FTC 2 FOUNDATION OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

The term EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN and YOUTH covers those with mental retardation, giftedness and talent,
learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, communication disorders, deafness, blindness, and
low vision, physical disabilities, health impairments, and severe disabilities.

These are children and youth who experience difficulties in learning the basic education curriculum and need a
modified or functional curriculum, as well as those whose performance is so superior that they need a
differentiated special education curriculum to help them attain their full potential.

EXCEPTIONAL CHIDREN are also referred to as Children with Special Needs (CSN). Like the children and
youth in elementary and secondary schools, the mental ability of exceptional children or CSN may be average,
below or above average

LEGAL BASIS

1. RA 7277 The Magna Carta for Disabled Person provides for rehabilitation, self-development and self-
reliance of disabled persons and their integration into mainstream society. The Philippine Policies and
Guidelines for Special Education provides that every child with special needs has a right to an education
program that is suitable to his/her needs. Special education shares with regular education basic
responsibilities of the educational system to fulfill the right of the child to develop his/her potential.

2. RA 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.

3. The 1973 Constitution of the Philippines Section 8 Article XV. The constitutional provision for the
universality of educational opportunities and the education of every citizen as a primary concern of the
government clearly implies the inclusion of exceptional children and youth.

4. 1975 PD 603 known as the Child and Youth Welfare Code. Article 3 on the Rights of the Child
provides among others that the emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted child shall be treated
with sympathy and understanding and shall be given the education and care required by his particular
condition.

5. 1978 PD1509 created the National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP), renamed as
National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP).

6. Education Act of 1982 or BP Blg. 232 provides that “The state shall promote the right of every
individual to relevant quality education, regardless of sex, age, breed, socio-economic status, physical
and mental condition, social and ethnic origin, political, and other affiliations.

7. RA 6759 embodies that it is declared to be the policy of the State to promote and protect the physical,
moral, and social well-being of all handicapped persons such as the blind, and to undertake studies on
specific causes of the high percentage of blind people in the Philippines.
 8. In the year 2000, PD No. 361 set new dates for the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation
Week Celebration on the third week of July every year which shall culminate on the birth date of the
Sublime Paralytic Apolinario Mabini.

9. RA NO. 9288 otherwise known as The Newborn Screening Act of 2004 which is based on the
premise that a retarded child could have been normal. New born screening is a very simple test that
should be given to the baby 24 hours after birth. One properly diagnosed, proper treatment and care
can be given to the baby o correct the disorder who can go on to live a happy and normal life.

10. The Accessibility Law (BP Blg. 344) is an Act to enhance the mobility of disabled persons by requiring
certain buildings, institutions, establishments, and other public utilities to install facilities and other
devices.

CHROMOSOMES

They come in 23 pairs. Each pair is composed of one chromosome from the male (Y) and female (X)
parents. Each set has 22 single chromosomes called autosomes that carry the physical, mental and personality
characteristics. The 23rd pair, the XY chromosomes determine the sex of the organism. A normal female will
have a pair of XX chromosomes while a normal male will have an XY pair of chromosomes.

Inside the chromosome is the DNA. Each DNA molecule contains many genes, the basic physical and
functional units of hereditary information. Genes act as blueprint for cells to reproduce themselves and
manufacture the proteins that maintain life.

CAUSES

DOWN SYNDROME occurs during the early phase of pregnancy when one parental chromosome fails
to separate at conception resulting in the child’s having 47 chromosomes instead of a normal 46 or 23 pairs. If
a pregnant woman contracts German measles or Rubella during the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus
is at risk for blindness, deafness, or mental retardation.

The fetus in the womb or a woman who consumes alcohol heavily and chain-smokes, or takes
prohibited drugs is at risk for brain injury that causes disabilities. If a disability runs in the family, the fetus may
inherit it and the infant will be born with a disability. Children may meet accidents, suffer from certain diseases,
malnutrition and other environmental deprivations that can lead to disabilities.

CATEGORIES OF EXCEPTIONALITIES AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

1.MENTAL RETARDATION characterized by significantly sub-average intellectual functioning, existing

concurrently with related limitations in two or more of the following applicable adaptive skill areas:
communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use, self-direction, heath and safety, functional
academics leisure and work. Mental retardation manifests before age 18 (American Association of Mental
Retardation, 1992).

CLASSIFICATIONS of mental retardation:

a. mild MR with IQ scores from 55 to 70

b. moderate MR with IQ scores from 50 to 54
 c. severe MR WITH IQ scores from 25 to 39
d. profound MR with IQ scores below 25

Some pre-natal causes are chromosomal disorders such as Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome, Klinefelter
syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Phenylketonuria, and Willian syndrome.

DOWN syndrome (DS), named after Dr. Langdon Down is the best known and well-researched
biological condition associated with mental retardation. It is estimated to account for 5 to 6% of all cases.
Caused by chromosomal abnormality, the most common is Trisomy 21 in which the 21st set of chromosomes is
a triplet rather than a pair.

Fragile X syndrome a triplet or repeat mutations on the X chromosome interferes with the production
of FMR-1 project which is essential for normal brain functioning. Majority of males experience mild to
moderate metal retardation in childhood and moderate to serve deficits in adulthood. Females may carry and
transmit mutation to their children but then to have fewer disabilities than affected males. It is the most
common mental retardation after Down syndrome. It is characterized by social anxiety, avoiding eye contact,
tactile defensiveness, turning the body away during face-to-face interactions and stylized, ritualistic forms of
greeting. Preservative speech often includes repetition of words and phrases.

William syndrome is caused by the deletion of a portion of the 7th chromosome. Cognitive
functioning ranges from normal to mild and moderate levels of mental retardation. The characteristics are elfin
or dwarf-like facial features and manner of expression exudes cheerfulness and happiness; overly-friendly, lack
of reserve towards strangers, often have uneven profiles of skills, with strengths in vocabulary and storytelling
skills and weakness in visual-spatial skills; often hyperactive, may have difficulty staying on task and low
tolerance for frustration or teasing.

  Prader-Willi syndrome is a syndrome disorder caused by the deletion of a portion of chromosome 15.
It is associated with mild retardation and learning disabilities. Behavior problems are common such as
impulsiveness, aggressiveness, temper tantrums, obsessive-compulsive behavior, some forms of injurious
behavior such as skin picking, delayed motor skills, short stature, small hands and feet and underdeveloped
genitalia.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is one of the inborn errors of metabolism. It is a genetically inherited condition
in which a child is born without an important enzyme needed to break down an amino acid called
phenylalanine found in dairy products and other-protein rich foods. Failure to break down these amino acid
causes brain damage that often results in aggressiveness, hyperactivity, and severe mental retardation.

2. ATTENTION-DEFICIT DISORDER (ADD) AND ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

(ADHD) are conditions in which children exhibit significant differences in the ability to pay attention
and to engage in active work compared to their normal peers. These children lack of control in saying
things, cannot wait for their turn and often engage in dangerous activities. ADD and ADHD are
common characteristics of children with learning disabilities.

3. GIFTEDNESS AND TALENT refers to high performance in intellectual, creative or artistic areas, unusual
leadership capacity, and excellence in specific academic field. Giftedness refers to the traits of above-
average general abilities, high level task commitment, and creativity (Renzulli, 1978). It shows in superior
memory, observational powers, curiosity, creativity, and ability to learn (Piirto, 1994).
 4. SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological
processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written which may manifest itself
in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations.

The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain
dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have
learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor handicaps, of mental
retardation or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantages (US Office of Education, 1977).

5. EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS means a condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time, and to a marked degree which adversely affects
educational performance such as:
a. an inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, and health factors
b. inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers
c. inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
d. general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
e. tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

Classification of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) As the name implies, students or individuals with oppositional
defiant disorder consistently go against, oppose, defy, and show hostility towards authority figures. The
symptoms are:

a. Often loses temper:

b. Often argues with adult’s request or rules
c. Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adult’s requests or rules
d. Often deliberately annoys people
e. Often blames others for one’s mistakes or misbehavior
f. Often touchy or easily annoyed by others
g. Often angry and resentful
h. Often spiteful and vindictive

 OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) is a disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted
thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively
(compulsions).

 BIPOLAR DISORDER also known as manic depression is a mental illness that brings severe high and
low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior. People who have bipolar disorder can
have periods in which they feel overly happy and energized and other periods of feeling very sad,
hopeless, and sluggish.

 DELINQUENCY is a behavioral disorder. Studies show that a pattern of antisocial behavior early in a
child’s life is a strong predictor of delinquency in adolescence. Criminal careers start at an early age,
usually by age 12.
6. SPEECH and language disorders or communication disorders exist when the impact that a
communication pattern has on a person’s life such as
a. transmission and/or perception of messages if faulty;
b. the person is placed at an economic disadvantage;
c. the person is placed at a learning disadvantage.
d. there is negative impact on the person’s emotional growth; d. the problem causes physical
damage or endangers the health of the person (Emerick and Haynes, 1986).

7. Hearing Impairment is a generic term that includes hearing disabilities ranging from mild to profound,
thus encompassing children who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing. The primary effect of
hearing impairment is on the development of speech and the acquisition of language skills. The more
severe the hearing loss is, the more difficult it is to acquire skills in listening, speech and
communication, reading and writing.

8. Visual impairment – A child who is blind is totally without sight or has so little vision that he or she
learns primarily though the other senses such as touch to read Braille. A child with low vision is able to
learn through the usual channel and generally learns to read print. Braille is the primary means of
literacy for blind persons. It is a system of reading and writing in which letters, words, numbers and
other systems are made from arrangements of raised or embossed dots.

Causes of Visual Impairment

a. Uncorrected refractive errors
b. Cataract
c. Age-related macular degeneration
d. Glaucoma
e. Diabetic retinopathy
f. Corneal opacity
g. Trachoma

How can you make your student with visual impairment feel comfortable in your classroom? 

a. Use the words “look” and “see” when communicating with a blind person. These words are much a
part of the vocabulary of the student with visual impairment as they are of any of your seeing
students. He or she uses these words to connote his or her methods of seeing, either by
manipulating or touching an objector looking very closely at it. It is absolutely acceptable to use
expressions in daily conversations such as see you later… or look here.

b. Introduce him or her as you would any of your students.

c. Include him or her in all class activities.

d. All children want to be a leader in class activities. Extend the same opportunity to the blind child.

• The same disciplinary rules and action should apply to a visually impaired student.

e. Encourage him or her to move about the classroom to get the materials or to do certain activities.
You can assign a classmate to his or her buddy in going about the class activities.

f. Your acceptance of the child will serve as a positive example to his or seeing classmates.
 g. When approaching the blind student, unless or she knows you, always say who you are instead of
asking him or her to guess who you are.

h. The blind student may exhibit certain mannerisms like rocking, flapping the fingers in front of the
eyes, or poking the fingers into the eye. Consult the special education teacher on how to deal with
these behaviors.

9. PHYSICAL impairments maybe orthopedic impairments that involve the skeletal system or they may
be neurological impairments that involve the nervous system affecting the ability to move.

10. SEVERE disabilities generally encompass individuals with severe and profound disabilities in
intellectual, physical and social functioning.

BULLYING 

Bullies pick on any perceived difference such as shyness, plumpness, being too clever, too attractive,
being the “wrong” color or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sustained bullying can leave children
feeling depressed. They can lose confidence and have suicidal thoughts,” Bueno says They cannot focus on
their studies and become defiant, and younger kids can become hyperactive, so it is essential to solve the
problem as soon as possible.

Instead of parents and teachers acting alone to help children being bullied, it is important to adopt a
whole school approach to the problem. Vicious bullies should be made to apologize or be punished in some
ways. They should do community service or be suspended from school. In extreme cases, they should be
expelled, says Nayagam.

Every child has the right to a safe, protected school environment, says Appadoo of Tinker Friend. No
matter how minor the case is, bullying needs to be tackled from the beginning. If we ignore the problem, our
children may suffer, both psychologically and physically.