Part 1
Part 2
Children with special needs need special attention for them to be able to reach their full potential. This is because, despite the normal challenges that are faced by the others, children with special needs have physical challenges that hinder their smooth learning. In this part of the report, we examine the programs and policies that have been put in place to assist these needy students to enhance their learning abilities.
The local education board seems to have instituted policy measures and programs to ensure that students with learning disabilities are integrated into the learning process effectively and every measure is taken to ensure that no form of discrimination is allowed.
The most basic policy which has been instituted in the school system is the adoption of normal classroom learning for all the students with learning disabilities and communication disorders. Such students are taught in the normal classroom setting with other students who do not suffer from such disabilities. In this way, discrimination is avoided and the students get all the necessary academic attention from their teachers.
Another policy which has been integrated into the policy framework is the use of special education teachers. Since ordinary teachers may find it difficult to deal with the issues that arise in dealing with students with communication disorders and learning disabilities, the use of special education teachers in dealing with such challenges. With the use of special education teachers, the challenges that students with communication disorders and learning disabilities are dealt with more effectively both in and out of the classroom.
Another policy which has been successful in the dealing with the challenges occasioned by communication disorders and learning disabilities is the collaboration of health services with the education sector. This collaboration is important because it enables the inclusion of educators, speech and language specialists, physical therapists and other health specialists in the development of personal plans for the students who have challenges as a result of these disabilities or disorders.
One last policy is the involvement of parents in the address of the problems associated with learning disabilities. In order to fully involve parents in the learning process of their students, it’s important to make reference to the definition of learning disabilities so that they fully comprehend the characteristics and interventions necessary for this form of disability. Learning disability is defined as the presence of a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological process involved in the understanding or in using spoken or written language. One can know about such a disorder in a child if she/he shows an imperfect ability to listen, think, hold a conversation, read and write or do mathematical calculations.
This definition of learning disabilities includes conditions which may occur in children such as perpetual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, development aphasia and dyslexia. However, such children who have learning difficulties as a result of visual of motor disabilities, emotional disturbance or environmental or economic disadvantage are not classified as having learning disabilities.
Since the main aim of policies and procedures developed to assists students with disabilities is to ensure that students with disabilities reach their educational goals with more ease than they otherwise would, the use of these policies and procedures in practice is geared towards the same goal. One of the most observable traits of individualized education program meeting is the focus on the student and the need to make her/him feel that all the other participants have a genuine and sincere wish for the student’s success. In the IEP meetings, the student is put in such ease so that no other distractions are possible. The meeting are also tailored to in such a manner that every student’s needs are met in the most effective way possible.
For effectiveness of the practices with students with special needs, it is critical to analyse the specific needs of each student personally. Such an objective analysis is crucial to the development of an effective program for each specific student.
Another factor which contributes to such a personal program is the involvement of all the relevant parties. Educators, parents and the relevant specialists are involved in the program, and this has proved to be a successful collaboration since in most cases, there is considerable improvement in the performance of the student.
The adherence to both federal and state regulations governing the conduct of such programs also contributes to their success. All the participants in such meetings are required to have an understanding of the set policies and procedures for conducting such personal programs and this contributes significantly towards their effectiveness.
The role of the teacher in the development of language and speech cannot be overemphasized. An interview with a speech and language specialist, Catherine Parero from the University of Manchester reveals that the best way to influence positive development of a student with speech difficulties would be through an initial analysis of the speech impairment of the student and then developing the best program of dealing with the issue. This would require input from all the relevant stakeholders such as the teacher, the parents and health service providers. To be effective in this, as the teacher I would be required to provide enough time for the speech specialist to be with the student and determine the needs of the student. My input would also be in terms of my observations of the progress of the student, the type of speech difficulties experienced by the student, the strengths and weaknesses of the student and provide other relevant facts that may be required of me as the teacher. I would also evaluate progress of the speech therapist over time by recording improvements by the students and advising accordingly.
An interview with some parents of some of the students with leaning disabilities and communication disorders seems to corroborate the information from the specialist. Parents want teachers to design adequate policies that assist students to fully integrate with the other learners in the classroom as this enables the affected students to fit in very well with the outside society.
The parents were also categorical that they would wish teachers to provide the best specialist help possible to their children to ensure that they overcome the challenges occasioned by the learning disorders. As such, the parents were of the opinion that special education teachers and other relevant specialists should be integrated in the learning process for students with learning disabilities and students with communication disorders.
References
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