THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

in association with
MUFULIRA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Department of Education
Internal
Special Education
INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION
Rationale
Acquiring knowledge on salient features of special education is highly needed for trainee and
in-service teachers in Zambian education system if they are to learn special education
successfully and teach within the aspirations of learners with impairments and stakeholders.
Thus, these lessons have therefore been developed to meet this need.

Specific Outcomes
During and after these lessons, students must be able to:
a. Define special education
b. Describe the nature an characteristics of special education
c. Identify and discuss principles that govern special education
d. Justify why this kind of education is worth calling special education
e. Familiarise with concepts and terminologies used in special
education

Introduction
Attending to learners with special education needs is undoubtedly the
most important role one should play in society today. In the most specific
sense, teachers who willingly and commit themselves to serve learners
with special needs perform a tremendous task where improving the living
standards of such people is concerned. Henceforth, these lessons intend
to be a guide in assisting you in acquiring basic understanding on special
education, nature an characteristics of special education, principles of
special education, why special education is special education and
familiarise with concepts and terminologies used in special education. It
will further give you a challenge of researching on how special education
was developed globaly and locally, people involved in the development of
this kind of education and finally asks you to identify special schools,
special units and hospital units in Zambia.
WHAT IS SPECIAL EDUCATION?
 The Education Devised for children who differ significantly from
the norm.
 Specially Designed Instruction that meets the needs of an
exceptional Learner
 A Profession with its own history, cultural practices, tools and
research base, focussed on learning needs of exceptional children
and adults.

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  Providing individualised instruction and supports that lead to
better life outcomes for students with special needs.

NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

1. It is diagnostic – identifying the extent / degree of the disability.
2. Intervention – prevents, eliminates, overcomes the obstacles lying
in the path,
3. Developmental – follows the child from the womb to the tomb.
4. Quite specific and Specialised in nature (special teachers,
special students, special methods, special equipments & learning
environment).
5. Highly individualised – takes care of the exceptionality, specialty
and disability.
6. It is Mobile & Continuous – moves towards the learner instead of
waiting for the learner to come.
7. Goal Oriented / Directed – purposeful instruction with planned
learning experiences.
8. Research Oriented and Experimental
9. Technical and Enriched – uses specialised assistive devices.
10. Measurable and Testable
11. Universal

SPECIAL EDUCATION AND THE SIX PRINCIPLES

1. Zero reject
2. Nondiscriminatory evaluation
3. Appropriate education
4. Least restrictive environment
5. Parent and student participation
6. Procedural due process

ZERO REJECT
 Rule against excluding any student
 Cannot exclude no matter how severe the disability

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  Cannot expel students whose behavior is a manifestation of their
disability
 Cannot exclude children who have contagious diseases from
education with other students unless there is a high risk that the
contagious student will infect other students.
NON DISCRIMINATORY EVALUATION
 Rule requiring schools to evaluate students fairly to determine if
they have a disability and, if so, what kind and how extensive a
disability they have.
 Requires state and local agencies to evaluate students in such a
way that strengths and weaknesses are revealed
 These tests are inappropriate for students from impoverished
socioeconomic backgrounds or who were from a different cultural
background
 Purpose of nondiscriminatory evaluation:
- to determine if a student has a disability and that the student
needs special education and related services
APPROPRIATE EDUCATION
 Rule requiring schools to provide individually tailored education for
each student based on the evaluation and augmented by related or
supplementary services
 Key is individualization where possible.
 The Individualised Education Programme (IEP) must:
◦ be reviewed periodically, but not less than annually, to
determine whether the annual goals for the child are being
met
◦ must include present levels of educational performance,
including how the disability affects the child’s involvement
and progress in the general curriculum.
LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT
 An Environment with modifications and adaptation to support
teaching and learning for students with SEN
 Rule requiring schools to educate students with disabilities with
nondisabled students to the maximum extent appropriate.
 School may not remove student from general education unless
he/she cannot be educated successfully there.

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  Neighborhood schools -- many parents and advocates want
students with disabilities to be educated in their neighborhood
schools. Clearly, the trend is toward inclusion
 Inclusion -not the law - LRE is the law
PARENT AND STUDENT PARTICIPATION
 Rule requiring schools to collaborate with parents and adolescent
students in designing and carrying out special education programs
PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS
 Provides safeguards for students against schools’ actions, including
a right to sue in court
Key aspects of due process
◦ Opportunity to examine records
◦ Participation in meetings
◦ Parent involvement in placement decisions
◦ Independent educational evaluation

PARENT CONSENT
 Parent’s give consent three different times:
◦ Initial consent for assessment
◦ Initial consent for placement in special education
◦ Re - evaluation
SOME TERMINOLOGIES USED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.
 SEN- the letters stand for Special Education Needs. This refers to
the needs of a learner who has a disability. E.g. one special
education need would be a wheel chair for the physically impaired.
 SNE- stands for Special Needs Education; the type of education that
provides appropriate modification in order to meet special education
needs, e.g. Curriculum (infrastructure, teaching methods and
materials).
 ADHD- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; referring to learners
who lack attention and are usually hyperactive.
 CWSEN- acronym for Children with Special Education Needs

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  Integration - Preparing pupils for placement in ordinary
schools .e.g. physical disability leading to inclusive education than
normalisation.
 Inclusive Education - The type of education that includes both
pupils; the so called ‘normal’ pupils and others referred to as pupils
with special education needs in the mainstream schools.
 Normalisation - The removal of all forms of discrimination in
teaching pupils with impairments, disability or taken as natural part
of the society
 Impairment - is the absence or malformation of a part or an organ
of the body, e.g. absence of the eye(s) or arm. It is the loss of any
part of the body.
 Disability - is the restriction or inability of the part of the body or
organ so affected to perform its intended function e.g. as a result of
the absence of the eye, sight is not there. Loss of functional ability
or reduction
 Handicap - A disadvantage caused by a disability that prevents or
limits an individual from fulfilling a role that is expected of persons
of similar age, sex, social or cultural background, e.g. due to
absence or reduced eye function; a person may not see or may
have poor sight rendering him/her failing to read prints from the
board.
WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION?
Professionalism
 Teachers show and maintain healthy dispositions about their
potential as participants within the learning communities.
 Special and general educators work in partnership to provide
instruction in the most inclusive setting possible.
 Teachers Stay abreast about current knowledge with special
education needs and how to teach.
 Teachers accept additional tasks necessary for improving quality of
life conditions.
Effective instruction
 Teachers use evidence based instructional approaches in the least
restrictive environment possible.
 Teachers deliver instruction with adequate structure, intensity and
frequency necessary for learning.

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  Teachers address students’ unique needs through use of
individualized education programmes.
 Teachers use positive approaches both to improve academic skills
and to foster appropriate personal and social behaviours.
 Teachers monitor progress to change instructional approaches and
improve behaviour methods.
Reflective
 Gives adequate consideration to the progress of individual students.
 Teachers are readily aware that their relationships with students can
affect students’ progress.
 Teachers create learning environments sensitive to their students.
Communication
 Teachers’ liaison with other service providers to maximize learning
opportunities.
 Teachers collaborate with parents.
Documentation
 Teachers uphold confidentiality as they have access to learners’
medical records and educational profiles.

The Keys to being a Good Teacher of all Students

What does it take to be really good at the job of teaching? What
knowledge, skills, qualities and attributes are important for you
to have a positive impact on all learners?
> It is vital to become a committed professional who uses the
most effective practices known and who continuously reflects on
the quality of his / her performance.
How to Become Committed Professionals
> Developing and Maintaining Appropriate Disposition.
> Displaying Positive Attitudes.
> Caring, Fairness and Respect
> Enthusiasm, Motivation and Dedication to Teaching
Maximising your Effectiveness
□ Teacher Expectations and Personal Efficacy.
□ Using Evidence - Based Teaching Approaches.

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Maintaining Quality through Continuous Reflection
□ A teacher should value help in formation of lives of young
people thereby improving the quality of our society, or
experiencing a life time of Self- Growth.
□ Reflect on your practice in order to offer your students the
instruction and support they need

TASK 1
1. Discuss the history of Special Education from the following
perspectives.
A. Periods.
 Era of Exclusion
 Era of ridicule
 Era of prohibition
 Era of Sympathy and Asylum
 Era of Isolated settings.
Source: Mangal, S.K. (2011). Educating Exceptional Children.
B. Individuals (Global)
 Pedro Ponce de-Leon.
 Jean Marc – Gaspard Itard.
 Laura Bridgeman
 Samuel Gridlley Howe.
Source: Rosenberg, Westling & McLeskey. (2011).Special Education for
Today Teachers.
Individuals (Zambia)
 Mrs Issie Hofmeyer.
 Miss Ella Bote
Source: Kalabula, D. (2000). Special education in Zambia.
2. List special schools found in each of Zambia’s Provinces.