Special education is the study of alternate teaching strategies and educational policies created for kids with unique needs. The goal of special education is to teach talented children, who have great intellectual capacities, or young people who have mental or physical impairments, such as learning problems, hearing loss, stuttering, amputations, cerebral palsy, etc.
Special education seeks to provide answers to issues like: How can I properly educate kids with special needs? What are the most effective alternatives for teaching them fundamental abilities and knowledge? How can the lesson plans and curriculum be modified to meet their unique needs? Although specializations in Sign Language, Deaf Studies, Special Education – Elementary School, Special Education – Secondary School, Special Education – Early Childhood Education, and other areas are available at some universities, Special Education, also known as Special Needs Education, is a general academic discipline.
The Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) System, Learning Difficulties, Social, Behavioural, and Emotional Development, Ethical Practice, Inclusive Practice, Child Abuse, and Neglect, Special Education Law, and Meeting Different Needs, etc. are all common topics covered in a typical special education curriculum.
About Special Education
The practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their unique differences, disabilities, and special needs is known as special education (also known as special-needs education, special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED). This entails the individually planned and consistently reviewed arrangement of instructional practices, specialized tools and resources, and accessible environments. These interventions are intended to assist people with special needs in reaching higher levels of personal self-sufficiency and success in learning and their communities, which may not be possible if the student only had access to conventional classroom education.
Through special education, students with disabilities such as those learning disabilities, learning difficulties (such as dyslexia), communication disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities (such as osteogenesis imperfecta, cerebral palsy, lissencephaly, Emanuel syndrome, and muscular dystrophy), developmental disabilities (such as autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and intellectual disabilities), and other disabilities can receive an education that is adapted to their needs. Additional educational services for disabled children may include new teaching methods, the use of technology, a specially modified teaching space, a resource room, or a separate classroom.
However, this pedagogical method is distinct from special education because of the kids’ skills. Some education academics may classify gifted education under the heading of “special education.” Although intellectual giftedness is a learning difference that can potentially benefit from specialized teaching methods or alternative educational programs, the phrase “special education” is typically only used to refer to training for students with disabilities.
Remedial education can be created for any student, with or without special needs; the defining characteristic is simply that they have reached a point of unpreparedness, regardless of why. Special education, on the other hand, is expressly created for kids with learning impairments. For instance, if someone’s schooling was hampered by internal migration during civil unrest or war.
To serve the greatest number of students in general education settings, educators in the majority of industrialized nations adapt instructional strategies and learning environments. Many children’s academic performance can be improved and social stigmas can be diminished through integration.
Special education is the opposite of normal education, commonly referred to as mainstream education. Without any specialized teaching strategies or educational assistance, the general education curriculum is taught as is. Special education classrooms and general special education classrooms can occasionally coexist. A classroom like this is known as inclusive.
Careers in Special Education
Special education teachers, special education counselors, social workers, child care providers, teacher assistants, instructional coordinators, and occupational therapists are common job routes for special education degree holders.