Inclusion Of Disabled Children Research Articles

Reading silences/silent readings: Disrupting the hegemony of voice in research with disabled children

By referring to an example from my doctoral research with children labeled and diagnosed with intellectual disabilities, I make a case for the ways that reading silences and silent readings within research are not only necessary but integral to refusing the claims of western colonial logics while also attending to the circulation of power imbalances within research processes. One of the key aims is to consider how embodied knowledges might increase access and inclusion of disabled children in knowledge production.

Curriculum and the power to ex(in)clude disabled students

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore how the curriculum, as a tool for boundary maintenance and social control, may impact upon inclusion, given that the end-user of the curriculum is the teacher, who subjectively interprets and implements curriculum indicators and directions according to their perceptions. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted with interviews with 21 secondary education teachers, who discussed their interpretations of the curriculum and its impact upon inclusion, considering their role as the end-users of the curriculum and learning agents. The main findings were that exclusion in Cypriot schools may occur in two ways that are underpinned by the curriculum: firstly, disabled students are excluded because of being offered limited and less appropriate for their needs learning opportunities compared to non-disabled students. Secondly, the restrictions imposed by the curriculum do not encourage the development of critical thinking and inclusive attitude among students. Even though it was found that many teachers may succumb to the pressure and thereby decrease the opportunity for the inclusion of disabled children, some participants seem to resist the pressure, thus having the potential to become change agents, who try to distribute social justice and establish inclusion, despite curriculum restrictions.

Israeli Children's Literature about People with Disabilities

In an open letter addressed to Israeli educators, Rabbi Shai Piron, then Education Minister, announced the theme of the 2013–14 academic year to be ‘Him Is Me’. As part of the implementation of Piron's programme, the Ministry published a list of recommended children's books about ‘the Other’, which is still used by educators. This article reflects upon and analyses books for ages four to eight included in this list that focus on children with disabilities. At first glance, it seems that the books call for full social inclusion of disabled children, thereby accomplishing the goals set by the ministry. However, a thorough textual analysis raises questions as to the true messages hidden between the lines of some of the works, questions about how far ‘otherness’ is embraced and acknowledged.

Representaciones sociales de docentes sobre la inclusión del estudiantado con discapacidad

El artículo busca identificar las representaciones sociales que poseen los docentes de instituciones educativas públicas de Bogotá y Cali (Colombia) sobre la inclusión de niños con discapacidad en las aulas. La investigación contempló el uso de análisis inductivos propios de la teoría fundamentada, para ello se identificaron los contenidos y la estructura interna de las representaciones sociales (análisis descriptivo y relacional). En el estudio participaron 25 docentes de dos escuelas públicas de Bogotá y Cali. Los resultados evidencian que los docentes consideran que, en la inclusión escolar, ellos juegan un rol articulador entre las políticas públicas y la implementación pedagógica en el aula, aunque no siempre con la preparación adecuada. Para los docentes el aspecto emocional de la experiencia inclusiva es demandante y lo valoran –mayoritariamente– como negativo.

Rights, inclusion and citizenship: a good news story about learning in the early years

ABSTRACTIncluding all children is something many education settings aspire to, yet the outcome of children realising their right to an inclusive education remains elusive for far too many. In this article we present the narrative of an inclusive early childhood education setting. The first author undertook an ethnographic study of the experiences of an disabled child in a kindergarten1 in Aotearoa New Zealand as part of her Master of Education degree. This was done with the express intention of relaying a narrative of active participation, inclusion and citizenship experienced by that child and their family within that community. The collective narrative that emerged highlights what is possible for the meaningful inclusion of disabled children, not just in New Zealand but internationally, when communities act with inclusive intent. In this article we identify the themes of learner identity, adopting a pedagogy for participation, establishing a culture of belonging and contribution, and lastly, using the environment as the third teacher, which emerged after analysing interviews with some of the participants. Together these themes combine to provide an evaluative framework to review inclusive curriculum and performance in early childhood settings.

A INCLUSÃO ESCOLAR DO DEFICIENTE NA PERCEPÇÃO DO COORDENADOR PEDAGÓGICO

Although there is broad support in the current Brazilian legislation and many curricular documents published in the last three decades, we still face the challenge of the inclusive education in our classrooms. This is a qualitative research in which we investigate the perception of three school pedagogical coordinators about the inclusion of disabled children in regular classes of Elementary and High School of the schools that self-declared favorable to the Inclusive Education. The results suggest perceptions of Inclusive Education with specific goal to comply with current legislation, which aims exclusively at the socialization of the disabled as a target of charity, without great teaching learning goals that allow equal access to school knowledge and continuity of study in the educational system.

Ecological Safety as a Forming Factor of the Public Quality of Life

Objectives: This article is aimed at a cross-spectrum analysis of satisfaction with the quality of life in the high school students of Ishim town (Tyumen region, Russia), and the actual environmental issues. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Phyto-indication and zoo-indication methods adapted in article to study the water quality in economically significant reservoirs of Ishim. Representatives of various trophic levels were used as bioindication objects: aquatic macrophytes and bony fish: golden carp, roach, ruff. Sociological survey covered 709 senior high school students of Ishim town. The questionnaire included the indicators of the measured quality of life by 10 conditional spheres of social life. Findings: According to the results of a sociological survey, an integral evaluation of the quality of children`s life in of Ishim town corresponds to an average level. The most vulnerable spheres of children`s life in the small city of Ishim are environment and ecology, inclusion of disabled children and safe traffic. The participants of the city marked the lack of green zones in the city suitable and available for children to use them (0,88), they valued ecological conditions as an average one (2,0), gave a low integral evaluation of the state of environment - 1,46. The results of phyto-indication and zoo-indication researches showed the low quality of the surface natural water of the water basins having been researched. An empirical evaluation of the quality of natural environment by high school students generally corresponds to existing ecological risks resulted from the low quality of water in economically significant water basins of the Tyumen Region. Application/Improvements: The research indicates the need to optimize the state of natural objects in Ishim and the need to improve the management process for urban area content and development of public environmental culture.

Awareness of teacher about the maintenance of equipment of D.H.H. (deaf and hard hearing) in primary education

Education is the backbone of the country and only those country will progress which will contribute maximum to the benefit of it. Primary education is the grass root level of any educational system. It is the foundation of the higher education. The educational policies of independent India were based on those principles and were committed towards the achievement of universal elementary education. It stressed on the need of inclusion of disabled children in the educational system to achieve the goal of “education for all”. The implementation of the Act signifies a shifting from the belief that children with disabilities should be educated in segregated special school to the belief that children should be included.

Making the grade? A review of donor commitment and action on inclusive education for disabled children

At least one‐third of the 72 million children currently missing out on primary education are estimated to be disabled. With just five years remaining to achieve the Millennium Development and Education for All (EFA) goals, global efforts to ensure all children complete a full cycle of primary education by 2015 will fail if bilateral and multilateral donor support for education does not prioritise the inclusion of disabled children. This paper reviews the commitments and practices of key EFA Fast Track Initiative (FTI) donors in relation to early childhood and primary education for disabled children between 2005 and 2008/9. The review highlights that, while a number of FTI donor partners are beginning to pay greater attention to the inclusion of disabled children in education through their international development cooperation and policy commitments, this has not been accompanied by sustained and systematic action. Weak political will and continued marginalisation of the issue of education for disabled children from the mainstream EFA agenda threatens to impede current efforts towards ‘education for all’.

Disabled children and the Children Act 1989

This article examines the impact on disabled children and their families of the Children Act 1989 from the author's perspective of close involvement in this area of policy from 1992 to 2005. It argues that the inclusion of disabled children explicitly for the first time in children's legislation marked a necessary step in seeing disabled children as children first. Two main areas of concern about the effectiveness of the Act's implementation are highlighted. First, provisions in the Act for disabled children living away from home in health and education establishments have been widely ignored and are now seen as inadequate. Second is whether the provisions regarding short breaks (respite care) have been effective in providing the sort of support that families need at the required levels. The article suggests that passing legislation may be insufficient in itself to have much impact on the lives of disabled children.

Disabled Children: The Right to Feel Safe

This article explores the fundamental right of disabled children to feel safe and be free from bullying, harassment and abuse. The article proposes that, 20 years since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, disabled children are still facing barriers to securing this right. The article focuses on recent Mencap research that shows a very high incidence of bullying of children and young people with a learning disability; and also how measures to prevent and tackle bullying are hindered by a lack of compliance around new legal duties on schools to eliminate the discrimination and harassment of disabled people. The article links the high incidence of bullying with the similarly high incidence of abuse of disabled children, and proposes that these should be considered within the context of a safeguarding continuum. It is argued that the UK government and devolved administrations should respond to the 2008 report of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and ensure the legislation providing protection for persons with disabilities is effectively implemented. Furthermore, increased priority must be given to the inclusion of disabled children in society in order to reduce their marginalisation and consequent vulnerability to bullying, harassment and abuse.

A Política Municipal de Inclusão de Crianças com Deficiência na Educação Infantil no Município de Dourados, MS.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo conhecer a formulação de políticas públicas de educação especial e o seu impacto sobre a prática educativa para a inclusão de crianças com deficiência nos Centros de Educação infantil do Município de Dourados, Ms. Para tanto, buscou-se confrontar os documentos nacionais e locais, as leis,Diretrizes e resoluções para a implementação da educação inclusiva. Utilizou-se da entrevista semi-estruturada com gestores da política central e escolar para compreender a cultura institucional e, a percepção dos gestores sobre as políticas públicas de educação inclusiva; conhecer como as diretrizes, normas, programas e projetos políticos pedagógicos são elaborados; quais as representações sociais, fundamentos e práticas utilizadas na elaboração e implementação da política de inclusão. Essas análises permitiram apontar alguns caminhos para a inclusão: a necessidade de maior articulação entre os diferentes níveis de gestão educacional; efetivação do atendimento educacional especializado em turno contrário ao escolar; o apoio pedagógico especializado deve se efetivar com o trabalho articulado entre a equipe de educação especialensino regular e, não com a retirada da criança da sala de aula para estimulação paralela; incentivar a participação de professores e pais na elaboração do projeto político pedagógico e nas tomadas de decisões sobre a modificação da escola.

Wheelchair services and providers: discriminating against disabled children?

Government strategy to promote the inclusion of disabled children has failed as more people apply to charities for help. This article aimed to investigate the eligibility criteria of NHS wheelchair services for all children's powered chairs. A postal survey of 145 wheelchair services investigated referrals and eligibility policy for different wheelchairs for children of all ages. Responses were analyzed manually, catagorized and themed. In total, 46% of respondents (n = 69) never received referrals for children under 5 years of age, and 20% fewer services offered indoor power chairs to such children than to those over 5 years of age. A total of 46% more services offered indoor/outdoor chairs to children over 5 years of age than to those under 5 years of age; 10% of services excluded children under 5 years of age from all power chair provision; and 13% offered outdoor-only chairs to children over 5 years of age, compared with 7% offering these to children under this age. Many services discriminated against children without providing training or assessment. Eligibility criteria were inconsistent. The NHS seldom provided chairs for use only outdoors. NHS provision of powered wheelchairs for children needs to be reviewed in the light of clinical evidence and children's rights.

Hopes and fears: stakeholder views on the transfer of special school resources towards inclusion

This paper reviews the findings and wider policy implications of an evaluation of two pilot projects for the inclusion of disabled pupils from special schools into mainstream settings in a single English education authority. These included (a) paired Partnerships between schools, and (b) the use of special school staff and resources in a Support role within mainstream schools. The focus of the schemes was to promote the inclusion of those children with more complex impairments and health conditions not ‘easily’ included in mainstream settings. The research investigated the views and experiences of all stakeholders in the process, including pupils, parents, support staff, health professionals, teachers and senior managers. Although there was shared support for the principle of inclusion, there were significant differences of emphasis and concern among the different groups. In this paper, we review the commonalities and differences in these stakeholder views and highlight six key areas for evaluating process and outcome in the inclusion of disabled children. These findings are analysed within the wider context of UK educational policy and the inclusion literature. The paper concludes that although the pilot schemes under consideration had relatively little impact, they highlight a number of important tensions in the debate over inclusion, competition and managerialism in the British schooling system under the New Labour government.

障害児をインクルージョンした体育の授業と教員の態度

This paper reviews some of the previous research on the attitude of PE teacher's toward inclusion of disabled children into regular PE classes. When inclusion classes are planned without the necessary consideration and support for disabled children, they tend to become a negative experience for both children with and without disabilities. However, many studies have revealed that disabled children can be included in regular PE classes without a negative influence on non-disabled children if proper support is provided in the form of equipment, volunteers, and PE specialists. Although most PE teachers have been reluctant to implement the inclusion policy, their attitude becomes favorable once they have experienced it. Attitude varies according to the type of disability. It is necessary for teachers to have interest, knowledge and skills to plan and implement appropriate strategies in classes. However, very little is known about teacher training systems for inclusion classwork. More research needs to be conducted to develop successful inclusion classes. A tentative system for teacher training in inclusion classes is proposed.