Educ 3

Chapter 1.2: Basic Concepts on Special & Inclusive Education

I. Understanding Inclusive Education (IE)

  • Definition: Inclusive Education is about putting the right to education into action by including all learners, respecting diverse needs, and eliminating discrimination.
  • Process: Involves strengthening the capacity of the education system to reach all learners and overcoming barriers that limit their presence, participation, and achievement.
  • Core Principle: In the Philippines, IE is a key standard of the K to 12 curriculum, which is learner-centered, culture-sensitive, and contextualized.
  • Primary Implementers: Teachers are the primary implementers of inclusive education as they address diverse learner needs.

II. Understanding Special Education (SpEd)

  • Definition: Special Education consists of classes or instruction specifically designed for students with disabilities, giftedness, and talents.
  • Special Educational Needs (SEN): A term used for children with impairments seen as requiring additional support.
  • Catered Needs: Refers to programs catering to educational needs apart from same-aged peers, involving a coordinated set of services through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

III. Key Concepts in Educational Placement

  • Exclusion: Occurs when students are directly or indirectly prevented from or denied access to education in any form.
  • Segregation: Education for students with disabilities is provided in separate environments, isolating them from students without disabilities.
  • Integration: The process of placing persons with disabilities in existing mainstream institutions, provided they can adjust to standardized requirements.
  • Mainstreaming: Learners join the regular class only when they can meet class expectations based on readiness; the learner must fit into the regular class.
  • Inclusion: A process of systemic reform where content, teaching methods, and structures are modified to provide an equitable and participatory environment for all.

IV. Philippine Inclusive Education

  • Definition: A process where all types of learners (Gifted & Talented, Indigenous People, Muslim People, those with Disabilities, and Alternative Learning) are given equal opportunities in non-discriminatory environments.
  • Setting: All learners participate in a mainstream classroom alongside age peers; the school adapts teaching and environment.
  • Ideal Class Size: 30–35 learners.

V. Comparison: Special Education vs. Inclusive Education

  • Placement:
    • In SpEd, learners are in special classes with others of the same condition.
    • In IE, they are in mainstream classrooms alongside age peers.
  • Curriculum:
    • SpEd uses a special curriculum based on the regular one.
    • IE uses the prescribed curriculum with adaptations.
  • Instruction:
    • SpEd is specialized and intensive.
    • IE provides good instruction with different strategies for different needs.
  • Teacher:
    • SpEd is overseen by a Special Education teacher.
    • IE is overseen by a General Education teacher, sometimes with a shadow or SpEd teacher.
  • SpEd Ratios:
    • 1:1 for one-on-one instruction.
    • 3–4 for groups.
    • 5–10 for resource groups.

VI. Individualized Education Plan/Program (IEP)

  • Definition: A tailored program to identify and address specific strengths and limitations.
  • Focus: Addresses educational, social, behavioral, and physical development.

VII. Terms for Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN)

  • SWAN: Students with Additional Needs.
  • CSN: Children with Special Needs.
  • SEN: Students with Special Education Needs.
  • SEND: Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities.
  • LWD: Learners with Disabilities (the preferable term).
  • Note: The rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) are fundamental human rights, not special rights.

VIII. Teaching Strategies: Accommodation vs. Modification

  • Accommodation: Changes HOW a student learns the same material to meet the same expectations (e.g., extra time, audiobooks, speech-to-text).
  • Modification: Changes WHAT a student is taught or expected to learn (e.g., simplified content, shorter paragraph instead of a full essay).

IX. Disability Models

  • Medical Model: The person is seen as the problem; the individual needs to change; PWDs are viewed as "victims" or "clients".
  • Social Model: Society's barriers are the problem; the barriers need to be removed; PWDs have independence, control, and choice.

X. Proper Language (People First Policy)

  • Teachers must avoid discriminatory language and name-calling. Always put the person before the condition.
  • Correct Way: Person with an Intellectual Disability / Person with Mental Health Impairment.
  • Wrong Way: Intellectually Disabled, Mentally Retarded, Mentally ill, Insane, Abnormal.

Chapter 2: Historical, Philosophical, Theoretical, and Legal Foundations

I. Historical Eras of Treatment

  • Era of Extermination: During ancient Greek and Roman eras, disability was seen as a punishment from God, leading to infanticide.
  • Era of Ridicule: In the Middle Ages, persons with disabilities were used as servants, fools, or clowns.
  • Era of Asylum: During the Renaissance, the Catholic Church began providing more humane treatment, though individuals were often kept in isolation and deemed uneducable.

II. Key Figures in Special Education History

  • Pedro Ponce de Leon (1578): Provided education to deaf children from nobility.
  • Louis Braille (1829): Invented the Braille script for the blind.
  • Jean Marc Itard: Known for his work with "Victor," the wild boy of Aveyron, proving those deemed uneducable could learn.
  • Samuel Kirk: Coined the term "learning disabilities" in 1963.

III. Evolution Toward Inclusion

  • Pressures for Inclusion:
    • Ethical/Moral pressure: Rights-based arguments for inclusion.
    • Conceptual pressure: Emphasizes normalization and the “least restrictive environment.”
    • Economic pressure: The cost-effectiveness of bringing services to the child.
  • Global Landmarks:
    • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): Established principles of human rights.
    • Salamanca Statement (1994): Calls for inclusive education.
    • UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989): Highlights children's rights.

IV. Philippine Legal Foundations

  • 1907: Establishment of the Insular School for the Deaf and Blind.
  • RA 7277 (Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, 1992): Provides for the rights and privileges of PWDs.
  • RA 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013): Formally recognizes the inclusiveness of the K to 12 program.
  • DepEd Order 42, s. 2017 (PPST): Sets expectations for teachers to establish environments responsive to learner diversity.
  • CHED Memo 74–77, s. 2017: Requires all teacher education students to take a course on the Foundations of Special and Inclusive Education.

Chapter 3: Types, Characteristics, and Identification of Gifted and Talented Learners

I. Definitions of Giftedness

  • Definitions of giftedness can be categorized into five areas:
    1. After-the-fact Definitions: Those who consistently perform outstandingly in a valuable area.
    2. IQ Definitions: Based on a score above a specific cutoff point on an intelligence test (e.g., the top 5% of students).
    3. Percentage Definitions: Those belonging to a fixed proportion (e.g., top 5%) designated by a school or district.
    4. Talent Definitions: Those who excel in specific aesthetic (art, music) or academic (math, science) areas.
    5. Creativity Definitions: Those possessing superior creative abilities.

II. Characteristics of Gifted Learners

  • Intellectual Characteristics:
    • Exceptional reasoning.
    • Intellectual curiosity.
    • Rapid learning.
    • Complex thought processes.
  • Non-Intellectual Characteristics:
    • Can be domineering or competitive.
    • May have tunnel vision.
    • May become compulsive collectors.
  • Personality Characteristics:
    • High need for precision, logic, and mental stimulation.
    • Often show perfectionism.
    • May display nonconformity.
    • Strong sense of justice.

III. Profiles of Gifted Learners (Betts and Neihart)

  1. Type I: The Successful
    • Convergent thinkers who learn easily and seek approval.
  2. Type II: The Creative
    • Divergent thinkers who question authority and are at high risk for dropping out.
  3. Type III: The Underground
    • Hide their giftedness in order to fit in with non-gifted peers.
  4. Type IV: The At-risk
    • May become defensive or angry because their needs are unmet, often withdrawing or acting out.
  5. Type V: Twice Exceptional
    • Gifted but also physically or emotionally challenged; often overlooked by school programs.
  6. Type VI: The Autonomous Learner
    • Self-directed and adapts easily to the school system.

IV. Identification

  • Teachers can use Martinson's Screening Tool, which includes indicators such as:
    • Having an unusually good memory.
    • Being a leader in several activities.
    • Possessing a long attention span.

Chapter 4: Principles and Strategies of Teaching and Designing IEP

I. DepEd Inclusive Education Components

  1. Child Find:
    • Locating learners with disabilities or giftedness.
  2. Assessment:
    • Identifying strengths and limitations using formal and informal tools.
  3. Program Options:
    • Self-contained classes.
    • Inclusion (regular classroom placement).
    • Resource Rooms.
  4. Curriculum Modifications:
    • Adaptations in classroom instruction and learning delivery.
  5. Parental Involvement:
    • Parents may participate as observers, volunteers, or academic support providers.

II. Educational Strategies

  • Acceleration:
    • Advance placement from the learner's current level to a higher level, such as skipping a grade.
  • Enrichment:
    • Providing depth and intensity of learning beyond the prescribed curriculum.
  • Grouping Options:
    • Full-time Homogeneous:
      • Special schools or special classes.
    • Full-time Heterogeneous:
      • Cluster Groups (5–10 high-ability students within a regular class).
    • Part-time or Temporary:
      • Pullout programs, enrichment clusters, or special interest groups.

III. Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

  • An IEP is a customized annual written plan describing the learner's:
    • Current skills.
    • Strengths.
    • Learning goals.
  • It is developed by a multidisciplinary team such as teachers, psychologists, and special educators, and it is reviewed annually.

IV. Curriculum Differentiation (Lewis' 11 Forms)

  • Teachers can differentiate instruction through:
    • Content.
    • Interest.
    • Pace.
    • Access.
    • Outcome.
    • Curricular Sequence.
    • Structure.
    • Teacher Time.
    • Teaching Style.
    • Level.
    • Grouping.

V. Enrichment Strategies

  • Mentorships:
    • Learners work with professionals in particular fields.
  • Peer Tutoring:
    • Learners assist and tutor their classmates.
  • Questioning:
    • Teachers use Bloom's Taxonomy and open-ended questions to stimulate critical thinking.

Chapter 5: Trends and Issues in Teaching Gifted and Talented Learners

I. Twice-Exceptional (2e) Learners

  • These learners have exceptional abilities but also have impairments such as:
    • Learning disabilities.
    • ADHD.
    • Autism.

II. Types of Twice-Exceptional Learners

  • Gifted with Learning Disabilities (GLD):
    • Often show inconsistent academic performance; giftedness may mask the disability or vice versa.
  • Gifted with Autism:
    • May demonstrate extraordinary visual talents; can concentrate intensely and often experience difficulties in social skills and empathy.
  • Gifted with ADHD:
    • May appear disorganized or forgetful; giftedness does not protect them from ADHD symptoms.

III. Response to Intervention (RTI) Model

  • The RTI Model is a multi-tiered system of support:
    • Tier 1: Quality core instruction for all learners in the general education classroom.
    • Tier 2: More focused instruction in smaller groups for learners who do not meet benchmarks.
    • Tier 3: Intensive interventions, which in some models may involve Special Education services.

Chapter 6: Types, Characteristics, and Identification

I. Learners with Difficulty Seeing

  • Legal Definitions:
    • Visual Acuity: Ability to distinguish forms or discriminate details, often measured using the Snellen Eye Chart.
    • Legal Blindness: Visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with correction, or a field of vision no greater than 20 degrees.
    • Partially Sighted: Visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200 in the better eye after correction.
    • Tunnel Vision: Perception of viewing through a narrow tube where peripheral vision is poor.
  • Educational Definitions:
    • Visual Impairment: Vision loss that, even with correction, adversely affects educational performance.
    • Total Blindness: The learner receives no useful information through vision and relies on tactile and auditory senses for learning.
    • Functional Blindness: The learner learns primarily through tactile and auditory senses, but may use limited vision to supplement information.
  • Common Conditions:
    • Amblyopia: Reduction or loss of vision in the weaker eye, commonly called lazy eye.
    • Astigmatism: Distorted or blurred vision due to irregularities in the cornea or eye surfaces.
    • Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI): Impaired vision caused by damage to the visual cortex or optic nerve.
    • Hyperopia: Farsightedness, difficulty seeing near objects.
    • Myopia: Nearsightedness, where distant objects appear blurred.
    • Nystagmus: Rapid, involuntary back-and-forth movement of the eyes.
    • Strabismus: Inability to focus on the same object with both eyes due to muscle imbalance.
  • Identification Methods:
    • Observation of eye appearance such as reddening or encrusted eyelids.
    • Behavioral signs such as head tilting, losing place while reading, and poor eye–hand coordination.
    • Screening tools like the Snellen Chart or the Vision Services Severity Rating Scale (VSSRS).

II. Learners with Difficulty Hearing

  • Key Terms:
    • Deafness: Severe hearing loss where the learner is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing.
    • Hard of Hearing: A learner who can still use hearing to understand speech, often with the help of a hearing aid.
  • Measurement Units:
    • Decibels (dB): Measurement of the intensity or loudness of sound.
    • Hertz (Hz): Measurement of the frequency or pitch of sound.
  • Classifications by Severity:
    • Slight (27–40 dB): May miss discussions in noisy environments.
    • Mild (41–55 dB): Learners benefit from hearing aids and speech-language assistance.
    • Moderate (56–70 dB): Conversational speech becomes difficult unless it is loud and clear.
    • Severe (71–90 dB): Cannot hear normal conversation; may rely on speech and sign language.
    • Profound (91 dB or more): Vision becomes the primary learning modality; often uses sign language.
  • Types of Hearing Loss:
    • Conductive, Sensory, Neural, Mixed, Unilateral or Bilateral, Congenital or Acquired, Prelingual or Postlingual.

III. Learners with Difficulty Communicating

  • Dimensions of Language:
    • Language consists of five dimensions: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics.
  • Communication Disorders:
    • Speech or Language Impairment: Includes stuttering, impaired articulation, or voice impairment.
    • Receptive Language Disorder: Difficulty understanding sounds, words, or language meaning.
    • Expressive Language Disorder: Difficulty forming or expressing ideas and phrases, such as in aphasia.
  • Fluency Disorders:
    • Stuttering: Rapid repetitions or interruptions in speech.
    • Cluttering: Excessively fast speech with irregular rhythm and repetitions.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
    • A developmental disability that affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction; characterized by restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior.

Chapter 7: Principles and Strategies of Teaching and Designing IEP

I. General Strategies for Teachers

  • Teachers should:
    • Conduct background checks on students’ talents and medical conditions.
    • Establish rapport and follow the People First Policy.
    • Treat learners as regular students while providing necessary accommodations.

II. Specific Educational Approaches

  • For Blindness:
    • Braille: A tactile reading and writing system.
    • Tactile Books: Include Experience Books, Object Books, Routine Books, Theme Books.
    • Expanded Core Curriculum: Focuses on skills such as Orientation and Mobility (O&M) and Listening Skills.
    • Sighted Guide Technique: A method where a sighted person assists a person with visual impairment in walking safely.
  • For Low Vision:
    • Teachers may use optical aids such as glasses and magnifiers, large print materials (14–24 point type), and proper classroom lighting adjustments.
  • For Hearing Impairment:
    • Support may include hearing aids, assistive listening systems (ALS), cochlear implants, and Filipino sign language (FSL).
  • For Communication Disorders:
    • Discrimination Activities: Helping learners distinguish between similar sounds.
    • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Use of gestures, symbols, or electronic communication devices.
  • For Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
    • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): A behavioral approach that increases positive behaviors and learning skills.
    • Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): Uses pictures to help learners communicate requests.
    • Social Stories: Visual narratives that explain social situations and appropriate behaviors.

Chapter 8: Trends and Issues

I. Social Communication

  • Collaboration between parents and teachers is important for:
    • Setting learning goals.
    • Reducing challenging behaviors.
    • Improving communication skills.

II. Social Cognitive Strategies

  • Interventions should focus on functional communication skills, including:
    • Conversational language.
    • Making requests.
    • Developing narrative or storytelling skills.

III. Remedial Teaching

  • Research shows that many teachers feel they lack formal training and adequate information to support learners with language disorders effectively.

IV. Challenges

  • Challenges for Children:
    • Lack of self-confidence.
    • Withdrawal from social interaction.
  • Challenges for Parents:
    • Difficulty finding specialists.
    • Financial burden of therapy and services.
  • Challenges for Teachers:
    • Difficulty identifying quiet or withdrawn students.
    • Challenges in implementing specialized curriculum and teaching strategies.