UNIT 2: GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN) AND DISABILITIES
Key Unit Competence:
Students should be able to competently offer career guidance and counsellingservices to learners with SEN and Disabilities
2.1. Definitions of Guidance and counselling and their
importance
a) Definitions of Guidance and counselling
The term “Guidance” is derived from the word “guide” which means to show
others the way to a place or to direct somebody’s behaviour. Guidance is a
personal help and advice about how to do something or about how to deal with
different problems. Educational guidance is a process of assisting individual
learner to reach optimum individual development by helping individual making
choices, as well as make adjustments in relation to schools, curriculum, courses
and school life which contribute to the all-round development. It promotes selfdirection
and self-growth.
Guidance helps individuals understand better their abilities, know their
interests, to develop their skills and relate them to life goals. It helps individuals
reach a state of mature self-guidance and direction as a desirable member
of the society. It helps individuals to understand, accept and utilize his or her
aptitudes, interests and attitudinal patterns in relation to his/ her aspirations.
In school and college setting, it is aimed at leading the learners to the achievement
of desired life goals. It equips them with knowledge and techniques that enable
them to identify and find ways of solving problems.
Counselling is the process by which a person who has issues is helped to
identify, explore and examine alternative courses of actions and their possible
consequences.
It is concerned with addressing and solving specific problems, making decisions,
coping with crisis, working through feeling and inner conflicts and improving a
person’s way of relation to others. The overall aim of counselling is to make life
more satisfying by helping the client solve their problems or meet their needs.
b) Importance and principles of Guidance and Counselling
Learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities need guidance and
counselling even more than their peers without disabilities because besides
the normal challenges of life, they experience other problems emanating from
their disability. Many learners with Disabilities are faced with rejection, negative
attitudes and social stigma from family, peers and the society. This may result
in negative feelings like loneliness, isolation, withdrawal and failure to adjust
and develop a positive self-concept. Guidance and counselling come in to help
learners with disabilities face these problems and become self-reliant and
independent
The Counselling provided by trained professionals can have a profound impact
on the lives of the beneficiaries first, and second to individuals, families and
communities. This service helps people navigate difficult life situations, such
as the death of a loved one, divorce, natural disasters, school stress and the
loss of a job, drug abuse and life discomfort. It provides the tools and insights
to manage mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. It empowers
people to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
General principle, Guidance and Counselling is based on the belief that human
beings are basically self-determining creatures. The human beings have an
innate desire for self-direction towards independence and autonomy. Thus,
people have the ability to a great extent to control and to fully be responsible
for their actions.
i) Specific principle of guidance
The guidance focus on the following principles:
1. Guidance is concerned with the systematic development of the individuals.
2. Guidance is not a counsellor’s decision or compulsory advice rather it the
client who makes the decisions of the action to take.
3. Guidance is continuous and sequential educational processes. It thus
should be provided throughout one’s life.
ii) Specific principles of counselling
The counselling focus on different principles including but not limited to:
1. Counselling help the client become more aware of self and realistically
accept his/her abilities and limitations.
2. It is always client-centered. This means that the needs of the client come
first. Counsellor should not bring in his/her personal needs or be overlyinvolved.
2.2. Approaches and qualities of school Guidance and
Counselling service
2.2.1. Approaches of school guidance and counselling
There are four main approaches that are used in school guidance and counselling:
• Psychoanalytic
• Behavioural
• Cognitive behavioural
• Client centred theory/person centered theory.
a) Psychoanalytic approach
Psychoanalytic theorists believe that behaviour is motived by unconscious,
subconscious and conscious feelings, thought and motives. Its goal is to reduce
over dependence on defence mechanism, take demands bringing unconscious
information, experiences to conscious and allowing one gain insight into his/
her behaviour. This approaches focus on the following points:
a) Structure of personality
b) Conscious and unconscious mind
c) Defence mechanism and stage of development
• Structure of personality
Personality refers to the unique pattern of psychological and physical processes
which control your behaviour and thought and make you distinctly you. In
psychoanalytic approach personality is the interplay between the ID, the Ego
and the Super ego.
The ID is the biological component of the structure of personality. It is irrational
and unconscious. It works on pleasure principle of avoidance pain and seeking
pleasure. ID seeks immediate gratification.
The Ego is the psychological component of human personality. It is in realistic
and conscious. It develops as growth takes place. Ego balances on the
excessive impulses of conscious of the Id and the Super Ego.
The Super ego is the judiciary component of human personality. It develops
as a child internalizes the dos and don’ts in the society. It comprises the societal
norms. It is a major player in the development of one self-concept, using Super
Ego the child develops operating principles, self-governing rules.
• Conscious and unconscious mind
Conscious is the act or process of being aware, particularly of one’s
surroundings, thought and bodily condition. It refers to being, alert and
understanding your immediate environment. Unconscious is used to refer to
process which are outside or blocked from our present mind.
Unconscious motivates the action of the manner in which a client will present
their situation, but as the counsellor you have to try to reach the underlying
issue. Many problems are as result of mental processes which are hidden to
the client. The hidden process include experiences, wishes and impulses which
were either denied or ignored sometimes back hence become repressed. If the
repressed information is brought to conscious, faced and explored the some of
the client’s issues will be accepted, owned and resolved.
• Psychosexual stages of development
It is a central element of the psychoanalytic sexual drive theory, from the birth
every human being possess an instinctual libido (sexual energy) that developsin five stages.
Those stages are:
– The oral (0-1 age): Children derive pleasure from oral activities, including
sucking and tasting. They like to put things in their mouth.
– The anal (2-3 age): Children begin potty training.
– The phallic (3-6 age): Boys are more attached to their mother, while girls
are more attached to their father
– The latent (6 age to puberty): Children spend more time and interact
mostly with same sex peers.
– The genital: Individuals are attracted to opposite sex peers
Psychosexual stages of development
Every stage is characterized by its erogenous zone that is the source of the
libidinal drive.
• Defence mechanisms
It is the process used in order to protect oneself against extreme discomfort,
tension, mental composure and self-esteem in face of what could be a painful
situation. As we learnt in the structure of personality, the ego is governed by
the principle of reality, while ID seeks for the immediate gratification. The
super ego keeps threatening punishment on the Id and Ego. This scenario
generates anxiety. Conflict arises from wishes and reality become a threat
that results to the need of defence.
Defence mechanisms are used by parents, persons with special needs and
disability, when they have not accepted their situation. They include repression,
denial, rationalization, projection, reaction formation, introjection, regression,
displacement and rationalization.
• Techniques of psychoanalytic approach
Therapeutic techniques in psychoanalytic theory include interpretation of
behaviour and free associations to create trust and in-depth disclosure. The
counsellor looks into the behaviour portrayed and tries to analyse what is
motivating it. The counsellor builds trust with the client so that in a friendship’s
past experience are shared.
b) Behavioural approaches
The behaviourist believe that behaviour can be learnt, unlearnt and re-learnt.
Behaviour can be good or bad. Therefore, a person has the potential of being
good or bad. They believe that behaviours can be modified, thus a person with
unacceptable behaviour can learn acceptable behaviour.
• Goal of behaviourist
It is to initiate and strengthen adaptive behaviours, weakening and maladaptive
behaviour and reducing unwanted fears and anxieties. Teacher in special
needs education assist leaners identify and work towards eliminating under
desirable behaviour such as hyperactivity, excessive talking, impassivity
among others.
• Techniques of behavioural approaches
A counsellor using behavioural approaches, works having the client
• Controlling preceding events of a behaviour
• Reinforcing, acceptable behaviour, using role models and mentors
• Forming mental teaching
• Learning through systematic desensitization.
c) Cognitive behavioural approach
It is based on the views that human being is disturbed not by things, but by
the views they take of thing or world around them. For example, the belief
that learning results from the reorganization of perceptions and formation of
new relationships. Everybody has innate/inner potential for rational thinking
one and has choices for self-actualization or self-destruction. People are selftalking,
self-evaluating and self-sustaining, it is very easy for one to know when
s/he is engaged in something wrong.
• Goal of cognitive behavioural approach
It is to help the client overcome emotional blocks and disturbances, so
that they become fully functioning and to change and demanding thinking
to preferential and acceptable thinking. Clients are taught to analyse their
reality and get rid of distortions. When this is done then there is anticipated,
reduction or elimination of undesirable emotions.
• Techniques of cognitive behavioural approach
The major technique is teacher- learner approach. The counsellor identifies
clients’ beliefs, over generalization and disputes what sounds illogical.
Homework is given to the client to go and practice new skills learnt during
the counselling session e. g assertiveness. The techniques take for granted
that the counsellor is more knowledgeable than the client, hence s/he
becomes the teacher of the logical. All those techniques are evidence-based
methods to change thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and improve overalllife satisfaction and functioning.
d) Client-centered approach
This approach is known as Rogerian therapy, it is a counselling approach that
requires the client to take an active role in his or her treatment with the therapist
being nondirective and supportive. They are striving towards self-actualization.
It consists of ways in which individuals perceive and define themselves. The
counsellor trust in the client’s genuineness and ability to move forward, and get
solution to his/ her problem. The goal of client- centered is to provide a greater
degree of independence and integration of the individual. Counsellor seeks to
assist client in their growth process, enabling him/her cope with the problems
they are facing now or in the future.
• Techniques of client-centered
Therapeutic techniques used in this approach includes:
• Emphasis on the quality interpersonal relationship: client is encouraged to
forge more meaning full relationships.
• Providing client with attitudinal conditions of genuine empathy: each client
is listen to as an individual and not likened to previous clients.
• Unconditional positive regard: the client is appreciated, trusted and treated
valued being.
2.2.2. Quality of school guidance and counselling
The effective counselling is highly depending on skills and techniques used by
the counsellor. Counselling goes beyond reading, writing and talking. To be a
competent counsellor, one has to use special skills and techniques.
Those include:
• Attending skills: Include social skills the counsellor uses in welcoming
the client as well as the sitting posture the counsellor assumes it’s the
course of counselling. Sitting of counsellor is given the acronym of SOLER
(S-sit squarely, O-maintain an open posture, L-lean forward appropriately,
E-Maintain eye contact, R-relax).
• Structuring: Establishing working patterns e.g. Time, frequency payment,
duration and general plan of counselling.
• Active listening: It is the most important counselling skills. It calls for
physical, emotional and psychological presence of the counsellor. It includes
verbal and non-verbal, it means listening, encouraging and prompting the
client to go on talking.
• Empathy: Is the capacity to enter the place of the other human being and
understand the world from their perspective.
• Questioning: Questions should be those elaborate answers leading to a
better understanding of the client’s story. Avoid answers yes or no and avoid
questions start with have or do, are, would.
• Self-disclosure: This is when counsellor shares an event which draws
similar emotions and feelings to what the client is presently experiencing.
• Confronting: Is used to point out inconsistencies in what the counsellor
does say.
• Reflecting feelings: It involves going back to what the counsellor has
said or expressed either in regards to facts or feelings.
• Giving feedback: Is used at the beginning of the all counselling or at
the end of a follow up counselling session or at the end of a counselling
relationship. It involves a summary of issues in previous sessions, goal set
and any handicaps that the counsellor may have picked from the client.
• Summarizing: It covers what has been said by the client. Summering is
normally used to close a topic, change subject or select the next move in a
descriptive manner.
2.2.3. Steps of counselling
There are five main steps of counselling
• Creation rapport: When individual is considering for help, s/he
experiences a mixture of feelings. Creating a warm and welcoming situation
minimize these fears and thoughts. It helps to build a relationship and offers
psychological relieve which puts the clients at ease.
• Exploration: This is the time when the client reveals and discusses his/
her issues. Some clients are able to articulate well their issues while others
are not, some others may be confused when presenting their issues. It is a
difficult stage for the client, so your prime responsibility as a counsellor is to
create a safe environment for your client through attending skills, listening
and empathy.
• Understanding: This is to know or realize meaning of what the client is
saying. It bears an element of trust and believe.
• Action: At this stage a counsellor help a client to formulate a plan, in a
step by step procedure for reaching the goal. Action stage needs not to be
hurried.
• Termination: Although counselling helps individuals with special concerns,
the complexities of the life situation make it such that the counsellor cannot
solve all problems that his or her client brings forwards.
2.2.4. Qualities of a good counsellor
The success of a good counsellor relationship depends on the competence of the
counsellor. The most important thing is that a counsellor offers himself or herself
fully to the client. Here are some of the qualities:
• Stability and security
• Empathy
• Good listener and wise
• Available and accessible
• Presentable
• Respected
• Patient and humble
• Loving
• Non-judgmental
• Role-model
The service providers of counselling are trained and licenced professional in
different use of approaches of counselling (counsellors, psychologist, clinical
social work, mental health professionals, etc.). Counselling approach requires
the client to take an active role in his or her treatment with the therapist beingnondirective and supportive.
2.3. Types, objectives and components of Guidance and
Counselling
2.3.1. Types of Guidance and Counselling
The provider of the services uses different types such as:
• Individual counselling:
This is a one to one type of counselling which is used when a client has
confidential issues.
It is characterized by:
– Being private between counsellor and client,
– It is a one to one relationship and requires a pledge confidence from each
of the parties concerned
– It develops out of the client recognition of existing need for assistance
• Group counselling:
It involves more than one person. It is common when counselling persons
going through the same or related problems. For e.g.: learners having drug and
substance problems, pregnant adolescent girls.
The advantage of group counselling is:
– Pupils learn from their peers how to deal with certain situations and issues
– Teachers identify from the group, pupils who may become peer counsellors.
– Pupils learn to share their experience during counselling sessions
• Peer counselling:
It involves peer counselling other pupils. People who can counsel colleagues
are identified and given the necessary skills and allowed to assist/help their
peers. Peer counselling is a good strategy to adopt in schools as pupils who
may not easily disclose their problems to the teacher or parents can freely do
so with their peers who do not pose any sign of authority over them.
• Bibliotherapy:
Is a type of counselling that is gained by a client through reading relevant
literature. For example
– Motivational books such as think big by Ben Carson
– Testimonies from people such as T.D Jakes,
– Focus books for the power of praying
– Relevant print media such as parents’ magazine
2.3.2. Objectives of Guidance and Counselling
Counselling is viewed as a personalized, intimate interview or dialogue between
a person experiencing some emotional, social, educational, physical, and
vocational problems etc. It can also be seen as a service that helps individual
to solve problems and learn to cope with these problems that are not easy to
solve. Guidance and Counselling serves following objectives:
– Help people gain insight into the origins and the development of their
emotional difficulties in order to take rational control over their feelings and
actions.
– Correct maladaptive behaviours
– Assist people move towards fulfilment of their potential.
– Achieve an integration of previously conflicting parts of themselves.
– Provide people with different, attitudes and knowledge which will enable
them to confront social inadequacies.
– Educate the youth so as to be able to make informed career choices
– Make the youth aware of the education and occupational opportunities
available in their environment.
2.3.3. Components of Guidance and counselling
Guidance and Counselling serve different purposes. Learners, especially those
with special needs may have issues regarding the education path they will have
to follow, career they will pursue and they will need guidance on how to handle
different problems of life, like social and personal problems. Guidance and
counselling should tackle all those problems. The following are components of
Guidance and Counselling.
• Educational Guidance and Counselling: This is the process of
informing the learners with all relevant information that will enhance
educational development. Such information includes: type schools, facilities
available, quality of teachers, availability of hostels, entry requirements, etc.
For example, learners with Visual Impairment should know whether schools
are special or inclusive, they should know whether schools have enough
facilities and the quality of teachers before they take decision to enrol in a
certain school.
• Vocational Guidance and Counselling: This is the process of helping
learners to choose the right vocation for future carrier on the basis of interest,
ability and aptitude. Vocational Guidance and Counselling is very important
for learners with Disabilities and SNE because of their limitations. For
example, a learner with upper limb amputation may want to do mechanical
engineering, but his/ her condition will not favour him/ her. Guidance and
Counselling will help her/ him understand his/ her limitations and opt for
other options in this case like, law, education etc.
• Personal/ social Guidance and Counselling: This is the process
of helping the learners to adjust and live happily with the members of his
environment in spite of differences. Learners with Special Educational
Needs and Disabilities face a myriads of problems which in most cases
results into negative self-image, feeling inferior to others, withdraw and
poor performance. Personal/ social Guidance and Counselling should help
learners with Disabilities to cope with their problems and to live in harmony
with the peers.
• Rehabilitation Guidance and Counselling: This is the process of
assisting person with Disabilities who has suffered a catastrophe and
has lost part of his body which rendered him hopeless to reinstall hope
in him and help to maximize the remaining potential in him. The essence
of rehabilitation counselling is to discourage begging but encourage
independent and effective being so the clients can contribute his total ability
to community development.
• Marital Guidance and Counselling: This is the process of educating
students about the body components and the functions of each parts. It is
also a way to provide a holistic education on how to be engaged in inter
social relationship with the right person at the right age and in the right
forum with total maintenance of self-control and the right social- personal
distance and not allowing handshake to go beyond the shoulder. Students
with Disabilities should also be counselled to deal with break hurting thatmay result from a bad relationship.
Self-assessment 2.3
1) Describe the types of counselling and guidance
2) What is the difference between individual and group counselling?
3) Explain the rational of Guidance and Counselling for learners with Special
Needs?4) Briefly explain the components of Guidance and Counselling.
Skills Lab
You are deployed to teach at GS Busasamana immediately after you complete
your studies at TTC Zaza. At the beginning of the second term, you are
elected as a teacher counsellor by your colleagues. In addition to your usual
duty as a teacher, you are now to provide Guidance and Counselling services
to students. In your office, a student with Visual Impairment comes to seek
for Guidance and Counselling services. He has a number of problems: He
face stigma and feel isolated, he has poor academic achievements and find
it hard to maintain good relationship with colleagues and friends etc. Taking
into consideration the quality of a good counsellor and the components of
Guidance and Counselling, write a two page documents on how you couldhelp the students.
End unit assessment
1) Describe the role of counselling
2) Discuss the stages of psychosexual development
3) Discuss the stage of counselling
4) What are the advantage of group counselling?5) What are the main approaches of Guidance and Counselling?