How can society promote greater acceptance and inclusion of children with special needs in schools, communities, and beyond?
Malisha GavaliBegginer
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Inclusion and acceptance plays a crucial role in the growth and development of a child with special needs. It goes beyond physical presence. Creating an inclusive atmosphere involves developing an environment where all the children’s irrespective of their disabilities feel inclusive and valued. There should be zero discrimination with any child irrespective of his or her physical or psychological condition. Though we as a nation are becoming financially reliable, yet even today in several parts of our country, setting up a school for child with special needs is a very difficult option due to lack of necessary infrastructure and financial support from the government. Under such circumstances, inclusive education is the only viable option. And, this is only possible if peers accept and embrace each other shortcomings and limitations. Here are some ways through which we as a society can accept and ensure inclusion of children with special needs in schools and communities.
Learning starts from your home itself. Teach your child that everyone is equal and needs to be respected irrespective of any differences.
Awareness campaigns are a good way to highlight the abilities of special child and bust any myths surrounding the disability.
Parents can also support the parents of special child by providing them with essential resources and platform to connect with other similar families.
Ensure that public places and community facilities are open to all these kids without any restrictions.
Conduct game activities and group projects to encourage social interactions and promote friendships among the peers.
Promoting greater acceptance and inclusion of children with special needs in schools, communities, and beyond requires a comprehensive and sustained effort. The foundation of this effort lies in education and awareness. Schools should implement inclusive education policies that not only accommodate diverse learning needs but also promote a culture of understanding and empathy. This involves training teachers to recognize and support the varied requirements of special needs students, ensuring that these students have access to the necessary resources and assistance. Creating an inclusive classroom environment where all students learn together fosters mutual respect and reduces stigma.
In addition to inclusive policies within schools, community involvement is essential. Communities can promote acceptance through programs that encourage interaction among children of all abilities. Inclusive sports teams, arts programs, and community events provide opportunities for children with special needs to participate fully and demonstrate their unique talents. These interactions help break down barriers and build friendships based on mutual interests and shared experiences.
Beyond schools and communities, advocacy at the governmental level is crucial to ensure that inclusive policies are supported by adequate funding and resources. Governments can play a significant role by mandating inclusive practices in public services, ensuring that all public spaces are accessible, and providing financial support for programs that benefit children with special needs. Public awareness campaigns can also help shift societal attitudes, highlighting the abilities and contributions of individuals with special needs.
Creating a culture of acceptance and inclusion requires ongoing effort and commitment from all sectors of society. Parents, educators, community leaders, and policymakers must work together to promote values of empathy, respect, and inclusion. Through education, community engagement, and advocacy, we can create environments where every child, regardless of ability, feels valued, included, and able to reach their full potential.
Children with special needs refers to those children who require special attention and specific necessities than other children. These necessities arise due to different reasons including, Chronic or terminal illness, physical impairments, psychological traits, cognitive components etc.
Each individual is distinct and unique. They differ in intelligence, aptitude, interests, attitude and other personality traits. Children could be termed as gifted learners, underachievers, low achiever, learning disabled, mentally challenged and physically disabled based on their abilities. Learning disabilities include, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, auditory and visual processing disorders etc. Physical disabilities include, Musculoskeletal disabilities and Neuromuscular disabilities.
In order to promote greater acceptance and inclusion of children with special needs we must follow some steps.
1. Individual differences must be understood- Teacher must address a variety of individual differences. Students should be able to show and motivate teachers to modulate their lessons according to there differences.
2. Proper assessment- Teachers and parents should adequately address the need of the child in a scientifically valid way. Cognitive ability measures, personality questionnaires, interest inventories and other tools must be properly used.
3. Learning styles and activities- Teachers or parents must use wide range of learning styles and activities to allow the child to find atleast a part that fits their abilities and interests. All students are exposed to multiple ways to learn which will allow them to find their favourite way.
4. Foster individual differences- In a classroom or a community no boundaries or standards must be set, so that students could foster their individual differences. Everyone should be equally treated. Even if more attention is given to children with special needs it should not be felt.
5. Scaffolding- It is a method used to help children with learning difficulties. Scaffolding means, to break into small steps or to help students learn in a more effective way. Scaffolding technique differs according to the need of the individual.
Children with special needs also have a place in our society. They must be treated accordingly. They should be given quality education so that they could ensure a job according to their interests. Our attitude and perspectives towards them could always make a difference.