SPECIAL EDUCATION &

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
RUBI D. BORRA MM. LPT
SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special education or special needs

education is the practice of educating
students with special needs in a way that
addresses their individual differences
and needs.
 Republic Act (RA) 11650, inked by Duterte on March 11,
provides that no learner shall be denied admission based on their
disability. The new law provides that all schools, whether public
or private, shall ensure equitable access to quality education to
every learner with disability.
 In Republic Act 7610 also known as Anti-Child Abuse Act
provides for Other Acts of abuse, penalizing any person who
shall commit any other acts of child abuse, cruelty or
exploitation or to be responsible for other conditions prejudicial
to the child's development. Lack of proper education for children
especially those with special needs is a form of Child abuse.
Teachers must be exposed to information that
will facilitate their management and teaching of
students with disabilities. Specifically, teachers
need to know:

 The basic principles of the disorder or impairment

such as the hearing process and hearing loss, or
the fundamental concepts of vision and visual
impairment.

 The indicators that a student has a hearing

impairment, or visual impairment.
 Thetypical educationally relevant
characteristics of students with the
hearing loss, or visual impairment.

 The
accommodative techniques for
meeting the needs of students
There are three factors that are important for
teachers to understand regarding needs of
students with disabilities

 1. Severity of the impairment suggests

the extent of involvement of a
condition. For students with sensory
impairments, severity relates closely to
the students ability to communicate
and to their experiential background.
 2. Visibility of a disability brings unwanted
attention. Unfortunately, this attention focuses on
the perceived negative features of an individual.
For many students, this attention causes them to
feel devalued.

 3. The age at which students acquire a

disability has a profound effect on certain skills
and abilities (e.g., language acquisition or
concept development). Age also affects how
students handle their condition and how
educational personnel should address the
condition.
Hearing
is measured as a function of decibel
loudness at a given frequency for
threshold hearing. The louder the sound
(measured in decibels) from zero (perfect
hearing) the greater the hearing loss. Not
being able to hear a loudness of 100
decibels is considered profoundly deaf.
Hearing impairment is a generic
term that encompasses the entire
range of hearing loss.
 Deafness usually refers to profound hearing loss such
that the primary means of communication and
speech/language development is visually based. Deaf
students are those who are not able to hear a loudness
of 90 decibels or more.
 Hard of hearing students have decibel losses between
26 and 89. Hard of hearing refers to significant hearing
loss such that the primary means of communication is
auditory based. Intervention techniques capitalize on
the use of a person’s residual hearing, with or without
amplification.
Some typical characteristics of
students with hearing impairments

 The student shows a lack of attention.

 The student turns or cocks his or her head an unusual
amount of the time.
 The student has little difficulty following written
directions but difficulty following oral directions.
 The student exhibits behaviors such as shyness,
acting out, stubbornness, or is withdrawn. The student
may have difficulty in making friends and may be less
socially mature.
 The student is reluctant to participate in oral
activities.
 The student looks to the class for clues for
instructions.
 The student's best achievement is in small
groups.
 The student exhibits a speech defect.
 There is a difference between the student's
expected and actual achievement.
 Medical indications such as frequent earaches,
sore throats, or fluid from the ears may indicate a
hearing loss.
Implications for the teacher of
students with hearing impairments

 Accept the student as a person, that is, do

not patronize, do not pamper.

 Encourage students to request clarification

and to ask questions. Repeat the comments
of other students who speak. Paraphrase or
summarize discussions at the end of a class
session.

 Build on the studentís strengths.

 Use visual aids or visually oriented materials as
much as possible.
 Speak clearly, use your natural tone, and be sure
that your face can be easily seen. Use facial
expressions and gestures. Maintain eye contact.
 Make appropriate seating arrangements for
students. Seat students so they can take
advantage of their residual hearing. Seat
students so they can see their interpreter. Let
students use swivel chairs.
 Never shout.
VISUAL IMPAIREMENTS
Visual impairment

This term includes both partial sight and

blindness. These students may need
special materials and equipment and
preferential seating, and generally, their
needs can usually be met with minimal
additional effort in the regular class.
 Visionis measured as a function
of what a normal person sees at
200 feet, (legally blind is defined
as 20/200).
Common types of visual impairments involve
problems in refraction and are typically
corrected through the use of corrective glasses
or lenses.
 1. Myopia (nearsightedness) - Cannot see distant
objects clearly - concave glasses

 2. Hyperopia (farsightedness) - Cannot see objects

up-close, difficulty in refocusing from distant to near
objects - convex glasses

 3. Astigmatism (blurred vision) - Eye strain and

blurred vision - hard contact lenses to make the
cornea spherical
 4. Strabismus ("lazy eye") - double vision, dimness of vision,
nausea and fatigue - specific medical treatment before the age of
5 or 6
 Note: Childhood blindness has decreased in recent years due to a
decline in the visual disorder retrolental fibroplasia, often caused
by giving too much oxygen to premature babies. Currently, a
leading cause of blindness in infants results form prenatal
maternal rubella.
Implications for the teacher
 1. Do not grab student in an attempt to assist; instead let the person
place his or her hand through your arm or place it lightly on your
shoulder.
 2. When guiding a person physically and you come to an
obstruction, such as a step or tree limb, simply step down or duck
your body. Your body language indicates what is ahead.
 3. When entering a new room, explain the layout of the room. Be
sure that furniture, suitcases, books, and other objects are not
positioned in the center of the floor space or the traffic pattern.
 4. Assign a friend to a student with impaired vision or
blindness until he or she becomes oriented to the physical
design of the classroom.
 5. In the school cafeteria, describe the food being served
and where the food is being placed on the plate.
 6. Let students with impaired vision or blindness speak for
themselves. They are not speechless or helpless. Treat the
student as you would anyone else. Do not be overly
concerned with using words such as see or look. Persons
with impaired vision or blindness know their strengths and
limitations. When you are unsure of yourself in trying to help
these students, ask them for advice.
Arranging the classroom
 Use more space for students who use Braille
 Use extra long tables
 Provide student with long desk and a bookcase - place in L-shape
 Be flexible and feel free to change the student's seating
arrangement
 Provide space to store materials
 Provide proper lighting and avoid glare
 When unsure, ask.
PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
Persons with physical disabilities
make up a very heterogeneous
group. Some of the disabilities
included in this broad category
are cerebral palsy, limb
deficiencies, multiple sclerosis,
muscular dystrophy, spina bifida,
and spinal cord injuries.

Orthopedic impairments

Orthopedic impairments includes impairments

caused by congenital anomaly (clubfoot, absence
of some member); disease (poliomyelitis, bone
tuberculosis); other causes (cerebral palsy,
amputations, and fractures or burns that cause
contractures).
Characteristics of students with
physical disabilities
 Tire more quickly than others in the class
 Have excessive absences due to medical appointments
 Experience difficulty in performing gross motor tasks
 Are unable to or have difficulty completing manipulative
activities, such as holding a pencil, cutting, drawing, and
stringing beads.
 Have difficulty distinguishing differences in size, depth, and
spatial relationships (common among children with cerebral
palsy)
 Are socially delayed due to a lack of interaction with other
children.
Implications for the teacher
 1. Be aware of all associated disabilities of the student.
 2. Allow adequate time for the student to travel from room to
room and to get positioned in the classroom.
 3. Be aware of the procedures by which to manage a seizure.
 4. Preplan all emergency situations.
 5. Work closely with all therapists involved in the education of
the student.
 6. Stabilize all structures such as stairs when sitting, wheelchairs,
and so on.
 7. Eliminate any barriers that the school may have.
 8. Remember that the student may exhibit low vitality and have
poor stamina
HEALTH IMPAIREMENTS
The term health impairment means having limited
strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute
health problems such as heart condition, tuberculosis,
rheumatic fever, nephrites, asthma, sickle cell anemia,
hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, or
diabetes which adversely affect a child's educational
performances. This group of students may have
special needs that require specially designed
equipment or facilities and close monitoring by school
staff.
Seizures
There are three classifications of seizure disorders: 1.
Generalized Tonic-Clonic (severe), 2. Absence (less
dramatic and lasts for a few seconds, and 3. Complex
Partial Seizure (inappropriate or purposeless behaviors that
may last a few minutes and the student is unaware of the
behavior). Listed below are suggestions to help teachers
understand epilepsy and manage a seizure (Epilepsy
Foundation of America, 1992).
 Epilepsy is a very common condition and is no
disgrace.
 Many persons with epilepsy can become seizure-free
if they take medication as prescribed by their doctors.
 If a generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure
should happen in class, it is vital that the teacher
remain calm. Students will assume the same
emotional reaction that the teacher does.
(a) Try to prevent the student from striking their head of body
against any hard, sharp, or hot object.

(b) Do not try to revive the student, Let the seizure run its course.

(c) Do not try to restrain the student's movement or put anything

in the student's mouth.

(d) Turn the student gently on their side and make sure their
breathing is not obstructed.

(e) Carefully observe the details of the episode for a subsequent

report to medical personnel.
 (f) On the very rare occasions when an actual seizure
continues for more than five minutes, an ambulance should
be called.

 (g) Do not be frightened if, during a seizure, the student's

breathing becomes shallow and the skin takes on a bluish
tinge.

 (h) Remember a seizure cannot hurt the onlookers.

 (i) When the student regains consciousness, he or she may
be incoherent or very sleepy. Rest should be encouraged.
 (j) Notify the proper persons of the incidence.
 (k) If a person has two successive seizures within a short
period of time without regaining consciousness, call for
emergency medical assistance.
 (l) If a seizure happens in a student who does not have
epilepsy, or has some other medical condition emergency
medical assistance should be called.
 Turn a seizure in a class into a learning experience, where
accurate information, wholesome attitudes, and
understanding (not pity), are end results.
 A non-convulsive seizure affecting behavior, movement,
and awareness is called a complex partial seizure. It
produces a temporary state similar to sleepwalking, or
suspended animation. During an episode, the student's
awareness is clouded. A student should, if necessary, be
guided away from hazards, reassured, and monitored
carefully until full awareness returns.
 Remember that with proper treatment, most students with
epilepsy are able to live and function like any other student.
 Traumatic Brain Injury

Nearly one million children sustain

head injuries annually, resulting in
100,000 hospitalizations per year in
children under the age of 15. Of
these children, approximately 18,000
will receive traumatic brain injuries
(TBI).
 Traumatic Brain Injury - an acquired injury to the brain
caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or
partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment.

 Teachers must be aware of lengthy recovery periods for

those with TBI and realize that some students never regain
the same level of achievement and ease of learning as they
attained prior to their injuries.
LEARNING DISABILITIES
 AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)

ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a
person’s life, although symptoms may improve over time.
Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12
months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until
24 months of age or later. Some children with ASD gain
new skills and meet developmental milestones until around
18 to 24 months of age, and then they stop gaining new
skills or lose the skills they once had.
 ADHD
 DISCALCULIA
 DYSLEXIA
INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE
MADRASAH