Children With Special Needs And Their Inclusion In School
The inclusion of children with special needs in school is not a taboo subject. Despite the fact that for many years it was very difficult to address the issue, even in first world countries, today it is no longer necessary.
Today we must bet, more than ever, to try to take advantage of the potential of all children so that they can be human beings of integrity tomorrow.
For this, those who really must understand that a difficulty does not imply a lifelong impediment, are the parents. Yes, we must be realistic with the difficulties of children, but that is not why we must allow ourselves to be carried away by pessimism or fatalism.
Children with special needs need their parents to know how to see beyond the problem and to have a proactive attitude that allows them a satisfactory school inclusion, especially in their first years of life.
“Forward always forward. God will provide ”
–Carmen Sallés–
Children with special needs
Children with special needs are those who require the support and care of an adult to be able to carry out various activities.
This does not imply that they have an intellectual disability. Special needs encompass various aspects. Especially if there is an underlying environment of marginalization.
Depending on the needs, the intervention will be to a greater or lesser extent. Regardless of this, what children really need is dedication and perseverance so that they can achieve their learning, both inside and outside the classroom.
The most common difficulties:
- Asperger.
- Autism.
- Dysphasia
- Acalculia.
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Malnutrition.
- Down’s Syndrome.
- Physical disability (visual, hearing, motor).
- Attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.
On the other hand, children with high IQs also require some help in adjusting to the school environment. Especially to avoid educational dyssynchrony, since this can lead to poor academic performance and demotivation.
Remember that children with a high IQ may feel that the tasks are too repetitive or tedious, which reduces their interest in both studies and their classmates.
Why is it important to talk about your needs at school?
It is also very important to develop a cooperative plan that includes family members (or tutors), teachers and administrative staff of the school institution.
In this way, a much more proactive environment will be fostered when looking for solutions to difficulties and, therefore, there will be better communication.
Contrary to what one might think, talking about children with special needs in the institution does not imply that we expose them to criticism and ridicule.
Likewise , the needs must be assertively identified as well as the progress of the applied strategies and the quality of the tools monitored, since the important thing is to make sure that the children achieve their goals.
Plans should not be static. In fact they must be flexible enough so that they can adapt to the child and meet his needs.
Strengthen your self-esteem and avoid condescension
Overprotective parents who limit their children’s social relationships and create an environment of ignorance and mystery around them do not benefit their children in the short or long term.
On the other hand, teachers who are too permissive and patronizing of children with special needs do not really help them learn. Their permissiveness can create an environment of falsehood around them that does not really empower or educate them.
None of the agents around a child with special needs is usually ill-intentioned. However, unintentionally, its impact on the child’s education can be highly damaging.
Parents who do recognize their children’s disabilities, but cannot see beyond them, do not bring anything positive to their children.
They do not realize that they do have a potential that goes beyond their difficulties, and that with a little help, they can achieve their maximum emotional, social and, of course, academic development
So, recognizing the strengths of our children, as well as supporting them so that they can have some independence day by day, will improve their confidence and interpersonal skills.
The inclusion of children with special needs in school should be without pity from home. For this reason, it is important to find out about the study modalities offered by the institutions and what are the tools that will allow us to better watch over them.
