Special education

Special education, also known as specialized education, special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, or special day class, is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual differences, disabilities, and special needs. This 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.
Special education aims to provide accommodated education for students with disabilities such as learning disabilities, learning difficulties, communication disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, developmental disabilities and other disabilities. Students with disabilities are likely to benefit from additional educational services such as different approaches to teaching, the use of technology, a specifically adapted teaching area, a resource room, or a separate classroom.
Some scholars of education may categorize gifted education under the umbrella of "special education", but this pedagogical approach is different from special education because of the students' capabilities. Intellectual giftedness is a difference in learning and can also benefit from specialized teaching techniques or different educational programs, but the term "special education" is generally used to specifically indicate instruction of disabled students.
Whereas special education is designed specifically for students with learning disabilities, remedial education can be designed for any students, with or without special needs; the defining trait is simply that they have reached a point of unpreparedness, regardless of why. For example, if a person's education was disrupted, for example, by internal displacement during civil disorder or a war.
In the Western world, educators modify teaching methods, curriculum materials, and environments so that the maximum number of students are served in general education environments. Integration can reduce social stigmas and improve academic achievement for many students.
The opposite of special education is general education, also known as mainstream education. General education is the standard curriculum presented without special teaching methods or supports. Sometimes special education classrooms and general special education classrooms mix. This is called an inclusive classroom.

History

History of Special Education
Special education has a long history marked by significant changes in the treatment and education of individuals with disabilities. Over time, efforts to provide equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of their abilities, have evolved, moving from segregation and exclusion to greater inclusion and integration within general education settings.
Early Exclusion and Segregation
In the early years, children with disabilities were often excluded from public schools or placed in separate institutions. Many were denied access to education altogether, as societal attitudes often viewed individuals with disabilities as incapable of learning or contributing meaningfully to society. In some cases, children with physical disabilities were given minimal or no education, and those with intellectual disabilities were institutionalized.
Progress in the Mid-20th Century
The mid-20th century saw the beginning of changes in the approach to the education of children with disabilities. The concept of special education started to take shape as schools began to implement separate programs specifically designed to meet the needs of children with disabilities. However, these programs were often isolated, and the children still faced considerable discrimination and limited opportunities for social and academic interaction with their peers.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - 1975
A pivotal moment in the history of special education occurred in the United States with the passing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This landmark legislation, signed into law by President Gerald Ford, mandated that public schools provide free appropriate education to children with disabilities. This law required that schools make necessary accommodations and services to support students with a range of disabilities, including learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and physical disabilities.
One of the key provisions of IDEA was the Least Restrictive Environment mandate, which emphasized that children with disabilities should be educated alongside their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. This shifted the focus from segregating children with disabilities to providing inclusive educational settings whenever possible.
International and Ongoing Challenges
Although the passage of IDEA marked a major step toward inclusion, global challenges persist. It is estimated that 23 million children with disabilities worldwide still lack access to education, especially in developing countries and rural areas. Many of these children are either excluded from schools or placed in environments that fail to meet their educational needs, exacerbating their vulnerability.
Efforts to promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education settings continue to face barriers such as lack of trained teachers, insufficient resources, and cultural attitudes that may still be resistant to the inclusion of disabled individuals.
National Special Needs Day
To recognize the ongoing efforts to improve the lives and educational experiences of children with disabilities, National Special Needs Day is observed annually on December 9th. This day is dedicated to raising awareness of the challenges faced by students with disabilities and promoting the principles of inclusion and accessibility in education systems worldwide.

Identifying students or learners with special needs

Some children are easily identified as candidates for special needs due to their medical history. For example, they may have been diagnosed with a genetic condition that is associated with intellectual disability, may have various forms of brain damage, may have a developmental disorder, may have visual or hearing disabilities, or other disabilities.
On the other hand, for students with less obvious disabilities, such as those who have borderline intellectual disability or specific learning difficulties, two primary methods have been used for identifying them: the discrepancy model and the response to intervention model. The discrepancy model depends on the teacher noticing that the students' achievements are noticeably below what is expected, at which point the teacher may make the decision for the student to receive support from a special education specialist. Before doing so, the teacher must show documentation of low academic achievement. The response to intervention model advocates early intervention.
In the discrepancy model, a student receives special education services for a specific learning difficulty if the student has at least normal intelligence but the student's academic achievement is below what is expected of a student with his or her IQ. Although the discrepancy model has dominated the school system for many years, there has been substantial criticism of this approach among other researchers. One reason for criticism is that diagnosing SLDs on the basis of the discrepancy between achievement and IQ does not predict the effectiveness of treatment. Low academic achievers who also have low IQ appear to benefit from treatment just as much as low academic achievers who have normal or high intelligence.
The alternative approach, response to intervention, identifies children who are having difficulties in school in their first or second year after starting school. They then receive additional assistance such as participating in a reading remediation program. The response of the children to this intervention then determines whether they are designated as having a learning disability or otherwise. Those few who still have trouble may then receive designation and further assistance. Sternberg has argued that early remediation can greatly reduce the number of children meeting diagnostic criteria for learning disabilities. He has also suggested that the focus on learning disabilities and the provision of accommodations in school fails to acknowledge that people have a range of strengths and weaknesses and places undue emphasis on academics by insisting that students should be supported in this area and not in music or sports.

Individual needs

A special education program should be customized to address each student's needs. Special educators provide a continuum of services, in which students with various disabilities receive multiple degrees of support based on their individual needs. It is crucial for special education programs to be individualized so that they address the unique combination of needs of a given student.
In the United States, Canada, and the UK, educational professionals use a student's Individualized Education Program. Another name for a student's Individualized Education Plan is a student's Individual Learning Plan.
"The IEP is meant to address each child's unique learning issues and include specific educational goals. It is a legally binding document . The school must provide everything it promises in the IEP."
In the US, for children who are not yet three years old, an Individual Family Service Plan contains information on the child's present level of development in all areas; outcomes for the child and family; and services the child and family will receive to help them achieve the outcomes.
In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law that requires every school system to provide a free and appropriate public education for every child, ages 3 to 22, regardless of how or how not seriously that child may be disabled. To ensure that this federal law is obeyed, the government requires every school system provide this type of education to each student in order to receive federal funding. This changed a little in 2004 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act decided to update the law. After the law was updated into the Disabilities Education Improvement Act, the ability to identify special needs children and give them the appropriate education environment was improved.
Students with all forms of special needs are assessed to determine their specific strengths and weaknesses. The earlier these students with special needs are assessed, the faster they get the accommodations that they need, and the better it is for their education. Placement, resources, and goals are determined on the basis of the student's needs. Accommodations and modifications to the regular program may include changes in the curriculum, supplementary aids or equipment, and the provision of specialized physical adaptations that allow students to participate in the educational environment as much as possible. Students may need this help to access subject matter, physically gain access to the school, or meet their emotional needs. For example, if the assessment determines that the student cannot write by hand because of a physical disability, then the school might provide a computer for typing assignments, or allow the student to answer questions verbally instead. If the school determines that the student is severely distracted by the normal activities in a large, busy classroom, then the student might be placed in a smaller classroom such as a separate classroom or resource room.
Parents of students with a learning disability must be aware of what type of disability their child has, so they can get access to accommodations such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and adaptive physical education. For example, if a student takes an academic test and it indicates that the student struggles with reading comprehension, parents can request speech and language support or classroom accommodations, such as extra time to complete reading and writing tasks.