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Dr. S.P. Goswami Head, Dept. of Speech Language Pathology, AIISH Mysore & Honorary Editor Journal of the Indian Speech and Hearing Association (JISHA) E-mail: goswami16@yaho.com

When every child is welcomed and valued regardless of

ability or disability.

“Ignorance … is a guarantee of

marginalisation.”

Lewin (2000)

In the World approximately 113 million children are not

enrolled in primary school (DFID, 2001),

Lewin (2000) highlights the potential for education to

reverse the negative effects of social exclusion.

Estimated 25 million children out of school in India (MHRD

2003 statistics, cited in World Bank, 2004)

Department for International Development of the United

Kingdom ( DFID)

Many of whom are marginalised by dimensions

such as poverty, disadvantaged gender, disability,

and caste. While many educational programmes

have attempted to reach out to these previously

excluded children, those with disabilities are often

forgotten, emphasising their invisible status in a

rigidly categorised society.

A focus on disability in global development not

only raises questions of diverse local

interpretations of the same issue, but also the

need to accept the diversity of needs within this

‘group’ depending on both the nature of

impairment and cultural context.

The medical model defines disability

scientifically, as a physical, medically-diagnosed

deficit which handicaps. It is impairment-focused,

isolating the experience of disability from

external influences such as societal attitudes.

In the UK, the medical model is reflected in the

psycho-medical dominance of segregated

education for children with disabilities in the

1950’s (Clough & Corbett, 2000) which was

transported to developing contexts by

colonialists and development agencies

This model can be seen, however, as being

dominant long before the 1950’s, with

philanthropic, charitable institutions being set up

from the mid 1800s in both north and south,

particularly for blind or deaf children, by Christian

missionaries.

In India today, the Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment, which is responsible for people

with disabilities, has a medically-inspired

classification system whereby one’s disability

either falls into the category of locomotor, visual,

hearing, speech or mental (GOI, 2005).

These broad categorizations cannot demonstrate

the extent or exact type of impairment, which

could assist in assessment of medical, and in

some cases educational, need, and have no

bearing on the social aspects of disablement,

perhaps reflecting cultural perceptions of what

‘disability’ means in India.

In most northern discourses the social model

has overtaken the medical model, whereby

cultural environment and attitudes which

influence disabled people’s societal participation

and citizenship status are seen as the handicap,

rather than the physical impairment.

Hence it has a more human rights, as well as

contextual, dimension. While the social model is

salient in all contexts, it ignores the significance

of the type and extent of impairment at the

expense of highlighting the socio-political

aspects.

DFID (2000: 2) appears to neatly combine both the

medical and social models in its definition of

disability as:

“…long term impairment leading to social

and economic disadvantages, denial of

rights, and limited opportunities to play

an equal part in the life of the

community.”

This definition both combines health and social

implications, and includes human rights and

social exclusion dimensions in this complex,

supposedly catchall word ‘disability’.

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HEALTH CONDITION(disorder or disease)

Body functions and structures

Activity Participation

Environmental factors

Personal factors

INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONING DISABILITY AND HEALTH (WHO,2001)

It means the doors to schools, classrooms and

school activities are open to every child and they

are afforded every opportunity to be included

with their non-disabled peers.

It means the doors to schools, classrooms and

school activities are open to every child and they

are afforded every opportunity to be included

with their non-disabled peers.

The focus is on giving every child the help s/he needs to learn.

• Dumping kids with disabilities into general

classrooms without the supports and services

they need to be successful.

• Cutting back special education services as a

“trade off” for being in the general education

classroom.

• Sacrificing the education of kids without

disabilities so kids with disabilities can be

included.

Special Education. . .

is NOT a place

Special Education IS. . .

…individualized supports that give

kids with disabilities the extra help

they need to learn from general

curriculum.

…individualized supports that give

kids with disabilities the extra help

they need to learn from general

curriculum.

Physical therapy

Curriculum adaptations

Communication board

Speech therapy

Language therapy

Behavior plan

Environmental accommodations

Physical therapy

Curriculum adaptations

Communication board

Speech therapy

Language therapy

Behavior plan

Environmental accommodations

Each special education student should have an IEP learning goals and objectives for the coming yearlearning goals and objectives for the coming year

the services and supports the student will receivethe services and supports the student will receive

accommodations for the student (different ways of accommodations for the student (different ways of

learning or responding)learning or responding)

if and to what extent the general curriculum will be if and to what extent the general curriculum will be

modified for the studentmodified for the student

if and why the student will be out of the general if and why the student will be out of the general

education classroom and away from non-disabled education classroom and away from non-disabled

students.students.

Students can’t learn

general curriculum unless

they are in the room

where it is being taught.

IEPs must have:

“ A statement of measurable annual goals, including

benchmarks or short-term objectives, related to

meeting the child’s needs that result from the child’s

disability to enable the child to be involved in and

progress in the general curriculum (i.e., the same

curriculum as for non-disabled children), or for

preschool children, as appropriate, to participate in

appropriate activities.”

There must be a connection between the general

curriculum objectives and this student’s IEP goals

and objectives.

The Team must decide what the student will learn

about each subject the class is studying.

The Team must decide which and how many general

curriculum objectives are to be taught.

The Team must make general curriculum objectives

functional and meaningful for this student.

How do the IEP goals fit into the general curriculum?

Goals may be different but need to be related (like

learning to recognize a triangle when others are

learning the angles in a triangle)

Student may need to be taught in a different way (like

doing hands on activities instead of listening to a

lecture)

Student may need to work in a different way (like using

a computer instead of pencil and paper)

All students must have access to general

curriculum.

This is true no matter what class they are in.

Even students in the most segregated classes

MUST have access to the general curriculum for

their age and grade.

Describes where a child will get services

It should put the fewest possible restrictions on

how much time is spent with kids without

disabilities.

Each public agency shall ensure that to the

maximum extent appropriate, children with

disabilities…are educated with children who are non-

disabled and that special classes, separate schooling

or other removal of children with disabilities from the

regular educational environment occurs only if the

nature or severity of the disability is such that

education in the regular classes with the use of

supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved

satisfactorily.

Starts with the assumption the student will be in

the general classroom, with supports as needed.

If that won’t work full time, pull the child out of

the general classroom for part of the day for

therapies or resources. This should be done as

seldom as possible.

Only if all other options fail should the child be

separated from the general classroom.

Preferential seat- front seat

Involve other kids – let them know what

assistive devices kid/s uses

Teach students some sign language or Braille.

Not able to understand - give students a paragraph

in their mother tongue and then test them on it.

Not able to communicate – give students a puzzle

to do together but don’t allow them to talk.

Have students use a wheelchair or crutches for a day.

Have students communicate using only body

language or gestures.

Dyslexia – give students a paragraph to read with

the letters switched around.

Sensitivity to noise – have students take a test while

there is a lot of unexpected noise in the background.

Accommodations are used when the student is

expected to learn the same curricular content. But

the student may be taught in a different way or

need changes in the environment.

Modification are used when the student is expected

to learn less or different curricular content. This

could require the modification of assignments, tests,

worksheets and other materials in the classroom.

Accommodations are changes in teaching

methods. It can include changes in:

where you teach,

who teaches

how you teach

how the student can respond

materials you use.

You have to know what you are trying to teach

(curriculum) before you can change how you

teach it.

If you make the wrong changes, you can end up

teaching a different concept than the one you

wanted the student to learn.

Special chairs or cushions, lower or high table or

chair, titled desk top

Different or additional lighting (not fluorescent),

sitting by a window for natural light

Sitting close to the blackboard or teacher, sitting

away from others

Stand instead of sitting or sitting instead of standing

Picture schedules, visual cues or visual timer

Quiet times or places to help concentration

Color coding

Visual organization of the room and supplies

Keeping materials for student and handing out as

needed

Have at least part of the room bare with nothing

on walls, ceilings or floors

Don’t use strong cologne- such as fragrance ,

perfumes (hard on allergies)

Don’t wear a lot of jewelry (distracts kids with ADHD

Count to 10 before letting anyone answer questions

(processing time)

Vary teaching methods

Projects for extra credit or in place of timed tests

Giving instructions one step at a time instead of all at

once

Fewer problems on a page, large print or dark print

Read things to students and give verbal tests

Use a tape recorder (taking notes and giving reports)

Sensory breaks

Communication device or sign language

Use a touch screen, voice activated computer, switch

controls or adapted keyboard, mouse, calculator

Peer tutoring or peer taking notes

Small group work instead or individual assignments

Assistance with organizing

More time to transition to next activity

Change the materials (counting actual objects,

tape recorder)

Change how much or what kind of personal

assistance a student gets (prompts, verbal cues,

gestures, physical assistance

Use a grading system to show the combination of

what they learned and how hard they tried.

Give extra credit for consistent effort and

completing assignments.

Give extra points for positive behaviors or extra

assignments.

Base assignments and grades on meeting IEP goals

Reduce the amount of writing by using T/F, multiple

choice or fill in the blanks, or oral tests

Give child less to learn at a time

Allow students to take classes as pass/fail

Schools often add an adult educational assistant to

work with the student 1-to-1

Or they may take a student out of class (called pull

out ) for pre-teaching, skill building or one-on-one

instruction.

Use of education assistants and pull out instruction

should be carefully planned. Is it too much

isolation from other students? Does it make the

student miss too much class time?

“Pull out” means removing the student from

class for a small group of 1-to-1 instruction. Ask:

Why can’t the skill be taught in the general

classroom? Are there ways to change it so it

could be taught there?

While the student is in pull out, s/he misses

what is going on in the general classroom.

How do you help the student catch up on what

s/he missed?

How will skills learned in pull out time help the

student spend MORE time in the general

classroom?

Is having an adult with him/her all day making the

students MORE dependent?

Does the educational assistant take away the

student’s need to communicate and make choices?

Does having an educational assistant there make

peers less likely to interact with the student? Is the

student ever alone with peers?

Is the student at least arm’s length away from

the educational assistant when possible?

Would the student be better off having help from

several different people rather than always the

same assistant?

Don’t glue an adult to the student every minute.

ACTS SALIENT FEATURES

PWD Motor, vision and multiple

CONSUMER ACT

Right to avail services

RTI Right to avail information

UNCRPD Activity and participation

RIGHT AS PER INDIAN

CONSTITUTION

Equal opportunities for

all citizens

NATIONAL POLICY FOR

PWD

Availing rehabilitative

services

RTE Education for all till X

All PWDs have a right to education to enable the

full development of their human potential, sense

of dignity and self-worth; to develop their

personality, talents and creativity, mental and

physical abilities to their fullest potential; and to

enable their effective participation in an inclusive

society

No persons with disabilities shall be excluded

from the education system on the basis of

disability, and the appropriate government shall

ensure that all persons with disabilities,

especially girls and women with disabilities, have

access to education, without discrimination and

on an equal basis with others, at all levels.

Every child below the age of six years has a right to

free childhood care and pre -school education.

No child shall be liable to pay any kind of fee,

charge or expenses towards any support or

otherwise which may prevent him or her from

pursuing for completing both elementary and

secondary education

If a child has not been admitted to a school at the

stipulated age or was admitted but was unable to

complete his education due to his or her disability

then such child shall be admitted to a class suitable

to his or her age.

Provided that, where a child is directly admitted to

an age appropriate class such child has a right to

suitable training in order to enable effective

participation

No child, who is admitted in a school, shall be

held back in a class or expelled from school

prior to the completion of secondary education.

Impermissible Disciplinary Measures

No child shall be subjected to physical

punishment or mental harassment or in any

manner discriminated on the basis of disability

Reservation in Higher Educational

Institutions

Higher education shall reserve not less

than six percent of total seats in each

course for persons with disabilities.

Disability Audit

Disability

Certificates

Disability Cell

Disability Rights

Tribunal

PWD & Family

PWD & Family

Govt.Govt.

Civil SocietyCivil Society

AwarenessAwareness Attitudinal Change

Attitudinal Change

Systemic Changein mainstream

programin favor of Inclusion

Systemic Changein mainstream

programin favor of Inclusion

Special Services where necessarySpecial Services where necessary

Broaden Grievance Redressal Mechanism

Broaden Grievance Redressal Mechanism

Children with disabilities and their caregiversBe sensitive and sensitize to people around you and their

rights Awareness of how this can help them at various situation: Familial crisis, Work place and at society at

large.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

S K I L L S

19 11 9 12 12 19 = 82

K N O W L E D G E

11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 596=

H A R D W O R K

8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98

A T T I T U D E

1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5

100=