Children with Disabilities
Children with a variety of disabilities face special difficulties and have specific needs. Many of these children work very hard to communicate their wishes and desires in a free atmosphere. Most disabled children have a strong ability to move their bodies, partake in activities, gain access to their environment, and learn new ideas and abstracts. Families and other professionals, such as teachers, must work together to benefit the pupil by providing the guidance that each and every child will need in order to accomplish their goals. In most cases, the disorder occurs in one or more of the following areas: motor, cognitive, and sensory control, or a combination of both (Horn, & kang, 2014).
Unique Needs of Children with Disabilities
Children with disabilities are grouped as heterogeneous in terms of their capabilities, learning needs, and characteristics. To some extent, these children may share some features but they pose their own uniqueness as well. A student with disabilities in most case are unable to catch up with other students who are normal. This brings in the question whether students with disabilities should attend special needs schools. The paper aims at exploring an argument concerning the student with disabilities if they should attend special needs schools (Horn, & kang, 2014).
Inclusive Education Benefits
Students with disabilities should not attend special need school rather attend normal class with other students without disabilities due to the benefits link to such learning compared to separate learning. Different studies indicate that when a child with disabilities attends classes with his peer who is not disabled there great thighs that happen. For the past years, children with disabilities were educated in a separate class environment or separate schools. It is well understood that if children are educated as one there is a like hood of social and academic outcomes for the children involved. Separation of children based on whether they are disabled has not produced positive outcomes. A student with disabilities should not attend special need school because inclusive education implies that each particular child is valued equally and needs the same chance and experiences (Queensland government. 2017). Educations is all about membership, creating friendship and having equal opportunities just like other children without disabilities. All the student in the society learn in a different manner, education is about assisting and providing children to participate and learn in meaningful ways. In some situation, assist from other friends and teacher matters a great deal. In additional student with disabilities should not go to special schools as a child education is a right and not a privilege. The education act outlines that all children having disabilities should receive education with non-disable children within their own age limit (Queensland government. 2017).
Social and Academic Benefits of Mainstreaming
It is also well indicated that educating a student who has disabilities alongside side those who do have disabilities generates an atmosphere of cooperation and tolerance that help prepare students of different abilities to work in the world beyond school. Separating of students based on disabilities bring about social stigma. In additional students inclusion regardless of whether there are disable or not provide a chance for all the children to develop emotional and social skills and be able to learn from their peers (Unicef, 2013). When the student learns together new ideas are produced and incorporated into planning, collaborative evaluation, and implementation. Mainstreaming children with disabilities and those without disability indicates the following outcome on the student with disabilities. There is a higher academic achievement, the National Research Centre on learning and disabilities shows that student who graduated with disabilities have increased to around 14% in the pasted years. The access to a direct instruction room presents a perfect increase in students' academic skills. Mainstreaming of a student has also resulted in a higher self-esteem among student with disabilities as most of the student are able to gain more confidence and show qualities of raised self-efficacy (Unicef, 2013). Another benefit of mainstreaming is the mastery of social skills as it allows students with disabilities to acquire knowledge through the act of observation, and have a better perspective of the world around them as their become part of the larger society. Separation of students is a big disadvantage to a student with disabilities as most of them miss out on the benefits of having the long-term relationship. The teaching of the student as equal gives a chance for the development of the required attitude toward other people with a wide range of disabilities. The exposure to students of all manner permits a typical student to understand and see that just like themselves learner with disabilities also has the weakness and strengths like themselves.
Benefits of Special Schools
On the other hand, a student with disabilities should attend a special school. In most cases, a student with disabilities may attract much attention from the teacher at the expense of no disabled students. Attention and time that is supposed to be distributed across the class may be channel toward students with disabilities (Konza, 2008). In addition, most of the parent have the general feeling that some of the teachers have no required training in handling special need students in a classroom setting, in addition to insufficient curriculum resource and aide support in school. A learner with disabilities should attend a special school that is well equipped with learning material of special people and teaching staff. Most of this student require special attention from a teacher who is trained in special programs. The cost of education to support a student with disabilities my proof expensive to most of the school, the expense per student is relatively high for example the cost involved for special education program per learner with special needs ranges from $10,558 and goes up to $20,095 which may be difficult for a mainstreaming school to rise. Another reason why a student with disabilities should attend special school is the fact that most of the students do not feel extremely comfortable in their handling of a student with disabilities, as well as teacher who does not feel relaxed when it comes to interaction with such students in classes (Konza, 2008). To add on, the inadequate pre-service training and professional development of teacher in other schools is a reason why special schools are required. A good number of teacher condemn the in-service and pre-service course that address the skills and attitude towards learner with disabilities as insufficient. A larger number of teachers experience difficulties with the tension of putting in mind the special needs of students at the disadvantage other students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, many learners in the 21st century are faced with different disabilities which range from the physical, sensory, and mental problem. There has been little efforts by the government to address the issues. It is clearly demonstrated that student with disabilities should not attend special school rather join the regular school with another student due to the benefit linked to such move.
Reference
Horn, E, & kang, J . (2014). HHS public access. Supporting Young Children with Multiple Disabilities: What Do We Know and What Do We Still Need To Learn?
Education. Inclusive education. http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/learning-disabilities/inclusive-education/.
Queensland government. (2017). Early childhood education and care.
Unicef. (2013). Children with disabilities
Konza, D. (2008). Research online. Inclusion of students with disabilities in new time :responding to the challenge.