Students with special needs

There are special needs students at many schools across the nation. These student kids frequently fall into several categories at the schools that house them. This is because there are so many different special needs difficulties. These kids are frequently referred to as having special needs and as being impaired in some way. These youngsters may have moderate learning impairments or serious issues with their physical or mental development. In educational environments, students with exceptional needs are typically grouped together under one general category.
It is important to remember that not all students with special needs have learning difficulties. Some of these special needs are often parameters that ought to be addressed within the school and the wider scope of the learning environment. Such cases could range from food allergies, emotional concerns, delays in motor skills and terminal illnesses.
Most of the disabilities in the school setting however fall under the developmental issues and concerns. Educational stakeholders such as the teachers, therapists and administrators need to be informed and fully aware of the specific special needs of such children. This knowledge will enable them to treat them in the best way possible and make them comfortable like any other children within the school setting. Parental involvement in such a context also plays a significant role in the life of children with special needs. Schools and its systems should provide specific special services for the children with special needs. Such services included special education teachers who will help in expanding learning opportunities for such students.
The following is a comprehensive analysis of annotated bibliography on various authors on their views on children with special needs in school settings.

Klein, M D, Ruth E. Cook, and Anne M. Richardson-Gibbs. Strategies for Including Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Settings. Albany: Delmar, 2001. Print.
Published by Albany: Delmar in 2001, this practical hands-on book by Klein et al provides a sensational reading for childhood professionals who deal with children with special needs. This book provides general and comprehensive information on the most common disabilities most likely to be experienced in a school setting. Most of the disabilities highlighted in this book include Down syndrome, Visual impairment, Autism, behavior disorders and cerebral palsy. Klein et al helps us to understand the special needs and the generic institutional strategies that can be applied by the special educators when handling children with special needs. Getting the attention of children in special needs in a school setting is an important practical act that should be embraced by all special educators. This enables such children to feel loved and cared for. It also makes them feel part of the team and not excluded from the normal children. The authors of this book have also addressed the challenges that f motivating children wit special needs. Additionally, it is important to address the issue of making skills easier for the special children to adequately understand basic concepts. This calls for the importance of repetition and routine. Managing behaviors and talking to children with special needs helps a lot in making such children fit within the school setting. Educator training programs for special needs children plays a huge role in promoting the wellbeing of special children. Finally, the book has addressed the importance of collaborative problem solving to enhance the growth and development of children with special needs in school setting.
Schwartz, Diane. Including Children with Special Needs: A Handbook for Educators and Parents. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2005. Print.
Diane Schwartz in her book "including children with special needs: a handbook for educators and parents" has designed the contents to meet the needs of parent of children with special needs and the general educators who handles such children in the school settings. Diane's work is primarily based on the various questions that are normally asked by families, teachers and school administrators who offer woks with children with special needs in the classrooms and the general education environment. She has clearly outlined and explained an Individualized Educational Plan that gives a blueprint for educating children with special needs. Diane has also dedicated a special section specifically for special educators that include instructions and information useful for culturally and linguistically diverse students. She has also dedicated a section primarily for parents that include ways by which families can advocate for their special child or children. She gives tips to parents, teachers and school administrators on practical ways of handling children with special needs at home and in the school setting. Schwartz has given families and schools the basics needed to successfully integrate special needs children in all facets of the school life.

Lerner, Janet W, Barbara Lowenthal, and Rosemary Egan. Preschool Children with Special Needs: Children at Risk and Children with Disabilities. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Print.
Published in Boston by Ally and Bacon in 2003, this textbook is primarily crafted for the individuals who are in the training programs. The book addresses opportunities in the educational sector having children with special needs aged three to six. The authors of this publication has adequately advocated for a family-centered approach in handling children with special needs. It addresses special programs for special children attending preschools. It also has adequate theoretical foundations and legislative aspects for the young children with disabilities and how such can be comprehensively addressed in school setting.

Schmidt, Majda, and Branka Cagran. "Classroom Climate in Regular Primary School Settings with Children with Special Needs." Educational Studies. 32.4 (2006): 361-372. Print.
The study conducted by Majda and Branka investigated the classroom climate involving two settings (one with children with special needs and the other without special needs). The study focused on the aspects of cohesiveness and satisfaction on one side and difficulties, competitiveness and frictions on the other side. The results of the study indicated an existence of both negative and positive consequences in the integration of children with hearing impairment. The heterogeneity that was achieved by children with special needs had positive benefited them positively in the mainstream classroom and enabled them to evade friction. This also enabled a competitive atmosphere and opportunities for accepting exceptionalities, social skills development and the establishment of ethical values and empathic abilities from the school peers. The concerns related to challenges and difficulties significantly ad statistically differed concerning the climate of the classrooms with the integrated students.

Kobal, Grum D, Nada Lebaric, and Janez Kolenc. Social Integration Factors in Children with Special Needs: Implications for Inclusive Model in Educational Settings. , 2006. Internet resource.
Kobal et al's main goal of investigation was focused on the quality of social integration among special needs children in the first triad in the elementary school. These authors wanted to establish and reveal the factors that provide better opportunities for special needs students' interaction with the other children. The basic concept for this study was established on the understanding the differences and preventing any social exclusion caused by disability. The study also focused on the motivation of children with special needs. It established that through integration, these children learnt, developed and integrated themselves with the other peer groups. This act of sufficient and holistic integration helped the children with special needs to be identified as persons and not just those suffering from special need condition.



Anastasiou and Kalia. Serving Children with Special Educational Needs: Perspectives from a Mainstream and a Special School. , 2009. Internet resource.
Published in 2009 by Anastasiou and Kalia, Perspectives from a Mainstream and a Special School indicate the concerns that have been established by governments in addressing special education globally. This archive states that education is a basic need that should be enjoyed by all people regardless of the status and needs requirements. Special education is therefore a requirement that ought to be inclusively place in the mainstream education and should be given a primary focus. Most countries and government s think that it is only fair to establish integration between the special needs student and normal students a school setting. Most governments, and especially the United Kingdom, is reducing special education schools and encouraging the special needs students to join mainstream schools. This ensures that special needs students get educated alongside the normal students. Such measures ensure that there is equity in quality of education as special needs student benefits from the same equal resources enjoyed by the other mainstream students. These move creates an environment of equal competition and establishes a ground for uniform prosperity in the school setting and society at large. This inclusion agenda has however received criticism for overruling and many attempts to establish such inclusive measures have been minimized by the mainstream settings.
Special needs schools are still needed to support the special needs student, as this seems to be the perfect and conducive environment away from criticism and stigmatization form the mainstream settings. In as much as special schools are the best place for educating children with special needs, efforts still needs to be put in place to ensure that education is integrated to form an all inclusive system.
Conclusion
From the above-annotated bibliographies, I have learned a couple of lessons. First and foremost, special needs students are found from across various schools in the educational sector. Special needs students do not necessary need to be mentally retarded for them to be considered people with special needs. Secondly, It is evident from the above sources that disabilities take different variances and differs from one to another. The term special needs are an overall umbrella that covers a wider scope of disabilities. From the above observation, different authors agree that integration in the education sector is essential. This is a way to ensure that special needs students are brought up in the same way as normal children in the mainstream education setting. Integration promotes all inclusion and ensures that quality of education is distributed across the schooling sector.










Works Cited
Anastasiou and Kalia. Serving Children with Special Educational Needs: Perspectives from a Mainstream and a Special School. , 2009. Internet resource.
Klein, M D, Ruth E. Cook, and Anne M. Richardson-Gibbs. Strategies for Including Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Settings. Albany: Delmar, 2001. Print.
Kobal, Grum D, Nada Lebaric, and Janez Kolenc. Social Integration Factors in Children with Special Needs: Implications for Inclusive Model in Educational Settings. , 2006. Internet resource.
Lerner, Janet W, Barbara Lowenthal, and Rosemary Egan. Preschool Children with Special Needs: Children at Risk and Children with Disabilities. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Print.
Schwartz, Diane. Including Children with Special Needs: A Handbook for Educators and Parents. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2005. Print.
Schmidt, Majda, and Branka Cagran. "Classroom Climate in Regular Primary School Settings with Children with Special Needs." Educational Studies. 32.4 (2006): 361-372. Print.