I do think children
should be assessed but only if the parent, doctor and teacher believe there are
some major learning disability. I feel that as a society we look at
children who are different and automatically want to categorize them with some
form of disability and then we medicate children and they lose that special
sparkle about them.
In Ireland there is a
board called The Education and Library Board. The Education and Library Board
will make a statement when it decides that they can help the child’s needs
cannot reasonably be provided within the resources normally available to the
school. These resources include money, staff time and special equipment.
The statement of special educational needs is set out in six parts:
Part one-gives you’re
own and your child’s name address and other details
Part two-give details of
all your child’s learning difficulties and
the assessment
Part three-the special
help that the Boards thinks your should get to meet the needs to set out in
part two, the long-term objectivities to be achieved by that special help, the
arrangements to be made for setting short term targets and regularly reviewing
the child's progress towards those targets
Part four- about the
school where your child will go to get the special help set out in part three,
the arrangements for education to be made otherwise than at school.
Part five- describes any
non-educational needs the child has, such as transport to school.
Part six-describes how
the child will get the help described impart five.
I think Ireland does an
amazing job with assessing children and working with parents to help the child.
They have very clear
steps that must be followed.
Carrie, I agree with the part that you said about Society look at children who are different and automatically want to categorize them with some form of disability and put them on medicine. But there are developmentally appropriate assessment practices that should be ongoing.
ReplyDeleteDevelopmental assessments are used to identify children who have special learning or developmental needs and to plan appropiate curriculum. Failure to evaluate and assess children's progress might mean that some children would be deprived of needed intervention at a time when these services could do the most good.
Carrie, as a special education teacher I have to thank you for the information on the Ireland education system but I am upset by the comment that you made when you began your post. Not all special education teachers, teachers and parents are looking to "put out the sparkle" of any of the children that we help. Please re-think the way you consider the special education process.
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