
many are enrolled in special education classes? At present, only a
small number of these children are in special education classes.
Many of them remain unidentified in regular classes and in the
communities. Current figures show that there are seven hundred
ninety-four (794) special education programs in all the regions, six
hundred sixteen (616) of which are in public schools. One hundred
forty- four (144) programs utilize the Special Education Center
delivery mode for the full or partial mainstreaming of children with
special and residential schools.
Range of Special Education Programs and Services
An army of special education programs and services are available
in the country. These are offered by public schools and private
institutions.
1. The Special Education Center is a service delivery system which
operates on the “school within a school” concept. The SPEED
center functions as the base for the special education programs
in a school. A SPED principal administers the Center following
the rules and regulations for a regular school. The special
education teachers manage special or self- contained classes,
mains streaming, tutorial and mentoring resource room services,
assessment, parent education, guidance and counseling and
advocacy programs to promote the education of children with
special needs in regular schools. The SPED teacher functions
both as a teacher and tutor as well as a consulting teacher to the
regular school in planning and implementing appropriate
strategies for the maximum participation of the special children
in the regular class.
2. The special class or self-contained class is the most popular type
among the special education programs. A special class is
composed of pupils with the same exceptionality or disability.
The special education teacher handles the special class in the
special education center or resources room. Thus, in public and
private regular schools, there are special classes for children
with mental retardation, giftedness and talent, hearing
 82
impairment, visual impairment, learning disabilities, or behavior
problems.
3. Integration and mainstreaming programs have allowed children
and youth with disabilities to study in regular classes and learn
side by side with their peers for the last forty years. Integration
was the term used earlier. At present, when it is no longer
unusual to find blind, deaf and even mentally retarded student
participating in regular class activities at certain periods of the
school day, the preferred term is mainstreaming. There are two
types
 83

of mainstreaming. In partial mainstreaming, children who have

moderate or severe forms of disabilities are mainstreamed in
regular classes in subjects like physical education, Home
technology, and music and arts. In full mainstreaming, children
with disabilities are enrolled in regular classes and recite in all
subjects, a special education teacher assists the regular teacher
in teaching the children with special needs. Likewise, the SPED
teacher gives tutorial lessons at the sped center or resource
room. The best model of mainstream special education programs
is exemplified at the division of manila city schools. Built around
the silahis concept of special education or “rays of the sun”
fifteen (15) elementary schools have developed mainstream
programs that are supplemented with resource room activities.
In school divisions where one special education teacher
serves two or more programs in separate schools, the itinerant
plan is used. The sped teacher travels (thus the world
“itinerant”) to the schools to assist the regular teachers where
the children are mainstreamed and to attend to other needs of
the program.
4. The special day school serves one or more types of disabilities.
The special education classes are taught by trained teachers.
Aside from special education, a comprehensive array of service
is available or arranged, such as medical, psychological and
social services. Examples of special day schools are southeast
Asian institute for the deaf (SAID) and the St. John Maria
Vianney special school for the mentally retarded in Quezon City.
5. The residential school provides both special education and
dormitory services for its students. Complementing the
curricular programs are houseparent services, diagnostic
services, guidance and counseling, recreation and social
activities. The school for the deaf and the Philippine national
school for the blind in Pasay city and the Elsie Gaches Village
school for children with mental retardation in Alabang are
examples of residential schools.

Inclusive Education for children with special needs

The department of education strongly advocates inclusive
education as a basic needs education held in Salamanca Spain, the
participants reaffirmed the right to education of every individual to
education as enshrined in the 1984 universal declaration of human
rights. The reaffirmation served as a renewal of the pledge made by
the world community at the 1990 world conference on education for
all. With these declarations and the urgency of the need for early
intervention, the department of education adopted the policy of
inclusive education in 1997. A handbook on inclusive education was
 84
issued as the main reference and guide to the practice of inclusive
education. National, regional and division-wide training on inclusive
education were conducted to promote the concept of inclusive
education.
 What is inclusive education?
 85

Inclusion describes the process by which a school accepts

children with special needs for enrollment in regular classes where
they can learn side by side with their peers. The school organizes its
special education program includes a special education teacher in its
faculty. The school provides the mainstream where regular teachers
and special education teachers organize and implement appropriate
programs for both special an regular students.
 What are the salient features of inclusive education?

Inclusion means implementing and mainstreaming warm and

accepting classroom communities that embrace and respect diversity
and differences. Teachers and student take active step to understand
individual differences and create an atmosphere of respect. Inclusion
implements a multilevel, multimodality curriculum. This means that
special needs students follow an adapted curriculum and use special
devices and materials to learn a suitable pace.
Inclusion prepares regular teachers and special education teachers
to teach interactively. The classroom model where one teacher
teaches an entire group of children single-handedly is being replaced
by structures where students work together, teach one another and
participate actively in class activities. Students tend to learn with and
from each other rather than compete with each other. Inclusion
provides continuous support for teacher to break down barriers
professional isolation. The hallmarks of inclusive education are co-
teaching, team teaching elaboration and consultation and other waste
and assessing skills and knowledge learned by all students.
Here are some collaborative activities that take place in the regular classroom.
 If the class is discussing activities on saving the environment,
the deaf student can work in collage of picture on the topic.
 Prompts or cues are added to learning task to assist children
with mental retardation in task performance, prompts can be
verbal, visual or physical. If student confuses addition and
subtraction symbols, the teacher might encircle the symbols,
make them large and write them in red (visual); or remind
students to “to check each others work to see whether its
addition or subtraction problems” (verbal); or draw a check or
wrong on the arm of the student to signal whether his/her
response is correct or wrong (physical). Inclusion involves
parents, families and significant others in planning meaningful
ways of students with special needs to learn in the regular class
with their normal peers.

Support Services for Children with Special Needs

At least two types of support services are extended to children with
 86
special needs:
1. While the SPED program can implement only the screening
and informal assessment so that the child can be enrolled in the
program as early as possible, referral services are solicited from
medical and clinical specialists as soon as possible.
 87

Some of the specialists are:

 Clinical Psychologist, School Psychologist, Psychometrician
for psychological testing
 Medical Doctor and Dentist for a general check-up of all
children
 Ophthalmologist for all children especially those with
blindness and low vision
 Otologist or Otolaryngologist for all children especially those with
hearing loss, deafness, language and speech disorders
 Neurologist and Child Psychiatrist for children with
mental retardation, learning disabilities and emotional-
behavioral disorders
 Speech Therapist for all children with language and speech
problem
 Physical and Occupational Therapist for all children
especially those with physical disabilities
 Interpreter for the deaf who communicate verbal activities
to deaf children through special reading, sign language
and gestures

 Orientation and Mobility Instructor who teaches independent

travel techniques to blind children.
2. Assistive Devices are specialized instructional and learning
materials and equipment that enable children with special needs to
function efficiently. Some of the assistive devices are:
 For blind students: braille writer, braille slate and stylus,
braille books, braille watch, braille ruler and tape measure,
braille calculator, arithmetic slate, computer with voice
synthesizer, embossed materials, manipulative materials,
talking books, tape recorder, braille paper;
 For low vision students: large print books, large print
typewriter, magnifying lenses, Grade I lined pad paper;
 For deaf students: individual hearing aid, sign language
book, speech kit, wall mirror, speech trainer, group hearing
aid;
 For children with mental retardation: teacher-made materials
specific to the Individual Education Plan (IEP) on the
functional curriculum and adaptive behaviour skills; and
 For children with physical disabilities: mobility devices such
as wheelchair, braces and splints; adjustable desk, table
and chair; communication aids for clear speech, adapted
computer system.
 88

Examine
 89
Activity 1. Using the Venn Diagram, differentiate the two types of support
services extended to children with special needs.
 90

Lesso
n
3
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Identify pre-school interventions
 Enumerate SPED teachers’ interventions for
CWSN
 Explain the roles of ECCE teacher handling

Explore
Imagine yourself you are a teacher in a regular classroom. What
should you do if one of your pupils/learners is a child with special
needs? How would you teach him/her? What interventions would you
employ? Write your answers on the space provided.

Explain
Pre-School Intervention
Children quite early in the developmental period need care and
stimulation to meet the challenges of developmental delay. Readiness
programmes are necessary to help children grow steadily. Besides the
educational services provided to the disabled children, attempts have
been made to minimize disability by the way of preschool intervention.
The portage project is one such innovation. Yet preschool special
education is necessary as a feeder to inclusive education.
 91

A comprehensive peripatetic teaching service has been

conceived which would cater wherever possible, exclusively for
children below school age with disabilities or significant learning
difficulties. Teachers are being trained to take such challenging
through structured RCI approved programmes.
These teachers should:
i. Assess children's educational needs on the basis of trained
observation, Work with parents towards an educational
programme for the child in the light of his assessed needs.
ii. Work indirectly with and teach children on a regular basis.
iii. Maintain contact with other professionals in the various services
concerned with meeting the needs of young children with
disabilities and their parents.
iv. Encourage and participate in meetings of groups of parents of
young children with special needs.
v. Put parents in touch with toy libraries, local forms of preschool
provision- play groups, opportunity groups, day nurseries,
nursery schools, classes in ordinary or special schools and
voluntary organizations.
The special education /Resource - room Teacher should:
 Find out if the students have the skills to function in the
classroom.
 Identify the physical or academic adaptations needed for the
student to function in the regular class.
 Identify the student's strengths and weakness.
 Provide the handicapped student an opportunity to visit the
regular education class and meet the teacher before he is
enrolled there.
 Determine the adapted equipment or the special services needed
by students to function in the regular class.
 Participate in planning for mainstreaming activities.
 Participate in parent and community orientation programme
on mainstreaming.
 Seek out consultative relationships with specialists on the school
staff.
 Develop programme to prepare special students for entry into
regular classes.
 Prepare members of regular classes for the entry of special
students into the class.
 Gather information to determine the educational needs of each
student.
 92
 Evaluate each student' s present level of functioning.
 Determine goals for each student that are appropriate, realistic,
and measurable.
 Determine group goals for the class as well as a whole and for
subsets within the class.
 93

 Involve parents in setting goals for their children.

 Design teaching procedures that provide for individual
differences among students.
 Prepare a variety of activities that will involve the entire class in
grouping patterns that are varied and flexible.
 Design a variety of alternative teaching strategies.
 Develop plans for using human and material resources.
 Develop a flexible time schedule that provides for learning, as
well as the physical and social needs for each student.
Role of ECCE Teacher
The ECCE teacher where a child with special needs has been
admitted should:
 Lean about the student's handicapping condition.
 The common characteristics of disabled children.
 The child's excepted performance.
 Common difficulties the disabled child will experience.
 Learn about the appliances and special materials the child uses,
e g. pushing a wheel chair up or down stairs, storing wheel
chairs, etc.
 Determine if any special methods, techniques or adaptations are
needed for the disabled child to function more independently
and successfully.
 Meet the special education teacher to determine specific
strengths, weakness and needs of the handicapped students.
 Prepare the classroom, remove obstacles, make necessary
adaptations to furniture, rearrange furniture to help the special
needs student, and so on.
 Use various techniques to manage individual and group behavior:
o Reward self-directed behavior;
o Teach how to respond to disruptive behavior;
o Use peer role model to advance goals; and
o Teach students to relieve aggression in acceptable ways.
 Acknowledge appropriate behavior in order to stimulate
continuous effort.
 Conduct class activities in ways to encourage students’
interaction.
 Provide instruction in the development of coping strategies.
 Plan with the students for systematic appraisal and improvement
of the psychological climate of the class.
 Collect and record data to evaluate student progress.
 Develop a feedback system that will furnish continuous data to
 94
students, teachers, and parents.
 Use evaluation data to assess the attainment of goals and to set
new goals.
 95

Teaching exceptional children in the regular classroom does not

mean watering down the curricula presented to the student. The
disabled leaner has problems with language facility, learning styles,
motivation, consistent work and therefore the teacher has new roles
to play. He does no simply slow down the speed.
The teacher must be careful and give specific directions to the
student, many times if necessary. These should be presented both
visually and verbally. The task must be presented at the student’s
response level. The need of frequent praising and revising criticism is
important in motivating students who keep failing in school related
tasks.
New learning tasks must be analyzed by the teacher and broken
into small sequential steps. Different sensory modalities may be used
in combination. Repetition of difficult materials, review of earlier
materials, use of several response modes e.g., tape recorded
response, models and drawing for knowing comprehension may be
used. The teacher must evaluate the student's performance fairly. The
teacher has to create a climate of acceptance for the learning
disabled students without which they will feel rejected and isolated in
the regular classroom.
Teamwork with other professionals gets importance in
mainstreaming, particularly the principal, special education teacher,
and school psychologists. Teachers dealing with exceptional pupils
must be adequately trained through in service programme. They
should de acquainted with referral processes. In a regular school the
critical person is the special teacher or resource room teacher. A
resource room setting involves movements of students through the
resource room from the regular class on regular basis. Constant
liaison between the regular and resource teacher is required to help
the exceptional child. There are other specialists who can assist the
regular teacher i.e. speech therapists, language teachers, parents etc.
But the greatest obstacle to mainstreaming should be first
removed i.e, negative towards the handicapped. Many students who
are mainstreamed are identified prior to the time that they enter
school, although the majority of them are identified by classroom
teachers and are thereafter tor assessment and placement.
 96

Examine
Activity 1. Answer the following questions.
1. Define pre-school intervention and explain its importance.

2. Explain the role of ECCE teacher in dealing with CWSN children in

general.

3. What do think are the top 5 most important virtues that an

SPED/ECCE teacher should possess? Why?
97
 98

Summar
y In this module, you have learned the following:
 Children with special needs are a non-categorical description of
children with disability, which is recent in origin.
 Impairment means abnormalities of body structure and
appearance or organic system resulting from any cause in
principle.
 Disability is a consequence of disability in terms of functional
performance and activity by the individual.
 Handicap means disadvantages experienced by the individual as
a result of impairment and disabilities, which lacks of
participation in society.
 There are 15 categories of children with special needs.
 Prevalence is the total number of cases of a particular condition,
those with exceptionality and developmental disabilities and
impairments.
 An array of special education programs and services in the
country are offered both in public and private institutions such
as Special Education Center, Special Class or Self-Contained
Class, Integration and Mainstreaming Programs, Special Day
Schools and Residential School.
 There are some collaborative activities that take palce in the
regular classrooms for CWSN.
 Medical and Clinical and Assistive Devices are support services
extended to CWSN.
 Children quite early in the developmental period need care and
stimulation to meet the challenges of developmental delay.
 Negative attitudes of family, school and community are the
greatest handicap for mainstreaming CWSN.
 The ECCE has a special role towards the CWSN in terms of
assistance, acceptance, astray and access.
 99

eference
s Inciong, T. G., et. al. (2010). Introduction to
Special Education. A
Textbook for College Students – First Edition. Rex Book Store, Inc.

MAPSA (2009). Managing Children with Special Needs

(Learning Disability, ADHD, Autism). Rex Book Store, Inc.

Mauro, T. (2020). What Does "Special Needs" Mean? Retrieved

from https://www. verywellfamily.com/what-are-special-needs-
3106002.

Panda, K. C. & Tripathy, P. K. (2016). Encyclopedia of Early

Childhood Care and Education (Volume 2). Neelkamal Publications Pvt.
Ltd. Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad – 500 095.
 8

Modul
e4
(7
Weeks)
Overview
Exceptionalities refer to both disabilities and giftedness. In this
Module, it introduces the various exceptionalities including
defintitions, identifications, characteristics, and causes. Each
exceptionality is discussed in the following lessons:
Lesson 1: Autism Spectrum
Disorders Lesson 2: Intellectual
Disabilities Lesson 3: Learning
Disabilities Lesson 4: Multiple
Disabilities
Lesson 5: Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders Lesson 6: Deaf-Blindness
Lesson 7: Giftedness
Lesson 8: Hearing
Impairment Lesson 9: Visual
Impairment
Lesson 10: Speech and Language Impairment

General Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
 Define and explain the various exceptionalities of children
 Enumerate and discuss the identifications, characteristics and
causes of specific exceptionalities of children.

ECED 121 – Inclusive Education in Early Childhood

Setting DCUlidan & JPPParedes
 89

Lesso Autism Spectrum

n1 Disorders
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define ASD
 Identify children with ASD
 Explain the characteristics of Autism
 Identify the causes of ASD

Explore
Write T if the statement is true, and F if otherwise. Write your
answer on the blank before each item.
1. In a child with autism, thinking, language and behavior are all
disturbed.
2. Someone with classic autism has noticeable problems with speech,
behaviour and social interaction.
3. People with Asperger’s Disorder appear to demonstrate a lack of
“empathy”.
4. Children with Childhood Disintegrative Disorder usually develop
severe intellectual disabilities.
5. Paying attention to voice is one of the early identifications of a
child with ASD.

Explain
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
 It refers to a developmental disability significantly affecting
verbal and non- verbal communication and social interaction,
generally evident before age three that adversely affects a
child’s educational performance (Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), 2013).
 It is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent
challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal
communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors (American
Psychiatric Association, n.d.).
 90
 It is a paradigmatic condition among a class of disorders marked
by social and communication deficits and behavioral rigidities
(American Psychiatric Association, n.d.).
 91

 According to Medic8 (n.d.), This is a term used to describe a

range of autism based conditions which often start in childhood
but can affect adults as well. These disorders include a variety of
symptoms which are common to all sufferers although these will
vary to some degree.
 A group of children who were self-absorbed and who had severe
social, communication, and behavioral problems (Kanner, 1943).
 It tends to be viewed as a severe language disorder associated
with brain damage.
 In a child with autism, thinking, language and behavior are all
disturbed.
 Study shows that this disorder is about two to four times more
common in males than females and there is also a genetic
influence. A 2% risk of having autism exists in the siblings of an
autistic child.

Types of Autism Spectrum Disorder

1. Classic Autism
 Classic autism is defined as the most serious form of autistic
spectrum disorder. It is also known as ’severe autism’, ’Kanner’s
Syndrome’ and ’autism disorder’.
 Someone with classic autism has noticeable problems with
speech,
behaviour and social interaction. They are often hypersensitive
and avoid contact with other people on many occasions.
 This type of autism like many others is no respecter of age,
authenticity,
religion or socio-economic background.
 New (2012) characterizes children with autism to have severe
challenges, including impaired social and communication
interactions leading to difficulty in conversing and relating to
people.
2. Asperger’s Syndrome
 Asperger's syndrome is an autistic spectrum disorder which
affects the way people communicate and interact with others
and the way they see the world. A range is used since autism
affects different individuals in diverse ways. People with classic
autism, for example, often have below-average intellect, while
those with Asperger's syndrome are usually very intelligent.
 Asperger's syndrome is a permanent condition which has no cure;
however,
 92
most people are able to live a long and rewarding life with the
right help and support around them.
 Asperger's syndrome differs to classic autism because people with
the
condition are inclined to have milder symptoms and do not
usually experience learning difficulties. Autistic spectrum
disorders are not
 93

uncommon, affecting around 1 in 100 children in England.

Asperger's syndrome is more common among boys than girls, but
it is not known why.
 Children with type of autism often interpret things literally can
appear
socially awkward. Although they generally test at an average to
above- average intelligence level, they are usually perceived as
immature and overly emotional.
 People with Asperger’s Disorder appear to demonstrate a lack of
“empathy”
by making limited eye contact, appearing to be unengaged in a
conversation, and being confused by the use of gestures.
3. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
 This is part of the autistic spectrum but differs from other types
of autism due to the fact that there is a more noticeable loss of
social skills. This rare compared to the other disorders.
 Another name for this condition is Heller’s Syndrome.
 Children with this disorder develop at the normal rate as other
children but this all changes once they reach the age of 3 to 4
years old.
 They lose their motor, social and communication skills, e.g.
speech which
may be due to problems with the brain and/or nervous system.
As a result of this they display a range of behaviour which is very
similar to autism.
 Children with this disorder usually develop severe intellectual
disabilities.
 According to Tambongan, et. al. (2014), children with this
disorder stop talking, lose potty-training skills, and stop playing,
lose motor skills and fail to make friends.
4. Rett’s Disorder
 This disorder mainly affects girls and is often mistaken for
autism. It is a debilitating neurological condition which causes
severe mobility and communication problems. This means that
the sufferer requires 24-hour care and support for the rest of
their life.
 Many of the symptoms are similar to autism which often results
in a mistaken diagnosis but there are others which are quite
distinctive. These include very small hands and feet, small in
stature, teeth grinding and repetitious hand movements, e.g.
placing hands into the mouth.
 94
 Rett’s Syndrome is classed as a pervasive developmental
disorder along with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
 Children with this disorder display a slowing down or stagnation
of skills and most likely can profoundly impair the child’s ability
to use her hands as she did before (Rudy, 2016).
 Other problems may include seizures and disorganized breathing
patterns, walking on the toes, sleep problems, a wide-based gait,
difficulty chewing, slowed growth, and cognitive disabilities.
 95

 In initial years, a child may undergo a period of isolation or

withdrawal where he is irritable and may cry inconsolably.
5. Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-
NOS)
 It used to describe people with some but not all of the
symptoms of autism and/or Asperger’s Syndrome.
 Children with PDD-NOS often have the signs of autism but not
the higher than normal level of intelligence as seen in Asperger’s
children. Plus they do not the good verbal skills associated with
this disorder.
 Pervasive developmental disorder is an autistic spectrum disorder
but there
is some confusion surrounding this. Many experts see it as an
umbrella term for a range of spectrum disorders whereas others
view it as a single condition –known as ’atypical autism’.
 PDD is often used to refer to a group of disorders which include
Asperger’s
Syndrome, autism and Rett’s Syndrome.
 Where does PDD appear on the autism spectrum? It is milder
than classic autism but more severe than Asperger’s Syndrome.

Identification
Early identification is quite important for all disparity including
autism, parents and social workers would be able to observe,
presence of autism from the following behaviors.
 Empty gaze
 Hyper sensitivity to non-speech voice
 Lack of initiative in seeking visual attention.
 Not looking at faces
 Not paying attention to voice
 Absence of shared gaze

Characteristic of Autism
a. Impairment in Social Interactions
 Normal attachments to parents, family members or caregivers
do not develop.
 Friendships with peers fail to develop.
 Emotions such as affection and empathy are rarely displayed.
 Non-verbal signals (smiling, gestures, and physical contact) of
social intent are not used)
 Eye contact is not initiated or maintained.
 Imaginative play is an activity seldom observed.
 96
 The lack of social-communicative gestures and utterances is
apparent during the months of life.
 97

 Children live in extreme isolation.

 Children with Learning Disabilities
b. Poor Communication Abilities
 Functional language is not acquired fully or mastered, Content
of language is usually unrelated to immediate environmental
events.
 Utterances are stereotyped and repetitive.
 Conversations are not maintained.
 Spontaneous conversations are rarely initiated.
 Speech can be meaningless, repetitive and echolalia.
 Many fail to use the words / and face problems with pronouns
 Both expressive and receptive language is extremely literal.
c. Insistence on Sameness
 Marked distress is typically experienced over trivial matters.
 Aspects of daily routine can become ritualized.
 Obsessive behavior is frequently displayed.
 The requirement to complete self-imposed, required actions is
intense.
 Stereotypic behaviors (rocking, hand flapping) are repeated in
cycles difficult to stop.
d. Unusual Behavior Patterns
 Hypersensitive and/or inconsistent behaviors are the response to
visuals, tactile, or auditory stimulation.
 Aggression to others is common, particularly when compliance is
requested.
 Self-injurious or outwardly aggressive behavior (hitting, biting,
kicking, head banging) is common and frequent.
 Extreme social fears are manifested towards strangers, crowds,
unusual situations and new environment.
 Loud noises can result in startle or fearful reactions.
 Non-compliant behavior to request from others result in
disruption to the individual and other tantrums.
 Self-stimulation consumes a considerable amount of time and
energy.

Autistic children will occupy themselves for hours in stereotypes,

repetitive self-stimulatory behaviors, which serve no apparent
purpose other than providing the child with sensory input. Commonly,
self-stimulatory behaviors take the form of manipulation of hands or
fingers in front of the eye crossing, repetitive meaningless
vocalization (e.g. "aeh, aehaeh..") suspending or spinning
Objects in front of the eyes, mouthing objects, hand tapping, body
rocking and other stereotypical behavior. Such behaviors have been
 98
found to significantly impair learning in autistic children.
Children with autism often fail to develop normal appropriate
play. They forsake, toys altogether. If they do interact with toys, they
may do so in an
 99

abnormal manner. For instance, the child may arrange stack, or sort
stimuli repetitively, over and over in the same pattern, and may
extreme disruption if the pattern is altered. Or they may turn a truck
over and spin the wheels rather than roll in on the ground. Social play
with peers may develop spontaneously, but it does not happen usually.
Autistic children commonly show obsessive, ritualistic behaviors,
which have been characterized as a profound resistance to change in
the environment or to normal routines. Familiar bedtime routines,
insistence on open type of food, one type of furniture arrangement
and particular routes to familiar places are examples of routines,
which, they later can create extreme problems.

Symptoms of Autism in Babies (SAB)

The Symptoms of Autism in Babies is a questionnaire developed
by Dahlgren and Gillberg, C. (1989). A parent or the therapist can
answer the checklist. This checklist can be used between 10 and 10
months.
1. The following questions to the mother provide a tentative
framework for a checklist to be used whenever there is (even mild)
suspicion of autistic-like behavior or autism:
 Do you consider your child's eye to eye contact to be normal?
 Do you think that he/she listens to you or has normal hearing or
does he/she react only to particular sounds?
 If there are, or have been, any feeding problems or abnormal
behaviors in connection with feeding, what were they?
 Is she/he comforted by proximity or body contact?
 Does she/he show any in his/her surroundings?
 Does she/he often smile or laugh quite unexpectedly?
 Does she/he prefer to be left alone?
 Is your child, on whole, like other children?
2. Examine the following features systematically.
 Hand stereotypes (including strange looking at or posturing of
hands)
 Avoidance of gaze contact
 Stiff, staring gaze
 Rejection of body contact
 No or very variable reaction to strong, unexpected noise
 Obvious lack of interest (e.g. does not show interest in peek-a-boo
games)

Causes
The exact cause of ASD is unknown. The most current
research demonstrates that there’s no single cause.
 100
Some of the suspected risk factors for autism include:
 having an immediate family member with autism
 genetic mutations
 101

 fragile X syndrome and other genetic disorders

 being born to older parents
 low birth weight
 metabolic imbalances
 exposure to heavy metals and environmental toxins
 a history of viral infections
 fetal exposure to the medications valproic acid (Depakene) or
thalidomide (Thalomid)
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke (NINDS), both genetics and environment may determine
whether a person develops autism.
 Genetics. Several different genes appear to be involved in autism
spectrum disorder. For some children, autism spectrum disorder
can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome
or fragile X syndrome. For other children, genetic changes
(mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder.
Still other genes may affect brain development or the way that
brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of
symptoms. Some genetic mutations seem to be inherited, while
others occur spontaneously.
 Environmental factors. Researchers are currently exploring
whether factors such as viral infections, medications or
complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants play a role in
triggering autism spectrum disorder.

For Additional Information,

visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jUv3gDAM1E

Examine
Activity 1. Identify what is being describe in each statement. Write
your answer on the blank before each item.
1. It is often used to refer to a group of disorders
which include Asperger’s Syndrome, autism and Rett’s Syndrome.
2. Another name for this condition is Heller’s Syndrome.
3. Children with type of autism often interpret things
literally can appear socially awkward.
4. This type of autism like many others is no respecter of
age, authenticity, religion or socio-economic background.
5. It is a complex developmental condition that involves
persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal
 102
communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
 103

Activity 2. Enumerate the following:

1. Identification marks for autistic children

2. Symptoms of autism for children

Activity 3. Enumerate 2 struggles of learners with ASD and explain

how does this affect their development with not more than three
sentences.
 104

Lesso
Intellectual
n2
Disability

Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define Intellectual Disability
 Identify children with Intellectual Disability
 Differentiate APA and AAID
 Enumerate the characteristics of Intellectual Disability
 Explain the causes of Intellectual Disability

Explore
Inside the box, write 5 characteristics of a child with Intellectual
Disability.
 105

Explain
Definition
 According to IDEA (n.d.) and Herber (n.d.) as cited by Grossman
2013), intellectual disability (formerly known as Mental
Retardation) is defined as significantly sub-average general
intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time]
with deficits in adaptive behavior manifested during the
developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance.
 Intellectual disability involves impairments of general mental
abilities that
impact adaptive functioning in three areas or domains. These
domains determine how well an individual copes with everyday
tasks (Diagnostic Statistical Manual – 5th Edition, 2013).
 Tasse (2013) stated that intellectual disability is a disorder with
an onset during the developmental period that includes both
intellectual and adaptive functioning deficits in conceptual,
social, and practical domains.
 Queensland Criminal Law Code 1899 (2011), a person is an
'intellectually impaired person if the person has a disability (a)
that is attributable to an intellectual, psychiatric, cognitive or
neurological impairment or a combination of these; and (b) that
results in a substantial reduction of the person's capacity for
communication, social interaction and learning; and the person
needing support.
 American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2013a, 2013b) stated
that, "Intellectual Disability (formerly referred to as mental
retardation) is a condition characterized by intellectual
functioning that is significantly below average and
accompanying deficits in adaptive functioning, both of which
occurred before reaching adulthood".
 American Association on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities (AAIDD, 2010) defined Intellectual disability as the
disability characterized by significant limitations both in
intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving)
and in adaptive behavior, which covers a range of everyday
social and practical skills. This disability originates before the
age of 18.
 According to Wehmeyer, M, L., Obremski, S. (2010), Intellectual
disability is a disability characterized by limitations in
intellectual functioning and resulting in the need for
extraordinary supports for the person to participate in activities
 106
involved with typical human functioning.
 In the Philippines, intellectual disability was known for “mental
illness.”
 Intellectual Disability is a condition wherein there are deficits or
limitations in both the intellectual functioning and adaptive
behavior that occur during the developmental period of the
child.
 107

Identification
How to know who is really mentally retarded? There are certain
behavioral signs, which might give an indication about the presence of
mental retardation among children.
 Poor academic achievement, slow rate of learning, poor problem
solving skills, slows reaction to the environmental demands.
 Poor memory ability. Inability to retain things for a longer period.
 Difficulty in developing abstract concepts.
 Inability to arrive at generalization and see common elements
among different objects or events.
 Slow language development-usually the language is limited in
terms of vocabulary and variety.
 Below average in imagination and creative thinking.
 Inability to delay gratification and need for immediate reward.
 Short attention span and intolerance to frustration.
 Limited play and social interests.
 Lack of concentration distractible and incapacity for
comprehension.
 Lack of coordination in self-help skills (sucking, chewing, eating,
use of hands, legs, fingers etc.)
 Some have physical features like small or large head, small eyes,
straight hair, fissured tongue, low set ears and small stature,
physical deformities and paralysis of one or more limbs.

Characteristics
Individuals with Intellectual disability vary from the perspectives
and/or classifications from the different associations on developmental
disabilities like American Psychiatric Association (APA) or American
Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD).
As stated from the book entitled “Mental Disorders and
Disabilities among Low Income Children (2015), the terms “mild,
moderate, severe, and profound” have been used to describe the
severity of the condition. This approach has been helpful in that
aspects of mild to moderate ID differ from severe to profound ID.
Based on the 1983 AAMR, persons with ID are operationally
classified as follows:
Approximate
Level of
IQ Range Percentage of
Retardatio
Persons with
n
ID
Mild 52-67 55-69 89
Moderat 36-51 40-54 7
e
Severe 20-35 25-39 3
 108
Profoun 0-19 0-24 1
d
 109

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Severity codes

for Intellectual disability
According to Gluck, S. (2015), while IQ scores are still relevant
and important in assessing the level of intellectual disability, the new
DSM-V adds another layer of diagnostic criteria (Intellectual
Disability: Causes and Characteristics). Mental health professionals
must consider the person’s ability or impairment across three skill
areas: conceptual, social and practical life skill.
o Mild intellectual disability
 1Q 50 to 70
 About 85 percent of people with intellectual disabilities fall into
the mild category and many even achieve academic success. A
person who can read, but has difficulty comprehending what he
or she reads represents one example of someone with mild
intellectual disability.
 Slower than typical in all developmental area.
 No unusual physical characteristics.
 Able to learn practical life skills. These individuals can learn
practical life skills, which allow them to function in ordinary life
with minimal levels of support (Mental Disorders and Disabilities
among Low-Income Children, 2015).
 Attains reading and math skills up to grade levels 3 to 6.
 Able to blend in socially. May marry and raise children with the
support of family, friends and the service system (Tracy, J., n.d.).
 Functions in daily life

o Moderate intellectual disability

 IQ 35 to 49
 About 10 percent of those with intellectual disabilities fall into
the moderate category.
 Noticeable developmental delays (i.e. speech, motor skills)
 May have physical signs of impairment (i.e. thick tongue)
 Can communicate in basic, simple ways
 Able to learn basic health and safety skills
 Can complete self-care activities. May develop independence in
personal care (Tracy, J. n.d)
 Can travel alone to nearby, familiar places. Individuals with
moderate ID can take care of themselves, travel to familiar
places in their community, and learn basic skills related to safety
and health (Mental Disorders and Disabilities among Low-
Income Children, 2015).
 People with moderate intellectual disability have fair
communication skills, but cannot typically communicate on
complex levels. They may have difficulty in social situations and
problems with social cues and judgment. These people can care
 110
for themselves, but might need more instruction and support
than the typical person.
 111

o Severe intellectual disability

 1Q 20 to 34
 Only about 3 or 4 percent of those diagnosed with intellectual
disability fall into the severe category.
 Considerable delays in development
 Understands speech, but little ability to communicate. May have
little or no speech and will rely on gestures, facial expressions,
and body language to communicate needs or feelings (Do2learn,
2016).
 Able to learn daily routines
 May learn very simple self-care
 Needs direct supervision in social situations
 These people can only communicate on the most basic levels. They
cannot
 perform all self-care activities independently and need daily
supervision and support. Most people in this category cannot
successfully live an independent life and will need to live in a
group home setting.

o Profound intellectual disability

 1Q less than 20
 About 1 to 2 percent of people with intellectual disabilities fall
into this category.
 Significant developmental delays in all areas
 Obvious physical and congenital abnormalities
 Requires close supervision. Requires attendant to help in self-
care activities. Will require extensive support with daily living
activities throughout their life (Do2learn, 2016)
 May respond to physical and social activities
 Not capable of independent living.
 People with profound intellectual disability require round-the-
clock support and care. They depend on others for all aspects of
day-to-day life and have extremely limited communication ability.
Frequently, people in this category have other physical
limitations as well.

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental

Disabilities (AAIDD) Severity codes for Intellectual disability
According to Reynolds, Zupanick, Psy & Dombeck (2013), like
the DSM-V; APA 2013, the AAIDD has a categorical system for
classifying intellectual disabilities. However, instead of classifying by
the severity of functional limitations, the AAIDD assess severity based
on the intensity of supports that are needed.
A. Intermittent Support: Many people with intellectual
disabilities do not require regular support or assistance. Instead
 112
they may only require additional supports during times of
transition, uncertainty or stress.
 113

Usually people requiring this level of support would be

categorized under the APA standards as mild intellectual
disability.
B. Limited Support: Some people with intellectual disabilities can
learn to improve their adaptive behavior. With additional
training, they can increase their conceptual skills, social skill,
and practical skills. However, they may still require additional
support to navigate everyday situations. People in this group
would be often categorized by APA standards as moderate
intellectual disability.
C. Extensive Support: Other people with intellectual disability
require support that is more intensive. These individuals have
some basic communication skills and can complete some self-
care tasks. However, they will usually require daily support. This
level of support is usually associated with severe intellectual
disability.
D. Pervasive Support: Pervasive support describes the most
intense level of support. Daily interventions are necessary to
help the individual function. Supervision is necessary to ensure
their health and safety. This lifelong support applies to nearly
every aspect of individual's routine. This classification is
associated with those who have profound intellectual disability.

Hence, both the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(AAIDD) uses severity codes. These codes further refine diagnosis and
categorize intellectual disability. With the severity codes from the two
associations, it can be concluded that both severity codes and
characteristics are qualified for the screening and diagnosis. The
researchers used the DSM-V criteria on the screening and diagnosis.

Causes
Doctors and other health professionals listed the causes of
Intellectual disability. According to Center for Parent Information and
Resources, (2015) along with other sources stated the most common
causes which are indicated below:
Genetic conditions. Sometimes an intellectual disability is
caused by abnormal genes inherited from parents (chromosomal or
hereditary disorders Katz, G. and Lazcano-Ponce, 2008) errors when
genes combine, or other reasons. Examples of genetic conditions are
Down syndrome, fragileX syndrome, and phenylketonuria (PKU).
There are also developmental problems as stated by Ke, X. and
Liu, J. (2012), NSW Council for Intellectual Disability (2011), and
Namhi (n.d).

Prenatal (before birth). An intellectual disability can result

 114
when the baby does not develop inside the mother properly. For
example, a woman who drinks alcohol or takes drugs may also have a
baby with intellectual disability.

Perinatal (around the tine of birth). If a baby has problems

during labor and birth, such as not getting enough oxygen, he or she
may have an intellectual
 115

disability. Different diseases of the mother also affect the baby, such
as heart and kidney disease, diabetes; and extreme prematurity, low
birth weight and brain injury.

Postnatal (in infancy and childhood). Brain infections such

as tuberculosis, meningitis, encephalitis, measles, pertussis
(whooping cough), and head injuries.

Health problems. Diseases like whooping cough, the measles,

or meningitis can cause intellectual disabilities. They can also be
caused by extreme malnutrition (not eating right), not getting enough
medical care, or by being exposed to poisons like lead or mercury
(toxics like intrauterine exposure to alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines,
and other drugs Shapiro BK, Batshaw ML,2011).

Hence, the common causes of intellectual disability can be

prevented during, before and after birth. However, the researchers
reiterated that intellectual disability is not a disease. You can't catch
an intellectual disability from anyone. It's also not a type of mental
illness, like depression. Therefore, there is no cure for intellectual
disabilities (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2015).

For additional information, visit this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCxOIrFc5q0

Examine
Activity 1. Using the Venn diagram, compare and constrast the
American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Association
on Intellectual and Dvelopmental Disability (AAIDD) on sevity codes
for Intellectual Disability.
 116

Activity 2. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. 130+ IQ score: Above Average ; 100 IQ score:
A. Below average C. Exceptional
B. Average D. With Intellectual Disability
2. AIDD: Extensive Support ; APA:
A. Profound C. Mild
B. Severe D. Moderate
3. Genetic condition: Down Syndrome ; Disease:
A. phenylketonuria C. meningitis
B. tuberculosis D. diabetes
4. “It does not require regular support or assistance”, this level of
support would be categorized under the APA standards as ID.
A. Mild C. profound
B. Severe D. Moderate
5. Learning is an ability to learn through experience, trial
and error and observation.
A. Observational C. Experential
B. Abstract D. Academic
6. functioning includes skills to live in an independent and
responsible manner.
A. Adaptive C. Practical
B. Intellectual D. Social
7. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(AAIDD, 2010) defines Intellectual disability as the disability
characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning
(reasoning, learning, problem solving) and in adaptive behavior,
which covers a range of everyday social and
skills.
A. Adaptive C. Practical
B. Intellectual D. Social
8. Queensland Criminal Law Code 1899 (2011) claimed that a person
is an intellectually impaired person if the person has a disability that
A. is attributable to an intellectual, psychiatric, cognitive or
neurological impairment or a combination of these.
B. results in a substantial reduction of the person's capacity for
communication, social interaction and learning; and the person
needing support.
C. A and B
D. B only
9. The teacher asked Elizabeth (18 years old with Down Syndrome)
her name, and Elizabeth answered it correctly. But when the teacher
asked Elizabeth about what career she wants to take in the future, the
learner seemed not to understand the question so she didn’t answer.
From the scenario, which of the following severity fits the
characteristics of Elizabeth?
A. Mild C. Severe
 117
B. Moderate D. Profound
 118

10. Adrian, age 19, has intellectual disability. He wears adult diapers
and depends on his guardian to feed him because he cannot cook his
own food. Base from the descriptions, what kind of support describes
Adrian’s condition?
A. Limited support C. Pervasive support
B. Intermittent support D. Extensive support

Activity 3. Expound your idea on the following questions:

1. Who are children with intellectual disability?

2. How would you identify them?

3. What are the causes of ID?

 119

Lesso
n3 Learnin
g
Disabilit
y
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define Learning Disability
 Identify children with Learning Disability
 Enumerate the characteristics of Learning Disability
 Explain the causes of Intellectual Disability

Explore
From the movie “Every Child is Special”, what is the specific
learning disability of the main character? Describe his characteristics.
Use the space provided for your answer.
 120

Explain
Definition
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(1DEA) 2004, Specific Learning Disability is a disorder in one or more
of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in
using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself
in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write, spell, or do
mathematical calculations.
However, in the 2013 publication of the statistical assessment
guide of mental disorders known as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders (DSM)
- V, significant changes were made in the definition of the term
"Learning Disability" and to its assessment criteria (Tannock, 2013).
The term Learning Disability was substituted with the term "Specific
Learning Disorder" and from that point on it refers to three distinct
academic areas:
1. specific learning disorder with a deficiency in reading;
2. specific learning disorder affecting expressive writing ability; and
3. specific learning disorder with deficiency in mathematics.
Almost the same with the definition under IDEA, National
Dissemination Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities,
(NICHCY, 2004) stated that Learning Disability (LD) is a general term
that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A Learning
Disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using
certain skills. The skills most often affected are reading, writing,
listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. Learning disabilities
vary from person to person. One person with LD may not have the
same kind of learning problems as another person with LD. One
person may have trouble with reading and writing Another person
with LD may have problems understanding math. Still another person
may have trouble in each of these areas, as well as with
understanding what people are saying.
Based from the Ministry of Education (2004), Learning Disability
includes two includes two conditions for assessment: a) there is a
significant and ongoing learning gap between the academic
achievements of the student and what is appropriate for his age and
grade level and; b) there is a significant gap between the academic
and intellectual achievements of the students as indicated by objective
IQ tests.
Acordingly, as cited by Fisher, Rozman, & Shockney (2016) in
the study of Kauffman (2009), a child with a Learning Disability is
described as a child with relatively normal intelligence that is having
specific learning problems. There is not one widely accepted definition
for emotional and behavioral disorders, but all definitions include the
 121
fact that these children have a chronic problem with behavioral issues
and often exhibit behaviors that are not socially acceptable.
The National Advisory Committee on handicapped children
(USA, 1968) defined learning disability as follows:
LD children exhibit disorder in one or more basic psychological
processes involved in understanding and in using in spoken or written
languages. These
 122

disorders are manifested in listening, thinking, talking, reading,

writing, spelling, and arithmetic. They include conditions, which are
referred to as perceptual problems, brain injury, minimal brain
dysfunction, dyslexia, developmental aphasia etc. They do not include
learning problems, which are primarily due to visual, hearing, or
motor handicaps, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or to
environmental disadvantage.
With the aforesaid definitions of Learning Disability, there are
facts that they have in common and that is Learning Disability is a
disorder that an individual possesses when he or she has a difficulty in
comprehending words, writing skills, and in mathematical
calculations.

Identification of Learning Disabled Children

There are certain behavioral indices, which indicate the presence
of learning disabilities in children. These are so called identification
marks.
 Near average, average or above average in intellectual ability
 Impulsive behavior in talk and action
 Inability to focus on one activity
 Easily distractible
 Inability to shift from one activity to another
 Easy onset of fatigue
 Wrong or inappropriate perception
 Reversal in writing and reading and transposition
 Problems of left and right, up and down orientation
 Difficulty in understanding and remembering oral message
 Difficulty in interpretation and remembering visual image
 Language and organization difficulties
 Trial and error approach to work
 Thinking problem relating to abstract ideas and concepts
 Poor fine motor coordination
 Clumsiness in thinking
 Hyperactivity (easily stimulated)
 Hypoactivity (late action with much stimulation)

Early identification of such difficulties are important even from pre-

school period so that remedial education can be provided. In fact, the
sooner the high- risk children are recognized the greater is the chance
or preventing failure.

Characteristics
There are evident characteristics of Learning Disability though a
child with such disability differs from each other; the following are
checklist of characteristics that may point to a Learning Disability that
can somehow be used to determine if someone is having a Learning
 123
Disability.
 124

Dyslexia is a language-based Learning Disability characterized by

difficulties with decoding (sounding out) words, fluent word
recognition, and/or reading comprehension skills (Handler, 2016).
 Children with dyslexia often develop secondary problems with
comprehension,
 spelling, writing, and knowledge acquisition.
 The difficulties found in dyslexia are usually caused by a
phonological deficit (an auditory processing problem involving
hearing the sounds in speech).
 The phonological deficit leads to difficulty connecting speech
sounds to letters, which is a skill needed to decode the written
word.
 Alternatively, dyslexia in some children results from problems
with oral language skills, sight word recognition, processing
speed, comprehension, attention, or verbal working memory.
 Dyslexia is the most prevalent and well-recognized of the
subtypes of Specific Learning Disabilities.

Dyscalculia is such a learning disorder that specifically affects the

ability to acquire school-level arithmetic skills (Price & Ansari, 2013).
 Poor retrieval of arithmetic facts from memory and the perseverant
use of
 immature calculation strategies (Hoard, 2005)
 The most consistently observed behavioral hallmark of DD is
impaired arithmetic fact retrieval (Mazzocco, Devlin, and
McKenney, 2008)
 Do not show the same interference from numerical information
when judging whether two numbers presented in different
formats are identical or not (Price & Ansari, 2013).

Dysgraphia
According to Cortiella and Horowitz (2014) the common characteristics
include:
 tight, awkward pencil grip and body position;
 tiring quickly while writing, and avoiding writing or drawing tasks;
 trouble forming letter shapes as well as inconsistent spacing
between letters or words;
 difficulty writing or drawing on a line or within margins;
 trouble organizing thoughts on paper;
 trouble keeping track of thoughts already written down; and/or
 Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar.

Dyspraxia is defined as a disturbance in the programming and

execution of learned, volitional, purposeful movement, in the presence
of normal reflexes, power, tone, coordination and sensation, and in
the absence of visual, auditory, language, attentional and intellectual
 125
disturbances (Miller, 2015).
 might be unable to smile, frown or laugh to command;
 126

 may fail on tests of dexterity such as finger-tapping, turning

screws, pegboard and strengths of grip as well as some of the
perceptual tasks;
 disability in carrying out complex sequential motor acts. Certain
errors characterize performance;
 elements occur in wrong order;
 sections of sequence are being omitted;
 two or more elements may be blended together;
 the action remains incomplete;
 movements maybe made in wrong plane or wrong direction; and/or
 Many patients, in their endeavor to rectify what they realize is
wrong, maymake several runs at a task before succeeding.

Aphasia means, literally, a complete absence of speech. Dysphasia (lack

of coordination in speech/difficulties with speech) (Jordan & Kaiser,
2013).
 some aphasic people are unable to make sense of the written
word, and therefore cannot read books, newspapers or letters;
 finds watching television tiring, so can view for only short periods;
 activities such as travel, shopping and using phone are likely to be
affected;
 being severely aphasic may mean being unable to communicate
even their most basic needs.

Causes of LD
Learning Disabilities are caused by various factors. In an article
entitled. "Learning Disabilities: A New Definition [2001)”, it was stated
that these are caused by congenital and /acquired. Congenital which is
present at birth while acquired is from the environment. In the recent
research of Nel and Grosser (2016), these are caused by intrinsic and
extrinsic factors. The following further explained the causes.

Intrinsic Factors Causing Learning Disabilities

A Learning Disability exists mainly because of a dysfunction in
the central nervous system (Dednam, 2011), caused by genetic or
physiological factors, malformation, and defects in the developing
fetus, as well as medical factors (Hallahan & Kaufman, 2006).

Genetics
This refers to a familial transmission of learning disabilities that
shows that there is often a family history of similar learning
disabilities related to language, reading, or speech (Hallahan &
Kaufmann, 2006).

Teratogenics
These are agents that cause malformation and defects. Prenatal
 127
exposure to harmful substances such as drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and
pesticides as well as lead poisoning can affect the normal
development of the fetus. These harmful substances are likely to
contribute to attention disorders, behavior problems,
 128

intellectual, verbal, and non-verbal, as well as sensory disabilities.

(Heward, 2010; National Association of Special Education Teachers
Characteristics of Children with Learning Disabilities (NASET), 2007,
UNICEF, 2012).

Medical and health risk factors

Medical problems at birth, such as premature births, anoxia, and
damage to brain after birth because of head injuries caused by
accidents, or child abuse and illness, could contribute to learning
disabilities (Dednam, 2011).

Developmental factors
Some children develop and mature at a slower rate.as other
children of the same age, which could manifest as delayed
development of language and reading, motor-, intellectual-, and social
skills (NASET, 2007).

Organic and ecological factors

Biochemical and metabolic factors which include an imbalance
in neurotransmitters as a consequence of metabolizing, or hormone
problems could cause attention deficits that contribute to learning
disabilities (Dednam, 2011).

Extrinsic Factors Causing Learning Disabilities

Socio-economic factors
Poverty, under-development, poor living conditions, such as
under- nourishment, lack of or, over-crowded housing and,
unemployment, high levels of violence, crime, abuse and, a lack of
basic services, (Muthukrishna & Schoeman, 2010).

Systemic factors
A lack of basic and appropriate learning support material, and
assistive devices, inadequate facilities at schools, inaccessible
environments, inappropriate, and inadequate support services, lack of
human resource development, including education and training of
teachers, and other role players to deal with learning difficulties,
overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of mother tongue teachers
(Lomofsky & Lazarus, 2001) can contribute to conditions that may
cause systemic barriers to learning.

Pedagogical factors
Pedagogical barriers can be linked to an inflexible curriculum
that causes learning breakdown, inflexible teaching and assessment
approaches that do not cater for diverse learner needs and styles
(such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic), insufficient support from and to
 129
teachers (Muthukrishna & Schoeman, 2010).
 130

Examine
Activity 1. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and if it is
incorrect, underline the word or phrase which makes it incorrect then
write the correct answer on the blank before each item.
1. Trouble forming letter shapes as well as
inconsistent spacing between words are characteristics of children
with aphasia.
2. Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that specifically
affects the ability to acquire school-level reading skill.
3. Dyspraxia is defined as disturbance in the
programming and execution of learned, volitional, purposeful
movement.
4. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability
characterized by difficulties with decoding or reading comprehension
skills.
5. Some aphasic people are unable to make sense of
the written word, and therefore cannot read books, newspapers or
letters.

Activity 2. Identify the LD being described in each item. Choose the

letter of the correct answer and write on the blank before each item.
A. Dyslexia B. Dyscalculia C. Dysgraphia
C. Dyspraxia E. Aphasia/Dysphasia

1. Poor retrieval of arithmetic facts from memory and the

perseverant use of immature calculation strategies.
2. Results from problems with oral language skills, sight word
recognition, processing speed, comprehension, attention, or verbal
working memory.
3. Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position.
4. Movements maybe made in wrong plane or wrong direction.
5. Finds watching television tiring, so can view for only short
periods.
6. Trouble organizing thoughts on paper.
7. Do not shows the same interference from numerical
information when judging whether two numbers presented in
different formats are identical or not.
8. Unable to make sense of the written word, and therefore
cannot read books, newspapers or letters.
9. Caused by a phonological deficit (an auditory processing
problem involving hearing the sounds in speech.
10. Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar.
11. Tiring quickly while writing, and avoiding writing or
 131
drawing tasks.
12. Most prevalent and well-recognized of the subtypes of
specific learning disabilities.
13. The phonological deficit leads to difficulty connecting speech
sounds to letters, which is a skill needed to decode the written word.
14. Disability in carrying out complex sequential motor acts.
 132

15. Being severely may mean being unable to communicate even

their most basic needs.
 133

Lesso Multiple
n Disabilitie
4
s
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define Multiple Disabilities
 Determine the screening and diagnosis of Children
with Learning Disability
 Identify the characteristics of children
with multiple disabilities
 Identify the causes of multiple disabilities

Explore
Sharon’s Story
(Adopted from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/multiple)

Sharon is an active five-year old who loves to spend time with her
grandmother. She also loves to fingerpaint and play with the family dog.
Sharon has multiple disabilities. When she was born, she didn’t get enough
oxygen. As a result, she has an intellectual disability, problems with mobility,
and a speech impairment that makes it hard to understand what she’s saying.
That doesn’t stop Sharon from chattering, though. She has a lot to say.

For Sharon’s parents, it’s been a long road from Sharon’s birth to today.
When she was just a baby, she began receiving special services called early
intervention. These services help children with disabilities from birth to their
third birthday. In early intervention, Sharon learned to crawl and to stand and
—finally!—to walk with braces.
Now in preschool, Sharon receives special education services. Like early
intervention, these services are meant to address her special learning needs.
Her parents are very involved. They sit down often with the preschool staff
and talk about Sharon’s progress. The team also talks about Sharon’s
challenges and how
 134

to address them. Last week, for example, Sharon got a picture board to help
her communicate. She’s busy learning to use it.
Sharon’s parents know that Sharon will always need some support
because of her multiple disabilities. But her parents also know how
determined Sharon can be when she’s learning something new. She’s going to
learn it, by golly, there’s no stopping her.

Questions:
1. What is the disability of Sharon?

2. What caused her disability?

3. What are the characteristics of Sharon?

4. How do her parents help Sharon in her disability?

Explain
Definition
Multiple Disability is one of the disabilities that falls under the
13+1 disabilities of IDEA (Individuals with Disability Education Act).
Multiple disability, as defined by Individuals with Disability Education
Act (2010), is a concomitant [simultaneous] disability-impairments
(such as intellectual disability-blindness, intellectual disability,
orthopaedic-impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such
severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a
special education program solely for one of the impairments.
However, the term does not include deaf-blindness because it is
defined separately and is a disability category of its own under IDEA.
Hence, children with multiple disabilities will have a combination of
various disabilities that may include: speech, physical mobility,
learning, mental retardation, visual, hearing, brain injury and possibly
others (Sprayberry Education Center (n.d.).
Furthermore, National Dissemination Center for Children with
 135
Disabilities (2013) stated that people with severe disabilities are those
who traditionally have been labelled as having severe to profound
mental retardation. These people
 136

require ongoing, extensive support in more than one major life

activity in order to participate in integrated community settings and
enjoy the quality of life available to people with fewer or no
disabilities. They frequently have additional disabilities, including
movement difficulties, sensory losses, and behaviour problems. Same
as through with The Association of Persons with Severe Handicap
(1991), where it was stated that persons with severe disabilities are:
"individuals of all ages who require extensive ongoing support in more
than one major life activity in order to participate in integrated
community settings and to enjoy a quality of life that is available to
citizens with fewer or no disabilities.
Finally, multiple disability is often referred to as having "two or
more disabilities in the same person." In 1996, Fred Orelove and Dick
Sobsey defined this group as individuals with mental retardation who
require extensive or pervasive supports and who also possess one or
more significant motor or sensory impairments and/or special health
care needs. These physical and medical problems result in the
presence of two or more of the following characteristics: restriction of
movement, skeletal deformities, sensory disorders, seizure disorders,
lung and breathing control, or other medical problems related to
these characteristics, such as skin breakdown or bladder infections.
Likewise, people with severe, multiple disability (SMD) have a
combination of two or more impairments such as movement
difficulties (e.g, cerebral palsy), intellectual disabilities, sensory losses
(e.g, vision or hearing loss), and/or behavioral learning difficulties
(Orelove, Sobsey, & Silberman, 2004).

Characteristics
According to Center for Parent Information and Resources
(2013), people with severe or multiple disabilities may exhibit a wide
range of characteristics, depending on the combination and severity
of disabilities, and the person's age. There are however, some traits
they may share, including:
a. Psychological
 May feel ostracized.
 Tendency to withdraw from society.
 Students with multiple disabilities may become fearful, angry,
and upset in the face of forced or unexpected changes.
 May execute self-injurious behavior.
b. Behavioral
 May display an immature behavior inconsistent with chronological
age.
 May exhibit an impulsive behavior and low frustration level.
 May have difficulty forming interpersonal relationships.
 May have limited self-care skills and independent community living
 skills
 137
c. Physical/health
 A variety of medical problems may accompany severe
disabilities. Examples include seizures, sensory loss,
hydrocephalus, and scoliosis.
 May be physically clumsy and awkward.
 May be unsuccessful in games involving motor skills
 138

o Limited speech or communication;

o Difficulty in basic physical mobility;
o Tendency to forget skills through disuse;
o Trouble generalizing skills from one situation to another;
and/or
o A need for support in major life activities (e.g, domestic,
leisure, community use, vocational).

Screening and Diagnosis

According to Abhiyan (2015), there are no standardized
checklists for screening and identifying children with Multiple
Disabilities. But a screening checklist for single disabilities that
illustrates the various combinations of disabilities in multiple
disability can be used to identify which combination of disabilities the
child has. The following checklist can be used by parents, workers or
early intervention teachers top observe and identify the children with
disabilities for early identification of multiple disabilities in children.
(This checklist is mainly used for screening children in the age group
of 6 months to 2 years).
Hearing Impairment
1. Does a child turn towards the source of sound/voice from the
back or towards one side of the body?
2. Does he/she have discharge from the ear?
3. Does the child use gestures excessively, while communicating?
4. The child does not speak or has defective speech?
5. The child does not understand spoken language?
Visual Impairment
1. The child does not follow an object moving before his eyes?
2. The child does not reach for toys and things held in front of
him?
3. One eye moves differently from the other; including squint?
4. Eyes are either red or have a yellow discharge, or the tears
flow continuously.
d. The child has a tendency to bring pictures, DOOKS Or toys
very close to the eyes?
Mental Retardation
1. Does the child respond to name/voice?
2. Does the child hold the head steadily?
3. Can the child walk well as per his age?
4. Can the child have toilet control/eat/drink by himself by fourth
year?
5. Does the child get fits?
Locomotors Disability
1. The child is not able to raise both the arms fully without any
associated difficulties.
2. The child is not able to grasp objects without any associated
 139
difficulty.
3. The child has absence of any part of the limb.
4. The child has a difficulty in walking.
Cerebral Palsy
 140

1. Whether child's milestones are delayed?

2. Head unsteady even by 8 months of age?
3. Is the muscle tone of the body in the child different, like
stiffness or flaccid?
4. Does the child show preference for one side of the body?
5. Does the child exhibit unusual posture?

Causes
According to Center for Parent Information and Resources,
(2013), having multiple disabilities means that a person has more than
one disability. What caused the disabilities? Often, no one knows.

With some children, however, the cause is known. Other causes

can include chromosomal abnormalities, premature birth, difficulties
after birth, poor development of the brain or spinal cord, infections,
genetic disorders, and injuries from accidents.

Examine
Activity 1. Enumerate the following:
1. Give the 4 Psychological characteristics of a person with multiple
disability
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. Give the 4 general behaviours of a person with multiple disability
a.
b.
c.
d.
3. Give at least 4 physical characteristics of a child with multiple
disability
a.
b.
c.
d.

Activity 2. Identify the things that a teacher should do in handling

children with multiple disabilities.
1. James always wanted to seek help to his teacher in opening his
snack, apparently, his teacher already taught him to open his
snack. What do you think the teacher should do to James?
 141

2. In her 10 years of handling children with special needs, it is

teacher Zoe’s first time to teach a child with multiple disabilities.
What do you think is the best way for teacher Zoe to do before
handling a child with multiple disabilities?

3. Teacher Amy is helping a child with multiple disabilities with her

educational needs. But she also wanted her student to improve
his communication skills so she seeks help to a speech-language
therapist. What kind of action did teacher Amy do?
 142

Lesso Emotional
n5 and
Behavioral
Disorders
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define EBD
 Identify children with EBD
 Enumerate and discuss the characteristics EBD
 Explain the causes of EBD

Explore
What are the various behavioral problems seen among young
children nowadays? How are parents concerned with problems of
their children and what do they do? Write your opinions on the lines.
 143

Explain
Definition
The term emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) refers to a
variety of conditions and symptoms that impair the learning, social
functioning, safety and behavioral health of children or adolescents
(Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, 2014).
Parallel to this, students with emotional disturbance and
behavioral problems exhibit a wide range of characteristics, where
the intensity of the disorder varies, as does the manner in which a
disability or problem presents itself. In addition, individual students
react to feelings of depression, anger or frustration in very different
ways (Quinn, Osher, Warger, Hanley, Bader, Tate, & Hoffman, 2000).
Along these lines, EBD is defined by the Disease Model as a
collection of distressing behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that differ
from "normality," where a person either has or does not have the
disorder based on the number of symptoms that meet the established
criteria, while the Dimension Model assumes that all children behave
inappropriately at times and that the duration, severity, and frequency
are what help to determine a need for intervention (Rutherford, Quinn,
& Mathur, 2004; James, 2011).
Corollary to these, EBD is often characterized by disruptive
social behaviors and exhibit poorer attendance rates, higher dropout
rates, and higher rates of grade retention in students "than any other
disability category (Lane, 2007).
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) defines EBD
under emotional disturbance in Section 300.8, paragraph C (4) as
follows:
1. meaning a condition exhibiting one or more of the following
characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked
degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance:
a. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual,
sensory, or health factors.
b. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal or
maintain relationships with peers and teachers.
c. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under
normal circumstances.
d. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
e. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated
with personal or school problems.
2. Emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia. The term does
not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is
determined that they have an emotional disturbance under
paragraph (c) (4) (i) or this section.
 144

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM V) has divided

emotional and behavioral problems into five main categories which
are anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders,
trauma - and stressor related
 145

disorders, depressive disorders, and somatic symptom and related

disorders (Regier, Kuhl, & Kupfer, 2013).

1. Anxiety Disorders
Each of these anxiety disorders is distinct in some ways, but they
all share the same hallmark features: irrational and excessive fear,
apprehensive and tense feelings, and difficulty managing daily tasks
and/or distress related to these tasks (Rector, Bourdeau, Kitchen, &
Joseph-Massiah, 2005).
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Selective Mutism
Specific Phobia
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social
Phobia) Panic Disorder
Panic Attack
(Specifier)
Agoraphobia
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Substance/Medication-lnduced Anxiety
Disorder Anxiety Disorder Due to Another
Medical Condition Other Specified Anxiety
Disorder
Unspecified Anxiety Disorder
2. Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
People with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
experience unwanted and intrusive thoughts (obsessions), which
cause them to repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines
(compulsions) to ease their anxiety (Anxiety Disorders Association of
America, n.d.).
Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder Body Dysmorphic
Disorder Hoarding Disorder
Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling
Disorder) Excoriation (Skin-Picking)
Disorder
Substance/Medication-Induced Obsessive-
Compulsive and Related
Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder Due to
Another Medical Condition
Other Specified Obsessive-Compulsive and Related
Disorder Unspecified Obsessive-Compulsive and
Related Disorder
3. Trauma- and Stressor Related Disorders
These conditions arise as a consequence of acute severe stress
or continued psychological trauma. They are unique among emotional
 146
and behavioral disorders because they are defined not only by their
symptoms, but also by a specific etiological factor, namely: an
exceptionally stressful l ife event, or a significant life change leading
to continued unpleasant circumstances (Department of Social
Protection, 2010).
Reactive Attachment Disorder
Disinhibited Social Engagement
Disorder
 147

Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder Acute Stress
Disorder Adjustment
Disorders
Other Specified Trauma- and Stressor-Related
Disorder Unspecified Trauma- and Stressor-Related
Disorder
4. Depressive Disorders
The common features of all of these depressive disorders are the
presence of sad, empty, or irritable mood, accompanied by somatic
and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual's
capacity to function. What differs among them are issues of duration,
timing, or presumed etiology (Lojko, Suwalska, & Rybakowski, 2014).
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder, Single and Recurrent
Episodes Persistent Depressive Disorder
(Dysthymia)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Substance/Medication-Induced Depressive
Disorder Depressive Disorder Due to Another
Medical Condition Other Specified Depressive
Disorder
Unspecified Depressive Disorder
5. Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
Somatic symptom and related disorders category refers to a
spectrum of psychological conditions, which primarily manifest with
physical symptoms that are associated with abnormal thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors (Bledowski & Levenson, 2015).
Illness Anxiety Disorder

Children with Emotional Disturbance

The term refers to a condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked
degree that adversely affects educational performance:
 An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual,
sensory or health factors,
 An inability to build and maintain satisfactory interpersonal
relationship with peers and teachers,
 Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal
circumstances,
 A general and pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression,
 A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fear associated with
personal or school problems.
The particular term emotional disturbance with all his emotional
and behavioral characteristics does include Schizophrenic and autistic
characteristics. It does not include the socially maladjusted unless
 148
serious emotional disturbance is accompanied with social
maladjustment. A child who cannot make interpersonal adjustment
with his age mates is considered as a disturbed child. The child's
sociometric relationship was considered declining if he is emotionally
disturbed.
 149

A child is emotionally disturbed when his reactions to life

situations are unrewarding to himself and unacceptable to his peers
and other members of the society.
 These children lack flexibility to modify their behavior.
 They are too excitable or to be withdrawn, too brave or too
fearful.
 For teachers, a child is emotionally disturbed when he would be
disrupting the whole class, would place undue pressure on the
teacher, and disturbs the general school atmosphere. The
American Psychiatric Association defined emotional disturbance
as follows: "It is a type of Psychiatric disturbance without clearly
defined physical cause or without structural damage to the
brain. In general, emotional disorder or disturbance in children
can be defined in terms of certain observable characteristics
such as: "hyperactivity, withdrawn behavior, failure to achieve at
a level reasonably commensurate with ability, tendency towards
fighting, and other aggressive behavior, resentment and
antagonism towards authority and rules and regulations, and
general problems in learning and concentrating not associated
with known organic or sensory defects" (Phillips, 1967). Hence,
an emotionally disturbed child is one who shows to an extreme
degree one or more of the characteristics listed above.

Emotional disturbance is not distributed evenly in all age groups,

sex and social groups. The behavior problems are maximum during
early puberty and these are found earlier among girls than among
boys.

Characteristics of Emotionally Disturbed

Emotionally disturbed children are unpredictable. Failure in
school is often thought to be a symptom of neurotic behavior. Further,
the self of the disturbed child is invariably negative. When self-
evaluation questionnaires are given to these emotionally disturbed
children, they saw themselves as less likeable, less able to arouse
affection in others; they are either psychotic or emotionally
indifferent. For this reason, quite a few programme have been
designed on classroom organizational pattern so that these children
can function to their maximum but the research evidence on the
learning characteristics of the emotionally disturbed children show
lack of interest in academic matter and school performance, low
I.Q. and achievement. Their reading and mathematics achievement
significantly below the average. The majority of the studies
demonstrate however, that emotionally disturbed children as a group
has a little less than average intelligence. But primarily their personal
and behavioral traits contribute maximum to discrepant achievement
in reading and arithmetic achievement.
 150

Tayler (n.d.) has found seven factors contributing to achievement:

"The ED child lacks
 Less conflict over independence,
 Ability to handle anxiety,
 Engagement in activity of academic nature,
 151

 Feeling of self-worth,
 Setting of realistic goals.
 Conformity to demands,
 Peer acceptance,
Studies on the learning of emotionally disturbed children further
show that these children are resistant to remedial measures and
extreme defensive. The emotionally disturbed child is aggressive
destructive and also far behind in reading and arithmetic achievement
specially before grade III. That is why attempts are made to group
emotionally disturbed children into different categories such a
schizoid, character disorder, borderline and psychoses, somatic
complaints. Similarly, these children have reading skill deficiency,
deficiency in word recognition, perceptual deficiency, visual
deficiency, memory and hyperactivity. All these characteristics are
responsible for problem behavior.

Identification of Emotionally Disturbed Children

The following behavioral characteristics are indicative signs of
emotionally disturbed children:
 Needs an unusual amount of prodding to get work completed.
 Is inattentive, indifferent, or apparently lazy.
 Exhibits nervous reactions such as nail biting, sucking thumb or
fingers, stuttering, extreme restlessness, muscle twitching, hair
twisting, picking and scratching, deep and frequent sighing.
 In activity exhibited by most of the children wherever they get a
chance.
 Failure in school for no apparent reason.
 Is absent from school frequently or dislikes school intensely.
 Seems to be more unhappy than most of the children.
 Achieves much less in school than his ability.
 Jealous or over competitive.
 Impulsive in nature.

Characteristics of Persons with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Some of the characteristics and behaviors seen in children who
have an emotional disturbance include:
1. Hyperactivity (short attention span, impulsiveness);
2. Aggression or self-injurious behavior (acting out, fighting):
3. Withdrawal (not interacting socially with others, excessive
fear or anxiety);
4. Immaturity (inappropriate crying, temper tantrums, poor
coping skills); and
5. Learning difficulties (academically performing below grade
level) (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2014).

Children with emotional or behavioral disorders are

 152
characterized primarily by behavior that falls significantly beyond the
norms of their cultural and age group on two dimensions:
externalizing and internalizing, where both patterns of
 153

abnormal behavior have adverse effects on children's academic

achievement and social relationships (Heward, 2010).
1. Externalizing dimension
 Exhibits painful shyness or withdrawal
 Teased or victimized by peers
 Seems to worry excessively
 Panics in many situations and seems to have unfounded fears and
phobias
 Appears to have low esteem
 Solves problems by disengaging
 Tends to be suicidal or have thoughts of death and retreating from
life
 May be anorexic or bulimic
2. Internalizing dimensions
 Causes or threatens physical harm to people and animals
 Uses obscene gestures frequently
 Ignores directions and reprimands
 Is verbally hostile, including argumentative
 Has tantrums, fits, rages
 Damages property and belongings or others
 Violates rights of others and societal norms (Reinarz, Hanson, &
Wood, 2010).

First (2007), stated that the externalizing disorders consist of

Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional
Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD), where KIDS, etc
(n. d.) stated that the latter of these two are considered disruptive
behavior disorders and entail a persistent pattern of behavior that
may include defiance of authority figures, aggression, blaming others
for one's own mistakes, hostility, irritability, lying, angry outbursts
(i.e. temper tantrums), intentionally annoying others, arguing with
adults, and refusing to comply with requests. As to internalizing
disorders, Wilkinson (2009) underscored that depressive and anxiety
disorders are the two main conditions under that category.

Causes of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

The specific causes of emotional or behavioral disorders remain
elusive (Smith, 2010). However, the disability is likely to be the result
of multiple and overlapping actors. Further, at least three general
areas can contribute to emotional or behavioral disorders: biology,
home and community, and school (Walker and Sprague, 2000).
Mood disorders, depression, and schizophrenia have a genetic
foundation. In addition, knowing whether biological reasons are part
of the cause of a disorder can play a role in treatment (American
Psychiatric Association, 2000).
Corollary to these, the environment shape and influence each
 154
individual's growth and development, whether positively or
negatively. Rarely does a single negative experience lead to or
aggravate emotional problems, but combinations of
 155

poverty, abuse, neglect, parental stress, inconsistent expectations and

rules, confusion, and turmoil over long periods of time can do so
(Maag, 2000).
Within these contexts, teachers and schools can have a
tremendous influence on students, where teachers’ expectations affect
the questions they ask students, the feedback they give, and the
number and character of their interactions with students. Problems
can get better because of teachers’ actions, and they can get worse
for the same reason (Henry, Tolan, & Gorman-Smith, 2001).

Examine
Activity 1. Write EBD if the sentence is a fact and write WRONG, if
otherwise. Write your answer after each statement.
1. Having a short attention span and impulsiveness is a sign of
hyperactivity.
2. Examples of aggression or self-injurous behavior are acting out and
fighting.
3. Withdrawal is the act of interacting socially with others.
4. A sign of immaturity is temper tantrums.
5. There is a learning difficulty when one is academically performing
below what is expected from him/her.
6. EBD was divided into five categories by DSM IV.
7. People with Anxiety Disorders experience unwanted and intrusive
thoughts.
8. EBD is a disease.
9. EBD refers to a variety of conditions and symptoms that does
impair the behavior of a particular child but not the learning aspect
of the child.
10. The specific causes of emotional or behavioral disorders remain
elusive.

Activity 2. Briefly explain the five categories of emotional and

behavioral disorder. Use the space provided for your answer.
 156

Lesso
n6 Deaf-
Blindnes
s
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define Deaf-Blindness
 Enumerate and discuss the characteristics Deaf-Blindness
 Identify the causes of Deaf-Blindness

Explore
Explain
: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear
and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain at Brainy Quote
(2016)

Explain
 157
Definition
According to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1DEA),
the term Deaf-Blindness means a concomitant (simultaneous] hearing
and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe
communication and
 158

other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be

accommodated in special education programs solely for children with
deafness or children with blindness (Newark, 2015).
Almost the same with the definition of IDEA, according to
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) V, "Deaf - Blindness" means
having both hearing and vision impairments, the combination of which
causes such severe communication and other developmental and
educational problems that the student cannot be accommodated in
special education programs designed solely for students having hearing
or vision impairments (Morrier & Hess, 2010).
In simpler meaning, Deaf- Blindness is a combination of sight
and hearing loss that affects a person's ability to communicate, to
access all kinds of information, and to get around (Sense, 2015).
In the medical field, according to The Free Dictionary, Deaf -
Blindness means a severe hearing impairment in addition to a visual
defect. It is usually congenital but it may result from ageing or some
systematic disease or as part of a syndrome (e. g. Usher's Syndrome
which accounts for about half of all cases of deaf - blind people;
rubella syndrome) (Farlex, 2016).
In terms of the function, Deaf - Blindness is a combined vision
and hearing impairment of such severity that it is hard for the
impaired senses to compensate for each other. Thus, Deaf- Blindness
is a distinct disability (Tema-Nord, 2014).
Based on the growth and development, Deaf - Blindness is the
combination of significant auditory and visual impairments in a
person. These dual sensory losses vary in severity from person to
person and do not necessarily lead to total deafness and/or total
blindness. It is entirely possible that the person will retain some
useful vision and hearing. However, in combination, these
impairments of the distant senses cause serious developmental delays
in the child, affecting cognitive development, social development,
acquisition of communication and language skills, orientation and
mobility (Larsen & Damen, 2014).
Meeting the IDEA eligibility for Deaf - Blindness, according to
National Deaf- Blind Child Count, NDCB, the term, 'children with Deaf
- Blindness,' means children and youth having auditory and visual
impairments, the combination of which creates such severe
communication and other developmental and learning needs that they
cannot be appropriately educated without special education and
related services, beyond those that would be provided solely for
children with hearing impairments, visual impairments, or severe
disabilities to address their educational needs due to these concurrent
disabilities (Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 2010).
Therefore, Deaf - Blindness leads to a severe disabling condition
caused by combined losses in hearing and vision. A Deaf Blind child
 159
cannot be thought of as blind and also deaf, nor as deaf and also
blind. Various terms have been used in the past to refer to this
heterogeneous group of population Earlier, the term 'deaf blind' or
deaf blind' was used. However, keeping with the belief that
impairments in both hearing and vision have, not an additive, but a
multiplicative effect on the affected concept and meaning of Deaf -
Blindness individual, the term 'Deaf Blind' is now used (Aitken, 2010).
 160

Characteristics
Since a learner with Deaf - Blindness has different access to
learning experiences than do children who are typically developing;
Deaf - Blindness has been described as a disability of information
gathering (Gee, Alwell, Graham, & Goetz, 19944).
Due to the impairments these learners experience in their
distance senses, they often demonstrate several of the following
characteristics:
 difficulty bonding with caregivers and
establishing/maintaining interpersonal relationships
 feelings of vulnerability; generally, the learner will experience feelings
of
 greater security/ safety in a seated position
 difficulty developing skills for communicating with others in a
meaningful way
 trouble learning object permanence (i.e. knowing objects and
people still exist when they cannot be directly seen or heard)
[not fully understanding object permanence greatly impacts
learning]
 delayed understanding that there are consequences to actions
(i.e., "causality" because learners with Deaf - Blindness are not
able to see or hear "what happens"
 inconsistent responses to sounds or visual images (i.e.,
developing functional use of remaining sensory skills can be
difficult)
 developing a distorted perception of the world (i.e., due to a lack
of non- distorted information from the distance senses); they
typically perceive time very differently (i.e., time seems to pass
much more slowly)
 unusual responses via the impact senses (e.g., tactile sensitivity
defensiveness, particularly around the face)
 an overactive startle response
 difficulty interacting with things in the environment in a
meaningful way and/or generalizing information
 stereotype [because of fear, confusion, and/or sensory deprivation)
 delayed motor skills, such as crawling and reaching (because
these are motivated and further developed by the use of vision
and hearing); difficulties interpreting movement; problems in
maintaining and restoring balance (Geary, 2010).

The characteristics mentioned above were further enhanced by

ADE Special Education on their document about possible referral
characteristics of Deaf- Blindness. Unlike the list made by Gearv, R. 0.
in 2010 on MAST, it came up with four categories in terms of
cognitive, communication, behavior, and physical which would be
 161
easier to identify and understand the characteristics of Deaf -
Blindness.
Individuals with Deaf - Blindness (D/B) represent a
heterogeneous group and may include: (1) students who have both
significant hearing and significant vision impairments with acuities
measured or estimated in light of cognitive and
 162

adaptive functioning; (2) students who have hearing and vision

impairments of a mild to severe degree and additional learning and/or
communication disabilities and who may have been diagnosed as
having a disease that will affect vision and/or hearing acuity; or (3)
students who are multi-disabled due to generalized central nervous
system dysfunction and exhibit inconsistent responses to visual and
auditory stimuli (functionally deaf- blind). Children identified under
this disability category are also referred to as having a dual sensory
impairment. Within this population a large number of students have
both educational problems and cognitive, behavioral, communicative,
and physical impairments. Possible referral characteristics for
children with deaf- blindness may consist of the following:
A. Cognitive
1. Inability to perform basic academic tasks
2. Difficulty in performing functional life skills
B. Communication
1. Difficulty with spoken language (nonverbal in some instances)
2. Limited vocabulary
C. Behavior
1. Exhibits low frustration tolerance appropriate behavior
2. Difficulty in demonstrating age
3. Exhibits problems in adjusting to change
4. Exhibits self- stimulatory behaviors such as body rocking, an
attraction to light and hyperactivity
5. Exhibits inappropriate behaviors in touching and smelling
objects and/or people
D. Physical
1. Difficulty with environmental mobility
2. Difficulty with vision
3. Difficulty with hearing
4. Difficulty with physical ambulation (motor
problems/orthopedic problems/cerebral palsy)
5. Displays seizure activity
6. Difficulty with eating
7. Difficulty with bowel and/or bladder control
8. Difficulty in administering self –
care (ADE Special Education,
2010).

So, how is all this information important? It is important to be

able to understand a learner, design an appropriate educational
program for her, assist families, and educate communities to embrace
the talents and contributions which individuals with Deaf Blindness
offer. Characteristics of Deaf - Blindness may vary because of the
degrees and severity of the disability. Learners with Deaf Blindness
have a disability in accessing and gathering information. Deaf-
 163
Blindness is not only a limitation of hearing and sight. The
combination of these two sensory losses exponentially affects all
aspects of learning and daily living.
 164

Causes of Deaf-Blindness
What a certain individual to have causes Deaf – Blindness? There
could be many high risk factors leading to Deaf Blindness. Based on the
modules addressing special education and teacher education made by
Rebecca Obold- Geary in 2010, a variety of known causes exist for Deaf
Blindness; these include congenital conditions and a wide variety of
conditions that occur, or manifest, after birth (i.e., due to adventitious
causes). Earlier in this module, a table listed common causes of Deaf -
Blindness according to the time of an individual's life when the sensory
loss occurred.
The following table provides additional details regarding some of
the most common etiologies of Deaf -Blindness and
sensory conditions frequently associated with these
diagnoses.

Etiologies of Mechanism/Cause Associated

Deaf- Sensory
Blindness Conditions
Usher Syndrome Hereditary Syndrome Sensirneural hearing
(Types I, II, III) loss, retinitis
(USA.gov, 2016 pigmentosa
CHARGE Syndrome Genetic pattern Sensorineural
(coloboma, heart hearing loss due to
defect, choanal malformed
atresia, retarded cochlea, coloboma
growth, genital
abnormalities, ear
abnormalities)
(CHARGE Syndrome
Foundation,
2016)
Retinopathy of Birth prior to full-term Optic atrophy,
Prematurity (ROP) cataracts, glaucoma,
(The Nemours underdeveloped ears
Foundation, 1995) (causing
sensorineural
loss)
Down Syndrome Genetic pattern Myopia, hyperopia,
(Centers for Disease strabismus,
Control and cataracts, mild to
Prevention, moderate
2016) hearing loss
Syphilis, Infection Various degrees of
toxoplasmosis, vision and hearing
cytomegalovirus loss
 165
(CMV), herpes and
human
immunodeficiency
virus (HIV)
(BabyCenter,
L.L.C., 1997)

Some of the causes of Deaf - Blindness may be hereditary or

associated with prenatal, peri - natal, or post-natal conditions. Some of
those infections
 166

transmitter from a pregnant woman to her baby may cause dual

sensory loss. Premature infants are at a higher risk for having
difficulties with vision and hearing, than are babies born full - term
(Geary, 2010).

Examine
Activity 1. Identify the following characteristics of deaf-blindness.
Write C if it is cognitive, CM for communication, B for behavior and P
for physical on the blank before each item.
1. Difficulty in demonstrating age.
2. Difficulty in performing functional life skills.
3. Exhibits self- stimulatory behaviors such as body rocking, an
attraction to light and hyperactivity.
4. Difficulty with eating.
5. Difficulty with physical ambulation (motor
problems/orthopedic problems/cerebral palsy).
6. Displays seizure activity.
7. Difficulty with environmental mobility.
8. Difficulty with spoken language (nonverbal in some instances).
9. Exhibits inappropriate behaviors in touching and smelling
objects and/or people.
10. Exhibits problems in adjusting to change.
11. Difficulty with vision.
12. Difficulty with hearing.
13. Inability to perform basic academic tasks.
14. Exhibits low frustration tolerance appropriate behavior.
15. Limited vocabulary.

Activity 2. Discuss your idea on the following:

1. Deaf-Blindness is a distinct disability.

2. A Deaf-Blind child cannot be thought of as blind and also deaf; nor

as deaf and also blind.
 167

3. How does a blind person communicate with a deaf person?

4. Who are the deaf-blind children?

 168

Lesso
n Giftednes
7
s
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define Giftedness.
 Enumerate and discuss the characteristics a gifted
individual
 Identify the causes of giftedness

Explore
Write your idea inside the box on this question: In one word,
describe a gifted and talented person and then explain briefly why you
choose this word

Explain
Definition
Giftedness refers to students who perform at a much higher
level, in objectively measurable ways, than do their age peers. It may
also be termed as an unusually advanced degree of general
intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of
a depth and breadth beyond those normally
 169

provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of

educational potential indicated (ABC Ontario, 2015).
Furthermore, Minnesota Department of Education defined
characterized gifted and talented children and youth are those
students with outstanding abilities, identified at preschool, elementary
and secondary levels. Moreover, these students are capable of high
performance when compared to others of similar age, experience and
environment, and represent the diverse populations of our
communities (Delano Public Schools, 2016).
However, the definition of "Gifted and Talented" may be
influenced by culture and society's perception. For those people who
are not focused in the academic field, "Gifted maybe is a skilled
weaver." Another, prodigies in chess maybe addressed "Gifted" in a
culture wherein talent are valued and nurtured (Sousa 2009).
Generally, gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding
levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and
learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in
top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any
structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g.
mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g,
painting, dance, sports) (National Association for Gifted Children,
n.d.).

Characteristics
Students may manifest a characteristic of a gifted individual in
two ways, either in a positive way or negative way Virginia Beach City
Public Schools Office of Gifted Education and Curriculum
Development (2012). Also a study conducted by National Association
of Gifted Council with the participation of parents of gifted individuals
showed that 90% said that the following characteristic is displayed by
their child: Learns rapidly, Extensive Vocabulary, Excellent memory,
Reason well, Strong curiosity, Mature for age, Good sense of humor,
Keen observation, Compassion for others, Vivid imagination, Long
attention span, Ability with numbers, Concern with justice and
fairness, Sensitivity, and Wide range of interest. Another 80%of the
parents of gifted students said that their children displayed the
following characteristics; Ability with puzzles, High energy level,
Perfectionism, Perseverance in interests, Questions authority, Avid
reader, and Prefers older companions (National Association for Gifted
Children, 2011).
Even gifted individuals are diverse, but still gifted individual
shares common traits. The traits include; Unusual alertness, even in
infancy, Rapid learner; puts thoughts together quickly, Excellent
memory, Unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure
for age, Advanced comprehension of word nuances, metaphors and
 170
abstract ideas, Enjoys solving problems, especially with numbers and
puzzles, Often self-taught reading and writing skills as preschooler,
Deep, intense feelings and reactions, Highly sensitive, Thinking is
abstract, complex, logical, and insightful, Idealism and sense of justice
at early age, Concern with social and political issues and injustices,
Longer attention span and intense concentration, Preoccupied with
own thoughts-daydreamer, Learn
 171

basic skills quickly and with little practice, Asks probing questions,
Wide range of interests (or extreme focus in one area), Highly
developed curiosity, Interest in experimenting and doing things
differently, Puts idea or things together that are not typical, Keen
and/or unusual sense of humor, Desire to organize people/things
through games or complex schemas, Vivid imaginations (Webb, J.,
Gore, J, Amend, E., DeVries, A., 2007).

Characteristics of a typical Gifted Students

(Bonner 2000; Hebert and Reis 1999; Schwartz 1997)

Ability to manipulate a symbol system Ability to use stored knowledge

to
Solve problems

Think logically Reason by analogy

Transfer knowledge to new circumstances May possess creative

and artistic
abilities

Resilient; able to cope with trying family Take on adult roles

in the home Situations

Strong sense of pride and self-worth Exhibit leadership ability and

independent thinking

Possess a strong desire to learn about Display a strong inner will,

and May and understand their culture display a heightened
sensitivity to
others and the world around them

Identifying a Gifted Child in the Philippines

The Philippine Association for the Gifted, Inc. (PAG) estimates
that about two percent of the country's population is gifted, meaning
they "exhibit at least above average general intellectual ability, and..
[demonstrate) superior achievement and/or special ability in any of
the following areas: Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence;
Logical/Mathematical; Body Kinesthetic; Musical/ Rhythmic; and
Leadership" (Fajardo, 2011).
It is important to identify a Filipino gifted child as soon as
possible because he/she is at risk in the early years of school, through
misidentification, inappropriate grade-placement, inadequate
curriculum, an early awareness of being different and consequent
attempts to conceal their ability for peer acceptance. More often than
not, intellectually gifted children are held back in their learning to
 172
conform to the pace of other children in their class. Research findings
indicate that even in infancy, potentially gifted children often proceed
through developmental milestones up to 30% faster than other
infants. Advanced development in the areas of gross motor, fine motor
and language skills has also been observed in potentially gifted
infants. Profoundly gifted infants and toddlers
 173

(1Qs of 167 to 230+) were reported to have higher energy levels,

longer attention spans and higher sensitivity to tactile sensations than
their age mates (Gomez, 2016).
Based on how far a Filipino gifted child is from the norm of 100:
 Mildly Gifted: 115 to 129
 Moderately Gifted: 130 to 144
 Highly Gifted: 145 to 159
 Exceptionally Gifted: 160 to 179
 Profoundly Gifted: 180
IQ Scores & Ratings
Lewis Terman 1916 as cited in Wilderdom (2004) developed the
original notion of IQ and proposed this scale for classifying IQ scores:
 Over 140 – Genius or near genius
 120 – 140 – Very superior intelligence
 110 – 119 – Superior intelligence
 90 – 109 – normal or average intelligence
 80 – 89 – Dullness
 70 – 79 – Borderline deficiency
 Under 70 – Definite feeble-mindedness

According to studies, 5% of people with an IQ under 70 is

generally considered as the benchmark for “mental retardation”, a
condition of limited mental ability in that it produces difficulty in
adapting to the demands of life.
For the severity of mental retardation, see Lesson 2 (Intellectual
Disability) of this module.
Meanwhile, genius IQ is generally considered to begin around
140 to 145, representing the -.25% of the population (1 in 400).
Here’s a rough guide:
 115 – 124 – Above average (ex. university students)
 125 – 134 – Gifted (ex. post-graduate students)
 135 – 144 – Highly gifted (ex. intellectuals)
 145 – 154 – Genius (ex. professors)
 155 – 164 – Genius (ex. Nobel Prize Winners)
 165 – 179 – High genius
 180 – 200 – Highest genius
 Above 200 – “Immeasurable genius”

Causes of Giftedness and Talented

Giftedness is commonly seen as a product of inborn high ability
or Nativist perspective the "Nativist theory develop by Chomsky, the
theory states that it may simply be a product of the peculiar nature of
human intelligence, which makes us look out for and be sensitive to
the underlying rules which govern phenomena in the world. Another
perspective is that Giftedness is a product of deliberate practice.
Deliberate practice is also seen as the reason of the high abilities of
 174
the Savants, due to their obsessive working on their area of ability
(Winner 2000).
 175

In a study conducted in New Zealand, it was reported that there

is an increase of about l8-20 points on the Raven's Progressive
Matrices Test, in a single generation, because of this increase,
researchers believe that it is too impossible that the increase of test
result is due to hereditary traits/Natural, and it must be due to
environmental factors. Also, Gifted and talented individuals have high
fluid intelligence that is located in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
The study had shown that there is an expansion of prefrontal cortex
on the human brain. The increase can be attributed to changing of
curriculum and stimulation of the brain to think. Though the
deliberate practice perspective is promising as a reason behind
giftedness and talented; inborn high ability has a vital role in being a
gifted and talented. Studies have shown that while these attributes
can enable a person to obtain great success, exceptional achievement
is not possible without high ability. Therefore, it is clear that in some
instances giftedness requires both perseverance and high ability
(Winner 2000).

Examine
Activity 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Define giftedness.

2. Enumerate and discuss briefly the characteristics of a typical gifted

students.
176
 177

_
3. Differentiate the two perspectives of giftedness.

Activity 2. Read and Analyze the following cases then select the best
answer in each case. Encircle the letter of your choice.
1. Eight-year old Sarah is working on advanced algebra, reading at a
twelfth- grade level, and experimenting with a chemistry set at
home. Her parents meet with her teacher and request testing for
the program for gifted and talented students. Although the teacher
does agree that Sarah is reading well above grade level, the
teacher is hesitant to refer Sarah for the program because she is
often off task, rarely finishes class assignments, and has a tendency
to cry when frustrated. The teacher would benefit from training to
better recognize
A.emotional dysfunction
B.self-efficacy
C.cognitive processes
D.asynchronous
development
2. Which of the following activities would encourage divergent
thinking in a young, intellectually gifted elementary student?
A. classifying pictures of leaves using a teacher-prepared guide
B. reading an encyclopedia article on leaves and trees
C. collecting leaves and deciding on multiple ways to organize them
D. drawing pictures of leaves found in the neighborhood
3. A teacher of gifted students wants to provide students with an
engaging format and a highly responsive learning community
where reflection is commonplace. Which of the following
approaches taken by the teacher will best help achieve the goal?
 178
A. Assigning a group research project and adapting the depth of the
task
 179

B. Including the use of online discussion forums and other learning

media in tasks
C. Requiring that students present their products to their general
education peers for feedback
D. Integrating the students into a higly competitive learning group
4. Which of the following teaching approaches is most likely to
enhance the creativity of gifted students?
A. Emphasizing concrete, real-life applications of topics rather than
abstract concepts
B. Structuring assignments in ways that encourage divergent
thinking
C. Accelerating coverage of required content to allow time for
creative activities
D. Encouraging students to choose their own educational goals and
seek out their own resources
5. Which of the following is most likely to be a primary consideration
in the selection of a curriculum model for gifted students?
A. The model should be focused primarily on content that is
appropriate for gifted students, leaving process-related decisions
up to the individual teacher.
B. The model should be a feasible adjunct to the regular curriculum
C. The model should maximize opportunities for the integration of
gifted and regular students in instructional activities.
D. The model should provide multiple paths reach specified goals.
 180

Lesso Hearing
n Impairmen
8
t Objective
After this lesson, you will be
able to:
s
 Define Hearing
Identify a hearing impaired child.
 Explain the characteristics of hearing
impairment
 Determine the causes of hearing

Explore
What’s the Buzz?
(Adopted at https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/hearing-impairment.html#:~:text=What%20Is
%20Hearing% 20Impairment%3F,canal%2C%20eardrum%2C%20or%20ossicles.)

Have you ever heard a ringing or buzzing sound in your ears

after going to a party, concert, or other really loud event?
This condition is called tinnitus (pronounced: tih-nih-tus), and it
usually lasts until your ears gradually readjust to normal sound levels.
Experiencing tinnitus and having to yell to be heard are both signs
that the environment you're in is too loud.
Going to concerts or blasting your stereo once in a while is
common. But over time, too much exposure to loud noise can lead
to a condition known as noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Personal music players are among the chief culprits of NIHL among
teens. Video games, television sets, movie theaters, traffic, and some
machines and appliances can also make the environment too noisy for
the average person. In fact, many experts believe that people are
losing their hearing at much younger ages than they did just 30
years ago.
In addition to noise-induced hearing loss, other types of hearing
impairment can affect people during their teen years. Unlike hearing
loss that's caused by noise, though, these types of hearing loss are
not preventable.
Some people are born with hearing impairment — and kids and
teens can lose their hearing for many reasons. If you don't know
anyone who is deaf or hearing impaired, chances are you will
 181
someday.
So, what causes hearing impairment, and what it's like to live
without being able to hear in a world full of sounds? Write your idea
on the space provided.
 182

Explain
Definition
Hearing impairment occurs when there is a problem with or
damage to one or more parts of the ear (Nemour Foundation n.d.). It
is a loss that prevents a person from totally receiving sounds
(Kentucky's office for the Americans with Disabilities Act 2016). This
includes specifically the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, hearing
(acoustic) nerve, and auditory system (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention 2015).
However, in a stricter sense, hearing impairment is defined as a
loss of sixty decibels or more in the better ear in the conversational
range of frequencies (The persons with disabilities act of 1995, n.d).
Educationally, it means impairment in hearing, whether permanent or
fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance
but is not included under the definition of "deafness" (Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act 2004, as cited in National Dissemination
Center for Children with Disabilities 2012). Generally, the various
definitions of hearing impairment indicate that it is a generic term
covering all degrees and types of hearing loss, and refers to the
reduced function in hearing and understanding speech and language
that result from auditory disorder (Dahl, 1994; Stach, 2010 as cited in
El- Zraigat, 2012).
Hearing impairment can be categorized by which part of the
auditory system is damaged. There are three basic types of hearing
loss: conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed
hearing loss (American-Speech-Language- Hearing Association,
2016). Conductive hearing loss is caused by any condition or disease
that impedes the conveyance of sound in its mechanical form through
the middle ear cavity to the inner ear (Better Hearing Institute, 2016).
Conductive hearing losses are usually mild or moderate in degree,
ranging from 25 to 65 decibels (MED-EL, 2016). Sensorineural
hearing loss occurs from damage to the inner ear, the nerve that
runs from the ear to the brain (auditory nerve), or the brain
(MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 2016). Some causes of
sensorineural loss may be age, noise and diseases (Hear-it, 1999).
Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural
hearing loss, which means there is damage in both the outer or
middle ear and in the inner ear (Cochlear Ltd, 2016).
Hearing loss may vary depending on its degree or severity. A
decibel ranging from -10 to 15 may be classified as normal, 16 to 25
dB as slight, 26 to 40 dB as mild, 41 to 55 dB as moderate, 56 to 70 as
moderately severe, 71 to 90 as severe and 91+ dB as profound (Clark,
1981 as cited in American-Speech-Language- Hearing Association,
 183
2016).
In terms or effective communication, a slight hearing loss may
not experience difficulty in speech understanding. However, when the
decibel range gets higher, effective communication may be affected. A
mild hearing loss may experience reduced speech understanding
especially in noisy environments, moderate may have a speech
noticeable difficulty in conversations, moderately
 184

severe may need speech that is noticeable louder than usual and may
have difficulties in group conversations will occur severe may
perceive regular speech is inaudible, has difficulties even with loud
speech and comprehension is often only possible through shouting or
amplification (NoiseHelp, 2010). Lastly, profound hearing loss may
have difficulties in understanding even in amplified speech (Siemens,
2016).
In terms of the sounds a person hear every day, a 5 dB sound is
equivalent to a very faint, rustling leaves sound, 20 dB is equal to a
whisper, 50 dB is to rainfall, 60 dB is to typical speech 70 dB is to the
sound of a washing machine, 75 dB is to a busy city traffic, 9U dB is
to the sound of hair dryer 110 dB is to a leaf blower, rock concert or
chainsaw, 120 dB is to an ambulance or jack hammer, 130 dB is to a
sound of a jet plane from 100 feet, 140 dB is equal to the sound of
fireworks or gunshot, and 166 Db is equal to a 12-gauge shotgun
(Kim, 2015).
In a short sense, a person who cannot hear within a range of the
degrees stated above, may probably not hear the everyday sounds
provided.

Identification
How one would identify the hearing impaired children?
Obviously there are some behavioral indicators and some
measurement tools including audiometer. But before the child is
referred to an audiometric clinic, certain signs are visible. These are
called behavioral clues.
 Speech defects
 Frequent ear aches
 Limited vocabulary
 Fluid discharge from ear
 Inattention
 Cold and sore throats occurring frequently
 Restless and lazy
 Lack of equilibrium
 Over acting or withdrawal behavior
 Inconsistency in following directions
 Always asking "What"-"What
 Use of earphones
 Observing the lip movement

Classification of Hearing Impairment

The medical legal definition of hearing impairment has been in
terms of degree of hearing loss and ear problems. The following is an
extract from the Ministry of Welfare Notification No 4. 2/83-HW III
dated 6.8.86 regarding classification of hearing loss.
 185

Hearing Impaired Categories

Sl. Categor Type of DB level Speech Percentage
No. y impairmen and /or discrimination of
t impairment
1 I Mild dB 26 to 80 to 100% Less than
40 dB in in better ear 40%
better
ear
2 II Moderate 41 to 60 50 to 80% 40% - 50%
dB in in better ear
better ear
3 III Severe 6l to 70 40 to 50% 50 to 75%
dB in in better ear
better
ear
4 IV (a) Total No No 100%
deafness hearing discriminatio
n
(b) Near 91 dB and Very poor 100%
total above in discriminatio
deafness better ear n
(c) 71 to Less than 75 % 100%
Profound 90 dB 40%
Hearing in
Impairment better
year

Characteristics
People with Hearing Impairment may generally manifests the
following People characteristics {Hearing Impairment ADE Education,
n.d):
A. Intellectual
Hearing loss or deafness does not affect a person's intellectual
capacity or ability to learn. However, children who are either hard of
hearing or deaf generally require some form of special education
services in order to receive an adequate education (NICHCY, 2010 as
cited in University of Texas at Austin, n.d.).
B. Academic
Children with Hearing Impairment may also have trouble or
difficulty in School related activities such as (Hearing Impairment ADE
Education, n.d):
 Has poor reading comprehension skills
 Has poor word attack skills
 Has difficulty with abstract concepts (may be able to think in
abstract terms, but unable to express the concept)
 186
C. Behavior
Deaf and hearing-impaired children can develop a variety of
behavioral symptoms. They may also have these following
characteristics (Russo, 2016):
 Frequently uses "neutral response," "smiling," saying "yes" and
periodically nodding in situations where he/she lacks
understanding
 Has difficulty following verbal directions or does not respond
 Frequently asks to have statements repeated
 187

 Inattentive in group activities

 Appears to be confused, especially in noisy situations
 Gives inappropriate answers to simple questions
 May isolate himself or be isolated by his peer group
 Has complete or partial misunderstanding of conversation
 Is overly dependent on visual cues
 May have a low frustration tolerance
 Often speaks too loudly or too softly
D. Communicative Abilities
A student/child with deafness or hard-of-hearing disabilities has
deficits in language and speech development due to a diminished or
lack of auditory response to sound (Watson 2016).
Some of these characteristics include (McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc., 2009):
 Spoken language may be delayed.
 Can attain intelligible and age-appropriate speech
 May have language delays
 ASL may be the child's natural language and may best prepare
child for later learning of English language skills
E. Physical/Medical
Children with Hearing Impairment may also manifest some
physical or medical characteristics like (Hearing Impairment ADE
Education, n.d):
 History of frequent earaches or ear discharge, or has nasal
obstruction with associated mouth breathing or other nasal
symptoms
 Frequent colds, sneezing, earaches, allergies, history of viral
infections, high fever, etc.
 Family history of hearing loss and/or ear disease
 History of dizziness and balance problems
 Deformity of the outer ear
 Deformity of oral facial structures (i.e., cleft palate)

Students Hearing Impairment in the

Classroom (Cole & Flexer,
2007)

SEVERITY HEARING/CLASSROOM
DIFFICULTIES
 Distinguishing soft/distant speech
 Responding to subtle cues in conversation
Minimal or  Rapid-paced information/transitions
Slight
 Distinguishing grammatical markers
Hearing Loss
(possessive, plural, verb tense forms, etc.)
 188
(15-25 dB HL)
 189

 Fatigues more easily; presents with

immature behavior

 Compared to peers with normal hearing-

10xs greater risk for academic failure
 Localizing source of sound and filtering
speech in noise
Unilateral
 Distinguishing and understanding speech in
Hearing
classroom environment (even when
Loss
presented in the “good ear”)
 Distractible/less attentive and easily
frustrated
 Not as confident and more dependent on
others as compared to peers with normal
hearing

 Can possibly miss 25-40% of speech signal

without use of audiologic management
 Cannot “overhear” others’ conversations
therefore misses passive learning
Mild Hearing opportunities
Loss (25-40
 35-40 dB HL: can miss 50% of
dB HL)
classroom discussion
 Cannot hear soft/distant voices and
described as “daydreaming” or “not trying”
 Fatigues more easily due to effort taken to
hear
 Unmanaged hearing loss can result in
lagging behind at least 1 grade level

 50-75% of information missed in

classroom situations
 Articulation and syntax deficits as well as
limited receptive and expressive vocabulary
 Demonstrate immature behavior
 190

Moderate  Deficits in communication and social skills

Hearing
 If untreated by 4th Grade these students are
Loss (40-55
at least 2 grades below level
dB HL)

 Unamplified-100% of classroom information

is missed, cannot detect sound, cannot
localize sound, cannot distinguish between
Moderately- environmental and speech sounds
Severe
 Academic deficits
Hearing Loss
(55-70 dB HL)  Language delays (including syntax deficits)
 Poor speech intelligibility
 Deficits in social skills

With amplification, can detect speech and

environmental sounds
 Requires technology to hear conversational
speech
 Significant academic, language and social
Severe
skills deficits
Hearing Loss
(70-90 dB HL)  Appears inattentive as looks to peers often
to model what child should be doing
 Requires auditory language intervention to
learn to communicate with others

 Cannot detect speech vs. environmental

sounds without amplification
 Verbal expression will not develop without
Profound
the use technology
Hearing
Loss (90+  Without use of technology or alternative
dB HL) modes of
communication system to
successfully communicate,
primitive gestures will remain as
 191

primary mode of communication and learning

will not occur

Causes of Hearing Impairment

In a study conducted by Duthey B. (2013), there are many possible
cau Hearing Impairment. Some of which are:
a. Ear infections
A bacterial infection of the middle ear can:
 injure the eardrum
 disrupt the middle-ear bones
 cause fluid buildup
- (Drugs.com, 2016)
b. Congenital hearing loss
Loss of hearing present at birth or loss that may develop later
but is due to genetic causes or other influences that affected the fetus
while it was in utero (in the womb) (Medicine Net Inc., 2016).
c. Injury/Trauma
Hearing loss can sometimes occur with traumatic brain injury
(TBI). This can be the result of damage to the tiny bones in the middle
ear or a fracture of the inner ear or cochlea. Even if the hearing in the
ear itself is not damaged, a person with TBI can have a loss in hearing
that is caused by the way sound is processed in the brain (Brown,
2015)
d. Aging
Age is the biggest single cause of hearing loss. Hearing loss that
develops as a result of getting older is often known as age-related
hearing loss or presbycusis (NHS Choices, 2015).
e. Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL)
This is hearing loss due to exposure to either a sudden, loud
noise or exposure to loud noises for a period of time. A dangerous
sound is anything that is 85 dB (sound pressure level - SPL) or higher
(Dangerous Decibels, 2016).
6. Medications and other chemicals that are toxic to the ear
Substantial number of medications and common industrial
chemicals can also cause hearing loss themselves or exacerbate the
effects of noise. These chemicals are said to be ototoxic (oto = ear,
toxic = poisonous). They may damage the cochlea in the inner ear
and/or the auditory neurological pathways leading to hearing loss,
tinnitus and vertigo (Government of Western Australia, n.d.).
7. Nutritional Deficiency Causes
Nutrient deficiencies are often overlooked as causes or
contributing factors in many diseases, and they are also overlooked
factors in hearing loss. Some of the vitamins that can prevent hearing
loss are: Vitamin D, Magnesium,
Vitamin C, Lipoic Acid, Vitamin E, glutathione, Vitamin B-12, folic acid
 192
and zinc (Knox, 2016).
 193

Examine
Activty 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Who is a hearing impaired child?

2. How would you identify him/her?

3. How hearing impaired children are classified in terms of hearing

loss?

Activity 2. Read and analyze each item carefully. Encircle the letter
of the best answer.
1. Saira, a student with profound hearing loss has a difficulty in the
following verbal directions. Because of her trouble, she is more
dependent on visual cues. What specific characteristic of hearing
impairment was shown in Saira’s situation?
A. Communicative abilities C. Behavior
B. Physical/Medical D. Academic
2. Angela, a child with hearing impairment shows deficits in
language. These deficits caused her to have a trouble in reading
comprehension skills. In what specific characteristics of hearing
impairment was shown in Angela’s situation?
A. Communicative abilities C. Behavior
B. Physical/Medical D. Academic
 194

3. Rhea was diagnosed of having hearing impairment. According to

her mom, Rhea had a minor car accident when she was 3.
Referring to the causes of hearing impairment, what can be the
possible reason why Rhea had hearing impairment?
A. Congenital hearing loss
B. Ear infection
C. Medications and other chemicals that are toxic to the ear
D. Injury/trauma
4. Axl’s cochlea was damaged, and caused him to have hearing
loss. At the age of 5, he had a major problem in his respiratory
system. He took high dosage of antibiotics and other kinds of
medicines. Referring to the causes of hearing impairment, what
can be the possible reason why Axl had hearing loss?
A. Congenital hearing loss
B. Ear infection
C. Medications and other chemicals that are toxic to the ear
D. Injury/trauma
5. Jake’s grandmother is a retired teacher. When Jake ask
something to his grandmother, most of the time, she replied
“What? What?...I can’t hear you…”. What can be the possible
reason why Jake’s grandmother can’t clearly hear Jake’s words?
A. Aging
B. Injury/Trauma
C. Medications and other chemicals that are toxic to the ear
D. Ear infection

Activity 3. Read each case carefully, and try to draw possible

solutions depending on what is asked.
1. Sarah, a 7-year-old girl is enrolled as a grade 1 pupil in Mount
Mary’s Academy. She often remains quiet in class and seldom
does she socialize with her peers. She is seated at the back
portion of the classroom. Her teacher notices that on the first
week of the class, she seldom finishes her seatwork, do not
answer verbally and turns her head to the right whenever
someone speaks. Her teacher is aware that some of Sarah’s
action falls under the characteristics of hearing impairment. If
you were Sarah’s teacher, what would you do and how would
you inform Sarah’s parents about your observation?
 195

2. Jamie, a second year high school student was diagnosed with

moderate hearing impairment. He was given a hearing aid
however, doesn’t use it due to irritation. You have seen that he is
always alone, doesn’t socialize with his peers and seldom
attentive in class. As Jamie’s teacher, what possible strategies
would you incorporate to make sure that Jamie’s learning would
be meaningful every day?
 196

Lesso Visual
n Impairmen
9
t
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define Visual Impairment.
 Identify a visually impaired child.
 Explain the characteristics of visual impairment
 Determine the causes of visual impairment

Explore
Tell something about the image. Write down your thoughts inside
the box.

Source:
https://thenationonlineng.net/
zamfara-to-provide-free-eye-
treatment/
 197

Explain
Definition
"The eyes are the windows to the soul" is an expression that is
often used to describe the deep connection one feels when looking
into another's eyes. However, like windows, the eyes work both ways.
They are not only important in seeing into another person's soul, but
they are also vital in how we view the world around us. Sight and
vision are important because they allow us to connect with our
surroundings, keep us safe, and help maintain the sharpness of our
minds (Blakely, 2015).
Being able to see gives us tremendous access to learning about
the world around us-people's faces and the subtleties of expression,
what different things look like and how big they are, and the physical
environments where we live and move, including approaching hazards
(Disability Fact Sheet 13, July 2015). IDEA, (2004), further expounded
that visual impairment including blindness means impairment in vision
that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational
performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. Duffy
(2015) supports this idea by describing it as a wide range of visual
function, from low vision through total blindness. (Mandal, 2013) says
a visually impaired person's eyesight cannot be corrected to a "normal
level", affecting an individual's ability to perform the tasks of daily life
(Koenig and Holbrook, 2000). Guanaratne (2016) also added that
visual impairment present at birth could be due to genetic anomalies
or due to injury to the developing visual system. Dependent on the
cause, the possible presence of other impairments may be indicated,
as in rubella.
Students with visual impairment are described in Department of
Education and Skills (DES) circulars as having a visual disability that
is so serious as to impair significantly their capacity to see, thus
interfering with their capacity to perceive visually presented materials
such as pictures, diagrams and the written word. Students with visual
impairment may display comprehension difficulties, have poor have
organizational skills, fail to complete assignments and experience
difficulty staying on-task. Most students described as having visual
impairment are, in fact, partially sighted and can function in the
school situation with the assistance of low-vision aids. Those who have
deteriorating minimal residual vision or who are totally blind may
need to read and write through the medium of Braille (Brock, January
2004). Young children with visual impairment often feels isolated and
they don't explore the world around them. It is important for the child
to be motivated to explore and learn. Student with visual impairment
can benefit from technology. Computers, video aids and low vision
 198
optical aids helps students engage in typical classroom activities.
Large print books and tape are also available. Students with visual
impairment also may need to be taught care and life skills
(Hutchinson, 2014).
That’s because so much learning typically occurs visually. When
vision loss goes undetected, children are delayed in developing a wide
range of skills. While
 199

they can do virtually all the activities and tasks that sighted children
take for granted, children who are visually impaired often need to
learn to do them in a different way or using different tools or
materials. Central to their learning will be touching, listening
smelling, tasting, moving, and using whatever vision they have. The
assistance of parents, family members, friends, caregivers, and
educators can be indispensable in that process (Disability Fact Sheet
13, July 2015).
It may be said that visual impairment is the functional limitation
of the eye or eyes or the vision system. This leads to:
 Loss of visual acuity and inability of the person to see objects as
clearly as a healthy person
 Loss of visual field meaning inability of an individual to see as
wide an area as the average person without moving the eyes or
turning the head.
 Photophobia - inability to look at light
 Diplopia - double vision
 Visual distortion or distortion of images
 Visual perceptual difficulties or difficulties of perception or any
combination of the above features
If you have low vision, eyeglasses, contact lenses, medicine, or
surgery may not help. Activities like reading, shopping, cooking,
writing, and watching TV may be hard to do. The leading causes of
low vision and blindness in the United States are age-related eye
diseases: macular degeneration, cataract and glaucoma. Other eye
disorders, eye injuries and birth defects can also cause vision loss
(Bethesda, 2014). The prevalence of significant visual impairment is
around 1/2000 in the Western world. Visual impairment present at
birth could be due to genetic anomalies or due to injury to the
developing visual system. Dependent on the cause, the possible
presence of other impairments may be indicated, as in rubella
(Gunaratne, February 2016). There are several studies have reported
about Visual Impairment but they all have one idea of definition of
visual impairment the individuals who experiencing it they are all very
different. The degree of impairment, personality, intelligence,
background and the presence of other disabilities all have varying
effects.

Behavioral Signs for Identification for Children

 the child rubs the eyes excessively
 has watery eyes
 reddened eyelids etc.
 he covers one eye and tilts the head forward
 holds objects and books close to his eyes
 asks other children when taking notes from the blackboard
 blinks more frequently
 200
 Squints eyelids together
 has Crossed eyes
 complains about headache following close eye work
 201

 bumps into objects or people

There are also certain other body clues
 Making head forward and backwards while looking at distance
objects, and a rigid body.
 Frowning or loosing the place while reading or writing.
 Closes one eye or cover the other eye.
 Difficulty in coping with blackboard.
 Poor eye-hand coordination.

Characteristics
Knowing the characteristics of visual impairments will be useful
in planning for and teaching students with vision problems.
Students with non-correctable vision problems have visual
impairments. Depending on the severity of the condition, the following
terms may be used in the special education or regular education
school environment. To quality as a visually impaired student, certain
criteria must be met, like low visual acuity, visual field limitation,
progressive eye disease, or cortical visual impairment (Gabbert,
2012).
Partially Sighted: A visual impairment that adversely affects a
student's educational performance even when corrected to the extent
possible.
Low Vision: If someone's vision is between 20/70-20/160 and
cannot be corrected, the student has moderate to low vision.
Legally Blind: From 20/200-20/400 is legally blind with severe
low vision. From 20/400-20/1000 is profound visual impairment, and is
very close to total blindness.
Totally Blind: the lack of light perception is known as total
blindness or total visual impairment.
According to the Association of Speech and Language Therapists
in Independent Practice, 2003, another characteristics that you will
recognize the person who has visual impairment are include:
 Blurring of vision
 Loss of a part of the visual field (eg. central vision)
 Difficulty maintaining a steady gaze and coordinated eye
movements
 A cognitive problem understanding what is seen
 Color blindness

Conditions That May Cause Visual Impairment

The following are the causes of visual impairment as according
to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) (2003).

Systemic Conditions
 Diabetes
 Hypertension (high blood pressure)
 202
 Cerebrovascular (brain blood vessel) disease or stroke
 203

 Atherosclerotic disease (cholesterol deposits in blood vessels,

including those of the eye)
 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) usually due to infection
with cytomegalovirus, a virus that affects the eye
 Vitamin A deficiency
 Infections involving the eyes

Some eye infections, including those caused by parasites, are

more common in developing countries. Infections in a pregnant woman
can affect the
fetus. This type of vision loss, present from birth, is called congenital
blindness.

Specific Eye Conditions

 Macular degeneration-deterioration of the central part of the
retina
 Cataracts -clouding of the lens of the eye
 Glaucoma-damage to the nerve connecting the eye to the brain
caused by increased pressure inside the eye
 Eye injuries
 Tumors involving the eye or surrounding structures in the head
and neck

Examine
Activity 1. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and if it is FALSE,
underline the word or phrase that makes it incorrect then write the
correct answer on the blank before each item.
1. Visual Impairment adversely affects a child’s daily living
skills.
2. 15/200 – 20/400 is legally blind with sever low vision.
3. Visual impairment involves an issue with sight.
4. Deuteranomaly which is reduced sensitivity to green light.
5. The lack of light perception is known as profound visual
impairment.

Activity 2. Fill in the blanks with the correct answer.

“The are the windows to the " is an
expression that is often used to describe the deep one
feels when looking into another's eyes. However, like , the eyes
work both ways. They are not only important in seeing into another
person's soul, but they are also vital in how we view the world
around us. and
 204
are important because they allow us to connect with
our surroundings, keep us safe, and help maintain the sharpness of
our minds.

Activity 3. Expound your idea on the following questions:

1. Who is a visually impaired child?
 205

2. What is partial sightedness and low vision?

3. What do you think are the behaviors of children with visual

impairment in Home, School and/or other environment?

4. What is inclusive education for Visual Impairment?

 206

Lesso Speech
n 10 and
Language
Impairmen
t
Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:
 Define Speech and Language Impairment.
 Identify the different types of speech disability.
 Explain the characteristics of speech and language
impairment.
 Determine the causes of speech and language impairment.

Explore
Watch the video clip on this
link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgflbGzlCeY
and give your reaction and comments inside the box.
207
 208

Explain
Definition
Speech and language impairments (SLIs) are the most common
of child disabilities. This impairment has a wide range of conditions
that challenges one's effective communication. As the term indicates,
this include speech disorders which refer to impairment in the
articulation, fluency, and voice as well as language disorders which
refer to impairments in the use of the spoken language and may
include the form and function of language. These may also be
described as communication disorders which are typically classified
by their impact on a child's receptive skills or their ability to
understand what is said or to decode, integrate, and organize what is
heard. Also, expressive skills or their ability to articulate sounds, use
appropriate pitch, words, and sentences in meaningful contexts or
during speeches (IDEA, 2004).
In a gist, speech and language impairments (SLIS) is defined as
communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation,
language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a
child's educational performance (IDEA, 2016).
Relative to Speech and Language Impairments is the term
Specific language impairment (SLI) that may be defined as a language
disorder that delays the mastery of language skills in children who
have no hearing loss or other developmental delays (NIDCD, 2015).
There are many kinds of speech and language disorders (SLIs)
that can affect children. There are four major areas in which these
impairments occur. These are: articulation, speech impairments
where the child produces sounds incorrectly (e.g. lisp, difficulty
articulating certain sounds, such as "T or "r"); Fluency, speech
impairments where a child's flow of speech is disrupted by sounds,
syllables, and words that are repeated, prolonged, or avoided and
where there may be silent blocks or inappropriate inhalation,
exhalation, or phonation patterns; voice, speech impairments where
the child's voice has an abnormal quality to its pitch, resonance, or
patterns; loudness; and language, where the child has problems
expressing needs, ideas, or voice, speech information, and/or in
understanding what others say (Regents of the University of
Michigan, 2015).
Correspondingly, Speech and Language Impairment (SLI) is
highly specialized for the educational needs of the students. Students
with speech language impairment have an impairment of the
structures and functions specific to speech-language processing. A
speech-language impairment may result in one or more of the
following significant difficulties: being able to speak; making sense of
 209
speech sounds; being able to understand others; being able to say
what he or she wants; and using language to interact socially
(American Speech-Language- Hearing Association 1997).

Types of Speech Disability

 210

Defects in speech appear either due to malformations of the

speech organs or due to emotional disturbances. Some of the common
speech disorders are mentioned below.

Lisping
This consists of letter-sound substitution, Children, while
pronouncing ‘Simple Simon' pronounce, ‘Timple Thimon'; Red Rose'
as 'we wose'. The happen due to defective teeth, jaw or fascination for
using ‘Baby speech'. In other words, children due to one reason or
other substitute 'the' for 's' or 'z' for r' and so on. Soon after their
permanent teeth appear. The lisping decreases. In rare cases due to
organic defects or space between teeth lisping may be seen.
Stammering
Stammering is a type of stuttering i.e., tonic stuttering. This
means prolongation of the sound of the opening letter of a word i.e. b
bath. Stuttering
refers to repetition of the letter b-b-b-b bath. Tonic shuttering or
stammering occurs when a child cannot get a word out. Some
children have
problems with certain consonants and not in another. Clonic
stuttering is the repetition of the same sound over and over again.
Instead of saying bath he will say b-b-b-b bath. The speech therapist
handles such cases and cures them.
Stuttering
Stuttering is a kind of repetitive speech. It results out of failure
of speech muscles to ordinate. Sometimes it appears that the person
does not know suddenly what to say, often accompanied by
stammering. There is check of speech followed by sudden speech
which then is followed by no speech and so on. Children when asked
to say something before the class they stutter but they can sing fairly
well. Between age 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 shuttering is due to lack of
correlation between thought and language. Later on, it appears due to
poor vocabulary, overprotective parents, dominant and over anxious
parents. These factors are responsible for its persistence.
Stuttering is a form of speech impediment, which is common in
preschool children. The most complicated task the child faces during
preschool year is the process of learning to talk. The child during age
2 to 3 years has so much to say and his vocabulary does not permit to
do, lapses into stuttering. Stuttering is seen more in boys and less in
girls. Early stuttering disappears if the parents do not make an issue
of it and if they let the child finish his utterances without correcting
him, or calling attention to his difficulties or otherwise interrupting
him.
The child who stutters is under serious mental strain. Parental
pressure to force a child speak well contused coherent speech leading
to stuttering. A child who is among strangers is unable to get his
 211
words out. Embarrassment is also a cause of stuttering. Private
worries e.g. death or divorce in a family, left-right confusion, change
in the family etc. also cause stuttering in children. Stuttering is not
consciously produced by the child. Hence, it is useless to keep silence
the child who stutters.
 212

To treat stuttering, build his sense of security and self-

confidence. Do not press him to talk. Listen him patiently and with
interest. Talk with the child in calm manner. Join him in play where
much talking is not involved. Stuttering under these conditions
disappear. Security blanket offers comfort to children. Secondary
stuttering persisting into the school years is serious enough to
demand professional help.
Slurring
Sometimes the speech of the child is not clear. This
indistinctness or slurring is due to inactivity of the lips, paralysis of
vocal organs, timidity, excitement or fear for strangers etc. It mostly
appears during post school years. Slurring can be corrected if the
child opens his mouth while speaking so that sounds can come out.
They speak so fast that nobody can understand what they speak.
Cluttering
Cluttering is a rapid, confused, and jumbled type of speech. It is
akin to stuttering. But the more one tries to control it, the more of it
you shall have. Children whose speech development has been delayed
give more evidence of cluttering.
Speech defects besides lisping, are more common in boys than
among girls.
Mc. Carthy attributes, this to greater insecurity among boys than that in
girls.

Identification
Various techniques are used but one such technique is to know
the behavioral clues to detect speech defects.
 Faulty articulation or pronunciation - substitution (cree for tree)
omission (ate for gate), distortions (ship for sip).
 Unpleasant voice quality nasality. (too much sound through
nose) hoarseness, harshness (irritation), breathiness
(sexy voice).
 Defective voice-too high or too low; too loud or too soft; monotonous
voice.
 Stuttering, cluttering.
 Difficulty in understanding meaning of spoken words/sentences.
 Difficulty in forming oral sentence.

Speech is defective when it deviates so far from the speech of

other people that it calls attention to itself, interferes with
communication, or causes the possessor to be maladjusted. Language
problems should be considered significant if they interfere with
communication if they cause the speaker to be maladjusted or if they
cause problems for the listener" (Gearhart and Weigharn, 1976,
p.99).
These children due to abnormal respiration have faint voice,
 213
sounds are not clear and when talking it appears as if the speech is
short, choppy and rhythm is not normal. Voice becomes harsh,
breathy or hoarse. The pitch or loudness is abnormal and not
appropriate to age. Either speech is loud or soft. There are
articulation disorders also. These include substitution (red as wed) (s’
and ‘has Sing) (stake as take) distortion, omissions and additions,
(Puhlay for play). Organic articulation disorders have a physical/
neurological basis as in cerebral
 214

palsy where speech is distorted due to muscle weakness. Another

organic speech disorder is apraxia of speech where sequence of
phonemes is not maintained which is related to brain damage. Other
articulation disorders include large tongue, cleft of the lip or palate,
malformation of jaw leading to substitution errors. Functional
articulation disorders are due to delayed development, incorrect
psychological mal-adaptations, and environmental cultural
differences. They have
also poor or auditory discrimination skills.
There are also resonance process disorders or nasality errors.
These errors in the tonal quality of speech include hyper nasality of
speech, audible nasal emission during speaking and hypo-nasality of
speech. This may be due to upper respiratory infections, and swelling
of the tonsils and adenoids. The speech becomes unintelligible, e.g. ‘a
cold in my nose sounds like ‘a cold id by dose.
Prosody process disorders involve improper use of rhythm,
timing, information, inflection, stress and phrasing. Two fluency
errors are observed: Stuttering refers to abnormal interruption in the
forward flow of speech. The second prosody process errors are
cluttering that means rapid, indistinct jerky speech full of hesitations
and repetitions with a dominant impression of haste (Bloodstein,
1984). Cluttering appears first in some individuals (Van Riper at, al.,
1984).

Characteristics
Primarily, there are four main indicator areas in an individual
with Speech and Language Impairment: language, speech, academics
and behaviors and physical. Under the First area: Language,
noticeably behind other students in speech and/or language the skills
development, improper use of words and their meanings, inability to
express ideas, difficulties in understanding and/or using words in
context, both verbally and non-verbally, may hear or see a word but
not be able to understand its meaning, uses gestures when talking or
in place of talking and has difficulty remembering and using specific
words during conversation, or when answering a question (Pindzola,
1999). Second area, Speech, these are the characteristics under this,
trouble forming sounds (called articulation or phonological disorders),
difficulties with the pitch, volume, or quality of the voice, may display
stuttering (dysfluency), an interruption in the flow of speech, omits or
substitutes sounds when pronouncing words, may have trouble
getting others to understand what they are trying to say, is echolalia
(repeats speech) (Pindzola, 1999). Third Area; Academics and
behaviors, under these characteristics are, hesitates or refuses to
participate in activities where speaking is required, has difficulty
following directions. Must be "shown" what to do, may isolate
themselves from social situations, is inattentive and has difficulty with
 215
concentration, and may be embarrassed speech, regardless of age.
Lastly, the physical area includes the following: may be conditions in
the student's medical/developmental history, such as cleft lip and/or
palate, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, brain injury or disorder
aphasia, hearing loss, ear surgery, facial abnormalities, or congenital
(present at birth disorders, has frequent allergy
 216

problems or colds, has oral muscular coordination slower than normal,

and displays clumsiness or seems to be uncoordinated (Pindzala,
1999).
However, the characteristics of speech or language impairments
will vary depending upon the type of impairment involved. There may
also be a combination of several problems. When a child has an
articulation disorder, he or she has difficulty making certain sounds.
These sounds may be left off, added, changed, or distorted which
makes it hard for people to understand the child. Leaving out or
changing certain sounds is common when young children are learning
to talk, of course. A good example of this is saying "wabbit" for
"rabbit." The incorrect articulation isn't necessarily a cause for
concern unless it continues past the age where children are expected
to produce such sounds correctly. Fluency refers to the flow of
speech. A fluency disorder means that something is disrupting the
rhythmic and forward flow of speech usually, a stutter. As a result, the
child's speech contains an "abnormal number of repetitions,
hesitations, prolongations, or disturbances (Bowen, 2015).

Causes
The causes of speech and language impairment can be
congenital which the disorder is present at birth and the other one is
Adventitious which is acquired after birth, in infancy and early
childhood and in the later years. Some or the etiological factors can
be traced to: brain damage, mental retardation, hearing loss, learning
disabilities, autism, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy, cleft palate, vocal
cord injury, accidents, diseases and trauma can result in childhood
aphasia or loss of language functions, and damage to the left
hemisphere of the brain causes language disturbances or aphasia
more than damage to the right hemisphere. Moreover, there are other
possible causes which were separated into three factors that can be
the cause of having speech and language impairment. First, is the
Child Factors, which includes the sex, prenatal factors, medical
conditions, hearing status, oral sucking habits, multiple births, and
the temperament. Second, is the Parent factors, where it is stated that
family history of speech and language problems, language spoken,
minority status or race, educational level of mother and father,
parental mental health and maternal age at birth of child can also be a
reason of a child to have speech and language impairment. Lastly, is
the Family and Community Factors, where indicates that the family
size, the home learning activities, smoking in the household,
socioeconomic factors, and neighborhood disadvantage could also
contribute to the reasons why the Child is having speech and
language impairment (Harrison & McLeod, 2010).

Examine
 217

Activity 1. Read and analyze the questions properly. Encircle the letter
of the correct answer.
1. What disability is the most common of childhood disabilities?
 218

A. Autism
B. Down Syndrome
C. Intellectual Disability
D. Speech and Language Impairment
2. All of the following are the main indicator areas in an individual
with speech and language impairment except?
A. Language
B. Speech
C. Behaviors and Physical
D. Morphology
3. An individual with a communication disorder involving semantics
and/or pragmatic would be considered as having?
A. A stutter
B. A speech disorder
C. A syntax problem
D. A language disorder
4. Fluency disorders include
A. Voice
B. Pitch
C. Stuttering
D. Voice, pitch, stuttering
5. Students use the wrong vocabulary word or have trouble
retrieving a word when needed may have a disorder in?
A. Morphology
B. Syntax
C. Semantics
D. Pragmatics

Activity 2. Identify what is being described in each statement. Write

your answer on the blank before the number.
1. A disorder which includes a difficulty in pronouncing
sounds.
2. A disorder which includes a difficulty understanding
what they hear as well as expressing themselves with words.
3. A disorder which includes a difficulty with thinking skills
including perception, memory, awareness, reasoning, judgment,
intellect and imagination.
4. A disorder which includes interruption of the flow of
speech that may include hesitations, repititions, and prolongation of
sounds or words.
5. A disorder which includes a quality of voice that may
include hoarseness, nasality, volume (too loud or soft).
 219

Summar
y In this module, you have learned the following:
 Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disability
significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and
social interaction, generally evident before age three that
adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
 In a child with autism, thinking, language and behavior are all
disturbed.
 Intellectual Disability is a condition wherein there are deficits or
limitations in both the intellectual functioning and adaptive
behavior that occur during the developmental period of the
child.
 A person is an 'intellectually impaired person if the person has a
disability
(a) that is attributable to an intellectual, psychiatric, cognitive or
neurological impairment or a combination of these; and (b) that
results in a substantial reduction of the person's capacity for
communication, social interaction and learning; and the person
needing support.
 Specific Learning Disability is a disorder in one or more of the
basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in
using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest
itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write, spell,
or do mathematical calculations.
 LD children exhibit disorder in one or more basic psychological
processes involved in understanding and in using in spoken or
written languages. These disorders are manifested in listening,
thinking, talking, reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic. They
include conditions, which are referred to as perceptual
problems, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia,
developmental aphasia etc. They do not include learning
problems, which are primarily due to visual, hearing, or motor
handicaps, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or to
environmental disadvantage.
 Multiple disability is a concomitant [simultaneous] disability-
impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness,
intellectual disability, orthopaedic-impairment, etc.), the
combination of which causes such severe educational needs that
they cannot be accommodated in a special education program
solely for one of the impairments.
 Emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) refers to a variety of
conditions and symptoms that impair the learning, social
functioning, safety and behavioral health of children or
 220
adolescents.
 Children with emotional or behavioral disorders are
characterized primarily by behavior that falls significantly
beyond the norms of their cultural and age group on two
dimensions: externalizing and internalizing, where both patterns
of abnormal behavior have adverse effects on children's
academic achievement and social relationships.
 221

 Deaf- Blindness is a combination of sight and hearing loss that

affects a person's ability to communicate, to access all kinds of
information, and to get around.
 Giftedness refers to students who perform at a much higher
level, in objectively measurable ways, than do their age peers.
 Generally, gifted individuals are those who demonstrate
outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability
to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance
or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains.
Domains include any structured area of activity with its own
symbol system (e.g. mathematics, music, language) and/or set of
sensorimotor skills (e.g, painting, dance, sports).
 Hearing impairment occurs when there is a problem with or
damage to one or more parts of the ear.
 A person who cannot hear within a range of the degrees stated
above, may probably not hear the everyday sounds provided.
 Visual Impairment is the functional limitation of the eye or eyes
or the vision system.
 Students with visual impairment are described as having a visual
disability that is so serious as to impair significantly their
capacity to see, thus interfering with their capacity to perceive
visually presented materials such as pictures, diagrams and the
written word. They may display comprehension difficulties, have
poor have organizational skills, fail to complete assignments and
experience difficulty staying on-task.
 Speech and language impairments (SLIS) is a communication
disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language
impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a
child's educational performance.
 222

Culminating Activity
Activity 1. Research on the diagnosis/assessments and treatments of
each of the exceptionalities discussed in this Module. Put this in a
Letter Size bond paper (Encoded).

Activity 2. Make a bucket list of information of 5 well-known Filipinos

with disabilities that amidst of their situations they became popular in
their career. Paste their pictures and write a short information about
them in a short bond paper. (Encoded)
 223

eference
s
American Psychiatric Association (n.d.). What
is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Retrieved from
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-
families/autism/what-is-autism-spectrum-disorder#:~:text=Autism
%20 spectrum%20disorder%20(ASD)%20is,are%20different%20in
%20each%20perso n.
Center for Parent Information and Resources (2019). Multiple
Disabilities.
Retrieved from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/multiple/.

Cherney, K. (2019). What causes autism? Retrieved

from https://www.healthline.com/health/autism.

Domalanta, M.A. B. & Catama, B. V. (2017). Special Education: A

Comprehensive Study Guide for Teachers, Parents and Learners.
Jimczyville Publications.

Mayo Clinic (n. d.). Autism Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved

from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-
disorder/ symptoms-causes/syc-20352928#:~:text=Genetics.,risk
%20of%20autism%20 spectrum%20disorder.

Medic8 (n.d.). Autism Spectrum Disorders. Retrieved

from
https://www.medic8.com/mental-health/autism/autism-spectrum-
disorders.html

Medica8 (n.d.). Asperger’s Syndrome. Retrieved

from
https://www.medic8.com/mental-health/autism/asperger-s-
syndrome.html

Medica8 (n.d.). Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.

Retrieved from https://www.medic8.com/mental-
health/autism/childhood-disintegrative- disorder.html

Medica8 (n.d.). Classic Autism. Retrieved

from
https://www.medic8.com/mental-health/autism/classic-autism.html
 224

Medica8 (n.d.). Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

Retrieved from https://www.medic8.com/mental-
health/autism/pervasive-developmental- disorder.html

Medica8 (n.d.). Rett’s Syndrome. Retrieved

from
https://www.medic8.com/mental-health/autism/rett-s-syndrome.html
 225

Panda, K. C. & Tripathy, P. K. (2016). Encyclopedia of Early

Childhood Care and Education Volume 2. Neelkamal Publications Pvt.
Ltd.

TeensHealth from Nemours (n.d.). Hearing Impairment. Retrieved

from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/hearing-
impairment.html#:~:text=What%0I s%20Hearing%20Impairment
%3F,canal%2C%20eardrum%2C%20or%20ossicles
.
The Nation (2017). Zamfara to provide free eye treatment.
Retrieved from https://thenationonlineng.net/zamfara-to-provide-free-
eye-treatment/
 17

Modul
e5
(1
Week)
Overview
This Module characterizes the SPED Teacher in the 21 st century
and discusses his/her roles and responsibilities. It also describes the
personal attributes and professional qualifications of a SPED Teacher.

General Objective
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
 Describe the personal attributes and professional qualifications
of a SPED Teacher and explain its roles and responsibilities
 172

Lesso
n1

Objectives
After this lesson, you will be
able to:
 Explain the personal attributes and qualities of a SPED
Teacher
 Enumerate the professional qualifications for a SPED Teacher

Explore
Way back in the 1980's, I received a letter from a student a week
after receiving her diploma in Bachelor of Science in Education. I am
sharing this unedited letter with you in the hope that you can put
yourself in my shoes as the teacher.

A Letter to A Teacher

Dear Ma'am O
"Im so grateful to have you. " Before I decided to take a counselling
session with you, I have to think so many times if you will entertain me and
accept me as a person without judging some traits present in me. I remember
that time during our first meeting, I feel nervous especially I was seated in
front. I thought you are strict, unapproachable but as the days go by I have
learned to like you until I discovered in me that I would want to follow your
footstep as a real person, a true friend, a mother, a counsellor who plays her
role with sincerity and concerned to help her students, not only her students
but all persons who need her help.
"You're so great, Ma'am." I don't expect you to act that way and treat
me differently compared to some teachers that I have already met. You have
encouraged me to try my best always because you were always re ady to give
rewards to those who are humble enough. You clarified things for me to see
always the positive sides. For all those advice, I grow.
As of now I already can decide on my own without asking the
confirmation of others who are close to me. When problems come I know how
 173
to handle them and usually I do not forget God who gives us everything. Now I
consider these problems
 174

as a test of your faith in God and stepping stones to reach a successful life.
There is no trouble that can’t be solved if a person knows the way how to get
out of it plus faith in God.
All these things were learned from you, and I thank you for that. I feel
great at this time because I have learned to love people without looking at
their negative traits and I have discovered that if you open yourself to these
people you have rewards that can make you happy, that makes you different
from what you are before. There are some people who love me that I did not
know until I have learned to like them, to be with them, and respect their
lives.
I have experienced just now that it feels good to be give some attention
that you have been looking for and YOU gave it toME. Thanks for the LOVE,
CONCERN, ATTENTION and being UNDERSTANDING.
I have learned so many things from You, that makes ME A GREAT
PERSON!!

Always,
Cherrylyn

Postscript: Cherrylyn is now happily married and lives abroad starting to raise
her own family. Many thanks to you, Cherrylyn, for inspiring me to go on
touching the lives of people.

Answer the following questions:

1. What emotions did you experience as you read the letter?

2. As the teacher, how much did you give?

3. Have you ever felt lost and saw a teacher? What change did you
have?
175
 176

Explain
Ask a grader what kind of teacher he or she likes. The response
is "kind teacher." Ask a high school student. The response is "a
teacher who's fun." Ask a college student. The answer is "smart." Ask
graduate students. They say, "Knowledgeable. One who knows the
answers to my questions." What have you noticed of the answers?
We tend to remember the best and the worst of our teachers and
the impact these teachers had on our lives. We remember teachers
who are caring, understanding, encouraging, and strictly attend to our
lessons. We also remember teachers who are always absent from class
or who scold the class for the inappropriate behavior of one student
when the class should already be solving math problems. And we
make conclusions that "we learned a lot from this teacher" and "we
learned nothing from this teacher." These conclusions do have life-
long impact on our lives since teachers are important var1ables in our
school and learning experiences.
Very recently teacher education programs have included special
education as a major program in response to the increasing special
needs population and heightened public awareness of the need to
educate them. The graduates under this program are the
professionals who provide day-to-day instruction and other support for
students with disabilities or exceptional abilities. They are expected
to teach either in special education self-contained classrooms,
inclusive education settings, or other delivery services such as
resource rooms and itinerant placements. They are, literally speaking,
the new breed of educators. Yet, Special Education teachers are no
different from any other teacher. They should possess high
qualifications and personal attributes and qualities expected of all
teachers and, perhaps, more which are peculiar in their area or
responsibility. To be effective, they must be good teachers. Good
teachers are highly qualified and possess desirable personal attributes
and qualities.
To be highly qualified as a Special Education teacher you must first
of all
meet all the requirements of the Bachelor of Elementary major in
Special Education curriculum set by the National Education
Competency-Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS) or other equivalent
accredited degrees such as Bachelor of Special Education. You must
earn a state certificate or licensure in teaching special education after
graduation. You can earn this upon passing the Licensure
Examination for Teachers with Special Education as the major field.
 177
Your competencies in the content or disability area you are
teaching also make you highly qualified. Your pre-service teacher
education had provided your basic teaching competencies in the
disability stream that you have chosen. These competencies can be
enhanced by your student-teaching experiences as well as teaching in
the actual classroom. In-service training such as Teacher
 178

Effectiveness Training can also make you more competent in your

teaching responsibilities. Membership in a professional organization is
a part of your qualification. There are various organizations serving
special needs population. You can join the Philippine Association for
the Retarded (PAR) Inc., Gifted Philippines, Autism Society
Philippines, National Red Cross, and other service organizations.
In terms of personal attributes and qualities, Hoy and Weinstein
(2006) mention that students perceive good teachers along three
factors:
1) the ability to establish positive interpersonal relationships with
students,
2) the ability to exercise authority and to provide structure
without being rigid, threatening, and punitive; and
4. the ability to "make learning fun by using innovative and
creative pedagogical strategies.
Students have placed importance on teacher's willingness to "be
there" for them, to listen, and to show concern for student's personal
and academic lives, in short, to care. Personal and academic caring is
demonstrated by extending help in schoolwork, valuing individuality,
showing respect and treating students fairly. It is also perceived as
exercising patience and having humor. These caring qualities are
most important for children with disabilities who are experiencing
pressures and problems at home and in school.
Good teachers are also good managers. They are able to maintain
order, provide limits for behavior, and create an environment where
students feel safe. Students react positively to teachers who
demonstrate both cooperative (such as being friendly, helpful and
supportive) and dominant (such as intluential and authoritative)
behaviours. The desire for clarity, structure and limits are strongest
among children with disabilities and teachers are expected to respond
to these needs decisively and appropriately. Owing to the interlapping
behavior deficits of many children with special needs and personal
needs which are unique only to the individual child, the ability to be
firm without being punitive, to be strict without being "mean", and to
come off as someone who has control are important for Special
Education teachers.
Making learning fun is a general byword in all levels of teaching.
The problem is many teachers cannot move out from the "chalk and
talk" pedagogy, textbooks and rote learning. These strategies are
"dry" and unproductive on the part of the student since they are
teacher-centered. If abused, these strategies can result to humdrum
moments in the classroom. Students can fill in these moments with
unnecessary talk, acting out behaviours, or escape such as frequent
 179
going out of the classroom or daydreaming. Good teachers make
learning fun by engaging students in interactive lessons and
employing varied student-centered activities. For young disabled
children, manipulative and movement activities provide interactive
experiences. Interactive learning for the fast or gifted learners can
include simulation activities, research, laboratory
 180

experiments, and field visits. Field trips can be fun and promote
interactive learning for all types of exceptionality, if planned and
carried out successfully.
Aside from the three general attributes mentioned, as a Special
Education teacher, you should possess empathy, warmth,
genuineness, spontaneity and a nonjudgmental attitude. You should
have a high level of tolerance for diversity. Tolerance is demonstrated
by unconditional acceptance of the diverse culture and behaviours of
the students. In order to possess an accepting attitude, you should
have the ability to be open about your personal experiences (self-
disclosure) because if you are not this type you will lose genuineness,
which is another important quality required in your function. Special
Education teachers should focus on the "here and now" of the
behavior that it is necessary to develop the skill of immediacy.
Successful SPED Teachers maintain an interesting learning
environment for all children regardless of age, sex, ability or
background. Their classrooms are exciting and
stimulating places to leam.
It is impossible to be a perfect teacher but coming close to the
personal attributes and qualities of what a Special Education teacher
should be, can be a commendable attempt on your part. These
attributes and qualities do not come overnight. You should start NOW!

Examine
Activity 1. Answer the following questions:

1. In what ways is Special Education teacher different from a

General Education or Regular Teacher?

2. What are the typical job titles for Special Education teachers?
Which one is used in the locality where you plan to teach?
181
 182

3. What three factors determine the effectiveness of teachers in

general?

4. What teacher qualities do you think made a significant impact on

Cherrylin’s behavior?

5. How can you maintain an interesting classroom for learning?

Activity 2. List down the specific qualities of a SPED teacher. Define

each quality using a reference.
Qualities Definitio
n
Example: The ability to understand people from one’s own frame of
Empathy reference, “to put oneself in the other’s shoes”
183
 184

Lesso
n
2
Objective
After this lesson, you will be
 Explain the roles and responsibilities of a s
SPED
teacher.

Explore
Every Child Matters

Ms. Madelyn, a Special Education teacher, handles five students from

7:30 – 10:00 in the morning. Joshua B. is 7 years old; Joven is 8; Steve, 6;
Joshua G, 5; and RG, 7. Assessment results for Joshua B. and Joven indicated
an impression of global developmental delay. Steve was assessed as
exhibiting attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Joshua G. and RG, 7 have
pervasive developmental delay.
Joshua B. and Joven are the withdrawn type. Receptive and expressive
language for both are developmentally appropriate. While Joshua can inititiate
communication with the teacher, Ms. Madelyn finds it difficult to let Joven talk
or respond even to a simple greeting like “Good Morning.”
Steve is often out-of-seat, frequently off-task, grabs, and has violent
impulses. Resistance to adult authority is strongly pronounced and
compliance behavior is absent. However, he does very well on academic tasks
when he wants to.
RG has a receptive language below his level. Expressive language has
to be assisted and initiated by the adult. While his tantrums have been
reduced and out- of-seat behavior established, task performance has always
to be initiated by the teacher. Play is still solitary confined to activities
requiring less movement.
For two and a half hours, Ms. Madelyn juggles her time attending to the
five students as she works on the individual goals designed for each.

Questions:
1. What types of children does Ms. Madelyn have?
 185

2. In what ways are the children diverse? Pick out of two and make
a comparison.

3. What challenges are presented by Ms. Madelyn class?

4. What roles does she peform during the school day?

5. What will be your greatest challenge if you were Ms. Madelyn?

Explain
The challenges of a Special Education teacher are numerous. While
instruction is his or her primary function he or she has also to take the
role of a curriculum planner, behavior manager, counsellor, advocate,
resource person, collaborator and researcher. The demands of modifying
experiences and writing the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to
respond to the unique needs of the students requires the Special
Education teacher to learn and master the skills in curriculum planning.
The teacher is also expected to eficiently manage difficult problem
behaviours owing to the fact that it is one field of training taken during
the pre-service teacher education. Since home-school collaboration is an
 186
essential
 187

feature of special education programs, a Special Education teacher is

expected to take the role of an advocate and counsellor to parents or
families to assist them so they can cope better with the challenges of
everyday family life having a child with disabilities. With the current
thrust toward including all learmers in general education setting the
Special Education teacher becomes a resource person assisting the
general education teacher and other school staff in understanding the
students' learning needs and moditying the general education
program for them. You have at the same time to be a collaborator with
other professionals delivering related services for the child. You have
to have a good working relationship with the OCcupational therapIst,
speech therapist and other members of the team in the IEP program
of the child. Being a researcher can be a great advantage if you are a
Special Education teacher since the field is a fast growing science and
requires you to use validated practices to ensure that the child will
get more benefits than harm.

These roles come with responsibilities to effectively discharge

your functions as a SPED teacher. The responsibilities are
enumerated as follows:
 Make sure students understand what they are learning.
 Provide differentiated instruction and exCiting strategies to
ensure success of students. in class.
 Accomplish paper work on data about student progress and
achievement, develop evaluation forms, accomplish referral
forms.
 Prepare adapted support instructional materials for students.
 Write Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) implement and
document progress toward these goals.
 Modify content, activities and evaluation strategies of general
education curriculum to adjust to the child's unique needs while
at the same time considering the normalızation process.
 Provide a positive, consistent model to address emotional and
behavioural needs.
 Act promptly and decisively when inappropriate behaviours are
encountered.
 Provide resource support to general education teachers, parents,
and other school staff.
 Maintain an open communication with the general education
teachers, parents, and other advocates.
 Maintain a trusting, open and equal relationship with each
special education and general education students so that
 188
students can see her as just another teacher instead of "Special
Education teacher."
 189

To be a Special Eaucation teacher needs courage to change what

you can change and determination to make a difference in the life of
individuals with special needs. You have taken the path less trodden
and to quote Robert Frost in his poem, "The Road Not Taken":
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and
I- I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

Examine
Activity 1. Discuss your idea on the following questions:

1. How is the role of Special Education teacher similar to general

education teacher? How is it different?

2. “No matter what role you play, your responsibilities should

always be guided by the principle of normalization.” How do you
intend to do this?

3. Which of the roles do you think will be easy and difficult for you
to perform? Why?
 190

Activity 2. List down the responsibilities of SPED Teacher. Classify

them according to their roles. You can add more responsibilities if you
think there are missing ones. Use the spaces provided for your
answer.
 191

Summar
y In this module, you have learned the following:
 Special Education teachers are the professionals who provide
day-to-day instruction and other support for students with
disabilities or exceptional abilities.
 Good Special Education teachers are highly qualified and
possess desirable personal attributes and qualities.
 Teachers who are highly qualified should meet the requirements
of a Bachelor of Elementary Bducaion najor in Special Education
curriculum set by the National Competency-Based Teacher
Standards (NCBTS) or other equivalent accredited degrees.
 Such as Bachelor of Special Education. They must be holders of
a teaching license especially in teaching special education.
 Competencies in their special field of training and membership
in proressional organizations contribute to their quaitications.
 Good teachers are perceived by students along three factors,
namely: the ability to establish positive interpersonal
relationships with students; the ability to exercise authority and
to provide stucture without being rigid, threatening and
punitive; and the ability to make learning fun.
 Special Education teachers are expected to demonstrate
empathy, warmth, genuineness, spontaneity, nonjudgmental
atitude, and tolerance for diversity.
 The Special Education teacher has several roles to play. He or
she is a teacher, curriculum planner, behavior manager,
counsellor, advocate resource person, colaborator and
researcher.
 The roles of SPED teacher are accompanied by responsibilities
that set him or he apart from the General Education teacher.

Culminating Activity
Activity 1. Interview a practicing Special Education teacher
regarding his or her actual roles and responsibilities. Compare the
responses to those mentioned in this Module. Make a write-up on
their similarities and differences. Encode your output in a Letter Size
Paper.

Activity 2. Paper: How can a Special Education teacher make a

difference? Encode your output in a Letter Size Paper.
 192

Post Assessment
Direction: Write the correct answer on the blanks before each item.
1. You can only be considered a professional teacher if you have
A. Bachelor's degree in a field of specialization.
B. competencies in your assigned area.
C. passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers.
D. gained membership in accredited organizations.
2. Teachers are important variables in the life of students since
A. Agood teachers are models of behaviours.
B. teachers have the first and last say in school.
C. students believe in what they say and do.
D. the kind of school experiences of students depends on teachers.
3. Students who are always in conflict with the rules of the
school need teachers who are
A. patient and caring.
B. influential and authoritative.
C. endowed with a sense of humor.
D. threatening and punitive.
4. A safe and secured learning environment can be attained if
the teacher is
A. firm and strict.
B. laissez faire.
C. democratic
D. autocratic and punitive.
5. Humdrum moments in the classroom usually occur during
A. change from one activity to another
B. manipulative activities
C. gaming sessions
D. "chalk-and-talk" lessons
6. As a curriculum planner, the Special Education teacher's main
work with the team in preparing the Individualized Education
responsibility is to
A. Plan for the child
B. intervene inappropriate behaviours
C. share knowledge about children. with special needs with the
General Education teachers.
D. Assist families in coping with their problems.
7. Teamwork with personnel for related services to the child is
an indication of
A. instruction
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B. collaboration
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C. research
D. planning
8. Being a member of an organization for individuals with
special needs is a type of
A. collaboration.
B. Instruction
C. advocacy
D. resource support
9. Paper work such as writing case reports, reporting
achievements, accomplishing Referral forms are part of
A. curriculum planning
B. instruction
C. collaboration
D. research
10. Which of these responsibilities is your primary consideration
as a behavior manager
A. Intervene immediately when inappropriate behavior occurs.
B. Act decisively when behaviours are hurtful to others.
C. Provide a model to address emotional and behavioural needs.
D. Maintain a trusting, open and equal relationship with each child.
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eference
Dañocup, O. B. (2010). Classroom Management: Preparing
Special Education Teachers. Lorimar Publishing, Inc. 776 Aurora
Blvd., cor. Boston St., Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila.