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Exceptional Children

• Children vary in physical attributes and learning abilities
• Most differences among children are minor, so they benefit from general education programs.

Definition of Exceptional Children

• Physical and/or learning characteristics that differ significantly from the norm (below and above average)
• Exceptional Children require individualized programs of special education and related services
• Includes children with learning or behavior problems, physical disabilities or sensory impairments, and superior intellectual abilities or special talents.

Exceptional Children vs. Students with Disabilities

• Exceptional Children includes both children with disabilities and gifted/talented children
• Students with Disabilities is a narrower term that excludes gifted and talented children

Categories of Exceptionality

• Intellectual disabilities
• Learning disabilities
• Emotional or behavioral disorders
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Speech or language impairments
• Hearing impairments
• Visual impairments
• Physical or health impairments
• Traumatic brain injury
• Multiple disabilities
• Giftedness and special talents

Importance of Individualized Programs

• Exceptional children require specially designed educational programs to succeed
• Programs must address their unique needs to ensure full educational benefits

Impact of Recognition and Support

• Recognizing and addressing differences is crucial for a child's success in school and beyond
• Exceptional children share more similarities than differences with peers but require tailored support.

Other Terminologies

• Impairment: Reduced abilities or loss of an organ, for example, loss of vision or hearing
• Disability: Exists when impairment limits the function of a person, thus impairment leads to disability
• Handicapped: An inappropriate term, but means that disability has affected the ability of an individual to participate in activities
• At-risk children: Children due to biological or environmental factors could experience developmental or behavioral problems, such as refugee children, children from poor backgrounds, and children living with HIV/AIDS

UAE Context

• In April 2017, the term 'People of Determination' was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as part of the national strategy for empowering people with disabilities
• Disability is in fact the inability to make progress and achievements

Common Barriers to Learning in the UAE

• Cognition and learning: Includes intellectual disability, specific learning disorders, multiple disabilities, and developmental delay (younger than five years of age)
• Communication and interaction: Communication disorders and autism spectrum disorders
• Social, emotional and mental health: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Psycho-emotional disorders
• Physical, sensory and medical: Sensory impairment, deaf-blind disability, physical disability, and chronic or acute medical conditions

Teaching Exceptional Students

• Teaching students with disability is a preparation to teach the most difficult students
• Students with disabilities have an impairment which require additional support
• Special talent and skills are required to be able to provide teaching support to students with disabilities
• Teaching students with disabilities requires flexibility and preparation to experiment with new strategies
• Teaching students requires knowledge of the general curricular and its modification
• Developing goals and collaborating with other stakeholders is essential

Labeling and Classification of Exceptional Children

• Labelling is important to determining children who require special services
• Once a child is suspected of having a disability, he or she ought to be formally diagnosed by an appropriate professional (e.g., psychiatrists, audiologists, therapists, etc.)
• After the diagnoses, the professional can classify the student into any of the categories (e.g., hearing or visual impairments)
• The Level of severity (mild, moderate, severe, and profound) of a particular condition will differ
• A professional has to classify the child to determine the learning support required by the student
• A child can access special education services once such labelling and classification have been completed

Advantages of Labeling Classification

• Helps to recognize real differences
• Helps in communication and evaluation
• Helps in targeted service provision
• Helps teachers to teach to suit the uniqueness of all

Disadvantages of Labeling

• Stigmatization and negative attitudes
• People tend to focus on what an individual cannot do
• Affects the self-esteem of children who have been diagnosed

Special Education Definition

• Exceptional Children require special education
• Special education is a form of education governed by laws and procedures to reduce barriers to access for a category of children _ General classroom teachers and trained special educators could provide special education to all children
• Other professionals such as speech therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, counsellors, occupational therapists, and audiologists provide education related services to exceptional children and teachers

Curriculum and Special Education

• All teachers are expected to use curricular in their teaching and service delivery to students
• A modified version of the curricular is used in the delivery of special education lessons
• Teachers follow a specialized curriculum in teaching exceptional children
• An individualized education plan (IEP) is designed in most instances for exceptional children

UAE Context - IEP

• Purpose of an IEP: Enhances the impact of intervention for students of determination and acts as a continuous and collaborative process of development, implementation, and review
• Development of an IEP: Informed by results from assessments, created by a collaborative team involving teachers, parents, specialists, and the student, and tailored to each student's unique abilities, skills, challenges, and interests
• Key Components of an IEP: Measurable goals, modifications and support strategies to lower learning barriers, and plans to address specific challenges, including transitions
• Implementation of an IEP: In-school specialists may lead development, but classroom teachers are responsible for implementation, and teachers must be equipped to carry out the IEP and be accountable for its classroom impact
• Significance of an IEP: Forms the cornerstone of quality education for students of determination and ensures progress by addressing individual needs effectively

Special Education and Learning Support

• Teachers could modify their instructions or use a special method to support the learning of exceptional children
• Includes the use of assistive devices, sign language, differentiation, and personalized learning.

Laws and Special Education

• Laws govern society, therefore without rules and regulations, there will be chaos, anarchy, and confusion
• When laws exist, people will be are protected and live peacefully with others
• Rules and regulations are also needed in education to promote equal access to all
• Education has been identified as a fundamental human right, so all persons should be given the chance to have access

The Right to Education - Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 26

• Everyone has the right to education, which shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages and compulsory at the elementary level
• Technical and professional education shall be made generally available, and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit
• Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, promoting understanding, tolerance, and friendship among all nations

Historical Perspective

• Previously, there were no laws governing the education of exceptional children
• Individuals with disabilities were not given the chance to have access to education
• This led to rejection, poverty, unemployment and dependence on other people in the society
• To include all persons in the society, countries began to make laws to promote their education

UAE Context

• Local and international laws govern the education of exceptional children
• UAE is a member of international bodies and organizations committed to promoting education for all
• The UAE government looks at international instruments and makes laws for its citizens with exceptional educational needs

International Laws and Statements

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1947)
• Convention on the Rights of the Childen (1986)
• Salamanca statement (1994)
• Educational for all (2000)
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children with Disabilities (2006)
• The sustainable development agenda (2015)

UAE Laws

• Federal Law No. (29) of 2006 Concerning the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Cabinet Resolution No. (7) of 2010 Concerning Non-governmental organizations Providing Care and Habilitation to Persons with Disabilities.
• Federal Decree No. (116) of 2009 Ratifying the comprehensive and integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
• Law No. (2) of 2014 Concerning Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Emirates of Dubai
• Federal Law No. (3) of 2016 on child rights (Wadeema's law)
• Law No. (3) of 2022 Law on the Rights of People of Determination in Dubai

Educational Environment for Exceptional Children

• Inclusion: All children educated in the same environment
• Exclusion: Children are denied educational access
• Segregation: Students with disabilities educated separately
• Integration: Students educated in mainstream but need to adapt

Educational Environment for Exceptional Children in the UAE

• Exceptional children must be provided an education in the least restrictive environment
• Exceptional children should, as much as possible, be educated alongside age-appropriate peers without disabilities

Acceptable Reasons for Placement in Special Education Classroom

• Student has a severe disability and would not benefit from education in the regular education classroom
• Availability of a large group of students enrolled in the school with a similar disability such as a hearing impairment or deafness, and the student would benefit from education and social interaction in the special education classroom

Unacceptable Reasons for Placement in Special Education Classroom

• Student has learning difficulties that are not caused by a specific learning disability
• Student has a mild disability which that does not have a significant and adverse impact on his educational performance
• Student is significantly older than his classmates enrolled in the regular education classroom
• Student has mild behavior or emotional problems