What is special education and why is it important?

What is special education and why is it important?

Special education for children: SPED refers to special education and related services that help children with disabilities to succeed in school.  Special education is not “one size fits all” – it is rather an individualized teaching approach customized to meet the requirements of an individual kid. Dr. Habib’s Foster CDC provides special education in different ways and different settings.

Services related to the subject include – speech therapy, child-specific educational programs, psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling.

Special education is for whom?

To qualify for special education, a child must have a disability that affects their ability to learn in school. This could be a developmental disability such as autism or sensory processing, a learning disability such as dyslexia or dysgraphia, or a physical disability such as being blind or deaf.

Why is special education for children important?

The aim is to give disabled children additional support so that they can learn at school like everyone else. If a child's disability prevents him or her from learning, special education can use proven teaching strategies appropriate for the disability. For example, a child who has difficulty learning to read can work with a reading interventionist one-on-one or in a group setting. They use teaching techniques designed for students with reading disabilities. Therapies focused on speech, motor coordination, behavior, and social skills can help a child develop some of these skills, which may be behind learning disabilities.

Where is special education provided?

This is a trickier question than it might seem. By law, special education must take place in the least restrictive environment (LRE) appropriate to the student's needs. This means that the child should spend as much time as possible in a regular classroom. They may be "pulled out" to work with specialists sometime during the week or spend part of the day in a special environment.

For some children, a special classroom may be the only way to provide them with adequate individual attention. In this case, it would be the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) appropriate to their needs. However, a child studying in a special class should, if possible, also enjoy lunch, recess, or other activities.

Dr. Habib’s Foster CDC provides services to all eligible children between the ages of 3 and 18 years. This means they can receive services before kindergarten and continue beyond the standard 18-year school leaving age if they need support for longer.

How is special education provided?

If a parent, teacher, or a doctor for any reason believes a child may have a developmental, learning, or physical disability, they can request an evaluation from Dr. Habib’s Foster CDC.

CDC organizes an assessment that includes various tests according to the child's needs. The results will tell you if the child qualifies and, if so, what services they may need.

Parents or guardians are part of a team that works together to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is reviewed at least annually.

A child will receive the services written in the IEP. Parents should stay in touch with the teacher and the IEP team, make sure services are working, and request a team meeting if they are not satisfied with their child's progress.

What are the most common disabilities that special education can help?

Children with disabilities learn differently and have learning difficulties compared to children of the same age. Such children need education adapted to their differences and learning potential.

Special education precisely meets the needs of these special skills through individualized training programs.

Disabilities in children that require special education include hearing impairment, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, speech or language impairments, orthopedic impairments, traumatic brain injury, and developmental delays.

Children with a developmental disability have a low IQ (below 70). They have difficulties with communication, social skills, and adaptability, and the pace of development is slower than the average child.

These children have difficulty remembering, paying attention, and understanding abstract concepts. This leads to slow learning.

Special education for children helps them with simple and direct instructions – such as breaking down a task into simpler steps; modeling steps to facilitate learning; and visualizing concepts with specific objects.

Specific learning disorder/disability

Specific learning disorder (SLD) or learning disability is a neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed in early school-aged children. It combines all three disorders: (dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia – reading, written expression, and mathematics). Children who have this disorder have persistent impairment in at least one of the three major areas: reading, writing, or mathematics.

A specific learning disability is not caused by an intellectual disability, emotional problems, or visual or hearing impairment, and is often recognized in school. If the child is identified early, timely and appropriate support can be provided to the child to treat the disease.

Special education provides, individualized reading, spelling, or math instruction (based on the child's skills & needs); presenting concepts in different ways; and offering alternative ways to present what has been learned can help a child overcome this problem.