Special Education-Intellectual Disability

(SPED-ID)
Special Education- refers to the education of persons who are gifted or talented and those who have physical,
mental, social or sensory impairment and cultural differences so as to require modifications of the school curricula,
programs and special services and physical facilities to develop them to their maximum capacity.
It also refers to the arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings,
and other interventions designed to address the needs of students with learning differences, mental health issues,
physical and developmental disabilities, and giftedness.

Special Education Act of 2007 identifies ten groups of Children with Special Needs (CSNs):
1. Gifted children and fast learners
2. Mentally handicapped/mentally retarded
3. Visually impaired
4. Hearing impaired
5. Children with behavior problems
6. Orthopedically handicapped
7. Children with special health problems
8. Children with learning disabilities (perceptual handicap, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia
and developmental aphasia)
9. Speech impaired
10. Persons with autism

Chapter II of Title II of the Magna Carta for Disables Persons, RA 7277, introduced some rules on special education
in the Philippines. Sec. 12 mandates that the “State shall take into consideration the special requirements of
disabled persons in the formulation of educational policies and programs.”

VISION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

“The State, community and family hold a common vision for the Filipino child with special needs. By the 21st
century, it is envisioned that he/she could be adequately provided with basic education. This education should fully
realize his/her own potentials for development and productivity as well as being capable of self-expression of
his/her rights in society. More importantly, he/she id God-loving and proud of being a Filipino.”

GOAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

 To provide children with special needs appropriate educational services within the mainstream of basic
education.
 The two-pronged goal includes the development of key strategies on legislation, human resources
development, family involvement and active participation of government and non-government
organizations.
OBJECTIVE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
 Provide a flexible and individualized support system for children and youth with special needs in a regular
class environment in schools nearest the students’ home.
 Implement a life-long curriculum to include early intervention and parent education, basic education and
transition programs on vocational training or preparation for college, and
 Make available an array educational programs and services: the Special Education Center built on “a school
within a school concept” as the resource center for children and youth with special needs; inclusive
education in regular schools, special and residential schools, homebound instruction, hospital instruction
and community-based programs; alternative modes of service delivery to reach the advantaged children in
far-flung towns, depressed areas and underserved barangays.
PRINCIPLES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
 students with special educational needs have a right to an appropriate education
 the needs of the individual student are paramount in decisions relating to their education
 parents should have an active role within the system
 a continuum of educational services should be provided and, where practicable, appropriate education
should be provided in ordinary schools for all students with special educational needs
 only in exceptional circumstances should a student have to live away from home to avail of an appropriate
education
 the state should provide adequate resources to enable students with special educational needs to avail of
an appropriate education
IDENTIFICATION, SCREENING, ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF CHILDREN
 Identification, screening, assessment and evaluation of children with special needs shall be conducted by
the school and the community utilizing appropriate assessment instruments.
 The team shall be composed of persons with working knowledge and understanding of children with
special needs, such as the following:
 Regular teachers, Special education teachers
 Guidance counselors, School administrators
 Health workers, Social workers
 Psychologist, Speech and Physical Therapist
IDENTIFICATION, SCREENING, ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS SHALL COVER
THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS:
PHYSICAL
 height and weight
 physical deformities
 gross and fine motor coordination
 hearing
 visual function
  oral hygiene and dental development
PSYCHOSOCIAL
 family history
 personality
 behavior
EDUCATIONAL
 learning disabilities
 language and speech

Appropriate assessment instruments shall be developed or adopted in order to identify handicapping

conditions as early as possible. Identification and assessment of children with special needs shall be a continuing
process. The synthesis of identification and diagnostic information shall be the basis for the appropriate
educational placement of the child with special needs.

SCHOOL ADMISSION AND ORGANIZATION OF CLASSES

The school entrance age of a child with special needs to formal academic instruction shall follow the
current regulation of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports. He may be admitted any time during the year,
if circumstances warrant such admission. No age requirement or time limitation shall be imposed for attendance to
non-formal education programs.
Only persons with special needs shall be eligible for enrolment for special schools. Special educational
provisions shall be made in hospital schools during treatment periods of handicapped children. An assessment test
to determine proper grade placement shall be administered to special students who cannot present school
credentials. Their admission shall be subject to the approval of the regional director.

FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY, CLASS SIZE AT ANY GIVEN TIME SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Exceptionality- One-Grade Level, Multi-Grade or Multi-Level
2. Gifted/Fast Learner- 30 to 35
3. Mentally Retarded- 8 to 10
4. Blind- 5 to 6
5. Deaf- 6 to 8
6. Behavior Problems- 7 to 12
7. Orthopedically Handicapped- 10 to 15
8. Multiply Handicapped- 3 to 6
9. Speech Defective- 10 to 15
10. Learning Disabled- 5 to 6
 Placement in a special class shall be temporary and not terminal, thus a continuous assessment process is
essential.
  A maximum of only 2 children with the same or different type of handicapping condition shall be integrated
in a regular class at any given time.
 An itinerant teacher shall have a case load of not more than five children with special needs.
 The special education teacher shall be assisted by one or more teacher aide when necessity demands and
whenever possible.

Promotion of children with special needs shall follow the promotion policy for the regular grades. The following
modifications shall be made for special learners.
 Promotion Scheme for Gifted/Talented/Fast Learners
 Yearly progression
 Acceleration
 Finishing the last three grades in the elementary grades in 2 years
 Advanced placement
 The levels of instruction for the mentally retarded shall be as follows:
 Preschool
 Lower primary
 Upper primary
 Intermediate
 Advanced
 For the multiply handicapped, individualized promotion shall be adopted on a case to case basis.

Curriculum Content, Instructional Strategies and Materials

The following schemes or options may be adopted for Special Education Programs
 Regular Curriculum- the curriculum prescribed for regular children.
 Modified Curriculum- the curriculum prescribed for regular children with certain adaptations to meet the
needs of special children.
 Special Curriculum- the curriculum for children with special needs aimed primarily at developing special
adoptive skills to maximize their potentials.

 Curriculum plans shall be research-based, tested successfully on a pilot basis before their implementation
on a bigger scale, and evaluated periodically. These plans shall be accompanied by a variety of instructional
materials.
 The modified curriculum for the hearing impaired shall include sensory training, special instruction in Braille
reading and writing, mathematics, orientation and mobility, Braille music, and typing.
 The modified curriculum for the hearing impaired shall emphasize communication and language
development based on the philosophy of total Communication which is tailored to meet the individual
child’s communication, and educational needs. The curriculum, in addition, shall include special instruction
 in speech and speech reading, auditory training and rhythm. The multi-sensory approach shall be
maximized and speech/ speech reading and sign language shall be encouraged starting in Grade I.
 Filipino sign language shall be used in the education of the hearing impaired.
 The modified curriculum for children with behavior problems shall include special activities and
instructional techniques for the normalization of behavior with emphasis on moral, civic and spiritual
values as well as training in livelihood, and technical and academic skills to prepare them for the world of
work
 The curriculum for the physically handicapped child shall include functional exercises.
 The special curriculum for the mentally retarded shall emphasize training in self-care, socialization, motor
and pre-vocational and vocational skills. For the more severely retarded child, emphasis shall be on
development of self-care skills.
 Teaching strategies shall be creative and multi-dimensional. They shall make maximum use of all remaining
sense modalities and provide for active participation in the learning process.
 All special schools shall strengthen their vocational and technical training programs. Arrangements shall be
made to enable the child with special needs to attend special courses offered in the regular vocational
schools whenever practical.
 A community-based, home-based or any useful alternative special education delivery system shall be
established to reach those who cannot avail of regular institution-based programs.
 Effective guidance and counselling programs shall be developed and maintained.

ORGANIZATION PATTERNS
Children with special needs shall be provided with a variety of educational patterns and services.
The assessed needs of each child shall be the primary consideration in determining his particular program
and services.

PROGRAMS MAY BE ORGANIZED IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS, NAMELY:

 Integration/ Mainstreaming
 Resource Room Plan
 Itinerant Teacher Plan
 Cooperative Class Plan
 Special Class Plan
 Special Education Center
 Special Day School
 Residential School
 Hospital Instruction
 Home-bound Instruction
 Community-based Delivery System
INTEGRATION/ MAINSTREAMING
 This refer to the enrolment of a child with special needs in a regular school with additional teaching/care
resources.
Degrees of Integration
1. Partial Integration- a child enrolled in a special class in a regular school is integrated with regular children
in non-academic activities like work education, physical education, arts, school programs, etc. Later on,
qualified children may be integrated gradually in one or more academic subjects.
2. Full Integration- sometimes called “zero reject model”
- the handicapped child sits in the regular classes in all subjects, academic or non-
academic.
RESOURCE ROOM PLAN
 Under this scheme, the child with special needs is enrolled in the regular school program but goes to a
resource room to use the specialized equipment either in a tutorial situation or in a small group. The resource
room teacher functions both as an instructor and a consultant. The usual procedure is for the resource room
teacher to serve the area of exceptionality in which she has had training. However, occasionally in small
communities, necessity may dictate that she serves children with a variety of learning disabilities. Such a
resource room service that does not constitute program of special education should not turn out to be a
segregated plan.
ITINERANT TEACHER PLAN
 Under this plan, an itinerant or traveling teacher serves one or more regular schools depending on how
many pupils need special help. She gives direct and consultative services to children. In addition, these
specialists observe, diagnose, make referrals, requisition textbooks and equipment, prepare instructional
materials and evaluate performance.
COOPERATIVE CLASS PLAN (PART-TIME SPECIAL CLASS PLAN)
 In this plan, the child with special needs is enrolled in a special class but receives some of his academic
instruction in the regular grades. In this way, the child is, to a varying extent, integrated into regular education.

SPECIAL CLASS PLAN (SELF-CONTAINED/SEGREGATED PLAN)

 Under this plan, usually, pupils with only one type exceptionality label are enrolled in the special class. This
plan is needed for those with more severe problems which make it impossible for them to learn in a regular
classroom setting. At times, they may be with their normal peers, but not usually in an academic situation.
SPECIAL EDUCATION CENTER
 A growing alternative service delivery system is the Special Education Center which holds classes for
children with special needs within the regular school. Itinerant, resource room services, special and cooperative
classes are held in the special education center. Classes range from three to more than twenty, depending upon
the population and affluence of the community. The school-within-a-school concept receives much support
from parents of the children themselves and from civic and social community organizations. The Center is
administered by a principal and operated according to the rules and regulations that govern a regular school.
SPECIAL DAY SCHOOL
 This type of school serves specific types of children with moderate to severe disabilities. It offers a range of
trained special educators and a comprehensive array of medical, psychological and social services.
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
 The reason for placing a child in a residential school is based on the premise that he can make greater
progress in such setting than in any other. Residential schools provide special education services that are
qualitatively and quantitatively superior to those available in local communities.
HOSPITAL INSTRUCTION
 Provision of children confined to hospitals, sanatoria, and convalescent homes is a service of special
education. The types of children in need of hospital instruction are the severely emotionally disturbed, the
profoundly retarded who are bedbound, the crippled, those with chronic and/or serious health disabilities, and
recovering patients. Both bedside tutoring and group instruction are made available to the above.
HOME-BOUND INSTRUCTION
 This plan is provided by the local school system to serve the chronically ill, usually the bedridden, the
convalescents from operation, accident or temporary illness, the disturbed, and the retarded pupils. Services are
provided by either a full-time itinerant teacher who instructs each pupil in his own home about three times a
week, or the regular class teacher who instructs her temporarily homebound pupils.
COMMUNITY-BASED DELIVERY SYSTEM
 This is a plan for children with special needs who reside in distant communities and cannot avail of existing
special education programs. They are reached by teachers, para-teachers or volunteers trained to teach the
basic 3 R’s and self-help activities to prepare them for useful and independent living.

SCHOOL PLANT FACILITIES

 Adequate physical facilities and equipment shall be provided to assure quality education for all children
with special needs. The school system shall assign buildings and resource rooms and adapt physical facilities to
suit children with special needs. The school system shall provide appropriate specialized equipment,
instructional materials and supplies. Requirement for school site, school plants, physical facilities and classroom
size shall be for the purpose of securing permit for operation schools modified in accordance with the type of
exceptionality and enrolment size. The minimum requirement for basic classroom equipment for children with
special needs prepared by the Ministry of Education, culture and Sports including medical and dental facilities
shall be complied with.
 Buildings and facilities shall be made accessible to persons with special needs. Steps shall be taken to
remove architectural barriers to and within buildings (walkways, corridors, doors, washrooms and toilets) to
enhance mobility of disabled persons.

PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT, WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

For the effective implementation of the special education program, the education, welfare and training of
personnel shall be given high priority.
 All personnel involved in the education of children with special needs shall have adequate and appropriate
educational background and training and personnel qualities specified as follows:

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE

For a special education teacher:
 Bachelor of Elementary Education specializing in special education
 Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education or Secondary Education, major in Special Education
 Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education or Secondary Education plus 18 units in special education in
the graduate level
 Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education or Secondary Education plus 16 units in special education with
4 years of very satisfactory experience in the regular schools
 Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education or Secondary Education plus 14 units in special education with
4 years of very satisfactory experience in the regular schools
 Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education or Secondary Education plus 12 units in special education with
6 years of very satisfactory experience in the regular schools

FOR REGIONAL AND DIVISION SUPERVISORS, COORDINATORS, AND ADMINISTRATORS OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS
AND CENTERS
 Master of Arts with 18 units in special education or any related field.

CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBILITY

 For security of tenure of all personnel, possession of an appropriate civil service eligibility is required.

PERSONAL QUALITIES
 Must demonstrate positive attitudes, desirable personal values and commitment toward children with
special needs.
 In the absence of qualified teachers in the division, equivalent experience or training in handling children
with special needs and demonstrated commitment shall be considered for appointment.
 Teaching and non-teaching personnel working with children with special needs shall be provided with on-
going and various training opportunities to ensure staff competence.
 Training programs shall be upgraded periodically to emphasize early identification, screening, assessment
and evaluation of children with special needs. It shall include courses in psychology to develop the right
attitudes toward handicapped persons.
 The hiring rate of special education teachers shall be at least two ranges higher than that of regular
teachers.

INCENTIVES SHALL BE GIVEN TO SPECIAL EDUCATION PERSONNEL THROUGH THE FOLLOWING:

 Master teacher positions when they meet the requirements;
  Awards for consistent outstanding performance for the last 3 years;
 Priority in recommendations to related scholarships and fellowships;
 Attendance to conferences or observations of special education programs in countries with more advances
programs in special education
TIPS FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS
 Educating individuals with intellectual disabilities requires awareness and much patience. Awareness
involves a conscious effort to choose activities and words wisely. For instance, if a student demonstrated artistic
talent, encourage him or her by providing assignments geared towards this skill set. Parents can help by
suggesting related activities that their children can pursue as hobbies. In addition, carefully picking your words
will reduce potential problems caused by students’ limited vocabularies.

 Patience is an integral component in addressing the aforementioned educational challenges. You will likely need
to go over lessons or correct a student’s inappropriate behavior multiple times. One way to make repetition
more effective is to accompany verbal instruction with additional cues; for example, show pictures to reiterate
spoken directions.