In life, people undergo several challenges that might require special needs and attention. Equally, the same challenges are felt in the education sector, where some learners may require special attention due to their challenges. Therefore, special education refers to education for children suffering mentally, socially, and physically and thus requires certain modifications different from the normal school routine. It covers children with learning disabilities, hearing, blind, the gifted, and those speech problems. The Bible says, “Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD” (New International Version Bible, 2008, Leviticus 19:14). Therefore, special education offers a chance to help children with varied disabilities since the Bible encourages people not to overlook those who need help.
Since children with special needs are also human beings just like other normal people because we were all created by God, some people might want to take advantage of such children and infringe on their rights. Therefore, to curb such vices in schools, some laws have been stipulated to guide the process and ensure that special needs children get an education just like other kids. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law established to ensure that children with disabilities get the care they require. It ensures that formula grants assist states in providing a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities ages three through 21 (Kim & Kim, 2020). Therefore through IDEA, all disabled children get access to grants in various states to ensure they access educational opportunities. It also provides intervention measures for toddlers’ or infants’ births through age two and their families.
Students with disabilities require attention and a lot of help. Therefore, the Free Appropriate Public Education law (FAPE) ensures that there is the regular provision of related aids that can help to offer appropriate special education among students with disabilities. Therefore, all qualified children can access free public education in school districts. It is an essential law since it considers the needs of these disabled children who might have challenges accessing education. Children with disabilities are not only offered free public education under this law. Still, they are also provided with the related services and resources they might need, yet the families might not afford them. Equally, the Least Restrictive Environment law (LRE) calls for schools to place students in less restrictive environments and offer supplementary aids and services. Besides, it is only when such children cannot be provided with supplementary services and aides that they can be placed in more restrictive environments.
Special education refers to education for children suffering mentally, socially, and physically and thus requires certain modifications different from the normal school routine. Certain traits shape the kind of services offered in this type of education. Children with reading comprehension problems might require extra attention and thus fall under special education (Dong-Young, 2019). Besides, children with academic learning disorders are also categorized under special education and needs. Children might sometimes have a problem with their memory and thus forget easily. They also fall under special education due to their poor memory. Further, learners with motor difficulties, perceptual disorders, and metacognitive deficits also fall under special education. For a child to qualify for special education, a comprehensive evaluation must be done to determine that the child requires special needs and education. Each evaluation team meeting must include the parents or legal guardians, at least one regular education teacher, and a special education teacher or provider. Services offered under special education include; speech and language therapy, psychological services, and occupational services, among others.
Different tiers can offer service delivery in different environments for students with disabilities. The first tier is universal programming, where learning is structured in a typical classroom. In this model, classes are structured without exceptionality, and the curriculum goals are not modified. Therefore, it gives teachers a chance to observe or monitor all students and thus can assess those who fall behind from others during instructions. Students in this category are general since it encompasses all students in one class. The group intervention method is the second tier used in service delivery among students with disabilities. In this approach, learners with difficulties after the teacher has observed the universal programming are put in one group (Misaki & Tanji, 2021). Therefore, they are given extra tasks depending on the areas where they experience difficulties. These results are closely monitored, and teachers can evaluate whether such students can go back to the first tier and continue learning with their peers. Students in this category can be those with learning difficulties. The third tier entails intensive individual interventions. In this tier, learners with disabilities who have not improved in the second tier are subjected to increased monitoring and given extra time. The teachers might be forced to bring outside resources to facilitate learning instruction. Students in this tier can be those with speech difficulties or memory issues.
Special education refers to education for children suffering mentally, socially, and physically and thus requires certain modifications different from the normal school routine. It is provided to help students with disabilities access education like normal students. Some guidelines are used in this type of education, and the students exhibit certain traits. For instance, this type of education categorizes students with poor memory, learning difficulties, or poor motor skills. Besides, some laws guide the provision of special education, formulated to ensure that children with disabilities access free public education. Equally, they ensure that the children with disability get the necessary aid and services. It is offered in tiers which help monitor students’ transition and thus guide the teachers on the appropriate steps to take as learners move from one tier to another and back. Therefore, special education is essential in education since it takes care of the needs of children who could otherwise not have access to education due to disability. The Bible encourages people to take care of people with disability. Luke 14:13 says, ‘But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.”
References
Dong-Young, Chung. (2019). The Characteristics of Teaching Styles of Special Education Teachers. Journal Of Special Education For Curriculum And Instruction, 12(2), 25-47. https://doi.org/10.24005/seci.2019.12.2.25
Kim, M., & Kim, J. (2020). Analysis of Laws and Policies Related to Physical Education in Special Education. Korean Journal Of Special Education, 55(3), 95-115. https://doi.org/10.15861/kjse.2020.55.3.95
Misaki, K., & Tanji, T. (2021). Using a Peer Group Intervention to Teach Emotion Regulation Strategies to Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Japanese Journal Of Special Education, 59(2), 105-119. https://doi.org/10.6033/tokkyou.59.105
New International Version Bible. (2008). Oxford University Press. (Original work published 1769).
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