Down syndrome information – are there any programs in school for children with Down syndrome?

Down syndrome information on the continuum of services of increasing intensity and duration should be available to support the student with disabilities. A number of service delivery modes may be adapted to ensure that each child in the general education setting is given proper attention.

Of course there are some programs helpful for children with special needs. Check on these and see if it applies to your child.

The Pull-in programming

Co-Teaching

Consulting Teacher

Children Supporting Children

The Pull-in programming

  The Pull-in programming in special education and services related to it are brought to student exclusively in the general education classroom.  This mode of delivery of knowledge comes with the understanding that each child should be supported. A disadvantaged child in a general education classroom may be given the right assistance when it comes to performing a task.   You can check how this help on Down syndrome information development in including the child for programming.

Co-Teaching 

 Co-Teaching in the General Education Classroom is one in many ways of adapting to the inclusion setting. Many students with special needs spend a significant amount of time in the general education classroom.  To serve the students, special education teachers work as co-teachers in inclusive general education classrooms with their colleagues in elementary or secondary education. (Smith, 2007)

  Co-Teaching would be a model where general education and special education teachers team-teach to be able to service students with special needs and create a program appropriate to the child’s need as well as the advantages to both teachers of special and general education.

Consulting Teacher

  Consulting Teacher is a model where a teacher serves as a resources to the general education teacher in order to come up with a program to support the needs of the child. (Smith, 2007)

Children Supporting Children

  Children Supporting Children creates an inspiring model that keeps other children involve in the learning of the child. (Mittler, 2000)  This a good way to improve socialization skills and this coincide with the goal for each child on increasing interaction with children and his society, it can be a great avenue on developing communication in reference to activities of daily living which is an all important aspect of a child’s life. This will be helpful in adding support for Down syndrome information; it adds value in helping these kids create a supportive environment.

I have yet to see our government push for work for teens with Down syndrome, although with regards to education and sports they have adults who are into extreme sports here in the Philippines, we also have them teens joining the special Olympics here and abroad and happily competing with each other in track events.

To learn more about our program just click HERE  for helpful Down syndrome information.

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Early Child Development - What are some of the best ways to show the importance of early childhood education in our country?

Early Child Development is also concerned with the access of facilities and resources respective to its region. The pedagogy of special education should be within reach and all of the student should have access to it.  It is the responsibility of the government / country to give proper attention and financing or should we say make it their utmost priority.  Special needs incorporates the proven principles of sound pedagogy from which all children may benefit.(Salamanca Framework for Action) A child-centre pedagogy can help to avoid the waste of resources  and the shattering of hopes that is all too frequently a consequence of poor quality instruction and a “one-size fits all”  mentally towards Early Child Development 

This framework should always be kept in the mind of all special education teachers as there would be more challenges that we will be facing in the future. If the issues on accessibility is not addressed in our lifetime as a teacher we can probably make it easier for the next generation teachers by aggressively campaigning for our students as this is also their right as a child.

  The current situation of countries not being able to meet the requirement varies.  There are some countries that have certain school dedicated to a specific impairment therefore giving a more comprehensive resource and training grounds for teachers in the government owned and private school. They have members in their institution that may be able to assist in training regular education student, curricula can be mirrored to be able to adapt to the needs of the general education curriculum making every effort less stressful for teachers in the regular setting. There are also participating countries that probably would not have these relevant resources and is very much in the need of reform in the government and education sector. What can be some of the best ways?

This is really a tough question to ask, however let’s ponder on some of these:

Be a Leader

If you really want to do something act on it.  There should be leaders in organizations that are willing to tell parents to take responsibility in spending time with their children.

Write to Senators and Congressmen

I haven’t done this but they may be of great help, they may take special interest in early learning like what our Department of education is currently doing, well in our case pushing for our Early Child Development. They can pass programs and laws for early childhood education.

What we are looking for may take a lot of research maybe decades to answer. But, you can actually start with one small step at a time. If you are a teacher, try an reach out to the parents and not just focus on your WORK, remember, the saying that “Teachers are the second Parent of a child” has never been contradicted, never second guess that. Be proud that you are a part of your pupil’s development.  If you are a parent, again you have the responsibility to spend time with your children. 

 You may join our programs and give your child a booze of fun, lively and cheerful learning.

Most of my memories way back in the past were my early years in KINDERGARTEN and ELEMENTARY. It has most definitely created an impact in my personality if we are considering Early Childhood Development.

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Swimming Pool Games - Assessment and Intervention frameworks for children with special educational needs?

Swimming Pool Games are just one in many ways to add  fun,  depending on the goals being targeted, outcomes that every family and teacher expects, and standard and requirement of the community, assessing the child may be as varied or as generalized while he is in the inclusive setting which may affect his performance.   Inclusive education gives a clear support on a unified system which is one common set of outcomes for all students; although the manner in which competence is demonstrated and assessed may take into consideration unique individual needs (Bigge and Stump, 1999: 42-43).

  Curricula should be adapted to the children’s needs, and not vice-versa.  The school should also consider the support to be given to the special needs student but should do this in the perspective of of the general curriculum. The definition of support to a child will justify that it is still in the general inclusion setting if this things a purposely used within the objective of general education hence we have what we call Adapted Physical Education and the likes.  It is the student’s own experience that gives triggering effect to the acquisition of knowledge including play like Swimming Pool Games can be a rewarding experience for the child, this can also be part of the child’s promotion.

  Progression on assessment should always be revisited and this, like the curriculum should also mirror and complement each other in order for it to work in favour of the student and the society and student delivering on mastery or failing or the subject giving the teachers opportunity to identify what needs to be done.

ADAPTATIONS and PROMOTION

  Evaluation of students with special needs in the classroom may be our focus in this particular issue, evaluation of kid in SwimmingPool Games can be considered as well as this can amplify certain skills that a child may demonstrate, it is not just be particular to pool games but to classroom play as well. As a teacher I may be able to use IEP still as my basis in the promotion of my students. Although IEP is usually used in the special education setting, this adaptive tool may be put in good use but the goals should coincide with general education’s goal which may be used in the referral of the student to the next level. 

You may use the following:

Assessment Portfolio

Differentiated evaluation/examination

Tiered assignments

Assessment Portfolio

  A special needs student may also be provided with an assessment portfolio, where in his achievement are documented.  A compilation of the child’s complete work where he may be evaluated can be utilized to promote a child for his accomplishments.

Differentiated evaluation/examination

  Differentiated evaluation/examination may also be done.  Test can also be in some other alternative forms aside from the usual pen and paper examination that tends to hinder a child with special needs to perform at par with the general education students. This can materialize in more forms but this still should be in the context of general education so as not to veer away from the supposed placement. As to Swimming Pool Games  each kid is assess differently and of course the difficulty level also is varied for each child.

Tiered assignments

  Tiered assignments (Tomlinson, 2001), teachers provide choices of assignments on a single topic that vary in difficulty.

  Modification can occur in either instruction or assessment of students with disabilities or both (Kauffman, 2006). It may be changes in instructions, student response, or assessment that is still within the general education content which can be significantly difficult for the students in the curriculum.

There are a lot of ways to modify and asses curriculum design, it is in the hands of the teacher that they create a fun environment with structured play in classrooms or out of this world physical education subjects as demonstrated in Swimming Pool Games.

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