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| Sunday, 1 June 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Whither special education ? by Dr. V. Pastor Peries During the recent past, there have been a number of articles and letters regarding Special Education and its implications to persons with disabilities and their care-givers. This is a very encouraging and commendable trend that spotlights the concerns and interests for and of handicapped persons. However such enthusiasm seems sporadic and sadly isolated. The urgent need for a well-coordinated and action-oriented program to assist all handicapped persons seems a distant mirage. Apart from a few and easily forgotten legislative enactments, there is no vibrant national policy concerning education, integration and welfare of the disabled population in this country. In published reports and letters on this subject, attention has been more or less focussed on a single group of individuals; that of the Mentally Challenged or more commonly known as Mentally Retarded Persons. There are certainly other types of handicaps that need to be recognised and remediation initiated. Of particular significance are two groups of children unique to Sri Lanka and other Third World countries. These are the Street Children and those youngsters particularly in the north and north-east whose fragile lives have been affected by political and ethnic conflicts. The absence or loss of parents, lack of food and shelter and the prospect of a dismal future would have been extremely traumatic to these individuals. There is also a third group of children that the writer would like to draw attention to. These are the helpless and innocent little slaves that work in affluent households and in remote plantations, without any hope for a future. This is a matter for law-enforcement agencies. The neglect and abandonment of these unfortunates by those in authority is a disgrace to our culture and society. Beyond these man-made and socially created groups of handicapped children, there are the traditionally recognised groups that is the main focus of education and rehabilitation. These handicaps includes but are not limited to neurologically and orthopaedically disabled, visual and hearing impaired and those with congenital deformities and difficulties. Almost all handicapped children go through the dilemma of attending school but find themselves unable to cope up or function effectively in this environment. This is true even if they are enrolled in a restrictive special education class. However, there is a group of children who display specific learning difficulties once they pass through the primary years and enter into a more sophisticated and complex learning environment in their educational career. These children, for a variety of reasons are incapable of understanding simple mathematical concepts and are unable to comprehend text-book content material within their age and grade categories. Other than these innate learning difficulties, the students are and act like other normal students. They attend regular classes, interact with their peers in an acceptable manner and have no disruptive behavioural problems. Learning handicaps The casual factor of these learning handicaps is perhaps a mild and/or neurological deficit. The learning problems that are apparent and perceived in the classroom could be remedied with programmed teaching strategies and appropriate teacher guidance. In the United States, these children attend special tutorial classes during school hours under qualified professionals. These are the children who have been identified as 'Learning Disabled' and whom Kephart in his classic text described as the 'Slow Learner' in the classroom. The problem of the Mentally Retarded or more appropriately the Mentally Challenged is far more complex and different than that of the Learning Disabled. According to the American Association for the Mentally Retarded (AAMR), there are three criteria by which the mentally challenged persons could be identified. Firstly the level of intellectual functioning based on a standardised IQ test must be below 70 points. Secondly, there must be a marked inability for the individual to perform basic life skills and thirdly these deficiencies must manifest themselves during the child's developmental years (between O and 18 years). Children with Down Syndrome are by definition included in the category of the mentally retarded. The causes of MR could be grouped into several categories. These range from genetic abnormalities during pregnancy to trauma and neurological problems that may occur during birth and throughout the development years. Perhaps the most disturbing cause of MR, relevant to the conditions in Sri Lanka is the prevailing social and cultural deprivation among the poorer sections of our country. Adequate medical care during and after pregnancy, nutrition and a pleasant childhood could prevent the occurrence of these handicaps and ensure a healthy generation of children. MR individuals are classified into four categories viz mild, moderate, severe and profound. This categorisation is based on a standardised IQ test which the children have been subjected to, during the early years of their lives. Some educationists consider this grouping outdated and educationally irrelevant, although it must be conceded that it has served some useful purposes. For one thing, while the categorisation takes into account the IQ scores obtained by the youngsters, it totally ignores the functional attributes and skills of these persons which may be more crucial in the pursuit of a 'normal' life. An unfortunate consequence of this sort of classification was that it provided a rationalised pretext to huddle the so-called severe to profoundly handicapped children into mental institutions and isolated classrooms without any rehabilitation programs or an opportunity of improving themselves. Perhaps of more significance to the concept of classification is the fact that it totally ignores the possibility that these children could develop their innate potentials and move onto a higher level of functioning. Such a change could be achieved by early identification of the level of mental deficiency, intervention, involvement and integration. These four factors are crucial in bringing about a chance in the life of the MR child. Education for MR child Given the scenario of a low intelligent profile, an inability to function in society in an effective manner and the presence of developmental lags, it is important to ascertain the necessity of schooling and if so, the most appropriate educational goals. Needless to say that the school environment is a veritable mini society with its structured setting, rules and regulations, responsibilities and obligations and the opportunity it provides for social interaction. It would seem that no other environment could duplicate the same facilities and real-life situations that the school could provide for the handicapped. Being members of the greater society it is obligatory that they be provided with educational opportunities in their younger years. It is essential that the mentally challenged persons be encouraged to participate in the menu of the school curriculum. There are of course limitations as to what the MR child could pursue in an educational environment. It is necessary to review the needs and consequently the educational goals of these persons. For obvious reasons these should be restricted to the acquisition of functional skills, vocational training and the teaching and development of life skills. The MR child is unable to and does not need to follow the general educational format reserved for the normal student. Instead such children are normally enrolled in self-contained special education classes (within the regular school set-up) and taught under especially trained teachers. However, they could profitably participate in the general or adapted physical education program, arts and crafts, shop and cookery classes. As the term suggests, adapted physical education is a modified program of activities to suit the abilities and skills of handicapped populations. Not only does such a program improve the fitness potentials of these children, but could provide a host of other benefits. The involvement of MR children in this and other school classes and activities would be of immense benefit and would assist in the integration process. As a result such a positive approach, more than 87% of the MR population could be successfully rehabilitated. The remaining percentage, with severe functional limitations will need custodial care throughout their lives. Conclusion As has been emphasised, it is crucial that a realistic approach be formulated to provide schooling, rehabilitation and other benefits to our handicapped populations. This could be achieved only by an attitudinal change among ourselves to recognise the needs and aspirations of these children and enable them to live a satisfying life among the larger community. Dr. V. Pastor Peries obtained his first degree from Peradeniya University and later joined the University of Nottingham in England to continue his post-graduate studies in Education. He was the first Director of Physical Education at the University of Kelaniya. Subsequently, he proceeded to Ohio State University where he obtained his PhD in Special Education and Child Development. Dr. Peries' experience includes a Resource Specialist's position at Delaware, Ohio and professorial appointments at City University and New York University. Dr. Peries is the Head of Therapeutic Services at NAVAJEEVANA, a multi-service facility for handicapped persons in Tangalle. |
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