Special Education: a comprehensive report on the scope, importance and relevance

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Abstract

Children with emotional, behavioral, or cognitive impairments, as well as those with intellectual, hearing, visual, speech, or learning problems; talented children with exceptional academic ability; and children with orthopedic or neurological impairments require early intervention and help are known as children with disabilities, health, or mental health issues. These children are all served by special education.

In a very short period of time, special education has expanded and established itself as a subject of educational study, policy, and practice. Simply said, inclusive education is both a goal and a teaching approach. Its mission is to identify and remove barriers to education for all children, ensuring that they have access to, attend, and engage in school, and reach their full academic and social potential.

Psychology plays a vital part in global and holistic living. It contributes significantly to the understanding, explanation, prediction, control, and resolution of challenges in special needs children. Its true contributions to a child’s bio-psychosocial system are made in partnership with other stakeholders. Children, families, communities, educators and educational institutions, as well as other professionals, are all part of the system. Psychologists’ contributions are best made as part of a multi-disciplinary team in this setting. Psychologists apply psychological ideas to better understand, explain, predict, control, and resolve problems in children with special needs. For applied psychologists, teachers/educators, and even family members of special needs children, theories are a valuable tool for understanding, explaining, predicting, controlling, and treating challenges.

This study discusses the relevance and effect of psychology in special education. Psychology, as a science of behaviour and mental phenomena, aids special needs children in adjusting to their surroundings through its numerous theories and techniques. Self-efficacy adjustment can aid people in achieving satisfaction and performing their roles in the family, school, community, society, and state. It provides background information on educational psychology and how it might help students learn more effectively. It also discusses the role of a psychologist in the educational system. This paper is thus ideal for parents, teachers, and even those thinking about pursuing a psychology degree.

Introduction

Special education is a tailored curriculum that includes a variety of one-of-a-kind tools, tactics, and research activities aimed at bettering instructional arrangements to meet the requirements of exceptional kids. It is defined as a teaching style that is inclusive of all students and capable of meeting the special needs of Children with Disabilities (CwD). The phrase “special needs” encompasses not just physical impairments, but also gifted children, physically and intellectually handicapped children, and socially delayed children. It isn’t an entirely different programme from what is offered to typical children. Differently abled children have special needs that require special attention. As a result, their education must be customised to them individually, using systematic educational approaches.

India, being the largest democracy and having the second largest population in the world, is a country with a rich past as well as a diverse culture. But, surprisingly, just 35% of the population live in cities (O’Neill, 2019), meaning that the majority of the population lives in rural areas with limited resources and educational possibilities. Over the last 15 years, however, as India researched technical initiatives and global economic opportunities, it has evolved into a more sophisticated country. Post independence, India set out to attain Gandhi ‘s belief, i.e, social progress would be a precursor to political change (Alur, 2001). India has proved its commitment to this and more importantly, inclusive education by signing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UNESCO Salamanca Statement. Being a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PDA), a breakthrough special education law aimed at ensuring equal opportunity for handicapped individuals. “Education, employment, and vocational training, research and manpower development, barrier-free environments, unemployment compensation, special insurance schemes, and the construction of institutions for persons with various impairments,” according to Misra (2000). In general, the PDA defines guidelines for who is entitled for legal help and who is responsible for diagnosis. Domestic legislation, such as the Right to Education Act of 2009 (RTE) and the National Trust Act, 1999 requires’ reasonable accommodation’ of children with impairments in mainstream schools.

Children with disabilities still do not have complete access to mainstream, inclusive, and high-quality education. In most nations including India, children with disabilities are still educated in special schools, with varied percentages depending on the country, and these schools serve a variety of special needs (World Health Organisation, 2011). There are around 2,500 special schools in India for children with special needs. Many are registered non-profits or private businesses, while others are run or funded by the government. The educational services given by these schools help children feel at ease as they have access to a safe learning environment where they may study and grow independently. Other benefits include transportation, scholarships, and free clothing, books, and educational materials. Some impaired children’s families find that special schools make a difference in their lives. In reality, though, these children are caught in the system’s cracks.

One contemporary problem in educational psychology is to discover instructional practices and learning situations that best contribute to the education of kids with exceptional needs. In this endeavour, educational psychology research focuses on strategies, actions, and practises that improve the learning of these students while taking into account their individual characteristics; however, research also focuses on strategies, actions, and programmes that benefit the learning of all students, including those whose individual characteristics make the learning process more difficult, so that shared learning environments that promote learning can be created.

Discussion

Psychologists use psychological theories to better understand, explain, anticipate, regulate, and solve issues in children with special needs. Psychology’s genuine contributions are made in collaboration with other stakeholders in a child’s bio-psycho-social system. Children, families, communities, educators and educational institutions, and other professionals are all part of the system. Theories are a significant tool for understanding, explaining, predicting, regulating, and addressing issues in special needs children for applied psychologists. Psychology theories can be used as a starting point for developing preventative and intervention strategies. An organised collection of principles that characterises, explains, and predicts psychological phenomena (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) is known as a psychology theory (Schultz & Estrada-Hollenbeck, 2008). The psychology theory can serve as a framework for our efforts to improve or solve the behaviour of special needs children. Social learning theory, behaviourist theory, cognitive theory, humanistic theory, psychoanalysis theory, and critical theory are examples of psychology theories (Hanurawan, 2010). Fields of psychology can be used to build and draw psychology ideas that can be used to children with unique needs.

A study of special needs children from a psychology perspective can be viewed from five fields of psychology, namely social psychology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, industrial and organisational psychology, and educational psychology, in accordance with the existence of main fields of psychology.

Social psychology’s role: Using social psychology’s ideas and techniques, psychologists and educators may help special needs children acquire interpersonal and social skills. Interpersonal and social skills include interpersonal and social perception, interpersonal and social communications, social attitudes, aggression and anger management, citizenship behaviour skills for living in a group, organisation, or community, and resolving interpersonal and social conflict life skills. Social skills are extremely essential for special needs children because they allow them to socialise and integrate into social contexts such as family, community, school, society, and state.

Clinical psychology’s role: Clinical psychology’s ideas and techniques can help psychologists and educators establish excellent mental health in special needs children. Psychologists promote mental health through interventions such as evaluation, clinical consultation, positive behavioural support, treatment, family support facilitation, and liaison with governmental and non-governmental organisations (Feehan et. al., 2003). For children with exceptional needs, mental health is extremely essential, thus they must learn skills for dealing with tough situations and techniques for effectively handling difficulties. Anxiety, sadness, and major mental disease are among the mental health issues that children with special needs face (Better, 2016). Loneliness, low self-concept, and low self-esteem are some of the other mental health issues. Cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectic behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and humanistic therapy are some of the ideas of treatments that may be used to the mental health of special needs children. Clinical psychology treatment techniques in the positive psychology period should present and promote positive concepts such as subjective well-being, hope, optimism, resilience, virtue, wisdom, spirituality, and so on, to children with special needs (Baumgardner & Crothers, 2010).

Developmental psychology’s role: Developmental psychology theories and techniques are used to special needs children’s cognitive, emotional, moral, physical, and social development. Vygotsky theory, Piaget theory, Kohlberg theory, and Freud theory are examples of developmental psychology theories. Developmental psychologists examine the developmental difficulties of children with exceptional needs and then make recommendations for the best preventative and treatment options.

Educational psychology role: Educational psychology theories may be utilised to assist special needs children in sectors of education, such as schools. Teachers’ primary responsibility is to effectively teach special needs children. Some general concepts of effective special needs teaching include emphasising prevention, teaching learning-to-learn skills, providing frequent feedback, using a variety of teaching strategies that actively engage students in lessons, using effective classroom management methods, and coordinating supplementary services with classroom instruction. Educational psychologists apply psychological ideas to educational challenges in addition to successful teaching. Educational motivation (internal or external), inclusion, learning evaluation, school and classroom environment, student diversity, and sex education for autistic children are all concerns that are pertinent to special needs children (Rahmawati, 2012). The use of educational psychology theory and practise to educate students with special needs in a way that meets their individual characteristics and needs is known as educational psychology applied to special needs education. Educational psychologists work with special educators to develop and build specific instructional learning techniques, resources, and technologies to fulfil the educational demands of special needs children.

Industrial and organisational psychology’s role: in the context of cognitive, emotional, and behavioural abilities at work and career planning is important for children with special needs. Industrial and organisational psychologists, as well as educators, can do it with the help of consulting and particular training. Through sub-fields of industrial and organisational psychology, such as ergonomics or human factors engineering, industrial and organisational psychology also helps children with special needs. Ergonomics is a branch of industrial and organisational psychology that studies how to design equipment, systems, and processes that are compatible with human physiology, psychology, and anthropometry. The goal of ergonomics is to improve workplace health, safety, and productivity. In educational contexts, the ergonomic might be used (Hanurawan, 2016b). The contributions of ergonomics to special needs children are made by providing physical surroundings and equipment that are appropriate for the features of special needs children. Psychological, physiological, and anthropometric traits are among them. Ergonomists create unique items for children with particular requirements, such as a customised learning chair for kids with physical disabilities. Repetitive strain injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders can lead to long-term incapacity if not designed properly for children with special needs.

Suggestions and conclusion

Psychology concepts have led to major breakthroughs in the world of special education. Thanks to studies on child development, behaviour, and learning, we now know so much more than we did in the past about how different people absorb information.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all plan to educate students with different learning needs. But a school psychologist can help parents and teachers come up with a unique way to reach specific children based on their individual needs. The role of psychology in special education is still evolving. Psychologists are continuing to conduct research and coming up with new theories to improve the educational experience for everyone.

We may take some inferences based on the description of psychology’s function in special education. The following are some of the conclusions:

• Children with special needs are those who have a disability, a health problem, or a mental health problem that need early care and assistance. Children with autism, children with mental retardation, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and children with sensory, physical, and health impairments are examples of special needs children.
• Children with special needs have the right to a happy and prosperous life.
• Special needs education can help to make these rights a reality.
• Psychology is the study of human behaviour and thought processes. Through the application of psychology ideas and techniques, psychology plays a crucial role in the education of children with special needs (social psychology, clinical psychology, and developmental psychology, and educational psychology, industrial and organisational psychology).

The following are some of the suggestions:

• Psychologists contribute to special needs children through a collaborative process with other stakeholders in a children’s bio-psycho-social system, which includes children, their families, communities, educators and educational systems, and other professionals.
• The contribution has the potential to have a substantial influence on the autonomy of exceptional children. In holistically educating special needs children, psychologists employ theories and approaches from the major domains of psychology.
• Social psychology, educational psychology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and industrial and organisational psychology are the most important areas.