Special Education... A Perception...!

Personally, I never thought that I will enter the “world” of children with special needs. I was a teacher and still an educator- indirectly influencing thousands of students across the country. Realization hit me when I learned “who” the society refers to as children with special needs.

Relevance of Special Education to me. An eye opener, that life is not just for “normal” people. Individual differences are not plainly an idea of varied ways of beliefs, thinking abilities and physical attributes. In depth understanding that the world is roamed around by distinct individuals and labeling who’s in and who’s not should never matter to us. Hence, rational thinking and understanding should characterize every person of every race.

Relevance to the community. I realized the significance of SPED in promoting openness and understanding. The community as an extension of a bigger family should be the forefront in avoiding prejudice among people with special needs. Such action leads to acceptance and promotion of every individual pushing for a comfortable life.Relevance to Society. SPED is a way towards nurturing the capability of people regarded as insignificant. I never concerned myself about laws and policies in support of “some” groups unless it affects me. Now I realized the obligation of the society to develop the unique abilities of every student to obtain optimal skill - ultimately looking at them as potential contributor of progress, in their own little way, whether one is normal or person with disabilities.

How to do my part? Being a member of a policy making and standard setting agency, my immediate desire is to re-examine the curriculum developed for “normal” students. Unconsciously, we deprive children with behavioral and other disabilities to learn best because of situations they never wanted and the lack of skills of their mentor. Further, future training for teachers should include an understanding about students with special needs to know them well. At the end of the day, the learning of our students, regardless of their family status, physical and mental capabilities, should always be the primary goal of every one.