5N2396: The Three Eras Of Special Education And Who Took Responsibility For Providing The First Education: Children with Additional Needs Assignment, DCU, Ireland

The following headings should be used:

Section one 

 Outline of Special Needs Provision in Ireland to include:

• The three eras of special education and who took responsibility for providing the first education
• Identify three reasons for the policy and legislation changes
• Discuss the development of special needs educational provision to include areas where children are accommodated in primary education and preschool.
• Identify other types of educational supports available to children with additional needs in primary education and preschool to include: (teaching supports, plans, travel supports, resources, and equipment, etc)

 Section two

Outline, compare, and contrast the Medical Model and The Social Model of special needs.

Give a contrasting example of the two models in practice.

 Section three 

 Outline of the legislation relating to special needs education in Ireland:

1.  Provide a list of all legislation in relation to special needs (min of 6 Acts)
2. Discuss briefly two main pieces of legislation that apply to access and inclusion
3. Give two examples of where you see these pieces of legislation in practice in childcare (e.g. equal opportunities in admission procedures, equality and diversity policies)
4. Provide details of two articles in the UN Convention on rights of the child that specifically apply to special needs.

Section four 

Identify the role and responsibilities of the childcare worker in supporting a child with additional needs.

1. Briefly describe the signs and symptoms of two special needs conditions(Do not use Down Syndrome, as it is in the second project)
2. Identify the core skills needed to support a child with these two conditions(min 4)
3. Discuss best practices in an educational/early years setting for including a child with special needs.

 Section five 

Describe a range of support services available to children with additional needs:

1. Give two specialists on a multidisciplinary team and outline their specialist role (i.e.) Speech Therapist, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, etc.
2. Discuss the role of two specialist services that support children with additional needs (i.e. Down Syndrome Ireland, Enable Ireland, Irish wheelchair association), etc.

 Section six 

 This section of your assignment requires you to consider what you have learned by completing your project and offer your personal opinions on the progression in provision for children with additional needs. Logical conclusions should reflect:

1. Your own attitudes and values in relation to children with special needs
2. The legal and ethical issues in relation to education and care of children with special needs
3. Your personal practice working with children with special needs and their families
4. Make two justified recommendations based on your knowledge gained in this project. (E.g. more training in special needs for everyone to know best practice)