Role of Special Educators in promoting Inclusivity in Education

Special Education is that component of education which employs special instructional methodology (Remedial Instruction), instructional materials, learning-teaching aids and equipment to meet educational needs of children with specific learning disabilities. Remedial instruction or Remediation aims at improving a skill or ability in a student.

        Techniques for remedial instruction may include providing more practice or more explanation, repeating information, and devoting more time to working on the skill. For example, a student having a low reading level could be given remediation via one-on-one reading instruction, phonic instruction, or practice in reading aloud.

Role of special educators

        Special education teachers work with children and youths who have a variety of disabilities. A small number of special education teachers work with students with mental retardation or autism, primarily teaching them life skills and basic literacy. However, the majority of special education teachers work with children with mild to moderate disabilities, using the general education curriculum, or modifying it, to meet the child’s individual needs. Most special education teachers instruct students at the elementary, middle, and secondary school level, although some teachers work with infants and toddlers. Special educators provide programs for specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, visual impairments, autism, combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairments. Students are classified under one of the categories, and special education teachers are prepared to work with specific groups. Early identification of a child with special needs is an important part of a special education teacher’s job. Early intervention is essential in educating children with disabilities. Special education teachers use various techniques to promote learning. Depending on the disability, teaching methods can include individualized instruction, problem-solving assignments, and small group work. When students need special accommodations in order to take a test, special education teachers see that appropriate ones are provided, such as having the questions read orally or lengthening the time allowed to take the test. Special education teachers help to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each special education student. The IEP sets personalized goals for each student and is tailored to the student’s individual needs and ability. Teachers work closely with parents to inform them of their child’s progress and suggest techniques to promote learning at home. They are involved in the students’ behavioral, social, and academic development, helping the students develop emotionally, feel comfortable in social situations, and be aware of socially acceptable behavior. Special education teachers communicate and work together with parents, social workers, school psychologists, speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists, school administrators, and other teachers.

Special Education can be provided to the child in a one to one setting outside or within his/her formal educational environment. Special remedial, therapeutic, or enrichment services can be provided to students outside the regular classroom which is referred to as Pull-out services.

An Inclusive Model of education would imply educational provision for individuals with special needs within the educational system where these children study side by side with their mainstream peers, so as to enable them to develop to their full potential. Inclusion is an educational philosophy aimed at “normalizing” special services for which students qualify. Inclusion involves an attempt to provide more of these special services by providing additional aids and support inside the regular classroom, rather than by pulling students out for isolated instruction. Inclusion involves the extension of general education curriculum and goals to students receiving special services. It involves shared responsibility, problem solving, and mutual support among all the staff members who provide services to students. One aim of inclusion is to reduce the removal of students from the regular classroom when the same intent of service can be provided within the regular classroom.

Modifications for children with specific learning disability-

The different areas looked into and modifications incorporated for a child with specific learning needs maybe-

 Accommodation: An adjustment made to an environment, situation, or supplies for individual differences.

Adaptation: A change in what students do or a reshaping of the materials students use. Adaptations are essentially the same as modifications, but can specifically refer to the materials and equipment student’s use to aid in learning. Enlarging the print on a worksheet and audio taping a textbook are examples of adaptations.

Cognitive learning: The area of learning based on knowledge and reasoning; also called academic learning.

Compensation or compensatory instruction: Instruction aimed at tackling a problem or an area of difficulty. Techniques for compensatory instruction include the use of alternative instruction, alternative techniques, and adaptive equipment.

Co-teaching: An instructional arrangement in which there is more than one adult in a classroom, instructional and classroom responsibilities are defined and assigned, and some type of co-planning is involved.

Individualized education program (plan) (IEP): A written plan of educational goals and objectives for a student. This plan is reviewed and rewritten each year.

Modification: A change in what students do or a reshaping of the materials students use. Reducing the number of questions students must answer at the end of a textbook chapter, allowing a student to answer aloud instead of writing an answer, and allowing the student to do an activity that is different from what the other students are doing are all examples of modifications.

Transition services: Services, training, skills, support, or instruction identified as necessary to help a special education student successfully move from a school setting into a post-secondary setting (i.e., work, job training, technical school, college, military, independent living, semi-independent living). There are a variety of facilities in which these professionals work.

• Special schools: Mostly special educators are found working in special schools helping children with the academic skills.
• Rehabilitation centre: There are many public/private rehabilitation centers.
• Private support: In India private practice is very common where many Special educators work independently. They may be working part-time in any of the facilities mentioned above along with private tutoring also.

The Tasks Ahead-

The service provisions in India for persons with disabilities are more or less similar to the global scenario. However, a majority of the services, including special schools, are concentrated in urban areas. There are more special schools for school going children than vocational training centers or integrated schools. Of late, a number of CBR programmes have been initiated to deliver services closer to the homes of people with disabilities. Keeping in view the diverse needs of children with disabilities and the different models of service delivery systems, there is a need for reorienting the existing pre-service programmes in general education from pre-school to university levels and to plan in-service and pre-service programmes in special education at all levels.  To implement the current concept of inclusive education, pre-school teachers should have in-service training on disabilities, and future training courses should include education of children with disabilities. In-service training programmes of two to three weeks’ duration for general educators and special educators in all the disabilities and in specific areas of disability are essential to effectively teach children with disabilities. Pre-service programmes at degree and post-graduate levels are necessary to improve the quality of teacher training and to promote research and development activities in the field of special education. All universities should have a department of special education to promote education of children with disabilities.  There should be separate training programmes for staff working in Community Based Rehabilitation programmes. The preparation of teachers for rural special education programmes should be planned differently, as the aim of these programmes would be to integrate disabled persons in their own environment and community. Periodic evaluation of the training programmes and constant updating to meet the challenges of changing trends in special education should be part of the planning of teacher preparation.  The curriculum for each of the above programmes should be carefully developed by an expert group which includes practicing special teachers. The feedback   from the teachers is imperative in making the correct decisions about the content.