PETALING JAYA: Malaysian teachers are confident they are able to meet the requirements of special needs children in an inclusive education process.
To facilitate this, the RYTHM Foundation engaged a team of researchers from Universiti Malaya (UM) to document the on-the-ground reality of special needs education in the country.
The study found that teachers are ready for inclusive education, a concept that integrates “differently-abled” children into regular classrooms.
The initiative is based on the premise that students with disabilities are fundamentally as competent as their “fully-abled” counterparts to participate in the classroom and school community.
Teachers who have experience and training in special education were generally more adept in their ability to manage inclusive classrooms.
Researchers surveyed 507 participants and conducted interview studies on 16, including school administrators, teachers, parents, private institutions, non-governmental organisations and professional associations to identify best practices for educating children with special needs.
The study conducted by the UM researchers focused on gathering data to support creating a school-based programme for enhancing the holistic development of children with special needs.
The foundation aims to set up a world-class institution that caters to differently-abled children in Malaysia.
Taarana Special Needs School principal Dr Sunitha Sivakumaran said it was important for a special needs child to attend a special education programme at school.
“This is because such a programme can help children who struggle with developmental delays, and/or those who experience challenges with literacy and numeracy because of a specific learning difference.
“As every child is unique, the teachers trained to teach these programmes would be able to introduce targeted strategy training that may assist with skills development,” she said.
“Children with motor skill difficulties or those who find it problematical to hold a writing utensil, for example, may be able to obtain access to the right accommodations, such as special pen and pencil grips for learners. A special education teacher could also assist a child find his/her strengths. Inclusion is about finding different ways of teaching so that classrooms actively involve special children.
“It is important because it allows all children, including special ones, to participate and learn, develop friendships, relationships and mutual respect between themselves, and between children and teachers in the school.”
The method also allows special children to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities and enables them to be part of their community and develop a sense of belonging and become better prepared for life in the community as children and adults.
