UNIT: 5 MAIN MODELS OF INCLUSION OF LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Key Unit Competence: Apply models and perspectives of inclusive
and other special needs education
1.0. Introductory Activity
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow
Anna is in P3 at GS Muvumbi. At the beginning of school year, Rose, a
teacher in P3 noticed that Anna has a special needs. He was not following
along other children, she had attention problem and she was constantly
absent minded and distracted. She couldn’t participate in classroom
nor doing her homework. She had communication difficulties and it was
challenging for both the teacher and her peers to interact with her. After 2
weeks, Rose (her teacher), decided to inform the head teacher in order to
find solutions to Anna’s problem.
The school decided to call Anna’s parents so that they discuss more how
to support Anna in his learning process and help her to participate in
classroom’s activities depending to her ability and learning pace.
The following day, Anna came to school accompanied with her mother
Sarah. Then the school multidisciplinary team decided to meet (head
teacher, director of studies, the teacher and Anna’s mother). The head
teacher, asked the mother to explain Anna’s problems. The mother gave
all details regarding Anna’s background. She explained that Anna was
born prematurely because her mother had pre-eclampsia at 6 months of
pregnancy. So they had to let Anna born prematurely and she spend 3
months in incubator. But it was until the age of 2 years that Sarah (Anna’s
mom), started to notice Anna’s difficulties in speaking and communicate.
She was having an attention deficit and was not able to perform some of
the activities that other children with the same age can do. However, she
was an outgoing little girl, friendly to his brother and sister and like to play.
After listening to Anna’s background history, the school multidisciplinary
team has decided to make a plan that would let Anna participate and learn
at her own pace and ability. The teacher has decided to change her
instructional approaches by creating activity stations and focus on smallgroup
instruction. For example, Anna was not yet able to decode, so the
teacher made sure she had reading buddies at the reading station.
Anna also had difficulty with fine motor skills, so the teacher made sure
she had large manipulative at the math station and a writing buddy at
the writing station. As she gradually understood Anna’s needs, Rose
implemented more accommodations. Anna had difficulty sitting on the
floor during writing activities, so the teacher gave her a small stool that
helped her stay seated and increased her focus.
At the end of 1st term, Anna has made a tremendous progress. Many of
the other children in the class enjoy working with Anna, and her inclusion
has provided opportunities for learners to understand and value individual
differences.
Questions:
1. Do you think GS Muvumbi is a child friendly environment? If yes
give 3 raisons based on the case study with examples.
2. What approaches that the teacher used in order to help Anna make
progress in her classroom? Link those approaches to 3 principles
of UDL and give some examples.
3. Referring to Anna’s case study, how can you explain the disability
creation process model?
5.1 Child Friendly School model
Activity 5.1
–– What do you understand by a child friendly school environment?
–– What could be the principles of child friendly school/environment
–– How does the society benefit from the child friendly school environment?
5.1.1 What is a child friendly school/ environment?
School is one of the most significant institutions in the life of every person
because this is where we take our first steps to the adult world from. A school
can make a huge influence on every person, and it can be both positive and
negative, depending on the circumstances. Generally, teachers are highly
responsible for creating a good atmosphere in class, where no single child
will feel left out and all of them will thrive for new knowledge. Being aware
of basic child psychology is important for teachers, because they are the
figures that kids look up to, and they should be good role models for them
According to UNICEF, a child-friendly educational institution is inclusive,
protective, and healthy for all children regardless of their social background,
ethnic origin, gender, and level of ability. It has all the necessary facilities that
make the child’s school experience more effective and comfortable. A childfriendly
school is respectful of all children, and the families and communitiesof the students are invested in school life as well as the students themselves.
5.1.2 Principles of child friendly school/ environment
• The school is child-seeking: It works to identify those children who
are excluded for some reasons and help them out with enrolling in
school and participating in the learning process. Children should be
treated as subjects with their own rights, regardless of their age. When
they are at school, they should be respected and their well-being has
to be ensured.
• School is child-centered: The adults, who work at school, should
be acting in the children’s best interests, help children develop their
full potential and be concerned about their health and safety. A childfriendly
school should also care about their students’ lives outside
school and things that happen in their family or community.
• The school is inclusive: This means that the school staff should never
under any circumstances discriminate, exclude, and stereotype children
based on their differences. Education should be free, compulsory, and
affordable for those who are unable to pay for school. The inclusive
institution should respect the diversity of its students and treat them
all equal, without discrimination towards female students, children who
work, students who belong to ethnic minorities, those kids who have
HIV/AIDS disease, physically challenged students, victims of violence
and exploitation, etc.
• The school is effective for gaining knowledge: A child-friendly
educational institution should provide high quality education, and
learning processes have to be appropriate for every child’s level of
development, learning style, and abilities. The learning methods have
to be cooperative, active, and democratic.
• The school is healthy and protects the students: This means that
the school workers are responsible for establishing a safe and healthy
environment that meets the sanitary norms. An institution needs to
ensure the health policies, for instance, no taking forbidden substances,
harassment, and bullying. The counseling for every child should be
provided. There should be health education classes, based on life
skills. The physical and emotional health of students and teachers has
to be taken care of. Children have to be protected from any kinds of
harm and abuse, and they need to remember their being at school as
a positive experience.
• The institution is gender-sensitive: Gender equality should be
promoted and encouraged, and any kinds of gender-based stereotypes
should be eliminated. All the facilities, textbooks, and processes should
be girl-friendly, and teachers need to stop normalizing violence among
boys, providing the safe and non-violent environment for all children.
Respecting the equality and rights of all people regardless of gender or
other biases should be strongly encouraged.
• The school is involved with the kids, their families, and communities:
This means that the school has to promote the participation of children
in all the school life aspects, as well as helping children to establish
healthy relationships with their parents and encouraging taking part in
the life of their local community.
5.1.3. Benefits of inclusive, learning-friendly schools/ environment
• Benefit for learners
Through an ILFE (Inclusive Learning Friendly Education), learners become
more self-confident and develop greater self-esteem. They are proud of their
achievements. They learn to understand and apply what they learn in school
to their everyday lives, such as in their play and in their home. They also
learn to interact actively with their classmates and teachers. They learn to
enjoy being with others who are different from themselves. All learners learn
together and value their relationships, no matter what their backgrounds or
abilities. Learners also become more creative, and this improves how well
they learn. Through an ILFE, learners improve their communication skills
and are better prepared for life.
• Everyone is sharing the happiness of success
Friends do not differ in anything. They go together to the swimming pool,
on excursions, parties, and birthdays. But I can quite freely say that in the
classes where there are no learners with disabilities, they behave differently.
Sometimes learners with disabilities are laughed at, pushed aside, and
stared at by others. Fortunately, there is an immediate reaction from the
learners from the classes where there are such learners, and they defend
their friends. Moreover, it is very important that all parents accept the children
with disabilities. At the beginning of the first grade when parents notice a
child with a disability, most of them keep their distance, with such remarks
as, “Why should my child sit next to a such learner?” or “He / She will disturb
my child during classes.” Fortunately, these reactions last for only a month
or two. When the parents realize that their children have accepted such
friends, they begin to help them as well. They help them get dressed, packtheir bags, and take them home
• Benefits for teachers
Teachers have more opportunities to learn new strategies of meeting
different kinds of learners’ educational needs. They gain new knowledge
on the different ways children learn and/or taught. Remember, however,
that “all learners succeeding” does not necessarily mean that all learners
successfully pass a written examination. It may also mean accepting diversity
in the different ways children learn as well as how they show their success
in learning.
• Benefits for parents
Through an ILFE, parents learn more about how their children are being
educated. They become personally involved in and feel a greater sense
of importance in helping their children to learn. As teachers ask them for
their opinions about children, parents feel valued and consider themselves
as equal partners in providing quality learning opportunities for children.
Parents can also learn how to deal better with their children at home by
using techniques that the teachers use in school.
• Benefits for communities
An ILFE can offer many benefits to the community, too. The community
develops a sense of inclusiveness and pride as more and diverse learners
go to school and learn. Community members become more involved in the
school life and this creates synergetic relationship which is also supportive
to achievements of learning outcomes. It is therefore expected that social
problems such as minor crimes or adolescent problems may be reduced as
result of close collaboration between school and the overall community.
SELF Assessment 5.1
1. Think of a school that you are familiar with, do critical assessment
in regards to whether it is a child friendly environment. In your
critical assessment, show gaps, and propose solutions to fill the gaps.
5.2 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Activity 5.2
–– Where does the term Universal Design for Learning come from?
–– What is the meaning of Universal Design for Learning?
–– Explain the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)–– Explain strategies of using UDL in the classroom?
5.2.1 The origin of UDL (Universal Design for Learning)
The origin of the term Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is generally
attributed to David Rose, Anne Meyer, and colleagues at the Center for
Applied Special Technology (CAST). The principles of UDL were developed
following the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). At that time there was considerable national interest
in the issue of inclusion which placed the majority of students with disabilities
in general education classrooms. While students with disabilities had gained
physical access to the general education classroom, concerns were beingraised about how students would gain “access to the general curriculum.
5.2.2 Definition of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a set of principles for designing
curriculum that provides all individuals with equal opportunities to learn.
UDL is designed to serve all learners, regardless of ability, disability, age,
gender, or cultural and linguistic background. UDL provides a blueprint for
designing goals, methods, materials, and assessments to reach all studentsincluding those with diverse needs
5.2.3 Principles of Universal Design for Learning
The philosophy of UDL is embodied in a series of principles that serve as
the core components of UDL:
• Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of
acquiring information and knowledge
• Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for
demonstrating what they know
• Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners ‘interests,
challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.
5.2.4 Strategies for using UDL
Instructors may want to try the following strategies–– Use multiple strategies to present content. Enhance instruction
through the use of case studies, music, role play, cooperative
learning, hands-on activities, field trips, guest speakers, Web-based
communications, and educational software.–– Use a variety of materials. To present, illustrate, and reinforce new
content, use materials such as online resources, videos, podcasts,
Power Point presentations, manipulative, and e-books.–– Provide cognitive supports. Give students organizing clues;
forexample: “I have explained the four main points, and now I am going to
summarize them.” Present background information for new concepts
using pictures, artifacts, videos, and other materials that are not lecturebased.
Scaffold student learning (provide temporary support to reduce
the complexity of a task) by providing a course syllabus, outlines,summaries, study guides, and copies of PowerPoint slides.
–– Teach to a variety of learning styles. Build movement into learning.
Give instructions both orally and in writing to engage students auditory
and visually. Consider using large visual aids for slides, graphics, andcharts.
–– Provide flexible opportunities for assessment. Allow students to
demonstrate their learning in multiple ways that include visual and oralpresentation, rather than only written assessment.
SELF Assessment 5.2
Referring to the above example, provide recommendations with exampleson how you can apply UDL principles in your school?
5.3 Disability Creation Process Model
Activity 5.2
–– What do you understand by Disability Creation Process Model?
–– What do you think could be the specific dimensions of DisabilityCreation Process?
5.3.1 The meaning of Disability Creation Process (DCP)
Disability Creation Process (DCP) is a conceptual model which aims to
document and explain the causes and consequences of diseases, trauma,
and other effects on integrity and the development of the person. The DCP
is designed to be used by every actor in public, para-public, or private
sectors, as well as in non-profit organizations concerned with the adaptation,
rehabilitation, social participation and exercise of human rights of people
with disabilities and their families.
DCP shows that the accomplishment of life habits can be influenced by
reinforcing our abilities and compensating for our disabilities through
rehabilitation, but also by reducing environmental obstacles stemming.
Some obstacles could be, for example, a prejudice, the lack of assistance
or resources, the lack of accessibility at home and at school, a problem
in obtaining adapted printed information or moving around with the help ofaccessible signage.
5.3.2 Specific dimension of DCP
a. Personal Factors
The Personal Factors component encompassed two subcomponents,
Organic Systems and Capabilities. Impairment was a measurement or
qualifier associated with the Organic Systems, going from full impairment
to integrity, while disability or functional limitation was a measurementassociated with Capability, going from full disability to ability.
b. Environmental Factors
Environmental factors are characterized via social or physical dimensions
that determine a society’s organization and context in relation to the
individual. Because of this, the classification of environmental components
is applicable to all people regardless of their level of disability or ability. It can
also be used in different geographical or cultural contexts. Environmental
Factors may either be facilitators, that is, they support the accomplishment
of Life Habits in interaction with personal factors, or obstacles that hamper
such accomplishment and produce disabling situations. A facilitator for one
person or situation may constitute an obstacle for another these are contextdependent.
c. Life Habit
The person is modelled as a set of organic systems and capabilities
(collectively grouped under Personal Factors), and as a set of Life Habits,
while the Environment consists of physical and social factors. Life Habits
include the social activities that humans engage in over the course of their
lives, along with the social roles that people adopt. The focus on systems
means that the primary mode of operationalization is to identify the factorsthat affect the dynamics of the system and their interplay.
This is the reason that Life Habits are associated with a distinct component
of the model disabling situations arise when life habits interact with poorly
designed or stigmatizing environments and bodily impairments. In this way,
the DCP model embraces both a social and an individual viewpoint. The
model explicitly incorporates the process of generating disabling situations,
and mediates this process as a function of a person’s life habits in this
specific context. This is one of the crucial characteristics that facilitates the
effective use of the DCP model for structuring service delivery programs thatare enabling.
d. Risk and Protection Factors
Another unique aspect of the DCP model is the explicit inclusion of a
component originally labelled Risk Factors, and recently extended to
include Factors of Protection. The extension was motivated by a broad
range of considerations, including the need to fine tune the model in its
application to intellectual or cognitive disabilities or mental health issues,
and to accommodate the changing physical realities of the body over time,
as well as the identification of social contexts that may engender risk or offerprotection.
SELF Assessment 2.3
1. In your own words explain the specific dimensions of disabilitycreation process
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
Aline is in primary two and has Downs’s syndrome. She can say a few
words but mainly uses gestures to communicate. Other children love
playing with her because she has a great sense of humor. She is very
lovely and animated and they can understand her. Her teacher thinks
that Aline is a clown and would prefer her not to be in class because
she interferes with other children. Because Aline cannot speak well, the
teacher never bothers to ask her any questions nor give her opportunity
to participate in class.
Questions1. Do you think Aline’s school is a child friendly school? Yes or No,
Please explain
2. Based on 3 principles of UDL, provide recommendations to the
teacher on how to include Aline in the classroom and help her to
learn depending on her ability and pace.
Alice was a teacher in primary six at GS Muyumbu. She lived at Rugende
in Rwamagana District. One day when she was from work she had a car
accident. Alice was transported at CHUK hospital, and the doctors have
decided to cut her legs. The news about Alice’s accident was spread so
quickly and the head teacher was the first person who received the bad
news. He went to see her at the hospital and he encouraged Alice to be
strong and stay positive because it is not the end of world. The head
teacher promises Alice to help her and support as much as he can.
After Alice’s recovery, the family and the head teacher went to SORAS to
claim for life insurance benefits. They wanted the life insurance to cover
for wheelchair costs. All that was done and when Alice was ready to leave
the hospital she was provided with a wheelchair.
Alice stayed home for 6 months, and she was still getting her monthly
salary. With all the support from different people (her family, her fiancé and
her coworkers), she made a quick recovery emotionally and physically.
At school, they managed to make some physical accessibility (built ramps,
and remove all other obstacles) in order to help Alice move freely around
in school when she comes back to teach. She now lives near the school
and she doesn’t have to go home every day because it will not be easy for
her. Her fiancé was not discouraged by Alice’s disability; they are planning
to get married next year.
Questions
1. Based on Alice’s case study, discuss the dimension of disabilitycreation process.