Organization and Administration of Special Education Programs

SPECIAL EDUCATION It is an 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.

It can be differentiated from regular education by its curriculum- some children need intensive, systematic instruction to learn skills that normally developing children acquire naturally. It provides learning opportunities that are not provided in standard or regular school curricula or by regular school services.

WHERE Schools – special and regular schools; therapy or early intervention centers; home; vocational

centers ; community

HOW Use of varied teaching methods and strategies Special educators should be skilled in the procedures for systematically designing, implementing

and evaluating instruction.

SPECIAL EDUCATION as INTERVENTION Intervention is a general name for all efforts in behalf of individuals with disabilities. The goal of SPED is to eliminate or at least reduced the obstacles that might keep a child or adult

with disabilities from full and active participation in school and society. Preventive Techniques :

- Social and educational programs to stimulate infants and very young children to acquire skills that most children learn normally and without help.

- Remedial Programs- Compensatory Efforts (Aims to give an individual some kind of asset to be able to use tools

and techniques for meeting learning needs.

EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN Whose special needs or abilities necessitate an individualized program of education. Refers to individuals who differ from societal or community standards of normalcy. Differ from the norm either below or above to such an extent that an individualized program of

special education is required to meet their needs. Defines the exceptional child as one who deviates from the average or normal child. It is an inclusive term that refers to individuals with learning or behavior problems, individuals

with physical and sensory disabilities and those who are intellectually gifted.

Classification of Exceptionalities

Autism Deafness Deaf-Blindness Hearing Impairment Mental Retardation

Multiple Disabilities Orthopedic Impairment Health Impairment Serious Emotional disturbance Specific Learning Disability Speech or Language Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Impairment Gifted and Talented

Disability – refers to an individual to do something in a certain way; an incapacity to perform as other individuals due to impairments in sensory, physical, cognitive and other areas of functioning.

- Refers to the loss or reduced function of a particular body part or organ- Synonymous to impairment- It limits the ability to perform certain tasks- A disabled person is not handicapped unless the physical disability leads to educational,

personal, social, vocational and other problems

Handicap – refers to the problems that an individual with a disability encounters as he or she attempts to function or interact in his or her environment; this term is used when explaining the consequences or impact imposed on the individual by his or her disability.

BRIEF HISTORY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

17TH Century Categories – idiots and insane Children were put in asylums – no

categories No education or intervention

18th Century Effective procedures were developed, were revised for teaching children with sensory impairments

Programs for the blind and the deaf19th Century First systematic attempts were made to

educate the idiotic and the insane – mental retardation and emotional/ behavioral problems

Ideas of Democracy in France and America Change in attitude Political reformers and leaders in medicine

and education began to champion the cause of handicapped children and adults

Urged that the “imperfect” and “incomplete” individuals

(physically disabled) be taught skills that would allow them to be independent and productive citizens

Desire to protect and defend handicapped people

Sought to normalize exceptional children to the greatest extent possible

20th Century Recognition of children and people with exceptionalities

Establishing rights Creation of laws and legislation for the

care and protection of exceptional children Focus on education Creation of specific educational programs

for each exceptionality Mainstreaming and inclusion

Brief History of SPED in the Philippines

1908 SPED in the Philippines started1952 Pilot school for the Special Education (at the

Philippine Women’s University) of the Mentally handicapped children was started.

1963 Republic Act No. 3652 (June 1963), an act to promote the education for the Blind in the Philippines which was established teacher training course and Philippine National School for the Blind.

1964 Philippine Normal College offered courses in SPED for teaching the Blind wherein 14 elementary school teachers were selected for training.

Goal of Special Education (From Article I, Section 5 of Child and Youth Welfare Code PD No. 603)

1. Integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community.

2. To meet the individual educational needs of the learners and, to the extent possible, prepare them for going to a more regular classroom setting.

3. Special Educational programs must focus on helping the learners develop academic skills, self-help skills, social proficiency, a positive attitude and self-confidence.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

-is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early

intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities. It addresses the

educational needs of children with disabilities from age 3 to age 18 or 21 in cases that involve 14

specified categories of disability.

In defining the purpose of special education, IDEA 2004 clarifies Congress’ intended outcome for each

child with a disability: students must be provided a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that

prepares them for further education, employment and independent living.

Under IDEA 2004:

Special education and related services should be designed to meet the unique learning needs of

eligible children with disabilities, preschool through age 21.

Students with disabilities should be prepared for further education, employment and independent

living.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

- An IEP defines the individualized objectives of a child who has been found with a disability, as defined by federal regulations. The IEP is intended to help children reach educational goals more easily than they otherwise would. In all cases the IEP must be tailored to the individual student's needs as identified by the IEP evaluation process, and must especially help teachers and related service providers (such as paraprofessional educators) understand the student's disability and how the disability affects the learning process.

-The IEP describes how the student learns, how the student best demonstrates that learning and what teachers and service providers will do to help the student learn more effectively. Developing an IEP requires assessing students in all areas related to the known disabilities, simultaneously considering ability to access the general curriculum, considering how the disability affects the student’s learning, forming goals and objectives that correspond to the needs of the student, and choosing a placement in the least restrictive environment possible for the student.

- An IEP is meant to ensure that students receive an appropriate placement, not "only" special education classrooms or special schools. It is meant to give the student a chance to participate in "normal" school culture and academics as much as is possible for that individual student. In this way, the student is able to have specialized assistance only when such assistance is absolutely necessary, and otherwise maintains the freedom to interact with and participate in the activities of his or her more general school peers.

Dizon’s Concept of Normalization

a. Integration

-consist of placing the special learner in the regular class in one or more subjects, so that he can interact with regular children with the SPED class as his station; may include tutorials and involve ancillary or auxiliary services.

b. Mainstreaming

- in the context of education, is the practice of educating students with special needs in regular

classes during specific time periods based on their skills.[1] This means regular education classes are

combined with special education classes. Schools that practice mainstreaming believe that students with

special needs who cannot function in a regular classroom to a certain extent "belong" to the special

education environment.[2]

Benefits of Mainstreaming to Students with Disabilities

1. Higher academic achievement:

2. Higher self-esteem

3. Better social skills

c. Inclusion

- wherein the special learner is placed in the regular class based on age; regardless of the background, disability and degree of severity. This is no pull out and no shadow teaching.

d. Segregation

- A segregated student attends no classes with non-disabled students. He or she might attend

a special school that only enrolls other students with disabilities, or might be placed in a dedicated, self-

contained classroom in a school that also enrolls general education students.

Some students may be confined to a hospital due to a medical condition and are thus eligible for tutoring services provided by a school district. Less common alternatives include homeschooling and, particularly in developing countries, exclusion from education

Possible placement options:

1. Special Education Class with learners who are 2 to 10 years old and the maximum size may vary from 4 to 7 with one SPED Teacher and one teacher aide

NOTE: Placement in special class shall be temporary and not terminal, thus a continuous process is essential

2. Resource Class has specially trained SPED Teachers who provide instruction to exceptional learners for part of the school days, either individually or in small groups. Learners with special needs come here for one or several periods during the school days to receive individualized instruction

3. Self-contained class has learners who are with other individuals with special needs for all or most of the school day to receive individual instruction

NOTE: The propose case load for a resource class or self-contained class must have a maximum of only 5 learners with special needs.

4. Integrated/Mainstreamed/Inclusive Class has following function inside the regular classroom that:

Establishes and maintains a warm accepting classroom community that embraces discriminating and honor differences

Complements multilateral and multimodality classroom

Prepares supports teachers to teach interestingly, and

Provide ongoing support for teachers in their classrooms and breaking down barriers of professional isolation

5. Occupational Therapy Class wherein occupational therapy session is being held

6. Physical Therapy Class wherein physical therapy session is being held.

Legal Foundations of Special Education

A. In the Philippines

Care and Protection of Disabled Children (C.A. 3203)- The rights of every child in the Philippines to live in an environment conducive to his

physical , moral and intellectual development and the duty of the government to promote the full growth of every child.

White Cane Act (R.A 6759)- Declared the 1st day of August each year as “White Cane Safety Day”, white can being the

symbol of the need of blind persons.

The Economic Independence of Disabled Persons Act (S.B. 1730)- Requires that all governmental agencies, instrumentalities and government owned and

controlled corporations to source at least ten percent of their supplies and equipment requirements from cooperatives of PWDs that are engaged in the manufacturing and fabrication in order to support their economic independence.

The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons ( R.A. 7277)- Affirms the full participation and total integration of persons with disabilities into the

mainstream of our society by giving them equal opportunities to develop their skills and potentials and affording them equal access to the basic services extended by the government.

B. In the US

IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)- States that children with disabilities are to be educated to the maximum extent with

children who do not have disabilities.ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)

- Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in private sector employment; services rendered by state and local governments; places of public accommodations; transportation; telecommunications relay systems.

Rehabilitation Act 504 - No otherwise qualified individual with disabilities in the United States… shall solely by

reason of his disabilities, “be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program, or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…”

NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act- Was signed on Jan. 8 , 2002 which reauthorized and replaced the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act of 1965, the federal framework for how public education throughout the US is provided. Its overall aim is to have all students performing at proficient levels in the two educational cornerstones, Reading and Math, by year 2014.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004)- Outlined changed to IDEA 1997 wherein one of them states that benchmarks and short-term

objectives written into the IEP’s are no longer required for many learners, reducing the amount of IEP paperwork.

Difference between Special Education and Regular (General Education)

Kind Of Learners Children with Special needs who necessitate individualized

Regular Learners

Number of Learners For one-on-one: 1For group: 3-4For resource group : 5-10

Private School: 35-50Public School: 50-60 or more

Emphasis On the given intervention On the curriculum and the mastery of skills established within the curriculum

Curriculum Attention Skills (ADHD), Memory Skills (MR), Braille (VI), Sign Language (HI), Auditory and Visual Perception (LD), Anger Management (Emotional/ Behavioral Disturbance), Creative and Critical Thinking Skills (Giftedness), Functional Academics (Autism)

English, Reading, Math, Makabayan…..

Who dictates the curriculum Individual needs of the child School Systems (DECS)Instruction Intensive Systematic Instruction Generalized InstructionReceived Instruction from? SPED teachers, Occupational

Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Pathologist

Regular Teachers (Subject Teachers)

Primary Function Of SPED Teacher:To meet the goals and objectives established in the IEP

Of Regular Teacher:To teach the curriculum

Type of Classroom SPED Classroom, Self-contained Room, Resource Room, Mainstream Class

Regular Classroom

Class Size

Exceptionality One Grade Level Multi-grade or Multi-LevelGifted/Fast Learner 30-35 15-20Mentally Retarded 8-15 8-10Blind 7-10 5-6Deaf 7-15 6-8Behavior Problems 15-20 7-12Orthopedically Handicapped 10-15 10-15Speech defective 10-15 10-15Learning Disabled 7-10 5-6Multiple Handicapped 5-8 3-6

Laws for Special Education (Philippines)

Republic Act 7277 (Magna Carta for Disabled Persons)

This act provides for the rights and privileges of the disabled persons and their integration into the mainstream of the society. The State acknowledges the disabled persons as part of the society and that their full potentials have to be developed and improved to achieve total well-being so that they will become independent and functional into the mainstream of the society. For this reason Republic Act 7277 – Magna Carta for the Disabled Persons has been adopted to ensure their rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance, thereby achieving necessary skills and capabilities to take their essential part in the community.

Every citizen should be involved in giving equal rights to the disabled persons that of any other person in the society. Like any other people, the disabled persons should live free and independent as possible without the discrimination from the society where they belong. The rehabilitation of the disabled persons should be geared towards community-based programs to encourage full support and participation from the different sectors in the community. The private sectors are also encouraged to extend their role as partners of the State in the society to foster welfare of disabled persons in programs aimed to respond to their specific special needs. Thus, cultivating full capabilities of the disabled persons and eventually attain productive and fulfilling life.

The State encourages everyone to uphold respect for the disabled persons to make possible their integration into the mainstream society. It also makes all the efforts to eradicate hindrances that are discriminating the capabilities and potentials of the disabled persons.

14th Congress

Senate Bill No. 2020SPECIAL EDUCATION ACT OF 2008 (Filed on January 29, 2008 by Defensor Santiago, Miriam, Pimentel Jr., Aquilino Q., Honasan II, Gregorio B., Ejercito-Estrada, Jinggoy P., Gordon, Richard "Dick" J.)

Special education refers to the arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to address the needs of students with learning differences, mental health issues, physical and developmental disabilities, and giftedness. Provision of special education is inferred from two provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Article II, Section 17 provides that the state must give priority to education, while Article XIV, Section 1 guarantees that this education be accessible to all: appropriate steps must be taken.

Chapter II of Title II of the Magna Carta for Disable Persons, RA 7277, introduced some rules on special education in the Philippines. Sec. 12 mandates that the "State shall take into consideration the special requirements of disabled persons in the formulation of educational policies and programs." On the other hand, learning institutions are encouraged "to take into account the special needs of disabled persons with respect to the use of school facilities, class schedules, physical education requirements, and other pertinent consideration." Specifically, learning institutions are encouraged to provide "auxiliary services that will facilitate the learning process for disabled persons." Sec. 14 of RA 7277 provides that the State "shall establish, maintain and support complete, adequate and integrated system of special education for the visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded persons and other types of exceptional children in all regions of the country."

However, AFAIK, there is still no comprehensive law which mandates special education in the Philippines. There are two pending Senate bills: SB No. 517, the Please register to see links., introduced by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and SB No. 2020, the Please register to see links., introduced by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago. Both are still pending on the Committee Level. Sen. Estrada's bill proposes the establishment of special education centers in strategic places to be able to provide accessible services for children with special needs. It mandates that there should be at least one Special Education Center for each school division, and at least three SpEd Centers for school divisions with Children with Special Needs (CSN). Furthermore, it mandates that the State shall institutionalize an adequate and relevant educational program for every child with special needs (Sec. 2). The bill seeks to empower the parents of CSN, by providing them with information about the full continuum of services and possible placement options (Sec. 3, para. d). It further seeks to empower the teachers and other caregivers by providing them with the capability to identify, refer and intervene with developmental disorders and disabilities (Sec. 3, para. e). (I hate the word "prevent" which is actually used in the bill.) But perhaps, the most lofty ideal as identified by the bill is to "effectuate significant and positive changes in community attitudes towards disability and the need to provide special education, care and other needs of children with special needs. (Sec. 3, para. g)."

The putative Special Education Act of 2007 identifies ten groups of Children with Special Needs (CSNs) (Sec. 4, para. f):

1. gifted children and fast learners

2. mentally handicapped/mentally retarded

3. visually impaired

4. hearing impaired

5. children with behavior problems

6. orthopedically handicapped

7. children with special health problems

8. children with learning disabilities (perceptual handicap, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia)

9. speech impaired

10. persons with autism

Sen. Santiago's bill is substantially the same as Sen. Estrada's

However, these two bills just legislates something which DepEd had apparently been doing as early as 1997. In DepEd Order No. 27, s. 1997, all divisions where required to organize at least one SPED Center to cater to children with special needs. DepEd also has Please register to see links. under its Bureau of Elementary Education.

The ultimate goal of special education in the public schools, according to the Special Education Division of DepEd, is the integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community, following the principles of The Salamanca Statement on Principles, Policy and Practice in Special Education. Out of 84.4 million Filipinos, approximately 5.486 million (13%) are individuals with special needs. Around 4.8% are provided with appropriate educational services, but the 95.2% of those with exceptionalities are unserved. In 1995 to 1996 about 80,000 special needs children enrolled. 156,270 by school year 2004 to 2005: 77,152 were mentally gifted and 79,118 were children with disabilities:

40, 260 learning disabilities

11,597 hearing impaired

2,670 visually impaired

12,456 intellectually disabled

5,112 behavior issues

760 orthopedically disabled

5,172 children with autism

912 speech defectives

142 chronically ill

32 children with cerebral palsy