Cultural Influences on the Treatment and Implementation of Special Education in Non-Like Regions

2616 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Policies and national legislation for inclusive education

Cultures consist traditions, language, beliefs, and technologies. These key factors differ from region to region, and therefore, it is logical to conclude that cultures also differ from region to region. This divergence in culture also leads to a differing in the structure of educational system around the world. Special Education in particular, is set up vastly different depending on the region one is studying. Treatment of individuals with disabilities depends on the societal values in the region and thus shapes the way Special Education is structured. In three non-like regions, India, Norway, and the United States, the cultural environment shapes the development and implementation of Special Education in various ways. Inclusion as a policy for Special Education is also reflective of the societal values of the regions. Regions that rely more heavily on inclusion typically view individuals with disabilities in a higher regard than those regions that use segregated classrooms. This suggests that the treatment of students with disabilities is a reflection of the social environment in which the educational system was set up.
Special Education and Cultural Influences in India.
In predominantly developing nations, such as India, Special Education is also developing, and therefore has yet to fully meet individuals’ needs. India is a country of poorer overall socioeconomic status and, therefore, fewer students on average are able to attend school due to monetary constraints. Ninety-five percent of students with disabilities do not attend school (Kalyapur, 2008). This is due to the privatization of Special Education opportunities in which the “fees charged make them inaccessible to poorer children” (Kalyapur, 2008). Because India is p...

... middle of paper ...

...ues that are present in each of their societies. The cultural bias against individuals with disabilities in India leads to segregation while the cultural value of a right to participate in Norway leads to mandatory inclusion. The effects of segregation include less participation in the community while overall inclusion leads to more acceptances of individuals with special needs. The more exposure a society has to individuals with disabilities, the more accepting as a whole the society will become in terms of individuals with disabilities. As a whole, the United States’s trend toward inclusion signifies that the country is becoming more socially acceptable of individuals with disabilities. To further such a trend, inclusion must continue and be endorsed by more school districts and implemented in a way to encourage the socialization of individuals with disabilities.

Show More
Related

  • Planning to End Ableism through Universal Design for Learning

    2133 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hehir, T. (2009). New directions in special education: Eliminating ableism in policy and practice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

    Read More

  • Inclusion in the Public School Classroom

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    What do we do with children with disabilities in the public school? Do we include them in the general education class with the “regular” learning population or do we separate them to learn in a special environment more suited to their needs? The problem is many people have argued what is most effective, full inclusion where students with all ranges of disabilities are included in regular education classes for the entire day, or partial inclusion where children spend part of their day in a regular education setting and the rest of the day in a special education or resource class for the opportunity to work in a smaller group setting on specific needs. The need for care for children with identified disabilities both physical and learning continues to grow and the controversy continues.

    Read More

  • How To Write A Persuasive Speech Outline On Intellectual Disabilities

    452 Words  | 1 Pages

    The school system should educate the students about disability acceptance in the community by involving people with special needs on the school activities. III. Satisfaction A. Do buddy clubs. This will help start friendships and connections. Know disable people better.

    Read More

  • Minorities in Special Education

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    The education system is arguably the most beneficial system in the world; however, it also contains many controversial practices. Proper funding, discrimination, and curriculum are just some of the problems in today’s education system. Everyone has a different opinion about what is best for our children and it is impossible to please everyone. As long as the educational system is in tact, then there will be confusion and debate within the system and its’ administrators. The only thing that can be done is attempting to make it so that everyone will benefit equally, but this is much more difficult than one would assume. I will focus on the aspect of discrimination on minorities within special education and more specifically the following questions: Does the special education system discriminate against minorities? If so, how? What can be done, if anything, to correct or improve this system?

    Read More

  • disability

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Historically, we have been taught that people with disabilities are different and do not belong among us, because they are incompetent, cannot contribute to society or that they are dangerous. We’re still living with the legacy of people with disabilities being segregated, made invisible, and devalued. The messages about people with disabilities need to be changed. There needs to be more integration of people with disabilities into our culture to balance out the message. Because of our history of abandonment and initialization, fear and stigma impact our choices more than they would if acceptance, community integration, and resources were a bigger part of our history.

    Read More

  • From Inclusion to Friendship

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The 1% of US students with labels of severe disabilities including mental retardation have been historically excluded from ‘inclusive’ education” (Bentley, 2008, p. 543). Laws such as PL 94-142 and “No Child Left Behind” (as cited in Bentley), say that ‘public school students with all types of disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment—‘to the maximum extent possible…with children who do not have disabilities’ the majority of these students with special education labels, such as, mental retardation and multiple disabilities are still isolated in special education classrooms (Bentley, 2008, p. 545). Wehmeyer (as cited in Bentley), points out that mere access does not promote authentic participation (Bentley, 2008, p. 546). Burkowski et al (as cited in Webster and Cater), “Friendship has been defined as a bond between two individuals that is stable across time and involves mutual affection, mutual preference and having fun together” (Webster and Carter, 2007, p. 201). It is up to parents, teachers and other paraprofessionals to seek ways to facilitate and encourage the types of positive interactions that will foster these types of friendships. If done successfully all students will benefit and there will be true inclusion.

    Read More

  • Diverse or Disabled? The Improper Use of Special Education

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... placing children in special education costs money and resources that are already scarce. In order to provide the best education for all students, teachers must be careful to refer only those who are truly disabled and not simply different.

    Read More

  • Inclusion Paper

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    The idea of inclusion within a classroom tends to breed controversy from many people. Currently there is no clear consensus on a definition of inclusion (Heward, 2006). There are many different views on how students with disabilities should be handled. Those views ranged from students being fully included, partially included, or not included at all in mainstream schooling. Different descriptions of inclusion tend to reflect the person's own opinions towards it. People who feel students should not be included in the classroom focus on the negative characteristics of inclusion, such as the challenges of developing plans for students as well as the hard work it requires to incorporate those plans. However, studies show that full inclusion has many benefits to the students, for both students with disabilities as well as students without them. Inclusion has shown to improve the student's social skills, encourage communication, inspire laws and regulations, and improve the overall schooling experience (Gargiulo, 2012). Although it will take longer then some would like or have the patience for, full inclusion can be done in the classroom, with its benefits outweighing the hard work that it requires.

    Read More

  • Inclusion in the Classroom

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    Inclusion in classrooms is defined as combining students with disabilities and students without disabilities together in an educational environment. It provides all students with a better sense of belonging. They will enable friendships and evolve feelings of being a member of a diverse community (Bronson, 1999). Inclusion benefits students without disabilities by developing a sense of helping others and respecting other diverse people. By this, the students will build up an appreciation that everyone has unique yet wonderful abilities and personalities (Bronson, 1999). This will enhance their communication skills later in life. Inclusive classrooms provide students with disabilities a better education on the same level as their peers. Since all students would be in the same educational environment, they would follow the same curriculum and not separate ones based on their disability. The main element to a successful inclusive classroom, is the teachers effort to plan the curriculum to fit all students needs. Teachers must make sure that they are making the material challenging enough for students without special needs and understandable to students with special needs. Inclusive classrooms are beneficial to students with and without special needs.

    Read More

  • Special Education Placement in Public Schools

    1918 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the late 1980’s and 1990’s the number of children with learning disabilities receiving special education services grew rapidly, but during 1998 and 2007 the number of children classified as having a LD has declined by 7% (Cortiella, 2009). “In 2007, 59% of students with LD spent 80% or more of their in-school time in general education classrooms. In 2000, that figure was just 40%” (Cortiella, 2009). In addition, students with disabilities are spending more time with students in traditional classroom settings. According to the Department of Education, “approximately 6 million children (roughly 10 percent of all school-aged children) receive special education services” (Pardini, 2011).

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Special Education

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is special education? The common belief is that it a program only dedicated to helping students with disabilities, whether physical or mentally. This is not entirely accurate in regards of what special education is. While special education does provide assistance to students with disabilities ns meet their needs in quality education (Küpper 2009)—the program extends to all students facing difficulties keeping up with the pace of learning (Huerta 2009). This brings the next question onto the table: the importance of special education. Before 1970s, majority of students with disabilities were shun into isolation with little to no education in general classes (Bradley 2016). However, with the passage of Education for All Handicapped Children

    Read More

  • Special Needs Children and the Special Education Program Controversy

    1394 Words  | 3 Pages

    Special education is such a broad and sensitive topic to talk about as well as the several issues that come with the Special education topic. And although there are a variety of issues, such as: special education children being accepted, segregated from their peers, the financial ability to support many special education programs, and the fact that a lot of teachers are not properly certified and do not know how to handle special needs children; there are also many resolutions. Special education Awareness, peer understanding, support from the local and state government, proper teacher certification, and most importantly social unity and understanding amongst peers are all a part of this controversial issue and they will also help maintain and resolve the growing concerns in the Special education programs and the children.

    Read More

  • Regular vs. Special Education Classes

    1569 Words  | 4 Pages

    I posed this question prior to my research; do special education students receive the same attention and level of education as students in regular education? Through investigation and observation, I explored the differences between regular education classrooms and special education classrooms to see if there were in fact inequalities between the two. Prior to doing research, I assumed that all education was alike, and that regardless of special needs, the educational institution provided an equal opportunity for all students to learn. This paper will show the level of equity and reflect on the social justice of special education in the current school platform. It will outline the research that I have conducted and demonstrate the negative assumptions about special education teachers and their students, and show examples of the lack of funding and resources for special education departments.

    Read More

  • Discrimination Against People With Disabilities

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    To begin with, full inclusion in the education system for people with disabilities should be the first of many steps that are needed to correct the social injustices that people with disabilities currently face. Students with disabilities are far too frequently isolated and separated in the education system (Johnson). They are often provided a diluted, inferior education and denied meaningful opportunities to learn. There are many education rights for children with disabilities to p...

    Read More

  • Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    The right to have access to education is a concern for people with disabilities. They were treated poorly and often desegregated from society. The response to the concerns of parents and educators over the exclusion of children with disabilities created the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The public law “guaranteed a free, appropriate public education to each child with a disability in every state and locality across the country”. In the 1970's children with disabilities entered schools and over the years, the number of students in special education has grown dramatically, from 4.3 million students in 1990 to 6.9 million students in 2003 (The Council of Chief State School Officers , 2007).

    Read More

More about Cultural Influences on the Treatment and Implementation of Special Education in Non-Like Regions

Open Document