Special education or special needs education is the practice of educating students with special needs in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs.

This process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings.

SPED in the Philippines started in 1908 where the school for deaf ( in Harrison, Pasay City) was established and marked the official government recognition of obligations towards the education of the handicapped children.

An Act of Promote the EDUCATION of the blind in the Philippines which established teacher training course and Philippine National School for the Blind.

Philippine Normal College offered courses in Sped for teaching the blind in 1964 wherein 14 elementary teachers were selected for training.

In 1952, a pilot school for the SPED ( at the Phil. Women’s University) of mentally handicapped children was started. All children from this school were transferred to the Special Child Study Center in Cubao, Q.C. in 1957.

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REHABILITATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-RELIANCE OF DISABLED PERSONS AND THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIETY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TEN-YEAR TRAINING PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS OF SPECIAL AND EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN IN THE PHILIPPINES AND AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREOF.

Goal of special

Education

States that the ultimate goal of special education shall be integration of mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community.

To meet the individual educational needs of the learners and, to extent possible, prepare them for going to a more regular classroom setting.

Special Education Regular Education

Kind of Learners Children with special needs who necessitate individualized program Regular Learners

Number of Learners

For one-on-one : 1For group : 3-4For resource group : 5-10

Private school : 35-50Public school : 50-60 or more

Curriculum

Attention skills (ADHD)Memory Skills (MR), Braille (VI), Sign Language ( HI), Auditory and Visual Perception skills (LD), anger Management ( emotional/ Behavior Disturbance), Creative and Critical Thinking Skills (Giftedness), functional Academics( Autism)

English, Reading, Math, Makabayan.

Who dictates the Curriculum?

Individual needs of the child School System (DECS)

Received instruction from?

SPED teachers, occupational therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Pathologist.

Regular Teachers( Subject Teachers)

Primary Function OF SPED TEACHER: To meet the goals and objectives established in the IEP

OF REGULAR TEACHER: To teach the curriculum

Type of Classroom SPED Classroom, Self-contained room; Resource Room, Mainstream classroom

Regular Classroom