CYCLE 2

2nd Semester | A.Y. 2021-2022

MODULE 3

December 6-18, 2021

FTC 102
Foundation of Special and
Inclusive Education
Maria Blesila D. Macapagal, MAECE
Instructor

Institute of Arts, Sciences and Teacher Education

BSED Math 2A, BSED Eng 2A, BPED 2A, BEED
2A

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 Module 3
Learners with Additional Needs

Learning Objectives:

1. Familiarize with different inclusion methods and processes.

2. Define what learning disability is.
3. Detemine the different types of learning disabilities.

Topic Outline

A. Modifying Curriculum for Inclusion

B. Inclusive Classroom
C. Inclusive Evaluation
D. Learning Disabilities

Discussion:

Modifying Curriculum for Students with Special needs.

Curriculum has to be further modified at the classroom level. In inclusive education there is a
tremendous focus on developing such curriculum, which is relevant to all children in the classroom.

A curriculum for all means a curriculum that can be used by all children irrespective of their
abilities. It is important to recognize the fact that every child is unique, which is manifested in terms of
varying abilities. Every classroom has a group of children with different abilities. Different abilities arise
because of various contributing factors – home environment, difficulties in learning, seeing,
communication, hearing, illness – all contribute to different ability levels.

A curriculum needs to be designed and custom-made for every child, taking into account social,
cultural, and individual factors. As we have already mentioned, curriculum evolves from life. Therefore,
the relevance to the individual child’s life settings, gives the expected relevance and application of
knowledge and skills.

SOMA features

Some of the important modifications that are required are as follows:

a. Specific (Precision teaching)

b. Observable (Learning is observable)

c. Measurable (Sequenced Learning outcomes are measurable in terms of Numbers of competencies the
child has achieved to perform with Graded support)

d. Achievable (Each concept and sub concept is broken into small Achievable steps). These allow
teachers either to club the steps if the Child finds it easy or further breaks into smaller steps if the child
finds It difficult)

Why we need to use the curricular view in inclusive schools? Because:

1. Children with different needs are enrolled into schools either by ‘Default’ or by ‘design’.

2. Unless individual child’s needs are taken into account, many children Stagnate and eventually
drop out as the education fails to meet their needs.

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 3. The above issues are applicable to all schools irrespective of their Geographic location and socio-
economic status of children who attend the school.

4. In inclusive schools the teacher "facilitates" learning rather than "regulating" learning.

5. Every child has its own pace-follow the child’s pace (not the other way round!).

The curriculum for "ALL" needs to be:

1. Child centered: Children with disabilities need a child-centered curriculum, which takes into
account the individual needs of children. The curriculum needs to set specific, observable,
measurable and achievable learning outcomes (SOMA).

2. Flexible: A flexible, locally relevant curriculum, teaching and learning strategies are
intrinsically important for children with special needs to participate in the educational
process.

3. Participatory: Children with special needs require a learning environment in which they can
actively participate in learning in "small group learning settings."

Partnership with parents:

Partnership with parents is a key factor as children learn not only in the classrooms but also at
home.

We have already comprehended that every child learns at its own pace. We also know that the
child does not learn only in the school. This means that when the child comes to school, he/she must
have some base knowledge. This could have been acquired at home, or at play, or by social activities
within the community. Therefore it is important to establish the base line of learning for each child.
How is this done? The general curriculum checklist is used for establishing the baseline. The learning
outcomes of each concept are taken and the child is made to PERFORM the activity.

The baseline may be established in 3 ways:

1. Forward: In this method, all the activities are performed in a Sequential manner – that is
from the first learning outcome onward.

2. Backward: In this the child is made to perform the last activity of the particular class first
and then the activities are performed backwards.

3. Random: In this the learning outcomes are randomly selected based on the class and the
child is made to perform the relevant activity.

The child may be able to perform the activities up to a certain level and after that he may not
have been able to perform. In all the above methods, the child arrives at a stage wherein he/she is
unable to perform about 5 activities. This establishes that the child has learnt a few concepts and
therefore needs to learn the rest. This is called the baseline.

Problem Solution
Concepts too difficult or too easy The task needs to be broken into small steps
Pre requisites absent Prepare the child
Content not child friendly Substitute
Activities, learning & teaching material, Develop teaching materials with SOMA
seating arrangements not friendly to features and multi sensory environments
the needs of individual child which will benefit all children
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Evaluation not child friendly Introduce continuous evaluation system
following child’s pace of learning

Idiosyncratic development

The child may have gaps in development in all the subjects or in one particular subject. This could be
due to socio-cultural factors, or could be due to the simple reason that those competencies were not
taught in the school. The child may not have attended the class. The very fact that the child has
accomplished the later competencies confirms that the child has the potential or capacity to learn. It is
important to ensure that the child learns these activities first as any step or link missed out could lead to
difficulties in learning at a later stage, because these steps become a pre-requisite to learning other
competencies at a later stage.

Inclusive Methodology

I. Establish the base line.

Establish the base line in each subject;
1. Count the number of learning outcomes yet to be learnt by the child. This is the annual
plan.
2. Divide this by the number of working months to get the monthly education plan.
3. Divide this or the annual learning outcomes by the number of working days to arrive at
the daily education plan.

Please note: The planning has to be done for each subject area. The child may be capable of
learning only a few concepts. Please do not force the pace of the child. The IEP is dynamic and will
change as per the pace of the child. The child may learn a few concepts in a particular subject/area very
fast and may be slow in acquiring the other concepts.

Always remember that if the child is not able to learn it may be due to wrong methodology,
inappropriate materials, or inaccurate task analyzed steps for the activity.

Cooperative learning:

A child as already stated does not learn only at school. It is also true that the child does not learn
only from the teacher. Cooperative learning is when the child learns from the other students in the class
or the peer support group. This form of learning will enhance the learning levels of all children as the
retention is very high due to constant repetition.

In cooperative learning it is essential to first form groups. The groups are formed based on the
learning levels of the children. For e.g. If 5 children have learnt activity 7 in language, they will naturally
be ready to learn activity 8. Such children are grouped together. Similarly if 7 children have learnt
concept 4 in Mathematics they will form into another group. Please remember that the groups are
dynamic – that is they are ever changing – depending on the learning of each child.

Facilitator cards:

Facilitator cards describe the activity to be performed to achieve the desired learning outcome, the
materials required for the activity, the place where the activity should be performed – whether outdoors
or indoors, the task analyzed steps to be taken to complete the activity, the levels of success that may
be achieved.

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Sample: Facilitator Card

Competency: 10 Mathematics 2
Sub Competency: 10.1 Location : Indoor / Outdoor
Objective: To help them prepare the tables of number of days in a week, number of weeks in a month
and number of months in a year.
The Tasks The Method
1. Observing a calendar. 1. Display a calendar in the classroom
2. Counting the days in a week. 2. Ask them to observe the days marked
3. Counting the weeks in a month. in red. Tell them that they are Sundays
4. Counting the months in a year. and holidays.
5. Preparing the table. 3. Ask them to count the days from one Sunday to
another. This is a week.
4. Likewise, ask them to find out the days in a
month and weeks in a month. 5. Turn the pages of
the calendar and ask them to count the number of
months.
Support Material A calendar Evaluation
1. There are ______ days in a week.
2. Sundays are marked in _____ color.
3. There are _____ days in the month of
January

Multi-Sensory Material

The learning materials that are given to the child have a crucial role. This is self-explanatory.
Multi sensory material is that which may be perceived by all our senses. Therefore it should be as close
to reality as possible – If the real article can be shown it is ideal, if not then a replica needs to be made.
This has to be realistic and to scale. For e.g. If the concept to be learnt is about domestic animals it is
useful to show the child a real cow/dog/buffalo/cat etc. If these are not present in the locality, you may
show them a model of the same. Please ensure that the model is closer to the real.

3 dimensional – To ensure that the concept is as close to reality as possible, It is necessary to have a 3
dimensional model so that the child with difficulty or lack of vision will be able to touch and assimilate
the concept.

Colorful: A colorful object catches the attention of young and very young children. However do not use
too many colors. Using wrong colors leads to wrong concept formations.

Made of strong material: The multi-sensory material needs to be handled by children. Therefore it has
to be made of strong material so that it can withstand rough handling.

This figure gives an example of multi-sensory materials prepared to teach various concepts. Most of the
materials used are available either at home or in the community. Old textbooks, magazines,
newspapers, photographs are used in some cards. In other cards grains, seeds, stones and pebbles,
various grades of sand etc. are used.

How does the inclusive classroom look like?

MODEL CLASSROOM: A model classroom needs to be child friendly. Children should feel enthusiastic
about coming to school. Thus the classroom will have to be colorful and interesting, a place to
investigate and to learn. Firstly since most of the schools are at a height above the ground it is necessary
to provide ramps (for children with physical disability) and a hand rail (for children with visual
impairment). A mug and bucket of water may be kept outside the classroom to ensure that children
maintain basic hygiene after playing outside.

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A mirror to enhance communication skills and self image

At the entrance of the classroom, and at the height of the child, a full-length mirror may be placed (If a
full-length mirror is not within the budget, 3 small mirrors may be placed). This is to give the child the
notion that it is important to keep clean at all times. The mirror may also be used to teach children with
speech and hearing impairment. The classroom may be decorated with potted plants, which may also be
used to explain about numbers (counting leaves), agriculture and various other concepts. From the
ground up to a height of 2 1⁄2 feet the wall may be used, after appropriate painting, as a blackboard.
Each child could use this to learn various concepts, drawing etc.

Using recycled materials to beautify the classrooms

This slide shows an example of how a low cost material (gunny bag) is used to store the cards.

To keep the cards within reach of the child, a wall hanging with pockets to hold the various cards could
be made using locally available material such as jute sacking (Teachers in government schools in villages
have used old rice bags, saris to make beautiful decorative bags to display cards). The bags could be
made with the help of senior children. They could be decorated to make them attractive. The cards
would have to be sorted based on the curriculum objective and subject. Each subject would require a
separate bag (In Karnataka only 3 subjects are taught at the primary level hence 3 bags would be
required per classroom). The teacher cards may also be kept in a separate bag. One sided paper may be
cut into small 4 inch square pieces. A large quantity of one sided paper is required to encourage children
to actively draw or write. Thought for the day could be written on cardboard sheets and a different one
put up every day. A resource /teaching material store room could be made at the back of the classroom
using a string to tie across and old saris or sheets as partition. The resource centre could be used to
store low cost teaching aids to store children’s activity such as paintings, drawings etc. Teaching
materials could be developed by taking used items from the village itself. Based on the resourcefulness
of the facilitator any item may be used as a teaching aid. But these materials must be cleaned, labeled,
and kept in a systematic manner.

Developing Inclusive evaluation systems

There are four types of data you have to fill:

How many activities child can do

1. without help

2. with partial help

3. with full help

4. attendance

Attendance is an important parameter. If the child is not learning find out if it is because the
child is not attending the school ask reasons for absence. Talk to parents.

If the child is attending the school but not able to learn from activities without help check the
baselines, teaching methods.

Unless we have activities designed for each learning outcome, it is not possible to

identify the difficulties of the child in order to perform the activity. While presenting these activities, you
will identify, if there are any difficulties experienced by the child to perform the activities. If the child
finds it difficult, it could be due to several reasons.

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Some of the important reasons which will lead to difficulty in learning are as follows:

 The task is too simple – the child gets bored

 The task is too difficult – the child finds it hard
 The task is not properly broken into steps - the child finds it hard
 The learning materials are not relevant to the task – the child is confused
 The teaching materials are not relevant to the task – the child is confused
 The learning/ teaching materials are not accessible to the child in terms of time, distance,
availability – the child is frustrated.
 Prerequisites for learning are absent – Child cannot understand

Some other reasons that leads to difficulty in learning:

 The child is ill – child cannot concentrate.

 Child is hungry - child cannot concentrate.
 Child cannot see – difficulty in performing activities that need seeing.
 Child cannot hear – difficulty in performing activities that needs hearing.
 Child cannot communicate – difficulty in performing activities that need communication skills.
 Child cannot move - difficulty in performing activities that need movement.
 Child is slow in learning – difficulty in finishing an activity in the prescribed time
frame.
 Child is slow in retention – difficulty to express in tests and exams.
 Child has difficulty in only certain concepts – difficulty to perform only specific activities .

Cooperative learning:

A child as already stated does not learn only at school. It is also true that the child does not learn
only from the teacher. Cooperative learning is when the child learns from other students in the class or
the peer support group. This form of learning will enhance the learning levels of all children as the
retention is very high due to constant repetition.

Introduce participatory evaluation system

Cooperative learning

In cooperative learning it is essential to first form groups. The groups are formed based on the
learning levels of the children. For e.g. If 5 children have learnt activity 7 in language, they will naturally
be ready to learn activity 8. Such children are grouped together. Similarly if 7 children have learnt
concept 4 in Math they will form into another group.

Please remember that the groups are dynamic – that is they are ever changing – depending on the
learning of each child.

When the children form into groups, it will be noticed that one group learns very fast, and the others are
progressively slower. The group that has learnt the concepts very fast may require very little help from
the teacher. The teacher may just demonstrate the activity and the children are able to grasp what
needs to be done. The other groups may require a little more support. Thus there are 4 types of support
to be given to the groups:

1. Complete support from the teacher: This support will be given to the children who have difficulty in
understanding a particular concept easily. The teacher may have to sit with the group and help them to
perform the activity. This help may be in the form of prompting. Prompting may be physical prompting,
prompting through sign, prompting through words.

2. Partial support of the teacher: Here the teacher may have to demonstrate the activity a few times and
then the group is capable of doing the task.

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3. Complete support of the peer: The peer could be a child from the class who has completed the
activity. This support would lead to repetition and thus retention of the child who is providing the
support.

4. Partial support of the peer: In this the peer will perform the activity and the other children follow.

All resource materials needed for children with special needs – wheel chair, sensory training
materials, sign language kits, walkers, early stimulation materials for children with special needs, parallel
bars, prone boards, corner seats etc, in various models made from low cost locally available materials.

A tape recorder and cassette for children with special needs such as talking books and music cassettes,
speech training cassettes.

How Inclusive resource centre works:

1. Children use it as library for additional reading materials

2. Teachers use it to enhance their own learning

3. Teachers borrow learning materials from it.

4. Community uses it as a cultural centre for documentation of the village resources.

You can build a wall in the school compound or closer to school. This wall should be painted in
attractive colors. Use one side of the wall to write stories /news/public awareness information. The
other side could be used by children to write poetry /stories /innovations /local news/policies
/legislations etc. Encourage local community to share information. Let children transfer the matter
published in the wall journal into a notebook.

Wall Journal

The child may not come to school because of various barriers both social and physical. At the school
level there are various barriers starting with the attitude of the teacher to the attitudes of the peer
group and most importantly the physical barriers.

Many schools are at a height from the ground. The ground and the path leading to the school are
uneven. Ensure that the path is even and a ramp is provided for a child on a wheelchair to reach the
class. The ramp may be made of earth or wood. Make a guiding rail (bamboo or wood) so that a child
with seeing difficulty can hold the rail and get to the class. Fix a thin bamboo or a rod at 2.5 feet height
in the classroom and around the walking area for child with visual impairment to hold.

Parallel bars may be fixed in the open area to make children practice walking and play.

What are learning disabilities?

Learning disabilities or learning disorders are umbrella terms for a wide variety of learning
problems. A learning disability is not a problem with intelligence or motivation and kids with learning
disabilities aren’t lazy or dumb. In fact, most are just as smart as everyone else. Their brains are simply
wired differently—and this difference affects how they receive and process information.

Simply put, children and adults with learning disabilities see, hear, and understand things
differently. This can lead to trouble with learning new information and skills, and putting them to use.
The most common types of learning disabilities involve problems with reading, writing, math, reasoning,
listening, and speaking.

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 While every kid has trouble with homework from time to time, if a certain area of learning is
consistently problematic, it might indicate a learning disorder.

Learning disabilities are often grouped by school-area skill set. If the child is in school, the types
of learning disorders that are most conspicuous usually revolve around reading, writing, or math.

Learning disabilities in reading (dyslexia)

There are two types of learning disabilities in reading. Basic reading problems occur when there
is difficulty understanding the relationship between sounds, letters and words. Reading comprehension
problems occur when there is an inability to grasp the meaning of words, phrases, and paragraphs.

Signs of reading difficulty include problems with:

Letter and word recognition.

Understanding words and ideas.

Reading speed and fluency.

General vocabulary skills.

Learning disabilities in math (dyscalculia)

Learning disabilities in math vary greatly depending on the child’s other strengths and
weaknesses. A child’s ability to do math will be affected differently by a language learning disability, a
visual disorder, or a difficulty with sequencing, memory, or organization.

A child with a math-based learning disorder may struggle with memorization and organization of
numbers, operation signs, and number “facts” (like 5+5=10 or 5×5=25). Children with math learning
disorders might also have trouble with counting principles (such as counting by twos or counting by
fives) or have difficulty telling time.

Learning disabilities in writing (dysgraphia)

Learning disabilities in writing can involve the physical act of writing or the mental activity of
comprehending information. Basic writing disorder refers to physical difficulty forming words and
letters. Expressive writing disability indicates a struggle to organize thoughts on paper.

Symptoms of a written language learning disability revolve around the act of writing. They include
problems with:

Neatness and consistency of writing.

Accurately copying letters and words.

Spelling consistency.

Writing organization and coherence.

Other types of learning disabilities and disorders

Reading, writing, and math aren’t the only skills impacted by learning disorders. Other types of
learning disabilities involve difficulties with motor skills (movement and coordination), understanding
spoken language, distinguishing between sounds, and interpreting visual information.

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Learning disabilities in motor skills (dyspraxia)

Motor difficulty refers to problems with movement and coordination whether it is with fine
motor skills (cutting, writing) or gross motor skills (running, jumping). A motor disability is sometimes
referred to as an “output” activity meaning that it relates to the output of information from the brain. In
order to run, jump, write or cut something, the brain must be able to communicate with the necessary
limbs to complete the action.

Signs that the child might have a motor coordination disability include problems with physical
abilities that require hand-eye coordination, like holding a pencil or buttoning a shirt.

Learning disabilities in language (aphasia/dysphasia)

Language and communication learning disabilities involve the ability to understand or produce
spoken language. Language is also considered an output activity because it requires organizing thoughts
in the brain and calling upon the right words to verbally explain or communicate something.

Signs of a language-based learning disorder involve problems with verbal language skills, such as
the ability to retell a story, the fluency of speech, and the ability to understand the meaning of words,
directions, and the like.

Auditory and visual processing problems: the importance of the ears and eyes

The eyes and the ears are the primary means of delivering information to the brain, a process
sometimes called “input.” If either the eyes or the ears aren’t working properly, learning can suffer.

Auditory processing disorder – Professionals may refer to the ability to hear well as “auditory processing
skills” or “receptive language.” The ability to hear things correctly greatly impacts the ability to read,
write, and spell. An inability to distinguish subtle differences in sound make it difficult to sound out
words and understand the basic concepts of reading and writing.

Visual processing disorder – Problems in visual perception include missing subtle differences in shapes,
reversing letters or numbers, skipping words, skipping lines, misperceiving depth or distance, or having
problems with eye–hand coordination. Professionals may refer to the work of the eyes as “visual
processing.” Visual perception can affect motor skills, reading comprehension, and math.

Other disorders that make learning difficult

Difficulty in school doesn’t always stem from a learning disability. Anxiety, depression, stressful
events, emotional trauma, and other conditions affecting concentration make learning more of a
challenge. In addition, ADHD and autism sometimes co-occur or are confused with learning disabilities.

ADHD – Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), while not considered a learning disability, can
certainly disrupt learning. Children with ADHD often have problems sitting still, staying focused,
following instructions, staying organized, and completing homework.

Autism – Difficulty mastering certain academic skills can stem from pervasive developmental disorders
such as autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Children with autism spectrum disorders may have trouble
communicating, reading body language, learning basic skills, making friends, and making eye contact.

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Reference

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Indumathi-
Rao/publication/234126587_A_Self_help_Text_book_on_Inclusive_Education/links/09e4150f6809486f6
8000000/A-Self-help-Text-book-on-Inclusive-Education.pdf?origin=publication_detail

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm

Disclaimer: It is not the intention of the author/s nor the publisher of this module to have monetary gain
in using the textual information, imageries, and other references used in its production. This module is
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part of it thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, and/or otherwise, without the prior permission of
Mabalacat City College

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