Category: Children with Disabilities

1.1 Introduction Every child is unique. Every child has the right to develop fully.

But, the day-to-day tasks which can be done by a normal child take more time for the differently abled or not at all. It can be said that children with disabilities have a long history of being neglected, discriminated against, pity, excluded, and marginalized as a group. According to estimates, there are around 93 million children with disabilities in the world although the numbers could be more. They are most likely to be from the poorest section of the society. They are less likely to be heard, to be educated formally or access medical services (UNICEF, 2018).

Disability is defined as “an environmentally contextualized health-related limitation in a child’s existing or emergent capacity to perform developmentally appropriate activities and participate, as desired in the society” by Neal Haflon and Kandyce Larson from the University of California- Los Angeles and Paul Newacheck and Amy Houtrow from University of California (Currie & Kahn, Spring 2012). The definition clearly states that the limitation is perceived more so socially than how it is biologically.

In many academic works, disability has been given negative connotations and is generally associated with the inability to overcome everyday tasks. Many academic writings look at how disability as such is equated with low socio-economic and health status.

Defining disability as a limitation rather than a health condition per se highlights the social and technological context of the individual. In a world with electric wheelchairs, for example, a child with impaired mobility will be less disabled than he or she would be otherwise (Currie & Kahn, Spring 2012). It follows from this that one’s environment and society shape the way in which disability is perceived or not. Family, schools, communities, peer groups as institutions, and technological advances which ease in day-to-day activities have a major role in perceiving the “disabled”.

International conventions such as the 1989 UN Convention on Rights of the Child, the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and domestic initiatives such as the National Plan of Action for Children 2016, the Right to Education in India since 2009, etc. were framed keeping in mind the need to include the differently abled from a rights-based view for access to formal and regular education. Despite the numerous initiatives in this regard, fruitful gains haven’t been observed in the society today.

But, there have been some exceptions among them who have overcome their disability and have worked towards breaking the barriers. Even common things like mobility and access to schools and colleges, a decent employment based on one’s educational qualifications, etc. i.e. things which are accessible and available to normal children which these children are trying to seek. Thus, resilience can be defined as the ability of a person to develop positively in spite of an adversity in their life. It is a quality that enables better performance among the people. Although resilience is generally associated with a successful way of living to extreme events such as war, natural calamities or poverty, it may also be involved in the responses to the everyday social, physical and intellectual challenges that children face. According to Masten (2013), Children’s resilience depends more on the adaptive functioning of their internal systems in addition to the interactions among many other external systems in their lives.

In today’s world, where young children can experience many forms of adverse situations which have varying degrees a child not being able to express themselves fully may qualify as a mildly adverse situation while being exposed to domestic violence or war will be severe (Masten, 2013). Adding to physical or mental limitations, the children with disabilities also have challenges which might be normal for other children such as social interaction, access to infrastructure, going to school, completing one’s work, etc. which might seem like magnifying the problem at hand along with facing the regular share of issues for other children.

Taking the case of the education sector, for many years now, it has ignored the idea of integrating the Children with Disabilities in regular schools in its implementation. This stems from the idea of how disability is generally seen as a deviance from normality resulting in discrimination and disadvantage.

Although many countries have laws and certain standards for ensuring greater access to the CWD in terms of education, there are still gaps observed. Take the case of India, the Samagara Shiksha Abhiyan by the government of India envisions inclusive education as part of the education policy. Under the scheme, components such as increasing not only enrolment for CWD in mainstream schools but also removal of barriers for them, access to aids, teacher training, and home-based school education are all part of it. Implementation of the scheme through coordination between the stakeholders is still a challenge (UNESCO, 2019). There is a need to thus highlight the key dimensions involved in education of CWD to further understand how some of them are able to be resilient. This will provide a direction to the policymakers, practitioners, and others on the best ways to further increase access to and participation of CWD in regular schools.

1.2 The Concept of Inclusive Education

There are many inequalities in the educational opportunities based on region, sex, caste, household income, disability, ethnicity, etc. Despite many efforts to reform the system, different kinds of inequality still persist in our educational system. As Coleman (1966) points out, that genuine or perfect equality requires that the schools produce equal results. But, the schools too like other institutions are a reflection of what goes on in the society.

Today, there is a thrust towards ‘inclusion’ in terms of including all which lies at the heart of the social and educational policy. According to Mittler (2000), “inclusion in the field of education involves a process of reform and restructuring of the school as a whole with the aim of ensuring that all pupils can have access to the whole range of educational and social opportunities offered by the school”. The simple idea here is that inclusion should allow access to and allow participation to all children enrolled in the range of activities which the school conducts to benefit all the children – from different races, gender, those with disabilities, ethnic or linguistic minorities, etc. who are generally at the risk of exclusion.

The concept of ‘Inclusive education’ in came up in the late 1980s. It was to be an alternative to special education and thus expanded the responsibilities of school systems to increase access, participation, and opportunities to learn for those who were generally excluded from regular education (Kozleski & Yu, 2016). Thus, inclusive education seems to bridge the gap rising due to inequality in education among children due to their social, economic, biological, or cultural factors.

In post-Independent India, a comprehensive review of the entire educational system and recommendation of a common school system of public education was proposed by the Kothari Commission (1964-66) where the goal of the common school system was to be open to all children irrespective of their differences in terms of race, caste, creed, social status, etc. But, it was the National Policy on Education (NPE, 1968) that focussed on efforts in the direction of the fulfillment of the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 45 of the Constitution where education for the children with disabilities was envisioned by expanding facilities for children with disabilities both physical and mental as well as integrating them into the regular school system. The concept of Inclusive Education has been given importance in the National Curriculum Framework, 2005, and fairly translates into the idea that it should embrace all (Julka, 2005). The author also says that although there is no particular operational definition in India of inclusive education, there is a general loose idea which is – “Inclusive education means all learners, young people- with or without disabilities being able to learn together in regular pre-school provisions, schools and community educational settings with appropriate network of support services”. This definition is one step ahead of integrated education wherein greater focus is on accommodating all the children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic, or other conditions. ReferencesColeman, J. S. (1966). Equality of Educational Opportunity. Washington D.C.: U S Government Printing Office.

1. Currie, J., & Kahn, R. (Spring 2012). Children with Disabilities: Introducing the Issue. The Future of Children Vol No. 22/ No. 1, 3-12.
2. Gizir, C. A., & Aydin, G. (2009). Protective Factors Contributing to the Academic Resilience of Students Living in Poverty in Turkey. Professional School Counselling Vol 13 No. 1 (Oct), 38-49.
3. Julka, A. (2005). Index for Developing Inclusive Schools. New Delhi: NCERT.
4. Karkkainen, R., Raty, h., & Kasanen, K. (2009). Parents’ perceptions of their child’s resilience and competencies. European Journal of Psychology of Education, Vol. 24, No. 3 (Sept), 405-419.
5. Kozleski, E. B., & Yu, I. (2016, September 28). Inclusive Education. Retrieved from Oxford Bibliographies: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756810/obo-9780199756810-0162.xml
6. Langeland, K. S., Manheim, D., McLeod, G., & Nacouzi, G. (2016). Definitions, Characteristics, and Assessments of Resilience. In K. S. Langeland, D. Manheim, G. McLeod, & G. Nacouzi, How Civil Institutions Build Resilience: Organisational Practices Derived from Academic Literature and Case Studies (pp. 5-10). Santa Monica: RAND Corporation.
7. Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The Construct of Resilience: A Critical Evaluation and Guidelines for Future Work. Child Development Vol 71 No. 3 June, 543-562.
8. Masten, A. S. (2013). Afterword: What we can Learn from Military Children and Families. The Future of Childre Vol. 23 No. 2, Military Children and Families (FALL), 199-212.
9. Masten, A. S. (2013, November 17). Resilience: Synthesis. Retrieved from Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development: http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/resilience/synthesis
10. MHRD. (2019, July ). Samagara Shiksha. Retrieved from MHRD: http://samagra.mhrd.gov.in/inclusive.html
11. Mittler, P. (2000). Working towards Inclusive Education: Social Contexts. New York: David Fulton Publishers.
12. UNESCO. (2019). State of the Education Report for India 2019 – Children with Disabilities. New Delhi: UNESCO.
13. Ungar, M. (2018). Systemic Resilience principles and processes for a science of change in contexts of adversity. Ecology and Society, Vol 23 No. 4 (Dec).
14. UNICEF. (2018, November 13). Introduction to Disabilities. Retrieved from UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/disabilities/

Investigation and Critical Analysis

“To what extent is the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 being breached within primary schools nationwide?

It is hard to imagine being discriminated against, harassed, and bullied due to a disability, underpinning an inherent part of the human condition (Feher, 2019). Moreover, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 (DDA) delivers protection for everyone in Australia against discrimination established on disability (Australian Network on Disability, 2019). In all parts of the world, disability is another influential breadth of human diversity like race, gender, and culture (Australian Government Department of Social Services, 2010). There are still widespread misconceptions and stereotypes about students with a disability, including, but not limited to, that they are a danger, an encumbrance, and even a “waste of time and educational resources” (Clarke, 2019). Moreover, it is not unusual to hear people express how they believe that students, with a disability, would be better off in institutions with “people of their own kind” (Feher, 2019). Sadly, they are at times often denied the opportunities to experience life, explore their potential, and achieve success, as it is assumed that their future is limited (Cologon, 2015). In a society whereby the values that dictate our lives include, power and wealth, physical ability, beauty, intelligence, autonomy, and self-control, many people with a disability are marginalized and devalued, due to misconceptions established in early education institutions (Human Rights Commission, 2018). However, the question that we should all be asking is, ‘Why is the Australian Government unable to provide adequate educational programs and support, which are suitable for all people, regardless of specific learning requirements?’ Comment by Georgia Williams: Or should I change it to Education?

Scope of the Study:

This investigation focuses on the Political and Legal Influences area of study. The intended outcome of this study is to conclude how primary schools comply with the DDA effectively to meet the diverse needs of learners and uphold the values upon the Act. This investigation aims to answer the question:

1. To what extent is the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 being breached within primary schools nationwide?
2. Thus, the following direct the discussion:

• How does discrimination and bullying from teachers and students influence disableyouth’shs education/ learning outcomes?
• To what extent does meeting the diverse needs of learners create the denial of opportunity of access to activities?
• What strategies can the Australian Government implement in order to support children with disabilities in schools? Comment by Georgia Williams: Or programs?Or: In what ways can the Australian Government better support learning outcomes and better support children with disabilities in schools? Comment by Georgia Williams: Or the Australian education system? Comment by Georgia Williams: Regardless of individual, specific needs

Methodology:

To achieve accurate and reliable information, this investigation will utilize both primary and secondary sources. Credible secondary sources, such as websites, magazine articles, review articles, and video lectures will be utilized to provide understanding and factual information into the research topic. Furthermore, this investigation will contain a number of primary sources through surveys, interviews, personal letters, diaries, and photographs. All results from surveys and interviews will be kept anonymous if requested, and it will be ensured that all participants will understand their ability to withdraw at any time. However, surveying parents and caregivers could lead to possible bias as people raise their children differently and thus, uphold different values, upbringing, culture, and beliefs. Moreover, the results will be cross-referenced with information sourced from secondary sources to ensure reliable conclusions. Comment by Georgia Williams: Academic journals? Comment by Georgia Williams: Do I need a better linking sentence?

How does discrimination in schools influence disabled youth’s education/ learning outcomes? Comment by Georgia Williams: Education experience

The Australian Government’s disability discrimination policy is designed to break down, to the greatest extent possible, the social and economic barriers that prevent participation in mainstream education for students with disability (Association for Children with Disability, 2018). The Australian Government aims to implement programs to assist in reducing discrimination in primary schools and truly focus on fair, balanced, and effective principles to widen the opportunities for young students, in mainstream classrooms with disability (Cologon, 2015). Furthermore, outcomes such as adequate learning resources, access to goods and services, and equal opportunities should be at the forefront of any developing program. It has been noted that all current initiatives and strategies have been declared as unsuccessful in reducing discrimination in primary schools as learning outcomes have not improved (Australian Government Department of Social Services, 2010). Moreover, the Australian Government aims to reduce early drop-out rates and works in partnership with countries such as China and India, to ensure that children with a disability are a leading priority in educational institutions (Australian Government Department of Education, 2018). Comment by Georgia Williams: Review sentence- trying to state how if children are comfortable in primary schools and early education, there are more likely going to enjoy high school, and thus, not drop out.

Figure 1: among students aged 3-14 who served under the Individuals with the Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) who exited school, percentage who exited for selected reasons, by race/ethnicity: School year 2016-17 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2018).

Furthermore, a study conducted by the Australian Education department found that students who had a negative experience in primary schools, were more likely to receive a certificate of completion, modified diploma, or similar document, but not meet the same standards for graduation as for students without disabilities, see Figure 1 (Australian Government- Department of Education, 2019). Discrimination faced among children with disabilities, such as physical, developmental, intellectual, emotional, and sensory disabilities are at an increased risk of being bullied and discriminated against in schools nationwide (State Government of Victoria, 2019). Moreover, the National Disability Strategy revealed that, in 2017-18, the number of students aged 3-8 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 3.5 million, or 16.09 percent of all public school students across Australia, see Figure 2 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2018). Thus, research has proved that bullying in early education has a detrimental impact on a child’s inability to concentrate, loss of interest in academic achievement, and vastly increases the chances of dropping out before high school (Australian Government- Department of Education, 2019). Comment by Georgia Williams: Change word Comment by Georgia Williams: Does this mean primary schools or moreso kidneys?

Figure 2: Percentage distribution of students aged 3-8 served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), by disability type: School year 2017-18 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2018).

However, a study conducted for the National Disability Strategy, revealed that the Australian Education system is chronically under-funded and staffed by teachers who received little or no training with regard to disability (Equal Opportunity Commission, 2019). Furthermore, through the study, parents reported frustration at their lack of choice of educational setting and thus, the desperate lengths they went to in order to ensure their child had basic needs addressed (Cologon, 2015). Furthermore, a recent study conducted by Disability Services Australia proved how in 2017, the percentage of students served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), who spent most of the school day inside general classes was highest for students with speech or language impairments (87 percent), see Figure 3 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2018). Sadly, many families have expressed feelings of frustration and despair regarding the education system, and ultimately believe that they were left to “fill the gaps” in the service system, in order to meet a significant proportion of their needs (Lenco, 2019).

Figure 3: students aged between 2-10 served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) percentage who spent various amounts of time inside general classes from January 2000 through January 201 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2018).

To what extent does meeting the diverse needs of learners create the denial of opportunity to access to activities?

Meeting the diverse needs of learners to grant equal opportunities and access activities is a contentious issue prevalent amongst schools nationwide. Inclusive education is an integral attribute of schooling and has the ability to dictate a number of economic, social, and individual returns, ultimately beholding the potential to shape lives (Feher, 2019). Moreover, the National Disability Strategy has given a significant improvement to such vision regarding “inclusive and equitable education,” with important international declarations and national legislations being established (Clarke, 2019). However, with such developments, it must be noted how the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 is being breached through the failure to “provide funding and provision of disability services in accordance with certain principles (Federal Register of Legislation, 2018).” As a result of this, children with disabilities in the Australian Education system are more likely to drop out before completing five years of primary schooling and are least likely to transition to secondary school or higher education (Australian Network on Disability, 2019). The Equal Opportunity Commission reported that the majority of caregivers with disabled children in the public education system believed it was created through a “one-size-fits-all” method, that hinders choice and opportunities (Lenco, 2019). Furthermore, this leads to the belief that government programs are structured around organizational needs, rather than focusing on the meeting the diverse needs of learners with disability (Australian Network on Disability, 2019). Furthermore, many caregivers argued that the service system is so fundamentally flawed as to be beyond “Band-Aid” solutions, requiring a paradigm shift to deliver lasting change (Feher, 2019). Thus, in order to meet the diverse needs of learners with disabilities requires the education system to evolve from a welfare model of service provision to a person-centered approach that sees services not as charity, but as a social investment in realizing the potential of students with disabilities, see Figure 4 (Australian Government Department of Social Services, 2010). Furthermore, more funded programs must be implemented in order to support learning outcomes and create an equal access to opportunities. Additionally, to meet the diverse needs of learners, teachers need better training and support underpinned by principles of inclusion. Comment by Georgia Williams: Or department.

Figure 4: developing country partners also plan to strengthen their education systems by addressing the educational needs of children with disabilities. Specific activities include improving disability data collection, scaling up inclusive education pilot projects, collecting data on children with disabilities, and ensuring effective coordination strategies between the various ministries responsible for supporting children with disabilities (Australian Network on Disability, 2019).

What strategies can the Australian Government implement in order to support children with disabilities in schools? Comment by Georgia Williams: How increased funding can assist, but is not the ‘cure’. Comment by Georgia Williams: Or the Australian education system?

The Australian Government are inadequately supporting children with disabilities by not providing essential learning support and by administering strategies to permeate without superseding. Australian schools, mostly, deliberately disregard disability standards through rejecting school places, denying the opportunity of access to activities, and offering minimal support to young students with disabilities (Millard, 2019). Research shows that this is becoming more of a concern, however, not a simple issue solvable via monetary funding (Lenco, 2019). In order for the Australian Government to effectively recognize all children as equal learners, holding an equal capability to succeed in life, regardless of their individual circumstances, will need to eradicate low expectations of students, as it will only contribute to depicting attitudes of discrimination and failure (Williams, 2019). Thus, it is integral to recognize that prisons are not full with kids who went to $40,000 private schools, perhaps they are full of people with speech problems and autism, who had a poor experience at school and did not receive enough support via school-based, government programs (Cologon, 2015). However, the lack of services and support only further barricade the options available for students with a disability, rather than a facilitator of their participation (Equal Opportunity Commission, 2019). Moreover, such a disability service system supported by the Australian Government has been classified as under-funded, under-resourced, and ultimately struggling against a plethora of unmet requirements (Millard, 2019). However, if the Australian Government increased their funding for programs by 10%, it will not only allow for adequate materials and staffing to be supplied but also increase attendance rates in schools by providing all-inclusive, supportive learning materials for all students (Clarke, 2019). However, it must be noted that personal, financial aid is available through the Disability Support Pension (DSP), which provides financial aid to Australians and their families (Cologon, 2015). Additionally, it was noted that in June 2015, 800,000 Australians with disability were receiving the DSP, See Figure 5 (Lenco, 2019). Furthermore, if the same funding was implemented in the Australian Education System, will enhance adequate staff training. Perhaps if the same funding was tailored to support all students, and schools were held accountable for their funding to certify it does support the students it is intended for (Williams, 2019). Thus, to develop a better strategy, with stronger budgeting for programs, the Australian government must consider how disability and mainstream policies can work in partnership, more efficiently and what new initiatives are required to sustain longevity for a better future of education (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2018). Comment by Georgia Williams: Might need to reword this…? Comment by Georgia Williams: Does this need capitals?

Figure 5: the Disability Support Pension, over 800, 000 Australians with disability were in receipt of DSP at the end of June 2015- equal to around 5 percent of the working-age population, and a further 100,000 people with disability were receiving other benefits such as Better Start allowance (Equal Opportunity Commission, 2019).

Conclusion:

Disability is a defining social, economic and worldwide issue, which is sadly still evident in Australian primary schools. It is an area in dire need of further acknowledgment, investigation, and funding to allow meaningful progress to be made to end the stigma surrounding disability. They need to address how people and families with disabilities want their human rights recognized and thus should be entitled to the same rights that everyone else in the community takes for granted. They need to allow self-determining programs to flourish such as Education for All and Better Start and actively promote such government programs better throughout schools. They have the aim to address additional factors such as having a real political and societal mandate to reduce the stigma associated with disabled persons in the education system. All programs, initiatives, and strategies implemented by most Australian schools, regardless of their individual limitations, have ultimately contributed to the gradual increase of 11.6 percent of early dropout rates among disabled students before reaching senior education (Clarke, 2019). Therefore, Australian primary schools are not effective in supporting disabled children in the education system nationwide. Furthermore, due to the lack of financial support to improve education programs and outcomes, not all children living with a disability across Australia are able to benefit or access such initiatives. Only through a clear reduction in the inequality between disabled and non-disabled persons, and academic results can the Education Department better support such educational programs. The Australian Government must make fundamental changes to their policies and programs as the national ideal of a ‘fair go’ is still only imperfectly extended to the people with disabilities. Until the concept of disability disappears and is replaced by a society that is structured to support everyone’s life relatedness and contribution- until that day their lives and opportunities depend on the goodwill of people in the human service system. Goodwill is no substitute for freedom. Comment by Georgia Williams: Italics y/n? Comment by Georgia Williams: This could be stronger Comment by Georgia Williams: Is there another word for disabled? Comment by Georgia Williams: Can I say this? Comment by Georgia Williams: This is copied so needs to change.

Reference list

Interviews:

1. Clark, A 2019, Interview by 312255W, Adelaide, 5th of May
2. Feher, C 2019, Interview by 312255W, Adelaide, 26th of May
3. Lenco, A 201, Interview by 312255W, Adelaide, 1st of June
4. Millard, R 201, Interview by 312255W, Adelaide, 18th of June
5. Williams, M 2019, Interview by 312255W, Adelaide, 2nd of July

Sources:

1. Association for Children with Disability. (2018). Bullying and Discrimination. Retrieved from Association for Children with Disability: https://www.acd.org.au/bullying-discrimination/
2. Australian Government Department of Education. (2018). Australian Government Department of Education. Retrieved from Students with Disability: https://www.education.gov.au/students-disability
3. Australian Government- Department of Education. (2019). School Quality in Australia: Exploring the drivers of student outcomes and the links to practice and schooling quality. Retrieved from Australian Government- Department of Education: https://www.education.gov.au/school-quality-australia-exploring-drivers-student-outcomes-and-links-practice-and-schooling-quality
4. Australian Government Department of Social Services. (2010). National Disability Strategy 2010-2020. Retrieved from Disability and Carers: https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/publications-articles/policy-research/national-disability-strategy-2010-2020
5. Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2018). Establishing a program inclusive of children with disability. AITSL.
6. Australian Network on Disability. (2019). Disability Discrimination Act. Retrieved from Australian Network on Disability: https://www.and.org.au/pages/disability-discrimination-act-1992.html
7. Cologon, K. (2015). Inclusive Education in the Early Years. Cologne.
8. Equal Opportunity Commisison . (2019). Equal Opportunity 4 Schools. Retrieved from Equal Opportunity Commission: https://eoc.sa.gov.au/eo4schools
9. Federal Register of Legislation. (2018). Disability Discrimination Act 1992- No. 135. Retrieved from Disability Discrimination Act 1992: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00125
10. Human Rights Commission. (2018). ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY: BARRIERS AND DIFFICULTIES. Australian Human Rights Commission 2019.
11. State Government of Victoria. (2019). Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO). Retrieved from Victoria Education and Training: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/management/improvement/Pages/FISO.aspx

Preamble

My first experiences in the education system began where I do not distinctly remember there to be any discrimination or bias. I had the opportunity to be surrounded by fellow children from all different walks of like, some of whom had disabilities. I had never considered what children in special education were going through, what their daily thoughts regarding their education were, nor how they had been assessed as such. Most of what I knew about the disabilities of fellow peers was kept a secret – a hint towards the stigma that once prevailed amongst the classification of disability. The first and only time that my mother received a phone call from my teacher was in Junior Kindergarten. I was zealous, and could not find it in myself to sit on the carpet and pay attention to the teacher as she read a book. The teacher was concerned that I may have a behavioral or learning disability that inhibited me from paying attention. My mother can recount the story to this day, as she had to explain to the teacher that my actions were regular for an energetic four-year-old child. Upon further discussion, it was revealed that this teacher had been quick to refer students that did not comply with her rules to special education classrooms. A lapse in her efficacy of Classroom Management and not my ability to learn. The circumstance was never brought up again and I never received separate learning assistance throughout the entirety of my education. Thinking back to the moment, I cannot help but wonder how many students were regularly dismissed to ‘other’ classrooms or misidentified with disabilities because the teacher deemed their learning needs inconvenient or misinterpreted students’ actions. Without a mother who was as educated in the field as she was, my educational experience may have not been the same. I cannot compare my experience to those of students from other ethnic backgrounds, because I do not have the cultural upbringing that they had; however, I can wander about the identification process of Indigenous learners who are placed into special education.

Introduction

In Canada, the variation of provincial and territorial educational jurisdictions allows for inconsistency in definition, identification practices, funding for support, and intervention services. Schools are tasked with identifying, evaluating, and appropriately accommodating children with disabilities. Because this responsibility is placed upon the schools, these practices may be surrounded by pervasive thoughts of ableism and racism, not to mention a lack of resources in some circumstances. The referral of a student to special education may omit a teacher from having to address specific learning challenges that stem from cultural and ethnic backgrounds – especially in students that arrive from Indigenous communities. Teachers who are not familiarized with some of the characteristics of Indigenous culture can misread situations and refer a student to special education practice. According to the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, statistics on incidence rates of misidentification are vulnerable to distortion and bias for a number of reasons (2018). Of these reasons, the resources available to students that arrive from minority backgrounds and the potential for teachers to misread certain behavioral qualities as disabilities are two that stand out.

There remains an alarming amoung of disproportionate classification of Indigenous students into special education. In a report published by the Ministry of Education – British Columbia Aboriginal Educational Branch and Special Programs Branch revealed that an alarming number of Indigenous Learners were placed in special education programs (Addo, 2011). Historical and past discriminatory practices against minority communities indirectly contribute to this statistic. The overrepresentation of minority students, specifically Indigenous students, in special education raises serious concerns because education is often seen as an opportunity for upward mobility in social and economic contexts, and a viable tool against inequality for minority people (Allen and Hood, 2000). However, not all Canadian children with disabilities have proper access and appropriate accommodations to health services as other students from other ethnic backgrounds. Research consistently shows that the most prominent differences in health care in Canada are those between Indigenous people and the rest of the Canadian population (First Nations Families of Children with Disabilities Summit, Understanding the Disability Trajectory of First Nation). The barriers and challenges that Indigenous children with disabilities face are often overlooked; these children and their families are constantly at the intersection of jurisdictional and political disputes, not to mention the social exclusion, discrimination, and racism that they face. The effects of indigeneity and disability on a child must be explored in relation to Canada’s inclusive practice for special education.

Indigenous Disabilities Context in Canada

Historically, people diagnosed with any kind of disability were excluded from general society and largely ignored. It was not until the mid-20th century when further research in language, reading, perceptual, and the motor abilities of students eventually evolved into a greater need for classification. While some exceptionalities have obvious signs of biological and physical markers, some disabilities remain harder to distinguish, such as that of Learning Disabilities. The concept of Learning Disabilities formally came to the awareness of Canadians in the late 1950s when a psychiatrist was “puzzled by children who [had] mild behavioral difficulties seem[ed] to have average intelligence, but had significant problems with school functioning” (Wiener, J., & Siegel, L., 1992). This awareness bore the idea of unexpected underachievement in which some children frequently required something more than what their peers received from their teachers. From then on, there has been a progressive inclusion movement throughout Canada, beginning with segregation and eventually evolving into the inclusion of all students with disabilities. These inclusion practices seemingly provided the solution for the lack of success achieved by children placed in separate classrooms: the historic segregation of special education students had often rendered them unable to interact with children of the same age who were moving at a faster pace academically. Therefore, the principal goal of inclusion was to prepare all students to be moral and productive members of the community. However, challenges remain. As a result of the increasing number of Indigenous children into special education and increasing variance of youth with respect to social class, race, culture, and ethnicity, teachers are faced with providing appropriate instructional methods that address all of their students’ individual and collective needs.

While more Indigenous students are placed into special education programs, the relevant legislation in protecting this demographic remains overlooked. These children are at the intersection of laws and conventions that should be protecting the rights of these individuals. Federally, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act serves to protect those that have disabilities from discriminatory practices. However, the responsibility for services acquired to Indigenous children is often shared by federal and provincial jurisdictions and First Nations governments (Also referred to as Band government, which are small groups of people joined together or tribal councils, which are larger regional groupings (Sabatello & Schulze, supra note 1 at 159)). Oftentimes, this results in disputes on funding and services available in Indigenous communities and creates problems for accessibility for children with disabilities. This disparity resulted in the implementation of Jordan’s Principle: an effort to ensure that children living on reserves will receive the same level of care as those living off reserves (79 S Johnson, supra note 8 at 234.). Unfortunately, even with the implementation of this principle, there continues to be an unequal divide in the services provided to Indigenous children with disabilities.

Implications in Special Education for Indigenous Students with Disabilities

The cultural concept of disabilities within some Indigenous communities is not like that from mainstream Canada. Disabilities within Indigenous communities can be considered as special gifts or power which enable people to communicate with forces beyond this world (9 Yvonne Johnson, Stolen Life, The Journey of a Cree Woman (Toronto: A. A. Knopf Canada, 1998) at 423.). Such a perspective is not shared by those from Western educational institutions, who view disabilities as what a person can and cannot do, to their degree of inability. Indigenous students continue to be overrepresented in several special needs categories for years (Ministry of Education, 2014). When looking at the statistics that deem Indigenous students to be at risk for identification of a disability, it is important to look at other factors that play a key role such as intergenerational trauma, poverty, and disproportionate school discipline practices (Greflund et al., 2014). The historical context behind relations in schools and Indigenous peoples is long and wrought with unfair practices. These educational institutions were once structured upon racism against their people and therefore, there may remain serious feelings of mistrust in the system. Therefore most confusion when interpreting assessment results of Indigenous students referred to special education is due to a lack of progress monitoring, lack of culturally relevant pedagogy and assessment procedures, and lack of involvement of Indigenous community members in the referral and assessment process. For example, some Indigenous students may be less verbal, and less competitive, and they may not look at teachers and administrators in the eye (Gritzmacher & Gritzmacher, 2010). When you take these character traits out of context they can make it seem as though a student has behavioral and learning problems that need to be addressed; however, this may actually translate to normative behavior within a cultural context.

Likewise, the State of the World’s Children Report identifies that “children with disabilities encounter different forms of exclusion and are affected by them to varying degrees, depending on factors such as the type of disability they have, where they live, and the culture or class to which they belong” (UNICEF, “Children with Disabilities” (2013) The State of the World’s Children Report at 1 [UNICEF “Children with Disabilities”]). While there are several ways that a school setting could be inaccessible for a student, some of these may include other implications depending on funding and resources. First, the infrastructure of the school itself may prevent a child with a physical disability to carry out his or her everyday activities. Second, a child may be excluded from the learning because the curriculum is not adapted to his or her needs and teachers do not have the resources to make necessary adaptations. Third, the child may need additional and specialized support either in the classroom or outside the classroom. While the obvious physical obstacles present problems for disabled children, in unseen circumstances like that of learning disabilities, a misdiagnosis can cause serious implications. A child who is struggling with reading could always benefit from extra academic support, regardless of whether he or she meets the definition of disabled, however, some of the negative ramifications of a misdiagnosis can include stigma and lowered educational opportunity (Michael L Perlin). Once labeled as such, as teachers often lower expectations for children with learning disabilities, the misidentified child may actually under-achieve to the level that they are capable of. Therefore, Indigenous children are recurrently exposed to greater vulnerability at the intersection of their ethnicity and ability and this remaining stigma and perception may result in discrimination and marginalization from resources.

Strategies and Suggestions

Every child should be given the tools and resources to achieve their full potential and capabilities regardless of child’s ethnic background, beliefs, or status. Proper assessment, used consistently across various sectors in Canada, will limit the misidentification and disproportionate representation of Indigenous students in these categories. Responsibility for ensuring these equitable practices also relies on federal and provincial jurisdictional funding disputes. Considering that Canada committed to these Conventions, it is inexcusable that it is not fully committed to see its equal implementation nationwide. As the government takes an active role in ensuring that accommodations and solutions are investigated, the risk of marginalization of Indigenous children with disabilities will not be as prevalent as it is today.

Likewise, the assessment process involved in this identification must also take into account the cultural and linguistic diversity in schools. It is imperative for teachers to be trained to deal with diverse students within their classrooms before dismissing them with a disability. Special Education is not a ‘magic pill’ for all students’ needs and this assumption can be detrimental to a student’s well-being if misplaced. With the changing demography of our educational climate, there is a need for transformation in the way that schools operate to accommodate diverse students. Indigenous students continue to be the most overrepresented group in the special education program. A strategy to address this issue is to continue to educate teachers and school staff in regard to the culture of Indigenous communities and FNMI learners. Understanding cultural differences that may play a part in teachers misidentifying certain characteristics may help teachers work better with Indigenous students. Teacher Education programs must ensure that candidates, before completion of their programs, acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to teach students with all abilities in the regular classroom so as to make the classroom more inclusive and to understand that other circumstances may have a part to play in why a student is behaving the way they are. Educators have a professional and ethical responsibility to care for and educate children in environments that allow students to perform to the best of their abilities. These environments must be cognitively stimulating and support each child no matter their background or capability.

Conclusion and Reflection

While I think all of these strategies would be beneficial in minimizing these circumstances, it all comes down to how teachers view their students. The Professional Year of the Two-Year Program has done a good job to include relevant studies in teaching pre-service candidates the importance of not holding biased attitudes. While this may reduce the chances of disproportionate placement of Indigenous students into special education, it may not prevent improper special education techniques used to implement teaching methods to this specific demographic of learners. The methods used must be culturally responsive so that Indigenous students and their communities respond better to their identification in special education programs. With classes such as Inclusive Education and Social Differences in Education, we are able to reflect on our previous experiences in classrooms regarding subjects such as these. Some of these studies are but only a couple of years old. That fact alone is concerning. Also, in communities surrounded by reserves and Indigenous culture, the relevance for this practice is obvious; however, in other cities and towns that are further removed from FNMI culture, those teachers may not be as prepared for these circumstances to arise. The more education provided on proper practice and the responsibility that teachers have to their students, the less these occurrences will happen. As the curriculum continues to expand to encompass Indigenous culture, I believe more of this learning will become apparent. This situation regarding Indigenous children with disabilities in Canada will continue to have a need for implementing changes and improvements. To ensure that these actions are implemented successfully, recognition of the privilege that non-Indigenous children have and the systemic oppression that Indigenous students may face if the first step. In Canada, there is a lot of denial of unequal treatment of the Indigenous community and without admitting to it as a nation, no change will ever be possible.

My name is Ruby Luong, I am a second-year undergraduate student at Ryerson University enrolled in the Early Childhood Studies program. I am writing you this letter to advocate the issue of inaccessible playgrounds for children with disabilities in the city of Toronto. This issue is often brushed off from the people that aren’t in relation or affected by this. All children should have the chance to participate in a playground, I believe the park or the playground is a big part of growing up and a childhood. Inaccessible playgrounds for children with disabilities should not be an issue that is talked about within the children’s community. It is an issue that would mainly affect children with disabilities but children who are developing slower than others could be affected by this as well. Children should not grow up to learn that there are limitations in life, a playground is something we all could see as such a small thing, that which a child could see it as something big that could be holding him/her back. This social problem affecting the children with disabilities many barriers and accommodations that should be talked about and I will be writing them to you to hopefully have your help and ability to improve on the future playgrounds.

When people think of a playground, we think of children playing together outdoors. All parents/caregivers have the chance to bring their children to the outdoor playground for their child or children to burn off some energy. Playgrounds are for all children, that is which we want playgrounds to be open for all children, be accessible for all children but in most cases, they aren’t. For children with disabilities, and families that are in relation to disabilities the playground is not always the place for them. “Playgrounds have been said to be a place that is not exclusive to all children, children with disabilities do not have the equal access to playgrounds,” (1, p. 332). It is sad to think that not all children are included in these activities, children with disabilities are children too. Equal rights, this playground issue is a big issue, the inequalities that children with disabilities have when it comes to the opportunities that they could have a part in but are unable to due to the built of the playground. There should be inclusiveness, in a community we want to join together, join together with families and make the children excited to share something simple like the playground. “As young children grow, and they have a disability or not they are able to realize and develop imagination. Children with disabilities could be imagining and asking questions on how the playground could be different and manipulate structures to their own liking,” (2). When children start to grow, and they view the playground through an experience we want the playground to be thought of as a fun memory interacting with other children. As a future early childhood educator, I would not want to see any child with or without a disability to feel as if they are losing out on opportunities. The improvements in inclusivity the city could do to connect children with disabilities to have that integrated experience with children without disabilities would help with further interactions and opportunities, by enhancing the playground to better the accessibility.

Abstract

Development of higher order thinking skills in inclusive classroom through Socratic method

Developing higher-order thinking skills in any classroom is crucial to the success of the students in that classroom. Students need to learn these skills at an early age to be academically and professionally successful in the future. In an inclusion classroom, these skills are even more important for the academic future of every general and special education student. The brains of the children with disabilities, do not process the same way and this can make tasks more difficult for them. However, this does not mean that they cannot problem solve or think critically about problems. They must be taught from a young age how to properly problem solve and how to step-by-step think critically about any problem that may arise. Several strategies can be used to teach both typically and atypically developing students these vital skills. Teachers need to learn different strategies to develop higher order thinking skills in a general and a special education classroom for implementation to attract students and increase student involvement, understanding and to enable students to adapt the content of the lessons that have been learned. An appropriate learning method used in improving the higher order thinking skills is the Socratic Learning Method. A concrete Socratic dialogue and series of questioning that logic to construct an argument and conclusion, stimulate the thought as to think more critically. When the student has mastered the content of the lesson, they will be able to diversify methods for finding the solution of a problem in line with the requirements of higher-order thinking skills.

Development of higher order thinking skills in inclusive classroom through Socratic method

The main two components of science education are scientific knowledge and the acquisition of scientific knowledge. The study of facts, laws, hypotheses, and theories in science gives scientific knowledge and scientific knowledge is acquired by applying the knowledge to new situations by using various science process skills. It requires students to use their higher-order thinking skills.

Higher Order Thinking Skills: The concept of higher order thinking (HOT) is derived from the Bloom taxonomy of cognitive domain introduced in 1956 (Forehand, 2010). The cognitive domain involves six levels of thinking, starting from the simplest to the most complex: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Clark, 2010; Yahya, Toukal, & Osman, 2012). The first three levels of Bloom’s taxonomy i.e knowledge, comprehension, and application are called as lower levels of thinking skills. However, the upper three levels of Bloom’s taxonomy require students to use higher-order thinking skills hence fostering their learning performance (Forehand, 2010; Yahya, Toukal, & Osman, 2012). Higher order thinking skills involves the higher cognitive skills i.e. the skills to analyze, synthesize, evaluate and create a novel idea. Previous research indicates that development of higher-order thinking skills helps the students to become more aware of their own thinking and also nourishes their learning performance and cognitive growth (Donald, 2002; Perkins, Jay, & Tishman, 1993). When students are made to face unknown problems, uncertainties, questions, or dilemmas, their higher-order thinking skills are activated. Cultivating the student’s ability to think at a higher level has been an important theme for redesigning and reforming learning systems (Kim, 2005).

Today, the education system has been are changed where the girls and boys are given the same education and are allowed to study into the same classroom. Students from different cultures, casts, and creeds are welcomed into the same school structure and get equal opportunities to learn and grow. In such a system, where all children have the right to education, the only group of disabled children was left out. Since long, the differently abled children were pushed off to the side or were enrolled in the “special schools”. The teachers were not well trained for special instructions and the students suffered because of the lack of a decent and free education. These children were sent into a separate room for the entire school day, where they isolated from the other students and were pushed into a restrictive environment to learn alone. Educators, researchers, and the government worked diligently and legislation was passed called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Now, differently abled children can sit and study into the normal classroom. Children with disabilities can access to a free appropriate public education and expose to academic instructions and activities when placed into a inclusion classroom with their non-disabled peers. A correct and desired social behavior will be developed as the stigmas and labels associated with children with disabilities break down and get the opportunity to grow and develop alongside other children.

HOTS in inclusive Classrooms: Key focus of science education should be to develop higher order thinking skills in students and make them able to solve the problems locally and globally, however, teachers often believe that this important goal is not intended for all students (Zohar & Vaaknin, 2001). ). Problem-solving and critical thinking are two very important skills, however, these skills are ignored in the school curriculum around the nation, specifically in inclusion curriculum (Agran, Blanchard, Wehmeyer, & Hughes 2002). It is normally expected that students will develop these vital abilities without actually being taught how to think critically and solve problems. It is also a common belief that activities which activate higher order thinking skills are appropriate only for normal classrooms and not for the inclusive classrooms, where a variety of students have to be dealt with. These skills are even more important to taught and develop in inclusive classrooms for the successful academic future of both general and special students. Teachers are needed to be trained with various strategies which help to develop higher order thinking skills in a general and a special classroom. Research literature shows the variety of strategies to work the best all over the country in the inclusive and normal classrooms.

Strategies to develop HOTS: Teachers can activate higher order thinking skills among students by creating the environment of classroom where students get opportunity to collaborate and to develop communication, problem-solving, decision making, and shaping self-esteem skills. Integration of HOTS activities helps the teacher to prepare the content that can be best be learnt by students. Such teaching approach is needed which help to advance reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, enable better reasoning, boost decision-making and problem-solving, make critical analysis and evaluation of student’s own emotions and values, and to make intelligent choices in human relationships. The science curriculum should focus on promoting students’ higher order thinking skills (HOTS), through doing different activities that require them to use these skills (Vernez & Constant, 2014). Meta-cognition, creativity, critical and logical thinking are the main components of higher-order thinking skills. When a person faces and try to solve a complex problem or experience dilemmas, these skills are actually itself triggered. Reasoning, Inquiry, questioning techniques, Creativity, and solution of the problem has 5 key elements to be implemented in the classroom for activating higher-order thinking skills. Questioning and dialoguing through Socratic method is a suitable approach for developing these higher-order thinking skills among students.

Socratic Learning Method and stimulation of HOTS

Socrates’ theory believes that students must be enabled to think for themselves rather than to fill their heads with ‘correct’ responses. Therefore, through proper dialoguing a teacher must engage his students to respond the questions with questions, instead of answers. This method motivates divergent rather than convergent thinking. At first ‘a common piece of text’ is given to the students to read thoroughly and then open-ended questions are posed. It will lead the students to think critically, analyze alternative possible meanings in the text, and express their views with clarity and confidence. When teachers and students learn to dialogue, now they are able to ask meaningful questions. It will trigger and activate thoughtful interchanges of ideas which play more important role than memorizing the correct answer. Students carefully listen to the other’s viewpoints and respectfully respond to one another. A simple act of socialization where the participants of the dialogue call others with their names and look each others in the eyes, reinforce appropriate social behaviors, and encourages team spirit.

Socratic Learning Method is one of the appropriate learning methods used in boosting the higher order thinking skills in the students. It includes concrete Socratic dialogues and series of questioning that leads to construct an argument on a concept. The purpose of dialogue in the approach is to discuss a problem for finding a solution. Usually dialoguing occurs between the two individuals when they interact with each other, but when learning occurs in the classroom, dialogue interaction occurs in the groups with the involvement of teacher. The role of the teacher is to be a facilitator and stage setter for the group. Teacher here ensures that the group is always in dialogue with debating until all the setbacks can be solved. All the arguments raised by the participants of group are synthesized and an optimal solution is tried to achieve. Further, in the form of a Socratic seminar, a series of questions and their relevant answers are tried to construct and conclusions are made. As all the human beings are creative enough in the act of asking questions and seeking answers so the Socratic method directly advocates the need of students to exercise their experiences and urge for asking and responding in the context of daily life. It stimulates the student’s thought process and they start thinking more critically. When the content of the lesson has been mastered by the students, they will be able to diversify methods for finding the answers of the questions in line with the requirements of higher-order thinking skills.

While questioning, the teacher act as a critical thinker who not only respects students’ viewpoints and probes their understanding, but also shows genuine interest in their thinking. The teacher asks questions that are more meaningful and related to the topic. The teacher creates and maintains an intellectually stimulating classroom environment where the values of the student are acknowledged. An intellectual, open, safe, and demanding learning environment is produced, where students will be challenged, yet comfortable in answering the questions deliberately in front of their peers.

Development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills in Inclusive classroom through the Socratic approach

The classroom environment is the best place to teach the skills of critical thinking and problem-solving. Problem-solving and critical thinking are not skills that are innate or instinctive, but they are crucial to the learning process for all children (Agran, Blanchard, Wehmeyer, & Hughes 2002). Students should be given the opportunities to practice these skills in order to foster a thinking-friendly classroom environment. These skills are best developed if are taught at the young age in the elementary classroom or even better if continue to teach from home. The process will cultivate a stronger sense of critical thinking and problem solving right through high school and into college and beyond. The role of the teacher is to develop and foster these skills by regularly challenging the students and pushing them to give their best in their academic studies.

A number of strategies can be useful in a general education classroom but the push for inclusion leaves teachers searching for new and different ways to teach problem-solving and critical thinking to children with disabilities that which is also new to their classrooms. These children are often facing difficulties or left behind in school as the content becomes more rigorous with time. In an inclusive classroom, teacher has different groups of students to whom he has to teach problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Typically developing students and students with disabilities or developmental delays are equally important in any classroom as the students who are on grade level or normal students. Teacher must ensure by modifying his instructions so that every single child can learn these vital skills in the classroom. Teaching through the Socratic method is an appropriate strategy to teach problem-solving and critical thinking in the inclusion classrooms. .

“Problem-solving involves reasoning and analysis, argument construction, and the development of innovative strategies” (Woodward et al., 2012). While developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills among students through the Socratic approach, teacher should keep following four simple truths in mind for better teaching.

• As every child is unique and has different learning capacity so teaching these skills should be accordingly different within the classroom,
• These skills can be learnt and can also be taught.
• There are alternative ways available to find the solution of a problem.
• These skills should be introduced within the context of the curriculum and core content.

While dialoguing the students collaborate and interact with each other within the group and start viewing the problem together and trying different and unique ideas to solve that problem. Further, teachers ask series of questions to create and foster an environment where students can learn to think critically about the content in their lessons and relate with the world around them. Critical thinking is a skill which involves analyzing and evaluating data about a certain subject and giving a justified opinion or judgment about that data. It involves the authenticity, accuracy, or value of something. It is accessed by the ability of a person to seek the reasons or alternatives, perceive the total situation, and on the basis of evidences try to change the one’s views. It is characterized by the use of logic and evidences, as well as the synthesis and analysis of the information. Critical thinking is also developed with problem-solving skill. When the students are made to face the problem or an unknown question, they start thinking critically about its solution or for finding the suitable answer. Problems force children to analyze and evaluate the data that has been presented in order to come up with a viable solution (Schneider, 2002).

A congenital environment must be created by teachers in the classroom where the students find a comfortable space to ask questions without any fear or anxiety. Teacher should encourage the environment in his class which allows for more than one correct answer and more than one solution to a problem. Similarly, teachers should pose such questions that make their students to think critically instead of reciting and memorizing the answers only. Students should understand the problem, devise a plan, carry out the plan, and then look back and reflect (Griffin & Jitendra, 2009). These steps help the students to break down a big and complex problem into understandable smaller and easier pieces. Teacher talk also plays an important role in teaching problem solving to children with disabilities. A study performed by Baxter, Woodward, Voorhies, and Wong in 2002 focused on the impact of teacher and student discourse in the subject of mathematics on students with disabilities. If the teachers asks more questions to the children with disabilities and evaluate them regularly can engage with them more likely can see the fast changes in them. It is a common classroom activity to ask questions and to wait them for satisfactory engagement in Socratic approach of teaching. However, questions are more likely to get all students to think and solve the problem alongside the teacher, in an inclusion classroom. Special care is needed to be given to the students with disabilities as they can easily be distracted or unfocused in a general classroom. Therefore, different opportunities should be provided in the classroom, especially the activities which appeal to the disabled student’s interests or curiosities, so that they can be well engaged and maintained their attention for the longer periods of time. Teachers must consider and cater the needs of the individual students in their inclusive classrooms, i.e. both general and special education children.

Small groups of student when work together to solve a problem or to answer a question, they learn from each other. Children with disabilities can be very engaged when given a hands-on activity, but this method also gives them a chance to learn from their peers and for their peers to help them (Schneider, 2002). The value of collaboration in problem-solving can be well taught in group work when the participants of each group talked together, helped one another especially the stronger to the weaker ones, and consult to the teacher when they felt like. After learning from each other, ultimately the conclusions are shared with the whole class. During the process, teachers walk through the steps with the each student and have the student keep track of each step as the teacher goes through the problem. Thus all the students feel included and also they practice and memorize the steps. If needed, teachers can simplify the problems by explaining the content in simplified and polished way e.g. answering to a question and asking the student to explain how the answers were made”. With this, the child with disabilities can answer a question or solve a problem, but in a different way than their general education peers. By varying the instructions and catering to the child’s needs, teacher in his inclusive classroom can make the disabled students learn and understand the value and importance of problem-solving and promote to high school and college levels by carrying it with them.

Critical thinking skills are equally essential to develop as problem-solving. These both higher-order thinking skills go hand in hand as, without critical thinking, there would be no problem-solving. Also, both these skills are needed to be activated in the children with disabilities in order to succeed in school and in life. Development of critical thinking skill in a child with a disability is not an easy task as their brain is different from others. Yet, we cannot ignore them as they also have the ability to think logically and to learn efficiently. It is incorrect to make perception, that if a student cannot write or speak, it means he cannot think critically. Multiple choice questioning is a good method to develop and measure critical thinking among students with disability. Generally, multiple choice questioning method is considered a recall-oriented form of evaluation, but actually, it can be utilized to begin the critical thinking process. Molly Bassett (2016) believes that students can show critical thinking by answering multiple choice questions and then explaining why they chose that particular answer. Students with disabilities often find the correct answer but struggle with explaining the reason that why they chose this answer. Teachers can generate the situations for the students where they can provoke a deeper thought process. Students may not be able to speak, write or express themselves, but still, they can critically think and explain what is going on in their minds. For this, they can take help of computer, any other suitable machine as means of communication. Thus they will be encouraged to think critically about their answers.

Conclusion:

There are so many different lines of thought on how to teach higher order thinking skills in an inclusive classroom where a teacher has to deal with normal and special children. All children should have the right to education but disabled children are usually ignored. They are pushed off to the side or enrolled in the “special schools” where the teachers are not well trained for special instructions and the students suffered. The push for inclusion demands from teachers to search for new and effective ways to teach problem-solving and critical thinking to students with disabilities. In an inclusive classroom, a teacher’s role increases where he has to cater the needs of the general and special education children. Problem-solving and critical thinking are higher-order thinking skills which are very vital and go hand in hand. There is need to develop these skills in children with disabilities so that they can succeed in life. Development of these skills in a child with a disability is a difficult task as they are different from others. A teacher cannot ignore them as they also have the abilities to think and to learn. Higher order thinking skills require higher-order cognitive skills which nourish the student’s learning performance and cognitive growth. Integration of these skills in teaching-learning process makes the teacher able to prepare the content that can be best learned by students. Several strategies are there to teach higher-order thinking skills in students. Teaching with Socratic method is a sound approach which can help to develop higher order thinking skills among students in a general and a special education classroom. Its implementation will attract the students and will increase their involvement and understanding of the concept. Teaching with Socratic Learning Method will boost the higher order thinking skills in the students. Socratic dialogues, questioning, and seminar will help them to construct an argument on a concept because when a student faces a problem, he starts thinking critically about its solution. Child is encouraged to analyze the problem more critically and start finding the possible solution. Teacher can also arrange different facilities for the disabled children in the classroom, which aid them to stimulate their thought processes and activate the desired skills in an intellectual, open, safe, and demanding learning environment.

References:

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Introduction

‘Inclusion is a right not a privilege for a select few’ oberti v. board of education, (2010). It is the right of all children in America, whether disable or not to have full access to resources and social interaction in inclusive schools, this has been an important topic of discussion for many years. Children who required Special Education were treated poorly and often desegregated from society in the 70s. The 90s reviewed little change, as children then were placed in special schools for their learning disability. The concerns of parents and educators over the exclusion of children with disabilities, birth the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). To-date the Public Educational Policy states that every child born with a disability from birth to age twenty-one (21), is entitled to a free and appropriate public education, IDEA (2005, PL 108-446.). In accordance with this Act, Schools in America had to incorporate these children and provide them with the best learning environment possible whether they had a physical or mental disability and regardless of their strengths and weaknesses. Special Educational (SE) was used to mask students who struggled with mental retardation, sensory, motor skills, visual and auditory disorders. Inclusive Education (IND) means that all students, despite their challenges must be placed in age-appropriate classes within their community and be given quality teaching, support, and intervention that facilitate them in achieving success and have a productive life in society (Bui, Quirk, Almazan, & Valenti, 2010; Alquraini & Gut, 2012). Today the goal of all schools is to provide an environment that is least restrictive to facilitate disabled children, records have shown an increase of disabled children in inclusive schools, to-date 6.5 million across America, with 65% being physical disabled, Children and Youth with Disabilities Report (2018). This paper will discuss, the ways inclusive education aid special needs children that are physically disabled living in America through implementing inclusive teaching strategies, relationship building, and curriculum adjustment.

Body

Through inclusive teaching strategies, many special needs students have gained a significant advantage in learning and being integrated into schools, despite being physically disabled. The term inclusive teaching strategy refers to any number of teaching approaches that deals with and acknowledges the needs of students of different background, abilities, and learning modalities, Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro & Lovett (2010, p. 169-170). For example, Co-operative learning is an inclusive teaching approach that benefits students with a disability and peer. Its objective is to organize and structure how small groups are used to enhance learning and interdependence. Physically disabled Students are more engaged in classroom activities where cooperative learning structures are in place, versus a traditional classroom intervention. Specifically, in inclusive classes that use cooperative learning, students articulate their thoughts more freely, receive confirming and constructive feedback, engage in questioning techniques, receive additional practice on skills, and have increased opportunities to respond. This has proven to be advantageous to students as well as teachers; teachers are better able to assess students and their needs by actively monitoring students’ learning. When structures are in place for this level of dialogue to occur, it accelerates the comprehension process of the children, Emerson (2013). Evidentially, when teachers are committed to Co-operative learning, the students benefit the most as they realize that co-operative learning is fun, so they enjoy it and are motivated because they get to interact, engage, and participate in active learning and are taught critical thinking, and retain lesson learned longer, as well as develop strong relationship with their peers and teachers.

Relationship building between students and staff is a very important aspect of effective inclusive education. The importance of building a positive relationship applies to all students and teachers and can be seen as difficult to achieve in an inclusive education system. It is vital, however, for a teacher to understand the needs of their student, their strengths and weaknesses. This can be explained in the theory of Social capital, which is the levels of mutual respect, trust, and exchange that people acknowledge in their communications among each other, and their need to belong, (Putnam, 2000). As argued by Adler and Kwon, Social capital does not only improve mental safety and wellbeing but also allows groups of people to collaborate together, towards shared goals. It enriches their sources of an organization in several ways by increasing ideas, opportunities, advice, help, goodwill, contacts, the flow of information and emotional support (Adler & Kwon, 2002). With that said, schools that are less hierarchical and moralistic are more likely to include all members of the school community in respectful communications and be extension opens the door for staff, teachers and students to build a relationship.

Onyx and Bullen (2000) have identified the factor for assessing social capital in schools: Levels of involvement in the community, pro-activity in social background, sense of personal and mutual efficacy, feelings of trust and safety, the endurance of diversity and feeling part of a group. Students that are physically disabled have a hard time trying to learn and most time is withdrawn because they are physically challenged in their own way. Students’ physical disabilities or challenges may be either temporary or permanent and eventually, the student’s challenges may create disruption in the classroom. For example, two students in a 9 a.m. class who were late usually, because both of these students had undergone knee operations and had to take special needs transportation to and from class, and climb three flights of stairs on crutches. They were assisted by members of staff and their classmates by the end of the semester, they were healed and coming to class on time without the special need’s transportation. Creating a positive relationship with the teacher and staff in helping students that are physically disabled is very crucial. Once that relationship is built, students will feel belonging and normal in the classroom.

Curriculum adjustments have been an integral reason for the expansion of inclusive education across the American educational landscape. Adjustments can be made in order to fit learning in such a way that it benefits both types of students without hindering either of them in learning. Vaughn 1994 study conducted that in order for inclusive education to succeed changes in the classroom’s practices such as modifying the curriculum to enhance the relevancy for each student and also the instructional techniques had to be made. Curriculum adaptations alter the content of what is taught using variations of simple and supplementary practices while instructional changes come in the form of how teachers tailor the teaching practices to the wide variation of children in the classroom. One such effort is McCleskey 2002 study into the inclusive school program [ISP] in America where six elementary schools and a large state university in three local school districts have found that, despite changes to the curriculum, the ISP had not hindered the overall rate of covering the curriculum content for each school it was implemented into. More teachers were more opened in collaborating which had led to better success and efficiency rates at teaching these diverse classrooms. Another such instance is the Individual Educational Plan [IEP] that required curriculum change and testing procedures. This program was focused on troubleshooting basic skills deficits in classrooms such as social, self-esteem and organizational skills for persons learning with blindness or hearing deficiency (Janney, 2006). Teachers who have implemented such programs into their teaching system have largely reported satisfactory results with all students that are involved.

Conclusion

In concluding, Inclusive education involves all students with various learning challenges such as physical disability being placed in one classroom with other children that have no disability to facilitate everyone’s learning ability. It has been established that the success of inclusive education is dependent on relationship building, implementation of various teaching strategies and the adjusting of the curriculum to involve every child’s learning ability. The success of inclusive education in schools involve diverse content and creative material to include all children by fostering their minds for growth, altering the curriculum to suit each child and modifying tasks while also building a solid relationship with each child. It is imperative that there is a solid relationship built between the child and the teacher especially children with special needs as this will help the teacher to be able to attend to the specific needs of each child. As a result of understanding each child needs, it will help with the curriculum alteration to facilitate each child within the classroom that will bring about an inclusive environment. All children have the right to learn in one environment which consequently brought about an inclusive approach to education and has helped with the success of education thus far in the United States of America. This is the approach they use in the States to ensure that all children disabled or not will have the same right and opportunity to education with those who are not disabled. Subsequently, this will halt discrimination and the stigma attached to special needs children and their ability to learn.

Reference

1. Alquraini, T., & Gut, D., (2012). Critical components of successful inclusion of students with severe disabilities: a Literature review. , International Journal of Special Education, 27(1), 42-59.
2. Apling, R. and Jones, N., (2005) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
3. Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., & Lovett, M.C. (2010). How learning works: seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
4. The Condition of Education – Preprimary, Elementary, and Secondary Education – Elementary and Secondary Enrollment – Children and Youth With Disabilities – Indicator May (2019). (2019). Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgg.asp
5. Emerson, L.M., (2013) Cooperative Learning in Inclusive Classrooms: Student who work together, learn together. Williamsburg, VA
6. Griffin, F. (2001). Regular primary school teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education: a review of the literature, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 165.
7. https://online.uwsuper.edu/articles/better-connection-with-special-education-students.aspx
8. https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means
9. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/Indicator_CGG/coe_cgg_2016_05.pdf
10. Inclusive Curriculum (NESSE, 2012, UNESCO, 2004-2009); Inclusive curriculum has entered recently the doors of the universities, for better responding to the diversity of the students. Worldwide
11. Oberti v. board of education. (2010, June 29). Retrieved from http://www.kidstogether.org/right-ed_files/oberti.htm
12. UNESCO. (2014) Changing Teaching practices: Using curriculum differentiation to respond to students’ diversity, U.S. UNESCO.

Learning disability is “a form of delayed developments in one or more development areas such as speech, language, reading, writing arithmetic or other school subjects resulting from a psychological handicap caused by a possible cerebral dysfunction and/or emotional or behavioral disturbances” (Adam and Tatnall, n.d. p.2). While the word ‘special need’ is sometimes used to connote learning disability, however, Adam and Tatnall, (2007) suggest that special need is an umbrella term that inculcates both physical and mental needs and that learning disability is an aspect of special needs, hence both should not be confused to mean the same. In this paper, I shall be focusing on learning disability as a separate term from special needs.

Tony (2019) suggests that in addressing learning disabilities in students, it is important to embrace innovative methods during teaching and learning to aid those students that have been identified as having disabilities in learning. For instance, she suggests that information technology can be a good strategy to help students enhance their learning and become successful in their learning. Of recent, more studies have also agreed with this position and there is an increasing body of knowledge on how technology can aid learning in students with learning difficulties (Susan, 2009; Wood et al., 2017), especially with the help of assistive technology. There is a consensus amongst these studies that integrating technology into teaching and learning has the ability to enhance the learning of students who are experiencing learning challenges. The use of technology, has been seen to be very crucial as it is imperative to enhance learning efficiency amongst this set of students and the use of assistive technology has been seen as important in this regard (Starcic and Istenic, 2010; Wood et al., 2017).

Furthermore, there exists in diverse contexts the question of whether students with learning needs should be taught just as they are taught in normal classrooms or if they will require their own special schools and classroom for them to be taught effectively. Several studies are in line with the former school of thought and they are of the view that students with learning needs should be taught in the four walls of the traditional classrooms while the latter view disagrees and feel that its best that these types of students have their own special classroom for effective teaching and learning (Bulgren, 2008). However, Swanson (2010) argues that in some subjects such as mathematics and social studies, having a special class has had little to no effect in enhancing the learning needs of students with learning needs. On the contrary, more reports are supporting the need for having a special school setting for students with learning disabilities. Also, while the majority of these studies were carried out in developed nations like the USA and, there is little evidence to support such claims on how technology helps students to optimize their learning, particularly in public primary schools in less developed countries like Nigeria. Also, in addition to teachers in developed countries, while Cope and Ward (2002) observed that teacher knowledge about the technology as well as their attitude towards it can aid how technology is implemented in the classroom, there is less information in the literature in public primary schools in Nigeria with regards to this. Therefore, it becomes imperative to understand the use of information technology (i.e., assistive technology) to enhance students with learning difficulties in developing nations’ contexts.

Understanding Learning Disability

Tony (2019) opines that learning can be understood when a person acquires new knowledge and skills. When students are developing in the early stages of their life, they begin to learn new abilities such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. This is also determined based on their age as well as their intellectual capacity (ibid). However, Dhana and Jagawat (2013) note that while some children develop normally in terms of their intellect, vision, hearing, and other physical attributes, there are some other children who are exceptions: they are challenged in being able to develop these abilities at the level expected of them. They exhibit impaired vision, hearing and other physical abilities that normal children usually develop, thereby struggling to acquire the cognitive skills, and IQ needed for normal brain functioning and intelligence for learning (Kumar and Raka, 2016). Studies (e.g., Pillay, 2000) show that understanding the concept of learning disability spans a wide area of certain characteristics, as it affects students’ cognition. For instance, students with learning disabilities struggle in diverse areas such as in their academics as well as the ability to perform in social gatherings. They also lack the necessary emotional intelligence for daily interactions. More profound issues are frequently seen in certain areas such as in literacy (i.e., reading and writing) and mathematics, which are regarded as the core components of education (Adam and Tatnall, 2007). Tony (2019) suggests that the most profound learning disability is known as dyslexia, which can be described as a situation where students have challenges with reading. According to Tony (2019) dyslexia occurs when students struggle with recognizing and manipulating sounds in language while also having the inability to “decode or recognize new words”. Children with dyslexia cannot often read texts accurately and fluently (ibid).

Another form of learning difficulty for students with learning disabilities is known as dysgraphia. This issue occurs when students are having challenges in writing and it is more glaring when they are not able to put together their thoughts and ideas in writing. This affects students in basic writing, especially in how they write, type and spell (Rivalland, 2000). Another form of learning disability is dyscalculia which is the inability of students to recall and apply correctly mathematics steps to solve problems (Dhana and Jagawat, 2013). Dhana and Jagawat (2013) provided some certain examples, such as not being able to understand size and spatial relationships, additions, fractions, decimals, multiplication as well as inability to remember certain mathematical facts and concepts.

Inclusion in Education

According to UNESCO (2013), inclusion in education is about encouraging active participation of students by responding to their various learning needs within a classroom. The central core of this definition is to reduce exclusion and ensure learning takes place optimally based on every child’s unique needs. According to Adam and Tatnall (2007), inclusion helps to ensure quality in education; this is because all students’ diverse needs are met in “a responsive, respectful and supportive manner” within a traditional classroom setting. A traditional classroom comprises of students with diverse learning needs who work together with their peers with the view of being taught optimally and gaining access to quality education. This is in tune with the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) (1989), which states that all pupils, either with learning disabilities or not, are eligible to education without any form of segregation or bias. From this statement by the UNCRC, it becomes necessary that children with learning difficulties should have the right to quality education despite their learning challenges. This will aid them to become future-ready learners and compete in the global job market in the future (Hornby, 2015). UNESCO (1994) adds that, in general, the set-up of the education system should be an avenue that provides opportunities for development in pupils and should embrace all types of children from diverse types of disabilities, including those who have physical, emotional and intellectual needs. In an inclusive school, they are to consider children who are struggling and have several learning needs, hence teaching and learning should be tailored in such a way that recognizes those needs.

In the USA, the Disability Act (IDEA) (2004) requires that, when children are observed to have learning difficulties, educators should come up with what is called an individual education program also shortened to IEP. This program should be developed with the parents, teacher, and qualified persons in mind, and such a plan must be customized to each child. According to United UNCRPD (Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) (2006), people who have disabilities should be able to have opportunities to become lifelong learners and not be faced with any form of discrimination. They should be treated equally and not excluded from quality education. Felicia et al. (2014) and Hornby (2015) suggest that the main aim of education for students with additional needs is to provide them with the best quality education within a traditional school and classroom. According to Keetam and Alkahtani, (2013), all these rest largely on the quality of teachers who should possess the necessary skills and abilities to apply them in ensuring quality education for all. This is because, according to Strong (2018), teachers are the most impactful school-based factor when it comes to students learning. Furthermore, Lindeblad et al. (2016) suggest that when interventions are supported with assistive technologies, effective classroom practices such as peer self-assessment, and problem-based learning are identified for aiding pupils with learning disabilities in their learning.

Understanding Assistive Technology

The International Disability Education Act (IDEA) suggests that assistive technology can be considered to be any form of technological equipment that aids people with disabilities to improve their functional capacities. According to Kumar and Raja (2015), assistive technologies can be computer software or any tech-based product that helps improve learning concentration in students with learning disabilities. With the use of assistive technology alongside teaching and learning, teachers are able to find solutions to the learning challenges of students and encourage independent learning in those students who are experiencing such challenges. The type and use of assistive technology can be determined by the needs of the student as well as how familiar the teacher is with the technology aiding learning of such students (Campbell et al., 2006). When it is well deployed by the teacher and well-tailored to the needs of a child, it can aid schools to increase access to the curriculum as well as enhance the quality of learning for the pupils (Alkahtani, 2013). According to Starcic and Istenic, (2010), there exists a diverse form of assistive technology software and devices that encourages students’ active learning and inclusion in the classroom. These encourage students’ metacognition and the ability to retain and produce knowledge, thereby making them independent learners. These technologies include very simple spellcheckers to advanced ones such as speech recognition systems and educational software. Out of all this software, Rufus et al. (2015) argue that soft wares that have the ability to recognize voices, predict words, check for spellings, as well as those that encourage learning in mathematics have been discovered to enhance learning by giving opportunities to learn for students with diverse learning needs. In providing learners with learning needs who are unable to achieve both academically and non-academically (i.e., emotional and behavior wise), educators must be able to identify the necessity of assistive technology that will aid them in achieving their learning objectives. As such, it can be assumed that assistive technology in teaching and learning, also planning of activities by the teacher is very important, especially considering students with diverse learning needs.

Does ICT Improve Learning?

Reynolds and Turcsanyi-Szabo (2017) in their study, argue that adopting information technology is observed to be a positive and effective influence on pupils with learning disabilities by enhancing their self-esteem. The self-esteem of these students is improved as they become aware that they are able to achieve academically and improve their skills at the end of the class. Reynolds and Turcsanyi-Szabo (2017) further argue that “both human and nonhuman must be induced to work together to produce the desired result”. In addition, they opine that principals or schools leaders have a crucial role to play in terms of providing the financial resources to enable the usage of information technology for learning disabilities. Also, they must rally stakeholders to work towards a common goal. Such stakeholders include ICT team on ground which will provide training for teachers and parents. They also reassure parents that the school has a hang of it. While this study shows the importance of IT in students with learning disabilities, however, Petretto et al. (2021) believe that there are certain risks involved when using IT with students with learning disabilities. For instance, “when there is not enough attention on the provision of specific ‘reasonable accommodations’ for each student’s need or when the accessibility is not well considered in designing and in implementing tools, devices and learning environments” (Petretto et al. 2021, p.10). Therefore, Petretto et al. (2021) suggest that in the view that there are diverse students with unique learning abilities, teachers are charged with identifying the unique needs of students and providing the needed technology in line with the needs identified per student. In addition, teachers should also perceive the importance of IT in aiding students learning. In support of this Pillay (2000) and Quinn (1996) mentioned how technology aid students learning in the following ways:

1. Aid students to become independent in their learning;
2. Students’ engagement in the classroom;
3. Peer and teacher access;
4. Opportunity to learn from diverse options in education;
5. Encourages peer self-assessment;
6. Gain mastery of their learning.

Conclusion

Education is important for students’ life-long success. However, from the literature, it was observed that students encounter different levels of development and have different learning needs, thereby widening the learning gap. Technology, and assistive technology in particular, has been seen to bridge this gap, and students with learning difficulties can now learn at their own pace and become lifelong learners, this is particularly important because it encourages inclusion in teaching and learning in line with UNESCO and the IDEA child right. Therefore, it becomes for schools and educators to value the influence of technology in aiding learning outcomes, especially in students with different learning needs.

Health promotion is defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities (WHO, 1990). Healthy eating is defined as a diet reduced in fat and salt; or in starchy foods, fruits and vegetables. Here fruits and vegetables are mentioned to show the importance of fruits and vegetables has in our diet. Reflection within healthcare, is defined as the active process of reviewing, analyzing and evaluating experiences drawing upon theoretical concepts or previous learning, in order to inform future actions. This essay is a reflective to build an understanding about healthy eating of fruits and vegetables amongst children with learning disability within the age of 4 to 12 years, which can help in improving their health and well-being, and also the barriers that may be encountered along the process. A critical analysis and evaluation in which an area is chosen, by which it is planned to improve health promotion through the design of a resource to encourage children between the age of 4 to 12 years old, the importance of eating fruits and vegetables.

The early years of children are fully dependent on the caregiver or parents for their daily need which includes their food. As they grow older, their behavior starts to change towards making choice of what they want to eat, depending on what is available in the house, children may form a positive or negative habit of eating. Though, some of children may not fall under the category of those to be encouraged with fruits and vegetables, as people made up of different personality traits and cognitive development, which affect them as individuals. Similarly, other children, may have the perception of what they want or do not want. A study carried out on children within three age groups of 4 to 5 years, 7 to 8 years and 11 to 12 years, showed some behavioral changes as the children grow. A group of 4 to 5years old used the sense of seeing and touching to determine what they like. The other groups used taste to base their choice for fruits and vegetables. However, it was not about encouraging children to eat fruits and vegetables but their cognitive developmental changes.

Zeng et al. (2017) review of evidence shows significant and positive changes in language, learning, academic achievement, attention and working memory when children are engaged cognitively. For example, the choice they make for fruits and vegetables. Also, what type of fruits and vegetables the family consume, and the type that is readily available within the environment, might not be acceptable with their cultural belief and trying new foods, induces fear to them. Children at this age tend to grow rapidly, they therefore require higher amount of nutrients and vitamins at this period. However, Rosales et al. (2009) argued the role of nutrient in providing special functions to the brain such as choline, folic acid, iron, zinc etc. Although, it acknowledged the dearth of research in toddler years not only because of age-related variability, but because there has been a greater emphasis on measure of overall cognitive development like intelligent quotient (IQ), which is difficult to assess until elementary school years. Also, promoting different colors of fruits and vegetables, signify unique nutrients and vitamins that when combined with each other, produce the required protection the body needs for good health and well-being. For example, orange and red colored fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin A, beta carotene and antioxidant, which is necessary for good sight and prevent cell damage, while the green colors provide vitamin K, calcium for strong bones.

However, due to emphasis laid on fruits and vegetables as a healthy food has made some children to interest in its consumption. Though, high intake of fruits and vegetables is still believed to reduce the risk of suffering from major chronic diseases, for instance, diabetics, hypertension, kidney failure. In addition, the health condition of children with learning disabilities might have an impact on their eating habit, such as communication, dysphagia, food texture preferences, hypothyroidism, large tongue, slow oral motor development, acid reflux, celiac disease, picky-eating, weight gain, lower body metabolism, allergic reaction. However, other factors do affect people with learning disabilities and expose them to become underweight and under nourished which result from eating less or poor food intake, short feeding time, not considering the nutritional needs of the individual, children with swallowing difficulties or long period without eating after epileptic seizures.

The recommended five or more portions of different fruits and vegetables a day by World Health Organization (WHO), has associated eating food rich with fruits and vegetables to prevent or reduce different types of diseases and certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, etc. It went on to say that when children consume fruits and vegetables earlier, it might help to prevent certain co-morbidity in the future when they grow up. For example, early management of diabetes with adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables might lead to delay in cataract development in future, encourage normal bowel function, with good bowel opening (John et al., 2002; Taylor et al., 1995; Cox et al., 1998).

Evidently, studies had found increase in population of obese children in high-income countries, resulting from eating highly processed food, conversely, Rico-Campa (2019) found out that a higher consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with 62% in relative increased hazard for all-cause mortality. More so, WHO confirmed this and has recommended fruits and veg and high fiber diet from whole grain cereals to help reduce obesity which could result to increase mortality. Although, the reason for encouraging high intake of fruits and vegetables still is a preventive measure to protect people against preventable disease that may increase mortality in future.

Healthy eating can help control the energy required in the body to build a healthy mind. This will stabilize the mood, maintain healthy body weight, prevent anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reduce risk of depression and other mental health problems (Liu et al., 2016). Understanding and encouragement in eating of healthy food from childhood will become a good habit that can be taken to adulthood. A study published in 2017, discovered beverage made with wild blueberries promotes positive mood in children and adolescents (Khalid et al., 2017).

However, most children with learning disability have difficulty in understanding being healthy or what healthy diet means. In this effect, there should be reasonable adjustment within educational and health services, to provide information from this age group 4 to 12 years. So that these children will start early in life to receive information that will promote a healthy lifestyle. Being creative with fruits and vegetables. For example, creating a scene on the plate, to bring in fun while enjoying the meal using broccoli as trees, place cauliflower as cloud and other bits to look amazing. In addition, frequent eating of fruits and vegetables might help to reduce hypertension, help bowel function. There is a need to prevent barriers in engaging physical activities as a result of disability in children, so there is need to introduce the additional support for parents or carers to help meet the needs of the children. Reasonable adjustment according to individual need to help manage and improve eating pattern. This will help the child to start developing interest and be motivated to perform such activities.

To develop good eating habit is one of the requirements for children to learn about healthy lifestyle which includes healthy diet. Children should be involved early in life to experiment and be exposed to varieties of food, fruits and vegetables, also to taste, feel the texture, smell and see the different colors.

Facilitation is defined as the provision of opportunities, resources, encouragement and support for the group to succeed in achieving its objectives and to do this through enabling the group to take control and responsibility for the way they proceed ( Bently, 2018). With this definition in mind, poster presentation and activity playing will be discussed to support the use of the resource.

Poster presentation and easy read can be used to demonstrate how the body makes use of the fruits and vegetables eaten. Playing different activities allows information to be delivered in different ways so that children with learning disabilities can understand at their individual levels. Activities help in socializing, people coming together to participate, being part of the game, brings one closer to the product thereby allay phobia for that product and improve confidence. Additionally, selecting any fruit or vegetables of choice makes the child feel better than when it is handed over to the child. Regular exercises either outdoor or indoors help to manage weight, improve the child’s mood, alertness and appetite. The child should be involved in the care or exercise. A diet plan and using children’s weight measurements to monitor intake will help ensure children are eating healthily and abnormalities are detected early.

Certain health conditions affect children with learning disabilities from eating healthy, such as cerebral palsy which makes it difficult to eat leading to underweight. Others lack physical activities and difficulties in swallowing (dysphagia), and some that refused to eat or drink for no reason are referred to multidisciplinary team (MDT), such as general practitioner, speech and language therapist, child psychiatrist, child psychologist, occupational therapist, developmental pediatrician and social worker for proper assessment and management. Behaviors displayed by children with learning disability might be a clue to help discover underlying illness. For example, some eating disorder such as difficulty in chewing, playing with food at mealtime instead of eating, might be due to developmental, neurological, behavioral or medical problems. MDT will work within their expertise to manage such children, parents and the care giver are trained and involved their care. The MDT and all the staff maintain confidentiality. They MDT will create strategies that will be applied during mealtimes.

The talk. This is one of the most uncomfortable interactions between parents and children. Navigating this sensitive topic is a challenge. Most parents worry about the timing, setting, and whether the child is ready or not. Sometimes, parents are in denial; the more they delay the talk, the longer their child will remain a child and not hit puberty. However, the topic is inevitable and is best done sooner rather than later. A lot of kids are confused and feel lost during adolescence, especially due to the changes they experience in their bodies.

Talking to a child about puberty helps the child prepare for it and also feel supported. Children begin to withdraw and keep to themselves at puberty unless they have a good support system. Adolescence is the stage where children begin to experience sexual and romantic urges, as well as focus on social status.

Kids on the autism spectrum and all special needs kids require special attention when it comes to handling puberty. Puberty is a very confusing time for special needs children and parents need to prepare them for these changes adequately. Usually, the concern for parents is that their child will not understand what is happening; however, it doesn’t have to be the case. When parents prepare and plan for the changes to come, children don’t have to feel so lost.

Speaking to special needs kids about puberty could be overwhelming. However, caregivers should start the conversation early, break it down, and slowly help their child understand what’s happening to their bodies. Despite the challenges they face, special needs children are perceptive, and they often have questions about what’s happening around them. The way a parent approaches the talk determines how a child will react to the conversation.

Parents usually avoid conversations about a child’s disability for fear that this might negatively affect their child. However, this approach only serves to confuse the child as they are left with unanswered questions that they don’t know how to address. A special needs child won’t feel bad or think that they’re doomed to fail when the conversation comes up. This, of course, depends on how the parent approaches the subject. Telling and discussing a child’s disability with them helps them understand, even if it’s just a little. An autistic child, for instance, will not understand why they struggle to initiate and foster social relationships with their peers unless their guardian helps them understand. Failure to speak to this child could result in a child thinking that they’re unlikable. Special needs children feel ashamed and embarrassed when they don’t understand themselves because they think that they don’t fit in and no one understands them.

When talking to kids with special needs about puberty, timing is vital. Parents don’t want to bring up this talk when a child is too young to understand, but they also don’t want to wait too long that the child already made assumptions about what’s going on with their bodies. For special needs kids, starting earlier is however advisable. Psychologists recommend to ease the child into the discussion and slowly tackle each subject individually. First, begin with an easy topic, like telling them what happens when people reach adolescence, and allow the child to ask questions on what they don’t understand. It is also essential to use relatable examples to explain complex concepts to the child. Another way to begin the talk is to ask the child what they know about the subject, check whether what they know is factual, and then work from there.

Secondly, psychologists state that it is essential to let the child know that puberty is natural and they shouldn’t be embarrassed by the changes. Honesty is crucial, therefore, if parents don’t have the answers to a question, psychologists advise not to make them up, be upfront and say that they don’t know.

Schools today offer a lot of educational materials for children; however, a special needs child will only gain half of the benefits from these lessons since they don’t move at the same pace as other kids. Parents should remember that having the conversation when the child is already going through puberty could confuse the child more.

Some of the things to cover during the discussion include sexuality, menstruation, cramps, PMS, moods, skin condition, voice, height, and other physical changes that the child is expected to go through. Going over the five stages of puberty also helps children understand themselves better through every stage.

In summary, puberty usually takes about ten years and is both formative and challenging for all children. Talking about this period is very important for children, especially for children with special needs. This topic often scares parents and they very often put it off, while some parents refuse to talk about it with their children at all, that sometimes with harmful consequences. However, this topic is extremely important. Parents should not only give their children the necessary information about puberty, but also ‘reassure’ them that the changes are healthy and that they should not worry or be ashamed. If parents feel they cannot do this well, they should get a counselor to help them.

The article ‘Children with special needs’ was written by Boon Hock Lim and Kok Hwee Chia. The article is about how to support or what support is available for children with special needs. By exploring and questioning what reasonably support teachers, family and community will give in terms of services and resources for children with special needs, if there’s, indeed, such a support out there. As the community begins to ascertain more and a lot of children with special needs in their interior, there’s currently a conscious awareness of the requirement to produce adequate services and acceptable resources to support these children. Teachers in mainstream schools also as special schools have seen more and a lot of children with special needs in their regular classroom settings and these children are unable to deal with the regular syllabus.

It takes many of us to teach a child all that they ought to know especially, cooperation needed throughout the development or growing of young children. In this millennium, we tend to live during a fast, instant info via web, and pressure-packed world wherever post-truth news of events has, additionally entrenched in our lives these days. Not only we tend to, however our children face a myriad of each challenges and opportunities not only in school or at home but also on the community at massive wherever they support others. Perhaps it’s attributable to the social stigma that in most instances, families are reluctant to bring their children with special needs out for a come in the open, only to draw in staring eyes and uncalled remarks from strangers who don’t perceive.

In this article, the researcher describe that various personal observation in Malaysia and Singapore, are two types of teacher support, that is the teacher, plays the role of a support provider by creating access arrangement offered and providing necessary help like making ready worksheets in enlarged print for those that are visually impaired but not completely blind. While, the teaching is changed into a sort of supportive education provision. To figure with success it depends considerably on the teacher’s perspective. Firstly, for a teacher at the individual level, being comprehensive or to be comprehensive and personal, refers to his/her political actions and private efforts however additionally, at an equivalent time, the presence of inclusion practices during which individuals coming from totally different backgrounds possess with them different age, race and ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, upbringing, sexual orientation. Hence, as an example, in terms of inclusive teaching, it means that to create rooms for teachers from completely different backgrounds such as experience, coaching and qualification to truly produce completely different definition of education success. Secondly, to be the teacher person-centered, who is treated as a selected person with each unique strengths and desires which will lead to some learning and/or activity considerations to be taken care of during this approach.

To support the children with special needs, the cooperation between teachers and parents is also important. Teachers and parents typically move to create some group Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) or maybe some specific parent-teacher support group to help their children with special needs attending thought school which provide inclusive education. In such a case, teacher’s role is not only to teach, additionally to educate, the children with special needs, whereas the parent is to play a corroborative role to the teacher, example as a volunteering in the program to be held. In the initial sort of family support, it considerations a lot of of sharing out the responsibility of taking care of the child with special needs in order that everybody contributes his/her effort and time to supply for the child involved. For the single parent, it can be tough because they need to deal with his/her part time job and planning to the child with special needs. But sometime, these single parents want some timeout for themselves to rest and pursue their own hobbies. Day care centers can offer such respite for them though it is not a long-term solution. However, money help for these single parents is extremely in need since they are doing not earn a lot to support themselves, not forgetting the school and medical care fees they have to pay. The strength of support come from everybody within the family particularly when one among their members of the family is afflicted with special needs.

Other than teacher and family support, it is also divided to community support for children with special needs. School itself could be a sub-community among an even bigger communal context. Schools that adopt comprehensive education typically play a lively role in training their teachers to be comprehensive in addition by getting ready them the way to reach resolute children with various special needs, manage their behavioural challenges throughout lesson, and deal with sudden problems which will arise from differing types of disabilities and/or disorders. One example is that the special needs community medical aid. for school or community support to figure well, we need to move far from the medical model of case management, that is multi-disciplinary, professionally directed and system-centered, to the social model of care management. people naturally respond higher to worry and a lot of thus for people with special needs if care management approach is adopted.

If a child who lives in this community is one with special needs, it ought to become a communal concern or a difficulty that the community ought to have an interest, by crucial how best the child will be helped, and pulling along its accessible services and resources, so the child’s potential may be maximized to form him/her a helpful member of the community, being an quality instead of turning into a liability. As neighbors, we have a tendency to keep a watch out for the children taking part in outside, we have a tendency to build friendships and relationships with our neighbors, and that we work with the native police to stay our community safe. These threads include the individual’s period of time events from the time he/she was known with special needs, his/her education and training, his/her family and friends, his/her personality, hobbies, lifestyle, wherever and once the individual spends his/her time, travels and, in fact, the list of things may be endless. The structure of life refers to all or any the intertwining threads that form up a framework, wherever the framework is a private with special needs, and also the threads are everything that contributes to his/her life and character among the social group context he grows and matures. This communal issue brings us to our next concern regarding the structure of life for a personal with special needs. By organization of Community or Society, we have a tendency to seek advice from the social customs, practices, habits, etiquette, protocols, and similar interactions comprise the core behavior of a specific community or society. In different words, for special needs community support to be effective, we have to stay the framework of community in mind.

Collaboration between the school and the family seems, not as associate finish, however as a way to promote students’ academic and educational success. If parent and guardian participation in decision-making capabilities has very little important impact on rising students’ educational success, there are different types of cooperation, like communication and study support at home, that have a major impact on rising learning. To facing the needs of their children with special needs are not the same as meeting the requirements of normal children. Parents particularly ought to have confidence within the capability of the schools to know and effectively educate their children with special needs. Some parents like and advocate for comprehensive placement, whereas others favour separate placement.

In my opinions, in supporting children with special needs, the most important is attitudes and speculation. If community members specialise in what children cannot do or their differences, instead of every child’s strengths and unique skills, it is probably that children are excluded and relegated to special or separate places and activities such as special school. If community members embrace the actual fact that each children have unique gifts and skills, together with children thought of to possess dis/abilities, and every children belong, then it’s a lot of doubtless that every children are going to be enclosed as a part of structure of our society. We should facilitate every child’s network of support become stronger and a lot of knowledgeable offered school and community services and supports. Members of the family and different caregivers need accurate, timely, and clear info so as to navigate our advanced education, health care, and work systems. In the nick of time, info in formats that families will access once required can facilitate families create knowing choices and participate as co-equal members of educational groups from support to careers.

In conclusion, the method schools care regarding children with special needs is reflected within the approach schools care regarding the children’s families. If teachers view children with special needs merely as students, they are probably to ascertain the family as become independent from the school. That is, the family is predicted to try and do its job and leave the education of children to the schools. If teachers view students with special needs as children, they are probably to ascertain each the family and also the community as partners with the school in children’s education and development. Partners acknowledge their shared interests in and responsibilities for children, and that they work along to make better programs and opportunities for students.

There are several reasons for developing school, family, and community partnerships. They will improve school programs and school climate, give family services and support, increase parents’ skills and leadership, connect families with others within the school and within the community, and facilitate teachers with their work. However, the most reason to make such partnerships is to assist all children with special needs achieve in school and in later life. Once parents, teachers, students, and others view each other as partners in education, a caring community forms around students and begins its work. More significantly, we would like to raise the attention among parents and teachers in addition as among the schools and out of doors within the community at large. No matter it is, as we tend to are continuously told, there is still space for more improvement within the provision of services and resources for such children. The manner a community treats its members with special needs will tell us a lot of concerning the progress of that community and it is best measured by the degree of progress that people with special needs are being enclosed in each communal form of life.