Learner’s with Special Educational Needs Support System Amidst Pandemic (LSENSSAP)

Model

Negros Oriental State University

Main Campus I, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Stanley A. Secong
Makana Mei S. Masacayan
Mary Ann A. Delayco
Franz Irene G. Alonzo
Proponents
Clarene Jane V. Aranas
Jaymar A. Baculad
Janine V. Briones
Shiella Mae D. Cadalin
Checknya C. Candia
Mary Grace D. Acedillo
Ariane Mae S. Dionanao
Serlyn Faith C. Dolauta

Lorraine Nicole Fernandez Hazel G. Noay

Maria Dominique P. Ferrolino Eden D. Paira
Rose Vic Fulo Jenisa E. Rondobio
Mary Grace A. Miao-ao Geia Mae C. Tampoy
Michael Robert A. Nadala Marilyn A. Tatoy
Rhiza June C. Villa

Reviewed & Approved by:

Juliet Sonjaco, EdD
Instructor
I. Rationale

“Every single individual plays a vital role in building a successful nation”

The context stated above opened the window of accommodating and educating
children with disabilities. Article XIV, section 1 of the 1987 constitution pointed out that
the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all
levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. In
addition, Republic Act (RA) 7277, emphasized that the State shall adopt policies ensuring
the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons. With these
issuances, the government and all educational offices work hand in hand to provide
accessible, quality, liberating and equitable education to children with special needs.
Education has an essential role in the lives of children in order for them to
acquire/possess necessary skills to adapt and survive. Therefore, despite of the pandemic
brought by Covid-19, education and learning processes must continue.
It is very evident that the shift from old-normal setting of teaching instructions to
new-normal setting, impacted the lives of teachers, learners with disabilities and
especially parents.
Facing the fact, Covid-19 pandemic paved the way in adopting different learning
delivery modalities due distance learning system. In this case, for effective and efficient
learning to happen, different types of support must be provided and strengthened
(Depuydt, 2021; Stenhoff, Pennington, Tapp, 2020; & UNICEF, 2020).
Thus, Learner’s with Special Educational Needs Support System Amidst
Pandemic (LSENSSAP) model is formulated to provide clear ideas and guidance to
internal and external stakeholders as to what types of support are deemed necessary in
handling/dealing children with special educational needs amidst pandemic.
Furthermore, this model provides/ensures accessible, quality, equitable and
liberating education. Strengthens internal-external stakeholders’ engagement, linkages,
and partnership. And ensures to produce functionally literate & holistically developed
Filipinos.
Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the Learner’s with Special Educational Needs Support
System Amidst Pandemic (LSENSSAP) Model
II. Discussion

1. Figure 1 illustrates the skills that learners with disabilities should possessed and the desired
exit outcomes. Thus, it is very essential that school/division, family/caregivers, instructional
support and societal support must be given and internalized in order to successfully produce
functionally literate and holistically developed Filipinos.
2. Care skills has something to do with the help and protection we give to our Learners with
Special Educational Needs (LSENs). Learners need help to develop and enhance their ability
to cope with the tasks in school, at home and in the community. Among other transition
skills, care skill is the priority to be developed on learners. The hygiene, good grooming,
self-help and personal safety skills are needed to develop the learners’ ability to care and
protect oneself and eventually live independently. It is a partnership responsibility of the
home and school to facilitate this skill to LSENs.
3. Life skills defined as psychosocial abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable
individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. They are
loosely grouped into three broad categories of skills: cognitive skills for analyzing and using
information, personal skills for developing personal agency and managing oneself, and
interpersonal skills for communicating and interacting effectively with others (UNICEF,
2003). Life skills have been defined by World Health Organization (2009) as abilities that
help us to adapt and behave positively so that we can deal effectively with the challenges of
everyday life. LIFE SKILLS curriculum refers to the basic skills that will prepare and help
the learners in coping with the challenges and demands of everyday life. It is also designed
to equip LSENs with the necessary skills to become independent, participative, empowered,
and productive members of society.
4. Functional Skills, according to Cronnin (1996), are the tasks that help individuals become
successful and independent adults. Vanderccok (1991) stated that “a true functional skill is
one that is initiated, used and maintained under typical circumstances”. For their part, Bouck
and Joshi (2012) defined Functional Academics as an approach to teach the students the
skills to help them be productive members of society and support post school outcomes.
Functional Academics may include core subject content, vocational education, community
access, daily living, personal finance, independent living, transportation, social skills,
relationships and self-determination. Functional academics are important for children with
 disabilities, who may not be able to learn age and grade appropriate academics. It will be
used by the LSENs for the rest of their lives. For example: Reading (read signs; stop, go,
men, women, read a recipe). Math (money, grocery shopping, making change, budget).
Health (grooming, oral hygiene, plan healthy meals). One of the most important reasons for
teaching functional skills to students and adults with disabilities is to increase their
integration with peers without disabilities in school and community settings.
5. Prevocational Education is mainly designed to introduce participants to the world of work
and prepare them to entry into further vocational or technical programs. Successful
completion of such programs does not lead to a labor-market relevant vocational or technical
qualification, (OECD 2002). The Pre-Vocational Skills is a fundamental concept for learners
with special educational needs (LSENs) who are deemed capable of pursuing livelihood and
entrepreneurship in the Philippine context. The competencies are carefully chosen and are
considered important for our learners to develop their knowledge, skills and attitude. On top
of that, this will provide opportunity for our learners to determine their interests/TVL track as
they will be exposed to different areas. Hence, this curriculum aims to prepare LSENs in
pursuing the Transition program, namely: entrepreneurship or technical vocational
livelihood track.
6. The Livelihood Skills of Transition Curriculum for Learners with Special Educational Needs
(LSENs) are anchored on the guiding principles of Special Education on the provision of
intervention according to learners’ needs. The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons or RA
7277, provides for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons
and their integration into mainstream society. It is also reinforced by various related studies
which support livelihood in the context of instructional-experiential deliveries as embodied
in the K to 12 Curriculum. The Policy on the Provision of Educational Services for Learners
with Special Educational Needs provides K to 12 Curriculum Adaptations which emphasizes
that it shall promote cultivation of moral, civic, and spiritual values and livelihood.
Livelihood in the Transition Program entails specialized instruction to support, provide
subsistence, identify source of income and assistance to learners for finding appropriate
means of living. This curriculum supports one of the exit outcomes of the Transition
Curriculum: that is, the possible employment or venture into entrepreneurship by the
learners.
7. Career Skills allows Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN’s) in making the
transition from home to school, school to community, school to career, and school to
additional education and training. Assessment will be given before and after or as necessary
as possible to address the needs of the learners. These skills could be taught together with
other skills for better preparation of the learners in the field of work or to advance to
secondary level. The learners are expected to have career awareness particularly on the
different community helpers and gained necessary information on varied career and relate
their own choices. They are expected to demonstrate and apply the importance of
responsibility, dependability, punctuality, integrity and effort in the workplace.
8. Enrichment Skill is a curriculum offered to all LSENs with the aim of providing them with
access to a diverse range of educational and recreational opportunities that cater to their
interest and inclination. Enrichment Skill is DepEd’s response to the necessity of offering a
curriculum that addresses the interests of the transition learners for them to live not only a
functional and productive but also a happy and fulfilling life. It is also an expression of
DepEd’s commitment of providing LSENs with opportunities designed to enrich, sustain,
engage, challenge, and ensure their continued growth by harnessing their innate abilities and
talents specifically in Music, Movements, Arts, and Sports.
9. Support System is a network of people that can provide with practical or emotional support.
These support systems will help improve overall health and have been shown to reduce stress
and anxiety. Having a support system means that you have people to rely on when you need
them the most. It means that there are people you can lean on whenever you are in a tough
situation (Hood, 2020).
10. School/Division Support. This is consisting of the following support in collaboration and
cooperation of the school-division and vice versa. Provision of SpEd teachers, community
learning facilitators (CLFs)/teacher-tutors (TTs), social workers, and allocation of financial
funds for LSENs.
 SpEd teacher – main in charge in the preparation of essential IMs, strategies to
be employed by the CLFs/TTs.
 CLFs/TTs – they are fresh education graduates/teachers who did not pass the
LET. They will be the one to facilitate the teaching- learning process of
LSENs in their community. It is highly encouraged that Division-School
 offices should provide incentives for these teachers’ like monetary allowance
and certificate of recognition.
 Social workers – they are the one who will be in charged in the feed backing
& monitoring of LSENs performance and attendance along with the SpEd
teacher.
 SH, CID chief, SGOD chief, SDS – ensure the implementation of LSENs
curriculum, provision of necessary funds as to the needs of the SpEd classes.
Plan for capability building program to parents in handling LSENs amidst
pandemic. Conduct monitoring & evaluation for quality assurance. Strengthen
collaboration, coordination, cooperation & commitment to address issues,
concerns and challenges in the field.
 MOOE funds – financial budget allocated in the operations and maintenance
of SpEd classes and its programs/activities.
11. Family/caregivers Support this pertains to the roles, responsibilities of the parents, siblings,
& grandparents in handling their LSENs at home. They will ensure to give full support for
the total development of their child as to physical, emotional, mental/intellectual and spiritual
aspects.
12. Instructional Support this refers to the availability of instructional materials (IMs),
equipment, devices, gadgets/laptops, internet access, teaching strategies, accommodations &
activities to be used for efficient and effective teaching-learning process to happen.
13. Societal Support this refers to the public-private partnership and linkages as to the provision
of job coaches, sheltered home and even tapping for donations (school supplies, devices &
equipment to be used for the children with disabilities).
 Job coaches – refers to teacher/private individual that will train LSENs on
their acquired skills to the private establishments.
 Sheltered home – refers to the building to be used for LSENs who are not
yet able to find a job/employment.
14. Collaboration, Coordination & Cooperation – these refer to the skills of the
schools/division, family/care givers and society to connect and build relationships with each
other to address the concerns/gap/needs/problems in dealing LSENs amidst pandemic. An
active involvement of internal-external stakeholders in the process of providing support.
15. Commitment – this refers to a strong intention of every individual to take action to pursue
the desired outcomes.
16. Monitoring & Evaluation is designed to ensure proper, efficient and effective
implementation of support system in the field. This process will be done by the SH,
CID/SGOD department and SDS.

References

DepEd Order 021, 2020 Policy Guidelines on the Adoption of K to 12 Curriculum

Transition Framework for Children with Special Need.

DepEd Order 031, 2020 Interim Guidelines for Assessment & Grading System in
Light of Basic Education Continuity Learning Plan

Depuydt, T. (2020). The Impact of Covid-19 On Teacher Interactions With

Students with Special Needs. Retrieved from google.com

Hood, J. (2020). The Benefits and Importance of a Support

Systemhttps://highlandspringsclinic.org/blog/the-benefits-and-importance-of-a-support-
system/

“Inclusion from a Distance: 12 Ideas for Supporting Students with Autism in Virtual
Classrooms”. Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/inclusion-distance-
12-ideas-supporting-students-autism-virtual-classrooms#slideshows

“K to 12 Curriculem & Its Support System”. (2016). Retrieved

fromhttps://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/J.Andaya-
Education-Summit.pdf

Stenhoff, D.M., Pennington, R.C., & Tapp, M.C., (2020). Retrieved

from https://doi.org/10.1177/8756870520959658

“Symbol for Children with Special Needs”. Retrieved from

https://www.pngegg.com/en/png-xlzdp

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2020). Guidance on Distance

Learning regional Office for South Asia. Retrieved from google.com