Understanding Disabilities and Inclusive Practices

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The inclusion of inclusive and special schools in the research is deliberate, since these are the two formal institutionalized approaches through which the education of children with disabilities is addressed in the Indian context. In the case of children with disability, who constitute the central concern of the present book, the more dominant approach has been that of special schools. Their inclusion in mainstream schools is a relatively more recent phenomenon. The idea behind writing this book is to identify and capture in depth, the different strategies and approaches that are developed and practiced to serve the educational needs of these children and also probe the different ways in which their education is facilitated. The major thrust of my book was to understand and explain the different approaches, strategies and practices adopted by schools for the education of children with disability. Historically, the educational inclusion of students with disability has been a fiercely controversial topic. In the past, students with disability ended to be segregated from their peers and even from society as a whole. The type of placement, teaching methods employed and curriculum content are all key interrelated aspects of any educational programme for children with disability. That is, where, how and what of learning. All three of these elements are interrelated and need to be addressed simultaneously in a coordinated approach, if education for children with disability is aimed to meet their needs and facilitate their development. Currently, the needs of children with disability in India are not being met in an informed way either in the regular or special education systems. The reasons for this are attributed to lack of knowledge, training, infrastructure and a conducive environment in schools and to the persistence of fallacious beliefs about disability. However, what needs to be understood is that with an understanding teacher or possibly an aide, a more able child with disability could function very well in a regular school, and learn valuable social skills from his peers. Currently, the number of schools providing education to children with disability is severely limited as compared to the need. This book discusses education of children with disability, it is intended to include all dimensions related to it: the aims of education, the curricular inputs, the teaching learning strategies, the school environment, the institutional ethos, the evaluation system, the teachers, their training, forms of engagement with the children, parental support, expansion of community awareness and the ideology on which the institutions rests.

Dr. Supriya Singh did her PhD in Special Education from university of Delhi and continuously she is working for researches in special education, her interest in students with cognitive, physical, emotional and behavioral problems. She has a passion for special education and in teaching methods for children with special needs.

**Contents and Sample Pages**