Education For Children With Special Needs
Education for children with special needs depends entirely on the child’s characteristics, the options available and the parents’ choices. The choice of education is quite varied, and there are many different options.
In a perfect world, all children could go to a regular school. Sometimes, however, the situation for some students requires a different type of schooling than the usual one.
Education for children with special needs
Children with special needs have some form of disability, disorder or learning difficulties. Therefore, they require specific support and attention within the education system. This depends a lot on the country they live in, but in general, these students can access three types of education:
- Ordinary schools
- Hospital education
- Special schools for special education
The parents are the ones responsible for choosing where they want to register their child.
Education of children with special needs in regular schools
A regular school is the most inclusive educational option. It gives the child with special needs the opportunity to learn and also develop their knowledge together with students who have no difficulties.
The child therefore receives a fair education adapted to his or her own needs. It is also a very educational experience for the other children in the class.
In ordinary schools, students with special needs can be taught in two ways:
- In a regular classroom. Children with special needs participate in lessons with the rest of their classmates and also receive specific and relevant attention in the classroom. Alternatively, they can learn in a separate support classroom.
- In a separate classroom. Some children can go here to receive individual tuition that suits their age and abilities.
Students with special needs need a curriculum that differs significantly from other students and that is specifically adapted to them.
Hospital education
Children with special needs can also go to school in hospitals. Some hospitals may provide educational support courses with educational and therapeutic support services to children suffering from:
- A chronic or long-term illness
- Severe mental and psychiatric disorders
Due to their individual circumstances, they cannot attend a regular school regularly. This alternative is therefore intended to prevent marginalization of school-age students with these problems.
Schooling in special education special schools
Another school option is to go to a special school. This is only recommended in exceptional cases because they are intended for students who have a significant intellectual disability.
In fact, only one student is enrolled in a special school after psycho-pedagogical tests and an evaluation of the child’s educational needs. The special educators regularly review the school situation with the aim of ensuring that the child enters a more normalized school environment.
Consequently, special schools offer an adapted schooling according to:
- The student’s educational needs
- The specially trained teachers available at the school
- The technical resources and methods used
In special schools, education is offered with significant adaptations and with a more individualized curriculum than in ordinary schools.
