Special education for children with disabilities is a complex field of study. There are people on all parts of the disability spectrum that require assistance in terms of educational advancement; some people who receive special education are extraordinarily intelligent, while others are average, and some are intellectually disabled (Johnson & Kastner, 2005). Although sometimes associated only with individuals with intellectual disabilities, special education processes and facilities can often be made available to children and young adults with many different sets of needs (Turnbull et al., 2013; Murphy & Carbone, 2008). One of the most important facets of special education is that it allows individuals of all ability levels access to education that they might not be able to access otherwise.
There are, of course, difficulties associated with special education. Becoming a special education instructor requires many years of study, and many instructors will focus on a particular type of disability— to become excellent at dealing with that disability and providing care for individuals who are struggling with that disability (Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, 2005). The term “special education” encompasses children and young people with communication disorders, emotional disorders, behavior disorders, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and physical disabilities, like blindness (King et al., 2003; Turnbull et al., 2013).
The facilities available for special education vary heavily by location. For many types of learning and intellectual disabilities, early recognition of these disabilities is very important; some conditions become apparent at birth or even before birth— like Downs Syndrome, for instance— but others are not apparent until the child begins his or her schooling process (King et al., 2003; Seligman & Darling, 2009). Identification of the problems that a child is potentially facing is one of the most important facets of the special education process. Recognizing potential problems will help an instructor funnel a child into the program that is most appropriate for his or her ability level.
There are facilities available in many countries that are designed to provide individuals with special needs with the skills that they need for success. However, different levels of disability define success differently; while an individual with Downs Syndrome might struggle to live independently forever, an individual on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum might not struggle as much with the same process. Setting achievable goals within the facility setting helps individuals of all levels of intellectual, physical, and learning disability reach their highest level of potential.
Mental and intellectual disability can be a difficult thing for many to overcome, and families with children who have mental and intellectual disabilities often need assistance dealing with these disabilities. There is sometimes a sense that asking for help is akin to failing a child with a mental or intellectual disability, but this is absolutely not the case. When children are born with these levels of disability, families need all the support from experts that they can get— and there is absolutely no shame in seeking out help and assistance from experts when it comes to maximizing a child’s ability to function with a severe mental and intellectual disability. Facilities for these types of disabilities should focus on goal-setting and integration with the family. Family should be involved with the child, and they should be able to interact regularly even in an inpatient environment. Parents and other siblings should also be educated on how to cope emotionally and intellectually with the fact that their loved one has a disability and will continue to have a disability throughout their entire lives.
Physical disability presents its own set of challenges for families. When a child is physically disabled, he or she— depending on the magnitude of the disability— will often struggle with tasks or with day to day activities that other individuals might not struggle with. Accessing facilities like schools should be possible for individuals with all levels of disability, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. Special education facilities are also designed to help children and other individuals with disabilities access educational structures in ways that these children would often be unable to access. Sometimes, a push is made for “mainstreaming” individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities; some individuals are able to function in a mainstream classroom, while others require the assistance and the general support made available in a special education facility. Much of the design of the special education classroom and the facilities are based on need of the individuals who are served by these facilities; when there is a need for more support, individuals with physical disabilities must be taken care of by the special education facility.
Sometimes, children come into the special education classroom with a combination of physical, mental, and intellectual disabilities. These children are often the most difficult to assist, because they have a plethora of different problems that must be addressed before they can meet their goals and reach the highest level of achievement. Physical difficulty can be difficult to overcome even when an individual is in possession of his or her full mental faculties; when struggling intellectually, a physical difficulty and overcoming these disabilities can be very difficult and taxing for the individual. The struggles associated with these disabilities are immense, and families often find it very hard to deal with these problems alone.
As a result, special education facilities and structures must be ready to help families whose children have a variety of different problems. Although these different problems might seem overwhelming to the family, an expert at a special education program will be able to design a program for a student based on that student’s needs and the abilities that the student has the ability to attain. Having realistic expectations for students is important, but there is no need to believe that improvement is impossible in most cases.
On a personal note, I have a younger sister with Downs Syndrome; the process that my family has gone through to support my younger sister has been difficult and harrowing. There have been good days and bad days, but the support that we have always gotten from the special education facilities has been very important in our journey to care for her and to provide for her needs. Today, she functions better than she ever has before, and there is no reason to believe that she will not continue to improve over time. Perhaps she will never live independently, but because of the professionals in the special education system, she will someday be able to make decisions for herself and she will be able to control little facets of her life independently. It has been amazing watching her grown and change under their instruction.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
*INCLUDE PERSONAL ACCOUNT
REFERENCES
Johnson, C. P., & Kastner, T. A. (2005). Helping families raise children with special health care needs at home. Pediatrics, 115(2), 507-511.
King, G., Lawm, M., King, S., Rosenbaum, P., Kertoy, M. K., & Young, N. L. (2003). A conceptual model of the factors affecting the recreation and leisure participation of children with disabilities. Physical & occupational therapy in pediatrics, 23(1), 63-90.
Murphy, N. A., & Carbone, P. S. (2008). Promoting the participation of children with disabilities in sports, recreation, and physical activities. Pediatrics, 121(5), 1057-1061.
Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. (2005). Improving the life chances of disabled people. Final Report. HMSO. London.
Seligman, M., & Darling, R. B. (2009). Ordinary families, special children: A systems approach to childhood disability. Guilford Press.
Turnbull, A., Turnbull, H. R., Wehmeyer, M. L., & Shogren, K. A. (2013). Exceptional lives: Special education in today's schools. Columbus, OH: Pearson.
