Module 1: Vision, Policy, Goal and together.
Likewise, the professionalization of
Objectives of Special Education
This module is derived from Inciong
(2016) which starts with the discussion of
vision for children with special needs
followed by the policy, goal, and objectives of
special education. An account of the history
of special education in the Philippines is also
discussed in detail. Further, laws and
legislation affecting the development of
SpEd are examined in this chapter.
At the end of this module, the
students should be able to:
1. explain the vision for children with
special needs;
2. discuss the policy of Inclusive
Education;
3. enumerate the goal and
objectives of special education;
4. cite important events relevant to
the implementation of special
education in the western
countries and in the Philippines;
and
5. discuss the legal bases affecting
the development of special
education in western countries
and in Philippines.
Children and youth with special
needs have always been recognized as
legitimate beneficiaries of the Philippine
government’s reforms in basic education.
For almost a century now, the Department of
Education through its Special Education
Division has been providing the broad
framework and standards in establishing and
maintaining special education programs in
both public and private schools all over the
country. The past decades witnessed the
continuous development or programs for a
wide range of exceptional children and youth
special education continues to be pursued
through teacher and administrator training
programs. Bold moves are undertaken to: (1)
promote access, equity and participation of
children with special needs education in the
mainstream of basic education; (2) improve
the quality, relevance and efficiency of
special education in schools and
communities and; (3) sustain special
education programs and services in the
country.
Topic 1: Vision, policy, goal and
objectives of Special Education.
a. Vision for Children with Special
Needs
The Department of Education
clearly states its vision for children
with special needs in consonance
with the philosophy of inclusive
education, thus:
“The State, community and
family hold a common vision for the
Filipino child with special needs. By
the 21st century, it is envisioned that
he/she could be adequately
provided with basic education. This
education should fully realize
his/her own potentials for
development and productivity as
well as being capable of self-
expression of his/her rights in
society. More importantly, he/she is
God-loving and proud of being a
Filipino.
It is also envisioned that the
child with special needs will get full
parental and community support for
his/her education without
discrimination of any kind. The
 special child should also be
provided with a healthy
environment along with leisure and
recreation and social security
measures” (Department of
Education Handbook on Inclusive
Education, 2000).
b. Policy, Goal and Objectives of
Special Education
The policy on Inclusive
Education for All is adopted in the
Philippines to accelerate access to
education among children and
youth with special needs. Inclusive
education forms an integral
component of the overall
educational system that is
committed to an appropriate
education for all children and youth
with special needs.
The goal of the special
education programs of the
Department of Education all over
the country is to provide children
with special needs appropriate
educational services within the
mainstream of basic education. The
two-pronged goal includes the
development of key strategies on
legislation, human resource
development, family involvement
and active participation of
government and non- government
organizations. Likewise, there are
major issues to address on
attitudinal barriers of the general
public and effort towards the
institutionalization and
sustainability of special education
programs and services.
Special education aims to:
1. Provide a flexible and individualized
support system for children and youth
with special needs in a regular class
environment in schools nearest the
students’ home.
2. Provide support services, vocational
programs and work training, employment
opportunities for efficient community
participation and independent living.
3. Implement a life-long curriculum to
include early intervention and parent
education, basic education and transition
programs on vocational traning or
preparation for college, and
4. Make available an array of educational
programs and services: the Special
Education Center built on “a school within
a school concept” as the resource center
for children and youth with special needs;
inclusive education in regular schools,
special and residential schools;
homebound instruction, hospital
instruction and community-based
programs; alternative modes of service
delivery to reach the disadvantaged
children in far-flung towns, depressed
areas and underserved barangays.
The past decades saw the continuous
development of special education programs
for a wide range of exceptional children and
youth. The then Philippine Normal College
and the University of the Philippines both
state tertiary institutions, continue to work
hand in hand with the Department of
Education to enhance the professionalization
of special education through teacher training
programs.
Topic 2: Historical Perspectives
Table 1. Timeline of History of Special
Education in the Philippines
1902 The General Superintendent of
Education, Mr. Fred Atkinson,
reported to the Secretary of
Public Instruction that deaf and
blind children were found in a
census of school-aged children
in Manila and nearby
provinces.
1907 Special education program
formally started in the country.
The Director of Public
Education, Mr. David Barrows,
worked for the establishment of
the Insular School for the Deaf
and the Blind in Manila.
Miss Delia Rice, an American
educator, was the first
administrator and teacher of
the special school.
1926 The Philippine Association for
the Deaf (PAD) composed
mostly of hearing impaired
members and special
educatipadon specialists
1927 The government established
the Welfareville Children’s
Village in Mandaluyong, Rizal.
1936 Mrs. Maria Villa Francisco was
appointed as the first Filipino
principal of the School for the
Deaf and the Blind (SDB).
1945 The National Orthopedic
Hospital opened its School for
Crippled Children (NOHSCC)
for young patients who had to
be hospitalized for long periods
of time.
1949 The Quezon City Science High
School for gifted students was
inaugurated.
1949 The Philippine Foundation for
the Rehabilitation of the
Disabled (PFRD) was
organized.
1950 PAD opened a school for
children with hearing
impairment.
1953 The Elsie Gaches Village
(EGV) was established in
Alabang, Muntinlupa, Rizal to
take care of abandoned and
orphaned children and youth
with physical and mental
handicaps
1954 The first week of August was
declared as Sight Saving Week
1956 The First Summer Institute on
Teaching the Deaf was held at
the School for the Deaf and the
Blind in Pasay City.
1957 The Bureau of Public Schools
(BPS) of the Department of
Education and Culture (DEC)
created the Special Education
Section of the Special Subjects
and Services Division
1958 The American Foundation for
Overseas Blind (AFOB)
opened its regional office in
Manila.
1960 Some private colleges and
universities started to offer
special education courses in
their graduate school
curriculum.
1962 The Manila Youth and
Rehabilitation Center (MYRC)
was opened.
Experimental integration of
blind children at the Jose Rizal
Elementary School in Pasay
City
The First National Seminar in
Special Education was held at
SDB in Pasay City.
St. Joseph of Cupertino School
for the Mentally Retarded, a
private day school, was
founded.
The training of DEC teacher
scholars at the University of
the Philippines commenced in
the areas of hearing
impairment, mental retardation,
 and mental giftedness under 1974 The First National Conference
R.A. 5250 on the Rehabilitation of the
Philippine General Hospital Disabled was held at the Social
opened classes for its school- Security Building in Quezon
aged chronically ill patients. City.
1963 The training of DEC teacher 1976 Proclamation 1605 declared
scholars for blind children 1977 to 1987 as the Decade of
started at the Philippine Normal the Filipino Child.
College. 1978 Creation of the National
The Manila Science High Commission Concerning
School for gifted students was Disabled Persons (NCCDP),
established. later renamed National Council
1964 Establishment of the Quezon for the Welfare of Disabled
City Science High School for Persons or NCWDP.
gifted students. 1980 The School for Crippled
1965 Start of the training program for Children at the Southern Island
school administrators on the Hospital in Cebu City was
organization, administration organized.
and supervision of special 1990 The Philippine Institute for the
education classes. Deaf (PID) an oral school for
1967 BPS, organized the National children with hearing
Committee on Special impairment was established.
Education. 1992 The Summer Training for
1968 The teacher training program Teachers of the Visually
for teachers of exceptional Impaired started at the
children was held at the Philippine Normal University.
Philippine Normal College for 1996 The third week of January was
the next ten years. declared as Autism
1969 Classes for socially Consciousness Week
maladjusted children were 2007 100th year of Special Education
organized at the Manila Youth in the Philippines.
Reception Center.
1970 The training for children with
behavior problems started the Topic 3: The Legal Bases of Special
University of the Philippines Education
The School for the Deaf and the
Blind established in 1907 was Special education in the Philippines is
reorganized into two separate anchored on fundamental legal documents
residential schools: the school that present a chronology of events on the
for the Deaf (PSD) stayed in the
growth the development of the program. The
original building and the
Philippine National School for first legal basic of the care and protection of
the Blind (PNSB) was built next children with disabilities was enacted in
to PSD. 1935. Articles 356 and 259 of
1973 The Juvenile and Domestic Commonwealth Act NO, 3203, asserted “the
Relations Court of Manila right of every child to live in an atmosphere
established the Tahanan conducive to his physical, moral and
Special School for socially
intellectual development” and the
maladjusted children and
youth. concomitant duty of the government “to
promote the full growth of the faculties of
every child.”
• Republic Act No. 3562, “An Act
to Promote the Education of the
Blind in the Philippines” on June
21, 1963 provided for the formal
training of special education
teachers of blind children at the
Philippine Normal College, the
rehabilitation of the Philippine
National School for the Blind
(PNSB) and the establishment of
the Philippine Printing House for
the Blind.
• Republic Act No. 5250, “An Act
Establishing a Ten-year Teacher
Training Program for Teachers of
Special and Exceptional
Children” was signed into law in
1968. The law provided for the
formal training of teachers for
deaf, hard-of-hearing, with
speech impairment, socially and
emotionally disturbed,
intellectually disabled and
mentally gifted children and youth
at the Philippine Normal College
and the University of the
Philippines.
• The Education Act of 1982 or
Batas Pambansa Bilang 232
states that “the state shall
promote the right of every
individual to relevant quality
education regardless of sex, age,
breed, socioeconomic status,
physical and mental condition,
social and ethnic origin, political
and other affiliations. The State
shall therefore promote and
maintain equality of access to
education as well as enjoyment of
the benefits of education by all its
citizens.”
Section 24 “Special Education
Service” of the same law affirms
that “the State further recognizes
its responsibility to provide, within
the context of the formal
education system services to
meet special needs to certain
clientele. These specific types
shall be guided by the basic
policies of state embodied on
General Provisions of this Act
which include: (2) “special
education, the education of
persons who are physically,
mentally , emotionally, socially,
culturally different from the so-
called ‘normal’ individuals that
they require modification of
school practices/services to
develop to their maximum
capacity.”
• In 1983, Batas Pambansa
Bilang 344 was enacted. The
Accessibility Law, “An Act to
Enhance the Mobility of Disabled
Persons” requires cars, buildings,
institutions, establishments and
public utilities to install facilities
and other devices for persons
with disabilities.
• The 1987 Constitution of the
Philippines cites the rights of
exceptional children to education
in Article XIV. Section 1 declares
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. Section 2 emphasizes that
“the State shall provide adult
citizens, the disabled and out-of-
school youth with training in
civics, vocational efficiency and
other skills.”
• In 1989, R.A. No. 6759 was
enacted. The law declared
August 1 of each year as “White
Cane Safety Day in the
Philippines.” Blind persons use
the cane in traveling.
• In 1992, R.A. No. 7610 was
enacted. The law is “An Act
Providing for Strong Deterrence
and Special Protection Against
Child Abuse, Exploitation and
Discrimination, Providing
Penalties for Its Violation and
Other Purposes.”
• Magna Carta for Disabled
Person
In 1992, RA 7277 was
enacted. The law is “An Act
Providing for the Rehabilitation,
Self-development, Self-reliance
of Disabled Person and their
Integration into the Mainstream of
Society and for Other Purposes”
otherwise known as the Magna
Carta for Disabled Person.
• The year 2004 ushered in a
landmark legislation
spearheaded by the Department
of Health, Republic Act No. 9288
otherwise known as “The
Newborn Screening Act of 2004”
is based on the premise that a
child with Intellectual Disability
could have been normal. A drop
of blood can save the baby from
Intellectual Disability and death.
Newborn screening is a very
simple test that should be given to
the baby twenty-four hours after
birth. If the test is given too late,
the baby can either die or
eventually be severely
intellectually disabled. Newborn
screening is a blood test wherein
a blood sample will be taken from
the heel of the child. The sample,
which is dropped in a special
paper, is then sent by the hospital
to a centralized testing center
which is run by the National
Institute of Health at its head
office at the University of the
Philippines in Manila. The test
primarily checks for five metabolic
disorders that could affect the
health of the child within the first
few weeks of life. These are
congenital hypothyroidism,
congenital adrenal hyperplasia,
galactosemia, phenylketonuria
and G6PD deficiency. If gone
undetected, these disorders
severe intellectual disability,
cataracts, severe anemia or even
death for the child. However, if
these disorders are diagnosed
early enough, the child can grow
up as a normal, healthy human
being.
• Individual with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) of the
United States
In 1975, Public law 94 -142,
the Individual with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) was enacted
in the United States. It is a powerful
law that has changed the American
system of education. The IDEA is a
wide-ranged legislation ensuring
the services including the education
of children with disabilities
throughout the nation. The law
clearly exhibits the concern of the
society and the country for people
with disabilities to be granted with
equal rights and privileges like all
other citizens.
IDEA governs how the states
provide the PWD’s who are
between the ages of 3 to 21, early
intervention, special education and
related services. The major
provision of this legislation states
that all children with disabilities
shall be located and identified.
These children, without considering
the type of severity of their
disabilities, shall receive a free and
appropriate public education.
The six major principles to be
followed in organizing and
implementing special education
programs (Heward, 2003):
1. Zero reject. Schools must
enroll every child, regardless
of the nature or severity of his
or her disabilities; no child
with disabilities may be
excluded from a public
education.
2. Nondiscriminatory testing.
Schools must use non-
biased, multi-factored
methods of evaluation to
determine whether a child has
a disability and, if so, whether
special education is needed.
Testing and evaluation
procedures must not
discriminate on the basis of
race, culture or native
language. All tests must be
administered in the child’s
native language, and
identification and placement
decisions must not be made
on the basis of a single test
score.
3. Appropriate education.
Schools must develop and
implement on individualized
education program (IEP) for
each student with a disability.
The IEP be individually
designed to meet the child’s
unique needs.
4. Least Restrictive
Environment. School must
educate students with
disabilities, with children who
do not have disabilities to the
maximum extent possible.
5. Due process. Schools must
provide safeguards to protect
the right of children with
disabilities and their parents
by ensuring due process,
confidentiality of records and
parental involvement in
educational planning and
placement decisions.
6. Parent participation.
Schools must collaborate with
the parents of students with
disabilities in the design and
implementation of special
education services.
UNESCO Salamanca Statement
 The Salamanca Statement the majority of those with
and Framework for Action on special needs still
Special Needs Education, the unreached; and
World Conference on Special recognizing as evidence
Needs Education: Access and of this involvement the
Quality, Salamanca, Spain, 7-10 active participation of high
June 1994 level representatives of
Main provisions relating to right to numerous governments,
education: specialized agencies and
− Reaffirming the right to intergovernmental
education of every organizations in this
individual, as enshrined in World Conference…
the 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human
Rights, and renewing the
pledge made by the world
community at the 1990
World Conference on
Education for All to ensure
that right for all regardless
of individual differences,
− Recalling the several
United Nations
declarations culminating
in the 1993 United
Nations Standard Rules
on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons
with Disabilities, which
urges States to ensure
that the education of
persons with disabilities is
an integral part of the
education system
− Noting with satisfaction
the increased involvement
of governments,
advocacy groups,
community and parent
groups, and in particular
organizations of persons
with disabilities, in
seeking to improve
access to education for

Module in foundation of special education
and inclusive education
What is Special Education?
Special Education (also known as special-
needs education, aided education,
exceptional education, special ed or SPED)
is a broad term that describes a wide variety
of instructional services that are based on a
child’s individual needs. Ideally, this process
involves the individually planned and
systematically monitored arrangement of
teaching procedures, adapted equipment
and materials, and accessible settings.
These interventions are designed to help
individuals with special needs achieve a
higher level of personal self-sufficiency and
success in school and in their community
which may not be available if the student
were only given access to a typical
classroom education.
Objective of Special Education
To develop the maximum potential of the
child with special needs to enable him to
become self-reliant and shall be geared
towards providing him with the opportunities
for a full and happy life.
Specific Objective of Special Education
The development and maximation of
learning competencies, as well as the
inculcation of values to make the learners
with special needs as useful and effective
members of society.
The Ultimate Goal of Special Education
The integration or mainstreaming of
learners with special needs into the regular
school system and eventually into the
community.
Basic Philosophy of Special Education
• “Every child with special needs has a
right to an educational program that
is suitable to his needs.”
• “Special education shares with
regular education basic
responsibilities of the educational
system to fulfill the right of the child to
develop to his full potential.”
Prominent Personalities in the
Development of Special Education
• Jean Marc Gaspard Itard - French
physician noted for his work with the
deaf. From about 1800 he devoted a
 great deal of his time and private
fortune to the education of deaf
persons.
• Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet-
educational philanthropist and
founder of the first American school
for the deaf. Established the
American Asylum for deaf-mutes.
• Samuel Gridley Howe -American
physician, educator, and abolitionist
as well as the founding director of the
New-England Institution for the
Education of the Blind (later known as
the Perkins School for the Blind) and
the Massachusetts School for Idiotic
and Feeble-Minded Youth.
-known particularly for his success in
teaching the alphabet to Laura
Bridgman, a student who was blind
and deaf.
• Dorothea Dix- American educator,
social reformer, and humanitarian
whose devotion to the welfare of the
mentally ill led to widespread reforms
in the United States and abroad.
• G Stanley Hall psychologist who gave
early impetus and direction to the
development of psychology in the
United States. Frequently regarded
as the founder of child psychology
and educational psychology.
• Anne Sullivan Macy-American
teacher of Helen Keller, widely
recognized for her achievement in
educating to a high level a person
without sight, hearing, or normal
speech.
What is Exceptionality?
An individual or a child who has an
exceptionality has some area of functioning
in which he or she is significantly different
from an established norm. This definition
includes both students with disabilities and
those with special gifts or talents.
•Learning disabilities
•Developmental delays
•Emotional and behavioral disorders
•Communication disorders
•Hearing disabilities
•Visual disabilities
•Physical disabilities
13 Legal Categories of Exceptionalities
1. Autism
2. Deaf-Blindness
3. Deafness
4. Emotional Disturbance
5. Intellectual Disability
6. Hearing Impairment
7. Multiple Disabilities
8. Orthopedic Impairment
9. Other health Impairment
10. Specific Learning Disabilities
11. Speech or Language Impairment
12. Traumatic Brain Injury
13. Visual Impairment
10. Specific Learning Disabilities
11. Speech or Language Impairment
12. Traumatic Brain Injury
13. Visual Impairment
1. AUTISM
Always Unique Totally Interesting Sometimes
Mysterious
- A developmental disability
significantly affecting verbal and non-
verbal communication and social
interaction.
3 Primary Features:
1. Restricted range of social interaction.
2. Impaired communication skills
3. Persistent pattern of stereotypical
behaviors,
interests, and activities.
2. DEAF-BLINDNESS- A hearing and a
visual impairment.
3. DEAFNESS- A hearing impairment that is
so severe that the child is impaired in
processing linguistic information through
hearing; with or without amplification that
adversely affects a child’s educational
performance.
4. EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES
- A condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of
time and to marked he degree that adversely
affects a child’s educational performance.
- Inability to learn that cannot be
explained.
- Inability to build or maintain satisfactory
interpersonal relationships with peers.
- Inappropriate types of behavior.
- A general pervasive mood of
unhappiness.
- A tendency to develop physical
symptoms or fears with personal or
school problems.
*schizophrenia
5. HEARING IMPAIRMENT- An impairment
in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating,
that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance but that is not included under
the definition of deafness.
6. INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY- A spell, or to do mathematical calculations.
significantly sub-average general intellectual
functioning, existing concurrently with
deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested
during the developmental period that
adversely affects a child’s educational
performance.
7. MULTIPLE DISABILITIES- A concomitant
impairment (such as mental retardation
blindness, mental retardation- or orthopedic
impairment, etc.) the combination of which
causes such
8. ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT- defined as
a bone-, joint-, or muscle-related disability
that is so severe that it negatively affects a
child’s educational performance.
Includes:
- Congenital anomalies
Example: Clubfoo
Caused by disease
Example: Poliomyelitis
Other causes Example: Cerebral palsy-
actually caused by brain damage
9. OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS- Having
limited strength, vitality or alertness,
including a heightened alertness to
environmental stimuli that results in limited
alertness with respect to the educational
environment that-
a. Is due to chronic or acute health problems
such as asthma, ADD(Attention deficit
disorder), ADHD ( Attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder), diabetes, epilepsy,
heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning,
leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever and
sickle-cell anemia.
b. and adversely affects a child’s educational
performance.
10. SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY- A
disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in
understanding or in using language, spoken
or written, that may manifest itself in an
imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write,
• Including conditions such as:
-Perceptual disabilities
-Brain injury
-Minimal brain dysfunction
-Dyslexia
-Developmental aphasia
• Disorders not included: the learning
problems that are
primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor
disabilities, of mental retardation, of
emotional disturbance, or of environmental,
cultural or economic disadvantage.
11. SPEECH O LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT-
A communication disorder such as stuttering,
impaired articulation, language impairment
or a voice impairment that adversely affects
a child’s educational performance.
12. TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY- An
acquired injury to the brain that caused by an
external force, resulting in total or partial
functional disability or psychosocial
impairment or both adversely affects a child’s
educational performance.
- applies to open or closed head injuries
resulting in impairments in one or more
areas, such as cognition; language; memory;
attention; reasoning; abstract thinking;
judgment; problem-solving; sensory,
perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial
behavior; physical functions; information
processing; and speech.
- does not apply to brain injuries that are
congenital or degenerative, or to brain
injuries induced by birth trauma.
13. VISUAL IMPAIRMENT- An impairment in
vision that even with correction adversely
affects a child’s educational performance.
- Includes both partial sight and blindness
Special Education vs. Regular Education
1. Admission
Regular: Entrance Examination
SPED: Identification and Assessment
2. Curriculum (Mandated by DepEd)
Regular: The curriculum prescribed for
regular
children
 SPED: The curriculum for children with
special needs aimed primarily at developing
special adoptive skills to maximize their
potentials.
3. Instructional materials methods and
strategies
Regular: Dimensional following the
curriculum, set of objectives for learning.
SPED: Constructivism (Learning by
Experience)
Applies to both: use of materials that are
low cost and indigenous material shall
develop for the use of children. Teaching
strategies shall be creative and multi-
dimensional. They shall make maximum use
of all remaining sense modalities and provide
for active participation in the learning
process.
4. Teachers:
Regular: Bachelor of Science in
Elementary or Secondary Education
SPED: Article VIII Section 2 – for the
effective implementation of the special
education program. the education, welfare
and training of personnel shall be given high
priority. All personnel involved in the
education of children with special needs shall
have adequate and appropriate educational
backgrounds and personnel qualities
Special Education in the Philippines
•1902- Fred Atkisnon
-Proposed that deaf and blind children be
enrolled in schools like the other children.
•1907- David Barrows
-worked for the establishment of Insular
School for the Deaf and Blind in Manila.
(located now on Harrison Street, Pasay, City
•1926
-Philippine Association for the Deaf
was founded.
•1927
-The Government established Welfareville
Children’s Village in Mandaluyong.
•1945
-The National Orthopedic Hospital opened
the school for crippled.
1949-Quezon City Science High School
- was inaugurated for gifted students.-
Philippine Foundation for Rehabilitation of
the Disabled was organized
The time when the private sector started
supporting the government’s program for
Filipinos with disabilities.
•1953
-Elsie Gaches Village was established to
take care of abandoned, orphaned and youth
with physical and mental disabilities.
1954
-First week of August was declared as Sight
Saving Week.
•1955
-First parent teacher work conference special
education was held at SBD.
-Members of Lodge No. 761 of the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
organized the Elks cerebral palsy project
incorporated.
•1957
- The Bureau of Public Schools (BPS) of the
department of Education and Culture (DEC)
created the special education section of
special subjects and services division.
The Program include:
- Legislation
- Teacher training
- Census of exceptional children-
Integration of children with disabilities
in regular classes
- Rehabilitation of residential and
special schools
- Material production.
•1962
-Manila Youth Reception Center (MYRC)
was opened for the socially maladjusted and
emotionally disturbed.
-DEC issued Circular No. 11 s. 1962
“Qualifications of Special Education
Teachers”
-Experimental integration of blind children at
the Jose Rizal Elementary School (Pasay)
-St. Joseph of Cupertino School for the
Mentally Retarded was founded.
•1963
-Teacher scholar training for blind children
started at PNU Philippine Printing House for
the Blind was established (UNICEF and
CARE, Philippines)
•1965
-Training program for school administrators
on the organization, administration and
supervision of special education classes
1967
-BPS organized the National Committee on
Special Education.
-General letter No. 213: regulating the size of
special classes for maximum effectiveness.
•1968
-R.A 5250: an act establishing a ten-year
training program for teachers of special and
exceptional children in the Philippines.
-teacher scholar at UP commenced in the
areas of hearing impairment, mental
retardation and giftedness.
•1969
-Classes for socially maladjusted children
were held at MYRC.
-Jose Fabella Memorial School was divided
into five units:
Philippine Training School for Boys
(Tanay)
Philippine Training School for Girls
(Alabang)
Reception and Child Study Center (Manila)
Elsie Gaches Village (Alabang)
Nayon ng Kabataan (Pasay)
•1970
-R.A No. 5250: Teacher training program for
children
with behavioral problem started at Up.
-the school for the Deaf and blind was
reorganized into
two separate residential school
1973
-UNESCO and Philippines Association for
retarded: First Asian conference on mental
and retardation was held in Manila.
•1975
-Silahis concept of Special education was
implemented.
-Special subjects and services division was
abolished.
1977-1987: Decade of the Filipino Child
•1976
-First camp Pag-ibig: day camp for children
with disabilities.
-Molave youth home for children with
behavioral problem was organized in
Quezon City.
•1977
-Ministry of education issued department
order No. 10: designating regional and
division supervisors of special education
programs. Bacarra Special Education
Center (Division of Ilocos Sur) Bacolod
Special Education Center (Division of
Bacolod)
•1978
-Presidential Decree 1509: Creation of
National Commission Concerning Disabled
Persons (NCCDP)
-MEC memorandum No. 258: Directed
school divisions to organize special classes
with a set of guidelines on the designation of
teachers who have no formal training.
-UP opened its special education training
program for undergraduate students.
-PAD started mainstreaming program in the
Division of Manila City schools.
•1979
-Caritas-Medico-Pedagogical Institution for
the mentally retarded was organized.
-Jagna special education center in the
division of Bohol was organized.
•1980
-School for crippled children at the southern
island hospital in Cebu City was established.
•1981
-UN: international Year of disabled persons
•1982
-Batas Pambansa Bilang 344
•1987
-Autism Society of the Philippines was
organized 1993-2002 Asian and the Pacific
Decade on the Disabled Person
•1996
-The first week of January was declared as
Autism Consciousness Week
-First Seminar workshop on information
technology for the visually impaired
•1997
-DECS order NO. 26: Institutionalization of
Special education program in all school.
-First Philippine Wheelathon race was the
main event of the 19th disability prevention
and rehabilitation.
1998
-Palarong Pinoy Para sa May K was held at
Philsport Complex.
•1999
-DECS order No. 104: Exemption of the
physically handicapped from taking the
National Achievement Test (NEAT) and
National Secondary Aptitude Test (NSAT)
-DECS order No. 108: strengthening of
special education program for the gifted in
public school system.
-DECS Order No. 448: Search for the 1999
Most outstanding special education teacher
for the gifted.
-Memorandum No. 457: National Photo
Contest on Disability
•2000
-DECS Order No. 11: Recognized Special
Education Centers in the Philippines.
-Memorandum No. 24: fourth International
Noise Awareness Day
-Every fourth week of November: national
observance of the week of gifted talented