Sunday, January 6, 2008
What is the Current Situtation with Special Education Programs on a Global Level and Who does it Impact?
ASIA/ JAPAN:
Current Situation:
Since the 19th century, when special education was first established in Japan, Japan has made significant advances to develop and improve their special education programs. Because World War II destroyed much of Japan’s special education schools there was a dire need for reconstruction in this area. Since then the Japan has worked very hard to develop and improve their special education program. The currently have a very successful and well developed and organized services to provide children with various learning disabilities with the equal opportunity for education. Since then the Number of children enrolled in Special Education has slowly increased. (Development of Special Needs Education in Japan)
In Japan, currently the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law established in 1947 provides students in Japan with equal opportunity for education. This law also applies to special needs students. (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology- School Education)
The Nation Institution of Special Education (NISE) is currently in charge of researching and providing teaching faculty for the special education in Japan. The NISE was founded in October 1971. Through research in the area of special education, which includes, medicine, psychology, education, and technology they are currently working to improve the special education programs across of Japan. (National Institute of Special Needs Education) In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is also currently working with NISE to improve the special education in Japan. (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology- School Education)
Through the NISE, special education teachers are provided with professional training. In order to achieve and maintain high standards of special education teachers Japan’s teachers are required to have a license specifically for special education in addition to their regular teaching license. Japan currently provides very accessible teacher training programs through local special education centers in many cites across Japan. By putting the effort into properly training their teachers, Japan is currently improving the education of their special needs children. As a result there is a higher supply of qualified teachers able to provide effective services to children with learning disabilities. (National Institute of Special Needs Education)
The severity of the child’s learning disability determines whether the student attends an ordinary school and uses special support services or attends a special school for just disabled children. Currently about 1.6% of students in Japan are enrolled as special education students. This comes out to a total of 171,540 students who receive special education at a compulsory education stage. 0.47% of Japan’s students are in special schools, 0.78% of Japan’s students are in Special Classes, and 0.31% of Japan’s students are in Tsukyu Classes, and 0.001% of students are not enrolled in school (due to the severity of their disability).
(Special Education In Japan- National Institute of Special Education In Japan)
Japan’s CURRENT enrollment in Special Education:
Types and Number of Special Classes in Japan (2003):
-Visual Impairments 188 classes
-Emotional Disturbance 8,859 classes
-Hard of Hearing 608 classes
-Speech and Language Disorders 339 classes
-Physical/Motor Disabilities 1,915 classes
-Health Impairments 840 classes
-Intellectual Disabilities 18,172 classes
Number of Special Schools (Total schools: 995, 2003):
-Health Impairments- 96
-Blind- 71
-Intellectual Disabilities- 523
-Physical/ Motor Disabilities- 199
-Deaf- 106
-Health Impairments- 96
Number of Children who attend Tsukyu Classes
(Total students: 33,652, 2003)
Low Vision- 162
Health Impairments- 6
Physical/ Motor Disabilities- 1
Hard of Hearing 1,581
Emotional Disturbance- 4,184
Speech and Language Disorders- 27,718
(Special Education In Japan- National Institute of Special Education In Japan)
Japan-Number of Students and Teacher enrolled in School (2004)
Who Does this Effect?
(Development of Special Needs Education in Japan)
National Institution of Special Education- Japan
Special Needs Students:
Special Education directly affects the special education students in Japan. Because Japan has put the time and effort into developing special education, the children and families of children with learning disabilities benefit greatly. Through these services children, are given opportunity to learn and succeed. They will be given a change to have a future and expand their academic horizons.
Special Education Teachers:
In efforts to increase the quality of special education Japan has provided teachers with many training programs across the country. As a result teachers are able to receive training in many places across Japan. There is an opportunity cost that comes with providing top quality teachers. Today, special education teachers in Japan need an additional special education license to teach. This makes it more difficult for teachers to become qualified to teach children with learning disabilities. Because it is easier to become a regular schoolteacher, the supply of teachers is often lower than the demand. However, due to the professional training, the teacher who do take the time to go the extra step to qualify to work in special education are of very high quality.
Japan’s Future/ Society:
The future of Japan will also be affected by the current situation regarding special education. By providing special needs children with quality education they can receive a good education, attend college, graduate, and then become productive member of society. By focusing on educating their younger generation, including children with learning disabilities, the society as whole will benefit because a higher percentage of the future generation will be able to attain jobs and contribute to provide for a productive and successful society.
EUROPE/ FRANCE:
Current Situation:
France, among many European nations, is currently making many significant improvements in developing and refining their special education programs. Currently education is required from age 6 to 16. By the law of 10 July 1989 every person is entitled the right to an education. To this day this law is still in effect. It also states that every must be offered an education with which they can pursue a professional carrier if they wish to. This law is non discriminatory and applies to all students, regardless if they have learning disabilities or difficulties. Also by a memorandum co-signed by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs and issued on November 18 1991 schools nearest to the student’s residence (special needs students included) are required to educate the student and provide them with the services for them to excel and learn from.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003)
Special Education lies under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Nation Education, Ministry of Public Health and Social affairs and the department of Justice. The Ministry of Nation Education is in charge of designing programs for children with learning disabilities. They also have a legal obligation to pay for the child’s education expenses, regardless of their extent of help they are receiving.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003)
The current policy known as the inclusion policy, limits the amount of time a student spends in a special institution. Instead of excluding children with learning disabilities and putting them in a separate institution, France is trying to include these children in a the regular school system by giving them the opportunity to learn in a regular school environment. France’s inclusion policy also strives to provide education to provide all students with equal opportunity for education. Through this “inclusion strategy” France, among many other European countries are currently working to expand and refine special education programs across their country.
(Special Education Across Europe)
However, despite the efforts of the current inclusion policy many children are not able to learn in a mainstream classroom setting due to the severity of their disabilities. Today around 60 elementary special schools remain in France. Children who attend “special schools” in France usually have sensory deficiencies or a serious illness. If children are capable they, must spend some inclusion time in mainstream classes, according to current inclusion policy.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003-http://www.european-agency.org/publications/agency_publications/ereports/erep11.html)
In France, “Outline Law for Disabled People (1975)” and “The Commission Departementake d’Education Speciale” (CDES), provides help to those up to 20 years old with motor, intellectual, or sensory disabilities, a chronic disease, or a chronic disability by determining the amount of financial and learning assistance each individual needs to learn. The CDES can also give, Allocation d’Education Spéciale (AES), Special Education Allowances, to the person or school in charge of raising and educating a special needs student. No decisions regarding the education of these special needs children can be made without the authorization of the CDES. However, the student is not allowed to receive these services without the consent of their parents.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003-http://www.european-agency.org/publications/agency_publications/ereports/erep11.html)
The European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education News
Who does effect:
(Special Education Across Europe -http://www.european-agency.org/publications/agency_publications/ereports/erep11.html)
(Special educational needs in Europe)
Special Education Students:
The current situation in France and other neighboring European countries greatly affects the students who receive the aid and services. Through these programs they are given the opportunity to get a good education, despite they learning disabilities. Special needs students in France are also affected by the inclusion policy. As a result if possible children with learning disabilities are included in the mainstream classroom. By not excluding these children from a regular school setting they get the opportunity to interact with children without disabilities. This gives the students a more real life experience by allowing them to learn in a regular educational classroom setting and environment.
Children without Learning Disabilities:
Children without leaning disabilities will also be affected by France’s special education situation. There is an opportunity cost of improving special education. Because so much time and money is invested in educating special needs children the regular education children are affected as well. These improvements in the special education program take away money that could have been used for educating children without learning disabilities (the majority of the students). These students are also impacted by the inclusion policy. This policy puts more special needs students into the mainstream classroom and as a result they indirectly take away attention that would have otherwise been given to the children without learning disabilities. The presence of these children in the mainstream classroom may also holdback some of the other students.
France’s future society and economic success:
France’s future will be affected by the current situation regarding special education. Theses children with learning disabilities will, through the high quality educational services and attention, one day become contributing members of the French society. France’s future will benefit from this because a higher percentage of their younger generation will be able to enter the work force and increase the GDP and nation’s wealth. This will provide France with a successful future. France’s economy will indirectly increase from Europe’s current special education situation.
AFRICA-ZAMBIA:
Current Situation:
Currently, special education is not very prominent throughout Africa. To this day it is still seen as a new concept because many areas are more focused on improving the quality of their regular education, which currently is not very adequate and developed compared to that of the United States. In places where special education has been introduced there are still many problems. These include, poor funding, lack of information about special education and learning disabilities, negative attitudes, inadequate supply of qualified teachers and an overall general lack of commitment. This results in poor, if any, special education programs across Africa. However, in Zambia Special Education programs are available and developing.
(Inclusive Education in Africa)
In 1969, the Zambian Government realized the need to educate children with learning disabilities. In 1971 the Ministry of Education was instructed to take the portfolio of educating disabled children. Despite this, since then, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has taken no measures to construct special education schools. Today, the 31 existing Special Education Schools in Zambia are all privately owned and run. However, the Government does supply these private institutions with teachers and grants.
Today, more than 15 percent of children in Zambia, over 250,000 children, have learning disabilities and require special academic attention and services. However, most of these children do not receive any services do to the lack of sufficient educational programs for these special needs children. Another reason is, in Zambia, they do not have an effective system to identify and contact children with special needs. Therefore, they do not receive adequate help. Also, parents in Zambia often feel embarrassed about their disabled children and keep their children’s leaning disability a secret in efforts to keep their family status high.
(A Zambian Case Study- Dr. Mwamba D Kalabula, University of Zambia)
The Currently policy for special education, “Educating Our Future 1996,” written by the Ministry of Education, states that children with special needs will be provided with equal educational opportunity. This policy also strives to provide adequate resources and good quality education to these children, and improve the management of special education in Zambia.
The Ministry of Education goals to improve Special Education:
-Working closely with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education will decentralize services for the identification, assessment and placement of children with special educational needs.
-To the greatest extent possible, the Ministry will integrate pupils with special educational needs into mainstream institutions and will provide them with necessary facilities. However, where need is established, the Ministry will participate in the provision of new special schools for the severely impaired.
-The Ministry will co-operate with private, religious, community and philanthropic organizations in meeting the special educational needs of exceptional children, and providing outreach services for children whose impairments prevent normal attendance at school.
-Education Boards will have responsibility for ensuring that the special education needs of children within their jurisdiction are met, and will be evaluated on their discharge of this responsibility.
-The Ministry will dispense with all direct educational costs for children with special educational needs will provide bursaries for such individuals at tertiary level.
-The Ministry will give attention to the educational needs of exceptional children by training and adequate number of teachers in special education; designing appropriate curricula and teaching materials; prescribing specifications for special furniture, equipment, aids and infrastructure provision; developing appropriate support technology systems; and providing adequate supervision of special education programs.
-The Ministry will enlarge and decentralize the special education inspectorate. Planning for special education provision will be built into the Ministry's mainstream strategic planning, and in support of this the information system on special education and national needs in this area will be improved.
While the motive and desire to improve special education is there, economic decline has made it very difficult for Zambia to provide adequate funding for educational obligations. The increasing poverty across the country also inhibits rapid development of regular and special education. The quality of education in Zambia is affected by the lack of resources, which includes facilities, supplies, teachers, classrooms, and instruction.
Table 1
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
% of TPB 10.3 10.8 10.0 10.6 10.4
% of GDP 2.9 2.0 2.9 2.9 2.8
Budget allocation to the Ministry of Education in relation to Total Public Budget (TPB) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Source: Ministry of Education
Who does this effect?
(A Zambian Case Study- Dr. Mwamba D Kalabula, University of Zambia)
Special needs students:
The children with learning disabilities are suffering as a result of the poor special education programs in Zambia. Without adequate services and special attention these children cannot learn and be educated. As a result their futures are very limited and opportunities are scarce. Without a proper education they will not be able to graduate, have the opportunity to go to college, and will not be able to get a job.
Zambia/ Africa’s future economy:
By not providing all of its children with equal opportunity to excel and learn, not all of their children will grow up to be contributing members of society. Zambia’s future economy will suffer as a result of not being able to educate their special needs children. These children will not be able to get jobs in the future due to the lack of an educational background. This will increase the future unemployment rate in Zambia and have negative effects on society by decreasing the county’s economy.
Special Education Schools:
The special education schools are greatly affected by the current situation in Zambia. Because the government’s scarce amount of money, they cannot invest a lot of money in special education. This is partially because their regular education program still needs to be developed in many areas throughout Africa. Even though their intentions and motives are good, the government cannot adequately support special education programs because of economic decline and increase in poverty. As a results special education schools cannot be fully developed and therefore cannot provide top quality education to its students.
Current Situation:
Since the 19th century, when special education was first established in Japan, Japan has made significant advances to develop and improve their special education programs. Because World War II destroyed much of Japan’s special education schools there was a dire need for reconstruction in this area. Since then the Japan has worked very hard to develop and improve their special education program. The currently have a very successful and well developed and organized services to provide children with various learning disabilities with the equal opportunity for education. Since then the Number of children enrolled in Special Education has slowly increased. (Development of Special Needs Education in Japan)
In Japan, currently the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law established in 1947 provides students in Japan with equal opportunity for education. This law also applies to special needs students. (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology- School Education)
The Nation Institution of Special Education (NISE) is currently in charge of researching and providing teaching faculty for the special education in Japan. The NISE was founded in October 1971. Through research in the area of special education, which includes, medicine, psychology, education, and technology they are currently working to improve the special education programs across of Japan. (National Institute of Special Needs Education) In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is also currently working with NISE to improve the special education in Japan. (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology- School Education)
Through the NISE, special education teachers are provided with professional training. In order to achieve and maintain high standards of special education teachers Japan’s teachers are required to have a license specifically for special education in addition to their regular teaching license. Japan currently provides very accessible teacher training programs through local special education centers in many cites across Japan. By putting the effort into properly training their teachers, Japan is currently improving the education of their special needs children. As a result there is a higher supply of qualified teachers able to provide effective services to children with learning disabilities. (National Institute of Special Needs Education)
The severity of the child’s learning disability determines whether the student attends an ordinary school and uses special support services or attends a special school for just disabled children. Currently about 1.6% of students in Japan are enrolled as special education students. This comes out to a total of 171,540 students who receive special education at a compulsory education stage. 0.47% of Japan’s students are in special schools, 0.78% of Japan’s students are in Special Classes, and 0.31% of Japan’s students are in Tsukyu Classes, and 0.001% of students are not enrolled in school (due to the severity of their disability).
(Special Education In Japan- National Institute of Special Education In Japan)
Japan’s CURRENT enrollment in Special Education:
Types and Number of Special Classes in Japan (2003):
-Visual Impairments 188 classes
-Emotional Disturbance 8,859 classes
-Hard of Hearing 608 classes
-Speech and Language Disorders 339 classes
-Physical/Motor Disabilities 1,915 classes
-Health Impairments 840 classes
-Intellectual Disabilities 18,172 classes
Number of Special Schools (Total schools: 995, 2003):
-Health Impairments- 96
-Blind- 71
-Intellectual Disabilities- 523
-Physical/ Motor Disabilities- 199
-Deaf- 106
-Health Impairments- 96
Number of Children who attend Tsukyu Classes
(Total students: 33,652, 2003)
Low Vision- 162
Health Impairments- 6
Physical/ Motor Disabilities- 1
Hard of Hearing 1,581
Emotional Disturbance- 4,184
Speech and Language Disorders- 27,718
(Special Education In Japan- National Institute of Special Education In Japan)
Japan-Number of Students and Teacher enrolled in School (2004)
Who Does this Effect?
(Development of Special Needs Education in Japan)
National Institution of Special Education- Japan
Special Needs Students:
Special Education directly affects the special education students in Japan. Because Japan has put the time and effort into developing special education, the children and families of children with learning disabilities benefit greatly. Through these services children, are given opportunity to learn and succeed. They will be given a change to have a future and expand their academic horizons.
Special Education Teachers:
In efforts to increase the quality of special education Japan has provided teachers with many training programs across the country. As a result teachers are able to receive training in many places across Japan. There is an opportunity cost that comes with providing top quality teachers. Today, special education teachers in Japan need an additional special education license to teach. This makes it more difficult for teachers to become qualified to teach children with learning disabilities. Because it is easier to become a regular schoolteacher, the supply of teachers is often lower than the demand. However, due to the professional training, the teacher who do take the time to go the extra step to qualify to work in special education are of very high quality.
Japan’s Future/ Society:
The future of Japan will also be affected by the current situation regarding special education. By providing special needs children with quality education they can receive a good education, attend college, graduate, and then become productive member of society. By focusing on educating their younger generation, including children with learning disabilities, the society as whole will benefit because a higher percentage of the future generation will be able to attain jobs and contribute to provide for a productive and successful society.
EUROPE/ FRANCE:
Current Situation:
France, among many European nations, is currently making many significant improvements in developing and refining their special education programs. Currently education is required from age 6 to 16. By the law of 10 July 1989 every person is entitled the right to an education. To this day this law is still in effect. It also states that every must be offered an education with which they can pursue a professional carrier if they wish to. This law is non discriminatory and applies to all students, regardless if they have learning disabilities or difficulties. Also by a memorandum co-signed by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs and issued on November 18 1991 schools nearest to the student’s residence (special needs students included) are required to educate the student and provide them with the services for them to excel and learn from.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003)
Special Education lies under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Nation Education, Ministry of Public Health and Social affairs and the department of Justice. The Ministry of Nation Education is in charge of designing programs for children with learning disabilities. They also have a legal obligation to pay for the child’s education expenses, regardless of their extent of help they are receiving.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003)
The current policy known as the inclusion policy, limits the amount of time a student spends in a special institution. Instead of excluding children with learning disabilities and putting them in a separate institution, France is trying to include these children in a the regular school system by giving them the opportunity to learn in a regular school environment. France’s inclusion policy also strives to provide education to provide all students with equal opportunity for education. Through this “inclusion strategy” France, among many other European countries are currently working to expand and refine special education programs across their country.
(Special Education Across Europe)
However, despite the efforts of the current inclusion policy many children are not able to learn in a mainstream classroom setting due to the severity of their disabilities. Today around 60 elementary special schools remain in France. Children who attend “special schools” in France usually have sensory deficiencies or a serious illness. If children are capable they, must spend some inclusion time in mainstream classes, according to current inclusion policy.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003-http://www.european-agency.org/publications/agency_publications/ereports/erep11.html)
In France, “Outline Law for Disabled People (1975)” and “The Commission Departementake d’Education Speciale” (CDES), provides help to those up to 20 years old with motor, intellectual, or sensory disabilities, a chronic disease, or a chronic disability by determining the amount of financial and learning assistance each individual needs to learn. The CDES can also give, Allocation d’Education Spéciale (AES), Special Education Allowances, to the person or school in charge of raising and educating a special needs student. No decisions regarding the education of these special needs children can be made without the authorization of the CDES. However, the student is not allowed to receive these services without the consent of their parents.
(Special Education Across Europe in 2003-http://www.european-agency.org/publications/agency_publications/ereports/erep11.html)
The European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education News
Who does effect:
(Special Education Across Europe -http://www.european-agency.org/publications/agency_publications/ereports/erep11.html)
(Special educational needs in Europe)
Special Education Students:
The current situation in France and other neighboring European countries greatly affects the students who receive the aid and services. Through these programs they are given the opportunity to get a good education, despite they learning disabilities. Special needs students in France are also affected by the inclusion policy. As a result if possible children with learning disabilities are included in the mainstream classroom. By not excluding these children from a regular school setting they get the opportunity to interact with children without disabilities. This gives the students a more real life experience by allowing them to learn in a regular educational classroom setting and environment.
Children without Learning Disabilities:
Children without leaning disabilities will also be affected by France’s special education situation. There is an opportunity cost of improving special education. Because so much time and money is invested in educating special needs children the regular education children are affected as well. These improvements in the special education program take away money that could have been used for educating children without learning disabilities (the majority of the students). These students are also impacted by the inclusion policy. This policy puts more special needs students into the mainstream classroom and as a result they indirectly take away attention that would have otherwise been given to the children without learning disabilities. The presence of these children in the mainstream classroom may also holdback some of the other students.
France’s future society and economic success:
France’s future will be affected by the current situation regarding special education. Theses children with learning disabilities will, through the high quality educational services and attention, one day become contributing members of the French society. France’s future will benefit from this because a higher percentage of their younger generation will be able to enter the work force and increase the GDP and nation’s wealth. This will provide France with a successful future. France’s economy will indirectly increase from Europe’s current special education situation.
AFRICA-ZAMBIA:
Current Situation:
Currently, special education is not very prominent throughout Africa. To this day it is still seen as a new concept because many areas are more focused on improving the quality of their regular education, which currently is not very adequate and developed compared to that of the United States. In places where special education has been introduced there are still many problems. These include, poor funding, lack of information about special education and learning disabilities, negative attitudes, inadequate supply of qualified teachers and an overall general lack of commitment. This results in poor, if any, special education programs across Africa. However, in Zambia Special Education programs are available and developing.
(Inclusive Education in Africa)
In 1969, the Zambian Government realized the need to educate children with learning disabilities. In 1971 the Ministry of Education was instructed to take the portfolio of educating disabled children. Despite this, since then, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has taken no measures to construct special education schools. Today, the 31 existing Special Education Schools in Zambia are all privately owned and run. However, the Government does supply these private institutions with teachers and grants.
Today, more than 15 percent of children in Zambia, over 250,000 children, have learning disabilities and require special academic attention and services. However, most of these children do not receive any services do to the lack of sufficient educational programs for these special needs children. Another reason is, in Zambia, they do not have an effective system to identify and contact children with special needs. Therefore, they do not receive adequate help. Also, parents in Zambia often feel embarrassed about their disabled children and keep their children’s leaning disability a secret in efforts to keep their family status high.
(A Zambian Case Study- Dr. Mwamba D Kalabula, University of Zambia)
The Currently policy for special education, “Educating Our Future 1996,” written by the Ministry of Education, states that children with special needs will be provided with equal educational opportunity. This policy also strives to provide adequate resources and good quality education to these children, and improve the management of special education in Zambia.
The Ministry of Education goals to improve Special Education:
-Working closely with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education will decentralize services for the identification, assessment and placement of children with special educational needs.
-To the greatest extent possible, the Ministry will integrate pupils with special educational needs into mainstream institutions and will provide them with necessary facilities. However, where need is established, the Ministry will participate in the provision of new special schools for the severely impaired.
-The Ministry will co-operate with private, religious, community and philanthropic organizations in meeting the special educational needs of exceptional children, and providing outreach services for children whose impairments prevent normal attendance at school.
-Education Boards will have responsibility for ensuring that the special education needs of children within their jurisdiction are met, and will be evaluated on their discharge of this responsibility.
-The Ministry will dispense with all direct educational costs for children with special educational needs will provide bursaries for such individuals at tertiary level.
-The Ministry will give attention to the educational needs of exceptional children by training and adequate number of teachers in special education; designing appropriate curricula and teaching materials; prescribing specifications for special furniture, equipment, aids and infrastructure provision; developing appropriate support technology systems; and providing adequate supervision of special education programs.
-The Ministry will enlarge and decentralize the special education inspectorate. Planning for special education provision will be built into the Ministry's mainstream strategic planning, and in support of this the information system on special education and national needs in this area will be improved.
While the motive and desire to improve special education is there, economic decline has made it very difficult for Zambia to provide adequate funding for educational obligations. The increasing poverty across the country also inhibits rapid development of regular and special education. The quality of education in Zambia is affected by the lack of resources, which includes facilities, supplies, teachers, classrooms, and instruction.
Table 1
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
% of TPB 10.3 10.8 10.0 10.6 10.4
% of GDP 2.9 2.0 2.9 2.9 2.8
Budget allocation to the Ministry of Education in relation to Total Public Budget (TPB) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Source: Ministry of Education
Who does this effect?
(A Zambian Case Study- Dr. Mwamba D Kalabula, University of Zambia)
Special needs students:
The children with learning disabilities are suffering as a result of the poor special education programs in Zambia. Without adequate services and special attention these children cannot learn and be educated. As a result their futures are very limited and opportunities are scarce. Without a proper education they will not be able to graduate, have the opportunity to go to college, and will not be able to get a job.
Zambia/ Africa’s future economy:
By not providing all of its children with equal opportunity to excel and learn, not all of their children will grow up to be contributing members of society. Zambia’s future economy will suffer as a result of not being able to educate their special needs children. These children will not be able to get jobs in the future due to the lack of an educational background. This will increase the future unemployment rate in Zambia and have negative effects on society by decreasing the county’s economy.
Special Education Schools:
The special education schools are greatly affected by the current situation in Zambia. Because the government’s scarce amount of money, they cannot invest a lot of money in special education. This is partially because their regular education program still needs to be developed in many areas throughout Africa. Even though their intentions and motives are good, the government cannot adequately support special education programs because of economic decline and increase in poverty. As a results special education schools cannot be fully developed and therefore cannot provide top quality education to its students.
Global Level
If you would like to make a difference overseas, this is your opportunity. Teaching overseas is possible with the help of http://www.teachoverseas.org/opportunities/special.html.
Pick a place in the world where you would like to travel and help. Go to this website to find your future.
Also you are able to volunteer and donate to this particular website. http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org/index.html Teaching all over Africa as well as in the Middle East, and South America.
Making a difference is possible, and in your control. If you would like to volunteer, and be involved with making a difference in a child’s life, volunteer in Morocco at http://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/projects/care/morocco/.
Teaching is possible in Germany as well. http://www.teachabroad.com/listings.cfm/countryID/32/cityID/462 provides opportunities to help out the community.
UNICEF supports education programs serving children from pre-school age through adolescence. They provide many more opportunities to children, and adults. They donate money to all parts of the world. https://www.unicefusa.org/site/c.duLRI8O0H/b.25934/k.82FF/Donate__US_Fund_for_UNICEF/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=duLRI8O0H&b=25934&en=pwIWJ9P3LjIQJfN6JjLULdP1IwK2KdPYIgLTIhM2KkK2LnMeH
Receiving help could not be easier, if you live in Japan. Go to http://www.tokyowithkids.com/fyi/specialneeds.html for more information on receiving help on testing your child.
Pick a place in the world where you would like to travel and help. Go to this website to find your future.
Also you are able to volunteer and donate to this particular website. http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org/index.html Teaching all over Africa as well as in the Middle East, and South America.
Making a difference is possible, and in your control. If you would like to volunteer, and be involved with making a difference in a child’s life, volunteer in Morocco at http://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/projects/care/morocco/.
Teaching is possible in Germany as well. http://www.teachabroad.com/listings.cfm/countryID/32/cityID/462 provides opportunities to help out the community.
UNICEF supports education programs serving children from pre-school age through adolescence. They provide many more opportunities to children, and adults. They donate money to all parts of the world. https://www.unicefusa.org/site/c.duLRI8O0H/b.25934/k.82FF/Donate__US_Fund_for_UNICEF/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=duLRI8O0H&b=25934&en=pwIWJ9P3LjIQJfN6JjLULdP1IwK2KdPYIgLTIhM2KkK2LnMeH
Receiving help could not be easier, if you live in Japan. Go to http://www.tokyowithkids.com/fyi/specialneeds.html for more information on receiving help on testing your child.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Our Nations History of Special Education
As you probably already know, Special Education programs weren't developed in just one day. Movements of providing and improving programs for the disabled dates back for more than 40 years. In fact, one of the first attempts on a National level to assist the disabled was in 1967 when congress established the Bureau of Education for the handicapped. This was the only option at that time that helped fund special programs for students with disabilities, separating them from regular classrooms, although the quality was very inconsistent.
The first official law that gauranteed disabled students a right to recieve a free public education was signed by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975. This was an important turning point because prior to this law, different states and school districts got to decide how and where different students with disablilities would be educated.
Years later 1982, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision of Hendrick Hudson Central Board of Education v. Rowley occured. This decision creating the standard that schools decide what services they need to provide for disabled students. Ultimately, affirming the rights of special education students to FAPE (Families and Advocates Partnership for Education). This project serves the purpose to improve the educational outcomes for children with disabilities and provides useful information about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This act was reauthorized in 1997.
Other important dates that contributed greatly towards special educaiton programs are the Irving Independent School district v. Tatro case of 1984 and the Honig v. Doe case of 1988.
The first official law that gauranteed disabled students a right to recieve a free public education was signed by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975. This was an important turning point because prior to this law, different states and school districts got to decide how and where different students with disablilities would be educated.
Years later 1982, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision of Hendrick Hudson Central Board of Education v. Rowley occured. This decision creating the standard that schools decide what services they need to provide for disabled students. Ultimately, affirming the rights of special education students to FAPE (Families and Advocates Partnership for Education). This project serves the purpose to improve the educational outcomes for children with disabilities and provides useful information about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This act was reauthorized in 1997.
Other important dates that contributed greatly towards special educaiton programs are the Irving Independent School district v. Tatro case of 1984 and the Honig v. Doe case of 1988.
What is the Current Situtation with Special Education Programs on a National Level and Who does it Impact?
Ever since 1973, when special education programs were made mandatory when Congress passed the Education for all Handicapped Children Act, the United States have made efforts to improve special education programs across the nation. These various Acts and Laws have greatly increased government spending to pay for the improvements of programs across the United States. Special Education has become a very important issue in the United States and has grabbed the attention of many citizens today. The Office of Special Education Programs has worked to bring improvements to the US’s special education programs.
(US Department of Education)
On December 3, 2004 President George W. Bush signed The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. This National Special education law, also known as IDEA, provides for about 6.8 million children. It guarantees public services and education to infants, toddlers, children, and young adults up until age 21 with disabilities. This national law puts aside money and funds for each state to improve their special education programs. Besides improving the quality of educational services and finding quality teachers the IDEA also improves special education by funding research, supporting demonstrations, parent training, and information centers. Overall the IDEA has been a very important contributing factor to the Special education in the US.
The IDEA (part C) promotes and provides early intervention by offering services to infants and toddlers with disabilities. It is thought that if they are given special attention and help at an earlier age they will be able to gain a better education and learn more efficiently in the future. OSEP has funded research in RTI to improve and better the education of children with special needs at an earlier age.
The Percentage of students receiving early intervention services ages 0-2
Special education enrollment - 3s & 4s
State- Number of 3 & 4 year olds served by the Preschool Grants Program of the IDEA
Alabama- 4025, Alaska-1181, Arizona-8302, Arkansas-6617, California-38,588, Colorado-6281, Connecticut-4865, Delaware-1166, Florida-17,847, Georgia-10,257, Hawaii-1459, Idaho-2446, Illinois-20,223, Indiana-10,760, Iowa-3466, Kansas-5428, Kentucky-12,435, Louisiana-5394, Maine-2787, Maryland-7191, Massachusetts- 9152, Michigan-13,378, Minnesota-7753, Mississippi-3740, Missouri-8573, Montana-982, Nebraska-2732, Nevada-3025, New Hampshire-1747, New Jersey-10,729, New Mexico-3794,
New York-40,422, North Carolina-10,618, North Dakota-852, Ohio-12,594, Oklahoma-4101, Oregon-5093, Pennsylvania-16,565, Rhode Island-1,609, South Carolina-5,422, South Dakota-1,545, Tennessee-6,051, Texas-21,244, Utah-4,485, Vermont-961,Virginia-9,614,
Washington-7,511, West Virginia-2,835, Wisconsin-9,214,Wyoming-1,620
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was proposed by President George W. Bush and signed into law on January 8, 2002. This law was created in attempt to improve the quality of public school education as a whole and assure that no child is left behind in terms of receiving an education. This law attempts to do so by increasing accountability for states, school districts, and schools by offering more choices to students and parents, more flexibility for states and local use of federal education money, and more focus on improving the literacy rate by focusing on reading. While the NCLB was not created specifically for special education programs, it does have a large impact on Public School Special Education programs by providing them with the same benefits and increase funding.
List of Video Clips- National Special Education Programs (IDEA)
Children Enrolled by their Parents in Private Schools
Discipline
Early Intervening Services/Response To Intervention (RTI)
Highly Qualified Teachers
Individualized Education Program (IEP) - Changes in Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation
Monitoring and Enforcement
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)
Procedural Safeguards
How bad is the current situation?
While significant improvements are being made in all states across the country not all of them are meeting the requirements of the IDEA. Despite all the Federal Government’s implementation of the IDEA only nine states Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming are currently fully meeting federal requirements outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This means over 4/5 of the states in the US are not meeting these federal requirements. However, while requirements are not being fully met, there are improvements being made to the system. (States Rated on Special Education Programs)
Since the IDEA has been made law the number of students enrolled in special education programs have significantly increased. Today the US provides services to more than 6.7 million disabled students. The national average percentage of students in special education is about 14%. Areas of higher poverty have fewer students enrolled in their programs. The national overall increase in the number of students receiving special education can be viewed as a positive thing, because this means more children are getting they help they need.
Increase in the Number of Children enrolled in special education programs
A current issue that is being debated is who should be responsible for paying for special education. Currently all the funds for special education come out of the pockets of tax payers. Many children have disabilities so severe that they cannot function in a regular public school classroom setting. Educating a special needs child is about 2.5 the costs of educating a regular student. About $7,777 is spent on educating a regular student while $18,492 is spent on educating a special education student. Parents have resulted to sending to private school but forced the state to pay the tuition for their child's private school education because the federal law requires school districts to provide children with extended day education even to children with disabilities. This is just one example of the debates the costs and funding for special education in the United States. (Sate-Level Cost Analysis: Kentucky Case Study) (Where does the money go?)
CURRENT SITUATION:
Another struggle special education programs across the nation are facing is the lack of qualified teachers. The retention rate of these teachers is very low. The departure rate of special education teachers is about 13.5% annually compared to the 6.5% for regular schoolteachers. This is because the demands in special education are much higher and require a lot more individual attention and work. Areas with high poverty suffer from this the most. This has a negative effect on the children living here because they are less likely to receive adequate educational services. According to the 2004 COPSSE report, about 1/3 of the special education teachers hired were not certified. There is also a shortage of special education administrators, paraprofessionals and disability specialists. Without adequate teachers and staff programs cannot be run efficiently and effectively. In attempts to fix this problem the US government now requires all teacher to be fully certified and licensed in any field they teach. Special education teacher are generally paid around a median of $48,000. This salary is not very high for the amount of work put into the job which does not provide teacher with much of an incentive to pursue special education. (Teachers- Special Education- Earnings)
WHO DOES THIS EFFECT:
The current situation regarding Special Education Programs in the United States impacts a wide range of people, similar to those mentioned below in local section.
Special Education Students:
Children across the nation who are identified as having learning disabilities have overall benefited from the current situation in the US with its attempts to improve special education through the IDEA. However, this varies from state to state. Some states have invested more time and money in their programs than others. However, overall in comparison to children (special education) across the world, the children (special education) in the United States of America have it pretty good. The results of the IDEA, such as increased funding, early intervention, response to intervention, and improved individual education programs all benefit the students by giving them a better education. All these services positively impact the children in need of special educational services and provide them with a greater chance of attending college and pursuing a career in the future. (New America Foundation- Impact on Schools)
The current situation regarding special education impacts people of differently economic statuses differently. Children who live in wealthier states and districts have a better chance of receiving an adequate education and getting the services they need. Children who live in poorer districts don’t receive the same high quality services and education.
Students not enrolled in Special Education:
Children not enrolled in special education, while benefiting from other acts such as the No Child Left Behind Act, don’t directly benefit from the improvements made to the special education system. In fact, in many ways the increased funding for public school education programs have taken away from the education of non-disabled children. The opportunity cost in this situation is improving education for children not in the special education programs. This is a huge opportunity cost.
Tax Payers/ US citizens:
The current situation with nation wide special education programs impacts every citizen in the United States through taxes. The improvements made to the special education programs are costly and have contributed to a rise in taxes. Over $60 billion a year has been put aside for the development and improvements of these programs in the nation’s attempt to improve the quality of education and increase the opportunities for children with learning disabilities. Everyone, regardless of if they have any connections or relations to anyone in public special education programs, has to pay these taxes. Therefore, people who are not receiving any benefits and services from the system are forced to pay for it through their taxes. This opens the door for another opportunity cost. If it wasn’t for the IDEA and federal government’s desire to improve special education services across the nation, this money could be used for other services. The $60 billion a year dedicated for national special education could go to fund projects or services that are used by a larger majority of the population.
(Who Pays for Special Ed?)
Society/ American Economy (In the long run):
The improvements made in these programs will, in the long run, benefit society and the nation’s economy. This is because if these children are able to receive adequate education when they are young, they are more likely to graduate from college and become a contributing member to society. If these children are able to get a good education and learn, when they get older they are more likely to get a job which will in the end contribute to society and improve the overall economy by filling job positions and making money. The IDEA has been installed with hopes that the investments made now will have beneficial effects in the future and boost the overall economy.
Rise in Number of Students enrolled in Special Education Programs across the US
The Students Behind NCLB's 'Disabilities' Designation
(US Department of Education)
On December 3, 2004 President George W. Bush signed The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. This National Special education law, also known as IDEA, provides for about 6.8 million children. It guarantees public services and education to infants, toddlers, children, and young adults up until age 21 with disabilities. This national law puts aside money and funds for each state to improve their special education programs. Besides improving the quality of educational services and finding quality teachers the IDEA also improves special education by funding research, supporting demonstrations, parent training, and information centers. Overall the IDEA has been a very important contributing factor to the Special education in the US.
The IDEA (part C) promotes and provides early intervention by offering services to infants and toddlers with disabilities. It is thought that if they are given special attention and help at an earlier age they will be able to gain a better education and learn more efficiently in the future. OSEP has funded research in RTI to improve and better the education of children with special needs at an earlier age.
The Percentage of students receiving early intervention services ages 0-2
Special education enrollment - 3s & 4s
State- Number of 3 & 4 year olds served by the Preschool Grants Program of the IDEA
Alabama- 4025, Alaska-1181, Arizona-8302, Arkansas-6617, California-38,588, Colorado-6281, Connecticut-4865, Delaware-1166, Florida-17,847, Georgia-10,257, Hawaii-1459, Idaho-2446, Illinois-20,223, Indiana-10,760, Iowa-3466, Kansas-5428, Kentucky-12,435, Louisiana-5394, Maine-2787, Maryland-7191, Massachusetts- 9152, Michigan-13,378, Minnesota-7753, Mississippi-3740, Missouri-8573, Montana-982, Nebraska-2732, Nevada-3025, New Hampshire-1747, New Jersey-10,729, New Mexico-3794,
New York-40,422, North Carolina-10,618, North Dakota-852, Ohio-12,594, Oklahoma-4101, Oregon-5093, Pennsylvania-16,565, Rhode Island-1,609, South Carolina-5,422, South Dakota-1,545, Tennessee-6,051, Texas-21,244, Utah-4,485, Vermont-961,Virginia-9,614,
Washington-7,511, West Virginia-2,835, Wisconsin-9,214,Wyoming-1,620
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was proposed by President George W. Bush and signed into law on January 8, 2002. This law was created in attempt to improve the quality of public school education as a whole and assure that no child is left behind in terms of receiving an education. This law attempts to do so by increasing accountability for states, school districts, and schools by offering more choices to students and parents, more flexibility for states and local use of federal education money, and more focus on improving the literacy rate by focusing on reading. While the NCLB was not created specifically for special education programs, it does have a large impact on Public School Special Education programs by providing them with the same benefits and increase funding.
List of Video Clips- National Special Education Programs (IDEA)
Children Enrolled by their Parents in Private Schools
Discipline
Early Intervening Services/Response To Intervention (RTI)
Highly Qualified Teachers
Individualized Education Program (IEP) - Changes in Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation
Monitoring and Enforcement
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)
Procedural Safeguards
How bad is the current situation?
While significant improvements are being made in all states across the country not all of them are meeting the requirements of the IDEA. Despite all the Federal Government’s implementation of the IDEA only nine states Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming are currently fully meeting federal requirements outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This means over 4/5 of the states in the US are not meeting these federal requirements. However, while requirements are not being fully met, there are improvements being made to the system. (States Rated on Special Education Programs)
Since the IDEA has been made law the number of students enrolled in special education programs have significantly increased. Today the US provides services to more than 6.7 million disabled students. The national average percentage of students in special education is about 14%. Areas of higher poverty have fewer students enrolled in their programs. The national overall increase in the number of students receiving special education can be viewed as a positive thing, because this means more children are getting they help they need.
Increase in the Number of Children enrolled in special education programs
A current issue that is being debated is who should be responsible for paying for special education. Currently all the funds for special education come out of the pockets of tax payers. Many children have disabilities so severe that they cannot function in a regular public school classroom setting. Educating a special needs child is about 2.5 the costs of educating a regular student. About $7,777 is spent on educating a regular student while $18,492 is spent on educating a special education student. Parents have resulted to sending to private school but forced the state to pay the tuition for their child's private school education because the federal law requires school districts to provide children with extended day education even to children with disabilities. This is just one example of the debates the costs and funding for special education in the United States. (Sate-Level Cost Analysis: Kentucky Case Study) (Where does the money go?)
CURRENT SITUATION:
Another struggle special education programs across the nation are facing is the lack of qualified teachers. The retention rate of these teachers is very low. The departure rate of special education teachers is about 13.5% annually compared to the 6.5% for regular schoolteachers. This is because the demands in special education are much higher and require a lot more individual attention and work. Areas with high poverty suffer from this the most. This has a negative effect on the children living here because they are less likely to receive adequate educational services. According to the 2004 COPSSE report, about 1/3 of the special education teachers hired were not certified. There is also a shortage of special education administrators, paraprofessionals and disability specialists. Without adequate teachers and staff programs cannot be run efficiently and effectively. In attempts to fix this problem the US government now requires all teacher to be fully certified and licensed in any field they teach. Special education teacher are generally paid around a median of $48,000. This salary is not very high for the amount of work put into the job which does not provide teacher with much of an incentive to pursue special education. (Teachers- Special Education- Earnings)
WHO DOES THIS EFFECT:
The current situation regarding Special Education Programs in the United States impacts a wide range of people, similar to those mentioned below in local section.
Special Education Students:
Children across the nation who are identified as having learning disabilities have overall benefited from the current situation in the US with its attempts to improve special education through the IDEA. However, this varies from state to state. Some states have invested more time and money in their programs than others. However, overall in comparison to children (special education) across the world, the children (special education) in the United States of America have it pretty good. The results of the IDEA, such as increased funding, early intervention, response to intervention, and improved individual education programs all benefit the students by giving them a better education. All these services positively impact the children in need of special educational services and provide them with a greater chance of attending college and pursuing a career in the future. (New America Foundation- Impact on Schools)
The current situation regarding special education impacts people of differently economic statuses differently. Children who live in wealthier states and districts have a better chance of receiving an adequate education and getting the services they need. Children who live in poorer districts don’t receive the same high quality services and education.
Students not enrolled in Special Education:
Children not enrolled in special education, while benefiting from other acts such as the No Child Left Behind Act, don’t directly benefit from the improvements made to the special education system. In fact, in many ways the increased funding for public school education programs have taken away from the education of non-disabled children. The opportunity cost in this situation is improving education for children not in the special education programs. This is a huge opportunity cost.
Tax Payers/ US citizens:
The current situation with nation wide special education programs impacts every citizen in the United States through taxes. The improvements made to the special education programs are costly and have contributed to a rise in taxes. Over $60 billion a year has been put aside for the development and improvements of these programs in the nation’s attempt to improve the quality of education and increase the opportunities for children with learning disabilities. Everyone, regardless of if they have any connections or relations to anyone in public special education programs, has to pay these taxes. Therefore, people who are not receiving any benefits and services from the system are forced to pay for it through their taxes. This opens the door for another opportunity cost. If it wasn’t for the IDEA and federal government’s desire to improve special education services across the nation, this money could be used for other services. The $60 billion a year dedicated for national special education could go to fund projects or services that are used by a larger majority of the population.
(Who Pays for Special Ed?)
Society/ American Economy (In the long run):
The improvements made in these programs will, in the long run, benefit society and the nation’s economy. This is because if these children are able to receive adequate education when they are young, they are more likely to graduate from college and become a contributing member to society. If these children are able to get a good education and learn, when they get older they are more likely to get a job which will in the end contribute to society and improve the overall economy by filling job positions and making money. The IDEA has been installed with hopes that the investments made now will have beneficial effects in the future and boost the overall economy.
Rise in Number of Students enrolled in Special Education Programs across the US
The Students Behind NCLB's 'Disabilities' Designation
C. What needs to be done vs. what has been done on a national level?
Currently in the United States our high school seniors are trailing students in Cyprus and South Africa on international math examinations. Nearly one third of our college freshman find it necessary to take a remedial course before beginning the regular college level courses. At the beginning of year 2002, George W. Bush initiated the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), one of the largest attempts to give an equal opportunity to all students and overall improve the quality of our nation.
Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) schools are responsible for maintaining high academic standards for all students, including disadvantaged students. In order to guarantee that these standards are met, a sample of 4th and 8th grade students from every state are tested annually with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Additionally, states that narrow the achievement gap and increase the overall education are rewarded. The most successful schools in improving the education for the disadvantaged students are recognized and rewarded with "No Child Left Behind" bonuses.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law guaranteeing service toward children with disabilities in the United States. On December 3, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the IDEA into law. IDEA works alongside the ESEA and NCLB act to ensure some of the basic educational standards are met. IDEA Part B provides services for children and young adults from the ages of three to twenty-one. The IDEA helps to ensure that educational standards are met by allowing the use of funds for school programs, enforcing goals and requiring tests to show these goals are met, requiring annual reports of progress in students and school, as well as many other methods. IDEA Part C provides early services for infants and toddlers (new-born to 2 years) with disabilities.
Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) schools are responsible for maintaining high academic standards for all students, including disadvantaged students. In order to guarantee that these standards are met, a sample of 4th and 8th grade students from every state are tested annually with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Additionally, states that narrow the achievement gap and increase the overall education are rewarded. The most successful schools in improving the education for the disadvantaged students are recognized and rewarded with "No Child Left Behind" bonuses.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law guaranteeing service toward children with disabilities in the United States. On December 3, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the IDEA into law. IDEA works alongside the ESEA and NCLB act to ensure some of the basic educational standards are met. IDEA Part B provides services for children and young adults from the ages of three to twenty-one. The IDEA helps to ensure that educational standards are met by allowing the use of funds for school programs, enforcing goals and requiring tests to show these goals are met, requiring annual reports of progress in students and school, as well as many other methods. IDEA Part C provides early services for infants and toddlers (new-born to 2 years) with disabilities.
What can you do Nationally?
Funding for special education programs gets increasingly harder every year. On a national level, we are able to help out the rest of Nation.
Again, Easter Seals Hawaii's provides extraordinary services. Please find them in your neighborhood.
http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer
You can also donate to non-profit organizations in your state.
http://www.iser.com/nps.html#AL
Also, becoming a special education teacher is important in our society. Because there is an increase of disabled children every year, we need more and more teachers that are willing to work. Teaching is a self-rewarding profession; we need more teachers in this field. There are two websites that are looking for teachers who would like to teach children with disabilities. Please visit these websites below, if you are interested.
1. http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=1983
2. http://environmentalchemistry.com/careers/type/specialeducation.html
If you would like to help, but do not want to become totally committed, or devote your life to special education, there are places where you can volunteer. Find a place near you!
Again, Easter Seals Hawaii's provides extraordinary services. Please find them in your neighborhood.
http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer
You can also donate to non-profit organizations in your state.
http://www.iser.com/nps.html#AL
Also, becoming a special education teacher is important in our society. Because there is an increase of disabled children every year, we need more and more teachers that are willing to work. Teaching is a self-rewarding profession; we need more teachers in this field. There are two websites that are looking for teachers who would like to teach children with disabilities. Please visit these websites below, if you are interested.
1. http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=1983
2. http://environmentalchemistry.com/careers/type/specialeducation.html
If you would like to help, but do not want to become totally committed, or devote your life to special education, there are places where you can volunteer. Find a place near you!
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