CONCEPT NOTES

LESSON 2: PRINCIPLES, POLICIES, AND DIMENSIONS

Inclusive Education helps every individual and gives opportunity to achieve their significant
future. It is very important to know the contents of principles, policies and dimensions of
inclusive education.

1. EARLY INTERVENTION

Early intervention refers to services and supports that can help young children with
developmental delays. Through early intervention, kids from birth to age 3 can get services at
home or in the community. Different types of specialists work with kidsand their families
depending on which skills delayed.Early intervention focuses on skills in these areas:

•Physical skills (reaching, crawling, walking, drawing, building)

•Cognitive skills (thinking, learning, solving problems)

•Communication skills (talking, listening, understanding others)

•Self-help or adaptive skills (eating, dressing)

•Social or emotional skills (playing, interacting with others) Individual Family Service Plan
(IFSP) - this plan defines goals and types of services to help children and their families. Each
state has its own rules for which kids qualify. In most states, kids must have either:

1. A developmental delay; or

2. A specific health condition that will probably lead to a delay. This includes things like
certain genetic disorders, birth defects, and hearing loss.

A child who qualifies may receive one or more of these services: speech and language
therapy- physical and occupational therapy- psychological services- home visits- medical,
nursing, or nutrition services- hearing (audiology) or vision services- social network services-
assistive technology

Special Learners Served under IDEA

1. Autism— Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complicated condition
that includes problems with communication and behavior. It can involve a wide range of
symptoms and skills. ASD can be a minor problem or a disability that needs full-time care in
a special facility.
2. Communication Disorder— A severe communication deficit that may require the use of an
augmentative oral alternative communication system such as sign language, communication
boards, or electronic devices.
3. Deaf - Blindness— Individuals in this category have moderate to severe impairments in
both vision and hearing; a separate category because of the unique learning needs presented,
and specialized services required.

4. Mental Retardation— individuals with mental retardation may exhibit generalized

problems in learning, memory, attention, problem solving academic, and social functioning;
manifested between birth and age 18, and negatively affect educational performance.

5. Orthopedic Impairments— Are associated with physical conditions that seriously impair
mobility or motor activity; includes individuals with cerebral palsy or diseases of the skeleton
of muscles, and accident.

6. Visual Impairments— A loss of vision that, even when corrected, affects educational
performance; maybe mild to moderate to severe in nature; students who are blind are unable
to read print and usually learning to read and write Braille; those with low vision can usually
read when the print is enlarged sufficiently.

2. PROCESS OF INCLUSION: PHILIPPINE MODEL

Inclusion

Is seen as a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners
through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing
exclusion within and from education. The Child with Special Needs (Vision)> Self-
Instruction.> Self – monitoring.> Self- reinforcement.> Self – determination. INCLUSIVE
EDUCATION - is putting the right to education into action by including all learners,
respecting their diverse needs, abilities and characteristics and eliminating all forms of
discrimination in the learning environment. UNESCO. (2009).

DESK REVIEW

• International Mandates• Presidential Decrees• Executive Orders• Republic Acts• DepEd

Orders

HARMONIZATION WORKSHOPS and FGDs with 75 DepEd Officials

• Central Office• Regional Offices (representatives of ALS, SPED, IPEd, MEd)

• Division/District/School when RO rep unavailable

PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

-a process where all types of learners with diverse needs are given equal opportunities for a
meaningful life in non-discriminatory environments. These environments foster
belongingness through culturally/spiritually sensitive, learner-centered curriculum, learning,
processes, delivery modes and settings.
Inclusion of Students with Disability in the Philippines

ENVISIONED IE IN THE PHILIPPINE CONTEXT (Bustos, et al, 2014, p. 201)

Process of Inclusion:

•Education has dull responsibility to ensure right to education

•flexible teaching methods with innovative approaching teaching aids, and equipment-
assistive devices and learning resources

•responsive, child-friendly environment

•professional environment working deliberately and actively to promote inclusion to all

3. TRANSITION PROGRAM

The task of choosing a job and preparing for work for all youths, with or without disabilities
is a complex decision. Parents and professionals are particularly interested in helping young
persons with mental retardation but make this decision

they lack the basic knowledge on how this could be done. The project "Transition Program
for Children with Mental Retardation in in the Philippines" is introduced. The program is
anchored on the traditional context of transition. It viewed transition as coordinated set of
activities for a student designed within an outcome-oriented process that promotes movement
from school to out-of-school activities. The program includes vocational training, integrated
employment, continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living or
community participation. The coordinated activities must be based on the individual needs,
considering the students’ preferences and interests. It includes activities in the areas of
functional academics, daily living skills, community experiences, the development of
employment and other adult living objectives and if appropriate, functional vocational
evaluation. This project targets children with mental retardation who have completed the
elementary level or those who are over-aged for formal schooling. It has three phases. First
phase (2005) was the development of the transition program model and its curriculum by
SPED teachers and administrators in both public and private schools, parents and heads of
business establishments who are familiar with the characteristics of persons with mental
retardation. The transition program model envisions the full participation,
empowerment and productivity among children with mental retardation. Full participation
is described as involvement of persons with mental retardation in the different activities in
the community. Opportunities for their participation should be made available and support in
terms of assistive devices and assistance from peers, professionals and other people in the
community are accessible, when needed. Empowerment pertains to making choices and
decisions and being able to control one’ life and the demonstration of this skill is an
assurance that person with mental retardation could already live an independent life.
Productivity
refers to the ability of a person with mental retardation to engage oneself in work or any
activities that will provide him/her with income to finance his own needs. The curriculum
domains for the transition program include:

1) daily living skills,

2) personal and social skills, and

3) occupational guidance and preparation.

Daily living skills

Include competencies on managing, selecting and maintaining living environment, caring for
personal health, developing and maintaining intimate relationship, eating at home and in the
community, cleaning and purchasing clothing, participating in leisure or recreational
activities, and getting around the community.

Personal and Social skills

Focus on achieving self-awareness, acquiring self-confidence, achieving socially responsible

behavior, maintaining good interpersonal skills, achieving independence, making informed
and adequate decisions, and communicating with others.

Occupational guidance and preparation

Cover competencies like exploring and locating occupational training and job placement
opportunities, making occupational training and job placement choices, applying for and
maintaining occupational training and job placements, developing and maintaining
appropriate work skills and behavior, and matching physical and manual skills to
occupational training and employment. The competencies in the three domains are taught to
children with mental retardation by both:> the SPED and regular teachers> the parents> and
skilled volunteers from the local businesses and industries. The setting for these domains
could be in the school, in the community or in business establishments. The activities offer
students opportunities on career awareness and work skills which will ultimately equip them
to live an independent and productive life. The Transition Program is one of the important
projects of the DepEd to respond to the needs of special learners in the country. Within the
context of the K to 12 basic education programs, the challenge is how to develop a good
transition program curriculum and what type of programs should be offered. The curriculum
development model presented in this paper is the first to be developed in the Philippines for
special education. The Transition Program aims to help special learners become functional in
spite of their disabilities. It aims to make them enjoy their daily lives, and empower them to
become more useful and productive citizens. This program is not just a set of activities; it is
an educational equity package that includes curriculum and policies that will support the
education of special learners.
G.T. Pawilen et al. / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 10(1) (2018)1–20

4. SUSTAINING PROGRAM

This program focused on developing models to address the lack of access to early learning
and schooling for children with disabilities by modelling effective inclusive education
programs to replicated nationwide. Sustaining Programs . Established of 276 Special
Education Centers nationwide. Provision of SPED items. Downloading of funds. Conduct of
training programs for teachers handling children with various disabilities. Conduct of training
for school heads and supervisors. Development of instructional materials for children with
disabilities. Conduct of advocacy strategies like the SPED caravan in regions and divisions
without SPED centers or without SPED programs• Implementation of various intervention
programs, like:. Early Intervention. Transition program. Headstart program

5. NATIONAL IP EDUCATION

Through DepEd Order 62, s. 2011 or the National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy
Framework which was formulated after several consultation sessions with IP leaders and
elders the Department officially commenced the institutionalization of the IP Education
Program in 2011. The policy adopts a rights-based approach and directs the implementation
of an education that is anchored on the social and cultural context of IP learners. IPEd
program is DepEd’s response to the right of indigenous communities and indigenous learners
to an education that is responsive to their context. The policy adopts a rights-based approach
and directs the implementation of an education that is anchored on the social and cultural
context of IP learners. IPEd program is DepEd’s response to the right of indigenous
communities and indigenous learners to an education that is responsive to their context.

References:

UNESCO. (2019). Strengthening the Principles Policies of Inclusive Education Systems.

Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000372203
European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. (2017). Developing Inclusive
Education Systems: The Role of Policy, Professional Learning, and Collaboration. Retrieved
from https://www.european-agency.org/publications/standard-reports

UNICEF. (2020). Inclusive Education: Including Children with Disabilities in School.

Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/disabibilities/index_94509.html