Public school special classes for disturbed children.

Abstract

Segregated classes in public school systems for emotionally disturbed children have had an increasing vogue in the recent past. There is evidence to suggest that special classes are not the most effective or practical way to meet the needs of school-age children who are having serious difficulties in the regular school system because of behavioural handicaps. A Special Placement Class for emotionally disturbed children which operated in the Winnipeg City Schools for a period of twelve years is referred to as a case in point. It is suggested that a special class may try to provide for two general groups of disturbed children. There are those who could be registered in regular school classes provided individual or small group instruction is made available in the same school for the core subjects. Adequate child guidance clinic services would be required to meet the consultant needs of the school personnel as well as the treatment needs of the child. A segregated special class may fail to meet the educational and therapeutic needs of these children to a comparable degree. The second group are those children who basically require medical care. They should receive their schooling as part of the program of a comprehensive psychiatric centre for children. Their academic work should be given in individual or very small group tutoring sessions. For these children a special class in the regular school is an attempt to provide a day-care program without the necessary facilities.