History Of Special Education

HISTORY OF SPECIAL NEEDS IN IRELAND AND CHANGES RELATED TO RANGE OF CONDITIONS I CHOOSE

Under the English rule, the National Education System in Ireland was established in 1831 year.
Since then all children between the age of six and fourteen were obligated to go to school but government still didn’t consider that education for kids with special needs was necessary.
They were still ignored by society and their special needs were seen like purely mental, they were seen like mental handicap.
Treated like second class citizens many children with special needs lived in hospitals, asylums county homes or homes for mentally defected. It was believed that children with special needs should not be educated together with their peers because it could be detrimental not only for normal children but also for their teachers. At the beginning education and care for kids with special needs were run by religious order.
Since the early 1990’s the Church in Ireland has been rocked by many cases by sexual abuse. Many scandals cussed the weakling role of Church. Development of policy and legislation started. Medical and Social model of Disability was introduced.
Under this model disabled people started to join the society, they started to think about themselves in a different way- all disabled people’s problem is from not having a ‘normal’ bodies.
In social model disability is shown as being cussed by barriers such as inaccessible buildings, transport. In currently years children with behavioural (ADHD, Smith Magenis Syndrome), physical (Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impartment), or even learning difficulties (Dyslexia) didn’t have access to education.
In the mid 80’s integration with kids with special needs started. People started to look at them in a different way. By development of Irish Education classes for children with special needs in mainstream schools began to be established.
‘Special Education became a part of teaching courses’
Now the education for kids with special needs became a major focus. Barriers between them at the rest of society disappeared.

LEGISLATION/POLICY DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL ADDITIONAL NEEDS

People with special needs in Ireland has been neglected and excluded.
Special needs provision stayed much behind other nations. However the past three decades has been a shift in attitude and a number of new important pieces of legislation were introduced.

Educational Act 1988
The Act makes provision in the interests of the common good for every person in Ireland including children with any special educational needs.

1995 White Paper on Early Education
All students, regardless of their personal circumstances, have a right to access to education.

Education Welfare Act 2000
This Act was introduced to ensure that children in Ireland are receiving appropriate education including children with special needs.

Equal Status Act 2000
Under this Act schools are required to provide reasonably accommodation to meet the needs of children with disability, including special treatment, facilities or adjustment.

The Education for Persons with Special Education Needs (ESPEN) Act 2004
‘The enactment of the ESPEN Act 2004 has radically changed the educational landscape for children with special educational needs’ http://www.ncca.ie/uploadedfiles/nccaeng.pdf
Children with special needs have a right to attend mainstream schools.

National Disabilities Authority Act 1999
The Act was established to improve service for people with disabilities.
‘Under this Act NDA, which is an independent statutory body was established.’ http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/1999/a1499.pdf This is a professional organisation which ensure that people with disabilities are getting proper help such us equipment.

Disability Act 2005
The terms of this Act support the provision of an education assessment to determine the educational needs of people with disabilities.

There has been a huge range of changes in low in recent years concerning children with special needs. These changes effects the right of children who suffer educational disadvantage for whatever reason.

OUTLINE A RANGE OF SPECIAL NEEDS

Name of Condition
Cerebral Palsy
Signs and Symptoms
A group of problems that effect body movement and posture in a different stage.
Cause
• Brain injury
• Not getting enough oxygen during pregnancy or birth
• Premature birth
Diagnosis
• Developmental delays
• Details about pregnancy
• Screening tests brain scans

Treatment
• Physical therapy
• Medicines
• Surgery
• Special equipment

Name of Condition
Visual Impairment
Cause
• Problems can enquire before child is born
• Children cant see properly because their bran do not process imiges properly
• Children born prematurely or at low birth weight are at great risk
• Infections during birth
• Eye and head injury Signs and Symptoms
• No eye contact
• No reaction to light
• Trouble to locate objects
• Running into objects
• Inability to read, difficulty to write
• Wearing mismatched clothes
• Diagnosis
• Testing each eye
• Measuring visual activity or field
• Genetical information
Treatment
• Depends on the causes
• Glasses
• Surgeries
• Drops

Name of Condition
Dyslexia
Signs and Symptoms
• Late talker
• Pronunciation problems
• Confusing letters such as b and d
• Trouble learning connections between letters and their sounds
• Trouble with reading, writing and spelling
Cause
• Causes are unknown but gens could be responsible for this condition
• Specific differences in the brain
Diagnosis
• There is a range of tests
Treatment
• There is no cure for dyslexia, but a range of specialist and early intervention can help children and adults improve their reading and writing

Name of Condition
ADHD
Signs and Symptoms
• Difficulty keeping emotions
• Cannot sit still
• Unfinished tusks
• Lack of focus
• Careless mistake
Cause
• Genetics
• Pregnancy problems
• Drinking alcohol, smoking or misusing drugs while pregnancy

Diagnosis
• There is a set of specific diagnostic criteria used to make the diagnosis

Name of Condition
Smith Magenis Syndrome
Signs and symptoms
• A district pattern of physical and behavioural characteristics are preset in people with SMS.
Cause
• Caused by missing piece of genetic material from chromosome 17
Diagnosis
• Diagnosed with psychiatric diagnoses based on attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder ADHD
• Diagnosis can be made by specific tests to analyze the chromosomes
Treatment
• Speech therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Behavioural therapy
• Hearing aids
• Educative learning therapy
• Music therapy

ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES AND SUPPORT SERVICES RELATING TO RANGE OF CONDITIONS/IMPAIRMENTS SELECTED

During last decade legislation system in Ireland put in place a huge range of support to improve education for kids with special needs. There are a number of recently established organisations working in the area in special education.
Nowadays there is a close cooperation between school and health services to provide the best support not only for those who needs special education but also for their families.
Support includes psychology, different kinds of therapists; teacher support in special and mainstream schools, special equipment was introduced.

National Council for Special Education
• Established in 2003 to improve educations service
• Support special educational needs for kids with disabilities
• Techer support for children with general learning disability, emotional and behavioural disorder ( ADHD, SMS Syndrome) , physical and multiply disabilities( dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment) .

Special Educational Needs Organiser

• Appointed by NCSE to provide a local service
• Provide a local service to the parents of children with special educational needs within geographical areas
• It the teaching support for all children with emotional and behavioural disorder ( ADHD, SMS Syndrome) , general learning disabilities (dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment) .

National Educational Psychological Service
• Support the personal social and educational development through the application of psychological theory and practice in education, focused mostly on children with special educational needs ( ADHD, SMS Syndrome)

Special Educational Support Service
• Established to enhance the quality of learning and teaching for children with special educational needs.
• Develops and delivers support for school personnel working with students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post primary schools, special schools and special classes (ADHD, SMS Syndrome, dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment) .

State Examination Commission
• Is responsible for the development, assessment, accreditation and certification of the second level certification of the Irish state (Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate) for children with learning difficulties (including visual and hearing difficulties)
• (ADHD, SMS Syndrome, dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment)

Special Educational Teachers
• Work with children with different variety of disabilities
• Specialist who help children, who have difficulties with learning to achieve the highest educational progress.
• In Ireland there are different types of Special Teachers such as: learning support teachers, special educational resource teachers, visiting teacher service, language support teacher, support teacher (ADHD, SMS Syndrome, dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment) .

Special Needs Assistant
• Support pupils in a special or mainstream schools
• Under supervision of classroom teacher help the children with physical, learning and behavioural difficulties to achieve learning goals ( ADHD, SMS Syndrome, dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment)

Special Educational Support Service
• Enhance the quality of learning and teaching for children with special educational needs in schools ( ADHD, SMS Syndrome, dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment) .

Other Educational Support for Pupils with Special Needs
• Assistive technology
• Specialist furniture ( for children with physical disability – ex. Cerebral Palsy )
• Special schools transport arrangement ( for children with physical disability – ex. Cerebral Palsy , Visual Impairment)
• School building adaptations where necessary ( for children with physical disability – ex. Cerebral Palsy , Visual Impairment)
• Enhanced levels of capitation grants for special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes (all children with disabilities)
• Visiting teacher service for children who are deaf and have hearing problems , and children who are blind and have visual impairment
• Special classes in mainstream schools ( mostly for all kids with disabilities or learning problems)
• Special schools (ADHD –Galvone National School, St. Jopseph’s School For Children With A Visual Impairment )
• Special arrangement for particular disabilities
• Special therapies for children with particular disabilities (Speech therapy, Occupational therapy, Physical therapy, Behavioural therapy, Hearing aids, Educative learning therapy, Music therapy)
• Voluntary organisations
• For kids with behavioural problems (ADHD, SMS Syndrome) there are many support groups around the country run events such as workshops , conferences, talk for parents (umbrella group for ADHD)
• Sports groups for disable people
• There are individual and family psychotherapy services for disabled (for children with behavioural problems- ADHD, SMS Syndrome)
• There are groups for people with Visual Impairment to share their feelings and experiences
• Braille Chess Association of Ireland to promote chess among people who are blind or vision impaired , they organise groups to represent Ireland in international chess events
• Irish Blind Golf society for those who are interested in playing golf
• Irish Guide Dogs for Blind provides training in the use of the guide dogs
• National league of the Blind aims to protect employment conditions
• Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland provide sport opportunities including athletic, cycling, soccer or swimming
• Special Olympic Clubs
• Online support for parents and families of disabled children