Philosophical Foundation of Special Education

Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education

What is Special education? Special Education (also known as special-needs education, aided
education, exceptional education, special ed or SPED )is a broad term that describes a wide
variety of instructional services that are based on a child’s individual needs. Ideally, this
process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of
teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These
interventions are designed to help individuals with special needs achieve a higher level of
personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in their community which may not be
available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.

What is Exceptionality? An individual or a child who has an exceptionality has some area of
functioning in which he or she is significantly different from an established norm. This definition
includes both students with disabilities and those with special gifts or talents.
To develop the maximum potential of the child with special needs to enable him to become
self-reliant and shall be geared towards providing him with the opportunities for a full and
happy life.

The development and maximation of learning competencies, as well as the inculcation of values
to make the learners with special needs as useful and effective members of society.

The integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system
and eventually into the community.

Basic Philosophy of Special Education  “Every child with special needs has a right to an
educational program that is suitable to his needs.”  “Special education shares with regular
education basic responsibilities of the educational system to fulfill the right of the child to
develop to his full potential.”
Prominent Personalities in the Development of Special Education
o Jean Marc Gaspard Itard - French physician noted for his work with the deaf. From
about 1800 he devoted a great deal of his time and private fortune to the education of deaf
persons.
o Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet- educational philanthropist and founder of the first
American school for the deaf. Established the American Asylum for deaf-mutes.
o Samuel Gridley Howe -American physician, educator, and abolitionist as well as the
founding director of the New-England Institution for the Education of the Blind (later known as
the Perkins School for the Blind) and the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble Minded
Youth. -known particularly for his success in teaching the alphabet to Laura Bridgman, a student
who was blind and deaf.
 o Dorothea Dix- American educator, social reformer, and humanitarian whose devotion
to the welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread reforms in the United States and abroad.
o G Stanley Hall psychologist who gave early impetus and direction to
the development of psychology in the United States. Frequently regarded as the founder
of child psychology and educational psychology.
o Anne Sullivan Macy-American teacher of Helen Keller, widely recognized for her
achievement in educating to a high level a person without sight, hearing, or normal speech.
Education for All Handicapped Children Act - The philosophy of special education is centered
on a law written in 1975 called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It stated that all
children, despite having a disability, should have the opportunity to engage in a free public
education. This law preceded IDEA and was the first to require that public schools address the
needs of students with disabilities and move toward a more inclusive model. The special
education teaching philosophy essentially advocates that no matter what obstacles a student
has, they can learn if given the right tools with the appropriate instruction.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) - In addition, special education philosophy emphasizes that
learning must take place in the least restrictive environment (LRE), which is part of IDEA. This
means the child should be placed in a setting that provides ample opportunities to engage with
children who are the same age or grade and do not receive special services.
For example, a student with autism who is high-functioning, verbal and literate, should not be
placed in a self-contained room with children who are nonverbal and learning basic life skills for
the duration of the school day. This environment would not be the student's least restrictive
environment. Instead, the student's least restrictive environment might be a program in which
he is integrated in the regular classroom setting with the support of a para educator.
Furthermore, as students graduate from high school and transition to the adult world, they may
be in need of vocational services. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
(OSERS), offers programs to help adults with disabilities become contributing members of their
community through employment opportunities and supporting independent living. OSERS also
helps meet the needs of children from birth to 21 by supporting families and offering services,
including educational programming and financial funding.
Inclusive Education Philosophy
Participation of students with exceptional needs in inclusive settings is based on the philosophy
of equality, sharing, participation and the worth and dignity of individuals. This philosophy is
based on the belief that all children can learn and reach their full potential given opportunity,
effective teaching and appropriate resources.
“Inclusion is a process. Inclusive education is not merely about providing access into
mainstream school for pupils who have previously been excluded. It is not about closing down
an unacceptable system of segregated provision and dumping those pupils in an unchanged
mainstream system. Existing school systems - in terms of physical factors, curriculum, aspects,
teaching expectations and styles, leadership roles will have to change. This is because inclusive
education is about the participation of all children and young people and the removal of all
forms of exclusionary practice” (Barton, 1998).

An inclusive education, as determined by the law, does not merely refer to the setting in which
the student is placed. Instead, an inclusive education provides students with individualized
support and services that would allow that student to maximize their educational potential.
Beyond the law, inclusionary practices afford students the opportunity to feel accepted and
valued in their communities.