Educating the 'specially' blessed

The field of special education finds many committed takers today as awareness about the needs of disabled students gains ground. As a special educator one can make significant difference in the lives of these children and their families.

THEY HAVE been called the children of a lesser God. Deprived they would have too if it were not for the special care and attention the mentally and physically challenged receive from the special educationists. Special education refers to the education of mentally and physically challenged children. It is specially designed instruction for students with exceptional learning needs to help them realise their potential and capabilities. All children have a right to be educated, regardless of any disability they suffer from.

Some of the major disabilities are visual and hearing impairments, learning disability, spastic paralysis etc, with. the most challenging being mental disability. Though with advancements in science and medicine it has become slightly easier for trained special educationists to care for these children; there remains an acute shortage of such professionals.

Often frustrating and hopeless but always challenging, it nonetheless remains a rewarding career for the committed.

Most of the special education teachers work and teach children and youth with disabilities at the elementary, middle and secondary school level. Some may work with infants and even toddlers too.

The teachers design and modify lessons so as to tailor them to individual needs. They have to learn to give a student what he needs, rather than instruct them in something in what the teacher imagines their needs are.

Work

Extremely challenging, the work of a special educationist is emotionally and physically demanding. One has to adapt oneself to the learning pace of the children . Depending on a child's disability, the teaching methodology and curriculum have to vary. Special education teachers often work in collaboration with general education teachers. Some children may be capable of coping with mainstream subjects though requiring special resources. Some children, on the other hand need to become more self-sufficient first, like learning to eat or dress themselves or read and communicate. A special educationist needs to really study and understand each individual child in order to plan out how to deal with her/him. The teacher needs to help them build up their self-esteem and make use of their existing strengths and skills.

Building up a good and trusting relationship with the child and others concerned with the child's welfare - parents, speech therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, etc is a vital part of their daily routine.

There is no set curriculum and it is the teachers' responsibility to match specific techniques with a student's learning styles and abilities. The teachers have to often spend a lot of time working with the students on a one to one basis or in small groups. In addition to teaching academic subjects special education teachers help students to develop emotionally and socially. They have to teach them to be independent as much as possible by imparting to them functional skills. Some of the allied fields of working are physiotherapy, occupational therapy, child psychology etc.

Teaching methods

Special education teachers need to be aware of the latest in innovative teaching methods. For example, to work with hearing impaired children teachers may to have to learn the use of sign language or Braille to teach the visually impaired. A speech therapist helps with speech stimulation and correction and in developing communication aids (augmentive communication) for non- verbal students. They may have to pay more attention to art, music or craft work if they find the child so inclined.

Training and jobs

Educational qualifications for training in special education teachers are the same as for elementary or secondary school teachers. Depending on the area of specialisation, one can choose the course of study. Training is essential however, and one could take up a one year diploma or do a 3- year graduate course in special education. This can be a specialised programme meant for teaching children with specific learning disabilities or a generalised special education degree course. Degrees and courses available in the field of special education are -(i) training to teach mentally retarded children(ii) training to teach children with hearing disabilities (iii) training to teach spastics and (iv) training to teach the visually impaired.The graduate courses (B.Ed. special education) are more for teaching mentally challenged children. The National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH) is one of the most reputed institutions that trains teachers for working with the mentally disabled. Headquartered in Secunderabad, it has three training centres in Delhi,Bombay and Calcutta. The diploma courses are conducted at 18 centres and the disciplines covered are-special education, medical and paramedical, social work and psychology. Training is given as in group training, use of teaching aids, art and crafts and music, behaviour modification, speech therapy, physiotherapy etc.

Jobs are available as special educator, physiotherapist, speech therapist, music, sports and arts and craft teacher. Resource specialist teachers and inclusion specialists work in collaboration with regular elementary or secondary teachers, while early interventionists work with toddlers (upto three years) and their families, in home-based and centre- based programmes.Speech language therapist can work in government organisations, schools, long-term care facilities, hospitals or in creches. Occupational therapists work with the children in hospitals, private clinics, long-term care institutions or rehabilitation centres. They work in a team with other professionals, working either with groups or on a one to one basis.

The teachers have to organise lectures, seminars, film shows and workshops on regularly to help not only the students but their parents too, to help them cope and deal with their children better.Although a very demanding and uncommon choice of profession, the field of special education is opening out with a number of private organisations doing outstanding work to help and encourage these disadvantaged people with the support of special educationists.

PADMA RAMESH

padma.hyd@careercommunity.co.in