CALLED TO SERVE: SERVICE-PROVIDERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

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CALLED TO SERVE: SERVICE-PROVIDERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Introduction

Special education concerns have expanded through the years, but formal classroom teaching comprises only a fraction of the care that should be extended to children with special needs. There remain a lot of people who do provide care and service to children with special needs, but their job is often a relatively forgotten and unknown one. These are the children with special needs caregivers and service-providers who work as employees in social welfare centers, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, orphanages, and similar such institutions.

Unlike special education teachers who are only with children with special needs in their classrooms, children with special needs service-providers are with them in the most personal, intimate, and delicate moments in the lives of children with special needs. In this regard, they can "touch the heart" of the care-needing and service-needing children with special needs more than the teacher. Special education schools and institutions have to train them to enhance and improve their skills in responding to the social, emotional, and educational needs of the children with special needs.

The information about children with special needs service-providers

A survey questionnaire was devised containing fourteen items, some of them open-ended and some more of the sentence-completion item type. The aim of the survey was to probe the concepts, feelings, and experiences of the care and service-providers while taking care and providing service to children with special needs who are staying or housed in the centers.

Pilot testing was done and the question items refined. Professors of the UP Special Education Area administered themselves the questionnaire to one hundred seventy-four respondents who were working in twelve center sites, all located within Metro Manila, except for one in Batangas Province. These twelve center sites, arranged according to number of respondents, were:

One. Marillac Hills, Alabang, Muntinlupa City (twenty-six)

Two. Boys Town Complex, Parang, Marikina City (twenty-one)

Three. Sanctuary (twenty)

Four. MYRC, Arroceros Street, Manila (eighteen)

Five. Elsie Gaches Village, Alabang, Muntinlupa City (seventeen)

Six. Haven for Children, Alabang, Muntinlupa City (sixteen)

Seven. Rehabilitation Sheltered Workshop, NCR, Project Four: (fifteen)

Eight. Day care centers, Lobo, Batangas (fourteen)

Nine. Caloocan City day care centers (ten)

Ten. National Vocational Rehabilitation Center, DSWD, NCR (seven)

Eleven. Nayon ng Kabataan (seven)

Twelve. Day care center, BASECO Compound, Manila (three)

The survey findings

Characteristics of children with special needs

Causes of disabilities of CSN

Description of CSN disabilities

Important needs in life among CSN

Belief in CSN being capable of receiving training and eventually becoming productive

Ways in which CSN may be productive

Most effective strategies in rendering assistance/intervention to CSN

Advice to future teachers of CSN

The good points and strengths of CSN

Extent that CSN contributed to the development of service-givers as a person

Problems in working with CSN

Earnest wishes for CSN

Conclusions

Nature of service-givers' job: mostly in home management

Causes of disabilities of CSN: the parents themselves followed next by genetic abnormalities

Capability for training: CSN have their own talents and skills. They also have the ability to think and learn

Most effective strategies: giving love and attention; giving them skills for an adult life

Good points or strengths of CSN: special abilities and talents and their eagerness to learn

NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Marie Grace A. Gomez and Irene C. Oael

Each group or sub-group is described based on the following:

Children with intellectual or mental and learning disabilities

Learning disabilities

Children and youth with sensory disabilities

Blind and low vision (visual impairment)

Ability potentials.

Hearing impairment

Ability potentials.

Speech and language disorders/delays

Ability potentials.

Children and youth with physical impairments and special health problems

Ability potentials.

Special health problems

Ability potentials.

Children and youth with cognitive-processing and behavior-related problems or disorders

Ability potentials.

Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Ability potentials.

Behavior problems

Children in conflict with the law

Street children

Ability potentials.

Other children with special needs in the Philippine context

Conclusion

WHAT SPECIAL CHILDREN NEED Myra Trinidad Timtiman-Tantengco

Physiological needs

Safety needs

Love and belonging needs

Esteem needs

Self-actualization

Conclusion

THE CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND HIS POTENTIALS

Potentials of CSN

Beliefs about CSN

Guidelines for significant persons

Conclusion

PREPARING SERVICE-PROVIDERS FOR THE INTERVENTION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Who are these service-providers (SP)?

What are the basic tasks and responsibilities of service-providers?

What personal qualities make an effective service-provider?

What information do all effective SP need to know?

What skills should SP have?

What do SP need to know about task analysis?

How will SP teach the child important tasks?

What follows is a sample task analysis for brushing the teeth. Note that each step has been identified.

To be able to understand human behavior, it is important to realize four important principles:

What are the types of problem behaviors?

Why do children commit problem behaviors?

How can problem behaviors be managed?

What does the SP need to know about effective communication?

Working with professionals

Conclusion

CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS IN THE PROVISION OF INTERVENTION TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Problems concerning the clients

A. Behaviors

B. Communication

C. Health issues

Problems concerning the client's family

B. Lack of trust

Problems concerning the center

Problems concerning the community

B. Indifference.

C. Lack of networking and collaboration

Conclusion

Introduction

Situation One: Ken

What Can We Do?

As to the problem of the child not seeming to wait for his turn,

Let Us Remember!

Situation Two: Allan

What Can We Do?

When the child tends to hurt himself and others, the following strategies may work:

The child's crying and throwing tantrums may be handled as follows:

Let Us Remember!

Situation Three: Vannie

Why?

What Can We Do?

Let Us Remember!

Situation Four: Angie

Why?

What Can We Do?

Let Us Remember!

Situation Five: Janet

Why?

What Can We Do?

To help the child understand and speak, corresponding strategies are:

To help the child speak more clearly,

Let Us Remember!

Situation Five: Nina

Why?

What can we do?

Situation six: Weng What's Happening?

Why?

What Can We Do?

Let us remember

ADVOCACY FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Overview

The document focuses on the vital roles of caregivers and service providers in supporting children with special needs, emphasizing the importance of their work beyond formal education. It presents survey findings about the nature of their roles, the specific needs of children under their care, and the various types of disabilities encountered.

Key Points

1Service providers play a critical role in the emotional and social development of children with special needs
2A survey identified home management, teaching, and case management as primary responsibilities
3Respondents emphasized the necessity of love, understanding, and care for children with special needs
4The document categorizes the disabilities observed and the causes behind them, such as parental negligence and poverty
5Emotional traits of children with special needs are varied, reflecting both challenges and positive behaviors.

Details

Authors: Edilberto Dizon
Category: Social Sciences

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