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Special Education

Notes Self Assessment
2. Multiple Choice Questions: Choose the correct option:
(i) The individualization of ................................... is an important part of special education.
(a) instruction (b) education (c) grade (d) adaptations
(ii) A ............................ means a change in what is being taught to or expected from the student.
(a) assignment (b) modifications (c) disability (d) student
(iii) By the ......... parents and professionals had mounted strong challenges to the old system,
and special education began a period of rapid change that continues today.
(a) 1970 (b) 1980 (c) 1960 (d) 1990
(iv) Some institutions and ............... were substituting harsh discipling for the educational services
exceptional students needed.
(a) special schools (b) special education
(c) developing country (d) discipline
1.4 Special Education in India

In pre-independence India, the country had a few special schools for children with intellectual
impairment run by non-Government organizations, a few mentally retarded persons admitted to
mental hospitals and many stayed at home. India has come a long way since Independence in the
area of disability rehabilitation. There has been a shift in the lifestyle of people with disabilities from
charity to right. It is no more the wish and choice of the giver to provide education, vocational
training and rehabilitation, but the RIGHT of the person with disability to receive the support.
The Government of India has set up four national level institutes to effectively implement government
schemes for persons with disabilities, to develop human resources to deal with disabilities, to develop
service models, to conduct research and to document and disseminate information. These are:
National Institute of the Visually Handicapped, National institute for Hearing Handicapped, National
Institute for orthopaedically handicapped and National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped.
The Institute for Physically Handicapped and National Institute of Rehabilitation, Training and
Research are two more national level institutes of rehabilitation. In addition, the District Rehabilitation
Centre (DRC) scheme has been initiated in 10 States aiming at preventive measures and
comprehensive rehabilitation. To train manpower for DRCs, four Regional Rehabilitation Training
Centres have been established.
An important turning point has been the National Policy on Education (1986). This policy for the
first time included a section on disabilities. Briefly, the points made in this section include;
• Education of children with mild disabilities will be in regular schools.
• Children with severe disabilities will be in special schools with hostel facilities in district
headquarters.
• Vocationalization of education will be initiated.
• Teachers training programmes will be reoriented to include education of disabled children;
• All voluntary efforts will be encouraged.
Today there are about 37 diploma programmes in the field of special education and about 3 offering
the B.Ed. degree. The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), a statutory body under the Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment, regulates these courses for the education, training and management
of persons with disabilities.
The District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) is another major step towards universalization
of primary education wherein children with special needs are also included. A number of districts

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