Alpha Z.

Cristobal
SPED 242: Inclusive Education in the Philippine Setting
Professor: Rose Aligada PhD

How Can We Push Forward to Make Inclusion Better?

Inclusive Education is a learning environment where children with or without

disabilities are taught together, as equals. Inclusion in education is recognized by
teachers, families and policy makers to be a more beneficial way of ensuring that
children with or without disabilities achieve their full educational potential.
In the Philippines, after the Salamanca Statement of 1994 with the principle of
promoting the objective of Education for All, the implementation of inclusion has been
placed into different perspectives. It has facilitated the scope of including the
individuals with special needs that are covered in inclusion. It introduced the policy
implementation with those students with special needs that are enrolled in a school that
has inclusion and those that are still in the process of being included, mainstreamed or
integrated.
Every children with special needs has the basic right for inclusion to education,
rehabilitation, support services, work training and employment opportunities,
community participation and independent living. Inclusive education’s provision is
anchored on the philosophy that all children and youth with special needs must receive
an appropriate education and everything within the system. All kinds of children have
the freedom and guarantee to get education along with other children regardless of
human differences.
In the K12 Curriculum, DepEd emphasized the important of appropriate Special
Education Program and Services that should provide for elementary students with
special needs. These programs and services refer to early intervention programs,
curriculum adaptations, learning resource support, guidance programs, and transition
program. Health and medical needs of children with special needs also addressed.
But the big question is… how can we push forward to make inclusion better in
the Philippines? Personally as a mother of a child diagnosed with autism, I had a big
fear for the future of my child, so that’s why I always look for a better school that will
give him a proper programs and services for his condition even its hard for our part
(parent) because we need to pay a big amount of tuition fee for his education.
Honestly, I couldn’t send my child in a public school though they have a program for
them but I don’t have any trust on how they implement that program inside the
classroom.
 I have many reason to decide not to send my special child in public school
because there were failures in implementing inclusion. First, the government does not
provide enough budget for special education services and more on programs for
implementation of inclusive education. Teachers and staff in teaching students with
special needs should undergo in a comprehensive training and should give enough
salary. But special education teachers were already gone abroad due to the lack of
support and compensation from the government. Second, I don’t want my child to be
bullied. Because negative attitude is also a problem within a society due to the lack of
information, knowledge and understanding towards accepting children with special
needs in an inclusive setting and in the community. Third, how they can cater students
with special needs appropriately if the public schools are overly populated that impedes
children to a favourable learning environment.
For us to push forward to make inclusion better in the Philippines and not to
focus on the negative; Government, Administrators, Teachers and Parents should plan
and work hand and hand for the positive approach to have a positive outcome in the
practice of inclusion in the Philippines.
As a mother of a child with special needs and a student of this course, I suggest
a model program that in a one way or another might help to make our inclusion
program better.
The Model Program in Inclusive Education directed mainly to Transition Planning
in Special Education to Support Inclusion, Teachers of Special Education, Teachers of
Regular Classes competencies, Curriculum Planning, and Teaching methods and
strategies.
The Model Program also suggests what special education teachers need to do to
be assured of the help of teachers of regular classes, get the cooperation and support
they need to bring effective education to children with special needs in regular classes.
 Transistion Planning in
Special Education

Teaching Methods and

Teachers Competencies
Strategies

Curriculum Planning

A. Transition Planning in Special Education to Support Inclusion

The purpose of Transition Planning is to identify accommodation that
may be necessary when moving from one program to another. It also help
ease and happiness that a child might experience during transition. Finally, to
prevent interruption in services for children with special needs and avoid
duplication of program and services.
Process:
1. Develop Planning Team: (Parent, Teacher, Administrator)
2. Set Goal/ Objectives for child with special needs
- Know and understand curriculum and expectations of new program
- Identify differences between current and new programs
- Identify potential challenges and solutions
3. Role of Team Members
a. Parent
- be an advocate for their child
- help the child in transition from self- contained or mainstream class
to inclusion
- gather and share information as they feel comfortable
- follow up at home the programs and services that a special
education teacher and therapist provides
 b. Teacher
- Always be in touch with parents regarding all the planned
programs and services
- Schedule a transition meeting between the family and all the child’
IEP team
- Write or revise the IEP to reflect inclusive goals, support and
placement
- Create common planning time for the team
- Schedule special education related services
- Assess the classroom and other school environments for
accessibility and make the necessary adaptations
- Ensure that medical and safety procedure are in place
c. Administrator
- Establish and maintain a viable SPED Program/INCLUSION Program
in his school
- Provide the mechanisms necessary for the implementation of such
programs
- Pave the way for the efficient flow of communication from the field
to his office and vice versa
- Gain added competence in the administration and supervision of
SPED/INCLUSION Programs in his school

B. Teachers Competencies
Teachers of children with special needs should have an organized
special training to provide competencies needed on working with children
with special needs. They should have sufficient knowledge and
information not only special teaching but also preventive work, of
detection and assessment procedures, of medical treatment since very
often the teacher will be working in an area where he has no specialist to
turn for help and advice.

C. Curriculum Planning
According to DepEd the ultimate goal of special education shall be
the integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the
regular school system and eventually in the community.
Special education shall aim to develop the maximum potential of
the child with special needs to enable him to become self-reliant and shall
be geared towards providing him with the opportunities for a full and
happy life.
The specific objectives of special education shall be the development
and maximization of learning competencies, as well as the inculcation of
 values to make the learners with special needs a useful and effective
member of society.
Curriculum planning of every school should aligned according to
standard-based competencies set by DepEd. However curriculum planning
for students with special needs in the inclusion should always considerd
the following:
- Physical needs – this can include the need for meal assistance,
eating, drinking skills, physical mobility, gross and fine motor skill
development, game playing, operating in an indoor or outdoor PE
environment, and toileting support.

- Cognitive needs – this can include developing thinking processes

such as critical thinking, reasoning, using judgment and making
decisions and choices (with a wide variety of levels depending on
your students and their level of intellectual disability).

- Emotional needs – this can include the ability to express oneself to

describe emotions, using emotion based language, showing
thoughts and feelings through facial expression and gesture etc.

- Social needs – this can include interacting with others, making

friendships, clear social expression, asking and responding to
questions, taking turns and listening to others in a group situation.

- Communication needs – there is some cross over with

communication into many of the other areas, as it is such a vital
and wide ranging topic. Communication needs can include giving a
yes / no response, using a reliable communication system (such as
a communication board, gesture, sign or a voice output
device), interacting with others outside the school environment and
sharing and expressing views in an appropriate way at school and
in public.

- Independence needs – this can include using public transport,

organizing belongings, taking out the correct tools and equipment
for a task, assisting others when needed, taking initiative, showing
leadership, dealing with unexpected events and taking
responsibility for activities of daily living.

D. Teaching Methods and Strategies in Special Education

Every child is special. He has its own background, abilities, and
limitations. Accordingly, teachers play a crucial role in the teaching
and training of each child. In view of this role, it is imperative that
 all teachers must have adequate knowledge, skills and
competencies necessary in meeting the demands of each individual
be it in remediating learning deficits or in providing added
challenges to the more capable one. Thus, the following suggestion
could improve the teaching and strategies of teachers in teaching
students with special needs effectively:
- Attend seminars and training in individualized instructional
approaches and techniques
- Update him/herself in new current trends in teaching special
education
- Planning and scheduling; grouping, class organizations, scheduling
of time, instructional plans
- Used the following methods and technique:
Task Analysis
Clinical Approach
Arts and crafts Approach

The above model in Inclusion to be better is just only a suggestion. I know there
were many models or approaches that we can use for the betterment of our Special
Education Programs especially the Inclusion. The whole system of education in the
Philippines should always inculcate positive values of citizenship leading to the agenda
of national thinking. Inclusion is a perspective of hope.

Thank you.

Alpha Z. Cristobal