Ferdinand A.

Pabalinas
Psy148-Special Education

DECS Order No.26, s. 1997, "Institutionalization of SPED Programs in

All Schools"
The SPED Center is a Philippine innovation in the delivery of educational
services to children with special needs. This is a "school within a school" since it is
established in a regular school, administered by a principal and operated according to
the rules and regulations that govern a regular school. It provides a range of educational
services, namely, resource room teaching, itinerant teaching, special and cooperative
classes that promote mainstreaming or integration of children with special needs into
regular classes. It is staffed by trained SPED teachers for the gifted and children with
disabilities.
SPED Center is expected to provide access to Basic Education among children
with special needs in collaboration with the regular schools. It is specifically tasked to do
the following:
conduct continuous assessment of children with special needs in the school division
where it is located;
provide in-service training to school personnel on the "why" and "how" of creating
inclusive school as well as other educational trends and practices relevant to children
with special needs;
provide these children with appropriate equipment and produce appropriate teaching
materials;
support children with special needs included in the regular classroom in collaboration
with the regular teachers; and
provide educational services that promote inclusion. All school divisions in the country
are urged to establish at least one SPED Center for the smaller division and four SPED
Centers in a big division. As of SY 2001 -2002, there are 124 SPED Centers,
representing 88 school divisions (out of the 141 total school divisions) in the 16 regions
of the country. For the divisions which have not organized their SPED Centers, the
following guidelines are set:
The Center should be organized within a regular school;
It shall provide educational services to at least three (3) types of children with special
needs and will expand its services to other special children;
The teachers should have undergone training in the education of these children; and
The recognition for the SPED Center shall be sought by the School Principal from the
Regional Director.