Education for Disabled Children

Mainstreaming of the disabled is a must, as countries cannot afford to waste the talents of a vast section of children just because they have some disability. There are instances where disabled children have excelled in various fields. This book provides an insight into the world of the disabled, their needs, their problems and ways to cope with them. The concept of mainstreaming of disabled has gradually been taking root in the education system. While such a step is eminently desirable in the larger social perspective, the teachers need to acquire special abilities to identify the out of the ordinary needs of the individual child, develop among themselves appropriate management skills in a class comprising children of diverse levels of learning abilities, use special equipment, adopt special instructional methods and material, adapt the normal educational curriculum to suit the situation, and above all in displaying a humane approach in handling children with special needs. This book attempts to provide detailed guidelines to teachers in identification and effective education of children with special needs in a normal school setting. It is hoped that the material included in the book will help the teachers develop a sense of awareness about the requirements of such children and in translating this awareness into effective methods of instruction. Specific illustrations have been included for curriculum modifications and teaching strategies to suit different types of disabilities. It is also expected that the book will be useful for normal as well as disabled children to understand each other and grow and learn together in a mutually beneficial manner. The book also explains various concepts in the field of disabilities, indicates the size of the problem and outlines various current policies and programmes in the field of special education.