The 10 th National Conference in Special Education presents

The 10The 10thth National Conference National Conferencein Special Educationin Special Education

presentspresents

QUOTABLE QUOTES QUOTABLE QUOTES ON SPECIAL EDUCATIONON SPECIAL EDUCATION

A Compilation of Memorable Quotes A Compilation of Memorable Quotes from Dr. Edilberto I. Dizon’s Books and Classesfrom Dr. Edilberto I. Dizon’s Books and Classes

Prepared by Dr. Edilberto I. Dizon

and Myra Trinidad Timtiman-Tantengco

NOTE: To facilitate citation of references, a code was used to identify those books. It is as follows:

A : Dizon, E.I., & Sacris, C.N. (Eds.) (2003). Therapeutic teaching: Loving, healing and nurturing

children with special needs.

B: Dizon, E.I., & Sacris, C.N., & Mercado, M.S.A. (Eds.) (n.d.). From segregation to integration: Mainstreaming/Inclusion of children with special needs in the regular classroom.

C: Dizon, E.I., & Sacris, C.N. (Eds.) (n.d.). Special education: Pro-Life, Pro-Humanity, Pro-God . The meaning of serving special children and their families.

D: Dizon, E.I. (Ed.) (2000). Teaching Filipino children with autism.

E: Dizon, E.I., & Sacris, C.N. (Eds.) (2003). Individualization of educational content and strategies.

F: Dizon, E.I. (Ed.) (2005). Practical guides and procedures in individualized educational planning

for learners with special needs.

G: Dizon, E.I. (2008). Shadow teaching special children in the regular school: Concepts, guidelines and strategies.

The reference code and the page numbers are placed after the quote in bold letters.

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

TOPIC SLIDEArt, Dance, Games, Music, and Play in Therapeutic Teaching

8

Dr. Dizon’s Words of Wisdom 21Childhood 35Collaboration 43Compassion and Empathy 46Effective Instruction 53FACETS 60

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

TOPIC SLIDEFaith, Patience, and Trust 67Helpers 87Inclusion 106Individualization of Classroom Activities 121Loving and Understanding Special Children 125Normalization, Mainstreaming and Inclusion 144PASS Variables to Maximize Student Success 154

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTOPIC SLIDE

Parenting Children with Special Needs 163

Preparing the Staff for Mainstreaming

and Inclusion

187

Psychoeducational Assessment 199

Recovering from Disaster 211

Special Education 214

The Shadow Teacher 229

The Special Education Teacher 241

Teaching Filipino Children

with Autism

251

Art, Dance, Games, Music and Play Art, Dance, Games, Music and Play in Therapeutic Teachingin Therapeutic Teaching

Therapeutic teaching pertains to the use of arts and human kinetics: music, art, play, dance, drama, literature in books, and others in pedagogy to address specific therapeutic needs and concerns of learners with special needs.

- A: 11

Therapeutic teaching springs from one’s commitment to loving the learner unconditionally, understanding him and relating with him sincerely and genuinely. It is a fact that therapeutic teaching can never be possible without the presence of these core conditions of helping.

- A: 12

… Attitude change/behavior modification, values formation and self-improvement/personality development are main concerns of therapeutic teaching within a pedagogical context. Thus, the classroom, not the clinic, remains the “arena” for helping the learner with special needs.

- A: 12

Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnet.

- Oscar Wildequoted in A: 138

Children love to sing, move, dance, and have fun. As musical activities are inherently enjoyable and action-oriented, children can learn important lessons through such activities.

- B: 62

Children find a lot of enjoyment in drawing, painting, and creative objects they themselves have made. Such activities allow them to express themselves openly and without judgments.

- B: 62

Games are fun-filled activities that can be easily incorporated in teaching or reinforcing academic concepts learned. Make up questions about certain topics … Let the children answer the questions verbally, or by writing it on the board, or by flashing the right answer written on strips of paper. Games will bring life to an otherwise sleepy day.

- B: 62

Dance movements promote healing in a number of ways. On the physical level, it provides the benefits of exercise, a cardiovascular workout as well as improvement of one’s coordination and muscle tone. It eases muscle rigidity and increases one’s energy.

- A: 139

On the socio-emotional level, [dance] helps people feel more joyful and confident. It diminishes anxiety and allows them to confront issues such as anger, frustration and loss that may be difficult for them to express verbally. Also, moving as a group diminishes feelings of isolation and creates powerful social and emotional bonds.

- A: 139

Mentally, dance movements seek to enhance the individual’s cognitive skills, motivation, and memory. It also encourages self-expression and opens up new ways of thinking and doing.

- A: 139

Play is the highest development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in the child’s soul … Children’s play is not mere sport. It is full of meaning and import.

- Froebel, quoted in A: 129

Play, in child therapy, is a ‘natural medium for self-expression, facilitates a child’s communication, is conducive to a cathartic release of feeling, can be renewing and constructive, and allows the adult a window through which to observe the child’s world.

- Gil, 1994, cited in A: 129

Dr. Dizon’s Words of WisdomDr. Dizon’s Words of Wisdom

With Insights from

Andrea B. Martinez-Gacos

““Teachers can make or unmake Teachers can make or unmake children in the classroom.”children in the classroom.”

It is beyond doubt that teachers are semi-gods and goddesses in the classroom.

That is why I owe it very much to the teachers of my child her improvement in her behavior. However, others who were

impatient with her were also culprits of her former misdemeanors.

““Children’s lives Children’s lives are all about play.”are all about play.”

So why not take every opportunity to play with kids when they could still enjoy

their childhood and are not yet bothered by life’s harsh realities. My child seems to grow so fast that every moment not spent

with her is like missing out on an opportunity to witness

her childhood years.

““Don’t be so rigid with children. Don’t be so rigid with children. Just be consistent.”Just be consistent.”

Ouch! It was like a sharp knife directly pointed at me

because I must admit I had been very rigid

with my child – expecting and demanding her

to conform to my standards of behavior,

and punishing her for non-compliance.

““Be cautious with people you deal with.”Be cautious with people you deal with.”

Being so trusting is one limitation I have

that has brought me

into so many unfortunate circumstances

because of betrayal and treachery.

““Do not pass on burdens to others.”Do not pass on burdens to others.”

I used to displace all my stress on my daughter,

thinking she was the main source of my burden.

Only to realize later that she is a blessing

and not God’s curse.

““Get easy on people; Get easy on people; let them be themselves.”let them be themselves.”

Was I mean with my daughter

as well as with my students?

Was there a time I became a hindrance,

instead of assistance, in her self-discovery?

““Let go of little things.”Let go of little things.”

This, I must admit, is still a challenge to me.

I think I need a mountain of patience

before I can master

the art of letting go of small things.

““If I tell you who I am, If I tell you who I am, will you still accept me?”will you still accept me?”

Had I fully accepted my child’s disabilities and shortcomings?

I am beginning the “new journey” now…

““Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t suffer in silence. Help is something sought for.”Help is something sought for.”

Indeed, being a single parent for a special child can cause so much distress, frustrations, and

disappointments. But others are willing to help, if we only let them know we need them.

I thought I was a “superwoman”,

only to contradict myself with the realization

that I equally need other’s help.

““I can’t be responsible I can’t be responsible for what others think about me.”for what others think about me.”

Perhaps, people may judge me

for the way I brought up my child –

because I chose the comfort of being a single parent than the agony of living

with the father of my child.

““All of us have hills and valleys in life.”All of us have hills and valleys in life.”

My journey with my daughter has just started – and I intend to finish it by bringing

her along with me. Even at times when I bump into the many hills in my life, I

believe I can always find rest in the valleys of my family,

friends and loved ones.

““Life is short – Life is short – we only have the space we only have the space

between having been born between having been born and the certainty of death.”and the certainty of death.”

But though life is short,

we could live it meaningfully

if it is a life devoted to a cause.

Thanks to this realization, I firmly devote

my life to tread on the journey with my daughter.

The outstanding rule about love The outstanding rule about love is to be helpful, not hurtful.is to be helpful, not hurtful.

At a time when the world seems not to care,

I always have the love of my daughter

to help me through.

ChildhoodChildhood

Every one of us is unique,Every one of us is special, And that we should never lose the child in us.

- Bonifacio-Ramolete, quoted in A: 79

Hold childhood in reverence, and do not be in any hurry to judge it for good or ill. Give nature time to work before you take over her business, lest you interfere with her dealings. Childhood is the sleep of reason.

- Rousseau ,in Landerth, 1991, quoted in A: 129

Tenets for Relating to ChildrenTenets for Relating to ChildrenAdapted from Adapted from

“Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship” “Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship” by Gary Landrethby Gary Landreth

1. Children are not miniature adults and the teacher does not respond to them as if

they were.

2. Children are people. They are capable of experiencing deep emotional pain and joy.

Tenets for Relating to ChildrenTenets for Relating to Children(cont.)(cont.)

3. Children are unique and worthy of respect. The teacher prizes the uniqueness of each child and respects the person they are.

4. Children are resilient. Children possess a tremendous capacity to overcome.

Tenets for Relating to Children Tenets for Relating to Children (cont.)(cont.)

5. Children have inherent growth toward growth and maturity. They possess an inner intuitive of wisdom.

6. Children are capable of positive direction. They are capable of dealing with their

world of creative ways.

Tenets for Relating to Children (cont.)Tenets for Relating to Children (cont.)

7. Children’s natural language is play and this is the medium of self-expression with which they are most comfortable.

8. Children have the right to remain silent. The teacher respects a child’s decision not to talk.

Tenets for Relating to Children (cont.)Tenets for Relating to Children (cont.)

9. Children will take the therapeutic experience to where they need to be.

The teacher does not determine when or how the child should play.

10. Children’s growth cannot be speeded up. The teacher recognizes this and

is patient with the child’s developmental progress.

CollaborationCollaboration

Your Self-WorthYour Self-WorthAntonio Stravidari was a seventeenth century violinmaker whose name

in its Latin form, Stravidarius, has become synonymous with excellence. He once said that to make a violin less than his best would be to rob God, Who could not make Antonio Stravidari’s violins without Antonio.

He was right. God could not make Stravidarius violins without Antonio Stravidari. Certain gifts were given to that craftsman that no other violinmaker possessed.

In the same vein, there are certain things you can do that no one else can. Perhaps it is parenting, or constructing houses, or encouraging the discouraged. There are things that only you can do, and you are alive to do them.

In the great orchestra we call life, you have an instrument and a song, and you owe it to God to play them both sublimely.

- Harold Sala, quoted in C: 112

Few joys are comparable to that of living a life that nourishes our soul as well as feeds others as we tread along life. In our roles as professionals, parents, caregivers and friends of children with special needs, we have to remember this:

“God doesn’t care what particular task we do. God does not care whether we are up in the stands watching or down the field playing our heart out. The question that is most important is, ‘Are we doing what we are doing as unto the Lord?’”

- Dr. Josefina S. Malibiran and Ms. Charina Joyce Kanoy in C:78

Compassion and EmpathyCompassion and Empathy

God Loves You “As Is”God Loves You “As Is”People come in all shapes, sizes – and personalities …

One of the most comforting truths of the Bible is that God knows and loves us just as we are.

With Him we do not have to play games, pretend to be confident and “on top of things”

when we’re really down and fearful of what may happen…

God made you just as you are and His love for you is unchanging and unqualified.

-Harold Sala in C:124

You may be thinking, “There are a lot of hurting people out there, I

cannot help them all!”

If, however, one hurting person crossed your path and reached out to you in need, could you stop

long enough to hear what he or she hears, to feel what he or she feels, and to be there in his

or her time of need?

This is where compassion begins.

-Harold Sala, quoted in C:122

Empathic understanding is putting oneself in the place of the helpee. It covers such questions as:

“What is the helpee feeling right now?” ;

“How does he view his problems?”; and

“What does he see in his world?”

- A: 7

I see the world through the eyes of others;

I understand others because I can get inside the skin of others; I listen well to all cues both verbal and nonverbal that the other emits, and I respond to these cues.

- A: 7

There are three aspects or stages of empathy: a) listening to the helpee and facilitating his

communication of his perceptions; b) understanding the helpee’s world; and c) communicating his understanding to the

helpee.

Empathy enhances emotional proximity, creates an atmosphere of closeness, generates warmth, and contributes to a sense of self-acceptance

- A: 8

Empathic understanding (EU) is the greatest compliment a helper can give a helpee. By listening with full attention and understanding to what the helpee wants to say, the helper shows that the helpee is important and worth his time.

- A: 8

Effective InstructionEffective Instruction

By

May Cabutihan in G

Effective instruction is student-centered.Effective instruction is student-centered.

Each special child is unique. They differ in abilities, strengths, learning styles and experiences they connect their learning with. Instruction that is student-centered takes into consideration such factors and makes accommodations based on these.

Effective instruction Effective instruction is anchored on assessment.is anchored on assessment.

Assessment gives us a realistic view of what the child can and cannot do. It determines the learner’s cognitive abilities, maturational/achievement levels, and behavioral patterns and concerns. Effective instruction takes place when the teachers makes use of these data, along with their daily observations of the learner, in crafting instruction to maximize the student’s potentials and talents, and addresses their lags; thus, avoiding setting standards and goals way beyond the child’s capacity

Effective instruction is differentiated Effective instruction is differentiated in content, process, and product.in content, process, and product.

A teacher who differentiates instruction• Provides appropriately-challenging learning

experiences • Uses a variety of teaching strategies that will

engage the students further and engage their interest

• Allows students to use their interest areas and areas of strength to show and demonstrate what they have learned from a given topic.

Effective instruction is proactive.Effective instruction is proactive.

Instruction is most effective when teachers are able to plan and carry out learning goals, teaching strategies, and even behavioral techniques to ensure that the learner will be able to make the most out of the learning opportunities provided in the classroom. It includes being able to anticipate the learner’s needs and difficulties, and preparing for such situations.

Effective instruction is qualitative Effective instruction is qualitative rather than quantitative.rather than quantitative.

What is essential is not the number of topics covered within a year’s time,

but how well the topics were covered

and how much learning the student

has gained from these topics.

Effective instruction is positive Effective instruction is positive and strives to motivate.and strives to motivate.

Instruction is effective when teachers are cheerful, encouraging, and passionate in teaching. This creates a positive atmosphere in the classroom and students tend to imitate these modeled actions and attitudes. The classroom becomes a productive learning environment where students are motivated to learn and to achieve.

FACETSFACETS

THE SIX DIMENSIONS OF TEACHING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

1. Facilitative Dimension1. Facilitative Dimension

Teaching children with special needs requires the exercise of core conditions: unconditional positive regard, emphatic

understanding and congruence (genuineness).

- B: 11

2. Artistic Dimension2. Artistic Dimension

Teaching CSN involves the use of techniques and instructional materials designed and conducted in varied formats (e.g., puppetry, simultaneous, games) to elicit interest and active participation. It also promotes the exercise of imaginative thinking and creativity through individual and group activities.

- B: 11

3. Compensatory Dimension3. Compensatory Dimension

Teaching CSN adheres

to compensatory education:

accentuating the child’s positive points/qualities to offset his limitations.

- B: 11

4. Experiential Dimension4. Experiential Dimension

Teaching CSN provides further training in and plenty of opportunities applying learned skills/concepts in practical situations. Practical skill application is the strongest indicator of learning mastery.

- B: 11

5. Therapeutic Dimension5. Therapeutic Dimension

Teaching CSN provides relaxation, enjoyment and socialization; facilitates

self-expression; and targets behavior growth using music, play, art, dance,

poetry, drama, etc. as vehicles.

- B: 11

6. Scientific Dimension6. Scientific DimensionTeaching CSN is based on a body of knowledge anchored in philosophical, psychological, legal, pedagogical, socio-cultural foundations. Structures and systems based on scientific foundations are necessary in teaching-learning processes. Classroom management, objective formulation, curriculum selection, instructional planning, implementation and evaluation, networking and designing a support system, among others, rely on sound educational concepts, principles and guidelines.

- B: 11

Faith, Patience and TrustFaith, Patience and Trust

AnchorsAnchors

When the storms of life rage, you need four anchors: faith in God, faith in yourself, faith in your family, and faith in your friends.

But there are times when your friends fail you, when your family lets you down, when you can hardly believe in yourself.

Only the anchor of faith in God endures when everything else fails.

- Harold Sala in C: 127

like birds in winteryou fed me;knowing the ground was frozen,knowingi shall never come to your hand,knowing you did not need my gratitude.softlylike snow falling on snow,softly, not to frighten me,softlyyou threw your crumbs on the groundand walked away,waiting.

- Margaret Weist, quoted in A:54

I WILL NOT DOUBTI WILL NOT DOUBT

I will not doubt, though all my ships at seaCome drifting home with broken masts and sails;I will believe the hand that never fails,From seeming evil works too good for me.And though I weep because those sails are tattered:“I will trust in Thee.”

I will not doubt though all my prayers returnUnanswered from the still, white realm above;I will believe it is an all-wise loveThat has refused these things for which I year;Yet the pure passion of my fixed believingUndimmed will burn.

I will not doubt, though sorrow falls like rain.And troubles swarm like bees about a hive.I will believe the heights for which I striveAre only reached by anguish and by pain;And though I groan and writhe beneath my crosses,Yet I will see through my severest lossThe greater gain.

I will not doubt. Well anchored in this faith,Like some staunch ship, my soul braves every gale;So strong its courage that it will not failTo face the mighty unknown sea of death.Oh, may I cry, though body leaves the spirit’“I do not doubt,” so listening words may hear it,With my last breath.

♥

To rescue our children we will have to let them save us from the power we embody: we will have to trust the very difference that they forever personify.

And we will have to allow them the choice, without fear of death: that they may come and do likewise or that they may come and that we will follow them, that a little child will lead us back to the child we will always be, vulnerable and wanting and hurting for love and for beauty.

- June Jordan, quoted in A: 62

Unwelcome SurprisesUnwelcome Surprises

… How do you handle the unwelcome surprises of life?

Psychologists call it “coping.” Some think of is as “rolling with the punches.” Others say with resignation, “That’s life!” But when tragedies come our way, we respond in either one of two ways: We fight them and become bitter or we reach out for the grace of God and become better through what we have endured… When unwelcome surprises confront you, learn about grace, God’s grace, and you will also find strength to cope.

- Harold Sala in C:124

Brammer (1987; 57) emphasizes the following guidelines for the helper:

It is not easy to receive help.It is difficult to commit oneself to change.It is difficult to submit to the influence of a helper; help

is a threat to one’s self-esteem, integrity and independence.

It is not easy to trust a stranger and to be open to him.It is not easy to see one’s problem clearly at first.Sometimes, problems seem too large, too overwhelming,

or too unique to share them easily.

Leave It With HimLeave It With HimBy L.B. Cowman, quoted in C:1By L.B. Cowman, quoted in C:1

Yes, leave it with Him,The lilies all do,And they grow –They grow in the rain,And they grow in the dew –Yes, they grow:They grow in the darkness, all hid in the night

–They grow in the sunshine, revealed by the

light –Still they grow.

Yes, leave it with Him,It’s more dear to His heart, you will know,Than the lilies that bloom,Or the flowers that start‘Neath the snow:Whatever you need, if you seek it in prayer,You can leave it with Him – for you are His care.You, you know.

Trusting God MoreTrusting God Moreby Harold Salaby Harold Sala

Faith means unconditional obedience and commitment. Yet sometimes we do not like God’s direction so we seek an alternative. Here are five guidelines to help you trust God:

Guideline 1: Learn about God.You will never live long enough to meet a person who can honestly say, “God let me down; He disappointed me!”

Guideline 2: Become a student of the book.In the Bible you will learn about the nature and character of our God.

Guideline 3: commit yourself to God’s will to your life.Until you come to know God’s goodness, you will not entrust your future to Him.

Guideline 4: Realize that the walk of obedience is one step at a time.When I was young, a friend of mine gave me good counsel when he said, “God’s will is like a flashlight in a dungeon: it doesn’t shine around corners or illuminate the next cave – it only gives you light for the next step.

Guideline 5: Realize that with God’s demand for obedience comes His commitment to protect and provide for you.With such assurance, how can we ask for more?

FaithFaithFaith is the belief that God is real and that God is good…

It is a choice to believe that the one who made it all has not left it all, and that He still sends light into the shadows and responds to gestures of faith.

Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.God says that …

the more hopeless your circumstances, the more likely your salvation

the greater your cares, the more genuine your prayersthe darker the room, the greater the need for light.

God’s help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it.

- Max Lucado in C: 108

Worry Worry by Max Lucadoby Max Lucado

Worry … makes you forget Who’s in charge.

And then you focus on yourself – you worry.

You become anxious about many things. You worry that your co-workers won’t appreciate you, your leaders will overwork you, your superintendent won’t understand you, or your congregation won’t support you.

With time, your agenda becomes more important than God’s. You’re more concerned about presenting self than pleasing Him. And you might even find yourself doubting God’s judgment ...

God has gifted you with talents.He has done the same with your neighbor. If you concern yourself with your neighbor’s talents, you will neglect yours. But if you concern yourself with yours, you could inspire both.

- quoted in C: 108

Have you prayed and prayed, and waited and waited, and still you see no evidence of an answer? Are you tired of seeing no movement? Are you at the point of giving up? Then perhaps you have not waited in the right way, which removes you from the right place – the place where the Lord can meet you.

- L.B. Cowman, quoted in C:116

“Wait for it patiently” (Rom. 8:25). Patience eliminates worry. The Lord said He would come, and His promise is equal to His presence. Patience eliminates weeping. Why feel sad and discouraged? He knows your needs better than you do, and His purpose in waiting is to receive more glory through it. Patience eliminates self-works. “The work of God is this: to believe” (John 6:29), and once you believe, you may know all is well. Patience eliminates all want. Perhaps your desire to receive what you want is stronger than your desire for the will of God to be fulfilled.

- L.B. Cowman, quoted in C:116

Praying for OthersPraying for Others

Prayer is the recognition that if God had not engaged Himself in our problems, we would still be lost in the blackness. It is by His mercy that we have been lifted up.

Prayer is that whole process that reminds us of Who God is and who we are.

I believe there is great power in prayer.

I believe God heals the wounded, and that He can raise the dead. But I don’t believe we tell God what to do and when to do it.

God knows that we, with our limited vision, don’t even know that for which we should pray. When we entrust our requests to Him, we trust Him to honor our prayers with holy judgment.

- Max Lucado, quoted in C:109

God Cares for UsGod Cares for UsThe shepherd knows his sheep. He calls them by name.

When we see a crowd, we see exactly that, a crowd … We see people, not persons, but people. A herd of human. A flock of faces. That’s what we see.

But not so with the Shepherd. To Him, every face is different. Every face is a story. Every face is a child. Every child has a name…

The shepherd knows his sheep. He knows each by name. The shepherd knows you. He knows your name.

And He will never forget it.- Max Lucado, quoted in C: 111

The strongest trees are not in the thick shelter of the forest but out in the open, where winds from every direction bear down upon them. The fierce winds bend and twist them until they become giant in stature. These are the tress that toolmakers seek for handles for their tools, because of the wood’s great strength.

- L.B. Cowman, quoted in C: 114

It is the same in the spiritual world. Remember, when you see a person of great spiritual stature, the road you must travel to walk with him is not one where the sun always shines and wildflowers always bloom. Instead, the way is a steep, rocky, and narrow path, where the winds of hell will try to knock you off your feet, and where sharp rocks will cut you, prickly thorns will scratch your face, and poisonous snakes will slither and hiss all around you.

- L.B. Cowman, quoted in C: 114

HelpersHelpers

(Helping professionals and non-professionals, parents, SPED teacher, psychologist, social worker, physical therapist, speech therapist, occupational

therapist, caregiver, and guidance counselor)

The young do not want to have an ideal image of human perfection presented to them by adults. They expect, rather, adults to show them how one copes with the manifold tasks of modern life without having to suppress ascetically the basic human needs, or to succumb frivolously to the seductive attractions of manipulative influence.

- Hauke, 1980: 84, quoted in A

How the helper manifests and projects his personality in the interaction with the helpee determines the success or failure of the relationship. The personality of the helper is the basic ingredient in helping and that academic training or information has little, if any, influence on this personality. Changes in the helpee depend much upon the attitude of the helper rather than primarily upon his knowledge, theories and techniques.

- A: 6

Many believe that personal commitment to the significance of helping relationships may be a more pertinent variable than experiences per se. This commitment is called authentic therapeutic care which is an attitude of unshakable respect and love for the unique, independent source of initiative or the helpee.

- A: 6

Such care excludes everything that stifles the free actualization of the helpee such as dominating, controlling and directing his life according to the plan of the helper.

- A: 6

If the helper is to help the helpee, he must feel for him, love him in the sense of agape. It is perhaps a basic fact of human relationships that you can’t really help a person without becoming involved with him, without caring for him or liking him.

- Patterson, 1974: 89-90, quoted in A: 6

Helpees of helpers who offer high levels of core, facilitative, and action-oriented conditions improve while those of helpers who offer low levels of these conditions deteriorate.

♥

Understanding and respecting the helpee and having faith in his ability to solve his problems precede helping.

- A: 7

Helper-offered empathic understanding, congruence and unconditional positive regard constitute the therapeutic relationship which is the basic and central helping condition in any helper-helpee relationship …

- A: 8

I know I Need to be In LoveI know I Need to be In Lovebyby

Catherine GajeloniaCatherine Gajelonia

I was trained to have high standards in the care for persons with disabilities , to have them back on their own feet and lives in a matter of a few weeks, ideally. There’s a kind of rush, a sense of fulfillment, when you finally discharge a patient. That is was through your professional help – your planning, direction, and handling – that this temporary health crisis was overcome. Labels did not scare me; they did not matter. When you treat the symptoms right, then slowly but surely the person is healed. His gratitude lifts you up to the clouds.

This is not the case when children with special needs are in your care. Many symptoms are long-term, and most difficulties are life-long. You begin to doubt your ability to be of help, to fulfill your professional pride, to validate your personal worth. This is an important lesson to be learned first; the helper must again become a student for something she did not learn from the books.

Let me tell you of this child – let’s call her Paula. She is my first love. She was one of the first children put under my care when I was starting my pediatric physical therapy practice. Paula had severe delays, and I aimed at vanquishing them. But for the longest time, our goals were not being met, and her progress was close to nothing. I felt so defeated after every session. I was frustrated, tired, and angry with her (which made me feel even worse because I knew I should not be blaming her).

I was ranting about Paula one afternoon when an older colleague of mine asked if I was alright. I hesitated at first because I did not like talking to this person. I was not a fan of his sense of humor and knack for snide comments. But I needed to talk to somebody and so, with exasperation, I answered, “Whatever should I do with Paula?”

He smiled and nodded knowingly. To my surprise, he put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, “Love her.” He winked and walked away, leaving me stunned. Then, finally I cried.

I let go of the tears, the anger, the frustration, and the goals that will never be met. No, not by Paula, but by me. I felt washed over, freed from the chains of my own inhibitions – things should not have been all about me. As I look back now, I realized I was somehow healed by somebody I least expected. Do not judge a book by its cover.

When I saw Paula next, she smiled at me as she always did. “Love her”, the voice that I did not dislike anymore echoed in my mind. I sat next to her and hugged her.

“How are you today, darling?,” I said as I kissed her cheeks and forehead many times. I told her I loved her and I really meant it deep in my heart. You know it when you mean things, you feel a certain warmth in your heart. Your eyes close for a moment and you feel light, peaceful. And you let out a happy sigh. It was genuine love.

It was the start of many smooth sessions afterwards. What she could not really do, I did not insist anymore. I found ways to let her feel successful with what skills she had. How foolish of me to think I could somehow trick nature. I was made aware by real life example that I could only do as much as her condition allowed me to. That however I push, pull, twist, or turn things inside out, I could not fix things for her for my own intentions. Some

things take time to be fixed; yet some are not meant to be fixed at all. With appropriate help, children like Paula could live comfortable and happy lives, too. They have a place in the world just the way they are. They become healed when they are nurtured and loved first. This is how to help children with special needs.

And so I loved the rest of the children. Opened my arms each time to receive them in hugs. I widened my smile and twinkled my eyes for them. I spoke caring words amidst misbehaviors. I was not their mother but I understood when an underperformance meant they were tired, bored or sleepy. I racked my brain to make every activity pleasurable. I offered the best healing touch I could give. I became attuned to their feelings and attempts to communicate. I found myself happy every time we ended our sessions, never mind my aching back.

How do I feel now? I feel inspired … exhilarated … revved up! Love does that to a person, they say. And they are right. I feel like an eternal fountain, I have so much love to give the children. These emotions called me to

become even more educated, for me to better and further help them the best that I could. I believe special education has been therapeutic for me as well. I feel even more validated as a helping professional. I feel that I am helping and healing children better now. It feels wonderful that my love helps heal each child who is led my way, and opening my mind and heart is therapeutic not just to the child, but to his family as well. Indeed, the power to heal comes from one’s ability to love. In that case, to be of service to humankind, I know to be in love.

Helpers must be helped to become persons who are approachable, who can help others make choices in their lives, who can facilitate thinking and talking about problems young people face. Somehow, students should be able to come into contact with persons who are capable of and permitted to form I-Thou relationships, and who do not use tests, grades and interview form sheets as barriers to real dialogue.

- Offman, 1967: 934, quoted in A: 8-9

Words of HealingWords of Healingby Jolivette M. Yaoby Jolivette M. Yao

My family and I have been going to Mass every Sunday for about as long as I can remember. My mother always made it a point to never miss this weekly ritual. There were times when I even felt obligated to do so. But there was one particular Sunday that changed my life forever. It was all because of one special child with Down syndrome.

I always saw this child hearing noon Mass every Sunday with his parents. However, there was one instance when they were seated right behind us. I actually did not notice this until I heard him singing, with all his heart, every song that was sung during the Mass. It surprised me that he actually knew all the songs! But it also made me feel guilty because I knew the words of the song but did not join in the singing.

As we knelt down for Consecration, the priest said the usual words before Holy Communion, “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to His supper.”

The child behind us then replied with all his passion, “LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY TO RECEIVE YOU. BUT ONLY SAY THE WORD AND I SHALL BE HEALED.”

I was stunned beyond words. Before I knew it, tears were falling uncontrollably down my cheeks. I have never felt more unworthy of God’s love until I heard those words coming from this child.Those words had tremendous power. I never realized how much impact a few words can have on someone until I felt it. With words, you can heal and build up. A word spoken at just the right time can encourage another to reach further toward his potential. A word spoken at just the right time can soothe the grieving, console the frightened, and set the stray one on the right path. A word spoken at just the

right time can mend a broken relationship. A word spoken at just the right time can encourage another to accept Christ into her heart and life. A word spoken at just the right time can push someone to take bold steps in faith. When I heard those words from that special child, I experienced them all.

Since have never been the same since that fateful Sunday. I finally decided to push through with my plans of earning a master’s degree in Special Education. I believe it was God’s way of telling me that I was on the right track. What better way to get the message across than by being touched by a special child. It was a life-defining moment that gave me a reason for being. It made my life complete and worth living. I finally walk with purpose.

I look upon that experience as a healing one. It restored balance and dignity to my life. It was an encounter that was a great source of growth and learning; a learning that encompassed my personal life, my work life, my social life, and my spiritual life.

Some say that the greatest healers were also the greatest teachers … a teacher of life. That special child was my greatest teacher. He had nothing to give but his words. Yet his words were more valuable than any gift imaginable.

His words healed me.

InclusionInclusion

The context in which the exceptional child lives is an important factor that should be seriously considered in decision-making with respect to his/her education. This means looking into the complex and unique nature of the exceptional child’s environment. After all, how one adapts to his situation is, to a great extent, influenced by both his environment as well as his exceptionality.

- Baldo, quoted in B: 3

The move to include special children in regular education has come about because of the need and right of all children to be educated in the mainstream, provide them with appropriate and challenging educational programs geared to his capabilities and needs as well as any support and assistance they and/or their teachers may need to succeed in the mainstream.

- B: 7

An inclusive school is a place where everyone belongs, is accepted, supports and is supported by members of the school community in the cause of having his educational needs met.

-B: 7

All learners whether regular or special need to be taught appropriate values, attitudes and habits, human relationships, occupational information and the acquisition of job and daily living skills as part of basic education. This will enable them to survive and succeed in the competitive world of work.

- B: 7

As special educators who are working or will be working with regular education teachers in INCLUSION, we have as one of our primary goals to provide a challenging and motivational atmosphere in the regular primary classroom to keep students with special needs, who are sometimes left out of learning opportunities

- Barbara E. David, in B: 22

The teacher does not have to forego instructional time for the regular class in providing for the needs of our special students. Instead, there will be times when the curriculum must be individualized to allow for one or more learners to experience success or to have their learning and social needs met.


The goal of curriculum/instructional adaptation and modification is to set in line the cognitive, affective, communicative, and physical/health demands of the curriculum to the capacities, strengths and needs of the students. The curriculum is individualized if it allows students some choice in what they learn, how they go about learning it, what materials they use, and how they demonstrate their new knowledge and skills or apply them to solve problems.

- Barbara E. David, in B:22

The outcomes we hope to achieve and the content we present to achieve those outcomes constitute the “curriculum” of schools. In fact, the purpose of a planned curriculum is to assist learners in achieving school outcomes.


The ways in which the content is presented or the methods used to achieve those outcomes constitute “instruction.” In the strictest sense of the word, we could say that it is not the curriculum that is being modified or adapted but the instruction, since the child follows the same curriculum content like the other regular children but differs only on how the curriculum is delivered depending on the needs and characteristics of the child.


The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire (1990) identified seven types of learning opportunities to students in the general classroom:

• Friendships• Academic skills• Learning to interact in small-group tasks• Organizational and process skills (for example, initiating,

preparing materials, socializing, communicating, and terminating actions)

• Special interests (for instance, the development of lifelong leisure and vocational interests)

• Communication, movement and social skills• Functional life skills


Principles Principles for Effective Individualizationfor Effective Individualization

by Barbara E. David, in by Barbara E. David, in B: 22B: 22

• Teach diagnostically• Differentiate instruction for learning style and skill and

performance needs• Specifically teach necessary skills• Establish the experiential base for each lesson• Emphasize and directly teach vocabulary• Emphasize relevance and authentic performances• Use appropriate and realistic examples and

demonstrations• Actively involve students

Principles Principles for Effective Individualization (cont.)for Effective Individualization (cont.)

• Encourage cooperative learning• Use questioning effectively• Integrate skills and concepts throughout an inclusive

curriculum• Build interest and enthusiasm• Guide students to develop self-management and social

skills• Manage the instructional process efficiently and

effectively• Collaborate and coordinate efforts with others

CommunicationCooperationAn attitude that makes it possible to work

with one another

These same components are essential to integration and inclusion. Successful integration/inclusion does not happen by chance. It requires a well thought-out plan with capable people applying themselves to the task.

- Rosario Margarita A. Aligada in B: 35

No longer is educational programming for mainstreamed students the sole domain of the special educator. It is now a shared responsibility with parents, the regular and special education teachers and administrators, medical and allied medical professionals, paraprofessionals, as well as the child with special needs, sharing in the decision-making process

- Rosario Margarita A. Aligada in B:35

Individualization Individualization of Classroom Activitiesof Classroom Activities

Content or Subject MatterContent or Subject Matter

Many of the mainstreamed children need some modification in the content or subject matter depending on their functioning levels. Though there may be children who can cope with the same exact content and workload as their regular classmates in certain academic areas, some children need simplified or enriched lessons to make it more meaningful to them.

- B: 56

Instructional MaterialsInstructional Materials

With the modifications in the curricular content, a modification in the instructional materials naturally follows. Differentiated worksheets, activities, or materials are created for the benefit of the child. Adaptations may be made in the instruction and content, format and size of the materials.

- B: 56

Teaching StrategiesTeaching Strategies

How the content is taught, the choice of activities, or the pacing of instruction must be considered in the mainstreamed class. A variety of strategies and activities have to be employed to ensure learning and mastery. Creative activities such as music, arts, and movement or physical education should be maximized.

- B: 56

Loving and Understanding Loving and Understanding Children with Special NeedsChildren with Special Needs

Here’s to the kids that are different,The kids who don’t always get A’s

The kids who have ears the size of their peers,And noses that go on for days …

Here’s to the kids that are different,The kids they call crazy or dumb

The kids who don’t fit, with the guts and the grit,Who dance to a different drum …

Here’s to the kids that are different,The kids with the mischievous streak,

For when they have grown, as history’s shown,It’s their difference that makes them unique.

- A: 36

So long as little children are allowed to suffer, there is no true love in this world.

- Isador Duncan, A: 68

The Special ChildThe Special Child

The child, yet unborn, spoke with the Father, “Lord, how will I survive in the world? I will not be like other children. My walk may be slower, my speech hard to understand. I may look different. What is to become of me?”

The Lord replied to the child, “My precious one, have no fear, I will give you exceptional parents. They will love you because you are SPECIAL, inspite of it. Though your path through life will be difficult, your reward may be greater. You have been blessed with a SPECIAL ABILITY TO LOVE, and those whose lives you touch will be blessed because of you.

- A

My Perfect ChildMy Perfect Child As my children were born, I wanted them to be

perfect. When they were babies, I wanted them to smile

and be content playing with their toys. I wanted them to be happy and to laugh

continually instead of crying and being demanding.

I wanted them to see the beautiful side of life.

As they grew older, I wanted them to be giving instead of selfish.

I wanted them to skip the terrible twos. I wanted them to stay innocent forever.

As they became teenagers, I wanted them to be obedient and not rebellious,

mannerly and not mouthy. I wanted them to be full of love, gentle and kindhearted.

“Oh, God, give me a child like this” was often my prayer. One day He did.Some call him handicapped … I call him

Perfect!!

What IfWhat If

What if I don’t have the arms and legs?Does it mean I can’t play?

What if I don’t have the sight and the

voice?Does it mean I can’t communicate?

What if words come slow in my mind?

Does it mean I can’t learn?

What if I can’t look at you in the eye?Does it mean I don’t care?

What if I can’t hug you like other children?

Does it mean I am void of all emotions?

How can I tell you what I feel?If you don’t reach out and accept what

I am?

Can you give me a chance?Can you open your heart?Can you listen to my plea

and love me like any other child?- A

DiscipleshipDiscipleship

Watch a small boy follow his dad through the snow. He stretches to step where his dad stepped. Not an easy task. His small legs extend as far as they can so his feet can fall in his father’s prints.

The father, seeing what the son is doing, smiles and begins taking short steps, so that the son can follow.

It’s a picture of discipleship.

In our faith, we follow in someone’s steps. A parent, a teacher, a hero – none of us is the first to walk the trail. All of us have someone we follow.

In our faith, we leave footprints to guide others. A child, a friend, a recent convert, none should be left to walk the trail alone.

It is a picture of discipleship.

- Max Lucado, quoted in C: 113

If I Had My Child to Raise Over AgainIf I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,I’d finger paint more, and point the finger less.I’d do less correcting, and more connecting.I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.I would care to know less, and know to care more.I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.I’d stop playing serious and seriously play. I would run through

more fields, and gaze at more stars.I’d do more hugging, and less tugging.I’d me firm less often, and affirm much more.I’d build self-esteem first, and house later.I’d teach less about the love of power.And more about the power of love.

- quoted in D

Please Mom and Dad …Please Mom and Dad …

My hands are small…I don’t mean to spill the milk. My legs are short…Please slow down so I could keep up. Don’t slap my hands when I touch something bright and

pretty –I don’t understand. Please look at me when I talk to you –It lets me know you are really listening.

My feelings are tender – don’t nag me all day.Let me make mistakes without feeling stupid. Don’t expect the bed I make or the picture I draw

to be perfect.Just love me for trying. Remember I am a child, not a small adult,sometimes I don’t understand what you are saying. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.Please love me just for being me and not just for the

things I do. - A: 10

Having a child with special needs has taught me about unconditional love. Love is the driving force that keeps me fiercely committed to seeing that my son is nurtured, cared for, and encouraged to be the best he can be. Love is what gets me through each day.

- Jeannie H. Castillo, in C: 22

Loving in SlicesLoving in SlicesBy Harold Sala, quoted in By Harold Sala, quoted in C: 123C: 123

“I cannot love people in slices,” says King Arthus in Camelot, “I take the good with the bad.” Maybe that’s why King Arthur presided successfully over a vast array of knights – and we preside over relationships gone bad.

Can we love people in slices, choosing what we like, rejecting what we dislike? Come to think of it, nobody, myself included, is completely lovable. In every person, there is a diversity of attitudes, habits and mannerisms – some wonderful, and some quite annoying.

Can we just choose those parts in the person that makes me feel good? Is this love?

Love is more than a warm feeling; it is a commitment to care, a decision of the heart, which has nothing to do with the temperature of our feelings.

What causes us to love in slices is plain selfishness. We do not want the pain and sacrifice involved in loving the whole person. The result is loneliness and estrangement.

Taking the good with the bad is the only way to go.

A Challenge or a HandicapA Challenge or a Handicap

God gifted each of us with abilities that can be explored to the depths. The real handicaps we face are lethargy, indifference, and the inability to shut off the TV and pick up a book and learn to read. The great handicaps are not the ones people are born with, but those that restrict “normal people” to a life of mediocrity and boredom.

- Harold Sala in C: 125

The true hallmark of a loving parent is not how “perfect” our children are or become, but how “perfectly we love them” exactly as they are – gently and faithfully embracing and nurturing the unique gifts and talents that each of them possess.


Healing in a Loving Touch Healing in a Loving Touch by Harold Sala, quoted in by Harold Sala, quoted in C: 126C: 126

Have you ever considered the impact of a loving touch? There were times when Jesus healed sickness with a command. But there were other occasions when He reached out and touched someone.

He touched a leper who went through life crying, “Unclean, unclean!” and He still touches those who are neglected by society today.

When asked how she became involved in her work with the mentally-challenged, a woman named Pungaja, who was handicapped herself, said the missionary Amy Carmichael had changed her life with one hug. “When she hugged me,” Pungaja said, “all my burdens went away.”

People respond to a loving touch. A family counselor says the most unwanted teenage pregnancies could have been prevented if a father only hugged his teenage daughter everyday.

There is healing in the touch of love and faith.

What does normal mean anyway? We all have our individual

strengths, our individual characteristics, and our individual struggles as well.

My family life is very “normal” to me, because it is mine.


Normalization, Mainstreaming, Normalization, Mainstreaming, and Inclusionand Inclusion

Normalization is a systematic process of providing children with special needs (CSN) the needed training and opportunities given their normal counterparts, enabling them (CSN) to maximize their potentials, achieve some degree of independence in leading their lives, and access and participate in the benefits of their communities.

-B: 12

Normalization can be viewed not only from the legal perspective but also from the philosophical, social, psychological and pedagogical perspectives.

- B: 12

Normalization is much more than just physical placement. It is the provision of education that does away with discrimination and labels/stigma.

- B: 12

Normalization teaches us the lessons of unconditional positive regard, genuineness and empathy.

- B: 12

Normalization permeates all the realms of life: education, vocational pursuits, community affairs, etc.

- B: 12

Normalization is PRO-LIFE, PRO-HUMANITY, PRO-GOD!

- B: 12

Regular teachers play a crucial role in mainstreaming/inclusion programs. Their attitude towards the admission of children with special needs in regular classrooms is considered one of the most important factors in the successful implementation of mainstreaming/inclusion.

Teacher attitudes toward inclusion of students with Teacher attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities in their regular classes (1958 – 1995):disabilities in their regular classes (1958 – 1995):

• There has been little change in teacher attitudes through the period covered.

• Most teachers were in favor of some degree of inclusion.• Most teachers were willing to accommodate students with

disabilities in their classrooms• Teachers were less positive about admitting students with more

severe disabilities.• Teachers were less likely to agree that the general education or

regular classroom was always the best environment for all students with disabilities.

- Mastropieri & Scruggs, 1996, cited in B: 15

Most teachers express the need for more support to make inclusion a success. Specifically, the support needed were in the form of (a) more training, (b) more personnel support, (c) more material support, (d) more time for planning, and (e) smaller size.

- B: 15

PASS Variables PASS Variables to Maximize Student Successto Maximize Student Success

Scruggs & Mastropieri (1995), Cited in B: 16-17

PPrioritize Objectivesrioritize Objectives

This means analyzing all instructional objectives, determining which are most important for students in the inclusive classrooms, and eliminating those objectives that are irrelevant and unnecessary.

AAdapt Instruction, Materials, dapt Instruction, Materials,

or the Learning Environmentor the Learning Environment

As soon as the instructional objectives have been prioritized, adaptations have to be done in the instruction, materials, or learning environment in order to effectively meet the needs of the included/mainstreamed learner.

SSystematic Teachingystematic Teaching

This refers to the use of effective teacher presentation variables which are designed to promote and enhance academic achievement of the mainstreamed/included learner.

The variables or elements in the systematic teaching include the following which quite interestingly fit the acronym SCREAM

• Structure This means that lessons are well-organized and systematic. Moreover, it is expected that the mainstreamed/included learners are aware of the organization and purpose of the lesson.

• Clarity This means that the lesson is presented in a very understandable manner. There are likewise (a) clarity on the ways the teacher speaks, (b) use of clear and direct language, (c) careful and correct enunciation, and (d) provision of concrete examples.

• RedundancyRedundancy is designed to increase learning as it emphasizes and reinforces the most important aspects of the lesson. Moreover, it helps develop familiarity with new facts, concepts, or terminology.

• EnthusiasmLearning can be made more fun, enjoyable and worthwhile when teachers teach enthusiastically . Children with special needs are poorly motivated to learn and succeed in school because of academic failure generally experienced in the past, hence enthusiastic teaching can be especially helpful and appropriate for them.

• Appropriate RateLearners with special needs can learn more effectively if the rate of presentation is neither too fast nor too slow. Enthusiastic teaching coupled with an appropriate rate of presentation can do wonders in keeping lessons interesting, motivating, and appealing to mainstreamed. Included learners.

• Maximized EngagementNo matter what the lesson is, mainstreamed/included students are most likely to learn if they are optimally engaged with the elements of the lesson. Specifically, this includes:

(a) listening to teacher or student presentations(b) asking questions(c) asking notes(d) solving problems independently or in small groups(e) completing class projects

SSystematic Evaluationystematic Evaluation

This refers to frequent measurement/assessment of students’ progress to find out if the instructional objectives are being met. In case students are not progressing adequately, additional modifications may have to be done.

Regular and general education teachers can effectively teach mainstreamed/included learners if they have positive attitudes toward these students, and are open to adaptations designed to promote optimum learning in inclusive settings.

Parenting Parenting Children with Special NeedsChildren with Special Needs

As parents of children with special needs, I believe it is critical for us to constantly educate ourselves on the needs of our children and how we can best help them achieve their potential.

- Jeannie H. Castillo in C: 27

For me, parent education includes being updated on the latest information regarding not only our children’s condition, but parenting in general; finding and working closely with the right group of doctors, therapists, teachers and professionals to help our children; and also, having the strong will and fortitude to claim our responsibilities as parents and our ability to affect the lives of our children for the better.


In my observations as a parent and a teacher, experiencing success is really like giving our children the fuel to continue learning, growing, and succeeding. And being successful in life – whether it is accomplishing daily tasks of living independently, achieving extraordinary goals that allow our children to shine, or just being able to live life happily – is something I believe we all want and envision for our children.


Because of my son, I am a better parent, I am a better teacher, I am a better person. Without a doubt, my son has taught, and continues to teach, me and my family the best and true meaning of L.I.F.E., and I am truly grateful.

“All is well.”


We as parents need to be the first to believe in our children, to love them, to guide them, to teach them. Which leads me to another dimension of faith that I believe is also important – belief in the strength and capacity of out children to learn, and the role we have to teach them.


Take Me to the Journey:Take Me to the Journey:Even When the Going Gets Rough…Even When the Going Gets Rough…

bybyAndrea B. Martinez-GacosAndrea B. Martinez-Gacos

Milepost #1: BEING “What we believe in is the most pivotal in what will become of our special

children.”

No one told me it would be a very difficult journey. Nor was I prepared to take the journey …

I am a single working mother, and a single working mother of a special child – Karla. She came into my life when I was least prepared for the responsibility of motherhood. But just like the joys of any mom who gave birth to a “normal easy baby”, I felt that mine was more than a double bundle of joy. Her three-hour journey into this world was without much trouble, and when she was finally tucked into my arms, I immediately fell in love with that tiny being that seemed to love me as much. It was indeed a celebration of life!

But the “smooth-sailing journey” was put into a halt when, at the age of two, Karla succumbed to encephalitis – a rare disease of the brain that tested all my strengths and all the faith that I could muster. It was a one-month torment at the hospital when she was in coma, and I felt that the anguish, agony and misery this world could give were put on my shoulders all at once. It was a nightmare, indeed, which I would relieve many years later on.

At a point when I thought I was losing her, she came back – but this time, a different “Karla.” From a happy, easygoing child, she changed into a difficult, temperamental one who had to go through years of therapy before she could recover some of her lost functional skills again. But I had always been a firm believer in these four-lettered beautiful words: HOPE and LOVE. I hoped against hope that she would survive – and so she did. And that the love I had for my daughter would make all odds

even for her. So I set my eyes on a single goal – that I would take her with me in my journey no matter how difficult the road may be. It was no mean feat!

Milepost #2: BELONGING“When and with whom the special child learns and grows

determine significantly what will become of her.”I thought the most trying times of my life were

over and that the storm had finally subsided – only to realize later that the most difficult part was yet to come. For the scar caused by that dreadful disease refused to heal and even haunted us many years after battling the malady.

As Karla began her schooling, the aftermath of thetragic disease also started to take its toll. The change in her personality was obvious then, especially in her socio-emotional skills. However, as I was still reeling from the nightmare of her encephalitis, school reports from her teachers started pouring in until they piled up:

This is to inform you that your child misbehaved today – tinusok niya po ng pencil ang classmate niya.

Your child did not finish her writing activity.

Your child did not finish her Periodical exams.

Your child did not take the test.

You child missed her Math lessons – she stayed outside the whole time.

This is to inform you that your child is not doing her Math activities. Pinunit po niya ang Math book niya.

Your child shouted back at her Math teacher.

Your child stepped on her art project.

Your child misbehaved again – nanggigil po siya sa seatmate niya kaya kinagat niya.

Your child had to be sent home because she was distracting the class. She was wailing the whole period.

In the past five years, Karla had been to five different schools. The most painful moments were when I was told all over again by school authorities that they could no longer accommodate my “difficult child.” Those were the most distressing moments that any mother would feel when she could not shield her child from rejection, from

being unwanted and unaccepted. I recalled the pain when I was told that my child could not join the class field trip simply because her teachers did not want to be responsible when she had tantrums … that she could not have her First Communion because her behavior was still “immature” … that she needed to find another school which can take a “special case” like her.

So I took the responsibility of being a mom to a “special child.” I was at a crossroads of my life when I decided to shift from my graduate major in Educational Psychology to take a course on Special Education – with a single-minded purpose of knowing and understanding what my child was going through, and with the hope that somehow and somewhere along the way, I could ease some of the bumpy roads in her journey. She was later diagnosed with acquired ADHD by a developmental pediatrician.

Milepost #3: BECOMING“The future of a special child relies on present provision of

programs and services.”I felt like a complete failure when I could not

provide for my child’s special needs. She was advised to take Ritalin – I simply could not afford the price so I backed off. She was recommended to have a shadow teacher or be sent to a special school – my salary was not even enough to make both ends meet. The doctor said she must continue with her occupational therapy – I could not even shoulder the consultation fee of her developmental pediatrician. I was also told she needed counseling, too, especially after the separation from her father became stressful for her.

I was like going through a labyrinth, only to wind up on several dead ends …

The Discovery: Enrolling at Therapeutic Teaching ClassThen I enrolled in Therapeutic Teaching class of

Dr. Dizon, and all the theories and concepts I learned from my previous SpEd courses became like a “looking-glass” where I could see through my child’s journey.

I felt the lump on my throat when my teacher discussed his “Helping Creed” – it was like a reminder of the similar pledge I made with my child after her near-death illness. I quietly cried when he talked of his special child, and the difficulties he experienced in raising him – it was like hearing myself talking through him. I rejoiced when he talked of how he came to the defense of his special child when people looked down with disdain on him – and I scolded myself because at times I could not do the same for my kid. I think I finally had my much-needed counseling when he lectured in class and emphasized the three important dimensions of therapeutic teaching: unconditional positive regard, congruence or genuineness, and emphatic understanding.

I felt guilty beyond words when, in the course of the class discussion, he talked of the characteristics of a SpEd teacher: supportive, empathic, caring, genuine, enthusiastic, tolerant, and accepting of children. So I asked myself and pondered on the following questions:

• Had I been supportive of my child especially when she was coming to terms with the separation from her dad? Or was I very selfish that I denied her the much-needed explanation and assistance in the course of separation?

• Had I been empathic when I got reports of her misbehaviors in class? Or was I judgmental and easily blamed her for what she did?

• Had I been caring enough for her? Or was I so absorbed with finding a niche in my teaching career that I tended to neglect her, hoping that the material things I was able to provide would fill-in the gaps of her longing for an “absent parent”?

• Had I been genuine in my emotions for her? Or did I displace on her my pent-up anguish and frustrations of our situation?

• Had I been tolerant of her disabilities and incapacities, helping her to improve or compensate for what she lost? Or was I letting her down by emphasizing and blaming her disabilities for the myriad of problems we had as mother and daughter?

• Did I accept her for what she was and what she was not? Or was I still hoping that she would be the “ideal daughter” I once was to my parents?

I now feel uncertain whether I am capable of becoming a supportive, empathic, caring, genuine, enthusiastic, and tolerant SpEd teacher if with my own child I could not do the same. But then, they say, life goes on and “late is better than never.”

“It takes a happy child to learn.”It was only the beginning of the course but I

perfectly understood what therapeutic teaching is – summarized in my favorite professor’s quote above.

Yes, indeed, it dawned on me that my child needed to be happy to be able to learn – and to go through her life’s with little discomfort. I came to know this when I observed that in the past few months, her “behavior problems” started to wane. She seemed happy with her new school. Her new teachers and classmates were more accommodating, patient and understanding of her situation. She only had occasional reports of unfinished exams, and her emotional impulsivity seemed to be much under control even amidst emotional stress. She talked proudly of her little accomplishments, and was no longer afraid to talk about her fears. She started to manifest self-discipline and responsibility, especially in taking care of herself and of her school things. These may have seemed trivial but, as her mother, I considered them “great leaps” on the course of her development.

In coming to terms with my “future SpEd profession”, I now keep in mind and heart the aims of therapeutic teaching for every special child: relaxation, enjoyment, socialization, self-expression, self-discipline, self-awareness, skill-building, valuing, and decision-making. I now considered every opportunity of interaction with my child as a chance to help her feel comfortable and less tense, and confident and fulfilled of her accomplishments; engage in purposive activities, enhance her competence, make intelligent decisions, and value her potentials.

Therapeutic Teaching class taught me lessons I would not normally learn in other theory-based courses. There is one important thing I learned in this class – the value of helping…

I now believe that I am ready and steadfast on this journey with my daughter. I may not know what lies ahead of the road, but armed with firm commitment and genuineness, loaded with unconditional love and positive regard, as well as packed with empathic understanding, our lives’ journey would lead us to our final destination – that in the end, my daughter and I have endured this journey together.

God’s LoveGod’s LoveBy Max LucadoBy Max Lucado

My child’s feelings are hurt … I tell her she is special.My child is injured … I do whatever it takes to make her feel better.My child is afraid … I won’t go to sleep until she is secure.

I am not a hero … I am a parent.When a child hurts, a parent does what comes naturally … he helps.

Why don’t I let my Father do for me what I am more than willing to do for my own children?

I am learning ...

Being a parent is teaching me that when I am criticized, injured or afraid, there is a father who is ready to comfort me. There is a Father who will hold me until I am better, help me until I can live with the hurt, and who won’t go to sleep when I am afraid of waking up and seeing the dark.

Ever.

It is my feeling that having a child with special needs is actually a greater calling from God to learn and practice unconditional love, actively and consciously every day of our lives – a love that surpasses our own egos, our own ambitions, our own dreams and ideas of how things “should be” – surrendering to a love that embraces differences, that is open to learning, one that celebrates uniqueness, diversity and God’s greater plans for our lives.


Pearl Buck once wrote that a retarded child has a right to happiness and that happiness is dependent on living where the child can function. Our special children need to function as best they can. They need stimulation and challenge and reinforcement, but most of all they need our acceptance and love.

-Madeleine R. de Leon in C: 31

Being a Godly ParentBeing a Godly ParentBy Harold SalaBy Harold Sala

Never underestimate the ponderings of a Christian parent.

Never underestimate the power that comes when a parent pleads with God on behalf of a child.

Who knows how many prayers are being answered right now because of the faithful ponderings of a parent ten or twenty years ago?

God listens to thoughtful parents.

Praying for our children is a noble task. If what we are doing in this fast-paced society, is taking us away from prayer time for our children, we are doing too much. There is nothing more special, more precious than time that a parent spends struggling and pondering with God on behalf of a child

- quoted in C: 110

Preparing the Staff Preparing the Staff for Mainstreaming and Inclusionfor Mainstreaming and Inclusion

Child’s PerspectiveChild’s Perspective

Study the child’s records and identify his strengths and developmental differences and delays. Thus, the child must be assessed in terms of:

(1) his current skills

(2) the conditions under which the child demonstrates particular skills

(3) the skills the mainstreamed/inclusion program expects the learner to have before entering the program.

Family’s PerspectiveFamily’s Perspective

Families may have to educate staff in the receiving inclusive program to the families’ identified priorities and needs, the nature of the child’s abilities/disabilities, culture of the family, and other family characteristics and beliefs.

Family CharacteristicsFamily CharacteristicsThe staff should have accurate information or answer the following:

• Who makes up the child’s family?• Who are the members of the nuclear and extended family?• Is the child the first in the family to receive special

services?• If not, how was the family’s experience with the previous

ones?• How will it affect present circumstances of integrating the

special child?• How many other children are in the family?• What are their feelings towards the special learner? His

integration in a mainstream or included setting?• What are the roles of the family members? Wage earner?

Unemployed? Decision-maker? Caregiver? Housekeeper?

Nature of the Child’s DisabilityNature of the Child’s Disability

The staff should have appropriate data on the following:• How has the child’s disability affected his ability to

participate in family activities?• Does the child’s disability interfere with family members’

activities and needs?• Does it cause financial, emotional, and emotional strain on

the family as a whole?• Or only on particular family members?• Does the child’s problems pull the family together, make it

stronger, as family members try to meet the needs of the special child?

Culture of the FamilyCulture of the Family• What is the language the family is most conversant?• If the family finds English difficult, then all written

information on the child and his program should be made available to the family in their first language.

Questions that need to be addressed are:• Will the services of an interpreter be acquired for all

meetings and discussions between the school and the parents?

• What is the family’s cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic background?

• Is there a match between the child’s family‘s culture and the program the child is entering?

• Will there be conflicts or stresses caused by differences in family background and school culture?

• In case there are, how will these differences be addressed?

Family BeliefsFamily BeliefsThe staff should have answers to the following questions:

• Do family members talk about their feelings and fears?• Do they focus on the present, past or future?• Do they only deal with the facts of the situation?• What appears to be the self-image of various family members?• What seems to be their view of their lives compared to the views

of others?• Do they face life with a sense of humor, a sense of resignation,

getting even, or a sense of hope?

The success of any planned integration depends partly in recognizing the diversity that each family brings to the process.

Family Priorities and NeedsFamily Priorities and Needs

Staff should understand that, generally, families are concerned about:

• What services will be available in the integrated setting and how can they obtain these services?

• How will the special learner adjust to the new program both socially and academically?

• How will the new teacher in the inclusive program adjust to the child and vice-versa?

• What changes in daily routine will be required?

Families need adequate time to address these questions if they are expected to be valued partners in the child’s education and development.

Johnson et al. (1989)say that parents should be given the opportunity to:(1) communicate their preferred role in the decision making process(2) exchange information with the staff about the child(3) help select learning goals for the child(4) help in identifying potential placements(5) help make decisions based on their child’s needs and resources available(6) participate in forming a relationship with the staff of the inclusive program

Program PerspectivesProgram Perspectives• To ensure that children and families move smoothly from

sender to receiver program or inclusion without a gap in services and without unnecessary duplication of assessments and services, adequate planning is needed.

• Children and families should not have to wait for services that they need. The services in the inclusive program should build upon the services that the child and family received previously, reflecting the child’s developmental progress.

• It may be helpful for agencies who send and/or receive many special children each year to also develop an interagency agreement with each other. The agreement should specify roles and responsibilities of the sending and receiving inclusive programs to ensure good planning and communication between programs and their staff.

Best Practices for Staff Best Practices for Staff in Inclusive and Community Settingsin Inclusive and Community Settings

• Focus on discerning the differences between students with severe disabilities and their able-bodied peers

• Instruction across environments with a variety of “teachers”

• Structured, sustained interactions• Participation in a variety of age-appropriate

activities• A functional life skills curriculum• Teaching in natural contexts

Best Practices for Staff in Inclusive and Best Practices for Staff in Inclusive and Community Settings (cont.)Community Settings (cont.)

• An integrated teaching model, in which teachers, parents and therapists work together to determine basic school needs

• A commitment to work and independent living in the future

• Additional best practices are• Collaboration among teachers• Diversity of all students• Celebration of diversity• Standards success to all students bring together the

goals of general and special education

Psychoeducational AssessmentPsychoeducational Assessment

The psychoeducational assessment of special learners is indispensible and vital to intervention planning and implementation. Many good and sound educational decisions and practices can be done if these are based on assessment information about the child.

- E: 5

Psychoeducational assessment is developmental. This means that information about the child is gathered not only during crises or during the initial identification phase, but periodically/regularly – throughout the child’s stay in the school and even after the child has left school.

- E:7

The SPED teacher, in conducting psychoeducational assessment, must observe the following ethical standards:

1. Information/Test results must be held in strictest confidence. Sharing the results to specialists, parents and other responsible adults must be strictly for intervention purposes.

2. Information/Test results should be properly interpreted.3. Clinical terms should be avoided when sharing the

results to laymen who are involved in helping the child.4. Information/Test results should have built-in provision

for future actions/ recommendations.5. The confidentiality of standard test materials should be

safeguarded.- E:7

Special education subscribes to a developmental, comprehensive, and built-in assessment that pervades the entire scope and range of the educational program for the special learner through multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary strategies.

- E: 8

It is only the SPED teacher, however, who can assume the highly responsible but critical role of conducting psychoeducational assessment that interweaves with and finds meaning and relevance in the designing, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs and services for special learners.

- E: 8

Psychoeducational evaluation is an integral part of individualization. It does not end in the identification of handicaps and disabilities. It serves, more specifically, as a guide for teachers in meeting the special needs of the exceptional child considering several factors. These are his abilities, capabilities, and characteristics; developmental patterns; learning styles; and other factors affecting him: his background; opportunities offered him; and personal and environmental constraints and limitations.

- E:9

The evaluation focuses on the abilities and potentials of the child rather than on his limitations and deficiencies. It is built upon what the child can do rather than what he cannot do. Comments and recommendations put stress on where the child is and what can be done on the basis of his present conditions

- E: 12-13

The report is characterized by objectivity to obtain a true and honest picture of the child. Objectivity in this context, however, excludes the irresponsible attachment of labels which adversely stigmatize and categorize the child

- E:13

The comments and recommendations are interrelated and unified rather than fragmented since the educational program along which [they] are given can only be the best seen as a whole. The competent and concerned evaluator tries as much as possible to relate the report to all aspects of the educational program. Such life-space approach provides for consistency of priorities, approaches, behavior management, and cooperative follow-up

- E: 13

An Individualized Educational Plan is a systematic, purposive and developmental educational programming of curricular and instructional priorities and contents designed to meet the child’s special needs and aimed at ensuring mastery of learning of target skills and behaviors

- E:40

Individualizing educational plans enables helpers to:

1. Identify/Specify the needs of special learners based on his most recent or current evaluation report.

2. Target specific objectives that need to be achieved within a given timeframe.

3. Determine specific lessons, contents or activities and methodologies/strategies to actualize the formulated objectives.

4. Specify the materials/resources needed in implementing the plans.

5. Identify and collaborate with other helpers who provide the intervention to the special learner

6. Evaluate gains and progress in relation to objective sets - E: 5

Recovery from DisasterRecovery from Disaster

From Dr. Harold Sala, “Just for Today: Guidelines for Living”

Quoted in C: 121

Disasters are a part of life, the result of living in an imperfect world. Here are some guidelines to follow when disaster knocks on your door.

Guideline 1: Vent your griefIt is not a sign of weakness to let tears flow. Tears wash away bitterness from within and purge feelings of resentment from our hearts. But there is a difference between releasing bitterness and rehearsing it. Some people hold on to the memory of disaster, re-telling it time and time again.

Guideline 2: Let others minister to youPeople who pretend that everything is fine are only compounding their pain. The family of God is there to serve as a safety net, a buffer between you and the pain.

Guideline 3: Refuse to be bitter

Disaster result in either bitterness or blessing, but not both. King David’s life seemed to be an ongoing series of disasters. Yet he could look back and say, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word” (Psalm 119:67).

Guideline 4: Rely upon the Lord for strength

When disaster comes, you can hold on to the Lord or foolishly blame Him. You can panic, or you can pray.

Special EducationSpecial Education

Special education has helped me to view special children as productive individuals and not merely as among the “least ones.” It showed me that what really is important is for the spirit to be whole because the body will always be temporary; that though the world may see the special child as the least significant, to God, he has the first place in heaven.

- Michael A. Sillano in E: 125

A child is like a vessel, and education serves as the sail which directs it course through the expedition called life …Like all boats, shipbuilders construct and refine them as parents rear their children from birth to maturity. Sailors navigate their sea crafts across far and distant frontiers as educators tap various boundaries of thought and space.

- Maria Peregrina V. Policarpio in C: 66

Special Education – through its programs Special Education – through its programs and services – is PRO-LIFE if we:and services – is PRO-LIFE if we:

• Believe in the uniqueness and worth of the special child.• Believe in the inherent goodness of the special child.• Love the special child unconditionally.• Express such unconditional love verbally and non-verbally.• Accept and respect the special child despite his disabilities

and limitations• Provide adequate physical care and nourishment.• Protect the special child from danger and diseases.• Provide appropriate education.• Believe that the special child can achieve, and grow in

knowledge, skills and values.• Plan and provide for the special child’s future.

- C: 7

Special Education – through its programs and Special Education – through its programs and services – is PRO-HUMANITY if we:services – is PRO-HUMANITY if we:

• Help build a caring community.• Respect the rights of special people.• Make community resources accessible to the special child and

his family.• Prepare the special child for community involvement and

participation.• Help organize and sustain ongoing projects for special people.• Network with support groups.• Support advocacy for special people and their families.• Train helpers and caregivers even at the grassroots level.• Train special people for employment in collaboration with the

business sector.• Support in the alleviation of poverty through responsive

education. - C: 7

Special Education – through its programs and Special Education – through its programs and services – is PRO-GOD if we:services – is PRO-GOD if we:

• See God’s image in each special child.• Accept God’s will for giving us special children to love, heal

and nurture.• Believe in loving special children as loving God.• Recognize the important role of prayers.• Trust in Divine Providence in times of trials and doubts.• Inspire and spread goodness to those who care for children in

difficult circumstances.• Experience the spiritual joy of serving others and seeing them

become the best that they can be.• Exercise the value of giving time, money and effort without

expecting anything in return.• Growing in spiritual maturity and wisdom through God’s

Words.• Learn more about God’s words through direct service to special

people and their families.

In summary, Special Education as PRO-LIFE values the presence of a special child and the nurturance of his family and significant others.

Special Education as PRO-HUMANITY values a community of concerned individuals who genuinely facilitate the special child’s growth.

Special Education as PRO-GOD values the presence of a Divine Being and the power of faith and belief in His Providence and Intervention.

- C: 8

Pro-Life is doing everything to preserve and protect life no matter what. It is a moral duty.

♥Pro-Life is appreciation of what life has to bring – all the trajectories, all the diversities.

- Dr. Elizabeth V. Rey-Matias in C: 9

Pro-Life means providing quality life.

♥Pro-Life also means we look at

these twists in life as opportunities.

♥Early intervention is Pro-Life manifested in a special child’s

early years.

- Dr. Elizabeth V. Rey-Matias in C: 9

Pro-Humanity starts with acceptance of the child as a human being with basic emotional, economic, physical and psychosocial needs. It recognizes and accepts the limitation and capabilities of the disabled person just like any other human being.

- Rita Aquino in C: 34

To be Pro-God, Pro-Life and Pro-To be Pro-God, Pro-Life and Pro-Humanity in Special Education Humanity in Special Education

Means:Means:Preparing teachers, administrators and other school staff

to know and understand the special child, accept and respect him for whatever he is, caring for him unconditionally, helping him achieve his potential, and keeping such commitment consistently.

• Placing a special child in an appropriate placement program that best responds to his needs, abilities and capabilities; adopts instructional schemes to strengthen intervention, and prepares him to be an active member of the community

- C: 47

To be Pro-God, Pro-Life and Pro-To be Pro-God, Pro-Life and Pro-Humanity in Special Education Means:Humanity in Special Education Means:

• Designing and implementing a curricular program that incorporates the provision of physical necessities and psychomotor development, cognitive and language abilities, and emotional, social and civic skills including relating with God positively through prayers and constructive deeds

• Planning and implementing instructional methodologies that draw the best in the special child, sustain his curiosity and love for learning, harness initiative and creativity, and ensure mastery learning

- C: 47


• Referring to and collaborating with support-service givers who are equally interested in the special child and imbued with commitment to his welfare. Such partnership is a confirmation that teaching the child cannot be a teacher’s function alone. It requires the help of other professionals – considering the child’s present needs and concerns

• Working and collaborating with the family and the different community sectors through programs that inspire and ensure activity and committed participation, and provide services that redound to the quality of life of persons with special needs

- C: 47


• Working and collaborating with the family and the different community sectors through programs that inspire and ensure activity and committed participation, and provide services that redound to the quality of life of persons with special needs

• Providing clean, safe and conducive avenues for learning: schools, rehabilitation centers, community day care centers, therapeutic centers, etc. alongside needed materials, facilities and equipment where special children can learn and grow happily

- C: 47


• Keeping trust in God that His goodness never fails special children as we guide them towards the positive direction and towards HIS WAY!

The Shadow TeacherThe Shadow Teacher

From G

The shadow teacher has five major duties and functions related to the education of the CSN. These functions are curriculum planning, instruction, behavior and skills management, and team working with other support-service givers.

Functions of the Shadow Teacher Functions of the Shadow Teacher in Curriculum Planningin Curriculum Planning

• Choosing functional, relevant, and meaningful skills related to the lessons and based on the assessment report

• Requesting in advance for the lesson and topics for at least a week from the regular teacher

• Simplifying the curricular content• Organizing and task analyzing (breaking into behavioral

component) for mastery learning• Reformatting the lessons depending on the child’s needs• Preparing helpful activity sheets in implementing the

contents• Differentiating test formats depending on the child’s needs

Functions of the Shadow Teacher Functions of the Shadow Teacher in Instructionin Instruction

• Working with the student in non-attention getting manner

• Explaining the lesson further whenever needed• Using appropriate instructional materials• Assisting in teaching the child to take notes / copy

board work himself• Teaching the child to answer activity sheets

independently• Interspersing light or reward activities into difficult

ones during lessons• Providing drills during lesson / free time

Functions of the Shadow Teacher Functions of the Shadow Teacher in Behavior Managementin Behavior Management

• Directing the student’s attention to the classroom teacher

• Assisting in teaching the child to comprehend and follow school rules

• Assisting in teaching the child to put things in their proper places after use

• Assisting in teaching the child to complete a task before moving on to another one.

• Pulling out the child for more focused skill- building• Pulling out the child to cool him off in times of tantrums• Physically/Verbally prompting the child to perform in

circle time, class recitations, and other group activities.

Functions of the Shadow Teacher Functions of the Shadow Teacher in Social Skills Managementin Social Skills Management

• Teaching the child social greetings and using simple polite terms

• Prompting the child to participate in class recitation• Physically/Verbally prompting the child to play

appropriately with other children• Physically/verbally prompting the child to join in play• Assisting the teacher in socializing the child in group

activities• Using appropriate reinforcers in shaping positive

social skills• Guiding the child in participating actively in programs

and school organizations

Functions of the Shadow Teacher Functions of the Shadow Teacher in Team Workingin Team Working

• Attending meetings with teachers, parents, and other professionals to discuss and plan improvement of child’s performance

• Providing the regular teacher helpful information about the child

• Conferring with regular teachers, parents and other professionals about the child’s progress

• Seeking suggestions from teachers and other professionals regarding the child’s behavior

• Coordinating/collaborating with the family and other home members regarding important concerns about the child

• Discussing with the regular teacher about curricular modifications done

Principles of Shadow TeachingPrinciples of Shadow Teaching

The shadow teaching scheme is an assistantship plan. The shadow teacher, therefore, assists in teaching the special child, who otherwise, will be directly handled by the homeroom/subject teacher.

The shadow teacher – whether paid by the school or the parent – is tasked to perform the best he can with the child’s welfare foremost in mind.

The shadow teaching scheme considers the shadow teacher an official member of the school staff. Thus, he is expected to work with the highest levels of proficiency, efficiency and sense of duty and responsibility. He/She is duty-bound to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism.

The shadow teaching scheme mandates that the shadow teacher be accountable for the child’s development and progress in collaboration with home and school members and other concerned adults/professionals.

The shadow teaching scheme is aimed at individualizing the CSN’s intervention program within the context of a regular school.

The shadow teaching scheme aims to target priorities and synchronize contents and strategies as parts of its individualization concerns.

The shadow teaching scheme does not compete and compare the CSN’s performance with that of his regular classmates. It adopts criterion-referenced teaching over norm-referenced teaching, enabling the child to move up the educational ladder at his/her own rate and pace of learning.

The shadow teacher considers the developmental progression of learning with drill/practice, provision for remediation, generalization of skills in other situations.

The shadow teaching scheme is highly partial to organized, systematic and structured intervention programs and services to pave way for mastery learning and effective evaluation of gains/progress.

The shadow teaching scheme recognizes the significance of collaboration among all home, school and community manpower resources.

The Special Education TeacherThe Special Education Teacher

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.

- Henry B. Adams, quoted in A: 106

I have come to a frightening conclusionThat I am the decisive element

in the classroom.It is my personal approach

that creates the climate.It is my daily mold that makes the weather.

As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power

To make a child’s life Miserable or joyous.

I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.I can humiliate or humor,

hurt or heal.In all situations,

it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated;

and a child humanized or dehumanized

--Haim Ginott

The educator must above all understand how to wait;

to reckon all efforts in the light of the future, not to the present.

- Ellen Key, quoted in

A:118

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

- Albert Einstein A: 156

Requirements of a Teacher: 4 AsA – AttentionA – AffectionA – Acceptance A – Approval

- A: 70

Teaching AttitudeTeaching Attitude

Believe that the child can learn.

Be patient and willing to teach.

Make sure that the teaching situation is conducive to learning.

Teach with ease and fun.

Love teaching. - A: 70

4 Cs of Teacher’s 4 Cs of Teacher’s BehaviorBehavior

• Caring• Considerate• Cooperative• Consistent

- A: 71

Guiding Principle: FOCUS Guiding Principle: FOCUS (Child Centered)(Child Centered)

F – Fix your thoughts, eyes, and goals on his ability, not on his disability.

O – Observe the child very closely.

C – Concentrate on the child’s behavior toward his playmate.

U – Understand the child.

S – Show sincerity in teaching and playing with the child.

- A:71

Commitment: LOVECommitment: LOVE

L – isten O – pen yourselfV – alidateE – ncourage

- A: 71

Teaching Filipino Children Teaching Filipino Children with Autismwith Autism

Children with autism manifest atypical behaviors such as stimulus overselectivity, diminished motivation, self-stimulatory responses and unique responses to reinforcement which distinguish them from other children. Managing such behaviors involves the use of behavior-modification techniques which result in encouraging and positive outcomes

- D: 19

Positive ReinforcementPositive Reinforcement

Use reinforcers such as rewards to motivate the child to attend and respond to instructions. They are objects that elicit positive reactions (e.g., foods, toys, books, tokens, stickers) or activities (e.g., hugs, kisses, praises). A reinforcer is also any object or activity that is reinforcing to a particular child (e.g., jumping on trampoline, clothes or wrappers, touching a favorite object). The reinforcing value of an object is evaluated by noting if the child reaches for it or manipulates it, and resists when it is taken.

- D:26

ShapingShaping

This technique is used when the child initially does not have the desired skill in his repertoire of behaviors. Shaping takes advantage of related responses the child already has. Reinforce a skill in successive approximation - step-by-step – until the desired behavior is achieved.

- D:16

ModelingModeling

This technique represents an attempt on the part of the teacher to teach the behavior by performing the act while the child observes. The child is then asked to imitate the demonstrated behavior.

- D: 26

ExtinctionExtinction

Extinction is a strategy used to decrease maladaptive responses. This involves the cessation of previously provided reinforcement – eliminating whatever reinforcement is thought to be maintaining the behavior

- D: 26

Physical/Verbal PromptingPhysical/Verbal Prompting

Prompting refers to physical or verbal cueing on the teacher to the child to facilitate occurrence of a response. While prompts are necessary in teaching CWA, they should be faded as soon as the child is beginning to show responses independently.

- D:27

Over-stimulation/Over-correctionOver-stimulation/Over-correction

Over-stimulation … has two objectives: (a) to over-correct the environmental effects of a maladaptive response, (b) to require the disrupting child to practice a correct form of an appropriate response

- D:27

Putting-throughPutting-through

This technique is done by physically prompting a child who refuses to work in completing his tasks. The technique may be modified by modeling the specific task/behavior to the child while ignoring his deviant behavior

- D: 27

Aversive ConditioningAversive Conditioning

Painful or obnoxious stimulation is used in this strategy to decrease maladaptive responses manifested by the child (e.g., lemon juice, sticky but safe substances).

- D:27

ContractingContractingThe teacher/caregiver and the child specify and agree on expected behaviors or tasks the child ought to exhibit/do for self-improvement. Afterwards, they agree on rewards the child will get if the tasks/behaviors are exhibited/done, and also the “punishments” if not. The agreement is written on paper for both teacher/caregiver and child to sign. A copy is posted on the board to serve as a reminder. A punishment may be in the form of withholding of things the child likes or depriving him or privileges.

- D:27

Token SystemToken System

Colored chips (or other objects) with corresponding point are given commensurate to the child’s positive behaviors. Chips are retrievable for negative behaviors. These earned chips are convertible to item/s the child likes.

- D: 27

Stimulus ControlStimulus Control

This involves presenting a visual or aural cue with which the child associates stopping or continuing on with a behavior. Examples of visual cues: (a) slippers, (b) belt, (c) rope to control a negative behavior; and (a) nodding and (b) smiling to signal letting the child go on with a behavior or task. Examples of aural cues are saying ”NO” or “STOP” to stop a behavior, and “GO AHEAD” or “GOOD” to let the child go on with a behavior or task

- D:27

Time OutTime Out

Time out is pulling the child out of the group for an unacceptable behavior, and placing him back when he is ready.

- D:27

Ignoring the ChildIgnoring the Child

Ignoring the child if he resorts to tantrum or non-positive attention-getting behavior.

- D: 27

The 10 th National Conference in Special Education presents

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Transcript of The 10 th National Conference in Special Education presents