Awareness & Acceptance

Just watched the news broadcasting the welcoming home of the paralympic team earlier. As quoted frm medalist paralympian Yip Pin Xiu, progress has been seen in the public acceptance & support for paralympic & special needs in general. 

But what is acceptance? 

What is acceptance in the eyes of the public?

What is acceptance...according to the government? 

What is acceptance to the special people themselves? 

Mainstream schools have been accepting special needs pupils...for various reasons - being a sch, of coz all children is welcomed / parents want their children to be in mainstream / no availability in SPED schs etc. 

When it comes to education, we recognise that individuals progress differently...that is among the 'normal' children...whatmore with the 'special' ones included. 

Being an educator, it is not easy to do differentiated lesson among 'normal' children. How do you think it is gonna be with special needs children included? 

Special needs children need more than the usual resources available in mainstream schools. 

This will definitely affect the lessons, assessments, programmes etc. 

And please do not forget the educators...the teachers. 

Apart frm being physically taxed, they will be emotionally taxed too coz when we connect with other people...we will somewhat be emotionally effected. 

And let's put ourselves in the special needs children shoes...is putting them in mainstream schools equals to accepting them? 

Are they able to accustomed themselves to classmates who are 'different' from them? 

Are they able to follow through the daily lessons & activities well? 

Are we showing acceptance for them by putting them in mainstream or rather are we highlighting their differences more? 

Will they feel happy being with peers who are different from them or with peers who are very much similar to them? 

Will they feel the peer pressure? 

Being in mainstream...seeing their peers doing all the things that they can't do...is that doing the special needs any good? 

In a mainstream school...generally a lesson plan is suited for the whole class.

But for special needs children...they need individual EIP. 

Why are there limited vacancies in SPED schs? 

Coz they have to keep the classes small so that teachers can give more time, more focus to each & every child.

How will this child do in a mainstream sch with a class of 30/40? 

Special needs children needs intervention, lots of it and at a consistency...will they get the intervention needed in mainstream sch? 

Taking ASD as an example...when you see one child with autism...you see only one child, you will not see another one like that child. 

If you can put a special needs child in a mainstream school...then why can't special needs people compete alongside 'normal' people in olympics? 

Yes, let's embrace special needs. 

Let's accept individuals with special needs with open arms.

But we can't deny the fact that they are different & will always be different.

What they need is the support...the special schools...the special facilities...the therapies...the understanding....the acceptance.